katherine jackson said she just wants to know what happened to her son. >> reporter: the jackson familyat the los angeles courthouse ready to support the family matriarch, katherine jackson, as she took the stand. the 83-year-old who has attended almost every day of the wrongful death trial since had it began april broke down in tears, and say it's hard to sit here and listen to all the bad stuff they're saying about my son. she wants to find out the truth about his death, and had no idea conrad murray had been hired as his doctor until after her son died. she said it was the concert promoter who was ultimately responsible for the doctor in whose hands jackson died. but aeg live's lawyers say it was jackson who personally picked and directly supervised murray and there was no way they could have known about the dangerous injections of propafol. paris is still reportedly kept at a treatment facility, more than a month after being hospitalized, following a reported overdose of over-the-counter pain medication and cutting her arm with a kitchen knife. her grandmother told the court the 15-

but yesterday all eyes were on the pop star's mother, katherine jackson. casey wian has more. >> michael jackson's mother endured a second day of confrontational question from attorneys from aeg live, the company they are suing for millions over michael jackson's death. they displayed a letter signed by her and some of the siblings about a magazine report. putnam asked mrs. jackson was it a lie at the time to say your son had a problem with prescription drugs? she responded action yes, because i didn't know he had a problem action but earlier she admitted attending an attempted family intervention at the neverland estate five years earlier. >> she's now looking to blame someone else for the very things that she and her family knew. that's why the questions were asked. >> reporter: the jectionen family matriarch has appeared tired, confused and irritated. >> i think for 83 years old, she's doing a great job trying to answer the questions. she didn't remember everything, but i think it's clear what happened. >> aeg live, which promoted what was to be the big

. >> catherine: katherine jackson gets grilled on the stand in her family's wrongful death suit against. >> catherine: her recollections of her son's drug abuse -- when we return. >> catherine: katherine faced another round of questioning monday in her son's wrongful death trial. >> reporter:lawyers for concert promoter "a-e-g live" grilled her about what she knew about her son's alleged prescription drug abuse. >> reporter:michael jackson's mother endured a second day of confrontational questioning from attorneys for aeg live, the company she and jackson's children are suing for billions of dollars over the singer's death. >> reporter:defense attorney marvin putnam displayed a letter signed by katherine jackson and some jackson's siblings calling a 2007 magazine report about michael jackson's prescription drug abuse - a lie. putnam asked mrs. jackson: "was it a lie at the time to say your son had a problem with prescription drugs?" >> reporter: i didn't know he had a problem." >> reporter:but earlier, katherine jackson admitted attending an attempted family intervention at michael jack

but earlier, katherine jackson admitted attending an attempted family intervention at michael jackson'severland estate five years earlier. >> she's now looking to blame someone else for the very things she and her family knew, and that's why those questions were asked. >> caller: the jackson family matriarch has appeared confused, tired, and irritated on the stand. >> i think for being as old as she is, 83 years old, i think she did a great job trying to answer the questions. she didn't remember everything, but i think it was clear what happened. ♪ >> reporter: aeg live, which promoted what was to be michael jackson's big comeback concert series is trying to show it had no way to prevent michael jackson's drug overdose death, when even his own family couldn't. ♪ the trial has been filled with dramatic moments, including intimate home videos of jackson and his children. >> i'm daddy's baby, and i love my daddy. >> reporter: and testimony from paris jackson, who's recovering from a suicide attempt. you have to wonder if this aggressive questioning of katherine jackson by aeg live attorney

katherine jackson is the final witness for the plaintiffs.hree grandchildren, prince, paris and blanket, sued aeg live, saying it was the concert promoter who was responsible for the doctor in whose hands michael jackson died. ag lawyers say it was jackson who personally picked and supervised murray and there was no way to know about the dangerous injections murray gave jackson in his home. the defense is scheduled to begin its case next week. for "today," los angeles. >>> still to come what one area is doing to get people to lose weight. here's a hint. it involves gold. awesome. right after this. [ female announcer ] say "hello" to crystal light liquid. ♪ because some days we're sweeter than others. introducing crystal light liquid. six flavors. zero calories. for every shade of you. [female announcer]g) looks like everybody's at our biggest sale of the year, the anniversary sale at petsmart. save up to $10 on fiproguard® and fiproguard® max flea and tick topicals. at petsmart®. >>> we have a constant battle of the bu >>> we'velg got this co

