i'm gary tuchman. a live look at newark, new jersey this morning. it's a sad day for family and friends of whitney houston. it's the new hope baptist church. this is where the funeral for the pop star there been held beginning at 12:00 noon, four hours from now. we'll take through live and hear from her closest friends. plus, a 29-year-old man is arrested for an alleged blod plot to blow up the u.s. capital and the fbi had been watching every single move he made. just earlier this morning, pope benedict xvi added 22 more cardinals to the cath lynn lick church. one of them, the arch bishop from pen pep. >> announcer: live from studio 7, this is cnn saturday morning. in just a few hours, families and close friends of whitney houston will back their own church in new york, new jersey to say good-bye to a legendary entertainer. don is live in new york. what do you see right now? good morning to you, gary. we're seeing the media beginning to gary and fans begin to go gather here. there you see the new hope baptist church. the police are trying to get their act together, get everything together. we saw a couple of police officers on horses. gary, police just had a briefing just a short time ago. this community is not really used to this sort of a big affair when it comes to a world star like whitney houston. so the media is here, leentd up for blocked here and getting ready for whitney houston's going home celebration, as they say. >> how was the private viewing that was held yesterday. >> there was a private viewing. as they say in the community, it was really a viewing of whitney houston. they call it the viewing, the night before the wake. yesterday, her mother showed up, cissy houston, along with her daughter, bobbi krisdina and claude davis showed up for that viewing last night. and other people who were within the family. and today, of course, the home going celebration will happen and there are going to be people from all over the world, stars from all over the world, some of the biggest and brightest, of course, her godmother, aretha franklin will perform, stevie wonder will perform, alicia keys will performance. there are people on the guest list who will be here celebrating whit knew houston's life and mourning her death in los angeles last week. >> a week ago today so tramgic that she passed away seven days ago. no doubt whitney's friends and former leagues honor her tnaacp image awards last night. how did that go? >> it was amazing to see. and i was not on the west coast. i was here on the east coast. so i got a chance to see it. and yolanda adams, a stirring performance last night singing a song that whit knew houston sang many times in her life, "i love the lord." she brought the crowd to their feet last night. not a dry eye in the house when she did that. she was the end of the celebration. she really, as we say in the music industry, she brought the house down. and i felt like i was watching church. and i'm sure many people in the audience inside the auditorium in los angeles felt the same way. it was a fitting tribute from yolanda adams to whitney houston. >> this will be quite a day. dawn don lemon, looking forward to speaking with you through the day. thank you. one of those people is david lentin, who worked with the singer in the 1990s. he's coming up live this hour. and our special coverage of whit knew houston's funeral will begin at 11:00 a.m. eastern time. here have some of the other stories we're following right now. a man in in custody right now, this man, charged with launched a plot to attack the u.s. capitol building. he's moroccan and is in the country illegally. he had gone to a parking garage near the capital where he got what he thought was a suicide vest, but it was a dummy vest. agents had diffused the explosives. authorities say the public was never in danger from this man. president obama is expected to sign the payroll tax extension into law as early as today. the compromised bill passed by the house and the senate means you will get to keep an average of $ ,000 more from your paycheck. the other part of that bill extends unemployment benefits from the year and changed the cap from 99 weeks to no more than 73 weeks. opposition activists in syria say the military took shots at them during demonstrations and funerals in the capital city of damascus today. as many as 6 1 people were killed yesterday. we are being told by one activist that the syrian military is planning an all-out assault on one neighborhood in the city of homs. homs is in the epicenter of the anti-government uprising. pope benedict xvi has officially add 22 cardinals to the catholic church. among them is arch bishop testimony thee dolan. the candles will be responsible for pick a new pope when the time comes. in cape ka 1/2 kal, florida, they are celebrating the 50th anniversary of john glenn's trip around the earth, happened on february 20th, 1962. glenn orbited the earth three times aboard the friendship 7 caps i didn't knowul before coming back down. in an event yesterday, glenn talked about one of the challenges he faced in that first flight. when i was getting ready for that first flight back then, i thought, well, what if we had to make an emergency reaction to coming down? there are some places in the desert, calahari desert, there was the outback in australia and those three areas still had abdomen rid abariginees. how do you communicate? what if you land, the side blows out and out steps this thing in a silver suit? you're going to be like the god king or dead very quick. >> that's a great story, the god king john glenn instead. instead web became u.s. senator john glenn. the gulf coast is on alert this morning. thunderstorms are expected throughout the region. that was a great story about john glenn, wasn't it? >> amazing story. not ohm was he a great astronaut, but he was a great fighter pilot in korea. he was always able to bring planes back to the battle front. he's appear amazing pilot, no question. unfortunately, we've got some rough weather to be dealing with today. anyone trying to fly around houston or any of your small regional airports along the gulf coast, even into new orleans, you're going to have a tough time. biggest reason? strong storms that may produce flash flooding along the gulf coast. we're going to talk all about this coming up in just a few moments, gary. >> thanks, reynolds. a 98-year-old woman was served an eviction notice on her birthday and the eviction notice comes from her son. why he wants her out of the home she's lived in for nearly six decades. and before she became known world over for her music, whitney houston was known as a shy, young model. the whitney fans didn't know, coming up. 8% every 10 years. wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? 