good morning, america. billions across the globe turn out to see a once-in-a century event. a long solar eclipse. many runs to their homes in fear. back in the u.s., the health care duel heads to primetime. the president poised to take his case to the american people. and governor arnold schwarzenegger weighs in with us. an astonishing story. a newborn dragged from his crib by the family's beloved dog. the father speaking out in a "gma" exclusive. and did a basketball star jilt his fiancee by e-mail? she tells us what really jilt his fiancee by e-mail? she tells us what really happened this morning. captions paid for by abc, inc. well, good morning, america. diane sawyer and chris cuomo, welcoming you. republicanen is off on this wednesday, july 22nd, 2009. and it was pitch black out there. >> oh, boy. >> for half of the planet. >> what a spectacle. so rare. people, millions across the globe, getting out their telescopes. and of course, there's stopwatches. clocked in at over six minutes, this eclipse. a really big deal. and also an opportunity, to fashion that special eyewear you need to look at an eclipse. >> solar goggles to welding masks, tinfoil. special charter flights that promised a bird's-eye view of the eclipse. people having to turn on their lights. our reporter, clarissa ward is in beijing. she got a glimpse of all this. clarisa? >> reporter: good morning, diane. it truly was a historic moment today, as millions of people from around the world, gathered to witness what scientists are calling the longest solar eclipse of the 21st century. billions of eyes from all walks of life were glued to the sky across much of asia this morning, to witness a daytime of darkness, from a total solar eclipse. >> the stars come out in the middle of the day. birds and animals get quiet. the sky gets black. and you see the exquisite corona, the beautiful bink atmosphere around the sun. >> reporter: the eclipse began its coarse in india, where millions shuttered themselves inside, viewing the disappearing sign as a bad omen. in varanasi, the crowds prayed to bring peace. but along the ganges river, joy turned to tragedy, where a 65-year-old woman died in a stampede where devoted hindus gathered for the eclipse, following an ancient belief, that a dip in the river would cleanse sins. here in beijing, we're only getting a partial eclipse of 70%. but there is still a group of people who have gathered here at the planetariuplanetarium. and we have our eyewear. in eastward, to japan, confused cattles moved to the trucks. the man passes between the earth and the sun, casting a shadow on the earth, resulting in an eclipse. what makes today's total eclipse so special, it occurs at a rare moment, when the sun is at its farthest distance from the earth, and the moon, its closest. the result, an especially long period of darkness. to ward off any ill effects, buddhist monks in thailand led followers in mass prayers, until the sun finally returned. and for any americans feeling left out. america will have its own solar eclipse in 2017. it will stretch across the country oregon to the carolinas. but it will only to be 2 to 2 1/2 minutes of darkness. if you want to see another eclipse like today, you'll just have to wait another century. chris? >> but it's just that. clarisa, thank you very much. >>turn to the battle brug over health care. president obama will make his case for health care reform, in a primetime press conference tonight. the president is sticking to his calls for congress to pass a bill by august. correspondent jake tapper, spoke to kathleen sebelius. he's in washington with the latest for us. good morning, jake. >> reporter: in his opening remarks, president obama, we're told, will talk about health care reform, in the broader context of the economy. the need to control costs, as well as the need for any bill to be deficit-neutral. president obama's political capital rides in no small part on this bill. and it seems a tough slog with moderate democrats in the house, holding up the bill. concerned they are about tax increases in the house democrats' bill. and the cost of the bill. and right now, for the second day in a row, a scheduled meeting of a key house committee has been canceled because of the concerns of the moderate, blue dog democrats, who came to the white house yesterday to talk to the president. we speak with hhs secretary, kathleen sebelius, to talk about some of the offers the administration is making. especially about an independent review board to look at medicare pricing. and this is what she had to say. >> he's got a proposal on the table, which he's hoping the house and senate both embrace, which is to stop paying for things we know don't work. and model the medicare system more like the mayo clinic system, where we have lower costs, higher quality care, day in and day out. >> obviously, jake, let me ask you. what he can do with the program is going to be a function of his political strength. are they getting concerned about how much leverage they're seeing in the polls, recording what he can accomplish here? >> reporter: of course, they are. and one of the things that president obama said yesterday in an interview with a different network, was asked about these sinking poll numbers. he said, the easiest thing in the world for a president to do, to keep high poll numbers, is to not do anything. he recognizes by taking on this tough task, it's costing him some political capital. >> jake, thanks for the reporting this morning. appreciate it. obviously, this health care push is going to be mean a lot for states. they're already slashing their budgets. this is especially true in california, where governor schwarzenegger is facing a $26 billion shortfall. that means putting funding for health care on the chopping block. and his state is in the red-hot center of the health care debate as a result. i asked him what he's doing there. and what he thinks about the president's prospects for change. your state is somewhat of a window into the reality of health care. you've been pictured at your desk with a big knife, having to cut the budget. over $1 billion in health care cuts. it's going to affect low-income families. it's going to affect the coverage that children get. is this absolutely necessary? >> well, when you have a $26 billion shortfall in revenues, then you have to go and do a combination of things. one of the things you have to do is make deep cuts in various, different programs. but the important thing, at the same time is, that the cuts are not just cuts. they're also coming from reforms. very important reforms