now trying to end their piece of it by -- by the -- by crescendoing the case and bringing in katherine jacksonry interesting is the judge even permitted a montage of the children and grandchildren with michael jackson singing in the background. i mean, ordinarily that's not evidence, but, remember, we're los angeles. so these sort of things get in, and then we will start up the defense. the defense of this case, we're going hear from aeg has to say, but up to this point, katherine jackson was exactly the witness that should have ended this case. >> pulling at the heartstrings. avery, richard. >> for sure. >> thank you so much. >> good to see you. >> great seeing you, fred. >> all the best. >>> of course, you can always catch the legal guys here every saturday. so committed about this time with their take on the most intriguing and fascinating legal cases of the day, the week, the year. you make it. whatever it is, they're here. we can count on them. thanks so much, guys. atlanta, and chicago, we're revving people up to take a lap around the legendary nascar race track with drivers from the coc

aeg lawyers played a tape from katherine jackson's deposition. tour and didn't expect him to tour for long. earlier a witness for the plaintiff testified jackson could have made more than $1 billion from a lengthy concert tour and a las vegas show. >>> leaker edward snowden seems more than stuck at that airport in moscow. he said he would apply for asylum in russia, but the status of his application is unclear. now russian president vladimir putin is turning up the pressure. yesterday he called snowden, quote, an unwelcome presence from the u.s. -- present from the u.s., i should say, and putin said he expects snowden to leave russia as soon as he has a chance. >>> a would-be robber is behind bars after a dramatic standoff with a convenient store clerk near pittsburgh. surveillance cameras capture the confrontation. the man walks in the door, pulls the gun on the clerk. the clerk quickly whips out his own gun. the two struggle until the clerk literally just kicked him out of the store. the question here is, why didn't the robber pull the trigger?

. >>> katherine jackson gets a little testy on the witness stand.hy her son, michael, died. she is back on the stand when court resums today. you can't say 'one size fits all'. it doesn't. that's crazy. we're all totally different. ishares core. etf building blocks for your personalized portfolio. find out why 9 out of 10 large professional investors choose ishares for their etfs. ishares by blackrock. call 1-800-ishares for a prospectus, which includes investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. read and consider it carefully before investing. risk includes possible loss of principal. it's been that way since the day you met. but your erectile dysfunction - it could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your hea

. >>> katherine jackson ended her two-day stint on the witness stand with tearful testimony. michael jackson's mom was confused at times but testified she never questioned her son about drug abuse. she and jackson's children are suing jackson's ill-fated comeback tour for negligence. >>> and character actor dennis farina has died at the age of 69. the former chicago cop and actor died from a blood clot in his lung. he appeared on the big screen in films like "get shorty" and on the small screen where he made his mark as detective joe fontana on "law & order." >> a few snapshots show up on the internet and everybody is oh, so surprised that these things go on. >> you know, what some people forget is that he was an actual cop for two decades in chicago. >> kind of explains it. i didn't know that. he seems so real life and played parts so well. >> there you go. >> "get shorty" is classic. >> a good guy and a great, great actor. we'll miss him. >>> i'm richard lui. this is "early today." we hope it's just your first stop of the day on nbc. >>> leading the news in "the new york tim

. >>> katherine jackson is set to take the stand in her multimillion-dollar wrongful death trial against aeg. jackson and her children claim the promoter of michael jackson's ill-fated comeback tour were negligent by hiring dr. conrad murray. he's a physician convicted of killing the king of pop. aeg says it was jackson who hired murray. in from teen heartthrob to grandpa, charlie sheen welcomed his first grandchild. his oldest daughter kasandra gave birth to a baby girl luna. probably has a better head on her shoulders. >> wonder who will babysit who. >> yeah. >>> finally, kanye west may have the midas touch when it comes to fashion. his plain white tee shirts cost $120. they sold out in just hours causing a clothing website to crash. that was selling it. the shirt here, bill, made of egyptian cotton should only be -- >> oh, egyptian cotton. that's why it's so pricey. >> it is the cheapest item. >> i'm not going to pay 120 bucks. i'll have like a wing stain on it in a matter of moments. >> it costs more than the shirt you have over that. >> you can buy 12 t-shirts for that price. >> in

katherine jackson is testifying her wrongful lawsuit against ae aeg, and we got a look at mrs. testimony here, and cnn obtain ed this exclusive clp not played in court. alan duke is all over the story and back into the courtroom today and tell us what is the latest here, alan. >> well, katherine jackson does not apparently does not like martin putnam, the aeg live lawyer, and she has been fiesty in response to the questions, and reminding him twice in questioning that i have already answered that, and her lawyeren acknowledged that she had actually lost her temper, but did it in a christian-like way. right now, they are asking her about her son's drug difficulties, and she doesn't believe that he abused drugs. she says that she did take part in an intervention along with some of her children in 2002 at the neverland ranch, but however, she does not believe he was a drug abuser, and she does not believe that he was broke at the time of his death, and she says that the things that she has heard in the trial in the first 12 weeks are making her very upset, and that is why she is t