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[ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! from the moment she released her first album 28 years ago and throughout her career, whitney houston released new heights in the record world. among her many milestones, houston's first album is the biggest selling debut by any artist. and her signature song, "i will always love you" is the biggest selling commercial single in music history. cnn has also obtained previously unpublished photos of a young whitney houston. the images were taken when whitney was just 18 years old. for more, to look at them, visit our website at cnn.com. whitney houston made her mark in gospel. the sound track for the preacher's wife is the top selling gospel album of all time. coming up, more on my exclusive interview donny mcclarkin. he will sing at whit knew houston's funeral today. before that, he shares his thoughts on his close friend and her faith. let's take a look now at a few stories making news across country. in maryland, the statehouse has approved same-sex marriage. the senate will vote next. the governor says he will sign the las vegas. opponents of same-sex marriage want the issue to go to a statewide referendum. in chicago, the class rams of ryan piccolo elementary school are occupied by parents, students and activists. we want to hear from the mayor. hear us. we are taxpayers. we have a right, we have a say so. these are our kids. >> they're protesting the city's so-called turn around plans for the school. if approved, new management, teachers and staff will be brought in. picolo is one of ten underperforming schools slated for turn around. in connecticut, this great-great grandmother was given the worst birthday gift ever. appear eviction notice from her son. peter says she's in no condition to live alone, but her younger son, jack, disagrees. >> i just don't understand him at all. according to affiliate wthn, the courts have ruled the 98-year-old is competent, but no decision yet if she'll get to stay in the house. back on home turf, newt gingrich returns here to the state of georgia, trying to set things up for a super tuesday triumph. we'll check in on the campaign. plus, an oil spill shuts down part of the mississippi river. we'll tell you how it happened next. ♪ [ woman ] when i grow up, i want to take him on his first flight. i want to run a marathon. i'm going to own my own restaurant. when i grow up, i'm going to start a band. 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[ female announcer ] discover what's next in your life. get this free travel bag when you join at aarp.org/jointoday. ♪ [ male announcer ] offering four distinct driving modes and lexus dynamic handling, the next generation of lexus will not be contained. the all-new 2013 lexus gs. there's no going back. see your lexus dealer. a five-mile stretch of the mississippi river has been reopened. the coast guard says a crash between two barges ripped a 10-foot gash on the side of a tanker barge. nobody was injured in the incident. it's now 14 past the hour. time for a check of weather for reynolds wolf. >> they've really had a deficit snowfall. who knows. it's still a long winter. a lot of times in march you can get some heavy snowfall. that story, though, the big story we have this morning will be the rain. you can see it plain as day across louisiana into texas. everything you see in this area that is shaded by this yellow, orange or red, that's your heaviest precipitation. where you see blue on the lighter side, so to speak. there's one shape that pops up. it's yellow. with the severe thunderstorm watch, you can expect strong winds to possibly develop under some hail and with it some flash flooding. in fact, the national weather service posted at a swath of the gulf coast. warnings, watches and even, of course, we've got the woornings itself. the warning will be in areas where you've got the lime green color. houston, you have red. that's your flad flash flood warning. move of the area could be 2 to 4 inches of rainfall. there are a few exceptions. some areas could get as much as six. plus, places that have poor drainage, you can expect the water, really, to begin to pile up there, also. this is your big weathermaker, this area of low pressure. as you make your way into the afternoon hours, this area of low pressure will move closer to the gulf coast. that combine with the six, maybe some low 70s could help stabilize the atmosphere. with it, you can have the chance for strong storms and potential tornados. 48 degrees in salt lake city. 47 in new york. 56 in washington. what sdot storms mean to you if you happen to be traveling? delays, plain and simple. even in atlanta, you might have some backups due to the storms in the afternoon and evening. but in san diego, no rain, no snow, but fog might keep you on the tar mark for a little longer than you might expect. that's the latest on the forecast. the dead of winter, the middle of february and i think 37 degrees for a high. minneapolis, 47 in billings, montana. these are not numbers we're using to seeing this time. >> time to break out the uk eucalales. let's see if we get some changes in the coming weeks. >> do you take a ukelale with you everywhere you go? >> sometimes it's one of the things you need to take along. millions of people will be watching the funeral of whit knew houston. if you're watching it online, hold off on clicking on that whit knew houston link. scams are coming across our desk. it's the only calcium supplement that can be taken with or without food. that's why my doctor recommends citracal maximum. it's all about absorption. with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaids, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. ♪ after giving it my all when the storms have come ♪ ♪ and i -- >> "i look to you" one of her first big hits. since she passed away one week ago, all her music sales have skyrocketed. digital sales of her hit, i will always love you, that song along jumped more than 6,700%. that's according to nielsen. radio air play has increased 915%. the song now sits at number four on itunes and number seven on billboard's top 100. but where there's money to be made, scammer res sure to try and cash in. our tech guru mario armstrong is here. >> it's like having you hear with us. this is a sensitive conversation. but it's an important one. what are some of the scams you're seeing online that people are trying to do? >> this happened when one one of the major stature passes want / want 