-- and music intertwined in both good and tough times. fredericka whitfield, cnn, new orleans. we will have more on fredericka's report coming up in the 3:00 hour. one one man is bringing the music back to the kids of new orleans, one trumpet and trombone at a time. good afternoon. on this saturday. hope you are having a wonderful holiday weekend. i'm melissa long in for fredericka whitfield. and you are in the cnn "newsroom." as americans are marking the fourth of july the nation is mourning two more deaths in afghanistan. the u.s. military spokesperson says two u.s. soldiers died when taliban rebels attacked a base in southeastern afghanistan. now the spokesman says, dozens of taliban fighters were killed.

the battle came as u.s. marines continued their offensive in southern afghanistan. cnns correspondent joins us with the latest. atia, first, foremost, what can you tell us about today's attack? >> well, what we know, melissa, a car bomb exploded outside of the combat outpost in paktika province, and two soldiers were killed and ten wounded. they did engage with the enemy. mortars and rockets that flew into the combat outpost. at least one containing white phosphorous. we also heard from the military saying they did kill at least ten taliban and captured at least one of them. but we also spoke to a spokesperson for the governor of paktika, that at least 32 mill stands were killed. melissa. >> of course it's independence day. i know the soldiers where you were did have an opportunity to try to celebrate independence day?

>> that's right. we are at bagram airfield here. there are 19,000 troops, civilians trying to celebrate fourth of july the best way they can in a war zone. there were games. there were music. there were barbecues. people were playing volleyball and horse shoes. also a ceremony early in the morning where # individuals two from each branch of the military had a chance to reenlist. let's listen to what one of the marines had to tell us. >> it is a great way for me to celebrate my country. i love what i do. i love where i am. i love being who i am. so today is just to honor all those who came before us. >> it was a little piece of america in afghanistan. in this war zone. and the festivities are winding down now but it was a nice chance to celebrate america's independence. back to you. >> a little bit of america in afghanistan. atia live from bagram air force

base. thank you. officials are doing everything they can to find a soldier abducted tuesday in afghanistan. the taliban have claimed responsibility. u.s. officials believe the soldier is being held by a taliban-affiliated warlord who on rates on both sides of the afghan/pakistani border. the u.s. effort in afghanistan may get some help from russia. president obama leaves for moscow tomorrow to meet with his russian counterpart. a senior administration official tells cnn the two men are expected to sign an agreement allowing the u.s. to fly weapons to afghanistan over russian airspace. the kremlin already allows the u.s. to ship supplies across rush you by rail. but that adrement does not include weapons. more protests in honduras. supporters of ousted president are demanding his reinstatement. ally, nicaragua's president says that he will return tomorrow. the interim government says if he shows up, he will be arrested.

the interim government says honduras will withdraw from the organization of american states, oas who refuses to recognize the president's ouster. north korea firing short-range missiles to the sea of japan. what does this act of defiance mean? how big a threat does pyongyang pose to the rest of the world? international security expert is going to weigh in and join us straight ahead. sarah palin's stunning decision to resign has left the governor, speculation about her future plans. she announced she is leaving office 16 months before her term expires. and she says staying in office as a lame-duck wouldn't benefit her state. the lieutenant-governor will be sworn in as governor july 26th. here's what he told my colleague earlier. you know, i am going to stay in this. i am going to complete the term. but i am also conscious that we don't control life. so i may be dead tomorrow. and i'm not going to commit

beyond that. but you bet i will serve out the term. >> sir, we certainly, wasn't what i was meaning. we hope you are going to be all right. maybe need to check on you every now and then. one last thing here -- know it is a little way out. you just figured out wednesday you got the job. are we going to be seeing you in 2010 running for governor of alaska for your own full term? >> yes. i made that announcement yesterday that i am, i am se seeking election in 2010. >> palin says she looks forward to serving the public outside the governor's office. president obama back in the white house, after spending part of the fourth at camp david. the president is hosting a barbecue for 1,200 military families tonight at the white house. in his weekly address, mr. obama called on americans to summon the spirit of the force to face the tough challenges ahead. >> we are not a people who fear the future. we are a people who make it. on this july 4th. we need to summon that spirit

once more. we need to summon the same spirit that inhabited independence hall 233 years ago today. that's how this generation of americans will make its mark on history. that's how we will make the most of this extraordinary moment. that's how we will write the next great chapter in the great american story. as we mentioned a moment ago, president obama leaves for a major overseas trip tomorrow. heads to russia for talks on weapons and resettling strained relation thenz on to italy for the group of eight summit and meeting with the pope. the president wraps up his week in the west african nation of ghana. michael jackson fans, wait and they hope, a lottery hours from now will deter men who gets to attend the singer's memorial scheduled for tuesday in los angeles. a crowning moment for an american icon. for the first time since 9/11. tourists can visit all of the statue of liberty. ( rake scratching )

