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Attorney Says Michael Vick Accepts Plea Deal; Hurricane Dean Heads For Yucatan Peninsula; College Students and Guns

Aired August 20, 2007 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Looks like there are no last-minute heroics in Michael Vick's playbook.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news out of Virginia, news that could mean the star quarterback will trade his time on the field for time behind bars.

Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Well, we're following breaks news this afternoon. Michael Vick's attorney says the Atlanta Falcons quarterback has accepted a plea deal in the dogfighting case against him. A federal judge in Virginia is holding a status hearing this hour. We're expecting to hear more details. His attorney says Vick will plead guilty to federal conspiracy charges involving an illegal dogfighting operation and that Vick has accepted full responsibility for his actions.

We spoke earlier to Elaine Reyes from our affiliate here in Atlanta, WXIA.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE REYES, WXIA REPORTER: But about 15, 20 minutes ago, we got word from his office that he is going to give us the latest in this case.

Judge Henry Hudson presided over all the hearings in this dogfighting case, and especially last Friday with the two co- defendants that most recently pleaded guilty in this case.

PHILLIPS: That's right, the co-defendants in the dogfighting case accepting agreements to plead guilty in exchange for reduced sentences. What's the thought process here, Elaine, with Michael Vick? We were hearing possibly 18 to 36 months in prison, while carrying on, of course, a suspension in the NFL. Is that what you're hearing as well?

REYES: We are hearing that from some other reporters here. That was the sticking point in all of this, the amount of time that was going to be handled in possibly taking him off the playing field.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And three of Vick's co-defendants have also reached deals, as we mentioned.

We're going to take you live from the courthouse later this hour. We're expecting attorneys to step up to the mike.

LEMON: Absolutely.

A killer hurricane in the Caribbean, extensive live coverage this hour in the NEWSROOM, as Hurricane Dean churns toward the Yucatan Peninsula, a monstrous storm that's already the size of Texas and getting bigger and stronger by the hour. It's already blamed for at least seven deaths across the Caribbean. A state of emergency is in effect for Jamaica.

First up, this week's hurricane. CNN's correspondents are on the scene from Jamaica to the Yucatan Peninsula.

And our Jacqui Jeras manning home base here in the CNN hurricane headquarters for you. She's going to tell us more about Dean, including what hurricane hunters are doing, right, Jacqui?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. I apologize for that. I turned my microphone to have a glass of water a minute ago.

LEMON: We can hear you now, though, coming across loud and clear.

JERAS: All right. Good.

Well, hey, we're looking for a loud and clear message from the hurricane hunters. That's the thing that we're monitoring at this hour. The intensity of a hurricane is one of the most difficult things to forecast. So, their mission is so important, because they find out the conditions inside of the storm.

And here's the location of them right now. You can see on the northwest side of the eye. Meteorologist Dave Hennen behind the scenes querying that information for us. And it shows us that it's flying at about 10,000 feet and the wind speed right there is at 53 knots, which translates to over 60 miles per hour.

I wanted to show you the crisscross pattern that they fly. This was last night's mission to give you the idea of the pattern that they do, so they can sample different parts of the storm. It's usually the right front quadrant as we call it where the strongest of winds are. So, we will be watching that very closely and find out if those 150- mile-per-hour winds could bump up to 156 that you need to categorize this as a five, the top of all hurricanes and the strongest of storms.

I want to give you a little more detail on what the mission of the hurricane hunter is. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JERAS (voice-over): Imagine flying in a huge C-130 airplane and suddenly dropping 1,000 feet in altitude. Scary to you and me, but bumpy rides are routine for the hurricane hunters, who fly from their base in Biloxi, Mississippi, into the worst part of a storm.

The goal, find out how strong the hurricane is, and the precise location of its center. How do they do it? Drop sondes are released from the plane to take measurement of air pressure and wind speed. The information is transmitted to the National Hurricane Center as fast as every 30 seconds. It then gets put into computer models. And six hours later, voila, a new and more accurate forecast is issued to the public.