3/. >> they're seeing links to things they think are legitimate and they're clicking on them. the things we're seeing right now are suggesting there's secret toes be revealed from the autopsy that are being leaked. so that's been the main thing that's really, really going viral on the web right now. and it's taking people to a survey site, they're clicking on links and in some cases downloading files that could be malicious mal ware and cyruss that people are putting on their computers. >> it's taken advantage of individuals looking for information. they're using the power of the internet to do it and they know this is a global story. >> they tend to be aware of it the. >> how do we spot this? how do you know when something is not good for you to click on? >> it's hard to know. a time of times it comes from a family friend or someone you trust and you're getting over e-mail and twitter. the first thing is if it doesn't seem like it's ga lit or if it's not coming from a legitimate news source at this stage, don't click on it. go to the news source site. go directly to cnn.com or hln.com and go to your favorite news source to get the information. >> so you're saying, mario, that we have seen this in other celebrity deaths? >> absolutely. we've seep this with amy winehouse. osama bin lad.. we've seen this with natural disasters and major global events that when news starts to cover it, people are looking for information. unfortunately, so many other people can quickly claim that they know information and postings that look legitimate but aren't. >> whitney houston's funeral is getting streamed online. has this happened before? >> we should clarify. this is kind of kind of happened. people will say to me, well, michael jackson was the first to stream. that wasn't his funeral. that was his memorial service. we've seen james brown, heavy d, but the global artistry of whitney, this will probably be the largest and the first actual funeral, not just a memorial, but a funeral that will be live streamed on the web. and i think this is a big deal, gary. i started calling local funeral homes. we have one in baltimore called march funeral homes. they're offering web streaming as a service. and i talked to families on my radio show and they said they loved this, if they can't travel or they can't afford to travel to a funeral, they can actually watch the funeral with other family members in their home, on the web and still feel a part of that closure, on that ceremony. >> i don't mean to get cynical or skeptical, but is there a concern that someone can try to set up a fake streaming site and something can happen like we've talked about before? >> i'm glad you brought that up. that's something we could be aware of and something that could absolutely happen. reputable sites. look for the live feed at 12:00 noon. go to those locations. >> and i am here to personally guarantee. >> he says, if i should fail, if i succeed, no matter how i lived, at least i'll have my dignity. and i hope that people throughout all of -- everything they know about whitney and how they grew up with whitney, that they trust in that, that she can be laid to rest with her dignity. unless she's experienced abuse and substance abuse within your family, you really have no idea how tough it is to get out of it. ask amy winehouse and others that have fell victim to it. but that should not take away the impact that she had as an artist and a human being that she cared about people. >> i'm glad you picked that song because it's my favorite whitney houston song. it was very applicable to today. >> yeah. it's the most inspirational one off her first album. and a lot of people look to the big one from the bodyguard sound track, but it's great that you and i have the same one. >> yeah, i'm glad. thanks for joining us. i hope you'll join us every saturday. our digital expert mario arc strom gives up the latest skool scoop and the latest technology. whitney houston was known as the queen of pop. they also had the top selling gospel artist ever. up next, donny mccorkin talks about winny's faith. and john glenn celebrates a golden landmark. [ engine sputtering ] [ male announcer ] engine light on? come to meineke now for a free code scan read and you'll say...my money. my choice. my meineke. it's 29 minutes past the hour. welcome back. i'm gary tuchman. thanks for spending your weekend today with us. well, we've 3 1/2 hours away from the memorial service for widny houston in new york, new jersey. new york is the town where she was born. she spent most of her years in east orange, which is just to the west. my colleague, jason carol will be covering the funeral service today. jason has more information about what's going to be taking place. >> right, gary. i literally got off the phone with a friend that's close to the houston family. he also gave me the program so we have the rundown of exactly what will be happening at 12:00 noon when the service gets under way. i want to go through the entire program if i may. i will open with a processional. the new hope mass choir along with the new jersey mass choir. they will be singing the lord is my shepherd. that will be followed by a prescription that will be read by pastor joe carter at the new hope baptist church. that will be followed by a solo by donnie mcclarkin. that will be followed by tyler perry, followed by a song by bbwynan. then we will hear from bishop td blake. then we will hear from noted gospel singer tim burrow. she will be singing the song "i believe in you and me." that song tim told me was chosen by whitney houston's family. that will be followed by remarks by kevin costner, following kevin costner's remarks, we will hear from aretha franklin. and this is especially moving. she will be singing the whit knew houston favorite, greatest love of all. so following aretha franklin's version of that song, we will have roshgs by collide davis. her mentor for many, many years. after claude davis's remarks, we'll be hearing from stevie wonder. stevie wonder will be singing one of his great songs, a ribbon in the sky. following his rendition of that, we will have remarks from the band leader, followed by a melody by alicia keys. she'll be lending her voice to the service. that will be followed by a solo by art kelly. we will be singing, i love to you. then, gary, we will hear from the family speak. we were told first it will be patricia houston. she is whitney houston's sterm, her former manager for many, many years and following her speech we will hear from dionne warwick. the service is expected to get under way at about noon. they're hoping they may have to slide that a little