in welfare, for instance. or in-home services. so, there were good things that happened. but also, it was without any doubt, a tough budget, but a necessary buet. >> many governors do not support president obama's health care bill because of what it will mean to their budgets. you do support obama's bill. why? >> well, first of all, i cannot say that i support exactly everything that is in the health care bill because i don't know exactly what is in that bill. it changes all the time, as you know. what i have said was, and i told this to the president, that i would support him 100% in health care reform because i think it's necessary. it's inexcusable that we have 48 million people in the whole united states that are uninsured. i think we need health care reform. it has to be done the right way. >> just to be clear, are you leaning towards what the president is talking about? he's put out a lot of information. which way are you leaning toward, at this point, govern center. >> i'm leaning towards health care reform in america. and i think the idea of having everyone insured is a great idea. i think it's also important to put a lot of emphasis on cost controls because we've got to bring the costs down. i think that he's right on the mark on that one. and i also like his whole idea of prevention. >> what do you think about what it could mean to the tax burden. there are estimates that for the top level of americans in their tax bracket, over 55% of their money could to one government agency or another. i don't have to tell you, as a top earner yourself, how big a burden that could be. what do you think of that? >> first of all, i don't think you can get anything like that done without paying for it. so, we have to pay for it somehow. i think the trick is just to find a way of doing it so it makes sense. >> well, if that is the reality that the top tier of earners in america is going to be paying over 55% in taxes, do you think this bill will make it? >> i don't think so. i think that you have to come up with interesting ways of funding this health care. and we have, for instance, done different things here in california. we have tried to do, you know, go to the tobacco industry. and try to get some money from the hospital association. some money from the employers. so, we kind of spread it and sprinkled the responsibility all over so that no one particular category gets hit too much. >> there's a lot of politics going on here that may determine the fate of the bill. let me play you some sound here of what the president said may be going on in d.c. >> there's folks that think that we should try to dust off that old playbook. what they don't recognize is, this isn't about me. it's about the american people. and things have gotten worse since 1993. >> you're always honest about both political parties. governor, do you believe that the republicans are playing politics here, at the risk of people's health care? >> well, hello? i mean, since when has there anything been done in washington or here in sacramento, or at any capital where politics didn't play a big role in the outcome? i think that, yes. politics is in there. i think that it is very clear that it's a sensitive issue. and republicans will use that, if you raise taxes. >> of course, there's always politics going on. the question is, is it upstaging the need to help people right now? is this beginning to become a little bit of a reckless situation? >> i think it is nothing unusual because every time you try to address big issues like that, you always run into this problem that people make decisions based on what's, you know, good for the politics. >> do you think the president needs to call out the lion? do you think this takes your wife's uncle, senator kennedy? do you think he needs to get involved for this to be successful? >> the question is, if senator kennedy is capable to be out there campaigning. as you know, he's fighting brain cancer. but i think that he was a very important player to get it as far as it is today. and so, i think he has done his share. i think that now, the people on capitol hill and the president have to pull it off. and just, you know, close the deal. >> all right, governor. thank you so much. >> thank you very much. it's interesting. a lot of talk about prevention and how that can save money. in the next half hour of the show, we're going to introduce you to a company that says they are the future of health care, because they found a way to harness personal responsibility and help out employers. as a result, they put hundreds of thousands of dollars back into the pockets of individuals and families who get fit. tonight, we told you about the president's press conference. we'll cover it here at 8:00 eastern. a lot of other news this morning. we'll get over to kate snow. >> we begin with new details in the murder of bud and melanie billings. court documents reveal that one of the seven suspects in custody has named leonard patrick gonzalez as the ringleader and the lone shooter. but the motive for the home invasion is still unclear. another legal distraction for alaska governor sarah palin. an independent council for the state finds that a defense fund, set up to help palin pay off her mounting legal bills, may have violated state ethics guidelines. palin's defenders says it's not a final report. and they're threatening legal action against whoever leaked it. palin leaves the governor's office on sunday. update on a report we had yesterday, a news tape of erin andrews. tmz reports that six tapes have surfaced. four from one hotel. and two from another. andrews and her attorney are working with law enforcement to find the suspect. and finally, perhaps president obama should have traded in his shoes for some cowboy boots last night. ♪ hardly know you >> reporter: alison krauss, brad paisley, other performers performed at the white house as part of michelle obama's music series. president obama said, even though people see him as a city poi, he appreciates listening to country music. i can't find any evidence of country music on the president's ipod. it's stevie wonder, bruce springsteen, bob dylan, jay z., rolling stones. there's no country. >> you've been checking on that? >> among other things. time, now, for the weather. sam champion in minnesota this morning. sam? >> good morning, diane, chris. we're in albert lea, minnesota. it's part of a longevity project. may help us live longer, happier lives. we have some rain to talk about. from the great lakes all the way to the deep south today. this is where the rain will be falling. let's talk