The intensity information and forecast as the hurricane nears the U.S. coastline, that is especially critical. And it helps emergency managers decide if you will need to evacuate. And you may not know that during the their off-season, hurricane hunters fly into strong winter storms that approach the U.S., like nor'easters.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JERAS: There's also a group of hurricane hunters that fly Gulfstream jets out of MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, and they sample around the storm and fly at a higher altitude.

These guys that fly the C-130s like you saw there in that story fly into the center of the storm, so, they can get the lowest pressure and the strongest winds. Those winds 150 as we speak. It's on a westerly track you can see heading towards the Yucatan Peninsula. We think landfall could happen as early as really before dawn overnight tonight and into early tomorrow morning.

If we get the bump up to a Category 5, what kind of damage can that cause? Well, that's winds greater than 155 miles per hour. A storm surge greater than 18 feet. Residences and industrial buildings are destroyed. All trees and signs are blown down. So, that is a real big disaster if this thing is a five when it makes landfall -- back to you guys.

LEMON: All right, Jacqui Jeras, thank you.

PHILLIPS: Well, severe flooding in Oklahoma spawned some dramatic rescues. Take a look at this video. A woman being rescued loses her grip and falls right back into the water. But the helicopter eventually returns and brings her back to higher ground. The exact same thing happened to her husband. The couple was checking on their farm outside of Kingfisher when their pickup truck became submerged, leaving the pair holding on for dear life.

Leroy and Bernice Krittenbrink and the man who rescued them spoke about their harrowing ordeal on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEROY KRITTENBRINK, RESCUED: I couldn't get my hands around the pipe or the skid on the helicopter and hang on. So Randy here grabbed me by the arm and pulled me up high enough to where I could get my arms locked around that skid. And that took me up.

RANDY POINDEXTER, KINGFISHER FIRE CHIEF: I don't know how we would prepare ourselves to rescue people and train to rescue people in that circumstance. We had to get them out of the water. We did it the best way we knew how, and that's how we ended up getting them out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: While the Krittenbrinks are safe, others didn't fare so well. The flooding has been blamed for at least six deaths now.

And when weather becomes the news, count on CNN to bring it to you first. And if you see severe weather happening in your area, just send us an I-report. Go to CNN.com, click on I-report or type ireport@CNN.com right into your cell known and share your photos or video.

Well, don't give up, that plea from the families of six Utah miners two weeks after a collapse trapped deep underground. The family's loved ones quickly gathered to respond after mine company officials said the men may never be found.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the beginning, Bob Murray reassured the families with promises that he would get the miners out dead or alive. It's time to live up to that promise, and show the sort of resolve that this community is used to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, we are expecting a news conference from Crandall Canyon Mine, but now that's changed.

Let's get straight to Huntington, Utah, and CNN's Dan Lothian -- Dan.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN BOSTON BUREAU CHIEF: Hello, Kyra.

Well, first of all, CNN had been reporting that there would be a media briefing at any moment. Just wanted to clarify now that a media briefing will not be happening until 7:00 local time, 9:00 East Coast time.

As you mentioned, the big story today, family members are angry because they feel that federal officials and mine officials have essentially given up. And the reason for that is because a mine official yesterday did say that it's possible that the miners may not be found. The reason he said that is because it's been determined that going in underground is simply too dangerous. And also after they made that fourth bore hole, they realized that in the area that they went down and in the other areas that they have been down before, oxygen levels are so low that they can not sustain life.

Now, what the family members want is that they want a larger hole to be dug so that you can send down a rescue capsule and pull the miners up, whether they're dead or alive. They say that Bob Murray promised that he would go after them whether they are dead or alive, and they want to hold him to that promise.

What's happening now is that officials are not focusing on drilling a larger hole, but, rather, a smaller hole. It's a fifth bore hole. They will go down. They will send down a microphone again. They will send down a camera. That's not expected to happen until probably late tomorrow, perhaps even early on Wednesday. But officials are saying from now, that they really don't expect to find anything down that hole either -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, grim news there from Huntington, Utah.

