♪ or a cloudy dew ♪ >> good morning. gone too soon. outside, hundreds of thousands throng the streets of los angeles just to be close. >> we all loved michael. we all miss him. >> inside, musical legends from stevie wonder to smoky robinson join the golden voices of mariah carey and jennifer hudson and more for a star-studded memorial for a sometimes troubled soul, known forever as the king of pop. ♪ doesn't matter if you're black or white ♪ >> and we're here for it all live at the staples center,

remembering michael jackson live at the staples center, remembering michael jackson today, tuesday, july 7th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to a special edition of "today" on this tuesday morning. i'm meredith vieira outside the staples center in los angeles. good morning to you, matt. >> hey, meredith, good morning to you. i'm matt lauer here in new york. and the stage is set for what is probably going to be the biggest celebrity memorial ever, and meredith, i'm just giving a sense how they're handling security for this. >> there are an awful lot of police here. i arrived about an hour ago, which would have been 3:00 a.m. l.a. time.

a lot of police checking to make sure that everybody that enters the perimeter has a right to be here. i've got a blue wristband on. that means i'm a member of the media. the gold wristband here allows me access to the memorial service later today. i'm also going to have to have a ticket in order to get in. gives you an idea of the security. a lot of things have been happening late last night and early this morning. including members of jackson's family, including his sister la toya were seen entering and leaving the forest lawn cemetery where a private service is being held ahead of today's public memorial. and now there are reports that follying that service the casket holding michael jackson's body will be brought here to the staples center to take center stage during the memorial. now, if that happens, crowd control could become an even bigger issue. overnight police locked down the streets surrounding the arena and at least 1,400 officers are patrolling the area. but despite the call for people without tickets to stay away, some estimate as many as 700,000 people may come out this morning. we've also received a list of

the stars who will take part in the service, including as we mentioned stevie wonder and mariah carey along with motown records founder berry gordy, usher, brooke shields and many others. we'll have it all covered throughout the morning. in a moment the jackson family spokesperson who helped organize the event will be with us and we're going to ask him about those reports that jackson's body will, indeed, be a part of today's tribute. matt? >> all right we'll get to that in just a second. also this morning, in other news, sarah palin speaks out for the first time since announcing her plans to step down as the governor of alaska. she gave nbc's andrea mitchell extraordinary access during a fishing trip in a remote corner of her state and the two talked about what led to palin's decision to resign, where she goes from here, and if a white house run is in her future. we're going to hear from governor palin in a moment. meredith? >> all right, matt, but we're going to begin with the final preparations here in los angeles for today's elaborate memorial for michael jackson. it is a worldwide event expected to be watched live by a billion

people. set in the hollywood hills, forest lawn is the burial place of stores like bette davis, lucille ball and more recently john ritter. today the world is watching the staples center in downtown los angeles. where one of the biggest public memorials in history is set to begin. >> i'm not sure in our lifetimes we'll ever see anything like this again. >> so give us a preview of what we're going to see. >> mariah carey, and you have lionel, and you have john maher and smokey and the wonderful performers who are going to be in here. i just heard one number and it was pretty spectacular. >> reporter: home to sporting events and concerts, today the center will play host to over 11,000 michael jackson fans. and members of his family. his brothers will be performing or his sister? >> i think you're going to see one or two of the family perform. so this will be very emotional. i can promise you that. >> reporter: jermaine jackson is said to be ready to perform one of his favorite songs that his brother recorded. a song jermaine sang for matt.

♪ though your heart is aching smile even though -- ♪ >> reporter: one person who will not be attending is the mother of jackson's two oldest children debbie rowe. >> do not touch me! >> reporter: who said she does not want to be an unnecessary distraction to an event focussed on michael's legacy. >> don't touch me. te repor r:longtime jackson friend elizabeth taylor wrote on her twitter page, i just don't belie that michael would want me to share my grief with millions of others. how i feel is between us. not a public event. several members of the jackson family have had different ideas over how to remember the superstar. and sources say details about the program wille changing up until show time. >> we all have our own memories of him. >> reporter: susan who will be attending says it will be a day filled with mixed emotions. >> this is going to be very sad, and then moments of, this ask very exciting. i'm not supposed to feel that

excited right now. >> reporter: worried about overexcited masses of fans police continue to encourage everyone without a ticket to stay home. but it hasn't stopped thousands of fans from planning this makeshift memorial outside the staples center. in fact they're on their third sign, as you can see, because so many people have wanted to express their thoughts. while authorities here say they expect crowds of up to 750,000, organizers say more than a billion people will be watching on television, in movie theaters, and online. >> i will tell you, i'll be peeking and looking online. i know it's going to be everywhere. i told my boss i'm going to look. >> reporter: joy didn't get a ticket to the staples center but says she will be rememberi inin michael at work or at home. >> him being on tour when i was a kid and people going nuts, akin to the footage that they play of the beatles or people with elvis. and you know, for my generation, you know, he's as close as we got to that. >> reporter: meanwhile in court the legal wrangling over jackson's multimillionolrla estate has begun. >> the latest will is the

effective wishes of the decedent, the person that died. >> reporter: on monday a los angeles judge handed temporary control of the superstar's estate to the lawyer and music industry executive named as coexecutors in jackson's 2002 will. a defeat for jackson's mother katherine who had applied to oversee her son's estate, but keeps custody of his three children. tim was lyred by the jackson family to serve as their spokesperson and help organize this unprecedented event. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> we heard that there was a private viewing of the body last night at forest lawn, a private service this morning and then we are hearing that michael's casket will be brought here for the public memorial. what can you confirm for us, ken? >> you know, we've been focused about not confirming or not speaking publicly about any of the private events that may or may not be occurring, vis-a-vis michael's death.

this is a family that has shown extraordinary dignity in a very difficult time. i mean, what family doesn't want to grieve for a son or a brother who has died? and family's wanted to maintain their privacy to the extent that that was possible. so, the rumors, or the talk about whatever did or did not go on or will or will not go on vis-a-vis those issues, we're just not going to talk about it. >> right now you can't confirm that the casket. >> cannot confirm and won't confirm. >> we spoke last night, you had just come from a rehearsal, grabbing a bite to eat at the end of the day and you seemed a little dazed to me on the phone. you said i'm having a hard time putting this in perspective. is this even bigger than you thought it would be? >> yeah. i've been involved with some pretty good things both in the political and entertainment world and i've been around in awhile. i don't think anybody's ever seen anything like this. several billion people are going to watch this live today. this is going to be twittered and streamed at a level surpassing a lot of the

inauguration. talk about a worldwide figure of love. michael jackson is the biggest figure and person emitting love ever. and with today's communication, i don't know what would have happened if elvis had died now, or a majestic figure, john lennon or somebody like that had died now. but one thing, with all the -- >> and controversy around mike. >> and controversy around michael, i think on behalf of the family, remember the legacy of michael. remember the legacy of music and love, and pure joy and entertainment that he represented. has anybody been to a wedding or a family event where, when a michael jackson or jackson five goes on it isn't t highlit of the event? just the message and that captivating personality and presence. that's what people ought to remember. i would hope some of that comes across with dignity in events

today. >> will his brother jermaine be singing at the memorial? >> we're not going to confirm anything more than the people that will be announced that will be on the program. but it will be an extraordinary event. >> thank you so much. pleasure to see you here this morning. i want it turn now to rerend al sharpton who is going to july just mi yule jied michael jackson. he is with us this morning. i know you have been with the family quite a bit since the loss of michael. how are they doing? this has got to be for them a joyous day in some ways and a very difficult day in others. >> well, it's been very difficult. it is heartbreaking for them. but they seem determined to give michael the kind ofignity and to protect his legacy, and myself and others that will speak today, and will perform today, are speaking to what they want, and that is that michael was about love. and about uniting and bringing people past their racial and nationality differences, and

religious differences. they are very particular about w they want him remembered, even as they're grieving in their loss. >> on sunday you delivered the sermon at the church and you were pretty tough on the media and the media's coverage of michael's death. want to show a little bit of that and we'll talk on the other side, reverend. >> we come here for michael jackson but there's a double standard. because when you had had other entertainers that had questions in their life, you did not degrade and denigrate them before their funeral like you've done michael jackson. >> i understand it is a sensitive time, but is it important to look at both sides of a man, not just one side? >> absolutely. if we're looking at both sides. but if we're only looking at the side of allegations that were never proven, trials that ended up being baseless, and not looking at his achievements and records, breaking racial barriers, his bringing about a

song on world hunger. >> you don't think enough has been said about that? >> oh, not at all. and i think that that is what we were saying. yeah, let's look at both sides, not just bring up one side. we're not trying to make excuses for what shortcomings he had. but his strength really outweighed them. talk about his strength. that's all we're saying. and not all of the media. but some of the media has absolutely been outrageous and disrespectful in my judgment to this family and to the memory of michael jackson. >> do you have a sense from the family where they would like michael's resting place, final resting place to be? >> i think that they're very proud that even among those of us that have been privileged to visit and spend time with them, i think they're more concerned about his public resting place. and that is that people around the world remember his message of love, rather than the mess that some people are trying to commit to him. >> you have talked about vigils being held around the country today, that people should gather and as you said, remember the message.

>> that's why we're here. we're here because michael had a message. and despite whatever controversy he had, he never lost the message, and was preparing to go to england to one more time bring us that message. we're determined today to have that message resonate, even though michael will not be here. >> and are you concerned, reverend, what will happen after today, when discussions of custody come up with the children and discussions of assets, michael's assets, who gets control of the estate, all of those things that will turn rut -- >> what i want to do is, when all of that happens, i'm going to continue to concentrate on get being michael's message out, his legacy out, and keep my eye out for some of his music there and just tune it out and tune michael in. >> favorite song? >> well, "man in the mirror" is my favorite. but i also love many of his records. a lot of things that i remember about michael. and michael was, you know, michael loved music. all kinds of music. and if you visit him, you make everything from classic to jazz

to anything. but "man in the mirror" was the one i liked by michael jackson. >> reverend sharpton, thank you so much for your time this morning. and we'll have much more throughout the morning and nbc news will have live coverage of today's memorial anchored by brian williams. that's going to begin at:00 p.m. eastern, 10:00 a.m. pacific time. and of course, "dateline" will have a complete wrap-up of farewell to michael jackson tonight at 10:00, 9:00 central time. we're going to go back to new york and matt. >> all right, meredith, thank you very much. now to president obama's high-stakes trip to russia. the president addressed a group of college students overnight and said both washington and mossco have an obligation to seek a nuclear free world. nbc's chief white house correspondent chuck todd is traveling with the president, and sat down with him earlier this morning. chuck, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. well, we discussed a wide range of issues, but we began with the president's measure of the man many people believe is pulling the strings behind this russian political curtain. president obama's final day in moscow began with his first-ever

meeting with the man many consider the true power here, prime minister vladimir putin. but mr. obama was measured in his assessment. >> he is strong. he cares deeply about russia. he has understand abable concer about russia's role in the world. and he has suspicions about the united states. and i found him to have a practical way. i suspect prime minister putin would completely agree is that he's not sentimental about how he views the world. >> reporter: he also again demonstrated confusion about putin's title. >> this morning, i had my first meeting with president putin -- prime minister putin. >> reporter: you've done that three times. >> yes. >> reporter: a few times. >> well,e used to be president. he used to be president. >> reporter: the president put a fine point on the role he thinks russia can play in helping prevent iran from developing nuclear weapons. >> one of the things that we're

going to need to explore jointly over the next several months is can we provide a door for iran to walk through where they say that we are not going to develop a nuclear weapon? >> reporter: you think you still have some work to do now? >> we definitely have some diplomatic work to do. >> reporter: the president took minor issue with vice president biden's characterization of his administration's initial economic assessment as a misread. >> no, no, no, no, no. >> reporter: was it just a misread? >> i would actually, rather than say misread, we had incomplete information. what i would say is that, in some areas, you're seeing the economic engine turn. but what we always knew was that, "a," this recession was going to be deep. "b," it was going to last for awhile. >> reporter: he also weighed in on the two stories that have captured america's attention in recent days. on sarah palin's unexpected

decision to resign the alaska governorship. >> she has a fiercely loyal constituency within the republican party, and in the conservative movement. but, you know, she says that this is something that is best for her family, and i respect that. >> reporter: and michael jackson's role in breaking racial barriers. >> what i do believe is that black sports figures and black entertainers helped to create a comfort level with african-americans that had an impact historically. >> reporter: the rest of the day here is ceremonial, matt. tomorrow the president is off to italy, where he will have a meeting of the g-8 industrial nations, and then an audience with the pope. >> all right, chuck todd, thank you very much. we appreciate that. and now to sarah palin's interview with nbc's andrea mitchell. for the first time since dropping that bombshell that she's resigning, the alaska governor is speaking out abo her decision.

>> the choice i had to make was, okay, how am i going to react to the circumstances, to the changed conditions? am i going to just keep plugging away and keep my head down and not try to affect any more change? because every time we do something we get hit with, you know, ethics violation charge. or a lawsuit. because that's the political game that's being played right now. even though we won every single one of them that's been thrown our way. but my choice in how to react to these circumstances, my choice has been, you know, i'm willing to not run again for re-election. i'm willing to step aside. >> we're going to have much more of andrea's interview with governor palin coming up in our next half hour. but for now let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories from natalie morales who is in for ann at the news desk. good morning to you. >> good morning to you, matt. good morning, everyone. there's a sense of relief this morning in gaffney, south carolina, following the death of what police say was a serial killer. 41-year-old patrick burress was killed monday in a shoot-out with police in north carolina. ballistics tests show that his gun matched the one used to kill

five people around gaffney in recent days. a party reprimand for south carolina governor mark sanford. on monday his state's republican party censored sanford for what it called a breach of the public's trust for leaving south carolina to see his mistress. >> go several u.s. troops were killed in monday in attacks in afghanistan in one of the deadliest days since the war began there. hundreds of women protested today in western china, angry that their husbands had been arrested during ethnic unrest that has left more than 150 people dead. there is now a curfew there. six weeks after he announced his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, golfer phil mickelson says his mother now has the disease, too. his mother will have surgery friday at the same hospital where amy mickelson had her surgery. today democrat al franken will be sworn in as minnesota's junior senator. he'll serve on the senate judiciary committee whi opens hearings next week on supreme court nominee sonia sotomayor.

and it is that time of year once again, the running of the bulls got under way today in pamplona, spain. four people were hospitalized with bumps and bruises. one runner called it pretty intense. i think we'll take his word for it. it is now 7:20 right now. you're up to date. let's turn it back over to matt and stephanie abrams. >> al roker and i do these buddy things all the time. i'm going to suggest that al -- >> i want to do the biddy thing. >> the buddy thing only goes so far. al is off today, stephanie abrams is here with the first look at the forecast. >> maybe he's getting ready. prepping for the running of the bulls. let's have a look at what's happening right now across the country. looks like there is a threat for another summer morning with lohumidity. good morning on this seventh day of july. temperatures are near 70 in washington and near the bay. elsewhere we're in the 60s. highs today should reach the mid 80s with low humidity. a few clouds popping up as a

weak area cool front comes through might trigger an isolated thundershower. small chance of that by early afternoon. tomorrow sunny. still low humidity. into the m 80s for morning lows. still not too humid on thursday and friday. getting steamy over matt over to you. >> all right, stephanie, thank you very much. coming up, much more from new york and los angeles, as the world prepares to say good-bye to michael jackson. will he eventually be laid to rest at neverland? how is his mother holding up? an exclusive interview with jackson's longtime manager just ahead.