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it is ten minutes after 3:00 on saturday afternoon, eastern time of course. happy fourth of july to you. saturday afternoon, rockets are lighting up the skies in north korea. an apparent message of defiance to the u.s. on independence day. south korea's defense ministry says the regime in pyongyang launched seven missiles today over a period, all were short-range. they believed that they have fallen in the sea of japan. such missile tests violate united nations sanctions on north korea.

now, south korea and japan in easy range of north korean missiles. are condemning the launches as provocative act. they come at a team of heightened tension over pyongyang's nuclear arsenal. jim walsh, a security analyst and joins us live from boston. jim, thank you for your time. >> happy fourth of july. >> happy fourth of july to you as well. the story i shared with our viewers about, seven missiles launched today over a nine-hour period. what message does that send, do you think that send? >> there is lots of speculation. some of this, people were tying it to our fourth of july, fireworks for that. two years ago, back, really three years ago back in 2006, they launched missiles on our independence day. some say it's not the fourth of july and trying to grab our attention as much as an anniversary back to 1972 when north and south korea signed a

communique about trying to unify over time. but clearly, this is, at least in part, a signal to the rest of the world that despite u.n. sanctions, they're going to go forward with their missile test as they announced they would. you remember there were tests two days ago. those did not violate u.n. sanctions. those were not ballistic missiles the one shot over the last 24 hours were ballistic missiles in violation of u.n. sanctions. >> a moment ago you said it is a signal. do you think north korea is in imminent danger? >> i don't think there is imminent danger here, north korea attacking another country, attacking japan, south korea or u.s. forces. frankly i don't think we will attack them. that would be a bad idea. this is driven by internal dynamics not external threats, not trying to bargain with the outside word, not trying to wrestle aid out of the outside world. but rather internal to north korea because it is undergoing a leadership transition.

>> i want to talk you about the leadership transition, and also, just about kingjong-il, what is health? >> we don't know. months ago he did not look good. he looked thinner, frailer. his hair and skin looked whitish, certainly not the kim jong-il we have seen from pictures past. there have been all sorts of speculation in the korean media, you have to take that with a grain of salt, that they're recycling pictures -- north korean state media is recycling pictures from an earlier period trying to make him look more robust than he may be. trying to put him out there as if he is conducting normal activities. end of the day, we just don't know. i think there are plenty of signs that point to the fact that, that the succession process is under way. why now? well, i think it goes back to that, alleged stroke he had last august. that would certainly be a serious motivator.

>> possible internal transition. let's talk for a moment about one of his sons, traveled recently to china. what do we know about his son? >> we don't know a lot. nup were one, we don't know a lot about north korea. inn up were two, we don't know a lot about the north korean government. once we peel back those two sets of unknowns we don't know that much about the family. now, we do know that the third son did -- go to school in europe. we know people who have taught him and written about that. written about him as a student. but you know that was many, many years ago. he is now in his 20s. so there is not a lot of current information. the infor max mationinformation given appointn't appointments. there was an interesting interview with the british ambassador to north korea from pyongyang. the first time this happened. he indicated in the interview yesterday, that the korean people are, north korean people have been told about the missile test, nuclear test but not have

been told about the other maneuvers around the issue of succession. for the korean people that is unknown. >> lot of unknowns in this story. >> pretty much. >> jim walsh, international security analyst live from boston. thank you. happy fourth of july to you. >> same back at you. >> thank you. you are watching cnn "newsroom." still to come the hunt for a serial killer it has a small southern town on edge this fourth of july weekend. so, april... yeah? you know, your charger is still using energy when it's plugged into the wall, right? yeah, but that's not my charger. i don't even have a cell phone.

