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tv   Campbell Brown  CNN  July 14, 2009 8:00pm-9:00pm EDT

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you can follow me on lou dobbs news on twitter.com, as well. and we thank you for being with us tonight. please join us here tomorrow. we thank you for watching, good night from new york, and now campbell brown. tonight, here are the questions. we want answers. how did this plane land safely with a football-sized hole blown through it? >> it was crazy and then the oxygen mask dropped. it was crazy. >> reporter: a terrifying moment on a southwest airlines jet. we'll speak to one of the passengers. plus new details and more arrests in florida. what really happened to bird and melanie billing? >> we have information that indicates there was an amount of practice that was involved. >> were the execution-style killings part of a robbery plot? or was there another motive? and what will happen to their children? we have the latest. and culture clash over a supreme court nominee.
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does judge sotomayor's wise latina comment really make her a racist? >> do you understand, ma'am, if i had said anything like that and my reasoning was that i'm trying to inspire somebody, they would have had my head. do you understand that? also the battle over michael jackson's kids. debbie rowe's lawyer tonight says she won't trade custody for cash, but is the family trying to pay her off to make her go away? and the amazing video of the day. watch this. we'll tell you the story behind this spectacular crash. hi, everybody, those are big questions tonight. but we start as always with "the mash-up." our look at all of the stories making an impact right now. the moments you may have missed today. we're watching it all so you don't have to. we start on capitol hill. judge sonia sotomayor, a woman
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on a mission, and very much on message. trying to convince senators when she rules from the bench, only one thing counts, it's not gender and it's not race. >> all of my decisions show my respect for the rule of law, my record shows is that i follow the law. in every case i have decided i have done what the law requires. as a judge i don't make law. the job of a judge is to apply the law. the judges must apply the law and not make the law. it's not the heart that compels conclusions in cases, it's the law. the law requires -- the law requires -- what the law requires. it's a refrain i keep repeating because that is my philosophy of judging, applying the law. to the facts at hand.
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>> in other words, she may be a latina woman, but that will not guide her hand on the high court, it is all about the law. of course, no fewer than four senators asked sotomayor about her now famous statement that a wise latina woman would make better decisions than a white man. a line of questioning she clearly anticipated. she called the comment a rhetorical flourish that fell flat. here's her explanation the cliff notes version. >> my speech was intending to inspire the students to understand the richness that their backgrounds could bring to the judicial process, that their life experiences would enrich the legal system. because different life experiences and backgrounds always do. i want to state up front unequivocally and without doubt, i do not believe that any
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ethnic, racial, or gender group has an advantage in sound judging. if you look at my history on the bench, you will know that i do not believe that any ethnic, gender, or race group has an advantage in sound judging. every person has an equal opportunity to be a good and wise judge regardless of their background or life experiences. >> still, one senator made it real clear he's not buying it. >> but do you understand, ma'am, that if i had said anything like that -- and my reasoning was that i'm trying to inspire somebody, they would have had my head. do you understand that? lindsey graham said that i will make a better senator than x because of my experience as a caucasian male. makes me better able to
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represent the people of south carolina. and my opponent was a minority. it would make national news and it should. >> day three of the hearings coming up tomorrow. we once again bring you all of the highlights. in pensacola tonight, police say it is case closed in the murder of a couple parents to 17 children. >> reporter: officials say they believe they have now caught all of the alleged killers. and say the home invasion in which they died was long planned. >> there are now seven suspects in custody. one just 16 years old. >> reporter: police believe the ring leader was this man, 35-year-old leonard patrick gonzalez jr. described by friends as a loving husband and father, his passion, teaching karate to young children. >> we have found them and they are in custody. >> reporter: as the final arrests were announced, ashley,