still to come, new information involving michael jackson's private doctor, who was with him when he died. >> plus, what's next for air sa

palin? more of our interview after your local news and weather.

good morning. i'm barbara harrison. time right now, 7:26. in the new at this hour, commuters will notice a heavy police presence in montgomery county today. that's because police are undergoing terror training exercises at metro and mark stations. officers will be on the platforms and riding on trains and perform truck inspections throughout montgomery county. authorities sayhe drill is not in response to any actual terror threat. we'll take a break and come back with weather and traffic for you in a mom

another comfortable sunday morning under way. here's a live picture from our sky watcher camera. lots of sunshine. we'll have a day with low humidity with highs reaching the mid and upper 80s. clouds building by mid afternoon. slight chance of an afternoon thundershower. tomorrow, mostly sunny. highs in the mid 80s. low 80s on thursday. partly cloudy. more humid on friday and a steamy weekend to follow with hotter temperatures. how's the traffic? >> a live look a couple pockets along 270 nothing dramatic at all as we go down the split. route 50 looks good. both directions at the bay bridge looking at the wilson bridge and may find it heavy

into the sunshine. >> all right. thank you. coming up on news4, remembering the life and legacy of michael jackson. the king of pop will beoron hed in a spectacular memorial

on 7:30 now on a tuesday morning. it's the 7th of july, 2009. we understand some people are starting to gather outside the staples center out in los angeles, california, to pay tribute to the life and the legacy of michael jackson. starting to gather, albeit outside a perimeter that has been set up by police. in new york i'm matt lauer in studio 1a. meredith is at the staples center. a lot of stars are going to take place but it's interesting to note some of the people who will not be in attendance. >> absolutely, right, matt. his ex-wife lisa marie presley and debbie rowe along with

elizabeth taylor have de saded they will not be here. taylor saying how i feel is between us, n a public event. but sources now tell nbc news that michael jackson's casket will be here at the staples center for the memorial service. with the jackson brothers serving as pallbearers. we're going to have much more in just a moment, including the fires devotion being shown by fans of michael jackson. some are flying thousands of miles, spending thousands of dollars, just to be here for the event. plus they're going to talk exclusively with jackson's longtime manager to find out what he thinks jackson would have thought of today's memorial and of all the attention surrounding his death. matt? >> all right, meredith, thank you. also ahead alaska's governor sarah palin has garnered her share of attention since she announced she was resigning that post. now for the first time hins her news conference palin is speaking out about the decision. and she did it in classic palin style as she prepared to go on a fishing trip in a remote part of alaska. andrea mitchell spoke with her

and was the only reporter who went out on that fishing trip. we'll hear what palin had to say in just a little while. >> okay but for now we are going to begin with the thousands of michael jackson fans who will gather here at the staples center in just a few hours. nbc's lee cowan has more on that. good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith. it's hard to describe. you have on the one hand, fans coming here to mourn but also coming here to celebrate michael jackson's life and his music. one thing they can all agree on, no matter why they came here, no matter what they did to get here, it was worth it already. if one measure of michael jackson's celebrity is the dedication of fans wanting to be near him in death, then on that scale jackson really was the king of pop. we found any number of incredulous stories of harrowing travel, leaps of faith, even fans risking finance ruin to be here today. but jamilla mohammed beats them all. >> i'm quite happy to accept the label of fanatic. i am mad about michael jackson.

>> reporter: we found her in what would generously be labeled a flea bag motel. unpacking her things after a long flight from london. >> and of course my outfit wouldn't be complete without my michael glove. >> reporter: but she arrived without a ticket to today's memorial. and only pennies in her pocket. she was soon holding court by the side of a freeway, pleading in desperation as those with tickets drove right by. >> it really heartwrenching. >> reporter: the desire to be part of a public farewell may have reached a fevered pitch after princess diana's death but it's always been a part of us. >> elvis presley died today. >> reporter: so many fans turned out in 1977 to see elvis' funeral cortege that president jimmy carter had to call out the national guard. when slugger babe ruth died in 1948, more than 100,000 gathered to bid the home run king farewell. the godfather of soul, james brown, had fans lined up around the block for a ghoulish good-bye.

>> lennon was shot and killed -- >> reporter: john lennon's sudden death drove thousands to song. some fans need a touch. it doesn't have to be much. for jamilla, the long journey itself was a tribute. >> his music, my heartbeat. it's part of me. >> reporter: as the clock ticked down, she kept pushing. we left her, holding her sign, and hoping for the best. >> it's going to be worth it, i'm sure it is. >> reporter: and indeed it was. and after spending all that money on a plane ticket and coming here and really not knowing a soul we got a call last night that she did get exactly what she came for. a fan gave her a ticket so she'll be one of the 17,000 other people watching in person what maybe a billion people will get to watch only on tv. >> lee cowan, thank you very much. frank deleo was michael jackson's long time manager and friend. he is with us exclusively. >> good morning. >> just a few weeks ago you were preparing with michael for this

50-concert tour in london. and now, today, his musical director and his band will be performing at his memorial service. what is going through your head today? what are your emotions today? >> well, i know it's going to be a very nice service. i know it will be a great show. it will be good to see people celebrate the memory of michael. but it's very sad for me, because we were scheduled to leave friday, this past friday >> and you really thought he was on the cusp of coming back? >> there was no doubt about it. it's just hard for me to believe that he's gone. you know, i see the images up on the screen, and most of those images, you have some feeling, or was a part of. it's going to be a difficult day for everybody. i think by tomorrow, maybe it will finally hit me. right now, it's been a mad race. >> reporter: you know, his legacy, we've been talking about it so muchhe past few days, how do you think he would react to this?

to what's been said about him? to the events of today? >> i think he knows, and i think he'd enjoy it. and he always loved the fans. and he always loved when they turned out, and his fans are different than other people's fans. i've worked with a lot of artists and i've seen different kinds of fans. his are very dedicate d, real, sincere people. and they loved him dearly. i'm sure he'd be very happy at the outpouring. >> we asked you in the break if you could confirm any of the reports about the casket being here or the private service and you said you really can't, because it's been kept so private by the family,n purpose. >> right, right. they've kept it private. i have no idea what they're doing as far as the burial service or whatever. i think they, in their religion, i think they have their own practices, and you know, things like that. so i haven't been informed, and

i really don't know. >> when i last spoke with you it was the day after michael died and you were very up front about your concerns about him, and prescription drugs, possible use of drugs. since then -- >> we never said that. you asked me and i said i don't know because the toxicology report is not back. >> i don't mean in terms of that, i mean that there were issues prior to that. >> there were. there were. >> well, since then, we have found authorities that said they're looking at five different doctors, including the one acquired by the tour, who wasn't even licensed to prescribe prescription drugs. when you hear that, does that make you angry? >> makes me very mad. but you have to understand that michael said that was his doctor. the owners didn't hire him because he need aid doctor, michael forced the promoters to hire that doctor. and thererobably were a lot of doctors, and i'm very angry about it. they didn't have enough sense to stop whatever they were giving him.

if that is what happened. and i hope the authorities do look into it. >> now we're hearing that possibly a custody battle for the kids between debbie rowe and katherine and also the judge ruling yesterday that the executors of the estate will not be the jackson family but rather his lawyer and a longtime friend of michael jackson's. do you antipate that once this is over, there's going to be a long, bumpy road ahead? >> i don't think so. i think the will was very clear. i think the judge saw the people that were appointed executors. he knows that they're capable of taking that estate and building it for the children, and for katherine. katherine was not left out of anything. she clearly gets the kids. it says that in the will. that's what a will is. a person's will. that's what michael wanted. that's what's going to happen. >> a pleasure to see you. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> and nbc's brian williams will anchor live coverage of the

michael jackson memorial today at 1:00 p.m. eastern, 10:00 a.m. pacific fic time here on nbc. and "dateline" will have a full wrap-up tonight at 10:00, 9:00 central time. now let's go back to new york for a check of the weather from selfny abrams, who is in for al. good morning, stephanie. >> good morning, meredith. caroline visiting us from misspy. what's your favorite thing about new york city so far? >> i love chinatown. >> let's talk about the mperatures throughout portions ofso t asheheutt. because it will continue to stay warm there, as you can see the heat is going to spread all the way through the plains. how about the forecast for today? you can see there's rain throughout the southeas only a small chance of an isolated thundershower this afternoon as the front sweeps on through. otherwise, another day with low humidity and it's a beautiful morning. right now near 70 in washington and near the bay and 60s far to the west. in the mountain, still in the chilly 50s this morning and later today it will climb into the 80s. lots of sun but a few clouds by

early to mid afternoon as that weak front comes through and a small chance of an isolated thundershower. low humidity on thursday. more humid friday. laura, your boyfriend's name is really mason dixon, this is no joke? >> yes, it is. hey, mason. >> meredith, back to you. >> stephanie, thank you. and coming up, much more live from los angeles on the memorial honoring michael jackson. and also the serious questions lingering about the icon's sudden death. but up next, sarah palin goes fishing. and speaks out for the very first time since annhencg in r si siciheon to .resignde mitell is the only reporter allowed on the boat. we're going to get to that right after this. a

we are back now at 7:43. three days after surprising everyone by announcing her resignation, alaska's governor sarah palin is shedding some new light on what led to the decision and what will happen when she leaves office a little later this month. nbc's andrea mitchell is in anchorage this morning after palin gave her extraordinary access during a fishing trip in a remote section of that state. andrea, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt.

well, we flew to a remote fishing village in western alaska to catch up to the governor and try to find out why she resigned and what she's going to do next. >> how's the fishing? >> it's good. >> reporter: three days after hesurprise announcement, sarah palin re-emerged. at the remote commercial fishing site her husband todd's family has run for generations. >> are you staying warm? >> reporter: they spend every july fourth weekend here, the peak of the salmon run. but after criticism thathe was hiding out, she set up a giant photo opportunity to try to explain her shocking resignation. >> i knew that i wasn't going to run for re-election. i knew that everything changed on august 29th in politics in alaska. that's the day that i was tapped to run for vice president of the ited states. things changed, and it was quite obvious that nothing would ever be the same for our administration. the choice i had to make was, okay, how am i going to react to the circumstances, to the changed conditions? i going to just keep plugging away and keep my head down, and not try to affect any more

change, because every time we do something, we get hit with, you know, ethics violation charge, or a lawsuit, because that's the political game that's being played right now, even though we won every single one of them that's been tloeb our way. but my choice in how to react to these circumstances. my choice has been, you know, i'm willing to not run again for re-election. >> even some of your supporters in wasilla said to us, she signed up for four years. we're disappointed that she's quitting. >> well, you know, i think that some people may not be fully aware of all of the conditions. and it perplexed me that we have sat down with many reporters and we have shown them how it's cost thousands and thousands of hours in state time and millions of dollars in state resources to continually fend off these frivolous, ridiculous, ethics violations. >> how much does it cost you yourself? how much debt do you have? >> we have' legal bill of about half a million dollars. but that's not the consideration.

the consideration is how does this affect the state. >> half a million dollars of legal fees. you've got a family. you've got a special needs child. you've got this place you love. >> it's just one aspect of the insanity of this political game that's being played. so i said you know, that's kind of distracting. but that still isn't all o it. what is all of it is knowing i wasn't going to run for re-election. so, alaskans, being perfectly honest with them, not wanting to play that political game that most politicians do, and that's kind of like pretend if they don't know if they're going to run again. i do. i'm going to be honest with alaskans and say one term was enough. >> you haven't finished your job, some would say. >> you're not listening to me as to why i wouldn't be able to finish that final year in office without it costing the state millions of dollars and countless hours of wasted time, wasted -- we have true, worthy public officers. >> some people said you saw the bright lights from the national campaign and came back, it was very hard to readjust to the nitty-gritty work of being --

>> the nitty-gritty, you mean the flish slime, and the dirt under the finger nails? >> you know, the state capital. the hard legislative slog. >> no, that's not -- i am a fighter. i -- i thrive on challenge. >> another reason for the media event, to show them as a family. fishing as a team. to discount internet rumors that perhaps there were other problems to cause her to resign. she said that you guys wrote it as a family and there were no no votes. no doubts at all? >> no doubts at all. >> the right decision for the kids and for you? >> oh, and for the state, yeah. >> clearly she's at home here. far from the glamour and the controversies over designer clothes, and diva behaviors, voiced by the mccain campaign staff. how does this make you feel being back out on the boy? >> it's awesome. it's beautiful. it brings back a lot of memories, because todd and i have been doing this together since before we were married.

his family's been doing this forever. >> are you trying to instill those values in piper and the other kids? >> the kids all fish, yeah. and myiece and all my nieces and nephews, they fish. and it's all good it teaches these kids to work extremely hard. and to not be divas, and to not be picky, and yeah, they're tired, and they're wet, and they're cold, but, it teaches them good lessons for life, to >> now there's the book, the lecture circuit, maybe a talk show. but what about politics? can you imagine yourself running for president? >> i don't know what the future holds. can't predict what the next fish run is going to look like, much less what's going to happen in a couple of years. but my focus is on my faith, still, and it always will be. and my family and what is best for them. what is best for them is to not run for re-election and to avoid a lame duck kind of wasteful session in a final year of office. >> are you sorry now you said

yes to john mccain on august 29th? >> not in the least. absolutely not. it was a great honor to stand by a true american hero. i believe in john mccain. i appreciate him. i honor him. and i would have done all that again in a heartbeat. >> what is clear, that sarah palin may be walking off in the sunset. and, in fact, although she says that she will be politically active, matt, she is not ruling out anything but a lot of party leaders say she has really damaged herself in terms of a future political campaign. >> andrea, just was watching that interview and a couple of quick things. what time of day was that? because in that part of alaska, it stays light till what midnight at this time of year? >> yeah. absolutely. we shot that, we were on the boat around 9:00, 9:30, we flew out of there at 10:00, it was still broad daylight and got back, and as you can see, just had about an hour and a half to put it all together. so it stays light, especially in

that part of alaska. that's really close to the aleutian islands. you can practically see russia. >> we all want to know where you got a pair of waders. but that's for another day, andrea. >> the secret, matt. >> okay, thanks. still to come, new information on the investigation into michael jackson's death, as the stage is set for today's star-studded memorial. but first, these messages.

welcome back to this special edition of "today" from los angeles and new york. police have now locked down streets within a quarter mile of the staples center ahead of the memorial for michael jackson. just eaahor md,e on what will take ple.ac >> plus what happens to the

mountains of unreleased music.

