maybe the most important one since he's taken office. it will deal with the health issue. tomorrow night at 8:00 eastern on cnn. right now on cnn, john king and "ac 360." breaking news tonight in the murder of byrd and melanie billings this is happening literally right now. susan candiotti with the details. police -- new development in the case. susan? >> reporter: here is what is new, john. cnn has learned according to a source familiar with the investigation there was a second safe in the house. and that that safe, according to the same source, contained about $100,000. this was believed to be the mother lode, in effect the suspects were after, for whatever reason the suspects were unable to get the money out of the safe. this is significant because up until now we know they recovered a safe from the house that contained only some personal documents, some medication for the children and some family heirloom jewelry.

but certainly not something many people thought would be enough to break into the house. so this is why this is significant new information. >> and susan, as this is just breaking tonight, you may not know the answers, but do we understand why they were unable to get to the safe? >> reporter: we don't. still working that aspect of this new information. as soon as we can get it confirmed, of course, we will bring it to you. >> we appreciate you reporting the breaking news. we're going to talk to the escambia county sheriff a little later in the program. ask him about the blockbuster developments as well. now health care reform and your bottom line if it ever gets out of washington and into your life. president obama has been talking about it almost nonstop, pushing hard in part because he is hitting roadblocks put up by fellow democrats, who can't agree on your coverage, your choices, your higher taxes if any. he is prodding, pressing and cajoling. meeting with conservative democrats today trying to persuade them it is critical from a policy and political

standpoint to act now. his hopes of getting bills through the senate by early august are fading and fast yet mr. obama insists he's upbeat. >> i know there are those in this town who openly declare their intention to block reform. but there are many others who are working hard to address this growing crisis. i know there is a tendency in washington to accentuate the differences instead of underscoring common ground. but make no mistake. we are closer than ever before to the reform that the american people need and we're going to get the job done. >> let's go to the magic wall for a closer look at the moment and why the president doesn't quite have the same sway these days. one of the factors -- the president's own approval rating. 63% not long ago. it is down to 57%. that is not bad. it is just down from its high. let's move over a little bit. let's put this in historical context. 57% is cnn poll of polls. here is what other presidents have looked like six months into

their first term, harry truman, still way up at 82%. ronald reagan at 60%. george w. bush right in here around 57%. barack obama low among the presidents at 56% in the gallup poll recently. not where he was not long ago. how does this play out? it does this. this is why the president is paying a price in the polls. people are anxious again about the economy. look back here in february. 51% thought the economy was getting worse. that began to improve a bit. people were getting a bit more optimistic. now 33% say in the most recent poll it is getting worse. 45% say about the same, two in ten americans say it is getting better. that is the president's big problem. that translates into other numbers. how is the president handling the economy? it was 59% in february, six in ten americans saying he was doing a good job. now for the first time more americans disapprove of how the president is handling the

economy than approve of how he's handling the economy and health care is a related issue. see is trickling into the president's approve there as well. 50% of americans disapprove of how the president is handling the health care issue. he is still relatively solid. 74% of democrats approve on health care. these numbers are significant. the president has lost republican support. he had about more than this to begin with. 11%. now almost nine in ten republicans disapprove. the most significant number, 55%, the majority of independents, the voters who helped make his margin on election day so big disapprove of how he's handling the health care issue. the president is in a bit of a slump. yes, he has time and has big democratic majorities in both the house and the senate. at the moment, he also has a bit of a problem. more on the raw politics reading left to right literally, james carville and bill bennett. james, as you know, many of the president's allies in washington say he's paying a price for deferring too much to congress and letting more liberal committee chairmen shape his

margins. in "the new york times," columnist david brooks calls this the liberal suicide march. he said this -- machiavelli said a leader should be fear as well as loved. obama is loved by the democratic chairmen but he is not feared. on health care obama has emphasized cost control. the chairman flouted his priorities because they don't fear him. true? >> in this poker game, if you will, everybody is betting more than they can afford right now. we'll see how it works out. think it's something that's an observation that people want him to be more involved at this point in the legislative process. he and his chief of staff rahm emanuel who knows a lot about the hill, in particular the house, have chosen not to do that. we will know the wisdom of that decision this fall. >> bill, republicans are without a doubt, enjoying this. are there risks for them? senator demint of south carolina talked to obama's waterloo and how republicans must defeat him on health care. bill kristol in the conservative weekly standard said with the republican weakened somewhat,