[ballad ringtone playing] uh-oh. um... [music stops] heh. announcer: millions of kids are using their energy wisely.

let's get to stories happening across america this saturday. one person is dead. four others critically injured after a truck loaded with fireworks, exploded in north carolina. it happened on the ocracoke island this morning. this is from an ireporter, joseph chestnut. see the plume of smoke there. other pictures we have received as well. want to share them with you. courtesy of a resident in the area. what triggered the explosion. that isn't clear. it happened as a fireworks crew was setting up for the july fourth show tonight. subdued holiday likely under way in gaffney, south carolina where police say a serial killer is on the loose. want to show you a sketch of the

suspect. police say he killed four in the last week. he is armed and unpredictable. up to 150 investigators are following up on hundreds of tips pouring in. tension in the town, described as "so thick you could cut a knife with it." >> all the people in the restaurant. they all talk about it. and people are scared. >> just need to be careful and everything. and to keep your eyes open. gaffney residents are being asked to stay in groups. one woman planning a barbecue says she is going to stay inside instead with her doors locked. and earlier, i mentioned, that there were four victims. police now saying a fifth has been added. we have just learned, a teenager, has just died as well. she was shot, just want to confirm with my producer here, earlier this week, at a store in

that community along with her father. so, five victims adding to the intensity of this investigation in gaffney. now, just say no to higher taxes. it is a rallying cry across the nation this weekend. protestors in las vegas yesterday, staged a modern day tea party. the grassroots event was also designed to mobilize voters to make an impact in the ballot box in 2010. manny ramirez back on the baseball field. los angeles dodgers slugger returned to the game last night after a suspension, 50 games, violating baseball's drug policy. he apologized to fans and team mates. ramirez refused to answer questions about his steroid use. los angeles is busy preparing for a crush of humanity. michael jackson memorial service set for tuesday. fans are registering by the hundreds of thousands for a

chance to attend that service in downtown los angeles. 17,500 tickets dib tributed in a lottery. just a few hours from now, picking the winners, half a million people are registered. now on the investigation front, the associated press reports the drug diprivin was found in jackson's rental home, given intravenously and widely used in operating rooms to induce unconsciousness. jackson suffered cardiac arrest, june 25th. his exact cause of death is still undetermined. andre harris worked on jackson's song "butterfly." on jackson's last album. they join us live from los angeles to reflect and remember on michael jackson's legacy. thank you for your time, gentlemen, especially on the fourth. appreciate it. >> thank you for having us. >> thank you for having us. >> dre, let me start with you.

i'm curious what was it like to be in a recording studio with this icon? >> well, i mean, so many things i would look to say. of course, michael jackson is like the king of pop. and being a producer, of course you want to, you know keep your job professional and do the job and get things done. at the end of the day, i'm like it was hard keeping the excitement in working with him. but i had to do what i had to do of course. but this is michael jackson. and of course, it didn't really kick in until mike started saying it in the vocal booth. i was calm, pretty cool, and everything, but it would always just come back around. like as soon as he was -- he would let me know. this is michael jackson. >> froog to stay calm. triangles to stay cool, collected. professional. >> vidal, how is it different working with michael jackson when you compare working with other performers? >> you know, first of all, michael jackson is the king of pop. going in with him. it was look no brainers, he's

been in the game, so easy. michael was cooperative. he let us produce his vocals. writing with him in the back. it was real smooth. no problem. he had his kids in the studio. just fun. >> like a perfectionist, you know, totally aboupt the song, the music, and his whole vibe in the studio was like extraordinary. >> you mention he had his children with him. the public didn't get to see michael jackson interacting with his children, what tokens can you share from what you were able to observe? >> it looked like he really loved his kids. he spent time with them. he took time out. make sure they eat. just being a good father. you know? that's the kind of stuff we got to see senate people didn't see. >> you guys are young, producers, extremely successful, but what were your key takeaways working with michael jackson. what did you learn working with him that you now do every team you work with a performer?