Dan Lothian, we will continue to follow that rescue effort. Thank you.

LEMON: And continuing coverage now on the Michael Vick story. News of a plea deal there.

Let's turn now to Jeff Schultz. He's an "Atlanta Journal- Constitution" reporter. And Jeff joins us now.

Jeff, I have a quick question for you. Just from information that I'm getting here, we talked about the infighting within the Vick camp with the defense team.

JEFF SCHULTZ, "ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION": Right.

LEMON: Now, I'm hearing, I'm not sure if this is so, Vick is the only one who didn't want to accept this plea deal. Is that correct? His attorneys wanted it?

SCHULTZ: Well, obviously, we can't know that for a fact because we're not inside those meetings or inside Mike's head.

But it would fit -- it would fit with Mike because if you look back at his career, he's probably skated in a few situations before. And I'm sure he thought he would get away with something here. I think immaturity and arrogance kind of plays into it a little bit. So, I'm sure all along he sort of thought he would get by in this.

LEMON: Yes.

What are you hearing now? Since you have been covering this, the latest. We have reported, again, his attorneys saying that he's accepted a plea deal.

SCHULTZ: Right.

LEMON: I read a statement on CNN earlier from his attorney. What are you hearing?

SCHULTZ: Well, I think there's a real possibility we have seen the last of Michael Vick not only just in a Falcons' uniform but in an NFL uniform. Obviously, we have to wait and see how long the jail term is, but let's assume it's in the one- to two-year range. The NFL still has to weigh in on a suspension. If they really want to put the screws to Michael Vick, they don't have to tack on that suspension until after the prison term.

And -- and then there's the gambling allegations involved in all this. On top of that, you're going to have the P.R. disaster of any team that would be...

LEMON: Yes.

SCHULTZ: ... considering signing him when he is available. So, I think there's a real possibility he's played his last NFL game.

LEMON: Yes, and really sad considering his talent. I mean, it is -- one of the most talented quarterbacks in the league. That is no secret at all.

(CROSSTALK)

SCHULTZ: Yes, it's a -- it's really an awful story. And when you consider we have all seen a lot of professional athletes with great talent throw careers away for all sorts of reasons, whether it be drug issues or spousal abuse or other legal issues. This is just so far out there.

LEMON: Yes.

SCHULTZ: And just so dumb. Something as dogfighting, that you would take that as -- as sort of your hobby and gamble with it and raise dogs to kill each other, it will go down as one of the -- one of the biggest, but also the most bizarre stories, I think, in sports history.

LEMON: I think what people say when they hear about this is kind of, what were you thinking?

So, listen, I want to ask you. You talked about the gambling charges and all these other charges. Clearly, though, the reason you said possibly that this is his probably last game, or we have seen him play his last game, that's because of the code of conduct for the NFL barring all of the bad P.R. that comes along with that.

SCHULTZ: Gambling scares sports commissioners more than any other thing, because whereas -- whereas a drug issue with a player basically indicts just that player, gambling affects everything. It affects outcomes of games and the credibility of games, how they're officiated. Obviously something is going on in the NBA right now. It affects the wins and losses potentially. It affects being in the hands of gamblers.

And that and -- that is something that really has been kind of on the back burner of this whole thing because the dogfighting has been out front. But gambling does take place at dogfights. It's spelled out right there in the indictment, the thousands of dollars that were spent. Now, thousands of dollars are a drop in the bucket to Michael Vick. But that doesn't really diminish the issue at all.

So, again, if Roger Goodell and the NFL really want to get tough on this, they could really put the screws to him.

LEMON: Yes, a drop in the bucket considering his current contract, but soon so many legal fees and if he doesn't have that contract, that may not be -- Jeff Schultz, unfortunately, we have to move on. But thank you very much, "Atlanta Journal-Constitution" reporter Jeff Schultz, who has been covering this case. He joins us now today in the CNN NEWSROOM. Thank him again.