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the oldest daughter tearfully stood by the sheriff's side, but she left without speaking out. >> we're going to have a whole lot more on the story tonight including new information on what happens to the children of that murdered couple. president obama tonight under increasing pressure to deliver results on the economy. the president traveled to michigan today, ground zero of the recession, and declared he is on the case. >> my administration has a job to do, as well. and that job is to get this economy back on its feet. that's my job. and it's a job i gladly accept. i love these folks who help get us in this mess and suddenly say well this is obama's economy, that's fine. give it to me. my job is to solve problems, not to stand on the sidelines and
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gripe. >> the recession, of course, taking a toll across the country, layoffs, cutbacks, but here is a new one for you. in boston, a zoo found its budget on the chopping blocks. and the zoo fought back. >> governor patrick slashed the zoo budget from $6.5 million to $2.5 million using his line item veto. >> it raised eyebrows and the governor's eye or two when it suggested budget cuts might force them to euthanize the animals. >> we want unmarked bills or the emperor penguin gets it. everyone back. >> euthanize -- i mean a sin, it really would. >> patrick says no animals will be killed on his watch, but he believes state money would be better spent on other programs. >> the governor pretty much accusing the zoo of political extortion. but massachusetts state
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lawmakers, they can smell a trap that mile away. tonight they say the zoo is going to get its money back. also tonight, abc news man bob woodruff returns to the war zone. this time his visit was short, but sweet. >> reporter: we're about to take off. we blasted off the carrier hoping to tour the battlefield in iraq, but a fast-moving sand storm grounded us in the northern city of kirkuk. hard to believe it was 3 1/2 years since i've been here, and then suddenly sand hits again just like it did during that invasion in 2003. from there we took off to afghanistan where chairman mullen told troops at the air base that they're getting the resources now to win. >> woodruff spent a year in rehab recovering from injuries
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that nearly killed him. dick cheney's daughter tonight sounding very much like a candidate herself. appearing on fox news, liz cheney was asked if she'll run for office some day. check it out. >> i got a lot of respect for people who run for office. i think it's an honorable profession. i hope at some point that it's something that will work out for my family, for me. >> you do hope it'll work out? >> yeah, but who knows what happens down the road. somebody you have on this shot says you never know what the next fish run will be. >> that is a race we'll be watching for sure. and a moment from abc's good morning america that caught our eye. a rare clip of a planned jackson family reality show. here's michael jackson's mother katherine talking about her unique marriage to her husband joe. >> i just had a feeling that i didn't think he was going to be my husband. >> you did? >> the first time i saw him i fell in love with him.
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we stayed together for many, many years, but we see each other all the time. i go to vegas and he'll come here. but, you know, they always say absence makes the heart grow fonder. >> new developments in the jackson story tonight. we'll tell you about them separating fact from fiction coming up. and now as always, the punch line, from a politician for a change. barney frank, this is on "the daily show." >> what is the stimulus money doing? is it doing anything? is the t.a.r.p. money doing anything? why are we calling it t.a.r.p.? congressman, help me. >> well, the stimulus money, i will tell you, i'm not supposed to call it stimulus. the message experts in washington have told us that we're supposed to call it the recovery plan, that that works out better with focus groups. i was puzzled by that because i have found most people would rather be stimulated than recover.
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>> congressman barney frank, everybody. don't forget to tip your waitress. that is "the mash-up." emergency landing, close call in the sky, passengers describe what it was like to fly for 30 minutes with a big hole in their plane. >> we were seated about two rows back from the wing. and about four rows back you heard this loud rush and your ears popped and then we looked back and you could tell that part of the inside was trying to pull out. and it was really crazy and then the oxygen masks dropped and i put mine on as i was instructed to and then put mine on my kids. and so it was just crazy, though, but you're doing, especially as a parent, you're doing a lot of talking and calming and that kind of thing and how you've never gone through this before. i feel like i have to wind myself up just to get out of bed. then...well...i have to keep winding melf up to deal with the sadness, the loss of interest,
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(announcer) ask your doctor about pristiq. we have some pretty dramatic 911 recordings that are coming into cnn right now from that inflight scare, that plane that was forced to make an emergency landing that had a hole in the roof of the plane.