bit because they're getting so many people in the services expected to last for three hours. and we are hearing that whitney houston will be finally laid to rest tomorrow. so for the first time, gary, once again, we are hearing exactly who will be speaking and in what order during the service, which is schedule to take place around noon later today. gary. >> what an incredible arain of people participating. you were saying three hours, but i think it may end up going longer. don't you think so? >> absolutely. in fact, the family friend made it very clear that they're hoping three hours. they're hoping to start at noon. but when you hear that aretha franklin is going to be singing "the greatest love of all" you can imagine how there won't be a dry eye in the house. >> jason, i know you've spent a lot of hours covering that. jason carol, reporting from newark. it will be a day of tears in the state of new jersey. whit knew houston's family and friends will gather at the church to say their final good-byes. they'll focus on whit knew houston's state and their passion. pastor donnie mcclarkin will have to handle his own ee moel motions because he will sing a final song for his close friend. thank you so much for joining us. >> i'm glad to be here, gary. >> tell me how you knew whit knew houston. >> well, whit knew houston became a family friend of ours when she took my sister, olivia, and they sang together for seven years. she was one of her background singers and became one of the favorite ones. so whitney was at her wedding and whitney loved my mother. there was a love wip between the houston family and the mcclarkin family. >> what will you be singing at this funeral service? >> well, i'm going to try to sing a song called stand, a song that i wrote some years ago. ♪ the houston family loves it and i'm going to try to get through that because this is very unexpected, very. >> i would assume, pastor, that that will be very difficult. i assume it's difficult whenever you sing a song like that on a sad occasion. but how do you get through it? how do you contain yourself to be able to finish it without your emotions getting the best of you? >> i really don't know because i -- that can't be a guarantee. because a loss like this is something that is deep and it's really, really powerfully impacting us. not only did the world know whitney, but we knew her intimately and we knew her as friends. it's a different scenario altogether. and trying to sing on top of the loss is going to be one of the most harrowing experiences that -- but praising god, we'll get through it. >> i spent part of this week in newark and east orange and talked to friends of whitney and talked to her grade school principal. people can't believe this happened to -- she was such a wonderful little girl and wonderful star and inspired so many people. are you still in a state of -- >> well, whitney was more than just an icon. whitney was a real person and she loved and whom she loved, she loved with all of her heart. she shared herself with the whole entire world but there was an incidentment side of her that was absolutely genuine that you felt like you knew her. all of our time of knowing her, it felt like she had been family to us. it was the way that she treated everybody. so it's going to be hard. people still haven't really registered yet that this is a real happening. the loss is great and it's going to really take some time to get over this. >> pastor, she was known as one of the great ft top singers ever, but her start, her origin comes from the god. tell me more about that. >> well, you see, not just her start and her origin. throughout all of her era, even with the preachers, whitney is doing what whitney does. that's what she was saying. even in the r&b world, she sang with the same gospel flare. gospel is not just a music form. to her and to all of us, gospel is a lifestyle. and the one thing that you have to know about whit knew houston is that she loved god and even in the way she portrayed her song. >> if you had to deal with some of the things that wid with itny dealt with, we always brought attention, but the only way to get to it was through god, through prayer, through surrounding herself to people. there would be times when we would be at an awards show. one in particular i remember. and they pulled me into her dressing room. she was nervous and wrapped up in her night goun. she was ready to go out but her nerves were so overwhelming to her and she wanted me to play with her. that's how she got through everything. when we paint the picture of whitney houston, we can't paint it just with her struggles. we have to understand that she overcame a lot of hufrlgds and the way she did so was through god. >> pastor, i know this will be a is at sad day, but i know you will be very inexpiring. thanks very much for joining us. >> gary, thank you for having me. i appreciate it. and we would like to remind you that cnn will have special coverage of whit knew houston's funeral in new york, new jersey, coming your way about 2 1/2 hours from now. 11:00 a.m. eastern time. join us tonight at 11:00 a.m. eastern time for a look back at the life of whitney houston. her fall to stardom and an investigation into her untimely death. cnn 8:00 tonight. imagine if you could always see life [music] in the best light. every time of day. outdoors, or in. transitions® lenses automatically filter just the right amount of light. so you see everything the way it is meant to be seen. maybe even a little better. experience life well lit, ask for transitions adaptive lenses. diarrhea, gas or bloating? 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[ female announcer ] live the regular life. phillips'. but proven technologies allow natural gas producers to supply affordable, cleaner energy, while protecting our environment. across america, these technologies protect air - by monitoring air quality and reducing emissions... ...protect water - through conservation and self-contained recycling systems... ... and protect land - by reducing our footprint and respecting wildlife. america's natural gas... domestic, abundant, clean energy to power our lives... that's smarter power today. newt gingrich is back home, right here in the state of georgia. the super tuesday state is the key to his hopes of getting back on track. cnn's political reporter shawna shepherd has been following the gingrich campaign. she has been with them for weeks and weeks and weeks, right? >> months. >> and you know the campaign very well. first of all, what did newt gingrich have to say about the three other gop guys who were trying to get the nomination deciding