beautiful morning. another one here in the nation's capital. 68 degrees. nice and cool out there right now with sunshine, blue skies. 7:56 is the time. good morning. i'm barbara harrison. it's tuesday, july 7th, 2009. there's new information about last month's deadly metro crash. a faulty track circuit may have been to blame. now a system in san francisco said it experienced similar problems with the track circuit but took safety measures to correct it. workers at the san francisco system flagged the same issue. they installed a backup system to prevent any problems but metro never followed suit. metro says every system is

unique and difficult to know how the system's compare. police in prince george's county are searching for three men who pulled off a series of home invasion robberies. the robbers struck three times early yesterday morning. at each home masked men tied up the residents and robbed them. the suspects may have committed other recent home invasions in the county as well. we'll take a break and come back with weather and traffic for you. aystith ususmñ?

a sunny sunday morning with low humidity. temperatures near 70 degrees.

mid 80s today and clouds building this afternoon as a weak cool front comes through. slight chance of isolated thundershower. tomorrow, mostly sunny. low humidity. highs mid 80s. jerry, good morning. how's the traffic? >> good morning, everyone. we're checking reports of an accident along 270 southbound in the area of falls road. we'll let you know should police find anything. right now things seem to be doing okay. one more stop, let's see how we're doing headed for downtown. we're loading up and slowing down. barbara? >> coming upn news4, remembering the life and legacy of michael jackson. thki pngf w oopile b b honored in a spectacular memorial

♪ i'm talking with the man in the mirror ♪ >> 8:00 now on this tuesday morning, july 7th, 2009. you are looking at the scene here in los angeles, as fans, friends and family are going to memorial michael jackson. a memorial by one estimate that will cost the city more than $3 million. i'm meredith vieira outside the staples center. matt lauer back in new york. and matt, even as the world prepares to celebrate michael jackson's life, we are learning new details about his death. the latest on the investigation just ahead. we're also going to talk with an author who predicted six months ago that michael jackson would not live out the year.

first i understand you have something quite exciting to share. >> oh, it's a big deal. we have an exclusive first look at the cover of probably the most hotly anticipated book release of the year, this is dan brown's book called "the lost symbol," and just by looking at the cover, as we put it up, you can learn some things, possibly, about that story, for example, you see the capitol dome on the cover. that reveals that the location would be washington, d.c. lots of clues. we've got the feature, a mysterious symbol on there. it's a double-headed phoenix. the number 33, and in latin, the phrase order from chaos, all of which are tied to secret societies throughout history. fans can follow, by the way, a viral game of code breaking in the book, to the book on twitter and facebook, and for more on that and a closer look at the lost symbol cover you can head to our website at todayshow.com.

that's exciting. this is a guy, the da vinci code, when he puts out a book it's pretty well read. we're looking forward to seeing more about that. >> meanwhile just a few miles from here at forest lawn cemetery, the jackson family is holding a private gathering ahead of today's public memorial. nbc's michael owku is there for us. good morning, michael. >> good morning, meredith. what we understand is that members of the jackson family arrived here late last night, includin la toya jackson. we also understand that a hearse arrived here late last night. the are reports this morning that the jackson family had a private viewing of michael jackson with a closed casket, possiblys late as midnight. in the meantime, what i can tell you here is that the road closures have begun in earnest. we know that the barricades have been up since yesterday, additional barricades to keep out whatever fans or onlookers might be descending at this location this morning.

this is what we do know, because there are lots of rumors and innuendos, as you know, meredith. all kinds of reports. but we do know, based on conversations with city officials and some sources withined family, that there will be a private ceremony here today at about 8:00 this morning pacific time, lasting for a couple hours. it's unclear, however, whether michael jackson will, in fact, be buried here. whether this will be his lasting resting place. if, in fact, he is buried here, we'll have some very serious hollywood company. know that liberace is buried here, bette white is buried here, david carradine who died recently, as well. again we're waiting to see whether michael jackson might make it out of here in his casket and go straight to the staples center with his family once the ceremony is done. meredith? >> michael, we had heard reports that the casket was already here at staples center. have you heard anything about that or can you clearly say to

us that's not true? >> i can't tell you that that's not true. in fact the reports we're hearing is that the casket may, in fact, be here. but, we've been hearing all kinds of reports over the last 48 hours, meredith, as you know. if, in fact, it did go to the staples center that would make the most logistical sense. u would think that the family wants to end this with a ng. they want to have a great big surprise for all the fans and all the friends that will be gathering there at the staples center, and what bigger surprise than to suddenly have the casket of michael jackson up on stage for the last time. meredith? >> michael, okay. also one quick correction i think bette white will appreciate you said that she was buried at forest lawn. she's alive, bette davis, i think, is who you meant. michael, thank you very much. and now les go back to new york for a check of the rest much the top stories from natalie morales. good morning. >> good morning to you, meredith. the nightmare is over for a south carolina community terrorized by a serial killer after the suspect was killed by police on monday.

nbc's ron mott is in gaffney, south carolina with the very latest. ron, good morning. >> reporter: hey, natalie, good morning. a lot of folks here waking up from what was probably the best night of sleep they've had in a week and a half after going to bed last night knowing that this killer was dead waving the 25-page rap sheet of patrick tracy burress, shot dead in a police shoot-out early monday, south carolina investigators say he's the spree killer responsible for five murders in gaffney in the span of a week. >> at some point the criminal justice system is going to need to explain why this individual was out on the street. >> reporter: police caught up with burress on a burglary call in gaston county, north carolina, about 30 miles from the killings. they say he shot an officer before dying by return fire. the officer was treated and released. officials say all the evidence collected so far points clearly to the 41-year-old burress. >> since forensics, we're able to prove that the weapon he shot the officer with is the same

weapon that all five of our victims were shot with. >> reporter: since june 27th, residents of this quiet town of about 13,000 have been frozen with fear. at elmore's barber shop, a 70-year-old institution here, something new, a gun. >> protection, yeah. you never know. >> reporter: though calm began to settle in as word of burress' death spread last night. >> i can unload the guns and not wake up five or six times every time i hear something and the daupgs are barking. it's a big relief. >> reporter: police say they've still got a lot of work it do. they specifically want to know the motive behind these killings. natalie? >> ronmott in gaffney, south carolina, thank you. president obama is calling for a fresh start between the white house, and the kremlin. speaking to students in moscow this morng, the president said the u.s. and russia must unite in opposing iran and north korea's nuclear ambitions. embattled south carolina governor mark sanford says he will work hard to earn back the trust of fellow republicans. he was censured monday by his party after disappearing last

month to visit his mistress in argentina. gas surprises are edging lower. they're down now three cents in a week to $2.60 for a gallon of regular according to aaa. and cnbc's trish regan is at the new york stock exchange. what is wall street watching today? >> good morning, natalie. investors are gearing up for the start of the second quarter earnings season, which kicks off with alcoa's results after the bell tomorrow. now this is especially important because really we see quite a run-up in the market since march 9th. and so now investors want proof that those stocks that they've been buying are really worth their price. andhe earnings will suggest that. also, more importantly, they're looking forward to the third quarter estimates. so in other words, they need some kind of strong prognosis for the future in order to really propel this market forward, natalie. >> all right, trish regan at the new york stock exchange. thank you. and an unexpected charge at a hardware store in central, new york. take a look. this deer forced shoppers to scramble for safety, as the animal ran through the aisles and knocked over displays before

employees and customers helped it to escape. all in an effort to save a buck. get it? 8:07 right now. let's go back outside to matt. i just read it. >> a collective groan out here. >> i just read it. i didn't write it. >> all right, natalie. al's taking some time off this week. we

matt, back to you. >> all right, stephanie, thank you very much. when we come back, could criminal charges be filed in connection with the death of michael jackson? we'll have the latest on the investigation. - what if we all said no. - no. - no to fake foods. - and yes to real. yes to hellmann's. made with eggs, vinegar and oils... that are naturally rich in omega 3. with all the taste in the world. mmmmmm. hellmann's. it tr 'sfo.e al re mmmmmm.

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here, and we still don't know officially, at least, what killed michael jackson. so this morning we want to take a closer look at the drug investigation, where it's been, and where it's going. >> we have a gentleman here that needs help, and he's not breathing. >> reporter: from that moment -- the clock is running. day one, jackson is rushed to ucla medical center and fans flocked there. police swarm jackson's rented mansion in holmby hills, and the family compound in encino. my brother, the legendary king of pop michael jackson, passed away on thursday, june 25th, 2009, at 2:26 p.m. >> reporter: jackson's body is flown to the l.a. county coroner's office. and on day two, the revelation. >> well, we know he was taking some prescription medications. >> reporter: suddenly, michael jackson's secret world is exposed, and everyone is listening. detectives question dr. conrad

murray, jackson's personal physician, who was there. they impound his sister's car for evidence. >> we are still actively trying to assess whether or not any prescription or other medications were involved. >> reporter: nbc news has now confirmed dr. murray is not licensed to dispense medication of any kind in the state of california. his lawyer continues to deny any wrongdoing here. >> can you come over and talk to us? >> reporter: day five investigators find bottles and bottles of prescription drugs inside jackson's home. nbc news has now learned one of those drugs was the anesthetic propofol, also known as diprivan, so strong it's used only in hospitals. ♪ on day eight, this video is released, showing jackson at one of his final rehearsals. the dea joins the investigation and by daynine, so does the california attorney general. >> we have to look for aliases and we have to find out what other names there might be.

>> reporter: now, according to published reports, authorities are focused on five doctors who supplied jackson with the drugs that may have killed him. >> it's going to ruin a lot of people's lives. >> reporter: a seasoned investigator who's worked high profile cases, including the death of anna nicole smith. >> i think you're going to see some heads spinning really fast here. i don't think it's going to take a year. i don't think it's going to take months. i think you're going to see some serious, serious repercussions in weeks. >> reporter: criminal charges? >> absolutely. >> reporter: many of the pill bottles and the pills themselves that police found inside of jackson's holmby hills mansion had no labels on them. in fact, many of the bottles also had other people's names. so the prescriptions were written to absolutely aliases, not michael jackson himself. the police's main goal right now is to actually pin each pill bottle to a specific doctor, to a specific pharmacy, so they can start filing those criminal charges. but no charges have been filed yet, meredith.

>> you get a sense it will be a long investigation. jeff rossen, thank you very much. news of michael jackson's death was unfortunately not a surprise to autr ian halperin, six months ago while working on his new book to be pub mished next week, "unmasked kwst, halperin predicted jackson would not survive this year. ian, good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith. >> you predicted on december 24th, you said michael jackson will be dead within six months. i died june 25th. you were right on the mark. what made you make that very eerie prediction? >> well, i spent years investigating the jackson case. and when i originally started on the case, it was after he was acquitted of the trial in 2005. and i was skeptical. i thought we have another o.j. simpson on our hands. and then another egg on the face of, you know, the los angeles judicial system. so i went out to get michael. i wanted to prove that he was guilty. i was furious. i was convinced at that point he was guilty and i spent years on

the case. and now, i'm unwaveringly convinced that he never molested children. which i say in the book. i interviewed a lot of kids who stayed at neverland, a lot of close people in his camp, and it's really sad what has happened here. >> but why that prediction? why did you think he would be dead within six months? >> well, i got access from insiders in his camp who said that he did have several diseases, including a lung disease that heas anorexic, which i mentioned in the book. even before he died, and possible side effec would be card yak arrest. and they predicted he didn't have long. he was very depressed. he was on all kinds of prescription drugs. and it's a very sad story, the way this man just spiraled into this abyss and was never able to get out of it. >> and yet we looked at that video in jeff's piece that was taken during the rehearsals for the london tour, and the organizers of the events used that to say, look, he was in great shape.

you look at that video from just a couple weeks ago and you see a very different michael jackson. >> meredith, you've got to beware of what everyone's spinning right now. there's a lot of vultures around michael jackson. michael jackson is indelibly, he changed the whole world of pop music, entertainment, and you know, he's an icon. and people just wanted to profit off michael. instead of having him perform onstage, 50 concerts, notven a pop performer in their 20s or 30s could probably handle that type of grueling tour, let alone he had so many illnesses, so many addictions, and they should have given a lot more concern to michael's well-being, to his health. and they didn't. they just wanted to profit off him. and i think time will tell. today's not the day -- >> that's a pretty strong accusation to say all they cared about was profiting off him? >> well, i stand by that. because people inside his camp who cooperated with me were concerned about the people around him. there were a lot of undesirables. and, michael was extremely

depressed for the past few years. a lot of it started with the child molestation charges. michael never abused children. he loved kids. he had a rough childhood. he never wanted to grow out of being a child. he wanted to relive a childhood that he never had. and that's why he always hung around with children. but, people tried to paint him as something he's not, and i clearly mention that in the book. and today, i really send out my deepette sympathy for the jackson family, especially his three children. he was the most amazing father, and all his fans who loved him all over the world. >>okay, ian halperin, thank you very much. >> thank you, meredith. >> accomplish your. >> and we're back right after this. the kenmore elite he5t washer?

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good morning. >> good morning, matt. >> before we get to the unreleased material. you released a statement when michael jackson died, you said he is the most talented person you ever worked with. that's high praise. >> i absolutely feel that way. i mean when you look a every dim exngs of his career, whethe it's the songwriting, the singing, the performing, the blending of rhythm and blues and pop into his own language, the dancing, the videos, the cutting-edge videos that define the video age, and really put mtv on the map, michael jackson in total was the single most talented person i've ever worked with. >> so for all the years that he's putting to the these albums, clearly there can only be 12, 14 songs on an album a he was recording more. so these other songs are somewhere, in a vault. can you characterize that material for me? is it great material? or did it not make the cut for a reason? >> well, for the four albums that i was around for with michael, there were -- there was always over-recording.