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again, those recordings just coming into cnn. we'll have those for you coming up in just a moment. but first a check of some of the other must-see stories of the day. today, mike galanos with our sister network with tonight's download. >> hey, let's start with health care. and today house democrats unveiled their version of health care reform. winning praise from president obama who was visiting warren, michigan. >> folks trying to scare you say weg can't change the health care system, we have no choice but to change the health care system because right now it's broken for too many americans. >> house democrats raise taxes on the wealthy to pay for government-funded insurance option. republicans object to the tax hikes and the cost which is expected to be as much as $1 trillion over ten years. bernard madoff on the move today hooechl today. he's arriving at a medium-security facility near raleigh, where he'll likely spend the rest of his sentence for running a multibillion
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dollar scam that wiped out investors. his release date, by the way, november 14th, 2141. a 20-foot basking shark washed ashore, sadly died. wildlife experts think it was sick. they eat mostly plankton. incredible video for you out of germany. check it out, it's a biplane at an air show on sunday. the loop, that's supposed to happen, but the pilot flew too low, could not pull up in time. ended up hitting a parked car near the airfield. a married couple and their daughter in the car, thankfully no one seriously hurt. the pilot walked away, as well, he didn't even go to the hospital. and here's a planned stunt that did work, free style moto cross star, no hands back flip, you see him going off the ramp. went from one end of the bridge to the next. red bull staged the jump to
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promote an event in london next month, needed the red bull. this took place, about 3:00 in the morning. he said it was an eerie sight to get a look at the river up side down, but he made it there. >> yeah, pretty impressive. all right. mike, thanks very much. mike galanos for us tonight. you just saw that stunt plane crash, well, next up, we're going to talk to a passenger who is on board another plane that had to do an emergency landing after it blew a hole in the roof. this was mid flight. we also just got in the 911 tapes from that incident, we're going to play them for you when you come back. and men dressed as anyoninj seven people conspire to kill the parents of 17 children? we're looking for answers for you. we'll have some tonight. could someone toss me
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this just coming in to cnn. dramatic 911 recordings of an inflight scare. a southwest airlines jet was forced to make an emergency landing in west virginia last night after a football-sized hole opened up in the roof of the cabin. it caused the plane, which was on a flight from nashville to baltimore to lose pressure at about 37,000 feet. listen. >> the hole on the left side of the aircraft. that's why the pressurization problem. no report of any injuries at this time. so he's inbound. >> the plane has landed safely right now. >> michael cunningham was one of the 126 passengers who quickly put on their oxygen masks as the crew brought the plane down safely.
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and tonight, he tells us about a frightening experience. >> michael, you were taking a nap when this all happened. take us through the first few moments when you were woken up. >> the first sound i heard, it was like a pop. and then a very loud roar, like being next to a blast furnace and i took the baseball cap off my face and looked around and noticed everybody was looking directly above my seat, and i looked up and i had to do a double take. there was this episode of the twilight zone and where he saw a gremlin on the plane. i had to do the same thing because i saw the sky outside, the blue sky and it got very hot in there. all of the air-conditioning got blown out. and then some dust and dirt got blown past my face. and then it got kind of difficult to breathe. >> and what did you think might happen to you? >> i honestly had no idea.
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i didn't know if the hole was going to get bigger or if i was going to get sucked out that little hole. i had no idea. i went into self-preservation mode and tightened my seat belt a little bit and waited for the oxygen mask to fall. >> and describe what was happening with the other passengers. were people in a panic? >> people were actually pretty calm considering the circumstances. there were a couple of people that needed some more help with the flight attendants who did a great job getting us down and calming us down. and i think everybody paid attention to the, you know, safety lecture that everybody gets before the flight and everybody knew what to do. and there are a couple of people that were a little worried about their masks, but all in all, everybody was just calm and just wanting to get back on the ground. >> so explain what the pilot was doing during this time with the flight attendants were doing. >> well, i believe i've heard that we were at 34,000 feet, which is too high.
