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Jermaine Jackson: 'I Wish It Was Me' (VIDEO); Blue Jeans Bandits Foiled; Child Porn Warning
(Thursday, 2 July 2009) Jermaine Jackson says he wishes he had died instead of his brother, and addresses speculation about Michael Jackson's prescription abuse; the GBI warns of a nasty child porn e-mail circulating; blue jeans bandits get stopped at a midtown boutique. Details on today's KISS News Now!
- Jermaine Jackson, full of grief, speaks out on NBC's Today Show about the painful loss of his little brother, Michael Jackson. It's the first time he has spoken publicly since announcing the death of his brother last week. Jermaine says his brother was "a gift from Allah, and now He's taken him back," but he wishes he had been the one to die instead. The moment he saw his brother, lifeless at UCLA Medical Center, was emotional, he says--but he pulled himself together.
"I know he's very much alive,'' said Jermaine Jackson in the interview at Neverland Ranch. "His spirit is, and that was just a shell, but I kissed him on his forehead and I hugged him, and I touched him and I said, 'Michael, I'll never leave you. You'll never leave me.'''
Matt Lauer asked why he wishes he had died instead.
"Because I've always felt that I was his backbone. Someone to be there for him. I was Aaron and he was sort of like Moses. Things he couldn't say, I would say them," replied Jermaine, wiping tears away as his voice broke. "During the trials, during everything, I knew he was a thousand percent innocent."
What if the rumors about Michael's use of sedatives, antidepressants and painkillers prove true? Jermaine says he would be hurt to know his brother was under stress that he couldn't deal with another way.
"Michael was always concerned about--just everybody. And to have that weight on your shoulders, to have that kind of pressure...I don't know. I don't know."
Part one of Jermaine Jackson's interview is here:Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
- The DEA has joined the investigation into Michael Jackson's death; they will probe which doctors might have supplied the pop superstar's prescriptions. Final autopsy results have not been released, as toxicology results usually take four to six weeks to be completed and/or made public.
- Just FYI: "leaked" reports that the autopsy showed Michael Jackson's body was covered with needle marks, that he had broken ribs from the CPR, and that he was wearing a wig on a "peach fuzz"-like scalp are untrue. Says the Los Angeles Coroner in a statement:
"The report that is being published did not come from this office. I don't know where the information came from, or who that information came from. It is not accurate. Some of it is totally false."
No word which part might be even partially accurate.
- There's still no final word on a Jackson memorial, but the family says it won't be at Neverland, although a public memorial is in the works. A source says permits for a burial on the sprawling grounds couldn't be obtained in time. Jermaine Jackson says he would like to see his brother laid to rest at the peaceful Neverland Ranch, which he says Michael built with love.
"He created this. Why wouldn't he be here? I feel his presence,'' Jackson said.
- Jackson's 2002 will, filed Wednesday, estimated his fortune then at $500 million; he named his mother as his kids' guardian and Diana Ross was his backup choice.
Michael Jackson died a week ago today at the age of 50.
- Clues surface about what caused the partial collapse of a parking deck in midtown Atlanta; a popped-out beam is to blame, but engineers now have to figure out why it gave way--and whether it was a freak accident or a systemic problem with other parking decks. Most of the damaged cars are now out of the Centergy complex deck at 5th and Spring Streets.
- A nasty, stomach-turning e-mail may be waiting on you in your inbox. The GBI says it's a worm virus with a terrible attachment: a six-minute child porn video showing a man having sex with a girl who is just two or three years old. The GBI cautions people not to open the attachment and to contact the agency if they receive an e-mail containing the following: "VERY Disturbing! TAKE CARE OF YOUR KIDS/ they should kill this man, do not open if your sensitive...click video link.'' The FBI is also investigating. So far, two people in Georgia have reported getting the worm. It usually comes from a Hotmail account, but because it's a worm virus, it could come from someone you know.
- Tragedy strikes in East Point: A 12-year-old boy is shot dead by his 14-year-old friend. Police say the boys were alone inside a unit of the Eagle's Crest Apartments when the younger boy was shot once in the chest. Police have recovered the 12-gauge shotgun and they brought the older boy in for questioning, but he was distraught. Authorities believe it was an accidental shooting, and no charges have been filed at this point.
- Atlanta trims its budget by laying off dozens of corrections officers. Nearly 100 workers at the jail got the news they were being let go; the city's cutting the corrections dept by half. Atlanta has moved half its inmate population back to Fulton County, and is debating whether to sell the entire jail complex.
- Burglar bars thwart the blue jeans bandits who tried to hit an exclusive midtown boutique for the third time. E-Moda on West Peachtree had already been targeted in two smash-and-grab burglaries back in May, when thieves made off with an estimated total of $70,000 worth of high-end merchandise and denim. This time, the boutique's newly-installed burglar bars kept the crooks out. A security guard says as many as six cars with up to 20 thieves were trying to take part. After the second break-in in May, police doing a narcotics bust in southwest Atlanta found 10 pairs of the designer jeans with e-Moda tags and a purse worth nearly $700, among other stolen items like flat-screen TVs. Several members of the "30 Deep" gang are suspected in the crimes.
- The KISS 104.1 weather forecast: lots of sunshine today, dry with a high of 91, lows tonight 62-68. Friday, sunny and low humidity again, with a high of 90. Saturday, July 4th, partly cloudy with a high near 91, and an low around 71.
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Current conditions for Atlanta
Last Updated on Sep 2 2010, 6:52 pm EDT
Humidity: 31%
Wind: E 5.8
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