blitzer. join wolf in the "situation room." at this time every weekend on cnn international. the news continues next on cnn. hello, i'm don lemon live in los angeles. we're following breaking news in the shooting death of former nfl quarterback steve mcnair. police found his body and that of a woman inside a nashville condominium hours ago. we heard from police tonight. >> at 1:35 p.m. the police department received a call of persons injured inside one of the condominiums behind me. when police officers arrived in response to that call, they found two individuals who had been shot to death inside the residence. one female, one male. we now know that the male

deceased is steve mcnair. the female deceased has been tentatively identified, we're working to confirm that and notify her next of kin. at this point, we don't know the circumstances of these shooting deaths. the investigation is going to be conducted by the police department's centralized homicide unit. those detectives have assembled here at the scene. and the condominium still has to be processed. there's a lot of work yet to be done and it will take many hours to process the scene. i don't have any answers for you now as to what's happened, who's responsible, what the circumstances are. >> knack spent 15 seasons in the nfl, most of them with the tennessee titans. he led them to the super bowl in 2000 and came wind a yard of forcing the st. louis rams into overtime. titan owner bud adams says, we are saddened and shocked to hear the news of steve mcnair's

passing today. he was one of the finest players to play for our organization and one of the most beloved players by our fans. he led to us places we had never reached including our only super bowl. our thoughts and prayers are with his family as they deal with his untimely passing. our nashville affiliate has been all over this story working it for us. cindy carter of wztv. she joins us now by telephone with the very latest. what do you know, cindy? >> reporter: fans is joining us outside the hotel where steve mcnair's body was discovered earlier today. police are still on the scene. they are processing the scene. we've seen police chaplain go in and out, consulting with the police. also consulting with the fans who are just devastated by this. the former tennessee titan and baltimore raven was shot to dead, as was the woman who was with him.

you heard the police spokesperson say they have a identity i.d. on the woman but they are not releasing any more information at that time. again, we've seen a lot of traffic going in and out of the complex. a lot of forensic officials going in and out. but they are all still out here on the scene. and earlier today, we spoke with titans quarterback coach craig johnson who called mcnair a great man, a great titan, a great warrior, and a huge loss. and i think that that emotion is echoed by the fans that have gathered out here at this time. don? >> all right, cindy carter wztv, our affiliate in nashville, thank you very much. let's get to law enforcement analyst mike brooks. there was some question about whether or not this was a double homicide or whether it may have been a murder-suicide. you're clearing that up for us, aren't you? >> talking to my source with the investigation, law enforcement source close to the investigation in nashville, saying that it looks like right now it is a double homicide.

apparently he was discovered about 1:35. we heard from the law enforcement spokesperson there. about 1:35 this afternoon, apparently by one of his ex bodyguards from when he was in the nfl. he could not reach him over the course of a number of hours. the last day he knew where he would be. apparently the woman who was found with him is his girlfriend. it was at the girlfriend's condo where both of them were killed. and so they discovered the body. law enforcement thinks it happened sometime maybe late last night. the shooting happened late last night, early today. and are saying that apparently that mcnair was shot in the head. and so, again, double homicide. we really don't know a lot right now about motive. they're working that right now. you've got the metropolitan police, forensics team on the scene. they're working that along with the homicide division.

but we still do not know a motive. >> all right. cnn law enforcement analyst mike brooks. mike, thank you very much for that. also breaking news out of south carolina where a manhunt is under way for a suspected serial killer who police say killed at least five people in the past week, including a 15-year-old girl. richard louis joins us from a small community mostly known for its peach orchards. now in the middle of a very big crime. what do you know, richard? >> reporter: that's right. good evening to you. that's what we're hearing right now. this is the result of what the cherokee county sheriff is calling a serial killer, confirming today the coroner has, that a fifth homicide victim has died. 15-year-old abby tyler, who was shot on thursday, now passing away today at 11:25 a.m. local time. much loved by her fellow gaffney high schoolers, she was supposed to be a junior this coming here. her pastor saying she was a

passionate christian the 15 years of her life. you can imagine this has put the town on edge, what should be a celebratory july fourth, it is not. they are concerned in some spaces, on other areas they are ready to fight back. we spoke with a couple of residents and business owners. brian zigglehafer told because his son said last night as he reacted to the ominous concern of a serial killer. take a listen. >> he was actually fearful. and scared. and asked me not to stay up late because he was afraid that something would happen at the house because of what he hears. it's constantly in the news. people are talking. that's what they've been hearing for the last two days. so he was fearful, he was scared. and he was concerned for my safety. >> when somebody has a firearm at all times, just for protection. >> reporter: do you always wear it? >> no. just working up here, open like this, worry tuesday you're