. >>> katherine jackson testifies today. she should be the final witness in her lawsuit against the company that promoted the pop icon's last concert. >>> happy birthday to justin bieber and selena gomez. 21 both. jeopardy host alex trebek turns 73 and bob dole 90. keep it here for more news, weather and sports. i'm richard lu i along with bill karins. have a great day ahead for you. >>> new this morning, all eyes are on st. mary's hospital in london where kate middleton is in lab ofrmt royal baby on the way. the latest details next. >>> a simple mistake could put the future of dozens of peninsula high school students in jeopardy. their ap test scores possibly negated for something they didn't do. >>> the fight over san jose's pension reform heads to court. what the mayor is doing to clear the way for other cities. >>> we take you live outside to fremont you can see old glory there sort of blowing in -- a little breeze, i suppose. we'll be checking the forecast with christina loren. it says rain is on the way this monday, ju

katherine jackson testified that concert promoters should have discussed her son's declining health with her, rather than just let him waist away. she is suing aeg live, say claiming they negligently hired the doctor that was accused of giving jackson the overdose of anesthetic. >>> the embattled mayor of san diego, being hit with a sexual harassment lawsuit. bob filner's former communication's director said he asked her to work without panties, demanding kisses and dragging her around in a headlock while whispering sexual advances. filner earlier apologized for his behavior towards women but has refused to resign. >>> george zimmerman came out of hiding just long enough to rescue a family trapped inside of an overturned vehicle. zimmerman and another man, sprang into action, freeing a family of four whose suv ran off the highway in sanford, florida. the crash happened less than a mile from where zimmerman shot trayvon martin and just days after he was cleared of all charges in that shooting. >>> and sheriff's deputies in orange county, california, are being praised as heroes this mornin

she responded, yes, because i didn't know he had a problem, but earlier katherine jackson admitted attendinghings she and her family knew and that's why those questions were asked. >> reporter: the jackson family may tree yark has appeared confused, tired, and irritated on the stand. >> for being as old as she is, 83 years old, i think she did a good job trying to answer the questions. she didn't remember everything, but i think it's clear what happened. >> reporter: aeg live is trying to show there was no way it could have prevented michael jackson's drug overdose death when even his own family couldn't. the trial has been filled with dramatic moments, including intimate home videos of jackson and his children. >> i'm daddy's baby and i love my daddy. >> reporter: and testimony from paris jackson, who's recovering from a suicide attempt. this aggressive questioning of katherine jackson could prove risky for aeg live, even though they have been able to point out inconsistencies in her testimony, jurors see her every day needing help getting on and off the witness stand so that could provide

katherine jackson testified that concert promoters should have discussed her son's health with her before. she is suing aeg live claiming it negligently hired the doctor convicted of giving jackson an overdose of anesthetic. >> penalties starting to be handed out in major league baseball's latest steroid scandal. first player to be suspended, ryan braun of the milwaukee brewers, suspended for the rest of the season without pay. that means he will lose about $3 million. braun admitted to making mistakes and said he is willing to accept the consequences. >> we have a health alert this morning -- another reason not to skip breakfast. a study out of harvard shows older men who regularly skipped breakfast had 27% higher risk of heart attack. experts think, skipping breakfast leads to eating more calories during the day, spiking sugar levels and clogging arteries. or that people who take the time for breakfast generally eat healthier. speaking of diet, kids these days are apparently getting hip to eating healthier the reasoning behind taco bell's decision to phase out kids meals and the toys th

katherine jackson says she and the three grandchildren are to the earnings. e and dr. conrad murray for his death. they say the amount projected is inflated. she says at age 56 jackson would embark on four more world tours. jackson has performing until he was 66 years old. aeg's defense team says that sponsors were wary of jackson who had been accused of criminal misconduct. as the show prepared to launch, promoters did not have a single dollar in sponsorship or endorsement. he was acquitted of all charges and like golfer tiger woods could win back multimillion-dollar endorsement contracts. about performing at age 66, she gave examples of senior citizen stars, mick jagger, age 69, barbra streisand, age 71. miriam hernandez reporting for abc news. >>> major evacuations continue near palm springs where a forest fire is entering its fourth day. more than 4,000 homes are threatened by the fire which is now only 15% contained. fire crews face several challenges including the steep terrain and hot and dry weather. many homeowners and visitors are prepared to leave w