republicans will see an open to deal. bill kristol says, go for the kill. 60% of the personal bankruptcies in this country are because of health care costs. is there a risk for the republicans in sounding so harsh? >> yeah, there is a risk. i don't think you want to make this your only issue and make it rise or fall only on this issue. besides, when, you know, when the other side is falling apart, don't, you know, don't get in the way. let this thing proceed. right now barack obama, president obama has to deal more with democrats than republicans. it is an odd thing, john. he is both at once it seems to be overplaying. he is flooding the zone with too many proposals, too much money, too many testify sits. yet, when it comes to backing up his play, to take james' analogy of the poker game, he is stingy with the chips. >> six months does not a presidency make. i want to go back to the wall. to show some numbers.

the growing jitters we hear from moderate and conservative democrats. remember, places like virginia and north carolina, they were blue in the last election. traditionally red. ohio changed from red to blue. in the mountain west some states did. now vo you have numbers like this factoring into the equation. government expenditures up this year up $457 billion compared to last year. because of the recession government revenues down $346 billion. add up bigger spending, less money in the government. what you get is higher deficits and the return of the "l" word, liberal, into any conversations about taxes and spending. does that worry you, james? >> sure. everything worries me about this point. two things that i actually feel much better than some democrats. "a," i think that there's a good chance these guys are very smart, very cagy, very crafty and they'll end up on something on health care. then everybody who said they made all these mistakes that it will collapse and not look so

good. secondly, it is assumed and widely held by republicans that the economy is going to tank, it's not doing any better. actually, some people believe, smart people, what we are starting to see is a recovery. if this is the case come a year from now, if he has solid legislative achievements under his belt, a year into recovery and we're starting to see job growth, some of the numbers are going to start looking better and be in good shape. >> the election is next year, the midterm, not this year. bill, the president is pays the price for the economic an skyty americans feel. the inspector general of the $750 billion t.a.r.p. program, financial industry bailout. people have a reason to be worried about their tax dollars. listen to this sober assessment from neil barofsky. >> i think if the goal was to remove $700 billion of toxic assets off the books of financial institutions that has not happened. if the goal was to increase lending that, too, unfortunately, has not happened. if the goal was to avoid a

complete systemic collapse of the financial industry that may very well have happened. >> what did you make of that? the fact that the inspector general says he's not sure even where all the money's gone. >> what i make of this is the independent witnesses, if you will, john, are now weighing in. their testimony is not helpful to president obama. you have mr. elmendorf of the congressional office last week. you had mr. barofsky today with truly frightening numbers. in a way, the president asked us to suspend belief. we are in a deficit situation. we are going to spend a lot of money. that was the stimulus. it turns out, at least so far, that stimulus doesn't seem to be helping. now we are asked to spend more money and not look at the details of the health care plan. hurry up. hurry up. push it through. don't look at the man behind the curtain. just push this thing through. it seems not just heedless, but reckless. yeah. we will find out in six months or a year. right now it looks as if they have bit off more than they can

chew. i agree with james. they are smart. they are very good politicians but i'm not sure they can govern. >> bill bennett, james carville. thanks. president obama gives a nationally televised news conference tomorrow night at 8:00 eastern. we expect to hear a lot about the health care issue. 9:00, "black in america part ii." then at 11:00 a special edition of "ac 360." up next, you heard at the top of the second safe theory. more breaking news. yet another blockbuster in the billings murder. was this, in fact, the second time the killers snuck into the billings' florida compound? we will ask the sheriff about this strange and terrible case as it takes one new turn after another. hear from a death row inmate who says he's innocent. big deal you say, they all say that. in his case almost all of the witnesses now agree.