working. it stays in my truck all the time in the glove compartment. i do carry it in my car all the time. >> reporter: you can see the two different approaches and reactions to what is now the concern of a serial killer. the county now has over 100 investigators on this. they're getting many calls to their call center. the roads are packed here with law enforcement cars. in about five minutes as we were driving down we encountered five law enforcement cars over the course of five minutes. and we were actually pulled over twice. so you can see they are quite vigilant today, don. >> richard joining us from gaffney, south carolina, thank you very much. a tragic start to north carolina in the outer banks. a truck carrying fireworks blew up while it was being unloaded at the dock. the explosion killed one person and injured four others. ferry service to the island was temporarily shut down but has since resumed. right here in los angeles, intensive preparations are under way for tuesday's memorial service for michael jackson.

at last check, more than 1.5 million people have registered for a chance to get a pair of tickets to the service. two hours from now, 8 junior 750 people will be randomly selected to each receive a pair of tickets. also, cnn's confirmed that singer jennifer hudson will be among the performers at tuesday's service. our drew griffin is tracking the investigation into what killed michael jackson, including the report that a powerful drug has been found inside his home. drew joins us from los angeles tonight. what do you know about that, drew? >> latest sources say diprivan was found in jackson's home. this is that powerful medication used in surgeries basically to put people under, the "l.a. times" saying bottles of it were found in jackson's home leading to even more speculation this drug could be involved.

michael jackson asked for diprivan by name months a, go telling this nurse in april diprivan was the only drug that could help him sleep. >> that was odd. >> without asking for a regular sleeping pill? >> and i said, have you taken sleeping pills? he said, they don't work. he said, i don't want those things, they don't work. i want it in the iv. i don't want pills. i don't want any pills. >> nurse practitioner cheryllynn lee described how it was administered. iv drip. instant sleep. a doctor traveled with jackson in the mid '90s who carried what's described as a mini clinic complete with iv stand. we know from jackson's own friends sleep problems, past surgery, injuries left him at times dependent on prescription drugs. he was really addicted to prescription drugs? >> in my belief, yes. from what i know, he was.

>> reporter: while officially investigators have mentioned no drug or drugs, the direction of the investigation has this week pointed towards drugs michael jackson may have been taking. on monday, detectives returned to jackson's rented home and left with what we are told were medications. the federal dea was asked to join the investigation and later in the week, california's attorney general's office announced it too was involved. >> again, don, as we've been reporting all week, even with all of these developments this remains a death investigation. with no crime as of yet being alleged. don? >> all right, cnn's drew griffin, we appreciate that. make sure you tune in for a cnn presents special on the life and music of michael jackson. "man in the mirror" airs tonight, 8:00 p.m. eastern, only here on cnn. to politics now. alaska governor sarah palin. she made a career out of defying

the conventional wisdom and now she's at it again. her stunning announcement that she's going to resign by the end of the month has everybody talking. her term is supposed to run through december of next year. during her speech outside her home, palin talked about family concerns as well as a desire to work for political change beyond alaska. >> it may be tempting or more comfortable to keep your head down and plod along and appease those who are demanding, hey, just sit down and shut up. but that's a worthless, easy cop-out. that's a quitter's way out. i think the problem in our country today is apathy. it would be apathetic to hunker down and go with the flow. >> that speech left a lot of people puzzled. today governor sarah palin posted a statement on facebook. here's what she writes. "the response in the mainstream media has been most predictable, ironic, and as always, detached

from the lives of ordinary americans who are sick of the politics of personal destruction. how sad that washington and the media will never understand. it's about country. and though it's honorable for countless others to leave their positions for higher calling and without finishing a term, of course we know by now, for some reason a different standard applies for the decisions i make. but every american understands what it takes to make a decision, because it's right for all, including your family." governor palin ended her facebook statement with these words which appear to offer some clues about her future. "now is the time to rebuild and help our nation achieve greatness. god bless you and i look forward to making a difference with you." all right, that is from governor sarah palin and her facebook page. we're watching nature's fireworks tonight. we want to head to atlanta and cnn's karen mcginnis. >> we've got a lot to tell you about here. i want to show you specifically what's happening right around