And CNN also just receiving word that the U.S. attorney's office said they will not comment on this case until it is over -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, NASA keeps an eye on Hurricane Dean, decides to reschedule Endeavour's return. Our Miles O'Brien is on it. And he joins us straight ahead from the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: Fire on the tarmac. An airliner goes up in flames. And we will tell you what happened to the passengers and the crew. Straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: And we're just getting a fax here at CNN from that Utah mine owner, Bob Murray. As you know, we have been talking about a live news conference we have been expecting on the rescue effort out of Utah there. Apparently, we are not going to get a live news conference.

We are getting a fax from Bob Murray, the chairman and president and CEO of Murray Energy, saying: "Thank you for your note regarding the six trapped miners who are my responsibility. We are totally focused on the recovery of these miners and administrating to the welfare of their families. The trauma from this natural disaster has been great for many, but we will not be deterred and we will not leave this mountain until we find our people."

As you know, relatives of family members that are missing, loved ones of those that are missing came forward over the weekend very disgruntled about rescue operations because of rescue -- those that were working on the rescue and lost their lives Thursday night into Friday and the others that were injured. There was a bit of a pullback wondering how safe it was to continue that rescue effort underneath in that mine and also drilling holes. One person even coming forward saying they believe that it's possible that those miners will never be able to be found.

That, of course, has had family members and loved ones of those missing miners just in a -- in an outrage over that.

Now, Bob Murray coming forward, saying they are going to continue those rescue efforts no matter what. And we will find those miners dead or alive -- that coming to us via fax from Bob Murray.

LEMON: We're following that, and we're following other developing stories here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Seventeen past the hour, three more stories we're working on for you. Breaking news this afternoon, his attorney says Michael Vick has agreed to plead guilty to federal conspiracy charges. The NFL star was charged in connection with an illegal dogfighting operation. A federal judge is holding a status hearing this hour, and we will bring you more details as we get it on that.

Two charges have been dropped against the only officer among the dozen defendants in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal. Lieutenant Colonel Steven Jordan still faces other charges linked to the alleged abuse of Iraqi prisoners. The two charges were dropped after a judge learned he wasn't read his rights in an interview.

Jangled nerves right now in the southern Philippines after a strong earthquake struck off the coast there. No immediate reports of injuries or damage and no tsunami warning has been issued.

PHILLIPS: Well, still in gear and refreshing their landing skills, astronauts aboard the space shuttle Endeavour wrapping up last-minute details before returning home tomorrow while eying Hurricane Dean, all on the heels of some good news from NASA about a worrisome dent.

Space expert Miles O'Brien keeping track of all of it for us coming to us live from the Miles-cam.

Hey, Miles.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CHIEF TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra.

You know, the space shuttle astronauts right now are in the process of turning the space shuttle Endeavour from a spacecraft into a winged flying vehicle, getting ready for that process. Going through a series checks, making sure that all of the systems that are associated with making the flaps, the various flaps move work properly, communications and the like.

This is an unprecedented early landing for the space shuttle program on account of this hurricane, Hurricane Dean, which for a time appeared to be heading toward Houston. And that would have been a problem, of course, because it would have prompted the evacuation of mission control. Take a look at the landing tracks for tomorrow's landing opportunity. The first one is at 12:32 p.m. Eastern time. The Endeavour would kind of come up straight from the south, come across Cuba, straight up south Florida, and the Everglades and then into the Kennedy Space Center.

That would certainly skirt a little bit the hurricane. Take a look at the second landing opportunity, though, which would be at 2:06 p.m. If for some reason the weather wasn't good for the 12:32 opportunity, they would try again at 2:06. This would take the crew right over the top of Hurricane Dean. Now, don't worry about it, though, because they will be at an altitude of at least 180,000, maybe 200,000 feet, well above any weather. They will get an amazingly spectacular view if they have the opportunity to look down.