about where the heavier rain will be. it's ohio. it's kentucky. western pennsylvania and new york. probably less than an inch in some of the storms. main cities, pittsburgh, louisville, and nashville. big heat out west, fresno 104. palm springs, 103. and we'll take the time to give you all of america's weather in the next half hour. diane? chris? >> okay, sam. thanks to you. now, we turn to the latest on the michael jackson case. his brother, jermaine jackson, speaking out emotionally, about his brother, as he saw him in the last days. and investigators gathering new clues about what happened. abc's lisa fletcher is in los angeles with the story. good morning, lisa. >> reporter: good morning, diane. this morning, california investigators are expanding their reach and reportedly taking the investigation out of state, to las vegas. and an emotional jermaine jackson comes to the defense of his kid brother. saying the way michael's been portrayed in the meds just not the man he was. >> leave him alone. stop the crazy names that they call him. >> reporter: in a candid interview with french television, an emotional jermaine jackson says he is sick of the media's portrayal of his brother. >> what more do you have to do to make people realize? he was a human being. and they need to leave him alone. >> reporter: the grieving brother continues to deny any knowledge of michael's drug abuse. >> i never seen my brother have any different, abnormal behavior, that was any substance that would cause that. i've never seen it. so, i would say no. >> reporter: a new report from e! online, says that both autopsies include needle marks on the body and signs of propofol in his system. reports this week that lapd and federal agents followed leads in las vegas, amid reports jackson consulted with doctors there. >> detectives will go wherever the leads would lead them. whether it's out of state. even out of the country. >> reporter: retired lapd detective, robert jackus, says the case is unfolding at the perfect pace. >> there is no timeline in this investigation. the police are doing this by the numbers. because a celebrity is involved, they're not going to make this any faster. >> reporter: jackson's estate is also being handled slowly. the will is not settled. and custody issues are still up in the air. but jermaine jackson believes michael's intentions will prevail. >> the will is what it is. it's a will from my brother. anybody that tries to contest this will on any level, whether it's with the executors or anything, they're not living out michael's wishes. >> reporter: and as for the kids, jermaine says he believes they'll be fine. they're spending a lot of time with his children. and a lot of time with katherine, here at the jackson family home. chris? >> lisa, thank you very much. let's turn to one of the very interesting cases that kind of outlines race in america. professor henry louis gates jr. of harvard university has been studying race relations for a lifetime. he now says he has personal insight into what can happen in this country. dan harris, following the story of his arrest. >> reporter: chris, good morning. henry louis gates has been spending his entire career, talking about studying and teaching race relations in this country. now, he's smack in the middle of race and justice, in a very personal way. nearly a week after he was arrested at his own home, harvard professor henry louis gates jr. is speaking out in this interview with "the boston globe." >> i'm outraged. i shouldn't have been treated this way. but it makes me so keenly aware of how many people every day experience abuses in the criminal justice system. >> reporter: gates, one of the leading scholars on african-american history, was arrested for disorderly conduct on his front porch last thursday. he says he had just returned from a documentary shoot in china. and that his door wasn't opening. so, he and his driver forced it open. a neighbor called police. according to the police report, when sergeant james crowley arrived on the scene, gates was out of control. calling sergeant crowley a racist. and saying, this is what happens to black men in america. >> the police is full of this man's broad imagination. the only reason i was upset is because he defied the law, but not giving me his name and badge number. and every citizen has a right to that. >> i think both parties were wrong. i think that's fair to say. it was not professor gates' best moment. and it certainly wasn't the police department's best moment. >> i don't walk around calling white people racist. first of all, i'm half-white myself. 56% white in my dna. my father is 75% white. and my children are half-white. give me a break. >> reporter: on tuesday, cambridge police dropped the charges. but professor gates does not appear ready to get past it. what he wants now is an apology. >> he should look into his heart and know that he's not telling the truth. and he should beg my forgiveness. and if i decided he was sincere, i would forgive him. >> reporter: gates says he wants to make a documentary about the issue of racial profiling. chris and diane, back to you. and coming up in our next half hour, a newborn snatched by the crib by a family's beloved dog. lessons every family can learn, as the father speaks out. this is more than my easy button. it's my "save-so-much- on-his-graphing-calculator... look. i made it sa, "booger." ...i-can-get-him-a- mathtutor" button. (announcer) ! staples equals savings on everything for back to school. staples. that was easy. the $9 grand entrance. walmart announces op tops for ust nine dollars each. back to school costs less at walmart. save money. ! live better. walmart. good morning. 7:24. 70 degrees on the thermometer but 60s around the beltway. fog and rain shower moved through last night to the north side with really heavy rain. over an inch and a half, two inches in spots. even large hail and gusty winds. that is gone. we're looking at an environment here where a lot of the rain is locked up to the west with this system, a jet stream carving out really chilly air across the eastern seaboard and tropical-like disturbance in the bahamas. that could bring problems for the eastern seaboard come tomorrow and friday. just 20% chance of afternoon storm. bring an umbrella in case. getting reports of a detached trailer, going to be at 50 eastbound right on the severn river bridge. please use caution there. aside from that, a quiet commute, fort mchenry tunn and harbor tunnel, no problems there. along the beltway, running smoothly, just building volume in the usual trouble spots but n