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so we got our masks on and the flight attendants got their masks on, and the pilot immediately started descending down to 10,000 feet, which is a safe altitude. so the flight attendants were going around making sure everybody had their stuff together and they were telling us -- motioning mainly because we couldn't hear in the back of the plane where i was because of the hole. they were motioning us this is how you're going to brace yourself for an impact if we have to go in hard. and we might have to use the inflatable slides in the back. they were informing us how to protect ourselves if things got a little bit worse. >> it's amazing to me that everybody stayed so calm during all of this. after you guys were safely on the ground in west virginia, you made this emergency landing, the pilot came back to inspect this hole, tell us about that. >> he came as soon as the cockpit door opened, you know, he walked out past the first
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couple of rows, we all just started applauding him for getting us down and, you know, without a scratch on us. nobody was hurt. and he walked right back to row 20 and looked up and saw the sky and went, oh, there it is. >> i'll say. so, i mean, just how -- finally how has this changed your perspective, michael on life? having gone through something like that? does it change your perspective? >> i was wondering this last night. i was trying to get to sleep when i finally got home about 2:00 in the morning. i was honestly scared for several seconds that something really bad could happen. when the hole first appeared. and i was trying to sleep last night and all i could hear was the sound of the hole, the roaring of the wind and the engines and everything else. so i'm a little uneasy about flying and i was planning to take a trip to vegas in a couple of weeks too.
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so that's kind of put a damper on that, on southwest. so i'm still trying to figure out and take it all in, i guess. because it feels like it's been just a few minutes since we landed, but it's been a day. it's still a lot to take in. >> i will say. and you're probably going to feel that way for quite some time. michael cunningham has had quite an experience. thanks for coming on, i really appreciate it. >> thank you, campbell. when we come back, cash for kids. michael jackson's ex-wife denies she wants money in exchange for custody, but is there a deal being made behind closed doors? fact from rumor tonight. plus culture clash over the supreme court nominee. do white guys get treated unfairly when it comes to making racial comments? >> but do you understand, ma'am, if i had said anything like that and my reasoning was that i'm trying to inspire somebody, they
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day two of confirmation hearings for sonia sotomayor, and so far the proceedings have been pretty much dominated by questions about what she meant when she said a wise latina might make a better decision than a white man. listen to senator lindsey graham and judge sotomayor today. >> this wise latina comment has been talked about a lot, but i can tell you one thing, if i had said anything remotely like that, my career would have been over. >> i want to state up front unequivocally and without doubt, i do not believe that any ethnic, racial, or gender group has an advantage in sound judging. >> things have been pointed, but by and large, pretty civilized on capitol hill.
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not on talk radio. here's rush limbaugh. >> she's racist and she's -- look. if words still mean things, then she is, wise latina would be far better to make judgments because of her rich background as a wise latina than your average white guy. average white male. >> so why are those average white males so worried about sonia sotomayor? joining me now cnn's senior legal analyst jeff toobin. maria, former deputy chief of staff in the clinton white house with us, and james carville and bill bennett also joining us. welcome to everybody. jeff, let me start with you at the bottom line this. out of all of the hours of questioning today, isn't the bottom line that senators want to know whether or not a white man who comes before judge sotomayor is going to get a fair hearing? >> well, this is a judge who's been on the bench for 17 years.
