>> we love you, whitney. >> tomorrow, live coverage of whitney houston's funeral. coverage begins at 11:00 a.m. eastern and we'll have the highlights on a special piers morgan. 9:00 p.m. eastern. that's it for us tonight. from cnn center, this is "cnn saturday morning" at 6:00 a.m. in atlanta. 5:00 a.m. in houston, texas, 5:00 a.m. in california. good morning. i'm gary. it's a sad day for family and friends of whitney houston. the funeral for the pop star will be held in newark, new

jersey. we'll go there live. plus, a 29-year-old man is alleged to blow up the u.s. capitol. we go live to d.c. a cincinnati high school is paying students to attend. yes, you heard me. they will give money to students to attend school, get good grades and pay attention in glass. tweet me. here are some of the stories we are following this morning. opposition activists in syria say the military took shots at them during demonstrations and funerals in damascus today. as many as 61 people were killed yesterday in the government

crackdown. we are told by one activist the syrian military is planning an all out assault on a neighborhood in homs today. it's been the center of the uprising. wages are going up by as much as 25% at a chinese factory that makes apple ipads and iphones. a labor rights organization arrived to look around the factory complex. that included representatives from apple. factory owners are caught under fire since a rash of suicides. workers will now make $400 a month. within the past hour, pope benedict xvi added 22 cardinals to the church. among them is new york bishop, timothy dolan. the princes of the church will be responsible for picking a new pope. investigators are looking

into the cause of this big fire in washington state. the bp refinery is the biggest in the northwestern united states. it took several hours for firefighters to get the blaze under control. no one was hurt. president obama is expected to sign the payroll tax holiday extension into law today. the bill passed by the house and senate means you get to keep around 1,000 bucks more from your paycheck this year. the other parts extend unemployment for the rest of the year. it changes the cap from 99 weeks to no more than 73 weeks. now, to the foiled plot to attack the u.s. capital building with a sue id bomb. a 29-year-old man was arrested wearing a dumby suicide vest. he's charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruct n destruction. athena, good morning to you. how long was the fbi watching this guy?

>> he first came to the fbis attention in january of last year when they said he met with a few other individuals at a house in arlington, just across the river from d.c. he met with the people and talked about wanting to perform an attack somewhere in the u.s. this was a war. the war on terror was a war against muslim's. they have been following him for some time. he was introduced to an undercover law enforcement officer in december of last year. december of 2011. it's when we begin to see details coming through this investigation point by point meeting and discussing his plans to carry out an attack on a synagogue or u.s. military offices or a restaurant frequented by military officials. later, he decided he wanted to attack the u.s. capital. >> tell us about the dumby suicide vest.

>> certainly. when he met with the undercover agents yesterday near the capital, they gave him this vest that he thought was carrying workable bomb that could be detonated. it was rendered inoperable. the law enforcement officers gave him a mac ten automatic weapon that was inoperable. he said he wanted to make sure he had a gun so if he was stopped, he could shoot down guards that tried to stop him. law enforcement didn't want to give him anything that could be used against himself or anyone else. >> did he have ties to terrorist organizations? >> no, he didn't. he thought he was meeting during the course of this investigation, during the course of this long drawn out investigation, he thought he was me meeting with people who were connected to al qaeda. of course, they were all connected to the investigation.

that's the interesting thing here. yesterday, you had assistant attorney general saying this case underscores the continuing threat we face from home grown terrorists. you have individuals not conn t connected to anyone, loan wolves who could pose a real threat when trying to attack anyone here in the u.s. they are more difficult to follow. in this case, this long investigation came to a close. the fear is how many more people are out there who may not have any connects and want to attack the u.s. >> that is a disturbing question. thankfully, it was a successful close. thanks very much. thanks. around 1500 mourners will pack a newark, new jersey church today for whitney houston's funeral. it's scheduled to start 12:00

noon eastern time. this is a live look of the church in knew newark. her friends and family will be here. jason carroll is there in newark this morning. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning to you, gary. preparations are still under way at the new hope baptist church for the service to take place later today at 12:00 noon. last night at the whigham funeral home, there was a private viewing for family and very close friends. we saw cissy houston show up. bobbie christina was there as well. the street was blocked off in both directions in front of the funeral home to give privacy to family and friends and the sensitive private moment. also at the new hope baptist

church, we saw so many people showing up wanting to pay their respects. it was the last moment for people to do that. this area is blocked off for invited guests only. those who showed up were leaving balloons, cards, singing whitney houston songs in front of the church. we spoke to a number of people about the privacy and they respect the family's wishes. >> i'm happy the family took the position of making it private because this is her. this is who she really is. this is who she really is. the family has the right to do it. >> i understand where the family is coming from when asking for their privacy so, even though i wish, too, that a little bit of something would have been for the public. >> reporter: so, today, the focus will be on what is happening here at the church.