. >>> michael jackson's mother katherine may soon tell jurors about her famous song.f the death trial is reaching its halfway mark. 83-year-old katherine jackson sat on the front row of the los angeles courtroom almost every one of the 46 days of testimony. she has shed some tears, sometimes laughing, and last week shouted out the name of one of her son's movies when a witness could not remember it. >>> the trial of infamous ex-goldman sachs trader fabrice "fabulous fab" torre starts tomorrow. a former s.e.c. attorney says it could be a rare opportunity to punish somebody with the housing bubble that almost sank the economy years ago. >>> the world is watching and waiting for the royal baby. katherine duchess of cambridge is expected to give birth any day now. they are waiting to find out if it's a boy or girl. some clues have people thinking the baby will be a princess. we have to wait and see. >>> an enormous typhoon is bashing south eastern china this weekend. the storm made landfall yesterday. it's the equivalent of a hurricane with sustained winds over 70 miles p

now, the judge in the case adjourned court two hours early on friday after katherine jackson said sheed to rest. her lawyers are arguing that aeg live is responsible for michael jackson's death because the company hired dr. conrad murray. dr. murray has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of michael jackson. >>> two years ago, san jose chapter president, jeffrey pettigrew, known as jethro, was sparked at a casino in sparks, nevada. gonzalez is being charged for the murder. he's president of one of the chapters of a motorcycle claub in nicaragua. a hells angel will be on trial as well. >>> i know you are a fan of the oakland zoo, pam. two new warthog. the two additions are females. they were brought in so simon to get to know them and breed with one of them. the zookeepers say they are adjusting nicely. they are in the process of being introduced properly to simon. >> i love that. >> yes. >> i -- both the zoo, oakland zoo and san francisco zoo. i love them both. >>> 7:55 is the time. how's traffic? >> it's messy on the peninsula. >> we've been talking about it. >> 1

. >>> about an hour from now, katherine jackson is expected to testify at her son's wrongful death trialy is liable for his death. the defense starts its case on monday. >>> it was during the president's state of the union address, you might recall congressman collins way tweeting a woman -- a d invite a test, however, obtained exclusively by cnn proves that aspiring model is not the bachelor congressman's daughter. cohen says he was misled business his mother and he's stunned and dismayed by the news. >>> police in new jersey will soon have to get a search want if they want to track cell phone data. several states and congress are consideration similar legislation. that issue could end up before the u.s. supreme court. >>> and we are still on baby watch, but there are a lot of unknowns around the birth of prince william and kate's baby. we don't know the sex, and even the hospital is in question. she is expected to deliver at st. mary's hospital, the picture there, but now there are reports that there's a contingency plan in place for her to give birth near her parents ease home. >>> st

. >>> later this morning, in los angeles, katherine jackson is expected to testify in the wrongful death of her late son. her and three children filed the concert against aeg for its role in jackson's 2009 death. >>> a opportunity you won't want to miss. 5:25 eastern time today nasa officials say everyone should go outside and look up and wave. nasa will take a deep rare space picture of saturn with the earth in the background. mething compl. i met a turtle friend today so, you don't get that very often. it seemed like it was more than happy to have us in his home. so beautiful. avo: more travel. more options. more personal. whatever you're looking for expedia has more ways to help you find yours. since i've been using crest pro-health, i've noticed a huge improvement. [ male announcer ] go pro for a clean that's up to four times better, try these crest pro-health products together. [ carolina ] the toothpaste is really awesome. it cleans a lot. [ male announcer ] crest pro-health protects not just some, but all these areas dentists check most. this is gonna be a very good checkup. i fee