12 to 14 songs would end up on the album, just as you said. there would probably be anywhere from 25 to 30 songs recorded. those songs are still in the can, unreleased. >> you've heard these songs? >> i've heard a lot of them. i've heard many of them, yes. >> so what are we going to learn about michael? what kind of music are we going to hear for the first time? >> they're hidden gems. they're hidden gems, these songs. at the end of the day, the decision was michael's what to put on the album, and what not. that doesn't mean that the songs that were not released were not as great as the hits that you know. so there could be a whole new life just from these songs alone. >> what about the financial life of that -- is this the property of sony? is this the property of whatever record company he was working with at the time? is this the property of the jackson family trust? >> at the moment, it's still the property of sony, to my belief. >> and so, financially, does sony reap the rewards of that? or does the jackson family trust? >> ultimately sony and the jackson family. because the jackson family will

receive royalty income there the sale of those recordings. >> again, as a music executive, what was it about michael jackson that allowed so many of his staunch fans to ignore the other headlines in his life? the controversy in his life, and continue supporting him, it seems, unconditionally? >> his greatness. his uniqueness. it doesn't matter what genre of music, artistr fan, whatever they liked, they always looked up to michael jackson. i mean, it could be bono, bruce springsteen, madonna, they all revered michael jackson. >> but in the years he was making headlines for all the wrong reasons, did that severely impact his marketability? >> no one likes bad news. i think at one point in time, when the accumulation of all the bad news was there, it certainly did have an effect. >> tommy mottola. obviously someone whoorked with michael a long time. 15 years while at sony. good to see you. >> thank you. >> good morning. it's 8:25. much more from new york and los

angeles right after your local news, and a check of your local weather. 8:26 is our time right now. 68 degrees. beautiful, bright sunshine. a beautiful day in the nation's capital. i'm joe krebs on the tuesday, seventh day of july. commuters will notice a heavy police presence in montgomery county this morning because police are undergoing terror training exercises at metro and mark stations. officers will be on the platforms and riding the trains and performing truck inspections throughout the country. the drill is not in response to terror threats. d.c. recognizes guy marriage performed in other states. the new law took effect just after midnight last night. the decision is the first step toward eventually allowing same-s marriages to be

performed. we'll take a look at the weather and traffic. stay with us. at suntrust, we help you manage your money at home. and make it easy when you're away. and where ever you go, atm fees won't follow. get back to what really matters switch to suntrust checking today

good morning. a sunny summer morning. temperatures low 70s hitting mid to upper 80s later today and clouds building. a slight chance of an afternoon thundershower. how's the traffic? >> we're jammed in a couple spots. broken down car at eastern avenue. maryland route 50 westbound at freeway airport after route 301 an accident. still far left-hand lane tied

up. those delays inbound toward 495. >> later today a news4 remembering michael jackson. starti at 1:00 p.m., the distance from the field to your table just got shorter. because at safeway there's always freshly picked... local produce at great prices. it's 100% guaranteed... to be fresh and ripe, every time. so hurry in for delicious goodness, all right down the street. that's ingredients for life. that's safeway.

right now, getorthwest sweet red cherries -- just $1.99 a pound with your club card. safeway just lowered the price of summer. it's 8:30 now on this tuesday morning. it's the 7th day of july, 2009. it is a day that we prepare for a very public send-off for one of the most important music figures of all time. the self-proclaimed king of pop, michael jackson. will happen there at the staples center in los angeles. meanwhile here in new york, out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer, alongside natalie morales. holding down the fort on this

end, meredith is out there in los angeles. meredith, good morning again to you. >> good morning to you, as well, matt. even here in l.a., the center of spectacle and celebrity, this is most definitely a very special day. some of the biggest names in entertainment, smoky robinson, stevie wonder and kobe bryant, just to name a few, are going to pack it in to the staples center to pay tribute to the king of pop. just ahead we'll look back at jackson's remarkable career, and also the tragic side of his life, to find out how history will view michael jackson. matt? >> all right, meredith, thank you very much. and natalie here we're talking about "today throws a wedding." it is the 10th anniversary of "today throws a wedding." and we've got our couples selected. leigh and nick. >> that's right. big deal, of course. on monday we showed leigh four options for her bridal gown. then we let you vote on what she will wear. the pick is in. let's walk over to leigh and nick. good morning, guys. are you excited, nervous? >> excited. >> did you -- we showed you

these four choices for the wedding dress -- for the bride the gown is very important. did you have a favorite? >> be honest. >> honestly, i really didn't. i was kind of excited. i liked all of them. all of my friends and family were like -- i'm glad i didn't have to make that choice. >> you're very low key. >> i'll be thrilled with any of them, honestly. i really would. >> that's the diplomatic thing to say right now. >> i'm serious. >> nick, she's going to look gorgeous yway. but you're used to seeing her in her running gear as marathon runners that you are. >> going to be a big step up. >> i imagine you're going to just be -- >> i hope i don't cry. >> you can cry. >> it's a crying moment. >> nick is allowed to seeee the four choices as we recap, no? >> no. >> nick, put the blind fold on, put the headset on. so you can't hear. can you hear anything? >> oh, i can hear. >> oh, he can hear. all right so we can hear. all right, audio can you put

some audio in his ears? >> a little music. >> okay. we've got music now. so natalie. >> are you ready? okay. with 52,000 of you voting online, the choice for today's wedding gown, our 10th anniversary, dress number three by cristos is the winner. just a reminder, this is a gorgeous dress. >> oh, wow. >> leigh, what do you think? >> i love it so much. it's gorgeous. >> it is beautiful. >> i can just picture you in that. you're going to be amazing. >> perfect. >> all right. thank you very much. >> thanks to all who voted. >> nick keep the blindfold on and the head sets. >> he's laughing. so he must hear something. >> let's get a check of the weather from stephanie abrams who is filling in for al. >> we have jen visiting new york city. >> we're here for our first

little people of america convention >> how is it going? >> it's great. >> you've had nice weather, as well. slet'sfee i thal c wnutionil e in the northeast. unfortunately looks like we could see some bader w eath w as head into the afternoon hours. as those storms will be plowing through, and it's not only the northeast but also the southeast. good morning. we still have low humidity in place on this july morning and we'll take that. temperatures around the region are comfortable. low 70s. now 72 at washington. highs today reaching the mid and upper 80s. low humidity and just a few clouds coming through. a weak cool front might trigger an ace lighted thundershower. small chance of that. tomorrow, should be partly sunny to mostly sunny. highs reaching the mid 80s with low humidity. and then a little more humid by friday but still really not oppressive. over the weekend looks like it and we have a very rambunctious crowd of 10 to 11-year-olds visiting new york. for all your weather needs go to

weather.com. matt, over to you. >> all right, steph, thank you very much. when we come back we're going to have the latest from los angeles as the police there prepare for jage crowds to see michael l service.aemor we'll have the latest on the atprar.epnsio vo: last year... when companies were laying off hundreds of thousands of workers... walmart was creating 30 thousand new jobs... all right here in america. save money. live better. walmart.

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and welcome back to this special tuesday edition of "today." during his career michael jackson sold more than 750 million records and won countless awards. but how will and how should history view the king of pop? michael eric met jackson a few years ago and will attend today's memorial. he is also the author of "can you hear me now"? michael, always a pleasure to see you. >> always good to see you, meredith. >> you met michael at a rather interesting location. tell us about it. >> it was at a johnnie cochran

funeral a few years back. and i was in the bathroom and a figure after we had washed our hands, of course, reached out to shake my hand and said, i love how you speak of television. it was michael jackson. i said well i love how you perform onstage. and it was a surreal moment. we were born the same here. him in august and i was born in october. so i had been tracking, tracing, and marvelling at at him for all of this years. it was an honor to meet him. >> there's a chapter called icons and you write this about michael jackson. he is one of the greatest prodigies of world musical history. you'd have to turn to a cat like mozart for a parallel figure who at 6 or 7 years old is already at sump an advanced level of mastery of his craft. was he a musical genius as a kid? >> absolutely right. at 6 and 7 he already understands who he wants to be, who he is patterning himself after, jackie wilson and william hart. the lead singer of the delphonics.

he already knew he wanted that kind of intensity, melodic explosion in his music, and he could channel the soulful blues of an otis redding and the floating melisma of a sam cooke and reach bound the boundaries and wear barriers of race to give the world a global perception. >> he did reach beyond those boundaries. he's more than just a great entertainer. >> he was. think about it. the jackson five had a cartoon on television in 1971, a scant five, six years after the moynihan report forecast the doom and gloom for the black family. they were repudiation of that. intact black family. then he projected that to the world. likele jackn's music was like the civil rights action of 1964 set to a killer beat. any race, sex or gender would be forbidden to his music and he felt that he was a global citizen. >> he was also a controversial figure and we can't let you go without talking about some of that, including his transformation over the years.

you write about it in your book, it might sound cliche to say so, but michael jackson embodies all the malicious demons of identity that black people struggl with. what do you mean by that? >> well, the fact is of course he had vitiligo where you lose pigment in his skin. i'm sure some of that was to compensate for the loss of melanin. but he acted out on his face what black people struggle with in their soul. the blackness that has to be wrestled with and dealt with. and whether he reconstructed his face, deafricanized his image, he conanted what we all confronted. his beat remained rooted firmly in the african-american soul of identity. >> how much of it is maybe the kind of upbringing he had? he talked about the way his dad berated his looks, that his nose was too big. too broad, the dark skin, and teased him. and what piet have been teasing for a quote regular child, of course, gets internalized with a young genius and prodigy like michael jackson.

so, yes, it tells us being black is a problem in your own home, at that time the belief certainly played havoc with michael jackson's psyche and shaped who we saw. >> do you think his legacy will be different in white america quote unquote versus black america. or do you think because he bridged the gap it will be much the same? >> you can see by the global outpouring of love for him. the world has claimed him. but there's a special place in the heart of african-american culture for this young genius who rose from our ranks, was deeply rooted in our soil and sprouted fruit that is now being tasted by the world. >> congratulations on the book. >> thank you. >> up next the visit with the king of pop's one time best friend bubbles the chimp.

back now at 8:43 with the

whimsical side of michael jackson. as you know he kept many exotic animals at his neverland ranch but it was his most famous pet bubbles that captured most of the attention. nbc's kerry sanders has more. >> reporter: at the makeshift memorial to michael jackson they're hard to miss. stuffed chimpanzees. reminders of the pet michael once described as his best friend in the whole world. bubbles. the chimp reportedly slept in a crib at neverland. even shared michael jackson's toilet. by the time bubbles was 5 years old, he was too big, too strong, to live like a child in a house. so bubbles retired. where else but to florida? where he's one of 42 chimps and orangutans at the center for great apes. now 26, caregivers say they've seen proof bubbles was trained to moonwalk. when bubbles visited japan, the media there followed him to a prayer temple. and saw evidence of what they

believed was that moonwalk. >> i don't want to make this sound silly, but i also wonder, because we see the way chimps are so human-like, does this chimp, bubbles, does it recognize that michael jackson is dead? >> we have not discussed it with him, because michael had not been here to see bubbles, it's been many years since he's seen bubbles, and he's very connected and happy in his chimpanzee family right now. >> reporter: michael jackson's menagerie also included dozens of other animals, including giraffes. they now live on a preserve on the edge of the grand canyon. dr. martin dennis was jackson's veterinarian. >> he had just a very pure concern for every animal on that property. >> reporter: but bubbles had a special place in jackson's heart. he was a one-time actor. and for michael jackson, a one-time best friend.

for "today," kerry sanders, nbc news, florida. >> all right, brace yourself. kerry tells me that someone actually called the center for grate apes and offered to fly bubbles to los angeles for today's memorial service. the center's director said she will likely decline. and on that note we'll be back. this is "today" on nbc.

welcome back to this special edition of "today," remembering michael jackson. stevie wonder, usher, mariah carey and lionel richie are just a handful of the superstars who will participate in today's memorial service. michael roth is vice president of communications for aeg, the owner of the staples center and the concert promoter for what would have been jackson's comeback tour. mr. ross, good morning to you. >> welcome to los angeles. >> thank you. nice to be here. it's got to be a little brittersweet. it would have been the comeback tour, now it's the memorial service. >> you know, we were blessed to know that we were putting to the a show, michael was creating a show that would have made history. rock 'n' roll music history. >> and now beer here at this memorial service. what can you tell us about the final details in terms of who will be performing? any last-minute additions that you know of, that you want to share? >> we've had our hands full with the media helping to plan everything, and the people who know how to produce a show and

direct a show, they're putting together what i think is a tremendous tribute to someone that the world wants to love. the world wants to say good-bye to in the respectful and proper way. >> how much say has the family had in terms of who will be performing here and what they want for their fans? because i know that's important to the family, not their fans, but michael's fans. >> this is the family's day. and they approached us about doing the event here. and we told them that if they wanted to, we'd be happy to. and i think every step of the way from making sure the fans would come from free, and doing it in anic wettable way to give tickets away was the family's idea. all the performers, producers, directors sat down with the family to make sure the wishes were carried out. the family knows what michael wanted. >> how does this compare, there are plenty of events that go on at the staples center. how does this compare to anything else you've ever done? >> we're just here from nba and

nhl all-star games to four laker championships and parades. even democratic convention 2000. this is still unprecedented. the numr of media people here, we're not just looking at a team that the country likes, a convention that makes international news. but this is an icon that people care far more about, it's every country in the world, a politician would be on stage here. to have 3,000 media members apply for credentials. it took us eight hours to vet the list on saturday just to see who we could accommodate. and that was just based on size. >> talk about particularly the exchange of tickets. >> people said the harder you work the luckier you get. we were lucky it went so smoothly. but there was a lot of hard work. everybody at aeg staples center, we were here all week long. i think people, even the public wanted this to work right. and the public understood the reasoning for the ticketing situation. you know, thankfully ebay and craiglist and other services took the tickets overline as

soon as they could find them just to carry out the wishes and to give dignity to what deserved dignity in this day and age. >> on a very personal note, what does today mean for you? >> today means -- i am so proud of everybody that i worked with, that we could put this together in the four or five days. i'm so proud that los angeles will put a great show on. i'm so proud that so many people around the world with our free broadcast will be able to see this incredible day. >> all right, michael ross, thank you very much. and we're going to have much more from l.a. in our next hour. and again, brian williams anchors nbc's live coverage off the memorial starting at 1:00 p.m. eastern, 10:00 pacific time. >> thank you meredith. before we go to our local news and weather, we want to take a look back now at michael's impact on pop music, and pop kult your. take a look. >> good morning, the king of pop is dead. >> we have a gentleman here that

needs help, and he's stopped breathing. >> people are simply in a state of shock over michael jackson's death. >> it's almost like losing a family member. i mean michael jackson has literally written the soundtrack to my life. >> first shock and then disappointment. >> very sad thing that he's gone. >> to you, michael is an icon. to us, michael is family. ♪ take the world make it a better place ♪ ♪ for you and for me and the entire human race ♪ >> the message through his songs lives. i know he is very much alive. ♪ >> so here we are on the front steps of the main house here at neverland. when michael jackson was here, there was music in the air. this was a room where michael jackson would greet his closest friends.

in this corner here there was a grand piano. ♪ got to be starting something ♪ want to be starting something ♪ >> the city of los angeles is preparing for a huge turnout at the staples center for michael jackson and this is the ticket that is causing all the commotion. >> hopefully i'll be able to be here. >> it's very important for me to be there. >> congratulations and i called her right away and said mom, we're going. ♪ >> let's give it up for one of the greatest artists the world has ever known. long live the king. >> we absolutely revolutionized the deliverance of a song. >> he is a part of the fabric of our lives. >> if i didn't know michael jackson i wouldn't be who i am today. >> he was a friend. and he was my little brother. >> he was like my son, a

showman. >> the world could turn down the chatter and turn up the music and really enjoy the greatest artist that's ever lived. ♪ billie jean >> michael jackson! ♪ don't blame it on sunshine don't blame it on moonlight ♪ ♪ don't blame it on the good times blame it on the boogie ♪ ♪ don't blame it on the sunshine. don't blame it on the moonlight ♪ ♪ i'm talking with the man in the mirror ♪ ♪ i'm asking him to change his ways ♪ ♪ if you want to make the world

a better place ♪ ♪ >> he will forever live in all of our hearts. >> his time on this earth, he did good. he wanted good for everyone. our time is 8:55. 272 degrees here in the nation's capital. we'll get the forecast for tom

kierein coming up. i'm joe krebs on this tuesday, the seventh day of the seventh month of 2009. there's a warning out to parents in fairfax county this morning after a man reportedly tried to abduct a young girl in oakton. police say the man pulled up to the girl's house while she was playing outside and tried to drag her away. the girl screamed and was able to break free. hundreds of senate staffers may soon be posted on the internet allowing the public to view their office budgets for staff salaries, travel and other expenses online. the house already posted that kind of information on the web. we'll take a break and come back and look at our weather forecast ics che ockhe t tra ll.e

fios guy! where ya headed? ah, just installed fios in the whole building. now everyone has the fastest upload speeds. and we're giving them a mini netbook. well, i'm sticking with cable. so's ted. (voice) no i'm not! he's just goofing. (voice) no i'm not!