>> well, definitely something i learned from mike is to -- to make the lyrics of the song like count. and mike was such a per ktsist like from top to bottom if something was wrong he had no problem going back and readdressing an issue or problem. and which we, you know, use in our format today also. you know. >> perfectionism is tough though, that can make the work process extremely difficult. and almost impossible to achieve perfection. what did that do for the dynamic in the recording studio? >> well, it puts a good pressure on us as producers to make you come up with some of your best work. end of the day this is what we do for a living. it's like second nature. when you get in a situation you know what to do. and mike, you know he helped us really learn how to get to a hit record. you know, make the song really like the best it can be. >> dre, where will you be tuesday? how are you remembering michael

jackson? >> well i am definitely remembering michael jackson every day. we experienced working with him and like, you know i am thankful to god that we experienced working with this icon and legend. and you know, just hard to come up with word to express that. but definitely we're in l.a. hopefully be attending mike's funeral. >> and what do you do to remember him on a daily basis? >> well, definitely, listen to mike all the time. remember him. you know, we listen to his music, you know, we have pictures also that we took of mike in the studio to help us remember you, know, when we worked with him. but end of the day, his music is going to live on. for me that helps me to say good-bye to him while he is gone. >> andre harris, vidal davis, thank you for sharing your stories and memories. collectively known dre and vida sharing their stories. thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you very much. >> michael jackson will be

buried in a custom-made casket, it will have a 14-karat gold plate finish and a blue velvet lined interior. the cost $25,000. it is being produced by the bates vit casket company in indiana. the company also made caskets for james brown, bob hope, and wilt chamberlain. tonight and tomorrow night. cnn's don lemon takes a look at michael jackson's life and legacy, childhood, music, his finances, his influence. hope you will join us for -- now the essence music festival. it is more than just music. it is about education as well. how they're doing it next. how one musician is using music to help kids to succeed in new orleans.

happening now, a fifth death

is now being blamed on a serial killer in gafney, south carolina. a 15-year-old girl shot earlier this week has died. the girl's father is also one of the people killed by this man. in north carolina a worker setting up a fireworks display was killed and four others hurt when the fireworks exploded. this happened on ocracoke island in north carolina, in the outer banks. the explosion shook homes and businesses on the remote island the two american soldiers and dozens of insurgents killed in southern afghanistan on the fourth of july. taliban fighters launched two separate assaults. killed in an attack on a base that houses the u.s. military. hundred of thousand of michael jackson fans are waiting anxiously to find out if they will be chosen in a ticket lottery to attend the singer's service on tuesday. the drawing starts a few hours from now, 17,500 tickets distributed to the public. again that service is tuesday, staples center in los angeles.

new day at the statue of liberty in new york's harbor. for the first time since 9/11. visitors are being allowed back into the crown of the statue. cnns national correspondent, susan candiotti is there on the fourth. happy fourth to you. i know you got quite a workout and got to cloom to the top. >> i did. it is something that i will remember always because it is an amazing experience. and i wasn't the only one who was fortunate enough to get to do that, melissa, because a select number of people, the lucky ones got on line just about a month ago when they first announced the crown would reopen. you had to go on line and buy tickets. 240 people were the ones that earned the tickets for this first day. only $3 to go inside the crown. and $12 to get on the island. what everybody pays. the people got here bright, early this morning. got to climb up the 354 steps. beef now, up until, since 2004, you could only go as high as the

observation deck at the very base of lady liberty. that's as far as you could get. of course, the statue itself, the crown itself has been closed since the september 11th attacks. then a safety study was done. completed a few months ago. they installed some double safety railings. they improved the way that you can quickly get in and out by controlling the flow, the number of people that can go up and down. only 10 people at a time. three groups per hour. it used to be, in the old days that you can stand in line. stand in line. at the very base. and it would take you about an hour and a half to get up to the very top. if there was an emergency. very difficult in the past to get some one up and down the very narrow steps. that has chain bed now. again they have changed the number of people that can go up at even given time. we talked to one of the lucky few, that got up there. a history professor. at a local college here, and she talked about how scary it was for her, because she is afraid of closed in spaces.

but, she said it was well worth it. >> on the fourth of july of all days to visit something as iconic as statue of liberty just seems like a great experience that i wouldn't be able to have again. just being there was the best part. because i expected the views to be breathtaking. they really weren't. i expected the rooms to be large. it really wasn't. but just, getting up there was, just so neat. >> and if you want to be one of the people who can now go into the crown. go online to buy tickets. probably the easiest way to do it. you can reserve them in advance. only will be open for the next two years because, because after that, the national park service will close down lady liberty again for more renovations. that's just the statue itself of course. back to you. >> if people want to have the opportunity to cloom up to the crown. they better have some patience. bah the tickets are sold out for the next couple months. >> that's true. sold out through mid september. and completely sold out through all the weekend in september.