folks such as aretha franklin will be performing. alicia keys, kevin costner will be speaking later today as well. when speaking to the pastor, i asked him about today's service. he said obviously, there's going to be a lot of tears. he also said it's going to be a celebration about music and a celebration about whitney houston's life. gary. >> thank you very much. it will be a long, sad but inspiring day. remember, cnn has special coverage. whitney houston's funeral comes your way in a few hours from now, begins at 11:00 eastern time. well, the gulf coast is bracing for a potential severe weather outbreak today. meteorologist reynolds wolf is here to tell us more. >> we are keeping an eye on the storm system moving across parts of the state this morning. we have flash flood warnings in effect now. later on this afternoon into the

evening, a chance f thunderstorms and tornadoes. we'll give you the full scoop soon. >> okay. as family and friends gather to bid a final farewell, we'll introduce you to those who knew her before she became a super star. jeremy lin's victory is over. and a son trying to evict his 98-year-old mother on her go birthday. we'll tell you why. stay with us. n enegetables. over twenty delicious varieties have sixtys. calories or less per serving and are now weight watchers-endorsed. try green giant frozen vegetables with sauce. i'm going to own my own restaurant. i want to be a volunteer firefighter. when i grow up, i want to write a novel. i want to go on a road trip. when i grow up, i'm going to go there.

i want to fix up old houses. [ female announcer ] at aarp we believe you're never done growing. i want to fall in love again. [ female announcer ] discover what's next in your life. get this free travel bag when you join at aarp.org/jointoday. well, it's 11 minutes past the hour. the gulf coast is bracing for a potential severe weather outbreak today. meteorologist reynolds wolf is with us. is this a springtime weather pattern? >> it's similar to a springtime weather pattern. a reminder, spring isn't sprung

yet. this is the kind of thing we see during the spring months. as we look at the dark conditions, we have thunderstorms popping up across the gulf coast then the sun comes out. we can expect instability along the coast of alabama back to louisiana. perhaps alabama. that's where you have the issues with tornadoes into the afternoon. florida is in the mix, also, the sunshine state. the area of low pressure is moving across. what we expect is with the heavy rainfall and the ground that is saturated, flooding is going to be a threat. we have the warnings and watches on the gulf coast. we expect it to come to the east. the severe thunderstorms will pop up for alabama, georgia, florida, mississippi and louisiana in the mix. how it's going to affect you is behind the storm system, denver and billings, highs 45.

45 in portland. 65 in memphis and 63 in atlanta. if you are trying to fly around the nation, dallas, new orleans, major delays also in atlanta and san diego due to the fog. back to you, gary. >> are you a basketball fan? >> i am, indeed. absolutely. >> have you been following the new york knicks and lin? >> amazing story to watch him. >> here is the latest update if you have linsanity. the linning streak is up. he scored 26 points. 89-85 loss to the new orleans hornets. they are not the best team in basketball. they have one of the worst records. the last two weeks lin went from an unknown bench player to leading them to seven straight wins. just a kid from east orange

new jersey with the voice of an angel. how is whitney houston remembered in her hometown? find out next.

♪

♪ i know it's been some time >> so sad, a week ago today she passed away. today, she's being laid to rest in new jersey. new jersey is where she went to school, she had friends, she grew up, born in newark, moved to east orange. whitney houston was far from an p ordinary girl. >> franklin elementary school in east orange, new jersey where whitney houston went to school. >> good afternoon may i help you? >> in 1997, it was renamed whitney houston academy of performing arts. the principal, henry hamilton. >> was i proud of her? you better believe it. yes, i was. >> this is the enrollment document from her days at the school.

she entered in 1969 and went to middle school in 1974. in the principal's office, pictures of him with whitney and pictures after she became famous. >> she was a beautiful little girl, quiet. not talkative. she was well respected. never came to the office for discipline problems, well behaves. >> raymond reminisces about when whitney was about to make it big. >> when she was leaving to go to california to be with dionne warwick, she came into a store we were in. the owner, john, said i'm so glad to see you going. i wish you the best and he gave her a $100 bill. he said here, this is to help you on your way. >> the houston family home was the center of activity in the summertime. it was the only house in the area with a built-in swimming pool. she had a lot of friends that

came over. erica taylor was one of those friends. >> we talked about boys and what we were doing over the summer and how it was fun to be in a pool. >> reporter: after they were done swimming in the pool, they would all watch whitney hit tennis balls on the wall. why didn't you play tennis with her? >> we wanted to know, we asked each other, remember when she would play tennis and we were like how is it to meet michael jackson because of her aunt dionne. >> you knew she had celebrity connections. she was just a kid then. >> she knew the people. her aunt was dionne and her god mother was aretha. >> reporter: many realized her voice was special from her early days singing in church. some remember her belting out tunes earlier.