that extreme southwestern corner of kentucky. where you see those purple-shaded areas, that's where we have tornado warnings. now, there is a report in mayfield or near the city of mayfield, tucked in that southwestern corner of kentucky, that there was some thunderstorm damage reported there. these yellow boxes indicate the severe thunderstorm watches. one is gradually getting shaved off. now we're starting to see that nashville also is encompassed in the severe storm watch. we've got a live picture coming out of memphis, tennessee. they have thunderstorms that are expected to move across their area. they're not in the watch just yet. but the temperatures cooled down maybe just a couple of degrees. but a lot of activity taking place tonight, especially through that tennessee river valley. extending down across west texas. places like lubbock. also into amarillo, seeing some pretty strong storms there. this is where our problem area is. and a lot of these regions that are seeing temperatures well

into the 90s are going to be cooling off dramatically. 5 or 10 degrees. as we go into the next 24 and 48 hours. and we're on twitter also by the way, don, at cnn weather. >> great. i follow you on twitter, absolutely. karen mcginnis, we appreciate it, thank you very much. the u.s. task in iraq winding down. we've seen a build-up of fighting in afghanistan. what is next? some answers. we want you to be part of our show team tonight. we want your comments to get on the air. logon to twitter, facebook, myspace or ireport.com. 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.

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this is a special coming to you from bright and sunny afghanistan. wishing everybody in cleveland, georgia, a wonderful and happy 4th of july. and i'd like to wish my wife a happy birthday and i love you, girls. in afghanistan, fierce gun battles today in the eastern province claimed the lives of two u.s. service members. area officials say at least 42 taliban fighters were killed as they launched two separate attacks on american posts. to the south thousands of u.s. marines moved into the southern province of helmand, one of the largest military operations into the region to date. helmand is more than a taliban stronghold, it was once the bread basket of afghanistan. but bumper crops of wheat and

corn. today, those grains have been largely replaced by opium poppies, the raw material for heroin, morphine and other narcotics. 90% of the world's open upcomes from afghanistan and helmand is the center of opium production in afghanistan. helmand is such fertile ground it accounts for two-thirds of all the opium grown in afghanistan. it provides the taliban with millions in income. farmers are often paid in advance to plant the poppies in the fall. they don't even have to harvest it in may -- other people come into the fields to collect the raw opium. some people say the renewed emphasis on afghanistan is long overdue. others say it could undermine the progress made in iraq. retired army general russell honore joins us from baton rouge, louisiana, my hometown. he joins us with his perspect e perspective. thank you for joining us. how's the weather, pretty hot today? >> it's hot, it's smoking. >> smoking hot. let's talk about afghanistan.

we're seeing they've committed more troops there and committed to stay in helmand province until afghanistan forces have it under control. how long do you think that will take, general? >> it's going to take several months, i would suspect. but for the long-term to do what needs to be done in afghanistan, it will take a big u.s. and nato effort that could probably go another eight to ten years. because once you get it secure, you're going to have to give the country an opportunity to build an economy. because the government, they hadn't said anything about these opium fields. we cannot leave afghanistan as the world's largest producer of opium. we've got to transfer -- and he under his leadership, the afghan people are going to have to make a decision of what kind of economy they're going to build. it certainly can't be built based on dope. >> so then why aren't our troops going in to take those crops out? that's not part of the operation, is it? >> well, right now it's focused on the taliban and the time of the harvest cycle. now is the right time to go in there. that was the center of the

economy of much of afghanistan, coming from this illicit drug operations. so once we secure it and hold it, which is a great strategy that the marines are working on, and nobody better to do it than the marine and army troops on the ground, in some very, very, very tough conditions. and i wonder how many americans realize the tough conditions those marines and soldiers are fighting in down there in helmand. because it's hot, and they're going where we have not been before. other than reconnaissance. >> and i'm sure it's tough and a lot of people don't realize it. so a lot of people are concerned, though, general b. our military being spread too thin. we do have operations going on in iraq. do operations in afghanistan undermine those operations in iraq at all? >> no, i think iraq is in the bag. i think we're in the stage as has been articulated by the white house and general petraeus that we're in the withdrawal

phase. i think what we ought to start looking for is a withdrawal of equipment and people from iraq, while the next thing on their calendar is the elections which the government is worried about. i think we are in a position to start some withdrawals. at least put some brigades in kuwait in reserve in case we need them in afghanistan. i think we can do both. but it's time for us to end these large deployments because we are wearing the army and the marines out. >> i was going to ask you, afghanistan has a long history of wearing down armies. wearing down foreign troops and foreign armies. why do you think we can succeed there, general? and i'm up against a break, i have to tell you that. >> i understand. we've been at war since the 1970s. the russians had 100,000 in there. i think we can do it because we're committed to help the people be successful. >> all right. general russell honore, thank you very much, sir, appreciate it. stay hydrated down there. if you run into my mom, tell her i said hello. >> thank you, don.