And I'm sure they will, as Hurricane Dean passes beneath them. The concern through all of this with Hurricane Dean was mission control, those flight controllers that sit at all those consoles, about 300 of them. If they had to evacuate, how would the space shuttle fly, much less land properly? Well, there is an emergency contingency plan to move them all to Florida and set up computer screens there where they launch the space shuttle. They were getting ready for that possibility when they decided that, you know what, instead of moving everybody, let's just move the landing up one day before Dean was anticipated to be in Houston.

Of course since then Dean has moved, but by that time they had made some critical decisions to move the timeline ahead, and so they will continue moving forward with this landing tomorrow. Now, if they don't get in tomorrow, it's not that big a deal. They will try again on Wednesday. Once again, not so concerned with Houston being shut down on account of Dean, because it seems to be heading towards Mexico.

As it comes in, let's -- of course, anybody who remembers Columbia knows what happened. The space shuttle endures tremendous amounts of heat, upwards of 3,000 degrees in some places. And we will, of course, be watching and thinking very carefully about that three-inch gouge at the aft section of the belly of the space shuttle Endeavour.

NASA engineers have tested it numerous ways in blast furnaces, using computer simulations. Each time they have run it through, they insist the temperatures that will get to the aluminum skin of Endeavour are well below their limit of 350 degrees. So, nevertheless, we will be holding our breath tomorrow as Endeavour comes in -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Sounds good. Miles O'Brien, thanks so much.

You can keep your TV tuned right here for tomorrow's landing. As Miles said, Endeavour is scheduled to touch down at 12:32 p.m. Eastern. You can watch it live on CNN right there with our Miles O'Brien.

LEMON: Should they be armed with knowledge and also loaded weapons? After the recent deadly attack at Virginia Tech, college students in Virginia argue over the rights to carry guns on campus.

That's straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Straight ahead: dangerous Dean. The hurricane cuts a deadly path through the Caribbean. Where the storm is headed next -- just moments away.

Stay with CNN. We're your hurricane headquarters.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Hello, everyone, I'm Kyra Phillips live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

LEMON: And I'm don lemon.

Michael Vick's attorney says he will take a plea deal rather than face a federal trial.

PHILLIPS: But what does it mean in terms of jail time and fines and in terms of michael Vick's pro football career? We're on the story.

And you're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

As you know, if you've been following CNN or if you're just tuning in, we did get word that Falcons quarterback Michael Vick had accepted a deal today, pleading guilty to federal conspiracy charges involving an illegal dog fighting operation. We're getting word now that he's expected to be in court on Monday. We're following this story throughout the day and all the details of the investigation and what this means for Michael Vick and his career.

LEMON: Well, this hour, Hurricane Dean is making a beeline for Mexico's most popular spot. CNN's Gary Tuchman takes us to Tulum, just south of Cancun.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The ancient Mayan civilization began about 3,500 years ago, behind me, some of their ancient structures they left behind. About 1,000 years old, this Mayan temple, these buildings here right next to the Gulf of Mexico and this town, Tulum, Mexico, 80 miles south of Cancun could be ground zero for the arrival of Hurricane Dean. They are called ruins because they are the ruins of the original of the structure. They have survived very well over the last 1,000 years. There's been hurricane here before, there's been some damage, but there is a lot of concern, because this is a monster storm.

Tens of thousands of tourists in this area haven't been able to get out because there are not enough planes. This is the number one tourist area in Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, the state of Quintanaru (ph), more than $3 billion tourist dollars are spent here anually, and that compares to $11 billion for the whole nation of Mexico. More than 25 percent of the tourist dollars come to this area. That's why right now the residents that work in the tourism industry are so concerned because it's such a powerful hurricane. It was just years ago that Hurricane Wilma, a Category 4 came through, caused immense damage.

In 1988 Hurricane Gilbert, a Category 5, immense damage, 225 people were killed in Mexico during that particular hurricane. So, a lot of concern for the tourists, for the people that live here and for the ancient Mayan ruins. This is Gary Tuchman, CNN, in Tulum, Mexico.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Texas is getting ready also just in case Hurricane Dean changes course. The National Guard has been mobilized. A voluntary evacuation is taking place in Brownsville. And the governor has deployed a fleet of buses to the Rio Grande Valley for those who need a way out.