>> the first time i met whitney, we called her nippy back then. she was about 5 years old. >> she's a retired principal from an east orange elementary school but a friend who attended a family christmas party. >> one of the back rooms nippy had her cousins surrounded by her. she jumped up on the coffee table and started singing. >> reporter: in room 109, one of whitney's classrooms -- >> is whitney houston your hero? >> yes! >> with all her accomplishments, i think -- i know i want to be like her when i grow up. >> i'm the father of the youngsters here. i take that roll. >> reporter: you consider her a daught daughter? >> i do. daughter forever. our lost daughter. >> he's a good guy, henry hamilton. you can hear more from him when he joins me live at 10:00 before

he walks into the funeral service. he will talk about whitney and her early years at the school. cnn will have special coverage of the funeral in newark, new jersey that comes your way beginning at 11:00 eastern time. a 98-year-old woman served an eviction notice on her birthday from her son. unbelievable. why he wants her out of the home she's lived in for nearly 60 years. plus, a school is paying students to come to class. wait until you hear how it works and the backlash it's getting. that's next. ♪[music plays] ♪[music plays] purina one beyond.

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let's take a look now at a few stories making news across country. in maryland, the state house approved same-sex marriage. the senate will vote next. the governor says he will sign the legislation. opponents want the issue to go to a statewide referendum. in chicago, halls and classrooms of brian piccolo school is filled with activists.

>> we are taxpayers. we have a right. we have a say so. these are our kids. >> the so-called turn around plans for the school. if approved, management, teachers and staff will be brought in. it's a school slated for turn around. in connecticut, this great, great grandmother was given an eviction notice from her son. despite not seeing his mother in eight months, he says she's in no condition to live alone. his brother disagrees. >> i don't understand what's happening with him. >> according to wthn, the courts ruled the 98-year-old is competent. no decision if she'll get to stay in the house. a cincinnati chartler school is paying students to attend class. you heard me right. they launched the program this

week. students must attend school every day for a week. they cannot be late or have disciplinary issues. they must pay attention in class. ninth, tenth, 11th grader who is meet the requirements get $10 a week. seniors get $25. grades at the school are horrible. attendance is below average. 14% graduated last year. they hope the $40,000 program funded partly through private donations will give them incentive to stay in school and out of trouble. the students like the idea and p so does the principal. here is what they had to say. >> each time a student gets paid, we take $5 and put it into a savings account. when the student graduates, they have some type of funds. >> it's more like this is a job. i'm getting paid now. getting paid to come to school like this is every kid's dream.

>> many people don't like that dream. they say the school shouldn't pay students to do something they should be doing anyway. now that you have heard what they have to say, we want to know what you have to say. should schools pay students to come to school? tweet me at garytuckmancnn. a proper tribute to whitney houston. you will hear from the artist picked to sing at her funeral. also ahead, the race for the republican nomination and an infusion of cash for the gingrich campaign. is it too little too late? stay with us. hicken. the way i always made it for you. one more thing.... those pj's you like, i bought you five new pairs. love you. did you see the hockey game last night? [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain.

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it's 29 minutes past the hour. welcome back, i'm gary tuckman. thank you for starting your day with us. checking the top stories. a 29-year-old moroccan man is accused of trying to bomb the capital building. he got what he thought was a vest loaded with explosives near

the capital. it was not. if convicted, he faces life in prison. chinese vice president wrapped up his five-day visit to the united states. china says it will allow 50% more u.s. movies into china. a stamp could be driven up five cents a stamp. the nickel increase is part of the five-year plan. it means an additional $1 billion in revenue a year and they need that. well, it's time to talk politics now in the race for the white house. take a look at this new poll out of the state of michigan. this american research group poll shows rick santorum with a lead over mitt romney. it's surprising when you consider romney's father, george, was a two-time governor of michigan and romney won

michigan by ten points in 2008. joining me now is lee may, a democratic county commissioner in dekalb county and bill. gentlemen, thank you for joining me. >> good to be here. >> phil, surprising to you that mitt romney is struggling so much particularly in the state of michigan? >> it is a surprise. the deal is not closed with conservative republicans in this primary season, yet. i'm going on a limb and give a prediction that michigan will ultimately go with romney. he's got the money and the blanding and the name. i think he'll pull it out in the end. >> do you think romney is going to win in michigan? >> he has the money and organization. you have to remember, all politics is local. romney advocated for the bankruptcy of general motors and chrysler and he was not for the automobile bail out that the president advocated.