. >>> katherine jackson, mother of late singer michael jackson, will continue her testimony in the trialve. she said when he died she lost everything. she believes aeg is responsible for putting michael in conrad murphy's care. >> it is really hot. we went to the streets today and ask new yorkers if we could pour a bucket of cold water on your head. >> would you mind if i pour a bucket of cold water on your head? >> not in the slightest. >> i'm going the dump a bunch of water on you, all right? >> bring it. om walmart and secretly served it up in the heart of peach country. it's a fresh-over. we want you to eat some peaches and tell us what you think. they're really juicy. it must have just come from the farm. this right here is ideal for me. walmart works directly with growers to get you the best quality produce they've ever had. what would you do if i told you all this produce is from walmart? wow! is it really? (laughter) find fresh peaches and all your quality produce. backed by our 100% money back guarantee. walmart. [ john ] nope. [ tires squeal ] twelve bucks a night! no. they hav

. >>> katherine jackson testified for the first time against aeg live. >>> some relief finally expectedyou back to lockup. >>> due to mature subject matter, viewer discretion is advised. >>> every time we go into a maximum security prison with our "lockup" crews, the same general pattern happens. at first there's hostility from the general prison population that we're there. we're breaking up their routine. >> [ bleep ]. [ bleep ]. >> then that slowly changes into curiosity. they start asking questions, how long are you here for, what are you doing, what kind of questions are you asking? and then the third phase is actual enthusiasm for us being there. because really every inmate has a story to tell. >> when penitentiary of new mexico inmate david scritchfield agreed to an interview, he still wasn't forthcoming. >> why don't you tell me how ferocious you used to be? >> i wasn't. i was just a kitty cat. i wasn't ferocious. none whatsoever. >> because you do seem to have a reputation. >> do i? someone's told you about that? >> scritchfield did eventually open up about the violent acts he

katherine jackson and jackson's kids sued the company. the final plaintiff's witness in the billion dollar case. >>> check out this hole in one from the british open in sco scotla scotland. thomas bjorn. watch the ball. straight into the camera lens and smash -- rather make that 80,000 camera. you won't get too much focus out of that going forward. that wraps up this hour of jansing and co. mara schiavocampo is up next in for thomas roberts. hey there. >> hey there. >>> the agenda the next hour the once mighty motor city goes bust. michigan's governor rick snyder telling reporters he doesn't know if detroit's 100,000 plus creditors will ever be paid. can the nation's motor city survive chapter 9 bankruptcy? >>> florida governor rick scott standing behind his state's stand your ground law, despite the growing number of protesters camped outside his office. will rallies and ridgvigils imp the debate over gun control and race. >>> a bombshell, a key witness found dead in the bulger trial. officials say it looks fishy. was he murdered to forc

katherine jackson is taking the stand today in the wrongful death lawsuit of her son, michael jackson. >>> and after days of sit-ins at the florida state capitol, protesters finally get their meeting with the governor. what he decided to do. that's next. with diabetes, it's tough to keep life balanced. i don't always have time to eat like i should. that's why i like glucerna shakes. they have slowly digestible carbs to help minimize blood sugar spikes. [ male announcer ] glucerna. helping people with diabetes find balance. ...and a great deal. .glucerna. thanks to dad. nope eeeeh... oh, guys let's leave the deals to hotels.com. ooh that one! nice. got it! oh my gosh this is so cool... awesome! perfect! yep, and no angry bears. the perfect place is on sale now. up to 40% off. only at hotels.com >>> all right. we're just getting this in. the cause of death of that 16-year-old woman, girl i should say, on the plane crash, the asiana plane crash, in san francisco, listen to what the san mateo county coroner has just released. >> the cause of death asiana flight passenger ye meng yuan is l

katherine jackson testified yesterday that she didn't know about emails discussing her son's health until after a trial against a-e-gbegan nearly three months ago. the 83-year-old is suing aeg live, claiming it negligently hired the doctor convicted of giving her son an overdose of the anesthetic propofol. aeg denies wrongdoing. michael jackson's mother has told a jury she believes the promoters of her son's ill-fated comeback concerts testified monday that she didn't know about emails discussing her son's health until after a trial against aeg live llc began nearly three months ago. the 83-year-old is suing aeg live, claiming it negligently hired the doctor convicted of giving her son an overdose of the anesthetic propofol. she told jurors that aeg's executives should have called her to discuss issues with jackson's health before his death in june 2009. she made the comments about aeg's actions after a lawyer for the company questioned her stated motive for the lawsuit, which she says is a search for the truth. >>james: we are back. heavy rain in arizona has triggered flash flooding. roa