(sighing) ted has betrayed me. (announcer) switch to verizofios tv, phone and internet today and get an ultra-sleek compaq mini netbook. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities good morning. live picture from our sky watcher camera showing high clouds drifting through a blue sky on this sunday morning. temperatures are comfortable. we're in the low to mid 70s now as we approach 9:00. by later on this afternoon we should hit the mid and upper 80s with low humidity and just a slight chance of an isolated thundershower. part cloudy tonight. low 60s tomorrow morning. for wednesday, should be mostly sunny tomorrow highs into the low 80s and on thursday still not much humidity around. highs low 80s with a few clouds and getting more humid on friday. here's a look at the weekend. saturday should be partly sunny and hot with highs near 90 degrees and humid. more clouds around on sunday. should keep the temperatures with highs in the 80s.

and there's an increased chance of passing showers. let's check the traffic. jerry, how is it looking at this hour? >> a little rough out there on the beltway in virginia. outer loop of the beltway jammed from springfield getting past a minor accident on the shoulder between the springfield interchange. the connector eisenhower avenue connector exit is closed as part of the construction project. accident bw parkway near route 198 in laurel. police, fire and rescue crews on >>e scene. later today on news4, remembering michael jackson. inbenngig at nn1:00 p.m. nbc 4 will carry

♪ you are not alone i am here with you ♪ we are back now with more of this special edition of "today," remembering michael jackson on tuesday morning, july 7th, 2009. and you are looking live at the scene in los angeles, california, where memorial service is being held today for michael joseph jackson. otherwise known as the self-proclaimed king of pop. at the staples center. and that is going to be a real scene in just a couple of hours. as thousands of people descend

on that building, and the outlying area to pay their final respects to michael jackson. i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales and maria soleste from our sister network telemundo. meredith is in los angeles. let me ask you to take us through the evolution of the morning. you've been there for a couple of hours. have you been able to see a change in the scene there? >> yeah, a subtle change, actually. very quiet when we arrived and now there is definitely more police presence as fans make their way up to the rimeter. in about five minutes they're going to open up the barricades so those folks who have tickets and have their wrist bands on, so they can then make their way up to the staples center to the arena. and two hours from now they will open the doors to the arena and fans will be allowed to go inside and begin taking their seats. another hour later the actual service will begin. so let me bring you up to date on how today's tribute will unfold. we have now learned the casket contains jackson's body could be a part of today's memorial. with the jackson brothers

serving as pallbearers. and we've received a list of performers and speakers who will also take part. those include stevie wonder, smoky robinson, lionel richie, jennifer hudson and mariah carey. that's just to name a few. other notables, magic johnson, brooke shields and berry gordy. but michael's exwives lisa marie presley and debbie rowe will not be in attendance. we're going to take you inside the center in just a few minutes to show you what the preparations are like firsthand. natalie? >> all right, meredith. and of course, while thousands, those who were lucky enough, will be inside there instead the staples center, perhaps 1 million people in the u.s. will be watching and worldwide the number expected to be closer to over 1 billion people will be watching on tv. so the outpouring there is going to be astounding. we're going to get an example of that from one fan coming up in just a minute. >> plus we'll look at the fight over the fate of michael jackson's three children. will debbie rowe be fighting the jackson family for custody? we'll have the latest.

>> first let's check in with nbc's lee cowan who is outside the staples center and he has a special jackson fan or the story of one. lee, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. i'm here with jamilla mohammed, she came all the way from south london. she bought a last-minute ticket, $1400 she paid just to be here. she didn't have a ticket to get into the memorial. we found here on the side of the freeway holding a sign trying to get a ticket. and you got one. >> basically i was there for hours yesterday. it was boiling hot. and i approached a fan, his name was michael ed win, from utah and he kindly gave me a ticket. so we'll be going together. >> just out of the goodness of his heart. >> he didn't ask for anything in return. >> why was it worth the incredible amount of money for the ticket? you came here, you might have just been watching it on tv or just outside the building. why was it worth it? >> it had to be. there's been no one else like michael. there isn't now. there will never be. there's an element of magic about michael, and i just had to be here.

it wasn't an option. >> a lot of people thought this was -- >> a lot of people said don't go if you don't have a ticket. but i knew coy make it happen. >> well i'm glad you get a chance to pay your respects. you and about 11,000 other people, and about a billion more people watching on tv. >> lee cowan in los angeles for us this morning with a very lucky young lady. thank you very much. let's get a check of the rest of the top stories. ann is off and natalie has the headlines. wrapping up a two-day visit to moscow, today, president obama told college students in moscow that the u.s. and russia are not destined to be adversaries and said the two countries should work together to defuse the nuclear efforts of north korea and iran. earlier he met with prime minister putin for talks that one u.s. official called very successful. alaska governor sarah palin is speaking out about her decision to step down. she tells nbc's andrea mitchell her decision was in response to what she called theuperficial

political blood sport of frivolous ethics complaints that are costing her state millions of dollars in legal bills. she said she does not know what the future holds for her yet. there's a big sense of relief this morning in gaffney, south carolina, following the death of what police say was a serial killer. 41-year-old patrick burris was killed monday in a shoot-out with police in north carolina. ballistics tests show that his gun matched the one used to kill five people around gaffney in recent days. officials still do not know a motive for the shootings. a political reprimand for south carolina governor mark sanford. on monday his state's republican party censured sanford for what it called a breach of the public's trust for leaving south carolina last month on a secret trip to argentina to see his mistress. today democrat al franken is sworn in as mirns to's junior senator. he'll serve on the senate judiciary committee which opens hearings next week on supreme court nominee sonia sotomayor. and you're up to date right now. at five minutes past the hour. matt and maria?

>> all right, natalie, thank you very much. we want to get a check of the weather now. al is taking some time off as you know, maria. but we've got stephanie abrams from the weather channel who's got our forecast. >> matt, good morning to you at home as well. we have heather an and paul who just got engaged on july 4th. were you surprised? >> yes, ma'am. >> from houston and that's where it's typically very hot. look how gorgeous it is. very exciting. let's look at the temperatures ot only in houston but across the rest of the country and show you just how hot it's going to get there. we're going to see the warm temperatures spread throughout the rest of the country. otherwise 60s and 70s throughout a mild and dry summer morning under way with bright sunshine. temperatures now in the mid 70s. it's 75 in washington. and we'll see highs in the mid and upper 80s later on today. not much humidity around. clouds popping up this afternoon from time to time and a slight chance of an isolated

thundershower. and then tomorrow mostly sunny and a bit cooler in the morning. afternoon highs low 80s. low 80s again with a few clouds around on thursday. still not very humid. more humid on friday. hotter and more humid overed weekend. and we go from a couple newly engaged to a couple celebrating a 20th anniversary. congratulations, guys. >> all right, stephanie, thank you very much. michael jackson's memorial service could be the largest celebrity service ever. meredith has been at the staples center in los angeles all morning, where she got a look at the final preparations to the worldwide event that's expected to be watched live by almost a billion people. >> set in the hollywood hills, forest lawn is the burial place of stars like bette davis, lucille ball, and more recently, john ritter. today, the world is watching the staples center in downtown los angeles. where one of the biggest public memorials in history is set to begin. >> i'm not sure in our lifetimes we'll ever see anything like this again. >> reporter: so give us a preview of what we're going to

see. >> mariah carey and you have lionel, and you have john maher and you have smokey and you have the wonderful performers that are going to be in here. i just heard one number and it was pretty spectacular. >> reporter: home to sporting events and concerts, today the center will play host to over 11,000 michael jackson fans and members of his family. his brothers will be performing or his sister? >> i think you're going to see one or two of the family perform. so this will be very emotional. i can promise you that. >> reporter: jermaine jackson is said to be ready to perform one of his favorite songs that his brother recorded. a song jury maine sang for matt. ♪ though your heart is aching smile even though -- ♪ >> reporter: one person who will not be attending is the mother of jackson's two oldest children, debbie rowe. >> do not touch me! >> reporter: who said she does not want to be an unnecessary distraction to an event focus okay michael legacy. >> don't touch me! >> reporter: longtime jackson

friend elizabeth taylor write on her twitter page i just don't believe that michael would want me to share my grief with millions of others. how i feel is between us, not a public ee vens. several members of the jackson family have had different ideas over how to remember the superstar and sources say details about the program will be changing up until show time. >> we all have our own memories of him. >> reporter: the former friend of jackson's who will be attending says it will be a day filled with mixed emotions. >> this is going to be very sad, and then moments of this is very exciting. i'm not supposed to feel that excited right now. >> reporter: worried about overexcited masses of fans, police continue to encourage everyone without a ticket to stay home. but it hasn't stopped thousands of fans from starting this makeshift memorial outside of staples center. in fact they're on their third sign, because so many people have wanted to express their thoughts. while authorities here say they expect crowds of up to 750,000, organizers say more than a

billion people will be watching on television, in movie theaters, and online. >> i'll tell you, i'll be peeking looking online. i know it's going to be everywhere. i told my boss i'm going 0 look. >> reporter: joy nester didn't get a ticket but said she will be remembering michael at work and at home. >> the fact that i have for him being on tour when i was a kid and people going nuts akin to the footage that they play of the beatles or people with elvis. and you know for my generation, you know, he is as close as we got to that. >> reporter: meanwhile, in court the legal wrangling over jackson's multimillion dollar es te as hbegun. >> the latest will is the effective wishes of the decedent, the person that's died. >> reporter: on monday a los angeles judge handed temporary control of the superstar's estate to the lawyer and music industry executives named as co-executors in jackson's 2002 will. a defeat for jackson's mother katherine who add applied to oversee her son's estate but keeps custody of his three

children. >> as the world prepares to say good-bye to michael jackson, we remember not only his life, but also his place in history. joe leave very covered the music industry for dpek aids and is now the editor in chief for xim magazine. touree also writes for rolling stone magazine. joe, michael jackson made headlines for his entire life. many of those headlines were good. many of those headlines were bad. how will he be remembered in the end? >> you know, in the end it's likely we'll be remembered for both the good and the bad. it's been she hard for decades to separate the music from the life. the thing is the music has continued to have resonance even during the worst headlines, even during the worst moments a michael jackson song came on. it w possible to remember, to feel, to re-experience the joy that music had given you the very first time. we're getting a chance to do that now. but it's been impossible to separate the music from the life and i think it will be for quite a long time. >> you're hearing some people toure in particular, one politician from new york who

seems outraged that more has not been made of the more negative aspects of michael jackson's life. so if you were writing the book on michael jackson, how many chapters would the negative if i, the trials, the accusations, occupy and where would those chapters come? >> well, i mean the first thing i would say is representative king has been talking about michael jackson in a very negative way. if he's never danced to a michael jackson song in his whole life, he's weird. because everybody in america has done that. if i was writing the book i think maybe you'd talk about quarters of his life. the early quarter where he was a prodigy. the second quarter where he becomes the biggest star in the world. the third quarter where he's trying to get that stardom back, trying to chase the numbers that "thriller" did with "bad" and "dangerous" but not being able to do that. and the fourth quarter is where the story starts to become more tragic and you start talking about those other things that we all know about. the thing is that athis point a person has died. and i don't think it's appropriate for people to go

around talking about the bad things. i think all of us would hop that when we die, people would remember what we tried to do, the joy we tried to spread, the good things that we tried to do, and not remember our frailties, our mistakes. >> joe, let me hit you with the names of two albums and you tell me the first thing that comes to mind, "off the wall." >> don't stop until you get enough. one of the greatest pop records ever made. >> and "thriller." >> an even better pop record for some people. i like "off the wall" better. but thriller ee vinced the modern pop album, modern pop celebrity, as well >> toure i was thinking last night, let's say you were talking to someone who had never seen or heard of michael jackson. how would you describe the physical evolution of this young man? how would you convince someone that the young man we met as a child was the same guy we saw in the last couple of years? >> well, i mean, that's a really interesting question. i wonder if young michael jackson saw older michael jackson if he would realize that it was the same person.

and you know, you have to go into some really deep sort of psychology on sort of what really is -- black people have been dealing with in terms of our relationships, standards of beauty and skin color, and nose and that sort of thing. and you know, if somebody didn't know michael jackson, you'd have to start with a discussion of the music. the dance. the fashion. the cultural importance. and after they're steeped in all those sort of things, then we're going to deal with, okay, and there's this other discussion, too. >> and joe i'm going to give you the last word. what needs, what absolutely is essential as a part of today's memorial? what do you have to see there? >> you have to see michael himself. as represented by some of the people who are going to get up and perform his music, as represented by his family. >> did you see the four brothers perform? >> i think you're going to. i hope you do. it's how we first met michael. it would be interesting to see now how that family comes together musically at this very moment. >> joe levy and toure, thank you

both very much. we appreciate it. >> thank you. >> and brian williams will anchor live coverage of the michael jackson memorial today at 1:00 p.m. eastern, 10:00 a.m. pacific time right here on nbc. "dateline" will have a full wrap-up tonight. a farewell to michael jackson at 10:00, 9:00 central time. and up next, meredithak tes us 10:00, 9:00 central time. and up next, meredithak tes us inside the staples center live. please proceed to the viewing platform. ( beeps ) oh. - ( beeping ) - begin ink discharge. watch tough stains disappear right before your eyes with clorox 2 stain fighter and color booster. see for yourself. lose the stains. keep the color. see for yourself. yeah, my buddy's got all that. do we need to buy a bunch of different medicines? pepto guy: oh, no, pepto alone relieves all five symptoms. plus gas too. dude. we're covered. enjoy the game.