they didn't want to be in the primary that we were supposed to hold here in atlanta -- the debate, i'm saying, and we ended up canceling the debate because three quarters of the republican candidates didn't want to be in it. >> exactly. there was a debate scheduled for march 1st five days before the super tuesday. and i think mitt romney was the first person to say he would be campaigning elsewhere and rick santorum and ron paul followed. obviously, newt gingrich relies heavily on these debates, it's good free media, good exposure to him. so he took a hit for capseling. >> it's kind of disappointing when they decided that they didn't want to run the risk any more of being outside their advertising. but let me tell you, if you're afraid to debate newt gingrich, you sure can't debate barack obama. so i'm going to ask them to reconsider and come to georgia. it will be just fine. we'll be hospitable. >> now, i just saw a chicken. did newt gingrich arrange for a chicken to be in the audience? >> yes. it appeared to be a campaign sanctioned event. one was wear a rick santorum t-shirt and the other was wearing a mitt romney t-shirt. it was their way of making the point that his opponents were chicken to debate newt gingrich. >> an elephant is the main character in newt gingrich's wife calista's children book. >> yes. ellis the elephant. >> so calista gingrich, she was by his side, but she was very quiet. i i understand she's speaking out more now. >> she's been doing -- headlining more events on her own last weekend in southern california. she spoke at a couple of events on her own. then she did a reading. she read to the kids at 1,000 oaks. today she'll be speaking to some kids speaking at a republican party in atlanta. she's definitely stepping up her role. it will be interesting. we'll be seeing a lot more of her. >> shawna shepherd, nice to see you in person. >> nice to see you. >> there's only one debate left. it's the arizona republican debate. it's this wednesday night. joining me colleague john king as we welcome the four remaining candidates and no chickens are expected to be there. it's wednesday, 8:00 eastern time. she didn't act like a superstar. that's what one former executive from whit knew houston's record company says. she joins us next with more o pop star most of us never saw. now whitney houston, her first record, her first album had came in 1985. she was signed by aristar records. joining mess now is david linton. he's now the executive vice president of urban music. david, thanks for joining us. >> good morning. >> tell me what you did. >> i was the vice president of r&b promotions. my team was portly responsible for the promotion and marketing of the whitney houston project. i was there from 1995 to 1999 or 2,000. and so during that span, we had the great opportunity of delivering and working some of whitney's great music. >> so, tell me, first of all, it's such a sad day. i really appreciate you being here because you knew her so well. how was she to work with? >> she was a joy. she was a professional and, you know, a perfectionist. she took her craft very seriously. she also understood that her music was bringing joy to the world. she enjoyed that. she wanted to make sure that she always delivered the best. >> now, you say that she used to make you blush. how is that? >> well, the first very time i could say the very first time i met whitney was on a video set. i had just god got hired to the executive vice president of urban music's label at the time and collide davidson just joined me. she was one of the first projects i'd be working with. i walked in and she looked at gene and said, ooh, he's handsome. so for whitney houston to tell you that you're handsome, that is something that i'll always remember. >> you'll never forget that. that's a wonderful story. when was the last time you saw whitney? >> probably about 2003. it's been a number of years. but i saw her at an industry function and, you know, we saw each other. we acknowledged each other. and it was, you know, short, brief, but it was a good moment, you know, definitely. >> now, outside of her telling you that you were handsome, what is your favorite memory of working with whitney? >> well, i think my -- you know, the exhale sound track when we did a listing party, a party in los angeles for her to go and inter act with, you know, people in the industry and talk about that sound track, which was very dear to her, it celebrated women and the music on that sound track was so awesome. she is a hand in that and, of course, the preacher's wife. but those were some things when a new album was released she would come to -- whenever the word that whitney is in the building, she would come in to see clive and they would talk about upcoming projects. it was that. but i think one of the things that sticks with me was her 35th birthday. >> it was about 13 years ago? >> yeah. it was a big event. and she was celebrating her 35th and it was a special night. we all had a great time and so that is the whitney i'll always remember. that vivacious young lady. >> i think we'll remember that, too. thank you, david. it was nice having you here. thanks for joining us. >> we'll have special coverage at cnn in norton, new jersey. the coverage will begin at 11:00 eastern time. oh will you grab us some yoplait? 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[ laughter ] [ shapiro ] we created legalzoom to help you take care of the ones you love. go to legalzoom.com today and complete your will in minutes. at legalzoom.com, we put the law on your side. i am an avid roller blader, so the following story is particularly interesting to me. the movie force behind roller blades is now setting his sights on the sky, bringing exercise and transportation to new heights. joe carter takes a ride in this week's start small, think big. >> inventor scott olson, the man behind roller blades is on a mission to get people in motion. his latest innovation dubbed sky ride has been in the works for about 15 years. >> we're going now. >> the idea is simple. sky riders can pedal or roll themselves along a mono rail. >> i love rolling. and i wanted to take rolling to new heights and new speeds. >> when i think of roll, i think of being in a gym, staring at a wall, rowing and rowing and rowing and not going anywhere. >> that's the beauty of the sky ride. that's why i built it was to give people another option. >> it's really up to me with how fast i want to go. that seems to be the beauty of this. if you want to go faster, you just row harder. if you want to enjoy the ride, you coast it out. >> the sky rider is traction as a means of