yes, you have to act quickly. and, once you buy the tickets you can only do that once a year. the young lady you interviewed i give her a lot of credit for cliping up there though she is afraid of heights. >> yeah, we even saw the little ones go up there too, today. you have to be four feet tall. i just made it over the restriction. >> susan, thank you for taking us inside. great opportunity. >> you're welcome. >> thank you. >> now we are going to focus on new orleans where the essence music festival issic kicking into high gear. ♪ >> kidded the ultimate party weekend. neyo performing last night. annual festival celebrate african-american culture and african-american music, and the king of pop, michael jackson,

beyonce. now at the festival, music of course fills the night. social issues are tackled during the day, during some seminals. steve perry is best-selling author of the book "man up" and there is also a new book he completed "raggedy schools" and founded a school in connecticut to help low income minority children to prepare for college. he johns us now taking a break from the festival in new orleans. thank you for your time. >> thank you so much, melissa. impossible to take a break with 250,000 people around us. i'm having fun. >> thank you for trying to take the break. tell me more about your magnate school and why it is successful in the mission as well as the school? >> the magnate school is successful because we are committed to win. winning means sending children to college. we're not going to take any shorts, we expect our children to go on to a four-year college. we designed the school that supports that. we have a year round college preparatory school, faculty,

highest of expectations, each one of us understands that it is not just enough to teach in the classroom. we have to support the children outside the classroom. >> speaking of outside the classroom. you mention support of the faculty. the support of moms and dads is -- integral to your program. >> well it is -- integral to all schools, however, as integral as it is, it is rarely achieved. one of the challenges of running a school, especially an urban school is that we rarely have the level parental participation we should have. many times i have gone to basketball teams, we have 15 kids on our team. and a suburban school, mostly white, they have 15 kids. they have two bus loads of kids. we have two busload of parents and families. we have five, ten people behind us. so, that's one of the big problems. we have to j kate in spite of our parents' limitations. we can't let the parents off the hook by any stretch of the imagination. but, a good school can overcome the limitations of a less than effective family.

>> your book, "raggedy schools" also out. what is the main message you want people to take away from that new way of thinking? >> raggedyschools.com. i want people to understand that raggedy schools the untold truth. i work on the inside of public, i'm not an outsider i am there every single day. i want people to understand, teachers, unions are crushing the future of the children's schools. teachers unions stand behind a lot of policies that limit what a teacher can do. the best teachers have very little impact or commitment to those organizations. every school needs strong leaders. too many of our principals are not savvy and hard working enough to ensure that the worst teachers are no longer in the building. finally parents have to understand that they have a fundamental responsibility to make sure their children attend good schools. so until such time as those three come together, our

children are going to be forever part of the whirlwind of failure. i suggest if we can't bring the best teachers and best principals to the children, most in need, then we need to have vouchers so our children can go to the best teachers. >> want to go back to talking teachers unions. i'm sure there are some phenomenal stellar teachers out there that say the teachers unions protect them? >> teachers union protects the teachers. it protects the future of the teacher. but what we need are people who protect the children. objective of the teachers union is to make sure the teachers stay employed and that we as principals cannot extend their work, workday, or work year. but in fact we know there is an achievement gap. how are we going to achieve with the same expectations. i as a principal need to extend the school year, extend the hours. what cannot happen is we cost ourselves out of the market. the teachers union will be the first to tell you the reason why our schools and urban centers are failing because we don't

have enough money. that is a lie. the truth of the matter is, that you spend more money on urban education than on suburban education. in fact the most amount of money on the most failed educational experiences which are prisons. it is not money. we spend the most on prison and the lowest results. >> want to wrap up. just reflecting on michael jackson's life and legacy. i know the vibe has changed at the essence music festival. steve, how are you remembering michael jackson there at the essence music festival? >> you know it is funny that you say that. a song that is in my head "falling in love" the name of the song. in my head. what we don't understand is that michael jackson's message is a powerful one in that, he has shown us that one man can truly make a difference in people's lives. simply by singing love songs he was able to change the mind and hearts of an entire world. imannal in what each one could do if we focusped on doing something working with children directly or working to use our economic resources to improve the lives of others.