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and we are back as a special edition of the "today" show, i'm meredith vieira. i've been outside staples center all morning. finally made my way inside to give you a sneak peek of what this celebration will be like today. maybe the biggest celebration ever. at 10:00 a.m. pacific time, 1:00 eastern time, take a look down here. this will be space will be filled with some 20,000 people, 11,000 of those will be fans who've come here to pay tribute

to michael jackson. right now there's just a few workers in here getting things ready. i don't know if you can see the stage, it's pretty dark. there are some flowers that have been placed there. also a bandstand behind it. there are some drums there. a big screen, as well. and i imagine there will be moving tributes of michael throughout the memorial, as well. and also on the jumbotron you can see the shots of michael. you know it's eerie, natalie and maria, to think that about two weeks ago michael was in here. the day before he died. the night before he died, he was in here rehearsing. people said he was in fine form at that point. very excited about a possible comeback. and now, today, we are celebrating this public memorial for him. again, 20,000 people here, 11,000 of them fans who won that lottery, and then 6,500 overflow at the nokia theatre which is right across the street from here. we expect a lot of celebrities. we told you some of the names, smoky robinson, lionel richie, mariah carey, stevie wonder, jennifer hudson. and we're hearing, and we don't know if this is true, but we're hearing the possibility that

jermaine jackson, michael's brother, may perform, as well. his favorite michael jackson song, michael sang "smile" so he actually performed that for matt and he might be doing that, as well. but right now it's a little eerie in here. it's sad. and i know that this is supposed to be very celebratory today. a joyous celebration of michael's life. but when you sit here in this cavernous space, just looking at the images, you can't help but appreciate what a tremendous loss to erybody, really. >> absolutely. and meredith, i know that you're going to be there, too. do you know where the media is going to be placed yet so that they can watch this tribute? >> you know what? i do not. i haven't even looked at my ticket. i know i have a ticket. you have to have a ticket. i also have the wrist band. the blue as i pointed out earlier means i'm a member of the media. the gold allows me access inside. otherwise i could not get in here. i've been told the seats are good. i think it's just a privilege to get here and to see it. everybody associated with it and

has seen some rehearsals say it is going to be quite a spectacular. >> you're one of the lucky ones. >> seeing that in person with such a big crowd expected, how is the security? >> the security is,s far as i can tell, extremely good. there's a lot of police here. they urge people to stay away. if you didn't have a ticket, stay home, or go watch it with friends at a movie theater or watch it online and hopefully people will pay heed to that. we're going to have much more special edition of "today" as we remember michael jackson, after this. so when i saw this air wick freshmatic mini i had to give it ary. i set the timer to spray automatically. each burst renews the fresh scent. so my home smells great for up to 60 days. mmm... vanilla. it's small and it's always working to keep my house smelling fresh. air wick freshmatic mini. renews the fragrance with every burst. air wick. it's good to be home.

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>> still to come we'll show you what to make for our "today throws a wedding" couple. >> plus michael jackson was more than just the king of pop. he was the father of rethe. so what's the latest on the custody battle surrounding his so what's the latest on the custody battle surrounding his children? n. men don't merge. the woman will sit there and wait... until there a 8 tractor trailer trucks length back there. merging would mean to come up and then go over. this is what men do. you see where i am over here? and then she'll come out at 30, 35 miles an hour. and kablam! and then we're all n athour l e. the new depend brand. for women and men. (announcer) introducing new tums dual action. this tums goes to work in seconds and lasts for hours. all day or night. new tums dual action.

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the 7th of july. in the news for today commuters may notice a heavy police presence in montgomery county today because police are undergoing terror training exercises at metro and mark stations around the county. offirs will be on the platforms riding trains and they'll be performing truck inspections throughout the county. authorities say the drill is not in response to any actual terror threats. we'll take a break and come back atd an aweokr r ouhe affic. stay with us.c. xxcw

good morning. mostly sunny. temperatures mid 70s hitting mid to upper 80s late on today. should be mostly sunny tomorrow into mid 80s and still not very humid. jerry, how's the traffic? >> time to take a look here. a slow go from the outer loop. laurel had an accident at bw

parkway. police are on the scene. joe? >> thanks. later today, remembering michael jackson. nbc 4 willar cry the c big the art of getting dirty.

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millions more expected to be watching. we'll tell you who is expected to perform. and also who will not be attending. plus we're going to take a look at the possible legal guardians of michael's three children and find out if any of them are really ideal. >> then, on to weddings. we'll catch up with our "today throws a wedding" couple, leigh and nick. they'll get hitched live on the plaza next week. but we've got a lot of planning to do. today, the choices for what theitheir wedding party will we. >> all right. we already saw what the bride is going to be wearing. gornlgsious gown. first let's get a check of the weather once again from the weather chanl's stephanie abrams who is filling in for al. stephanie? >> good morning to you. we're in sci-fi park, which is in rockefeller plaza, and they're launching a new logo here. it sounds the same but looks a little bit different. they're going to party all week long and actually tonight they have a premiere of a new show coming on, warehouse 13, the stars of that show are going to be talking to hoda and kathie lee a little bit later. until that let's have a look at

the weather. there you go, there is the logo for you. the old logo, switching into the new logo. switching out the "c" and the "i" for a "y." showers and storms through the gulf and also into the northeast. good morning. bright sunshine and a blue sky. excelle excellent visibility. mid 70s now around the region. 75 in washington. highs today reaching the 80s with still comfortable humidity. not too bad. and a few clouds popping up. just a small chance of an isolated thundershower this afternoon as a weak cool front comes through. tomorrow mostly sunny into mid 80s to low 80s during the afternoon and on thursday and friday a few clouds around. and there's the new logo so head down to rockefeller plaza and some celebrate. natalie, maria over to you. >> that logo is huge.

>> you look like a little mini me there. >> thanks, stephanie. >> now on to those road trips for the family that can be both exciting, and if you've taken one, you know it can be exhausting. >> from chicago to l.a., the new nbc reality show "american road trip" has seven families traveling in rvs, families compete in a series of challenges for a chance to win $100,000. comedian collier is the host of the show. >> thank you. >> all of them surviving. what's the goal here? >> it's to make it to be the last family standing by the time you hit the santa monica pier after traveling all the way through route 66. and if you're the last family you win it all. >> the $100,000 grand prize. i love the idea that there are no electronics here to entertain the kids. no dvds. no ipods. we've got a family out on our plaza, we should point out. >> yeah.

>> they're really excited. they're from here, really. they're from new york. >> tell me about the seven families competing. what are some of the challenges? >> i don't know you've seen in the commercial they're in that giant ball flipping over. the funniest thing to me was by the end of it, it wasn't the money or anything that anybody cared about. it seemed like the families just wanted to stay on the vags indication. especially the dads. and it's a complete family show. there's nothing dirty in it. you don't have to worry about your kids watching it. >> that's good in this day and age. >> and this was your first time in an rv and you loved it so much and now you have decided to take a vacation on an rv to florida? >> the rv i had in this had my head on the side of it like an enormous picture of my head and i'd be driving it and sometimes i'd get away from the families. and people see this guy. i just look like a pompous camper. people drive by and look at me like i get it. you like to camp. you don't have to paint your head on the side of your own rv. >> it looks like great entertainment. >> it was a blast. i had a great time. the families are great. it was so much fun.

>> thank you. >> thank you. >> "the great american road trip" premieres tonight at 8:00, 7:00 central time right here on nbc. >> and coming up next, what the future holds for michael jackson's three children. future holds for michael jackson's three children. right after this. golesterol and triglycerides are still out of line? then you may not be seeing the whole picture. ask your doctor about trilipix. statin to lower bad cholesterol, along with diet, adding trilipix can lower fatty triglycerides and raise good cholesterol to help improve all three cholesterol numbers. trilipix has not been shown to prevent heart attacks or stroke more than a statin alone. trilipix is not for everyone, including people with liver, gallbladder, or severe kidney disease, or nursing women. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take and if you are pregnant or may become pregnant. blood tests are needed before and during treatment to check for liver problems. contact your doctor if you develop unexplained muscle pain or weakness, as this can be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. this risk may be increased when trilipix is used with a statin.

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the 3rd generation prius. it's harmony between man, nature and machine. michael jackson was a pop star, a troubled icon, and most important, he was the father of three. right now michael's mother katherine is the temporary guardian of his children. but she is 79 now, and has had her own health problems. and the question of who will get the job for the long haul is still unresolved. nbc's mike taibbi is outside the staples center with more on this. good morning to you, mike. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. you know there are a number of possibilities, none of them ea, none of them ideal. they do include michael jackson's mother katherine, as you pointed out. but also singer diana ross, both specified in his will. there's also debbie rowe, the birth mother of his two oldest children. jackson's eight siblings, and even the nanny, who besides

jackson himself was the sole constant in the children's lives. it's a thicket of problems for any family court judge to solve. after his mother jackson in his will nominated diana ross to have custody 6 his children. but she's reportedly had little recent contact with them. and debbie rowe, the mother of jackson's two oldest children, prince and paris, once signed away her parental rights, says now she might challenge for custody or might not. and reacted this way to the relentless demands for her answer. >> don't. >> are you ready to fight for her children? >> are you ready to get your butt kicked? >> reporter: 23578ly law attorney says jackson's family has to help the judge decide what's best for the children. >> the most important thing is who really wants to take care of these children. who's stepping up to the plate? >> reporter: one possibility is that one of jackson's eight siblings could offer to take charge and be approved by the judge. perhaps reuniting the children with their longtime nanny who parted company with jackson last

december. jackson friend spoke gloriously of ra woman ba's relationship with the three jackson children, prince, paris and the youngest called blanket. >> all three kids, they listen to her. they revered here. michael was really the father and the mother, and grace was the substitute. but he could not have found a more appropriate dedicated, talented substitute than grace. >> reporter: she would re-enter the scene with some baggage after jackson's death about the pop star's drug use that she publicly denied calling it outrageous and patently false, and she routinely pumped his stomach after he ingested a dangerous combination of drugs. after the denial michael's father joe jackson welcomed her back and said the family was discussing her future role. >> she's a good friend of the family and goo friends with the kids. >> reporter: will she be more than just good friends with the kids again? and what will be the most important factors in the

ultimate decision on custody? >> i think continuity, and the emotnal bands these children have had with whoever is going to come to the fore would be the most significant thing. >> reporter: that's why most experts agree that no single factor will win the day. not debbie rowe's biological motherhood and not even michael jackson's own expressed preferences as he wrote in his will. they're hearing the custody part of this case next week. >> thank you mike taibbi, thank you. now for a preview of the elaborate memorial in los angeles today, we turn to courtney hazlett, a pop culture columnist for msnbc.com and ian halperin, the author of the up coming book "unmasked: the final years of michael jackson." good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> and courtney, as we've heard, this is going to be a massively orchestrated, highly pduced memorial service. i know that the organizers of the comeback concert are going to be -- they're involved in this, as well. tell us about the production side, what we expect to see, who's going to be performing?

>> you can expect to see, first of all, natalie a highly, highly produced show. ken ehrlich, who's produced emmys and grammy shows is the producer brought into this sort of in the last minute just a few days ago. and in terms of performance, jennifer 4udson, stevie wonder, john maher, they're all going to be performing. i'm told they might be performing some of michael jackson'songs and possibly songs we were going to hear for the first time in london during those concerts. the organizers of the london concerts told me it was important to imbue this memorial with the spirit and the vion that michael had for those london concerts. >> is this going to be a somber occasion or a more celebration of his life and all that he gave us? >> at the end of the day this is still a jackson family production. and so i do think that while there is a somber mood to this very clearly, they still want it to be a happy memorial, and a remembrance, in the spirit of the message michael jackson wanted to get across, and that was one that was encouraging and

really full of life. so i think it will toe the line but definitely lean a little bit more towards a celebration. >> a lot of people are asking and wondering i jermaine jackson and the other jackson brothers, the jackson four now, will be performing, as well. do you know anything about that? >> there's definitely a lot of talk about jermaine jackson. and i was told there was conversations about having prince michael jackson, michael jackson's son, take the stage today, as well. it's very unclear whether that will happen. i'm told that was a big source of debate within the family. but i heard that also in london, prince michael might have been making his musical debut. they're trying to bring a lot of the london spirit to this mem orrial today. >> ian, let me bring you in. because your book is about to come out and you actually predicted before all of this that michael jackson would not survive this year. what gave you that feeling? >> well, i infiltrated his camp for several years and they gave

me all indications that michael was not in good health. he had become extremely depressed over the last few years. he'd become addicted to prescription drugs. and all that he really had left in his life was the love for his three children. he was an incredible father and incredible human being. and you know originally i set out to -- i was furious when i heard that he was acquitted of the child molestation charges and i set out to prove that he was guilty. and after interviewing thousands of people, i was wrong. he's innocent. he's not a child molester. his legacy and music is indelible. it's going to live on forever. and i think, you know, there's a lot of unequivocal nonsense being bandied about right now about michael jackson, and let's put it all aside today. let's celebrate this incredible person and human being's legacy, and his art, and let's all just pay tribute to an incredible human being, and that's what i do in my book. >> and let me ask you -- >> there is just no shred of evidence that he ever molested children. >> and let me ask you final ply in terms of his place in

history, as you talked about his legacy, when we talk about legends, and king of pop, as he's been called, you think of elvis, you think of john lennon, where do you put michael jackson, ian? >> well, michael's the first guy to admit he'd go really further than elvis and john lennon, who are two incredible musicians. but we've got to look further to little richard, to people like muddy waters, and even before that great blues artists like jack johnson, and that's -- michael was a real historian. he knew everything about pop culture. he loved renaissance art. he was the real deal. he lived and breathed art. and today, i think it's fantastic that all these people are getting together, right around the world, and celebrating the incredible impact, and art that michael jackson contributed to this world. >> and it's certainly great to see a new generation of children being introduced to the music of michael jackson. sadly, though, it had to come to this, from this means. thank you very much, courtney hazlett, ian halperin, thank you

both, appreciate your time. >> pleasure. >> and we'll be back with our "today throws a wedding" bride and groom coming up. picking a photo... for my credit card. here's one from my prom. oh, what memories. how 'bout one from our golf outing? ( shouting ) i know, maybe one of my first-born son. dad, mom says the boys gotta go. personalize your card by uploading... your own photo at capitalone.com. what's in your wallet? ♪ - hello! - ha! why don't you try a home cooked meal... with yummy hamburger helper? oh! tada! fantastically tasty, huh? ummm, it's good. what would you guys like? hamburger helper. what?! one pound... one pan... one tasty meal! i'm showing my helping hand by partnering with hamburger helper®. our goal is to help feeding america deliver more than three and a half million meals to food banks.

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leigh. we don't want to tip our hands. we revealed earlier what the winning gown was. you can find out on our website. we don't want to tip our hand because the groom is here with us, nick. but now it's the bridal party's turn. and bobby thomas and ian rapport are here to give us some still choices. nick and leigh, stand aside. you can just relax and watch the fashions here because you get to have your say in a minute. adam and bobbi, i know you guys collectively worked on these selections, right. let's talk first about what nick gets to wear, adam. tell me about his -- he's wearing a great-looking suit. >> he is, depends on what the groomsmen wear. >> but you have some choices. >> we have some four choices. we have to defer a little bit to what the bridesmaid are wearing and complement what they're wearing. >> adam is a gentleman. he gave me leeway to pick color choices. so you know what the brides. in the competition, i recently we on twitter to find out what

people like for colors. >> let's take a look. our first is a romantic look for our vineyard wedding with lazaro r the women and claiborne by john bartlett for the men. tell me what we're seeing here. >> what i love this is the most popular color apparently. >> blush? >> pink. pink was the biggest color i found out from people on twitter when i asked them. nice complement to the brushing bride. i like the flower accent because you don't have to worry about jewelry. just add the shoes. >> adam is wearing a linen suit. this is the only place you can wear a linen suit? >> can't wear it to a business meeting. summer wedding, we dressed it up with a shirt and tie. it's going to wrinkle. embrace the wrinkles. >> thank you, two. next is occasions for her and j. crew for him. and this creates the classic yet elegant look. >> leigh said she was really interested in green, a color she liked along with the other popular colors. i like this goes with the back

of ariana's dress is really the wow factor. it's got the tiered draping. and the khaki suit? >> you can never go wrong with a cotton khaki suit. we lost the tie, it's summer, you're in the vineyard. >> the panache with the silk pocket wear. >> thank you two. option number three as we're speeding along here. sophisticated chic look. vineyard collection dress with a tommy hilfiger suit. and bobbie, this is another classic competition, and we look at his suit. he's got the seersucker on. >> one thing about seersucker you don't have to wear the bow tie. you can look very good wh the white shirt and black tie. >> we elevated the little black dress. the open neckline is so dramatic and gorgeous. >> okay. thank you two. and let's take a look quickly a our last look by cocoa miles for the ladies and brooks brothers for the gentlemen.

this is your ultimate sort of more traditional look here. although with the plaid pants. imagine that. >> i think the theme of the wedding was vineyard so i thought this would be nice to have a wine color. this was inspired by a reese witherspoon gown on the red carpet. so i thought it was a pretty sort of glamorous take on the vineyard theme.y a>> the plaidan ats complement the burgundy dress. >> you guys look great. now quickly to vote, find out mor ooun website, todayshow.com.ou

who are better drivers, men or women?

men don't merge. the woman will sit there and wait. this is what men do. you see where i am over here? and, ka-blam, and then we're all an hour late. the new depe b rfor women and men.