exercise, entertainment and transportation. >> we're not going to sell millions of sky tracks, you know, like we did millions of roller blades, but we may get millions of people using it on 100 sky tracks around the country. >> for a man not afraid of heights, it's a dream within reach. joe carter, cnn. >> reynolds wolf is now here with weather. reynolds, we have good weather to go along with the sky ride today? >> it depends where you happen to be. gulf of mexico, a lot of rain we're dealing with. compliments of appear area of low pressure that is bringing it down like a pack of hammers across louisiana, into mississippi, into alabama and north texas at this hour. this area of low pressure that is causing all this mess is not going to stay locked in place. it's not going to remain anchored to the ground. we anticipate that it's going to pull its way to the northeast. in fact, as you make your way through the afternoon, it's going to pull its way into parts of florida and alabama, heavy rain on all i-65. let's fast forward again into sunday morning, sunday mid day, even into sunday night. that low pushes out towards the atlantic, back half of the system with the cold air coming through. and back into the appalachians. we'll have more on that coming up. gary, let's toss it back to you. >> thank you, reynolds. saying good-bye to a legend. at the top of the hour, we go live to new jersey where music legend whitney houston is being laid to rest today. also ahead, i visit whit knew houston's home taun and talk to those who knew her best. what they're remembering about their hometown hero. it's 59 minutes after the hour. i'm gary tuchman. thank you for joining us today. checking the top stories in just a few hours. friends and family will say good-bye to the six-time grammy award winning legend whit knew houston. new hope baptist church. you're looking at a live picture where there will be a celebration of whitney houston's life. it will begin at noon eastern time, three hours from now. some performance tributes include aretha franklin, stevie wonder. a 29-year-old moroccan man is charged with attempting to bomb the u.s. capitol building. prosecutors say he received what he thought was a suicide vest, but alas, it was not. it came from the legal authorities and if convicted, he faces the possibility of life in prison. pope benedict xvi has added new cardinals to the catholic church. among them, new york ash bishop timothy dollan. when the time comes the majority of the cardinals, they're called the princes of the church, they will be responsible for picking a new pope. whitney houston's godmother, aretha franklin, will sing the greatest love of all. stevie wonder will sing "a ribbon in the sky." alicia keys will be there. she plans to do a medically. an estimated 1500 people are expected to be at the new hope baptist church in new jersey today. originally they were talking about having the service at the prudential stadium. the family preferred to do it this way and it makes sense because it was whit knew houston's church as a little girl. our colleague don lemon has been covering this. he was in los angeles for the beginning of this when whit knew houston died. don, it's good to see you. are you starting to see people arrive now through histories before it all begins? >> we are starting to see people arrive, gary. it's very interesting. police just had a meeting about an hour ago and they're trying to figure out themselves exactly what they're going to do. they've been discouraging people from showing up here. not a ton of people, but it looks like some opf her fans ar beginning to come out and as we get closer to the time of the memorial, it's about three hours away. we will see more people. faps can get as well as the media block, maybe two blocks away from the church which is right over my shoulder. and you're looking at a live picture there from above the church. and you see all the balloons that are outside of the new hope missionary baptist church here in new york, new jersey. we're also being told that the hearse -- is there some movement? the hearse has been covered and they are on the move. so i would imagine that they are bringing whit knew houston's body here from the funeral home which is not far from this location. and, again, the balloons, everyone getting ready here and it's -- you know, new york is not used to this sort of event. they do have the prudential center, as you said, and they expected to have that service there. at least waits reported that the prudent yapal center seats about 20,000 people and they thought it would be in the vain of michael jackson. but whitney houston's family decided they wanted a real down home home going for the lfd one that they know as nippy rather than whitney houston. it's understandable. i think my mother would want the same thing and anyone's mother would want the same thing. i grew up in a church family, whit knew houston grew up in the church singing with the church choir. that's the way they want to send you home, the way you grew up. going to sunday vacation bible school in the summer. and so i understand exactly the sort of way they want to send her off. i understand exactly the -- how she grew up in the church baht because it was basically the same way that i grew up. you go to church and you're there all day on sunday for about three or four hours starting at sunrise service. you're there till noon. afterwards, off breakfast and then everyone comes over to hang out at your house and then have lunch and you barbecue or what have you. church is an all-day affair for many families in the african-american community. and i think it was probably -- i know it's the same way for whit knew houston's family. no big event. we don't want a big event. we want to send our girl home in a home going. what usually happens, especially as a southern baptist, as a baptist, they usually have a viewing the night before, which they did last night. cissy houston showed up. bobbi kristina showed up. clive davis. so you have a viewing. it starts at the funeral home. everyone comes over. you smile and say hello and you smile and say hello, you sit there with the family and you don't have to say a word. and you just sort of reminisce and remember the person. people sit in there and they watch. some people come in and they cry and you sort of start to get the emotions out. after that, you have dinner. usually at the family's house. an aunt or a cousin and then the next day you have -- which is a home going, what we call a wake where everybody comes, the preacher comes, the person does the eulogy. you basically have church. it's a full church service and