Over the weekend, President Bush issued a federal disaster declaration for Texas. That allows FEMA to send even more emergency equipment and resources.

Finally, a bit of a break from the relentless heat wave, a 10- day, triple-digit hot streak broke yesterday in Memphis. The mercury topped out at only 94. Still high. Less than it was, though. But it's expected to climb back to 100 later this week.

At least a dozen deaths this month are linked to the oppressive heat in Memphis. In all, the heat is blamed for about 50 deaths in the Southeast and Midwest.

PHILLIPS: California firefighters are battling what they fear may become the granddaddy of all wildfires. Ventura County residents are encouraged to evacuate and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency. The monster blaze in the Los Padres National Forest charred more than 1,100 additional acres yesterday. Flames have burned some 312,000 square miles. The fire is 75 percent contained. But full containment isn't expected before September.

More fire trouble at Lake Tahoe, a house fire sparked a resurgence of flames at this resort over the weekend. At least five homes were destroyed. The blaze comes two months after wildfires south of Lake Tahoe destroyed more than 250 homes.

And now hot, dry conditions, strong winds stirring up problems out west. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras keeping an eye on the fire danger. Jacqui?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah. We've had extreme conditions really since over the weekend and the Vaca fire that we're talking about here in the Los Padres National Forest. We'll zoom in on this one, because this is really performing erratic behavior here. Some extreme upslope is expected to go on with the fires. Yeah, that's exactly what it sounds like. It moves up the hills in this area. Very hot, very dry conditions. And the winds relatively calm, however. So, that's one thing that's helping them out a little bit. But this thing's been going on since July 4th. Yeah, that's over a month. And we're talking just less than a month still before they think they're going to be containing it.

Now the worst fire behavior expected today in this critical area across southern Montana and on into Wyoming. Look at all the cloudiness back behind it. We had a cold front drop through here. Most of the fires that are burning across the U.S. are in Idaho and into western Montana. You can see your humidity up here today along with the cloudiness. So, improved conditions for you. But ahead of this system, that's where the winds are gusty, and that's why we're looking at that critical fire danger here today.

Well, things remain extremely dry across the West. Still flood conditions across much of the Upper Midwest and into the Ohio River Valley. Starting to dry out a little bit here across southern Minnesota. But, a lot of wet weather across the Ohio Valley, along with severe thunderstorm watch from Cincinnati on over towards Pittsburgh. Back to you guys.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Jacqui.

LEMON: Rescuers say there's no hope of finding more survivors from last week's earthquake in Peru. The last time someone was pulled from the rubble alive, well, that was on Friday. The magnitude 8 earthquake struck the town of Pisco Wednesday, destroying 85 percent of its homes and killing at least 540 people.

PHILLIPS: Well, the 13th and final victim, divers are in the water right now with the Minneapolis bridge collapse, searching for the last person on the list of the missing. Meantime, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is calling for the massive I-35 W bridge to be rebuilt by December 2008. He tells CNN's AMERICAN MORNING that's a realistic, not hasty, timeline.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. TIM PAWLENTY, MINNESOTA: If you look at the new design/build process and standards across the country and around the world, that's not an unreasonable or ridiculous timeline. We think the bridge can be built first and foremost safely and also appropriately and well within that time frame. We estimate that having that bridge down in direct and indirect costs to our economy and to other things in Minnesota is $500,000 to $1 million a day. And so, getting the bridge built promptly is important. But first and foremost, it will be done safely and we can do it within that timeline.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, Pawlenty is also asking for some federal money. He wants the government to designate his state a major disaster area because of the bridge collapse. Emergency response costs are in the millions and local businesses have been hurt because of traffic rerouting.