75 grees zooming in the on the united states capitol here in the nation's capital. we'll get the forecast coming up. i'm joe krebs. in the news for today, d.c. councilman marion berry is scheduled to be in court on thus but the attorney thinks the stalking charges against him might be dropped. berry was arrested on saturday. u.s. park police say a woman flagged down an officer and accused berry of talking her. berry's attorney says the former mayor had a relationship with the woman that went bad and insists there was no stalking. the woman told news4 she didn't intend to the incident to go as far as it did. there's a warning for parents in fairfax county after reports that a man tried to

abduct a young girl in oakton. police say the man pulled up to the girl's house while she was outside playing and tried to drag her away. the little girl screamed and was able to break free. commuters may notice a heavy police presence in montgomery county today. that's because police are undergoing terror training exercises at metro and marc stations. officers will be on the platforms and ridinghe trains and performing truck inspections throughout the county. the drill is not in response to any actual terror threats. let's gaet a check of weather ad traffic. let's start with meteorologist tom kierein in storm center 4. >> for the last ten days cooler than average temperatures. today we may get up to about average high of 88. but not very humid. a few clouds popping up this afternoon as a weak cool front comes through. small chance of an isolated thundershower and then mostly sunny tomorrow and cooler. partly cloudy thursday and friday. still not very humid. getting steamy over the weekend.

saturday hot and humid. highs near 90. cooler on sunday but still quite humid. highs 80s. chance of passing showers. >> how's the late morning traffic? >> things are settling down. the top side of the capital beltway outer loop traveling from new hampshire avenue past route 29 on over toward american legion bridge looking good. headed for downtown and into or out of the district, bridges cleared out from the morning drive. joe? >> thanks much. remembering michael jackson. nbc 4 willryar c the los angeles ♪ never can say good-bye

captions paid for by nbc-universal television it is tuesday, july 7th. we're he in new york city. butll the action, of course, is out in los angeles. that's at staples center. how are you, miss hoda? >> i am fine. boy, it's quite the frenzy out there. been that way for a couple days and it's really sort of hitting the peak now since today is the day. they finally have the memorial service today. >> it will be 1:00 eastern time. >> and have they had a burial service? >> they said it was supposed to

be at 8:00 west coast time. >> right. >> and again, we're going to find out. we're going to have a couple live reports to find out exactly what was going on. it would make sense while the focus is on the big staples center they could have a little tiny bit of privacy if possible. maybe a little bit. >> what do you think? >> i think it's going to be really tough. but i do think a lot of people are going to tune in to see it because it sounds like such a huge almost concert-like celebration of his life with the different musical acts and things that are going to be there. >> so many people are basically asking the question now, is it overkill now? is this too much? it will be interesting to see what happens after today. because this is the celebration, as you say. and then we're going to have to at some point get back to what's happening in the world. our president is in russia. >> right. >> there's lots going on in the world. >> people always say, they say, i'm so tired of michael jackson. people will say it and say it and say it. but the ratings, and it's not reflecting that. so i think people often say one thing and do something else. >> i wonder, too, he is so

beloved by so many. i wonder if there hadn't been the other side, the darker side that we sort of had glimpses into, if there hadn't been controversy about michael, you wonder how big the story would be today. is it the two sides that fascinate us? or is it just -- because there is that genius side of him that nobody can take away. >> can you think of anyone just in our lifetime who has had -- who wasn't president or somebody who has had this sort of attention? >> diana. princess diana did. elvis died on my birthday, i will never forget that. >> but was it the same sort of, do you remember? i guess there wasn't as much coverage period of everything. >> there was no cable television then. even when princess diana died, was there cable even then? >> oh, yeah, there was cable. >> cable has changed everything. absolutely everything. >> i think what's interesting, people are always wondering who's coming and who's not going to the memorial. elizabeth taylor, which i found interesting. she actually had a quote.

>> on twitter. > which i love. abylhela tor is ona twitter. what deai s was, i cannot be ai pah o tf t plic hoopla, i love him too much. i just don'telieve that michael wants me to share my brief with millions of others. how i feel is between us. and it's not a public event. >> that's sort of a putdown i think of all the media frenzy. >> i do think there are a lot of people who seem to be getting a lot of attention put on themselves. >> you know who we're not hearing anything about is diana ross. we haven't heard if she's going to the event. performing? i don't know how she could get through it. i don't know how jermaine's going to get through it. he couldn't sing that wonderful charlie chaplain song "smile" with matt. you wonder how he's going to do it with thousands of people there. >> we haven't heard anything at all from diana ross. >> where is diana ross? >> i think that's a fascinating question. >> if you think about the people we haven't heard from, they're probably the people who were closest to him. >> yeah. >> we haven't really heard katherine, his mom say anything. nothing yet. and i -- >> she's been busy, though.

>> she has been busy. i'm curious about the custody of the kids and what ultimately is going to happen. every time i see that video of debbie rowe i get mad at the paparazzi again. even though when you hear her, there's that picture. the paparazzi shoved her and she reacted. you know how many times this piece of video has run? since we talked about it yesterday. >> i know it. the more you provoke the more reaction you get, therefore the more valuable the provocation is and that's just -- we keep using it, hoda. >> but she is one of those people in this whole scenario that is not basically a sympathetic character. >> because of what? >> we do not like people basically that -- we don't like people bargaining for money for children. there's something -- >> well, she -- >> in essence that just doesn't seem right. >> she said she didn't -- i mean she said a coupleof times that she didn't want the children, she didn't want the children. she wanted to take care of her horses and animals and the kids

were michael's. >>ut there was a transaction. i think if somebody wants to carry a baby for someone, i think that's wonderful. but any time there's money involved it takes on a different color to me. i don't know. and i'm not saying the woman did anything illegal. she didn't. but now to say she wants the children back, it all -- >> it certainly isn't about love. >> and now it's unclear whether she does or doesn't. >> i'm glad she's not going to this, though, because she would be a distraction. and you want people there. >> i wonder if the kids are going to go. it's the kind of thing that you almost, i don't know, you almost don't think they should go, too. >> if they go are they going to be put in veils and things? >> probably not. we've seen them like this now. >> they're beautiful children, aren't they? absolutely beautiful kids. >> and -- >> god bless them. >> the whole family. they never could have a normal life. >> no. with michael as their father. and i doubt they're ever going to be able to have it as we go forward. >> and it's only the depth that we've seen them, we wouldn't have been able to point them out. >> someone was saying this

morning that when michael wasn't with them, they were able to go out and have some normal experiences as just regular children. when he wasn't with them. because people wouldn't have known who they were and that was one of the benefits o having them covered up all those years. i don't know. you wonder what michael truly had to live for at the time that he passed away. i think he loved his children. there's no question about that. but, i think, lou ferrigno has just come out, who was training michael, and said that he also thinks the stress was a huge contributing factor to his death. >> i can't help, when i see that video of him practicing the days before, everyone kept talking oh, he's emaciated. when you look at him and how he moved and the energy he had, and they said he was singing full voice a lot of times, you can't imagine that that guy, who we saw on the stage that day, could have -- he looks so vibrant. >> see, i didn't think so. >> oh, really? >> huh-uh. >> oh, i did. >> oh, no, no, no. >> well, this is slow motion tape. lou ferrigno was talking about the fact that he hadn't danced

in so long he was not as limber. >> he's 50. >> he's 50 years old. but part of the work that they were doing was just the stretching to get him limber again. so he was really getting back to it. and the pressure -- but nobody at 50 is what they were at 20. >> no. and the pressure to do it just right. which i'm sure there was tons of pressure on him because he put off a couple of other concerts. >> this time, everything was at stake. >> everything was. >> and it's going to be another month, i guess, before we get toxicology reports back. >> i can't believe it takes that long. >> you can't find out if you're pregnant just like that. >> why do you do that? why do you -- >> who's your daddy >> this is his tearial. >> the tide is turninghere. >> the tide is turning. >> excuse me. >> you're all buttoned up >> yes, i am. the other big story, sarah palin was in fishing in her -- >> in her waders. >> yes. fishing pants, because i know we have video of it. >> no cleavage there.

>> there's andrea with her both on the water. they both have their waders on. andrea must have gone shopping and gotten her a pair. >> good for her getting this interview. >> two people i think got the interview but andr got a little bit of an exclusive i think on the boat and things. it will be interesting to see what happens with her. >> she didn't have much to say, as i recall, from this interview. there was nothing earth-shattering about it. what do you think she's going to do? there's talk that she's shopping a television show. we know about a book deal. >> i think she's going to, my guess is she's going to run in 2012 and spend the next couple of years just, you know, just getting out there. i think we're going to see more and more and more of her. i have some friends who are pretty much, you would call them very conservative people. wonderful, wonderful people, and they like sarah palin personally. but they have said, just because she's conservative doesn't mean we think she's qualified to be president. which is interesting. just because she's a woman who's pro-choice and conservative does

not mean that she's qualified to run for president any more than, you know, anybody else. >> she's pro-life, right? >> she's pro-life. >> i just want to hold up a picture -- >> aren't you? aren't you all for life? >> we're all for life. >> here is bianca henry. >> we love our bianca. >> she's in our kitchen. we're going to show you this real quick. >> she's amazing. >> yes, she is. >> the whole staff here is. >> wlefr we have these chefs on, she does a lot of the work. >> how about all of it? >> bianca does the work. and we love that she's in this food magazine. >> oh -- >> oh, that's for the next time. >> we're going to talk about it. >> yes, we are. secrets. we've got to go over to our dear sara. what's happening, sara darling? >> you saw how much fun we had with our cabana boy curtis for girls night in. you can go to klgandhoda.com and have your chance up until the 16th again to win your own night. >> this is going to be on ongoing feature, right? >> yeah. >> people are writing in right now we asked about worst ark

sents and most boring city. shana wrote the most boring city is where i'm from. clearly she hasn't been there. >> where is she from? >> newton, iowa. who knows where newton, iowa, even is. >> she totally got my attention. >> probably where hot spurs, iowa. i had to ask the governor of iowa once where it was. he didn't know. we've got a good show. up next we'll take you live to los angeles where some of michael jackson's closest friends are coming together today to remember the king of pop.

we're back on a day that mixes somber with celebration as michael jackson's remembered by friends and family at a public memorial in los angeles. thousands will watch from behind closed doors as millions watch on their tv sets. now we've got correspondents all over. we've got lee cowan, jeff rossen, mike taibbi, michael owku but we're going to begin first with lee cowan at the staples center with more. lee? >> hey, guys. they just opened up the gates just a short time ago to allow some of the fans with tickets to start walking through the gates. they're all sort of gathering there behind me. waiting to get in to the staples center. it was -- it's been a strange mix here. this is a memorial so these are

certainly mourners and there is a sense of that. but it's also a celebration of michael jackson's life and his music. so there is a sense of sort of enthusiasm and euphoria and they are fans, after all, and they are here in part to celebrate his music, as well. it's a little bit of both. there's not a huge rush. everybody has a set seat, they've got their tickets and bracelets. it's not first come first serve. they know they're going to have a reserve seat and they're waiting for the doors to officially open at staples center, and for them they'll get the first chance to see what the stage looks like and everything else. everything getting under way in about 2 1/2 hours. >> it's hard to tell at this point how many of those people actually have the tickets, right? we can't tell you if there's going to be a stampede of people still coming even though they've been warned not to come, right? >> well, you know, it's interesting. i think what the police did here was essentially push everybody back so far and push the barricades back so far, and even though, i don't know whether you can see these big monitors behind me. there's not going to be anything those monitors either. they pushed the fans back far

enough and give them absolutely nothing to see that if i don't have a ticket there's really no point in coming down here. you're not going to see the family, really anything at all. just the building. what they tried to do was take away any incentive whatsoever for anybody without a tick tote come down here. and it seems like it worked. all we've seen are people with tickets standing in line. so far it's been very orderly. >> jeff, real quick, we've been asking this question a lot. we're wondering who's paying for it. i don't know if this is the apopriate time to ask this or not. there are a lot of police out there, a lot of barricades. who's picking up the tab for this? >> well, there is a certain amou of this that's budgeted for under the police budget for these kind of events. something like this. certainly there are a lot of city leaders, however, who are saying look, this is different. this is, after all, a private memorial for a private citizen, public citizen, certainly, but that some of that cost is going to have to be overset, and there are discussions under way with family to see if they can foot some of the bill. thers even a website now where

fans themselves can go and try to pitch in for some of the extra cost of this. so it's going to be a big -- that's for sure. >> thank you, lee. and jeff you're also there at the staples center and you have an update on the investigation that's been going on recording michael's death? >> yeah, certainly do. if you think about it, here we are at the public memorial service, the private burial happening this morning, as well. nearly two weeks since he died we still don't officially know what killed him. there's been a lot of speculation and even the coroner's office has come out saying he was on prescription drugs. but now police are really, really hunkering down and honing in on the doctors. they want to find these doctorsance according to publish reports there are five of them they're focusing on at this moment who may have supplied michael jackson with those pills. fact when officers went into his home in holmby hills, california, that mansion he rents, they walked out with bottles and bottles of prescription drugs, and what's interesting here is that some of those bottles did not have any labels on them.