then, you know, you shout and you sing and most of the time there is a program. but if you want to stand up and say i love you, whitney, and god be with you, nothing is off limits except you do it in a respectful way. and then at point during the ceremony, family members will come up, just go up to the casket and they'll either touch the loved one or kiss the loved one on the cheek. so it's really a way of paying tribute to the person that you lost. as a matter of fact, celebrating their life. and usually after the wake or the home going, sometimes immediately after, sometimes it's the next day is what they call the funeral or the burial. and so -- but after the wake, again, go back to the family's house. you celebrate a little bit. you laugh, you cry. sometimes there's, you know, food and even drinks. and it's a celebration is what they call it. and then after the funeral, same thing. the funeral, you lay the person in the ground and usually the family just sort of sits there for a while. and just mourns and the family and the loved ones throw the dirt in first as they do throw roses and flowers down into the grave site and then they lower the casket and the family and the mom, i would imagine, will just sit there for a while and everyone else will leave. and then you say your private good-byes. after that, that is it. you go back to the home and then you remember your loved one. so that is how it's starting here today. and we're going to be here all day for the coverage of whit knew houston. you reeled off the names of the people who are going to be here. we're hearing the greatest love of all will be sang by -- will be sung by her godmother, the great aretha franklin. aretha franklin and whit knew houston rivaled in popularity. both are equally as popular and equally known around the world. stevie wonder is going to sing "ribbon in the sky." alicia keys is going to perform, a whole bunch of people. we heard about all of the people who are going to be here and those are the confirmed people. they're going to be so many stars who we have not heard from who are going to be here. as a matter of fact, i haven't seen them on the guest list anywhere, but i know he's going to be here with his wife, l.a. reed. i took the red eye with l.a. reed. there are other stars, jay-z, beyonce. i would imagine a lot of people are going to show up that we don't know about and it's all going to start on cnn in just a little bit. but we're going to carry the entire coverage for you. again, the interesting thing is who is going to be here who we haven't heard from already. >> you know, don, what i keep thinking about, there are literally tens of millions of people threout the world mourning whit knew houston's death and who are so saddened by this. but i keep thinking about her mother, cissy houston and her daughter, kristina. do you have any idea what they're going through? >> you can't imagine. the thing is, though, i have to tell you, yes, they are grieving. but they have a huge support system around them. let me tell you, when something like this happens, i know for black families, every single person you know comes out to support you. they just sit there with you. and so i can't imagine what they're going through right now, but they have a lot of support, a lot of support. and i just want to tell you information, the first processional, the new hope mass choir and new jersey mass choir are going to sing "the lord is my shepherd" and it will be followed by scripture. just getting more information on how the services are going to go here. there will be a solo by donnie mcclarkin. there will be remarks by tyler perry, remarks by the bishop t.j. jake. a solo by kim burrell and then rafx by kevin costner and so on. >> don lemon, thank you very much for pointing that poignant portrait. special coverage of whit knew houston's funeral in new york, new jersey, begins at 11:00 eastern time. every 10 ye. wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise 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[ female announcer ] discover what's next in your life. get this free travel bag when you join at aarp.org/jointoday. can you enjoy vegetables with wh sauce join and still reach your weight loss goals? you can with green giant frozen vegetables. over twenty delicious varieties have sixty calories or less per serving and are now weight watchers-endorsed. try green giant frozen vegetables with sauce. throughout her career, whit knew houston reached any heights in the music world setting records that still stand to this very day. among her many titles, whitney houston's first titled debut album is the largest selling by any artist. one of her signature songs, "i will always louf" is the biggest selling commercial sale in u.s. history. cnn has obtained previously unpublished photos of a young whitney houston. the photos were taken when the singer was just 18 years old. it was 1982. for more, visit our welcome back at cnn.com. just a kid from east orange, new jersey, with the voice of an angel. so how is whitney houston remembered in her hometown? find out, coming up next. ♪ what started as a whisper every day, millions of people choose to do the right thing. there's an insurance company that does that, too. liberty mutual insurance. responsibility. what's your policy? let's take a look now at a few stories making news across country. in maryland, the statehouse has approved same-sex marriage. the senate will vote next. the governor says he will sign the legislation. opponents of same-sex marriage wants the issues to go to a state referendum. in chicago, the halls and classrooms of picolo elementary school are occupied by the activists. >> we want to hear from the mayor. we are taxpayers. we have a right, we have a say-so. these rain shower kids. >> they're protesting the turn around plan for the school. if approved, new managers and staff will be brought in. piccolo is one of ten underperforming schools slated for turn around. and in connecticut, this great-great grandmother was given the worst 98th birthday gift ever, an eviction notice from her sop. peter cantorowski says she's in no condition to live aloep. but his younger brother, jack, disagrees. >> i can't understand him at all. what's happening with him. >> according to affiliate wtnh, the courts have ruled the 98-year-old is competent. no decision yet if she'll get to stay in the house. whitney houston is being laid to rest in new jersey today. new jersey was her childhood home, where she went to school, where she had friends and where she grew up. but she was far from just an ordinary girl. >> franklin elementary school in east orange, new