LEMON: Fire on the tarmac, an airliner goes up in flames. We'll tell you what happened to the passengers and crew, straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: Also straight ahead -- we'll have a live report from the courthouse. NFL quarterback Michael Vick accepting a plea deal today, guilty to federal conspiracy charges involving an illegal dogfighting operation. We'll take you there, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick accepting a plea deal. A court hearing happening on Monday, 10:30 a.m. in Virginia. We want to get right there now. Let's go to WSB reporter Tom Jones. He's been covering the story. As a matter of fact, Tom, watched your report last night. What do you have new for us? What's happening outside of the courthouse?

TOM JONES, WSB CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, as you well know, Michael Vick's lead attorney, Billy Martin (ph), released a press release about an hour and a half or so ago, announcing that Michael Vick had, indeed, entered a plea agreement with prosecutors where he would plead guilty to federal dogfighting, conspiracy charges. He said Vick made that decision after spending the weekend consulting with his family members. About 30 minutes ago, the judge in this case assembled reporters in his courtroom, and also announced that Michael Vick had decided to enter a plea deal and plead guilty to these charges. The judge said no details of the plea agreement would be publicly available right now. And the statement that Billy Martin sent out didn't announce or release any details about this plea agreement.

But sources have told me that the agreement includes jail time, possibly a year, maybe a year and a half. Of course, as we all know, Vick's three co-defendants have entered plea deals and pleaded guilty to these dogfighting charges. That may have played a role in Vick deciding to take the same course of action. Now, Martin said that Vick accepts full responsibility for his actions, and the mistakes he made. Martin goes on to say that Vick wishes to apologize to everyone who has been hurt in this matter. As you guys just mentioned, Vick will be in court here next Monday at 10:30 a.m. That's where he will enter that guilty plea to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges. It will be interesting to see how all of this affects his NFL playing career. Back to you.

LEMON: CNN affiliate reporter Tom Jones, fromWSB right here in Atlanta. Thank you for that.

PHILLIPS: Well, Virginia Tech is opening a new chapter today with the start of the fall semester, the school turns a page on the horrors of last April when a student gunman killed 32 people. As the campus moves forward, it's still absorbing that painful lesson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PROF. LUCINDA ROY, VIRGINIA TECH: I think that we all need to think about how the culture has changed, how we need to be prepared for the future, how we have open systems in campuses where everyone can walk in. It could be a student. It could be someone else. It's very easy to get guns. There are a lot of very disturbed people. We have many more students on medication. What happens when they're off their medication? So, we've got to ask the hard questions. And I'm hoping that what will happen this year across the United States is that people will start to ask these questions of themselves. And not settle for easy answers. Because we can't afford to, because we lost things that were so precious to us. And we'll never get over that loss.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, last hour we spoke with the leader of a student organization who says the tragedy could have been averted if the killer's fellow students carried guns that day. The group is pressing Virginia lawmakers to change a law allowing state universities to ban guns on campus. It has detractors. Here's part of our debate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW DYSART, GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY STUDENT: We're asking students that are 21 years and older, which is the age you have to be, that have concealed handgun permits, who have gone through the training, through the background checks, it can take you up to 45 days to get a permit. The police can do background checks and investigations to find out who you are to be able carry. And it's important to point out that George Mason University is largely a commuter campus. About 30,000 students at George Mason with about 6,000 living off campus. And the students are carrying already in the everyday lives off campus. And it's not an issue. We've heard the arguments back in 1996 when Virginia passed their concealed handguns laws that people start resolving issues with handguns as far as either with bosses or girlfriends or traffic incidents. That they'd revert to violence. And it didn't happen then. We don't feel it will happen now.

PHILLIPS: Casey, what do you think? You're totally against it?