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in almost all cases, she has ruled with other judges, there is really no doubt that she is very much a mainstream judge. she said a thing she regrets. there's no doubt about it. she apologized, it was wrong, and i think the controversy is largely going to go away, but she had to fold her cards. she was wrong on what she said. >> james, did she do a good job of explaining what she meant by her comments? >> well, i think, look, i think she's just running out the clock. i think she's going to be confirmed, i think the strategy today is just don't do anything controversial, apologize for this and sit down and let these senators lecture. and i think that's pretty much what happened. and i think it probably was a good strategy. she didn't engage anybody, and then no senators gave their speeches and they seemed to be obsessed with race. my thought is when i was watching the parts i watched, i think jeff sessions is running
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for president. i predict he'll announce a republican nomination. >> well, a stepford debate, perhaps. bill, let me throw this at you, there was a lot of debate about empathy and diversity. i want you to listen to what recent republican nominees had to say about that in their hearing. take a listen. >> and i believe, senator, that i can make a contribution, that i can bring something different to the court. that i can walk in the shoes of the people who are affected by what the court does. >> you look at the supreme court, the people on there come from widely different backgrounds and experiences and i think that's a healthy thing. >> when i get a case about discrimination, i have to think about people in my own family who suffered discrimination because of their ethnic background or because of religion or because of gender.
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and i do take that into account. >> so, bill, listening to that, do you think there is, you know, some of what we're seeing today. is politics that there may be a different standard when it comes to sotomayor or to a female latina? >> no. no. politics in the supreme court nomination, how could that possibly be? of course there's politics in it. the question is, the question of judgment. not whether you're an empathetic human being, whether you can sympathize with other people, whether you can put yourself in the place and point of view of another human being, which is what roberts was saying, what thomas was saying, which is what alito was saying and sotomayor was saying. what she did was back off the statement, which jeff toobin got exactly right. she folded her cards, denied the plain meaning of the words she said earlier which was not about empathy, which she said pretty plainly was that a wise latina woman would make better judgments than a white male. she backed off that completely said i didn't mean it, it was a
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bad way to say it, i take it back, i will apply the law, and that will be certainly plenty to get her through. what this shows in an interesting way, and i don't mean this as a political way at all. >> all right. we lost bill's shots there, so he didn't get to finish his point. maria, it's your lucky day. >> well, i think that she -- she acknowledged that she made a wrong choice of words. and that she -- and what lindsey graham did was really say to the -- not just to the nominee but to the entire country that words matter and maybe people ought to be a little more careful. and i think he was a little wrong to say that his career would have been over. but the important thing is that her record shows completely that she does not put her thumb on the scales and that she will, in fact, apply the law. i do hope that we can get away from race. as your clip showed, many a
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nominee has said their experience is going to add value to the court. and that's what we should want. >> but let me ask you all this. how do we get away from race when i was frankly struck by the image today of just all of these white men grilling this latina woman, the first latina woman, about whether or not she was a racist. you don't think that image in some way is significant. jeff, what do you think? >> well, i think she was getting the same kind of tough questioning that any nominee gets. but i think the substantive issue you're talking about is an important one. the supreme court right now is deeply divided over the question of can a university use race in admissions? can an employer use race in deciding whom to hire? those are really hard questions and frankly, progressives, liberals, whatever you want to call them are on the defensive here. so i think sonia sotomayor and barack obama better come up with some good arguments because they don't appear to be winning the public debate on this subject.