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more now on our breaking new details in the murder of melanie and byrd billings, the florida couple who adopted 13 children with special needs. the suspects wanted a second safe in the home that contained quote, the mother load lode. we are talking about $100,000. police say they never got their hands on it. they were caught on this surveillance video as they broke into the home. this bombshell, they allegedly performed a dry run at the victim's house. escambia county sheriff david morgan joins us. from pensacola for the latest on the investigation.

help us understand. a source telling us there was a second safe containing cash. $100,000, can you confirm that for us, sir, and tell us about it? >> i cannot. i can only confirm the items we have recovered or that, excuse me, we know were removed from the billings' home. that was a small mid-sized safe and a black briefcase. >> you are saying there was not a second case or you just can't confirm that, sir? >> i'm saying i'm not at liberty to address that issue. >> can you help us at all -- you talked in the past there could be more details that were not made public. was there an amount of cash somewhere in the house or did they think there was a large amount of cash in the house? >> i can only repeat to you what has been reported in local papers, unconfirmed by the escambia county sheriff's office. >> i thuns that you're in the middle of an investigation. let's move on. what can you tell us about this alleged dry run that the suspects staged of the attack?

how were you able to get that information? >> that information has been reported in the local papers. we know for a fact they trained for at least 30 days in wooded area in santa rosa county. and also in and around the home of gonzalez sr. we have confirmed that through other interviews and various sources. we know they trained for some time. it has been alleged. we're not willing at this time to release and cob firm that they did, if fact make a dry run. we won't address that issue at this time. >> you say a dry run, you don't want to confirm. they trained in the woods. can you help us understand a bit more because of the interest in this case of what happened at that property? >> well, yes, sir. again, if one views the videotapes and reads the testimony that has been released to date and through some of our press conferences, as we've stated from the beginning, contrary to some folks on some of the talk shows, this was a well-planned and well-executed home invasion. it is obvious these individuals

trained together for an extended period of time. by that i mean at least weeks together. their entry into the home of indicative of that. they entered the front and back of the home at the same time with five individuals. immediately entering the home. they were on the property for less than ten minutes. the actual time inside the home was just a little over four minutes. it is obvious to anyone who read this case, reviewed this case, listened to our press conferences that it was a well executed, well planned and well trained for operation. >> you've used the term humdinger. when people understand all of the facts it will be one humdinger of the case. can you help me, sir, is that the level of training or is that about the $100,000 they thought was in the house? >> it is the entire scope of this case. i have compared this case to the clutter family murder in kansas, of course, was written by truman capote in "cold blood" and the

tat/bianca murders in california. we have exceeded those numbers. and the numbers, sadly, look like they're going to grow. we have three more persons of interest that we're looking at. we're looking at an individual we believe was remiss in shutting down that alarm system. this case continues. today as we're reviewing case files, we find there are other individuals we need to go back and reinterview. while we have three persons of interest, this case is far from over. >> far from over, sir. i only have a little bit of time left. tell me, what is the most significant piece of new information that crossed your desk today? >> well, it's the persons of interest. we are very confident we are near an arrest. >> sheriff morgan, thanks again so much. escambia county tonight. we thank you for your time. we'll keep checking in. great deal of interest in this. thank you, sir. still ahead, a harvard professor arrested while trying to get into his own home. he says it is because he is black. police tell a different story. what really happen a man on death row for

killing a cop. ed? did he do it. two decades later new information that could change everything. witnesses recanting their stories and jurors changing their minds. gary tuchman investigates. >> did you think he did the shooting? >> yes, sir. >> did you ask him? >> no. >> how come you're talking to me -- >> he was an innocent man killed. he didn't even do. to talk to your doctor about aspirin. you need to be your own advocate. be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. you take care of your kids, now it's time to take care of yourself.