michael jackson was truly a powerful man and leader, and i sincerely miss him. i wish his family the best in their most trying of times. >> steve perry inspired by michael jackson trying to inspire young children as well. thank you so much for joining us from the essence festival. >> thank you so much, melissa. >> happy fourth of july. >> thank you so much. >> take care. >> in new orleans, a special program for at-risk youth, started as a summer program to keep children off the streets and now blossomed into a year-round music haven. cnns fredericka whitfield tells us how it is also changing lives. ♪ >> reporter: the powerful booming reach of one of the most popular brass bands in new orleans. just got bigger. a year ago i told you about how hard members of this nine piece ensemble worked to return home to this city and their most loyal fans after hurricane

katrina scattered evan across the country. for drummer derek, their gift of music needed to reach another audience. one with an even greater hunger to fill. >> the music really saved me from a lot of stuff going on in the streets. and i figured i could do the same thing with a lot of other kids. >> he came up with an idea. >> after my junior high band. >> reporter: all for kids ages 9 to 14, offering them a chance to learn music for free. >> just word of mouth. >> reporter: no strings attached. no instruments needed. just bring yourself. >> i call it the no excuse process. give them a bus, i give them transportation, i give them the instrument, i give them the food, tutor, teachers. you have no excuse why you are not here. >> reporter: at first, 42 kids showed up. >> a week and a half we had like

65, 70 kids. >> reporter: a year later. >> like about 100 kids in the program right now still. and 400 almost on a waiting list. >> reporter: a year-round mudzing education program for at least three hours a day, five days a week known as the roots of music. fueled by donations, volunteers, and lots of love. for kids like 9-year-old jeremiah russell who first picked up a trumpet seven month as go even riding the program bus 20 minutes is an exercise in discipline. h his mother sees the transformation. ever since in the band he has been a better child. academically as well as his behavior better. >> reporter: how has jeremiah changed over the past few months because of this? >> behavior. how to sit down, listen to the teacher and stuff.

>> actually learning how to do music and take it to school and every day life. >> reporter: 13-year-old brianna smith was bringing home fs from school and clarinet has her hitting higher notes and better grade. >> what keeps me coming is that i know that by me playing in the band is, i have fun doing it. >> reporter: the fun isn't just here, but here too. program co-founder allison reinhardt helps make even math something to smile about. >> a lot of kids have gone up a letter grade in mathematics and language arts. >> success rate worth bragging. >> one kid who came here wasn't really interested. it changed his mind. he is actually a band captain right now. >> reporter: that would be tuba play

play player terrance nokum. this 15-year-old about to graduate from the program has big plans. just like roots of music founder, play in his school band before one day earning a spot in a big band like rebirth on a big stage. fredericka whitfield, cnn, new orleans. in the past year, children from the roots of music have already marched in five mardi gras parades, jazz fest and other festivals in louisiana. while reporters are covering the story developing every day in the black community, our reporter has been working on stories you will see on the 22nd and 23rd of the month. when cnn presents:black in america 2. two nights. primetime documentaries. all brand new on cnn. new technology that may deter people thinking of getting into trouble. a new generation of police cruisers could make your life a whole lot worse. a place where no one knows us,

we become most ourselves. try new things. make new friends. laughing out loud. and dancing in the streets. its time to venture out. who knows just who we might discover... as we come alive under the spell of pure michigan. your trip begins at michigan.org.

new generation of police cars in the works. they have a lot of the high tech gadgets you see in the movies but these cars are for real. cnns t.j. holmes has the storien today's "techno file." >> reporter: criminals beware, this police car could be an officer's dream come true. >> what we develop is a homeland security platform of technology, the all. equipment and technology in this

vehicle not only provides them the appropriate performance capabilities but unparalleled safety. >> reporter: the 15-inch touch screen computer console which li compares to the biggest iphone you have ever seen controls many of the high-tech features. >> this is the patrol screen. >> reporter: a radar screen that monitors cars in the front and rear. a forward and backward facing camera, infrared that detects heat signature at night and license plate recognition system that can automatically read up to 1,500 license plates per minute as the officer drives, then cross checks them against national and local databases. let's go back 50 years, all right. you had a vehicle, maybe you had a radio in it. one little light that goes on top of here. that is no longer the case. >> reporter: georgia the home state of carbon motors and several in discussion to manufacture the vehicle expected to produce 10 f new jobs. georgia senator chambliss hopes it can provide a much needed