so, people in michigan remember that. that bailout was proven to be a success. you have those companies that are pushing profits now and movie forward. that is hurting romney in this local election in detroit and throughout the state of michigan. >> supertuesday is two weeks from tuesday, huge day in this nomination battle. we are supposed to have a debate in atlanta. do you think it was a good move to not continue all the debates they are doing? >> i think it was strategic. look where we are on supertuesday, all the different states. for romney and paul it was strategic. romney doesn't have a chance in georgia. paul is strategic looking at the states where he could get a portion of the delegates. the states were winner take all. he's not interested. i think it was more of a strategic move to get the biggest bang for their buck on

supertuesday. >> speaking of georgia, newt gingrich has to win in the state of georgia. he's getting a big infusion of money from the billion. he's going to give more money to newt gingrich. do you think he'll win in georgia and do you think he has a chance to win the nomination? >> i think he's going to win georgia. he has a good ground force. he was a congressman in the area for years. it was a huge mistake for romney and santorum to cancel on the cnn gop debate. they were tieing their fund raising to the debate and giving out tickets as part of their fund raising. i estimate romney and santorum may have cost the state $1 million. >> wow. >> i think there's resentment among the party people. it's going to help newt gingrich. >> compromise on the payroll tax break. do you think it's a sign in washington that maybe we are getting greater cooperation we

have seen over several months and several years? >> i hope it is. i hope the republicans learned from the past. there was a lot of partisan politics dealing with the people's pocketbooks. in todays compromise, the democrats are not happy with it. it's a sign of good policy when you have both sides. you have 160 american that is will benefit from the payroll tax cut. you have 160 million people who will have unemployment benefits extended as well. i think that's very important. a portion of it is paid for as a number of republicans have been advocating for. >> how much do you think barack obama is benefiting from this republican nominating battle? >> i don't think there's much of a benefit. >> you don't think so even though they can't concentrate on obama, they have to concentrate

on themselves? >> they have concentrating on obama and themselves. go back to 2008 between hillary and obama. it was a blood bath. the focus is on the economy and jobs especially the expense of obama care and the payroll tax. obama had to compromise and take a chunk out of the tax to pay for the payroll tax. i think the republicans are going to come together. one thing that unites republicans is they want obama as a one termer. >> quick answer from both of you. supertuesday, who do you think will be the big winner tuesday overall? >> i think romney will split with santorum. gingrich will take southern states. it's going to continue on after supertuesday. >> i think romney will come out the victor. santorum, if he's able to take advantage of the media up tick in terms of raising money and

building the organization, he's able to take advantage of it. he hasn't been able to take it on yet. >> i interviewed santorum the night of the nevada caucuses. he said he's going to win the nomination. he believes he will win. we'll see what happens. thanks for joining us. appreciate it. good talking to you. there's one debate left before supertuesday. we have it for you here. it's not the one in georgia. that was canceled. it's the arizona republican debate this wednesday night. join john king as he joins the republican candidates this wednesday, 8:00 p.m. eastern time. it's going to be a day of tears in the state of new jersey. wh whitney houston's family and friends will gather at a church in newark to say their final good-byes. this is a live look at the new

hope baptist church in newark, new jersey. five minutes away from the home where whitney houston was born. the focus on her faith and passion. one of the pastors will have to ha handle his emotions as he sings a final song for his friend. pastor, thank you for joining us. >> i'm glad to be here, gary. >> tell me how you knew whitney houston. >> well, whitney houston became a family friend of ours when she took my sister olivia and she sang for her for seven years. she was a favorite background singer. whitney was at her wedding and she loved my mother. there was a love relationship between our families. >> what will you be singing at this funeral service. >> i'm going to try to sing a song called "stand."

it's a song i wrote some years ago. ♪ >> the houston family loves it. i'm going to try to get through that because this is very unexpected loss, really. >> i would assume, pastor, that will be very difficult. i assume it's difficult when ever you sing a song like that at a sad occasion. how do you get through it? how do you contain yourself to finish it without your emotions getting the best of you? k i really don't know. that can't be a guarantee. a loss like this is something that is deep and it's really, really powerfully impacting us. not only did the world know whitney, but when you know her intimately and as a friend, it's a different scenario. trying to sing on top of the loss is going to be one of the

most heroing experiences. by faith in god, we'll get through it. >> i spent part of this week in newark in east orange and talked to childhood friends of whitney and her grade school principal. people just can't believe it. they can't believe it happened to such a wonderful little girl and wonderful star and inspired so many people. are you still in a state of disbelief? >> well, whitney was more than just an icon. whitney was a real person. she loved hard. whom she loved, she loved with all of her heart. she shared herself with the whole world. there was an intimate side of her that was so absolutely genuine that you felt like you knew her. all of our time of knowing her, it's felt like she's been family to us. the way she treated my sister and my mother, all of us, it's the way she treated everybody. it's going to be hard.