other bottles had aliases on them. they had other names. so right now investigators, hoda and kathie lee, you have the dea involved now. you have state authorities, the state attorney general's office in california and the lapd going through data bases now trying to literally track down each bottle, pin it to a doctor, pin it to a pharmacy and then go after criminal charges. but that hasn't happened yet. could take months, even a year. >> seems like you have five doctors it wouldn't be that tough to track them down and question them. have they been able -- >> five nervous doctors. >> they talked to one. have they talked to the others? any of the others? >> they talked to dr. conrad murray 40 nbc news has learned isn't licensed in the state of california to dispense medication at all. for his part his lawyer denies any wrongdoing. they're beginning to question other doctors now, as well. so that list has not been disclosed. these doctors cover their tracks pretty well. it's pretty well known in hollywood when you're getting a prescription for the celebrity

you don't always usethe name. they have to go through some of the fake names, the entourage names. you think it would be easy but they need enough evidence to go to court. >> conrad murray is also not a board certified cardiologist. that makes no sense. >> now we're going to talk about the unresolved issue of who will take care of michael jackson's kids. and for that we go to nbc's mike taibbi, also at the staples center. hey, mike. >> how you doing? that's the only complicated issue. at first it wasn't thought that it would be all that complicated. the idea would be that the jackson family get together. jackson had expressed his own wishes in his will that his mother katherine, who is 79 now, and not in the best of health, would have first role as custodian, legal custody of the children, and then diana ross. but that document is seven years old. singer diana ross hasn't had any real contact with the kids over the years. so the judge is going to have to make a decision in the best interest of the three children. and as complicated by the fact that debbie rowe, the biological mother of the two oldest children, has said she might or

might not challenge for custody and she's been reacting to the pressure. yesterday her anger at the paparazzi trailing her around, and what about the role of jackson's eight siblings? some of whom have children of their own and all of whom know their nephews and niece, as well. paris, and michael and prince, blanket the youngest jackson child. finally there's the role of the longtime nanny, grace rwaramba, the only constant in the lives of the children for most all of their lives and by all accounts very, very close to them. she's back in the jackson fold. the judge in this case has had a lot of experience in these matters. he's going to decide the best interests of the children, and that next hearing will be next week in the custody case. >> quickly, is there anything specific the judge is looking for to figure out who the kids will go to? >> we talked to a family law specialist in the city of los angeles and she said what the judge is going to look at is who

the kids have established a bond with already, so pre-existing relationship. >> that doesn't make sense to me. >> i'm sorry it doesn't make sense to me. why have a legal document supposed to hold up in court if it can be contested. that was obviously what michael wanted and he left it there or he would have changed it right, no? >> he did that seven years ago. and what if his mother says and the family decides she at 79 wouldn't be the ideal person to have cussed to die of the kids. maybe it should be jermaine or one of the sisters or the oldest. who knows. the judge will make that decision. then there's the question of money. >> always money. >> mike, thanks so much. >> i guess we're going over to forest lawn now right with michael owku. michael, was there a burial? was there a ceremony this morning? >> well, there hasn't been a ceremony thimorning yet, guys. but what we understand is that last night, members of the jackson family showed up somewhat late. i mean we know that la toya jackson was here.

several other jacksons according to some reports also showed up here. and we understand that they must have had some sort of a private viewing, in all likelihood, some sort of closed casket viewing. in the meantime what we know is that 30 marked and unmarked police vehicles have descended on the scene here. the barricades have all gone up to guard against potential crowds. and the main arteries here, forest lawn drive, has been closed since very early this morning. so they're keeping this area very checked. very much in control at this point. we know that there were fans out here yesterday. we are not seeing any fans yet today. that's probably because the road has been closed. in the words of one police officer in a very private moment, he said, it's all getting very real now. >> thank you, michael. we're going to have a lot more coming up. we're going to talk -- well we're going to switch gears a little bit. >> mosquitoes. >> don't ask. just tune in.

we're going to take you to the mosquito research lab in florida and show you the best ways to keep from being eaten alive this summer. great advice coming up. >> plus more on the legacy of michael jackson and his music.

thousands will gather to pay respects and say good-bye to michael jackson. we'll have team coverage of his memorial service. good morning. i'm joe krebs. also ahead at midday, residents getting upset about hollywood in d.c. find out what's the problem. and why you can find a lot of security

we're back on this tuesday with more of "today," and the best way to repel those pesky mosquitoes. >> we sent consumer reporter and reader's digest contributor janice lieberman out to the field to find out what works and what doesn't. >> hey, jice. >> i real lly thought you guys liked me. i'm not so sure anymore. i took a trip down south to the usda and exposed my skin to hundreds of bloodthirsty mosquitoes. an assignment these ladies would probably past on. the research chemist is not afraid of bites. ouch. >> queer responsible for looking at repellents and developing new repellents for the military, primarily. and then with some benefit to

the rest of the world. >> although tests at his lab may seem extreme. if a product makes it here, it should work for the average person . so with a rather of repel wnder the mosquitoes felt about them. >> one thing that we wanted to look for is that they're going to last outdoors. >> reporter: there are four types of repellents that are proven to work well. ones that contain deet. ir-3535 and lemon eucalyptus oil. but there are other products out there that also claim to do the job. >> a lot of these are not efficacious. they do not stop mosquitoes from biting. >> reporter: time to try these out and face my enemy. first up we dried a deet repellent and alongside it a bracelet containing geranium oil. that's it. this is not a fashion statement. they're landing on the bracelet. and on my rest right now. okay?

ay-yi-yi. look at the difference. my arm with deet, nice and clean. but the other one? next up, a picaradin and a lemon ueck lipous product. it's got a strong smell. no bites here. next a vitamin "b" patch applied two hours before on one arm with the famous avon skin so soft with ir3535 on the other. i know how bad it files. the results? >> the ones on the left with the 3535 is, they land and they'll fly away. but with the bug patch. >> they like it. >> reporter: time for the great outdoors with repellent treated clothing. and a gadget that's supposed to turn those suckers away. just flip on that switch. it's going to be released and vapor is going to envelop me and i'm going to be mosquito free. i hope. we stepped into a controlled

area with hundreds of mosquitoes. oh, get out of here. oh! aaah! let's get out of here guys. oh, my god. that was awful. the clothing worked well for my counterparts. but for me, too much to take. oh, that was awful! since i clearly couldn't last in the tent our expert retested my device. as well as some familiar items like tiki torches, citronella candles, coils and power pad lamps. the good news is all the outside devices tested worked. at the end of the day the only one in their with bites, our unprotected tester himself. >> i have them all over my shirt. they're flying in my face. i'm not wearing any protection. >> that's why i'm glad he has his job and i have mine. this is disgusting, i've got to get out of here. >> well, the manufacturers of the wristband we use said

university studies have shown that geranium oil can repel mosquitoes and we also heard from the manufacturers of the atch and they say if it is used, it will last throughout the day. >> i can't believe you did that. >> i cannot believe it. >> that was unbelievable. >> and your arms are all okay. >> they're all okay. >> the good stuff is that skin so soft, you just slather that on. >> and it smells fine. >> it's ir 3535, and deet that are proven to really, really work. >> and it's safe, children? even for children over two months? >> oh, yeah. >> if used properly it's going to work the entire day. >> and this citronella? >> the candles work and the clothing. if you're going to be a real big hiker and out for a long time, not just fourth of july fireworks, they work. but the best thing we couldn't believe, a fan. they don't like wind. >> oh. >> oh. >> isn't that clever? put it on your deck. >> i thought you put your arm in there. >> that hurt! i came on the plane with welts on my arm.

i don't get paid enough. >> no, you don't. >> when you were in that room did you get bites on your face? >> yes. >> what a woman. >> still to come we'll have more on remembering michael jackson.

as thousands gather in los angeles to say good-bye to miael jackson, we spent most of the show remembering the life of the kick of pop. >> but what will his legacy be in 9 months and years to com joe levy is the editor of maxim magazine and toure is in los angeles. he writes for rolling stone magazine. hello to both gentlemen. joe, it's interesting when you think of michael jackson because he's like there are two parts of him. there's the controversial part and then there's the music part. what is it that you think michael jackson will ultimately be remembered the most for? >> wow, remembered the most. i suppose he will be remembered the most for the music. but it's so difficult to disentangle the music from the life. you know, it's almost impossible now. and i think it will be for years to come. it's interesting, he really is a man divided against himself. if you just look at his

appearance ov the years. you see a man almost at war with himself. and emotionally, as well, in certain ways. but when you hear the music you hear something fantastic. >> toure, you think of elvis, you think of frank sinatra, the big names in music. where do you think michael jackson will fall on the list of those entertainers? >> well, you know, i mean those sort of interjenational comparisons are nearly impossible to make. and i just saw reverend jackson out in the street and he said sammy davis jr. was the world's greatest entertainer before the beatles. not sinatra. so michael jackson supersedes those people. i mean, ooze a full complement player. singing, dancing, choreographer, producing, showman, magician, he could do everything, and top hits in disco, soul, rock, funk, dangerous ballads, up tempo. he was every part of a show, of

an entertainer. so have to put him at the top, if not right near the top, certainly the greatest of his generation with tremendous competition from prans, madonna, bruce springsteen, a couple of others. but an extraordinary career. >> he also broke the color barrier on mtv. which they didn't -- >> mtv was not playing black artists at all. they were adopting a white rock format. because "thriller" was so popular and because cbs said we love michael jackson a we believe in michael jackson so much that we're going to hold back all of our artists unless you put on michael jackson, and then michael jackson became mtv's jackie robinson. and you couldn't imagine mtv without the sort of innovations that michael brought aesthetically. those videos. >> he really spared no expense on those. >> you know what's interesting, too, joe, i've been looking at the video of some people mourning michael jackson and celebrating him. young people knowing the words

to those songs. >> that's interesting. >> so many of the contemporary performers right now, you look at people like usher. you look at people like kanye west, the young hitmakers no they were barely born when "thriller" was out. that gives you a sense of how important michael's music has remained across generations. and it's an important point and toure was just making it. michael was a generational uniter. he was a music uniter. its didn't matter as he liked to put it if you were black or white. it didn't matter when it came to loving his music, whether you liked rock or whether you liked soul, whether you were into disco or funk or hip-hop. it was all there in that music and it became a quintessential part of the 1980s. that was what it was. you crossed boundaries. >> everything changed -- >> everything changed about him. i talked to skip about michael jackson and he said he is an accidental civil rights leader in that with "thriller," the push that he made at a time when black people are extending into

the upper middle class, he's leading that charge saying hey, it doesn't matter to me that i'm black. i want to be at the top of my field and i'm not going to let blackness or anything around that hold me back. and a lot of people are also making the connection with him and obama. as somebody else who comes along and says i'm going to be in the top of my field one day and i'm not going to let being black hold me back. >> toure, thank you. >> thank you very much. we appreciate it. up next, she danced with the stars and now she is one. we're going to talk with the billboard charting country artist julianne hough right after this. man: welcome to the clorox stain-research facility. please proceed to the viewing platform. ( beeps ) oh. - ( beeping ) - begin ink discharge. tch tough stains disappear right before your eyes

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you might recognize 20-year-o juligh as the beautiful blonde two-time back-to-back winning professional dancer on "dancing with the stars." well guess what? now she's making music, country music. and earlier this year julianne's first album scored her an acm award in the top new artist category. really tough category. julianne, it's so lovely to have you here. >> i'm so happyto be here.

>> what a whirlwind two years you have had. >> oh, my goodness, it's been unbelievable. i feel so blessed and so fortunate to just have the life that i have. >> you started out with the dancing. you're from a dancing, performing family in utah? >> yes. started in utah with the dancing. and then i always sang and i always wanted to sing country music. and just in the last year, i've been working on that. and now of course i'm working on my new record. >> you're in the studio right now doing a second record. the first one was wonderfully received. >> thank you. >> you also are here, hmm, poor baby, so tough. she's on the cover of "shape" magazine. they once again took my body and stuck her head on top. >> oh, my goodness. >> but i like to say you're 20 now but you're almost 21. you're going to fall apart. the minute you hit 21. >> yeah, "shape" was so fun. and -- >> you did it with martina. >> and leanne and i can definitely say this right now i never would have been able to put on that bikini without my venus embrace, i have to say

that right now. can you feel me legs for a second? >> if i have to. >> that is unbelievable. >> right? >> this is with a razor pl >> this is a razor. >> do they work on old ladies? >> they work on any ladies. >> oh, good and then there's also talk that you are going to be co-starring in the new remake of footloose. can we confirm that yet? >> yeah, that's kind of the general plan right now. we're kind of working out the nitty-gritty details of scheduling and stuff. but i'm so thrilled and so excited. it's pretty cool. >> so you're a triple threat now. the dancing the singing and the acting. >> oh, well like i said before i feel blessed that i have these opportunities. >> and smooth legs. >> and smooth legs. we've got a few seconds left. tell us update on your juicy love life. >> he's great. he's awesome. just this summer been touring and everything. there's just so many fun things that i've been doing. actually one thing i've been doing right now is actually i partnered up with venus embrace

and we did the goddess guide to getting closer so if you guys want there's some really fun tips on dating. so i've put some things of chuck and i in there, too. >> things that have worked for you. >> yes, of course. and talent and beauty and stuff if you ever get a chance, really fun tips for young girls and stuff. >> i wish you could stay longer and talk about virginity. that's an important subject but apparently we're out of time. thank you so much. >> you can get in the book. >> we'll be right back with the rebranding of an old favorite. @ h@

the sci-fi channel is launching a whole new look and we're going to show you that in a second but they're also premiering a new series called "warehouse 13." take a look. >> don't! >> oh.

>> you wished for a ferret. >> no. that was already in -- >> i don't think so. >> you wished for a transfer. impossiblewishes, wishes that can never be granted, they produce a ferret. >> joann tilly and eddie mcclintock are the stars of "warehouse 13." welcome with your new name, your syfy. i like that. how are you? very catchy. so the new show seems very hot. look what someone handed me? they're handing out newspapers already with their pictures on it. tell us about the show. >> well, the show is about a mysterious installation in south dakota that warehouses all the supernatural, fantastical artifacts that humans have

discovered over the centuries. >> like the library at alexandria. >> but the government's trying to keep it a secret? >> yes. >> just don't want u to believe the aliens are out there? >> because people are evil. they could use it for bad. >> they could come in, take stuff and mess things up. >> like mankind isn't already messed up? >> exactly. >> who is this show for, younger people, hold older people, men, women, who? >> i think it's for the whole family. it's not to scary. has a lot of heart and has a family dynamic. i think everybody could watch it and enjoy it. >> i envisit to be a show where everybody could get together, the whole family, make some popcorn, turn down the lights. it's funny, it's spooky, it's thrilling. everything all kind of wrapped up into one show. >> we should point out the station you guys are on used to be called sci-fi s-c-i-f-i but everything's changed today. that's the old logo. we're so done with that. out. yesterday, this is the new one.

>> yes. >> why did you guys -- >> why syfy in >> well, we decided to change it -- >> not you. >> why did they change it? >> i think they wanted to broaden the audience. you know, sci-fi s-c-i-f-i is a little specific, kind of says science fiction. and women tend to, you know, not like, my wife, she's like i don't want to sky a sci-fi show. >> she does want to watch you. >> well, yeah. because it's now it's s-y-s-y. >> i think it's more of an action adventure. >> our show is earthbound. there's no aliens. >> you're like agent 99 and get smart. >> 99, well, yeah. >> a lot of fun. >> yoy and angie, thank you so much. >> good luck with the show. >> i love it. >> all right, guys. me back tomorrow. we're going to have a lot of fun. >> llamas.

>> have a great day, everyo. fios guy! where ya headed?

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