happy fourth to the american people and to their families who are watching these warriors do their mission's work. >> absolutely. and especially our service members. thank you very much for that, we appreciate it. we're going to talk now about the michael jackson investigation. you know tmz, 30 mile zone, the show, they scooped the world on the news of michael jackson's death. but how did they do it? i'll take you inside the celebrity news operation. when at last we're alone. when we both decide. announcer: today, guys with erectile dysfunction can be ready with another dosing option from cialis. cialis for daily use is a clinically proven low-dose tablet you take every day, so you can be ready anytime the moment is right. so relax and take your time. tell your doctor about your medical condition and all medications and ask if you're healthy enough for sexual activity. don't take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. don't drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long term injury seek immediate medical

help for an erection lasting more than 4 hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision stop taking cialis and call your doctor right away. announcer: today, you have options: cialis for daily use or 36-hour cialis. ask your doctor if cialis is right for you, so when the moment is right, you can be ready.

tmz scooped the world with the news of michael jackson's death. but how did they do it? this week i went to their newsroom to find out. harvey levin is the executive producer of tmz.com and tmz-tv. >> i want you to scream for me. >> got it. >> reporter: his staff and a lot of old school media are following his lead when it comes to the michael jackson death investigation. you broke the story before the time of death from the coroner. >> well, before it was officially announced. we really knew this significantly before even what was going on. but, you know, this is making,

you know -- crossing every "t." you know. there was -- we were positive when we put it up. we put it up when we were 100% positive. >> reporter: levin, an attorney, made his name covering the o.j. simpson trial as a political reporter and later as a tv analyst on the show "people's court." he says traditional news organizations are beginning to notice that tmz, which like cnn is owned by time warner, is changing the media landscape. what is it about big so-called, quote, legitimate organizations, they don't quote tmz. still they're using your material. >> what i'm interested in is the story. not this self-indulgent analysis of the media. that's for lazy people who don't know how to break a story. let's taub the media. i want to just deal with the story. but, i mean, look. you know, i think what happened

is that, you know -- again, we just beat everybody on this one. and there are people, you know, who feel like, wow. we should have gotten that. you know. too bad, so sad. >> reporter: with the internet, social networking sites, and a 24-hour news cycle, speed matters as never before. >> this is the classic, the classic business of what have you done for me lately? that i've been doing this thing for three and a half years, where you can put a huge story up and then it sits on the website and 20 minutes later you think, okay. it's been there for 20 minutes. it doesn't matter how big that story is, what are you putting up next? >> reporter: tmz says its website has 10.8 million visitors a month, and growing. with the jackson story. levin says the tv ratings are doing the same. >> harvey levin, as a businessman you have to know your ratings have to be up. >> yeah, they are. i mean, i'm not going -- >> by how much? >> a lot. >> how does that make you feel?

>> i would rather succeed than fail. you know. >> harvey levin of tmz. tmz stands for 30-mile zone. there's a 30-mile zone here in the los angeles and hollywood area that he believes is the center of the universe when it comes to celebrity news, and harvey levin has made a terrific business of covering those stories. more behind the scenes of tmz. go to our blog at cnn.com/newsroom and click on don and see behind the scenes at tmz and other stories that we have. a lot of behind the scenes stories that we have. especially since we've been in los angeles covering the michael jackson investigation. speaking of that, he has worked with jagger, mccartney, streisand. how different were those experiences from his days with the king of pop? music producer bruce swidian. this isn't a stove... look... there's a technique... - okay... - ( strikes match )

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(announcer) garlique's proven ingredient maintains healthy cholesterol safely, naturally. listen to your doctor. (announcer) eat right, exercise, garlique. shocking news tonight in the world of sports. former nfl quarterback steve mcnair is dead.