people still haven't registered yet that this is really happening. the loss is great and it's going to really take some time to get over this one. >> pastor, she was known as one of the greatest pop singers ever. her start, her origins come from gospel. tell me more about that. >> well, see, not just her start and origin. throughout her pop, she was still singing gospel, even in the "preachers wife." that's why that movie was so powerful. she was doing what she does, gospel. everything she sang in the pop world she sang with the same flare. gospel is a lifestyle. he loved god and portrayed it in the way she developed and portrayed her songs. >> how did faith touch her life, pastor? >> man, if you had to deal with

some of the things whitney dealt with, and we always brought attention to the addictions and the demons but the only way to get through that as she did was with her faith in god, through prayer, surrounding herself with people who would pray with her. there are times we would be at an award show, one i remember and they pulled me into her dressing room. she was nervous, wrapped up in her nightgown. her nerves were so overwhelming. she wanted me to pray with her. that's how she got through everything. when we paint the picture of whitney houston, it's not just her struggle. she overcame a lot of hurdles. the way she did so was with her faith in god. >> i know this will be a very sad day, but i know you will be very inspiring. thank you for joining us. >> gary, thank you for having me. i appreciate this.

>> remember, cnn will have special coverage of whitney houston's funeral in newark, new jersey. the coverage comes your way at 11:00 a.m. eastern. there are some severe storms brewing in the south. it could include tornadoes. reynolds has the forecast. you know how it goes. the phone rings and there's a telemarketer on the line. it's about to stop for just about everybody. i'll tell you why, ahead. a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? we talked about getting a diamond. but with all the thank you points i've been earning... ♪ ...i flew us to the rock i really had in mind. ♪ [ male announcer ] the citi thank you card. earn points you can use for travel on any airline, with no blackout dates. sure. what flavor? mm, one of each.

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it is time to turn to reynolds wolf in the storm system. >> a rude awakening in the lone star state. people wake iing up in houston s morning don't need the alarm clock. it's saturday morning, hopefully you are not waking up too early. parts of i-10 and i-35.

austin has scattered showers in the hill country. the coast is seeing the heaviest rainfall. the area here is where you have the severe thunderstorm watches in effect. i expect them to produce quite a bit of rainfall. so much the national weather service has warnings and watches along the gulf coast in alabama and florida. this area of low pressure you have on the gulf coast, it's locked in place, jerked to the northeast. when it does, it's going to bring the heavy rainfall to new orleans. we can expect the temperatures to get close to 70 degrees. the temperatures, kind of mild will help keep the severe unstable. you could have the heavy rainfall, the strong thunderstorms, maybe tornadoes before all is said and done. with the rough weather, you can expect delays. anyone trying to get through houston, delays in an hour. same deal in dallas, farther to

the north, yes. you won't be able to escape the rough weather. new orleans, the big easy, you have those issues, too. flooding around the french quarter. keep that in mind. the thunderstorms may lead to the evening hours. in san diego to the west coast, mainly the marine layer that will keep you grounded for a bit. the gulf coast is the roughest spot. gary that's the latest in the forecast. more updates in a few moments. >> thank you very much. coming up, the ancient home of gladiator fights. the coliseum in rome is no match for mother nature. we'll tell you why.

welcome back. i it's 47 minutes past the hour. time for news that may have been off the radar for you. the fcc is cracking down on those annoying unsolicited calls from telemarketers. now, they have to get your permission in writing before they can robo call you. it costs more to make pennies and nickels than what they are worth. now the obama administration is asking congress for permission to change the mix of metal that is go into making the coins. here's the problem. the u.s. mint is exploring metal mixes since 2010 but hasn't figured out which combinations can cut costs down. the ice and snow that

battered italy caused the walls of the coliseum in rome to crumble. thousands of tourists had to be turned away as authorities work to prevent more damage. no need to battle it out in court. one particular hotel offers a quick and cheap way for unhappy couples to untie the knot. that's right, untie it. our morning passport is coming up next. okay, team! after age 40, we can start losing muscle --

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well, it's time for this mornings passport with nadia bilchik. okay, first of all, happy valentine's day from a few days ago. >> post valentine's day. february, the month of love is also the biggest month for divorce. think about it, on valentine's day, you think is this the person i want to be romantic with? february is a big month for divorce around the world and particularly holland. >> holland? >> yeah. that's where the concept of the divorce hotel originated from. a legal product marketer came up with the idea of a one-stop shop for divorce. he has a legal form and people come in and he says divorce takes up to two years. it's a roller coaster.

it's an enormous strain on emotions and finances. what if you could book in with your now spouse, soon-to-be ex and have it done in two days. >> why go to a hotel with your ex? >> they will bring in all the experts you need to make the divorce happen. you go to the company, they find out, in fact, if you are good candidates for it. if it's too acrimonious -- >> it sounds like the love boat, a new show. >> that's why we thought it was such a good story. we look at the couple and decide, are they open to this type of mediation. they check in on a saturday morning. what happens is all the experts, the psychologist or social worker if you have children, the real estate expert, if you have a home comes in and mediates the divorce. by sunday, b the papers are signed and go to the court of holland.