he spent nearly 18 years on death row but is troy davis a cop killer or an innocent man? gary tuchman investigates. coming up. first erica hill joins us with the "360 bulletin." seven suicide bombers dressed as women targeted police officers in afghanistan. police did shoot and kill four of the attackers, three others blew themselves up, killing three officers. officials blame the taliban. in iran, new clashes between

security forces and protesters. sources and witnesses telling cnn 200 to 300 protesters tried to gather in a major square in tehran and met by 400 to 500 security forces. it is unclear how many arrests were made. dramatic new video of what appears to be security forces, one in uniform, the other in a suit firing their guns at protesters. we want to point out, it is very important, cnn cannot confirm when this video was taken. try this again. on capitol hill the senate voting to block expansion of the controversial expensive f-22 fighter jet program. that vote gives the white house and pentagon a key victory. for congressional supporters of the f-22. at this moment millions of people across asia gathering to see the longest total solar eclipse of the century. you are looking right now at a live picture from india.

the eclipse will last 6:39. we are lucky we are showing you tonight because there won't be another one until 2132. >> see you then. are you feeling okay over there? >> i'm going to try to get rid of the tickle. >> the oldtime tickle. you take care of yourself. allegations of racial profiling or were police doing their job? the nation is talking about it. even fighting over the facts. we'll try to cut through the noise and get to the heart of the question. later, we show you what happens when you mix white house formal and country casual and what it sounds like tonight on "360." (announcer) you can make a bigger difference in the world.

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tonight's "nation divided" report is about two ways of seeing the same situation. seeing henry lewis gates in way you would never expect to see him. in handcuffs. he was arrested last thursday after somebody reported seeing two black men breaking into their home. they happened to be professor gates and his driver. the police came, words were exchanged and gates ended up in handcuffs. the charges were dropped today. a massive public debate is going strong. was the professor a victim of police profiling? were the cops doing their job? what they would do whether the man was black or white? here is joe johns. >> reporter: the controversy at cambridge involving harvard university professor henry lewis gates begins with two different version of events. gates' version and the police version. the question is what happened motivated by race or a run of the mill confrontation that got out of hand. >> what went wrong is you had two human beings reacting to a set of circumstances and unfortunately at the time cooler heads did not prevail.

>> reporter: what seems clear, gates, a 58-year-old man who walks with a cane, had been out of country on business and returned here with a chauffeur. the front door was jammed so he and his driver went to the back and returned here to force it. a woman mistook it for a crime in progress calling police reporting two african-american men with backpacks trying to force their way in. by the time police arrived gates was already inside. this is where the stories start to differ just a bit. at the front door the officer asked gates for proof he lived here. he started walking through the house to the kitchen where his wallet was. the police officer followed him. gates' lawyer said gates provided the officer with both his driver's license as well as his university i.d. the police report says gates became belligerent though he eventually gave the officer his university i.d. that officer who is white said gates accused him of being a racist. according to the police report when the officer asked gates to

step outside gates said, yeah, i will speak with your mama outside. gates' lawyer, harvard law professor, says he used strong language. >> the question here was why are you doing this because i'm a black man and you are a white police officer. why is this happening to me? i live here. >> reporter: gates was arrested and spent several hours in police custody before posting $40 bond on a disorderly conduct charge. he's well-known in the neighborhood and there are a lot of different opinions. some supporting the police -- >> i would be glad if somebody called the police. >> reporter: -- but some blaming the police. >> i don't know it is necessary but it is typical with too great a frequency. >> reporter: the academic high ground at one of the nation's top yurts. joe, is it all over? what next? >> reporter: it is not necessarily all over. among other things gates is considering a documentary on

racial profiling. he is considering his legal options. we are told he is demanding an apology from that police officer. so there is a lot to be said. >> joe johns in cambridge. joe, thanks. digging deeper now with the police chief who has been a powerful advocate. of better police community relations. ronald davis spent 19 years on the oakland, california, police force. he is chief of police for the city of east palo alto. you were head of the police academy in oakland. how do you train officers for the sensitivity of operating in the african-american community? >> well, i think you teach them to be sensitive to all communities. but i think you teach them to understand they may be influenced by their biases, make them aware of their stereotypes they may bring to the job. that the job may teach them. you teach them the value of positive police and community relations and that they're a critical component of their success. you teach them that professional