nashville police say mcnair was found fatally shot inside a nashville condominium. they found his body and that of a woman just hours ago. a law enforcement official close to the investigation says the woman was mcnair's girlfriend. mcnair spent 13 seasons in the nfl. most of that time with the tennessee titans. he led the team to the super bowl in 2000 and came within a yard of forcing the st. louis rams into overtime. he retired in 2008 after two seasons with the baltimore ravens. breaking news out of south carolina. a manhunt is under way for a suspected serial killer who police say killed at least five people in the past week. including a 13-year-old girl. she died today after being shot with her father at the family's furniture store on thursday. the first shooting was a peach farmer last saturday. four days later, an elderly woman and her daughter were found bound and shoot to death in their homes. police say all of the killings appear to be connected. about 100 investigators are now

involved in that case. intensive preparations are under way for tuesday's memorial service for michael jackson. at last check, more than 1.5 million people have registered for a chance to get a pair of tickets to the service. two hours from now, 8,750 people will be randomly selected to each receive a pair of tickets. also the associated press reports the drug diprivan was found in jackson's rental home. it's given intravenously and widely used in operating rooms to induce unconsciousness. let's get some insight on what it was like to work with michael jackson up close and personal. music producer bruce swidan is the author of "in the studio" which ops out, comes out later this month. he also is the author of "make mine music." bruce swidein joins from us

orlando. we know you worked with amazing art itses. mick jagger, pauk mccartney, barbra streisand. how are they different from working with michael jackson? >> michael was the absolute ultimate professional. he was also -- he had a very wonderful human side to him too. he was polite and gentle. and in a business where we didn't hear these words too often, michael, if he would ask for something during a session, he'd say "please." "you're welcome." so on. he was such a great guy. >> their swedien, everyone i've spoken to, even attorneys who have either worked for michael jackson or represented against him, when have all said he appears to be one of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet, very mild-mannered. let's talk about the creative process. was the distinct between michael jackson and other artists, was

that in the creative process? >> i think the creative process is where michael really was on top of the heap. because i never did a recording session with michael where he didn't have the lyrics memorized, for instance. whether it was one of his own songs or not. but his dedication to the work, he'd stay up all night the night before and learn the lyrics. or if we were rewriting something, or if he was working on a lyric or harmonies or whatever. his dedication was total. >> hm. mr. swedien, you worked with him on a song called "have you seen my childhood?" he called it his most biographical song. let's listen to a little bit of it, okay? >> oh, great. ♪ i'm searching for the world i come from ♪ ♪ because i've been looking

arou around in lost and found with my heart. >> so mr. swedien, "have you seen my childhood," many people have said the reason for neverland ranch and a lot of michael's behavior was he longed to have a childhood of his own. he had been like an adult at a very young age. did he talk to you about that at all when you were making this song, this video? >> oh, absolutely. we talked about it a lot. and i brought the score for that piece of music with and have it here if you'd like to take a look at it. it's right here. and michael autographed that. >> let's see it. do you have it close? >> yeah, here it is right here. >> can you hold it up? can you grab it for us? there we go. oh, wow. >> and i don't know if you can see michael's inscription. but this is typical michael

jackson. and he's loving and kind. and i mean, he's not the kid next door. i don't mean to imply that. but he's phenomenal to work with. and i have trouble speaking of him in the past tense. and that's going to take me awhile to get used to that. because it doesn't seem like he's gone, to me. >> yeah, i think he says thank you, bruce, for everything that's important, have you seen my childhood, i always wanted to make that statement. so again, having a childhood was very important to him and something it appears he missed out on. at least he feels that he did. >> absolutely. for sure. >> all right. bruce swedien, we really appreciate it, thank you, sir. sorry for your loss. >> okay, and i'm happy to talk about my pal michael. >> all right, thank you, sir. >> thank you. less than 90 minutes ago, thousands of people will be randomly picked in a drawing to get tickets to michael jackson's memorial service.

more than 1.5 million fans have already registered. we have the very latest for you. welcome home, man.

two very special guests join

me with personal memories of michael jackson, both as a colleague and a friend. damon elliot is a songwriter and music producer and also a jackson family friend. he joins me here in los angeles. thank you for joining us. also joining us by phone is damon's mom, music legend dionne warwick. thanks to both of you for joining us. miss warwick, can you hear sinus. >> yes, i can. >> i understand michael call you had mom. >> yeah, he did. like so many others. everybody felt i was a motherly type. >> yeah. damon, did you mind sharing your mom with michael? >> not at all. not at all. couldn't choose someone to share mom with. >> why do you say that? >> michael was just such a enormously loving person. and, you know, growing up around him and his family, just feels very natural to call him my brother. and that he called mom, mom. you know? >> yeah.