katherine jackson one of the last witnesses before her lawyers rest their case. the jury earlier this week saw video deposition given by jackson's daughter, paris. promoter aeg live played a role in the singer's death. >>> business as usual in detroit, but that is very difficult as they go down the long path of bankruptcy. the largest city to file for chapter 9 bankruptcy protection, simply put, detroit's broke. it's busted. about $18 billion in debt. remember just weeks before the election president obama was touting detroit's resurgeance aft after the auto bailout. >> we refused to let detroit go bankrupt. three years later that bet is paying off in a big way. >> oh, but it wasn't just the president, even the super bowl was betting on detroit's comeback. >> we're all scared because this isn't a game. the people of detroit know a little something about this. they almost lost everything. but we all pulled together and now motor city is fighting, again. >> this makes me kind of sad. poppy harlow is in detroit this morning. i guess no one is really a surprised by t

. >>> michael jackson's mother katherine back on the witness stand in her wrongful death lawsuit againstying her son was not a freak. jackson and her grandchildren are trying to prove aeg was negligent in hiring dr. conrad murray and is responsible for the singer's death. >>> the u.s. coast guard seizing 2,300 pounds of cocaine from a boat in the caribbean. the street value, $35 million. video shows the boat speeding away. but a coast guard helicopter shot out the engine. the boat stopped. the cargo seized. and the smugglers arrested. >>> you know the mystery of the incredible drum playing grandmother has been solved. viewers called out 63-year-old mary hvizda. we now know she isn't actually a grandmother. but she did jam in a bunch of bands when she was younger, then decided to give up the dream. >> i have wanted it. i never pursued it because i never thought i was ever good enough to get it and because so many people try but never succeed. >> mary picked up the drumsticks again about a year and a half ago. she says she doesn't have a compu comput computer, didn't know about youtube and

. >>> katherine jackson will take the stand in the wrongful death lawsuit against the concert promoterwsuit claims they were nen neglect. she is expected to talk about her son's relationship with his three children and his plans for life after the tour. >>> and here we go, here say viral video that is all abuzz. take a look at this guy who appears to be high-fiving a bumblebee. hear his reaction to that. >> do that again! >> it's like the rainbow guy! >> experts say bees raise their legs when they feel threatened. so the guy is just telling him to, wait for it, buzz off. >> very nice. >> it's the reaction. >> did you get three? >> they have six legs, it is called the leg, i thought there would be some fancy word but they have these things at the end of their legs that can, they're called tarsi that can clean their antenna and do other functions. >> we have a bee nerd on our set. >> maybe he was saying let me clean that off for you. >> you got a little -- >> yeah you got a little. >> the bee-ologist chris cuomo. >>> let's go to our political gut check, checking the stories you need to k

jackson's mother katherine is expected to finer her testimony today. he's likely to be the final witness before the prosecution rests. jackson told jurors she sued aeg live because she wanted to know what happened to her son. the suit contends aeg live is liable for jackson's death because it hired dr. conrad murray, but the company says jackson chose murray. >>> a southern california family taking toyota to trial for a sudden acceleration problem that forced millions of cars to be recalled. the family is suing toyota for the death of 66-year-old noriko uno. she died when her toyota camry unexpectedly accelerated and crashed into a telephone pole and a tree. toyota said there's no defect in the car but went on to recall 9 million cars due to accelerators that got stuck and floor mats that trapped the gas pedal. this is the first such case to be taken to trial. >>> a new update on the health of leader nelson mandela. south african's president was just released a statement saying mandela is showing, quote, sustained improvement. the 94-year-old remains in

katherine. they're suing aeg live for playing a part in michael jackson's death. >>> minutes before this morning'sning bell stocks are poised to climb even higher after the dow and s&p 500 each closed friday at record highs. alison kosik at new york stock exchange eagerly awaiting the bell which just rang. good morning, alison. >> good morning to you, carol. have you checked your retirement funds lately. you're probably feeling a little richer. s&p 500 which most of our mutual and retirement funds, up almost 18% just this year. that's actually quite more than most analysts expected to gain in all of this year. what is the main driver behind these recent gains? what else the fed stimulus and the promise behind it. the flow of easy money has been the main thing propping up the market this year. recently fed chief ben bernanke said the stimulus will keep on coming. motivating investors to keep on buying. they don't want to miss this speeding train called the stock market. new retail sale s are up. they came in weaker than expected and part of the reason for the increase was that people had to spend m