policing demands ethical policing and that they should be held to a higher standard of actually serving all of our communities. >> i know you don't want to talk specifically about this case. from the accounts we have received, this appears you had a situation where the professor was deeply offended and he was being questioned on his own property. a police officer who believed his professionalism was being questioned by the professor. is there a way in training you can put in a circuit breaker if you will, for when the officer realizes this is getting a bit out of control. i need to some how -- we don't get a pause button in life. how can we have a circuit breaker? how can you train for that? >> first you have to make people aware of the impact their actions may have. even legal actions. that's one of the bigger challenges. the legality of the stop is one issue, but the impact of the stop may be an issue. there's a point in time which officers have to realize that their impact -- the ability to detain somebody, to restrict their freedom is pretty powerful and it should be really used

judiciously and respectfully. there should be a pause button once the facts are determined, once it's clear there's no threat, there's no ricrime. there's nothing wrong with apologizing. >> we were talking about this in the newsroom. on the one hand, witness is walking by the house, see men kicking in the door. they call the police. the officer responding says i'm responding to a witness report of a break in. some african-americans in the office say wait a minute, you don't understand the sensitivity here that african-americans have in their dealings with the police department, especially in their own neighborhood and in this case in their own home. help us understand that better, sir. >> there are two perspectives. one, on one hand, you do want community members to get involved. that's one of the big challenges of chief. you try to tell the community members, make a call if things are suspicious. on the other hand, as an african-american, you always going to have the question am i suspicious because of my behavior or am i suspicious because of my race? would that phone call be made if i were not african-american?

our history. we cannot deny our history. our history with police community relations is not that positive. >> help us understand, where do you draw the line between criminal profiling that is an accepted practice and racial profiling which would not be in most cases? >> there is a simple phrase, race is a descriptor, not a predictor. using race to describe someone who committed a crime, when you use race to predict crime, the belief that minorities are more likely to commit crime, the belief that if i'm an african-american i may not belong in a certain neighborhood. you're trying to predict crime and that's when you have biases, stereotypes and outcomes. race as a descriptor not a predictor. >> chief, thanks so much for your time and insights tonight. >> thank you, john. >> there is a lot more online at ac360.com. including the cambridge police report. decide for yourself what you want to make of it. we'd like to know what you think about professor gates'

arrest. join the chat underway at ac360.com. did police get the wrong man? he is on death row awaiting execution as those who testified against him say he is innocent. why are they talking now? the latest on this explosive case ahead. plus, profiting from pot. should cash-hungry states and cities raise money by taxing medical marijuana? we show you a pot dispensary in oakland, california, what do you think? that story coming up. i'm lindy. and i'm joni. we've been best friends since we were two. we've always been alike.

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they helped send him to death row. now nearly 20 years later they want to set him free. in a stunning turn of events, many of the key witnesses who helped convict o man of killing a cop believe in his innocence. the georgia case attracted worldwide attention. does the condemned inmate deserve to die or was he framed? tonight we'll let you be the jury. gary tuchman has an up-close look at the case. >> reporter: it is anything but a routine question. >> how scared are you of

possibly being executed? it's relevant. the man i'm talking to, troy davis, may soon be a dead man. a jury took a few hours to decide he was guilty of murdering a police officer in savannah, georgia, a few more hours to decide to send him to death row. this is one of the jurors. >> all of the witnesses, they were able to, you know, i.d. him as the person who actually did it. >> reporter: the primary reason he was convicted? the witness testimony. the slain police officer's wife agrees. >> they were just so adamant about what they saw, when they saw it. >> reporter: but this is how the juror feels now. >> if i knew then what i know now, troy davis would not be on death row. the verdict would be not guilty. >> reporter: what she knows now is this, almost all of the prosecution's star witnesses have changed their stories. some saying police pressured them to say troy davis did this. daryl collins is one of the prosecution witnesses who signed