and mom, speaking of calling you mom, he worked with you. we understand you guys were very, very dear friends. you worked with him on "we are the world." let's listen to just a little bit of that. i want you to talk about that experience of working with others, but with michael jackson specifically. ♪ ♪ all of us a great big family ♪ and the truth you know love is all we need ♪ ♪ we are the world, we are the children ♪ ♪ we are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start giving ♪ ♪ there's a choice we're making ♪ >> i see you standing there. you were standing behind some of the artists there. there's a part that comes up, miss warwick, where you sing in that. this was really the cavalcade of

stars, everyone in this video. michael wanted to do this along with lionel ritchie. there you are, you're singing right there. ♪ and our hearts will be free >> talk to us about this experience, miss warwick. >> i've always described the experience as something that you really had to be there. very difficult to describe it. it was -- it was a room full of incredible artists. all on one accord. there for one purpose. most of the artists who were in the room had been invited by quincy jones. and they came directly from the american music awards. recording studios. i was performing in vegas at the time. and steve winwood was just wonderful. he sent me back to l.a. on a private jet so that i could be a part of this. quincy called me and said,

listen, you've got to come into l.a. tomorrow. i said, but i'm working. he says, you're going to be working here because you have to be here. it was the most incredible event that i've been a part of in a long, long period of time. >> damon, was damon around for that? you didn't get to share that with your mom, did you? i'm sure you've heard her speak of it but you weren't there for any of the taping, were you? >> actually, i was around, and of course, you know, i had to go to part of it. because i'm the biggest michael jackson fan breathing, i'll say that. and i begged mom and she let me be a part of it. and one of the many special occasions that i was a part of with mom. >> you know what, you guys, a lot of people have come out and said they were friends with michael, they knew michael. and of this them have not been so close to michael. miss warwick, i know that you were very close with michael. damon, i know that you were very

close with him. you've worked with some of the biggest stars. you've also worked with michael jackson. have you spoken to the family? either of you? and how are they doing, if you have? >> i have. >> miss warwick, i'll let you go first. >> i flew out to los angeles a couple of days ago. and these past two days i've been at the home. and had time to spend with katherine. and the rest of the family. and it's a very difficult time for them. as we all should understand that. but i know that the family is strong enough. they'll get through this. it's going to take a bit of time. it's going to take a lot of time for a lot of other people who revered michael. and thought of him as a loving, giving, caring, sharing person that he was. and he will be remembered for that, believe me. >> and damon, i'll give you the last word about your friend michael jackson.

>> i just want to say, mike, wherever you are, we all love you. the world loves you. we mourn together. and i just want to let the brothers and sisters know and katherine know and joe and everybody else, that anything you need, we're there. we're there for you. >> damon elliot, who is a producer and a successful entertainer, entertainment person, in his own right. and his mom, who just happens to be the talented dionne warwick. very close friends with the jackson family. can you please give them our condolences, okay? >> certainly. >> yes, certainly. >> thank you both very much. sorry for your loss. >> thank you. >> thank you. bye, mom. >> bye, baby. remembering michael jackson as only new orleans can. we'll take you there. we've made a great product even better.

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maintaining any type of business in a recession is a challenge. how about a small business offering products for less, while also trying to turn a

profit? cnn's stephanie elam takes a look at one business that others can learn from. >> i just thought, wow. all thesewow, all these books out there that the bookstores are saying no, i don't want it. but there's totally value in those books, get them up on the internet and someone will buy them. >> building and maintaining a successful small business in this environment is a challenge, one that xavier and his partners know all too well. when they were in school, the bookstore wouldn't buy back their used textbooks. so they tried selling them on half.com. it worked. and the idea took on a whole new chapter. >> there's great stuff in there. i promise. >> you with more than 2 million books at any time in this mishawaka, indiana warehouse, the owners think they have a book for everyone and a small business plan others can follow. >> we bring a lot of stuff in even in full truckloads, about 50,000 pounds of books in at once, drop it off in the bay and put it on the shelves.