after 15 or so couples, only two or three have not managed to come to an agreement. why this hotel? they contract with the hotel so the staff don't say things to the couple like hello mr. and mrs. so and so. we hope you have a wonderful stay. >> do they stay in the same room? >> it's much cheaper to stay in the same room. chances are, most of the 15 couples have chosen to stay in separate rooms. does that surprise you? >> no. you have an option though? >> you have an option. it costs around $3,000. the divorce from beginning to end takes place. all that happens is it goes to the court of holland a couple more weeks. not the international court. depends on how big the divorce is. it's an opportunity for couples spending too much time on energy on the divorce who need an

opportunity for mediation to happen. it's a one-stop shop. >> final question. this is not a gimmick? it's real? >> it's absolutely real. couples have been through it. most couples by the time they get to divorce can't happen in a weekend. this is another option. there are lots of inquiries. the concept is coming to the united states and p this may surprise you, ha ha, it's going to be a reality show. >> i'm shocked! i'm dumbfounded. >> the divorce hotel reality. i said what is the best and worst experience? he said the worst is a couple so acrimonious they ended up not getting divorced. there was a couple that got on so well, the mediator wondered why they were getting divorced. sometimes you have a wedding going on in one room and a divorce in another. just because you have an unhappy marriage doesn't mean you need to have an unhappy divorce.

>> this is nadia bilchik happily married. >> absolutely. we talk about the final funeral preparations for whitney houston. they are set. we will go live to newark with the details. plus, we have been asking you to weigh in on this. a cincinnati chatter school is paying students to attend. we'll get your comments after the break. the first technology of its kind... mom and dad, i have great news. is now providing answers families need. siemens. answers. i like yoplait. it is yoplait. but you said it was greek. mmhmm. so is it greek or is it yoplait? exactly.

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a cincinnati charter school is paying students, paying them, to attend class. should the school do that? we asked you to weigh in. michael tweets, never. it's a sad day in your nation

when education comes to that stage. jamie said people tell me school is my job. my response, why am i not getting paid for it. yes, pay me and i will gladly spend my time in that institution. it should be the other way around. keep the comments coming. tweet your thoughts at gary tuckman, cnn. from cnn center, this is "cnn saturday morning." it's 7:00 a.m. in atlanta, 6:00 a.m. in houston and 4:00 a.m. in san francisco. good morning, i'm gary tuckman. it's a sad day for family and friends of whitney houston. we'll go to newark, new jersey live and hear from her closest friends. her death has many of us thinking about our own

mortality. clyde anderson has tips on setting up last wills and testments. a 29-year-old man is arrested for a plot to blow up a u.s. capital building. the fbi is watching every one of his moves. about the foil ed plot to attack the federal building. a 29-year-old man from morocco was wearing a dumby suicide vest. he was attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. athena jones is live in washington. how long was the fbi looking out for this guy? >> reporter: good morning. they were watching him for quite some time. he came to their attention in january, 2011 when an informant came and said this man took part in a meeting in a house in arlington, virginia, across the river from d.c. it took place on january 11, 2011. during the meeting, one

individual produced what is alleged to look like an ak 47, a revolver. he expressed agreement with this idea and said the group needed to be ready for war. another point, he's alleged to have said he would be happy killing 30 people. they were watching him for some time. december of last year, he was introduced to an undercover agent who help ed begin the nex stages of the plot where he began to make plans on what to attack. he wanted to attack military installations and settled on the u.s. capital. >> is he stupid, the fbi smart or both? >> they have been watching him for a long time. they thought he was talking to people connected to al qaeda. he thought he had been given, you know, yesterday an operable

suicide vest and mac ten. it's a weapon he wanted to have to shoot down resistance he might have faced at the capital yesterday had he gone there. certainly, the fbi was able to take advantage of the confidential informants. more details will emerge. in many ways, what's frightening is this is a man who entered the u.s. legally in 1999, overstayed his visa and you have this man plotting to kill 30 or more people here in the nation's capital. >> it is scary. athena jones, thank you very much. >> reporter: thanks. wages are going up by as much as 25% at a chinese factory that makes apple ipads and iphones. i's called foxconn. they looked at the factory. it included representatives from apple. they come under fire following a rash of suicides and death

reports by cnn. workers will now make $400 a month, 100 bucks a week. an hour ago, pope benedict xvi added 22 cardinals to the catholicture. among them, timothy dolan from new york. the princes of the church have the responsibility of picking a new pope. investigators are looking at the cause of this huge fire in an oil refinery in northwest washington state. the bp refinery is the biggest in the reengion. it took several hours to get the blaze under control. nobody was hurt. president obama is expected to sign the payroll tax holiday extension on saturday. the bill passed by the house and senate means you will get to keep $1,000 more of your paycheck this year. the other part of the law extends unemployment benefits but changes the cap for long term benefits from 99 weeks.