a police statement implicating troy davis. >> i told them over and over i didn't see this happen. they put what they wanted to put in their statement. >> reporter: 20 years ago this summer, savannah police officer mike macphail was providing security at night for this bus station and burger king restaurant that is currently out of business. a homeless man was being harassed and intimidated. he yelled for help. the officer ran over and seconds later, macphail was shot and killed. it was tragic, horrifying and chaotic. two decades later it still is. the man who admitted to harassing the homeless person went to police and said he saw troy davis shoot the officer. wanted posters went up all over savannah. a reward to catch the dangerous cop killer. racial tensions enflamed. after the shooting, troy davis was in atlanta four hours away, his sister said scared for his life. >> my brother decided to turn himself in. they already had a shoot-to-kill

order on him. >> reporter: a pastor volunteered to pick him up to surrender. he said troy davis insisted he was innocent. the pastor has never told the story to a reporter before, was stunned the d.a.'s office never interviewed him. you are with the man four hours and bring him back to savannah for police custody. never interviewed you? >> never talked to me. >> reporter: never asked you a question? >> nothing. >> reporter: if he admitted to the crime, didn't admit to the crime? >> nothing. this is the one case nobody wanted to know. i don't think now looking back anybody cared. >> reporter: the pastor is one of many who believe facts be damned. troy davis was going to be arrested for murder. as for the savannah police, they have always said their witness interviews were taken properly, no coercion and prosecutors have stood by the conviction. a number have changed the affidavit, changing their testimony. a former prison inmates writes, i was scared if i didn't cooperate with the detective he

might have found a way to have me locked up again. i told the detective that troy davis was the shooter even though the truth was that i didn't see who shot the officer. a witness, jeffrey sapp, writes the police came and talked to me and put a lot of pressure on me to say troy did this. they made it clear that the only way they would leave me alone is if i told them what they wanted to hear. this woman, who said she left out testimony. sylvester coles came up to you after the shooting and said hold my gun. >> yeah. >> reporter: sylvester coal, the man who admitted harassing the homeless man, the man who fingered troy davis, and talked to sylvester -- >> he opened the screen door. >> reporter: this screen door here? >> this screen door here which this was not here. it was like wood. this was tore out. he opened the door, sat the gun here and shut the door back. >> reporter: did you think he did the shooting? >> yes, sir. >> reporter: did you ask him? >> no. i was scared.

4. >> reporter: you were scared to ask him? today you are scared of him? >> yes, sir. >> reporter: he is still in town? >> yes, sir. >> reporter: a free man. >> reporter: how come you are talking to me? >> because i don't want to see this innocent man get killed for something he didn't even do. >> reporter: during the trial davis' attorneys tried to convince jurors coles was the killer. we tried to find him to give him a chance to let him have his say. we talked to family members but didn't track him down. >> i don't believe red coles killed mark. >> reporter: officer macphail's wife, joan, who had a 2-month-old daughter and new son when he was killed looks at sylvester red coles in a different light. >> sylvester came forward. he didn't have to. i know troy ran and he didn't have to. if he were innocent he should have come forward. >> reporter: what does she think about people like tanya johnson with new information? >> five minutes of fame. >> reporter: pope benedict asked for davis' sentence to be commuted.

jimmy carter and death penalty supporter, bob barr, asked for the case to be re-opened. troy davis has been hours away from execution three times. only to have the case reviewed. it has reached the u.s. supreme court. if the justices decide not to review the case, troy davis could go to the death chamber within days. remember when i asked him if he thought he would be executed. troy davis said no. he told me he has faith in the justice system, a view that is ironically shared by the widow of the murdered police officer. >> we believe in this justice system. we have to believe in this justice system. >> reporter: she is still waiting for an execution. >> gary tuchman, if the supreme court says no, is that the end? >> not necessarily. the district attorney in the local county in georgia where the crime happened, chatham county, georgia, could order a new investigation. you might say it hasn't been done over the last 20 years so why would this happen? here is the crux. there is a new district attorney.