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>> let me go back to bill bennett because we lost him a second ago. yeah, go ahead, bill. >> yeah, campbell, would you have been happier if these white males had been soft on sonia sotomayor saying look, we're going to be gentle, nice, we realize you're not a white male. that's ridiculous, it's got to be one standard. the point i was trying to make and i think it's an important point, whether people make their decisions based on race or gender is one question. the interesting thing that came clear today is that no one would publicly defend doing such a thing. she wouldn't defend such a thing and insisted that the comments she made that were interpreted that way were interpreted wrongly. she will apply a color blind law. i think that ideal and that notion has such appeal is very powerful and encouraging and she'll be confirmed. >> james, let me go back to you for the last word. >> well, i always thought everybody had a role to play, these senators had a role to play and wanted to shadow their base that they could stand up for the white male, if you will, and she had a role to play and
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she was going to agree with them and as senator graham said at the beginning of the hearing that she had the votes and i think she played it -- she was in a defense and played it safe and probably a smart strategy. >> i wish we had more time here. very quickly, my final question is, why are we doing these hearings then if it is everybody's sort of role-playing? a result of what happened to robert bork who we talked to last night you frankly don't learn that much because the goal is to say as little as possible without getting beaten up. >> but maybe you don't learn as much from the nominee, but there's an important educational function. i think there are folks across the country who are watching the hearings and learning a little more about the judicial system and the role the judges play. and that is a good thing. >> many, many thanks, maria, james, bill, and jeffrey as always. thanks, guys, appreciate it. new developments tonight in the shocking case we have been telling you about of a mother and father of 17 children shot
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dead in the bedroom of their florida home. was it a robbery? was there any other motive? >> trying to assess the entire spectrum of motives that may be involved in this case. that's a hum dinger. ♪ once you've dealt with the things that come between you... don't let erectile dysfunction get in the way. ♪ viva ♪ viagra! viagra...america's most prescribed ed treatment... can help you enjoy a more satisfying sexual experience. to learn more, spend some quality time with viagra.com ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. don't take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain... as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. side effects may include headache, flushing, upset stomach, and abnormal vision. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting... more than four hours. stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away...
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for people with diabetes, like me. now that's a true american value. accu-chek® aviva. born in the u.s.a. we have found them. those words today from the sheriff in florida after three more people were arrested in the shooting death of a couple with 17 children, most of whom are adopted and have special needs. the killings have dealt a staggering blow to the family, to the friends, of the victims, of the billings. take a look. >> that wealthy couple with 14 children, most of them with special needs that were gunned down in their home. it was quite a murder mystery there in florida for a while trying to figure out why anybody would want to kill these two. >> we have information that
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indicates that there was an amount of practice that was involved. it was a very well planned and well executed operation. >> reporter: the authorities now say the suspects burst into the home, killed the couple and stole a medium-sized safe. they squashed suggestions that something more sinister was behind the killings. >> we as a society and specifically this county witnessed the worst in man. hatefulness, cruelty, and indecency. >> they had more love than anybody could ever imagine giving one person much less 17. and i just -- we're still in shock. we just want everyone to know that they were great people, and this is not something that should happen to people that were so giving. >> i asked you if there was anything that i could do for you. and your response back to me was sheriff, find the people who did this.
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it is my honor today to tell you, ashley, and your family we have found them and they are in custody. >> in all, six men, one teenager now in custody, all will be charged with murder. the search for an eighth accomplice is continuing, though. a lot of details still are not being made public yet. authorities are saying only that the couple was killed during a home invasion, a robbery. and with me now, a lawyer representing the oldest daughter of the victims. she's in pensacola for us along with rob williams who has been covering this from the beginning with news radio down in pensacola, as well. rob, let me start with you and have you bring us up to date on the latest information. at least seven people now, an organized gang, their ages ranging from 56 to 16 years old. police saying robbery was the motive or at least one of the motives. but it feels like there's other stuff going on that we still