it will now be 73 weeks. newt gingrich has been taking a beating in republican contests and in recent polls. he's found a good place to possibly regroup, home. he's here in the state of georgia today where he served in congress. georgia is home state and it's a supertuesday state. shawna has been following the gingrich campaign. she joins me for a rare in-studio appearance. i say rare because she's in the field and works hard and knows politics. it's gootd to see you in atlanta. >> it's nice to be here. >> what is the mood now. it's topsy turvy with gingrich. i wonder if he knows what's to arrive. >> the race is like a roller coaster. the ups and downs. last night was his first rally

in georgia. he's energized. he gets a lot of energy and feeds off the crowds. he's glad to be back and, you know, he's hoping georgia will be a success for him. >> i don't anticipate he's going to do well in michigan. it looks like a two-man race between santorum and mitt romney. is it essential to win here in georgia on supertuesday? >> i think so. he is going to michigan next week. so, you know, he's not completely conceding the state to santorum and romney. as far as georgia goes, it's going to be huge for him. it has the most delegates on supertuesday. he needs to make a push and promote as many delegates as he can. if he doesn't win his home state, it's clearly disappointing for him. >> when i was with you for a couple gingrich events, he

always sounds very confident. does he still? >> he often says he's going to, you know, he tries to focus on the positive message and not talk about his candidates. reporters are often asking him about them. you know, he -- he tends to hedge a little bit last night when asked about how well he would do in georgia. so, you know, it seems like he's lowering -- maybe lowering expectations a little bit. he needs to get, if he can get more than 50% of the votes in georgia, he can take home the 76 delegates. >> it's nice seeing you in person. >> you, too. >> good talking to you. we are going to take a live look at newark, new jersey this morning. this is the church whitney houston attended as a little girl and where she'll be remembered today at her funeral service. the family is getting ready. we'll go live to newark for the final preparations and listen to

what her close friends have to say. dangerous storms across the south. reynolds wolf is keeping an eye on it. >> weather conditions are the opposite in newark. you saw the live shot where skies look almost crystal clear on the gulf coast, a different scenario. storms developing. by the time the day is over, possibly tornadoes. you are watching "cnn saturday morning." blan

♪ i'm every woman, it's all in me ♪ >> great song. new hope baptist church, newark, new jersey is where friends and family will gather for whitney houston's final homecoming. with heart felt gratitude. fans across the country, even the world remembered houston this week. many people have yet to realize

what impact losing such a talent will have. jason carroll joins us from new jersey. what is the latest there? >> reporter: well, a number of police have started to gather in front of the new hope baptist church in preparation of what is to come later today. yesterday was an emotional moment. not far from here, at a funeral home there was a private viewing for the houston family. it was close family, close friends. we saw cissy houston show up, bobbi kristina, whitney houston's mentor was there as well. the roads were blocked to give the family privacy during this time. back at the new hope baptist church, a number of people are showing up. whitney houston's fans coming out to honor her. this area has been blocked off. later on, it will be invited guests only. yesterday was everyone's

opportunity who loved whitney houston to come lay the final flowers, the balloons, give the final wishes. much is said about what who is coming out to honor whitney houston. aretha franklin will lend her voice, alicia keys, stevie wonder. also, a gospel singer named kim berrell. she's known houston for 13 years. she's going to sing a song called "i believe in you and me." she told me why that song was chosen. >> all her songs were special to her. i think the family chose that because that's the song that i dedicated to her as a tribute on a television show. but, the words are personalized. i rerecorded it and i'm going to sing it as if i were singing it to her like i did that night. >> reporter: just last year,

gary, kim berrell and whitney houston sang together. gospel music was near and dear to her heart. she sang in the choir. gospel music was in her roots. i'm sure we'll hear gospel music later tonight as people lend their voices and thoughts to whitney houston. >> do authorities have an idea how many every day people are expected to gather outside the church or near the church as the memorial service takes place? >> reporter: it's anyone's guess, gary. so many people here in the community felt connected to whitney houston. she was the superstar that never forget her roots. a lot of people may not have known her personally, they at least knew of her. they are keep iing the area blocked off. the closest anyone for the public might be able to get to where i'm standing now is two blocks away. it's anyone's guess who will