the first african-american district attorney. obviously we want the to interview the guy. he wouldn't talk to us. we don't know his viewpoint at all. but there are a lot of people for and against an exoneration, who are either hopeful or fearful he may be more flexible because he is an african-american. nothing is going to happen this summer. the supreme court is on vacation. they come back the first first -- >> the d.a. wouldn't talk to you because this might come before him? >> not sure why he won't talk. he is being very cautious with this case and will not -- we have no idea what his opinion is. >> fascinating report. gary tuchman. thank you so much. for more on gary's story, including behind the scene photos from his report, log on to ac360.com. tomorrow night the cnn primetime event begins "black in america ii" soledad o'brien, the new stories, the new struggles. tomorrow 9:00 eastern and thursday at 8:00. up next, profiting from pot and how taxing could help one california city get out of the red. they're going a little bit country at the white house. the first family welcoming the stars of country and bluegrass

including alison krauss.

you might know medical marijuana is legal in california. could it be the answer to the state's budget woes? voters in oakland are deciding whether medical marijuana dispensaries should pay more in taxes to help solve the city's cash crunch. if passed oakland would be the first city in the country to tax marijuana directly. dan simon live in oakland with the details. dan? >> reporter: hi, john. we are at the harborside medical center, the largest medical cannabis dispensary in oakland. some of the patients behind us, not too many. they're winding down here. in front of me you can see the display cabinet here. it looks like what you might see at a normal store. the various strains of marijuana. super jack, purple urkle. the edibles.

cookies and brownies. this place will do $20 million in sales. they pay taxes on all of that. the guy running this place says he wants them to pay more. from this vantage point it resembles a bank except the green isn't cash. but it could be a cash crop for the city of oakland. how much more in taxes would you have to pay? >> i will pay between $350,000 and $400,000 in additional taxes every year as a result of the excise tax. >> reporter: most business operators wouldn't be too thrilled about that. steve deangelo says he and his lawyer came up with the idea to help oakland with its money shortage. the city is more than $80 million in the hole. >> we think it is appropriate to take excess funds and circulate them back to the community in its time of need. >> out of that came measure "f" approved unanimously by oakland city council to let voters decide in balloting by mail whether medical cannabis should

have its own special tax. to city leaders, it is an absolute no-brainer. >> given the medical cannabis dispensaries are something we have legalized in california why not have the revenue from it? >> reporter: to be clear, the revenue wouldn't be hugely significant. up to $1 million annually for the city. the dispensaries have another agenda. how much of this is also about you and other dispensaries wanting to be seen as good neighbors and legitimate businesses? >> a lot of it is about that. we very much want to be accepted as a part of the community. we believe we are a positive force within the community and we're always looking for opportunities to demonstrate that to our fellow citizens. >> reporter: they hope that could lead to greater acceptance of medical marijuana everywhere. no formal opposition has emerged. some drug fighters say it sends

the wrong message. >> the taxation of a federally unlawful drug is just not something the community should accept. >> reporter: california has made marijuana legal at least for medical purposes. as communities around the state suffer revenue shortages, it's clear the debate will continue. here we are in the plant section of harborside. they sell live plants for people to take home. this is called great punch. in terms of the election, john, the polls, it's actually a mail-in ballot. but the election ends at the top of the hour. at this point about 50,000 people have cast their ballots. 24% turnout. it is widely expected to pass. with that as one dispensary on rioter put it, i want to make sure i quote him accurately. we're, quote, moving toward being accepted like budweiser beer. john? >> that is an interesting way to put it. so, dan, assuming this goes through, is this a unique case or are other cities interested in a pot tax? >> reporter: you look at a city

like los angeles john, and there are more than 600 medical cannabis dispensaries in los angeles. there are more places to buy marijuana than mcdonald's or starbucks. it is not surprising the city council is looking at taxes to medical cannabis. they see big dollars with this. also sacramento, of course. we have been talking about the state's budget woes. there is a state assemblyman there from san francisco who has actually proposed a bill to tax and regulate marijuana just like you would alcohol. according to some estimates that might bring the state as much as $1 billion a year, john. >> i can't say i would ever hear the sentence more places to buy marijuana than starbucks or mcdonald's. dan, a fascinating story. thank you so much. can america afford to make pot legal? can we afford not do? join us for "america's high: the case for an against pot." an "ac 360" special friday night at 10:00 p.m. espn reporter erin andrews,

victim of a peeping tom. videotaped while she was in her hotel room. a down home evening at the white house. president obama and first lady michelle on a country and bluegrass music. an event there featuring alison krauss. into revolutionary performance. one word makes the difference between defining the mission and accomplishing the mission. one word makes the difference in defending our nation and the cause of freedom. how... is the word that makes all the difference. ...or if you're already sick... ...or if you lose your job. your health insurance shouldn't either. so let's fix health care. if everyone's covered, we can make health care as affordable as possible.