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don't know yet. what can you tell us? >> campbell, i think that's a really good point there. you notice yesterday we talked about the f bifbi, the dea, all on this and the news briefing at noon he said this is going to go to other states and other countries. so we've just maybe turned over the first few rocks in this whole series, or as the sheriff told me earlier today, this is more like a cecil mill production. it's an epic struggle, but the state attorney says that this matter is concluded. so they're happy they have at least this part of the case already solved. >> well, rob, yesterday police said the suspects had no connection to the buildings, but they're also today saying that one of the suspects did do some work for the couple on the property. do we know anything more about that? >> well, we do. that would be one of the guys doing the yard work, basically. was involved doing the, yeah,
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wayne was actually doing pressure washing along with leonard gonzalez sr., a day laborer, the daughter said she did yard work out there, as well. that may be the one connection. we're not sure if he's the inside guy or not and of course the sheriff's department isn't even acknowledging that pat gonzalez, the younger would be quote master mind of this whole operation. he told the judge today no sir, i should be released on my own recognizance. that is not going to happen. >> the other thing that was striking to me about that, rob, this guy, the alleged master mind here worked with children, right? >> he did. as a matter of fact, he got an award just a couple of weeks ago from the club here in pensacola for what they call service to mankind award for teaching elementary school, middle school kids basic self-defense, stranger danger. but a couple of moves that would perhaps deter someone who was
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trying to attack or accost them. he is known in the community that way. the newspaper pulled his picture out, the tv station pulled the stories out. they've got all of this video now. we had no idea it would go from that just a few weeks ago getting this award to being in jail with an open count of murder on him. >> all right. rob, i'm going to turn now to crystal. and to get a better sense of what's going on with this family. crystal, tell us first about the status of these children. who's taking care of them? are they okay? how are they doing? >> well, the children are safe. the children are with family members. and they are together and they're well taken care of. but where they're located at this time, we are still concerned about the safety of the children, and therefore we do not believe we should disclose their whereabouts. >> understandably. did the billings lay out? did they have a will that sort of laid out what was supposed to happen to the children in the event anything did happen to them? or is social services involved? >> social services are not
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involved. yes, the billings did take care of matters legally. so that is a process that will have to begin. certainly right now, the family has been focussed on the funeral arrangements, you know, they've been focussed on the investigation, they've been focussed on taking care of nine special needs children. so the process now of guardianship and other matters, that'll happen in due course. >> all right, crystal collins spencer who is, of course, the attorney for the billings family and rob williams who is a host down there who has been helping us out, as well. i'm sure we're going to -- >> campbell, one thing? >> go ahead, rob. >> i want to make the point, last night one of your other guests pointed out this was a small jurisdiction. note to this 103 hours from the time the gun shots were fired until the last shnick of the handcuffs, sheriff is home before midnight. he was further pleased the way
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things turned out here. >> well, i think they are still waiting to get one more in custody from what we understand. and rob, we'll be talking to you again soon. many thanks to our guests, appreciate it, guys. when we come back, new developments tonight in the investigation of michael jackson's death. we have that plus the new report that has debbie rowe demanding a retraction. we'll explain.
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lots of new developments tonight in the michael jackson investigation, including the threat of a lawsuit and investigators surprise visit to one of michael's doctors. here to help us knock down the rumors and uncover the facts, chief correspondent, jim, tabloids are reporting a possible deal between the jacksons and debbie rowe. what do we know? >> well, the new york post actually reported the deal was signed, sealed, and delivered and debbie rowe would receive $4 million in exchange for the custody to the children. her lawyer sent a letter to the new york post basically with four bullet points, but primary among them.
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he wanted an immediate retraction of the story saying there's been no agreement between mrs. rowe and mrs. jackson. she has not and will not give up her parental rights, no determination made with respect to custody or visitation. and lastly, and this is a big one, she has not accepted and will not accept any financial consideration beyond the spousal support she and michael jackson personally agreed to years ago. this doesn't preclude the fact the deal may be in the works. and we've been reporting clearly because the delays have brought the two sides together that there may, in fact, be a deal so this won't be hammered out in court. but this lawyer for debbie rowe makes it very clear that no deal has been reached yet. >> and you're talking about the delay in these custody hearings that apparently both sides have requested? >> and frankly, the people that we've been talking to close to the jackson family said that's a good thing because they didn't want this to go to court. they don't want to protracted and bitter public battle. they want to protect these kids.