economic boost for the state. >> georgia is like every other state. suffering from an economic standpoint right now. we have seen a huge loss of jobs in our state and the manufacturing sector particularly. any team you have a new company coming in that suggests that they may employ up to 10,000 people that's huge. >> reporter: the demonstration vehicles, in various states, have brought attention from law enforcement. some officers are taking a wait-and-see approach. >> they're going to have to produce a few vehicles they can take to a major police department and say take these two cars and test them for 15, 30 days, day in, day out. and give us a report back. >> reporter: the e-7 looks like it should be featured in a summer blockbuster film, but li says there is one major difference between it and hollywood crime fighting cars. >> this is the car of the future, heard it referred to as robocop, james bond, kit, all those things. fact of the matter this is the

real deal. >> reporter: expected date of production is 2012. t.j. holmes, cnn, atlanta. the fourth of july fireworks are already. is the weather going to cooperate tonight. meteorologist karen macginnis has your holiday forecast. we've made a great product even better. now every drop of shell gasolines... contain a nitrogen-enriched cleaning system... that seeks and destroys engine gunk... left by lower-quality gasoline. it protects engines from performance-robbing gunk. try new nitrogen-enriched shell gasolines. this...shooting video.... it protects engines from performance-robbing gunk. this is the new iphone editing video. and this, is the new iphone sharing video.

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americans are celebrating the nation's birthday no matter where they happen to be today on the fourth. in iraq, some u.s. troops spent the day playing most american of games. softball. they managed to hit a few balls despite the stifling heat and the sandstorms that limited their visibility. in at lant thaw peachtree road race. one of the largest 10k races on the planet. more than 5,000 repsychoable

bottle cups and bottled water is on hand to keep the runners hibrated in atlanta. karen maginnis has the forecast for tonight and also the glorious morning in atlanta. i happened to run the peachtree last year. it wasn't as stifling as last year. >> i guess i have 15 or 20 t-shi t-shirts. it's one of the most enjoyable things and when i first moved to atlanta people said, are you going to run the peachtree? it is great, great fun. occasionally the heat is very oppressive. speaking of that, i have a couple things to show you, heat being one of them, especially across the south central united states. dallas 101 the expected high temperature and sharply cooler further to the north because we have a frontal boundary in this vustinty. take you over towards denver temperatures in the mid to upper 70s, but next week it will be about 95 degrees and yesterday

in seattle, 84, a record high temperature. today, in the mid to upper 80s. so, stifling heat found there, as well. las vegas 105 and atlanta in the 90s, but at least the humidity, those dew points are on the low side. want to show you also where the severe weather is currently located all the way from southern illinois into tennessee and also arkansas and for missouri, as well as portions of oklahoma. these three watch boxes they allaall and end right around 8:00 tonight. you'll see heavy downpours in sections of missouri just to the south of interstate 70, three to five inches of rainfall and they're saying some of the roads have been closed there. so, melissa, good for you, the peachtree, a lot of fun, isn't it? >> again, nice weather this morning for the annual run. >> take care. >> thank you. well, she lost a loved one on 9/11 and the tragedy linked her to others struggling with loss and connected her to a

worldwide crisis. her work helping refugees makes carolyn manning this week's cnn hero. >> there's smoke all over the place. >> my brother-in-law was killed in tower one on september 11th. i saw a family who also lost a family member because of the taliban and had to flee their country. we lost a family member, too. we just naturally went from that to let's show the refugees that we welcome them. my name is carolyn manning and i started the welcome to america project to help refugees in phoenix, arizona. the families that we help come from places where there has been war and genocide. some refugees have never lived with in-door plumbing and never flushed a toilet. the welcome to america project is the community and it operates by community volunteers, my

husband and i many of time have been out here pulling furniture in before work, after work, this is our life. >> thank you very much. for all your help. >> let's go on to the next family. >> when they step foot in the united states, they have been invited here. i want the refugees to feel this is their home. and that's what america has been built on. it's our history, it's who we are. and they're part of it. @@@@ ♪ [ tires screech ] [ female announcer ] sometimes, you can get so much out of so little.

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breaking news at this hour. it appears a serial killer in south carolina has claimed a fifth victim. a 15-year-old girl died a few hours ago. the county coroner briefed reporters just a moment ago.