jersey, where whit knew houston went to school from first to fifth grade. >> good afternoon, whit knew houston academy, mrs. patrick speaking. may i help you. >> in 1997, it was renamed the whit knew houston academy of creative and performing arts. the principal is henry hamilton, the same man that was principal when whitney was there as a little girl. >> was i proud of her? you better believe it. yes, i was. >> she entered in 1969 and went on to middle school in 1974. in the principal's office, pictures of him with whitney and lots of other pictures with whitney after she became famous. >> she was a beautiful little girl, very quiet. not a talkative person, but she was a well respected, never game to my office for discipline problems, well behaved. >> raymond shepherd used to teach at the school. he reminisces about when she was about to make it big. >> when she was leaving to go to california to be with dee on warwick, she came to the local store and the owner, john, said i'm so glad to see you going. i wish you the best. and he gave her a $100 bill. he said, here, this is to help you on your way. >> the houston family home was the center of activity in the summertime because it was the only house in the area that had a built in swimming pool. so young whitney had a lot of friends who came over. erica taylor, the same age as whitney was was one of those prendz. >> we would talk about boys and what we did over -- wa we're doing over the summer and how it was so fun to be in the pool. >> and after they would be done swimming in the pool behind the house, they would all watch whitney hit tennis balls against a wall. >> how come none of you would play tennis with her? >> we would rather talk to her. she was talking about it the other day and we were asking each other, remember how she played tennis? and how was it to meet michael jackson smp. >> you knew she had celebrity connections. and she was just a kid them. >> but she still knew the people. her aunt was beyond her. her godmother was aretha so she would meet the stars when we were kids. >> many who knew whitney realized her voice was special from her early days singing at church. but some remember her belting out tunes even earlier. >> the first time i met whitney, and we called her nippy back then. she was about 5 years old. >> alesse griffith is another retired principal but was a friend who attended a houston christmas party more than 40 years ago. >> one of the back rooms, nippy had her cousins surrounded by her. and she jumped up on the coffee table and started singing. >> back at the whit knew houston academy in room 109, one of whitney's class reams -- >> is whitney houston your hero? >> yes. >> the pride from current students is unmistakable. >> with all of her accomplishments, i know i want to be just like her when i grow up. >> i picked that role. >> so you do consider her a daughter? >> i consider her a daughter. you better believe it. a daughter forever. our lost daughter. >> you heard a little from principal henne hamilton there. you can hear more from him when he joins me live in our 10:00 eastern hour to talk about whitney and to talk about her early years. cnn will have special coverage of whitney houston's funeral. our coverage comes your way about an hour and 40 minutes from now, 11:00 eastern time. a plan to attack the capitol building in washington. but instead of terrorists prepare ago suicide bomb. it was federal agents. we'll learn more about the suspect and his plan. plus, meet the harvard grad turned new york nickerbaker starter. how did jeremy lin perform on the court last night? details, just ahead. 8% every 10. wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. 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[ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! but we couldn't simply repeat history. we had to create it. introducing the 2013 lexus gs, with leading-edge safety technology, but we do expect in this hour the people to start arriving for the ceremony. you are now looking at what we believe is the hearse carrying whit knew houston's body. this is new york, new jersey, population 277,000. it was a much bigger city when she was born here in the 1960s. after the 1967 riots, many people left. her family ended up moving to nearby east orange, new jersey, just west of newark. but this was her church her whole life. she was a lil little girl who sang here. this is where her family thought it was appropriate to have the funeral service today. so thousands of people are expected in the neighborhood to see things like the hearse arriving, to see the celebrities arrive and to pay respect to whitney houston, one of the most famous and amazing pop singers in the world. the hearse carrying whit knew houston is on its way to the church. the funeral begins about 2 1/2 hours from now. this is a shot of when it first left. gospel singing inside that very church where her funeral service will be held today. initially the talk was there was speculation that the service would be held at the prudential center. that's a brand new stadium downtown. it's where the new jersey mets play. that was the speculation. but it's understandable, the family decided for a more personal service. you can see on the side of the hearse, there appears to be a picture of wid knew houston on the side door there. the family made the decision to have this very important part of their life and whit knew houston's life, the new hope baptist church. celebrities singing, praying, laughing and crying. you can see the media chasing the cars and in particular that's the way things work sometimes with the police escort in front. this is new york, new jersey, where whit knew houston was born. she grew up for many years in east orange elementary. new york is where she was born, new york is where she went to church and that is where she's returned now. the body of whit knew houston going to the church. the funeral service begins 12:00 eastern time. we'll have more right after the break. osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaids, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. my son and i never missed opening day. but with copd making it hard to breathe, i thought those days might be over. so my doctor prescribed symbicort. it helps significantly improve my lung function, starting within 5 minutes. symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. with symbicort, today i'm breathing better, and that means... game on! symbicort is for copd, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. can it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. 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