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>> and jim, quickly, today we understand the coroner visited the office of dr. kline. toxicology reports are set to be released. what's going on with that? >> well, the coroner clearly wanted more information. the coroner's only looking for one thing, that is the cause of death. that's the primary focus of the coroner's investigation. they needed more documentation. the coroner did come out and say that the doctor has been -- has been cooperating extensively with the coroner's office. but clearly they needed more information and we can only gleam from this that they want to know what drugs michael jackson was prescribed or given in the days immediately prior to his death. >> all right. jim, as always, thanks. >> sure, campbell. president obama shows his personal side in an exclusive interview with cnn's anderson cooper revealing a powerful family moment with his trip to ghana last week. at last we're . when we both decide. announcer: today, guys with erectile dysfunction can be ready with another dosing option from cialis. cialis for daily
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during his weekend visit to africa, president obama sat down
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with my colleague anderson cooper for a wide range in conversation. tonight anderson is back with more of his exclusive interview. and this is a deeply personal trip for both the president and the first lady. >> yeah, really was. they went to cape coast castle in ghana, which was one of the most horrific places you can possibly visit in terms of the history that happened there. it was a central destination point for enslaved africans. they were held there often from two weeks to several months before being shipped to the new world and america. he brought his wife and his kids because he wanted them to see and obviously the kids understand the history of the castle. we talked to them about that. and also on his wife who as president obama mentioned during the campaign is a descendent of slave and slave owners. >> there's something you referenced your speech on race about your own wife. you said she has the blood of slaves and also slave owners. >> right. >> how did she respond to being here? >> i haven't had a chance to process it yet.
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i think we were both listening and talking to the children. but i can't imagine for her, her mother who is with us, our children's god mother who is with us, all of whom are direct descendents of slaves seeing that portal doesn't send a powerful message of the kinds of emotions that must be evoked. on the one hand, you know, through this door that the journey of the african-american experience begins. and michelle and her family, like me, draw incredible inspiration and strength from that african-american journey. >> that portal he's talking about is the door of no return, which is the actual door that hundreds of thousands if not millions of slaves actually went
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through before being shipped off. >> what an amazing thing to be able to expose your children to, to be able to take them to a place like this. incredible trip and a lot more to come at 10:00 eastern time. don't forget, you can see more of anderson's interview with the president. that's on "ac 360" tonight at 10:00 p.m. eastern time. anderson, thanks. and president obama just took to the mound, we should tell you in st. louis throwing out the first pitch in the all star game. was the commander in chief able to throw the heat? you're going to see for yourself when we come back. we know why we're here.
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president obama just did something that no sitting president has done in more than 30 years. and mike galanos is back with that. what do you know? >> yeah, he's the first president to throw out the first pitch since gerald ford back in 1976. here's the video of it. happened moments ago in st. louis. you see big ovation, the white sox jacket on, big sox fan, the jeans working. here he's getting the ball from one of the game's all time greats, stan the man, 88 years old. looking good there. but president obama talk about practicing for this, campbell, he didn't want to bounce it before home plate. >> that would be bad. >> yeah, we know he can shoot some hoops, she's somewhat of an athlete. can he pitch on the grand stage? looking like the athlete, the trot out to the mound. and here we go. didn't waste any time. got the sign from albert pujols from the cardinals, the wind and
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the delivery, the lefty -- >> and? >> he made it to the glove. we didn't see it, i don't want to be critical, but we could've had a little bit of camera work, just my opinion. and then afterward, we see him he pumps the fist. i don't know if we have that shot there. it's interesting to watch him in the locker room beforehand talking to some greats. i've had a chance to cover an all-star game and for the all stars to be star struck was something to see. jeter said he was a long time fan. one oriole asked him, you're a lefty and the president said if i did i wouldn't run for president. he was having some fun and the players were, obviously, as well. you see him shaking hands. >> okay. >> here comes the pump of the fist right here. >> so that was the arm in slow-mo. you know about this stuff, mike, does he have a good arm? >> not bad. not a lot of heat, but he threw a strike so we'll give him a thumb's up. >> cool video. mike galanos with us tonight, thanks very much for at

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