come out inside the church. it seats 1500 people. the pastor expect as packed house. gary? >> we are showing a live picture of the people gathering already and the service doesn't start for five hours. lots of police in blue. originally, there was talk the prudential stadium, 19,000 seats was going to be the place. that would have been a security nightmare i imagine. >> reporter: absolutely, without question. beyond that, the family didn't want a spectacle. they wanted it to be a private, intimate send off for whitney houston for those who knew and loved her best. no disrespect to the fans. that's why they decided to allow one camera inside to share whitney with the world. >> completely understood. jason carroll, thank you very much. remember cnn will have special coverage that comes your way. our coverage begins at 11:00

eastern time. coming up next, reynolds wolf has the forecast. it could be a very wet weekend for some. hey. did you guys hear... ...that mary got engaged? that's so 42 seconds ago. thanks for the flowers guys. [ both ] you're welcome. oooh are you guys signing up for the free massage? [ both ] so 32 seconds ago. hey guys you hear frank's cat is sick? yeah, we heard. wanna sign the card? did you know the guys from china are in the office... [ speaking chinese ] [ male announcer ] stay a step ahead with the 4g lte galaxy s ii skyrocket. only from at&t. ♪ 8% every 10 years.age 40, we can start losing muscle -- only from at&t. wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. [ female announcer ] ensure muscle health has revigor and protein to help protect, preserve, and promote muscle health.

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♪ and i will always love you

>> the death of whitney houston. serves as a reminder that life is so uncertain. it may serve as a reminder to families how important it is to plan for a loved one's death. clyde anderson is here. thaupg thank you for jouping us. >> nice to be here. >> it's never too early to plan for death. >> you need to have a will set aside. a lot of people think you need to be millionaires to have a will. you don't. you have a home, assets. >> how early should you draft a will? wait until you are married with a partner or children? >> once you get into the work force and buy a home. you want to make sure you -- when you accumulate assets, have it in place. where is the house going to go? it may not be a wife or spouse or children, but a family

member. don't get that in probate and it's messy and they decide where your assets go. >> how much should you pay for it and how do you do it? it's not like you can go on the internet and draft a will or can you? >> you can. that's the amaze iing thing abo technology. you can. an attorney generally charges $500 to $1,000 to draft a will. online, you can do it for $19.95. >> how do you know if it's reputable? >> there's a lot of websites with a good track record, legalzoom and nolo.com. they provide legal documents and a low cost. consult an attorney if your situation is different. maybe you have stepchildren or on your second marriage, homes out of state that you share.

maybe you have a business. they are not cookie cutter situations that fit into the box. make sure your situation works. >> to reiterate, there's no concern an online will won't hold up in court? >> exactly. if you are looking, go to a rep oo utable site. some charge a service to have it reviewed to meet all the standards. they will make sure of that. have somebody look over it as well. know who the heirs are, an executor of the will. make sure they are not in the will. >> if you don't have a will, what is the downside if something bad happens? >> generally, everything you own could go to probate and get held up for a long period of time. they make the decision of where your assets go instead of you having the power to make the decision. take control over that. it's something we don't want to think about but it's crucial. >> do you have a will? >> definitely. i have three daughters.

they have to be protected. >> good talking to you. whitney houston is known for the many sides of her personality. this is a live picture of the church where the ceremony, the memorial service is taking place. we have whitney in her own words coming up after this. [ female announcer ] if whole grain isn't the first ingredient in your breakfast cereal, what is? now, in every box of general mills big g cereal, there's more whole grain than any other ingredient. that's why it's listed first. get more whole grain than any other ingredient... just look for the white check.

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♪ so emotional, baby, every time i think of you ♪ >> as the world prepares to say a final good-bye to whitney houston, she's remembered as a voice, a diva. how did she see herself? here is whitney houston in her own words. >> when we started, it was about what would fit with my voice, what song did. when clive heard me sing "the greatest love," he grasp ped on

and said that's where we're going to go. we have someone that can sing great ballots. ♪ the greatest love of all ♪ is easy to achieve >> i'm proud to carry that torch. when you do it, you give it the best you've got. i worked really hard and gave it all i had. that's all you can expect. i feel blessed to have, you know, received all these accolad accolades. that's the way i feel. i fell in love with a great man and i thought, i think i'll have his baby. i'm only kidding. no, i did fall in love with a great man and decided i would like to have some kids. i don't know, i thought it would be nice to have somebody carry me on. it's not a comeback for me. i have been here. i've been here, i just took a

break. sometimes you have to. you have to know when the slow the train down and sit back and relax for a minute. i wanted time to be, for more daughter to look in my eyes and know i was mommy, not the lady on tv. you know what i'm saying? it's very important to me. my mother used to always tell me, above all do thine self be true. that's what i want to teach bobbi kris. at night, when you go home, you have to be straight up with you. >> remember cnn will have special coverage of whitney houston's funeral. this is a live look at the church she went to as a little girl and where she'll be remembered today. coverage comes your way at