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erica hill joins us with a "360" bulletin. >> police ready with riot gear in paris, texas. white and black supremacists exchanging cries of black power and white power. clashes and protests over murder charges over white man in a dragging death of an african-american man. charges that were dismissed last month. two protesters were arrested. >> rape allegations against ben roethlisberger. a woman seeking $500,000 from the steelers mvp and the hotel in tahoe. she says she was raped.

she claims rosslessburger assaulted her during a celebrity golf tournament last summer. espn reporter erin andrews is pursuing a person who shot video of her through a key hole. that video made it online. if you're thinking of tracking it down, many of the video links are viruses, maybe what you deserve if you're trying to find that. sarah palin's legal woe not over yet. the one time gop vice presidential candidate says she was stepping down in part because of time and money to fight ethics complaints. a preliminary report finds the legal defense funds governor palin set up to deal with those allegations may be a violation of state ethics laws. a star-studded musical event at the white house. some of the best-known names in country music. the president and first lady tonight hosting alison krauss, brad paisley and charlie pride. the latest event in the white house series celebrating the arts.

♪ now is when i wonder why >> a little taste for you there, john. >> it is good to be king or good to be president moments. >> i think they have a few of those at the white house. i'm going out on a limb. >> yeah, they do. more than a few. more than a few. our "beat 360" winner. our daily chance to show up our staffers by coming up with a better caption for the picture we post on the blog every day. tonight's picture, president obama framed by a ladder while delivering remarks about health care reform in the white house rose garden. joey was the staff winner. for instance, if that guy fell off that ladder it might be six months before he could see a doctor in canada. >> i love it. joey, i've missed your captions. >> joey's good. our winner is karen. sorry, guy. but the prompter is going to be way too high up there.

>> i'm giving them a tie. >> karen gets the t-shirt. you don't get to call it a tie. karen, your 360 t-shirt on the way. the "shot." the baboon barrage and see why they were let loose. serious news, president obama's health care push. the plan under attack and in danger of falling apart. we'll bring you the latest. am o. one suggestion is to make your shipping more efficient with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service. call or go online for a free supply and up to $160 in offers from authorized postage vendors. shipping's a hassle! weighing every box... actually, with flat rate boxes you don't need to weigh anything under 70 pounds. if it fits, it ships for a low flat rate. ok, but i ship all over the country. you can ship anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. ship international, too. yes, but i ship hundreds of things, in all sizes. great, because flat rate boxes come in

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so what do you think? i think i'll go with the basic package. good choice. only meineke lets you choose the brake service that's right for you. and save 50% on pads and shoes. meineke. erica hill, been a while since we have been together for a "shot." this one, a road hazard to remember. baboons, baboons, loads of them. >> first the cat. dramatic video. >> swarming around and on top of a car in england. look at that. >> this is crazy. >> yeah. wow.

okay. they didn't pack very well either. this happened in a safari park. it was all intentional. this is not an accident. park officials documented how these enterprising mammals rip into rooftop luggage carriers. let that be a lesson to you. >> right, so the moral of the story is if you are driving through an animal park with a rooftop luggage carrier, you may want to think twice of said luggage carrier. >> when you see the baboons speed up i think is the answer there. they're cute. >> interesting. >> that is what i learned covering politics, you ready? they live to be about 30 and travel in what do they call it, a pack or a gaggle? >> a gaggle like the press corps. >> a troupe. a troupe of baboons. >> a troupe like a brownie troupe? >> that was an eager troupe of baboons. >> the president's news conference tomorrow at 8:00.

then "black in america." then a special edition of ""ac 360." what are sources telling us about what else was in the billings home we didn't know about. that and more when "360" continues.