>> and fund the business themselvthe themselv themselves, they got a credit line in 2004 followed by a $2.4 million venture capital investment in 2008. all to build up the website and the better world books brand. as other small businesses have struggled, they have seen their revenues grow from $4 million a year in 2005 to projected $31 million in 2009, and all the time, helping others buy books at a cheap price. >> the cheapest they find would be $3.48 with free shipping. >> the books are donated by libraries, bookstores and college campuses from across the country. every day, better world brings in 40,000 to 50,000 books sending just as many out. >> we've sold orders up to 50,000 books at once. our average order is three or four books. >> the founders built the company on the foundation of liberal college students so text book sales remain at the heart of the business.

>> we price them at market value. >> better world books believes in giving back. it donates 5 to 10% of its revenue back into the hands of libraries and literacy programs around the world. stephanie elam, cnn, new york. how are we going to make this business work and keep the economy going? you know it's the local pizza guy that needs to pay his supplier for the dough. during these times when you think most people would roll over, small business owners figure out a way to fight, and i just love being part of that kind of a team. we've been able to help tons of small business customers. and in this day and age, i'm sure there's a lot of small business owners that really don't have the time to do their banking inside of a branch. so why not do all that stuff electronically? they could take over the actual payroll process themselves just through our website. we are able to provide customers with ways that they can keep their business

running and profitable. we don't want to say no to a customer. we want to be able to help them. whether they're started out in the business, whether they're looking to expand their business... we grow with them as they grow their business. we're going to do everything we can to be an advocate for that customer and to really help them... help them get through this tough time. committing small business specialists like myself to the community, i think that speaks loudly to what bank of america thinks the heart of the community is - the small business.

fourth of july celebrations underway at the white house now. the president entertaining military family service members, 1200 of them. he's talking about their sacrifice. >> but i want to say this to all of you. you have done everything that has been asked of you. the united states of america is proud of you. i'm proud to be your commander in chief. and that's why this fourth of july, i renew my predge to each and every one of you that for as long as i have that immeasurable honor, you will always have the equipment and support you need to get the job done. your families will always be a

priority of michelle's and mine and remain on our hearts and on our minds. >> the president at the white house. you'll hear more from the president later on on cnn this evening. the king of pop is being celebrated at the essence music festival in new orleans this weekend and cena calebs is there. sean? ♪ >> icons of the big easy, the press servation hall jazz band paying tribute to the king of pop. bands throughout the city are working michael jackson's signature songs into their sets. >> when i listen to his music, he has influence from jazz, rock, funk, r & b and that's where i am in life right now. i'm a student of music first of all and i wanted to be able to take everything and put it all into one gumbo pot. >> and few can stir the pot with

a horn like troy andrews, a rising star in new orleans. on the spot, he can conjure up a soulful version of "rock with you." ♪ ♪ she's a dancing, dancing, machine, watch her get down ♪ >> black and white" young and old stop in new orleans musician, and you'll hear a michael jackson story. even from mainstays like ivan neville who arguably comes from the first faex crescent city music. >> us being from new orleans, we were all influenced by the sounds of the streets of new orleans. you know, but we always listened to the radio ♪ to let you go, let you go baby, not since ♪ >> even though my dad and uncles were all musicians and they had their brand of music, but i listened to the radio.

you hear what's popular. you hear michael jackson. >> alan toussaint was stair in his own right when michael jackson and the jackson 5 stepped into the limelight. >> i was so extremely expressed when i heard him for the first time, such a young child and singing with all the nuances that age is supposed to bring about. ♪ >> if you're breathing and doing michael's period, one way or another, you were ached by mooij. i mean there's no way around it. >> reporter: through the personal ups and downs, artists say jackson never lost that command as a front man, the consummate entertainer. >> when i look at it now and look at how somewhat tragic his life has been, that's all he had. and that's what he gave us. i mean, to me, he was put here to entertain us. >> and what an entertainer he was.

we have a live shot here of the stage, don, at the essence music festival. later on this evening, maxwell anita baker going to be performing. expect a lot of emotional tributes. perhaps the most poignant, before john legend came on, they came out with a new orleans jazz funeral and to quote trombone shorty, people here big easy, they don't mourn when people pass, they celebrate their life. that's what's going on here. >> you know i know that, right, sean? we celebrate life and don't mourn the death of people. they're celebrating michael jackson's life and tuesday will be the big celebration. sean callebs, thank you very much, sir. time now for some of your feedback. i was very touched by the have you seen my childhood piece. did i va d, sarah palin is one big run on on sentence. what is she saying? but really who