CASEY CAMPBELL, GEORGE MASUN UNIVERSITY STUDENT: Yes, ma'am. Pretty much we had the days of the Old West and those are gone. And I'm very thankful for that. And I think George Mason University should foster an environment of education and learning. And if everyone is going around packing guns for a sense of empowerment and security, which I totally understand, but that does not lead to an environment of education. All it's going to do is just lead to a situation where someone is eventually going to get hurt from a mistake or you're going to have lots of people who are there getting their first girlfriends and drinking their first beer, these are pretty young people, and they will make bad and brash mistakes when they're this young in an environment when they are just this young that should be strictly for education and not the Old West.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: And Virginia Governor Tim Kaine supports allowing colleges to decide whether to allow students to carry guns on campus or not but he says he won't make any recommendations until a special panel reports on the slayings. That report is expected this Friday.

And Virginia Tech is dealing another potential tragedy today. On the eve of the fall semester five female students were found unconscious in an off campus apartment, all victims of a carbon monoxide leak. Two of the five roommates are listed in critical condition. The other three are stable, 18 others were treated and released. That incident is being blamed on a faulty water heater.

LEMON: Afraid of flying? What about just landing? An inferno on the tarmac with an unbelievable ending. CNN's Kyung Lah has the amazing pictures and the story from Japan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A flight left Taiwan International Airport and landed on time in Okinawa's Naha airport. All 157 passengers and eight crew members got out. Soon after landing, something went terribly wrong.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa. Whoa! Oh, my God!

LAH: According to witnesses, it was the engine on the left side of the plane that exploded. Thick, black smoke billowed from China Air Flight 120. The fire so intense it cracked the Boeing 737 in two.

"Everyone on the flight is safe," said the airline. China Airlines, Taiwan's largest passenger air carrier, has had four fatal crashes in recent years. Among them a crash in Hong Kong in 1999. All but three of the 315 passengers and crew survived.

(on camera): The airline's fleet of 737s is now grounded. The airline promises it will fully investigate why China Air Flight 120 burst into flames. Focusing for now on the lucky survivors. Despite their harrowing close call. Kyung Lah, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, when Orlando police organized a guns for sneakers event last week, they hoped people would get their kicks by getting weapons off the street. And, indeed, the event yielded more than 300 revolvers, rifles and handguns and, yes, a missile launcher. A four-foot-long shoulder fired surface-to-air missile launcher to be exact. The guy that brought it in said he found it in his shed that had been torn down, so he traded it in for size three Reeboks for his daughter.

LEMON: Okey dokey.

Most motor bikes are equipped with handlebars, but few motor bikes are powered by a handlebar mustache. Get your motor running. The NEWSROOM, "Born to be Wild" coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: This coming in to us from one of our affiliates WJLA out of Washington, DC, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority they've charged Representative Bob Filner of California with assault and battery following an incident at Dulles International Airport. This happened Sunday night. According to ABC 7, they spoke with a couple of witnesses who say they saw the congressman push aside a United Airlines' employee and refuse to leave the office. When officers arrived at the scene, apparently they found Filner waiting outside the office and reported that the airline employee would be pursuing charges. Filner's office had no comment as to what happened. Not quite sure what happened. Why there was some sort of argument or incident involving the United Airlines' employee and the congressman. We'll follow it and bring you more as we get it.

LEMON: Admired, hated, feared, Leona Helmsley was all of those things, a brilliant businesswoman or the queen of mean. Whatever she was called, she forever stamped her name onto New York City. Helmsley died today at the age of 87 at her home in summer home of Greenwich, Connecticut. CNN's Gary Tuchman looks back on her life.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It as her fourth marriage, but by all accounts Leona Helmsley had never been happier than when she married Harry Helmsley. She had built up a successful real estate career in her own right. But when she married Harry, they were one of the most powerful and wealthy couples of the world.

LEONA HELMSLEY, DECEASED REAL ESTATE MOGUL: He's a great romancer and he's brilliant. And he's good looking and he's rich. I've got everything.

TUCHMAN: Leona and Harry Helmsley were most well known for their hotels and for Leona's inclusion of advertisements as the self- appointed hotel queen. The author of a book on the Helmsleys said the couple had it all.

RICHARD HAMMER, AUTHOR, "THE HELMSLEYS": It was a very successful marriage, and as a team, they worked well.

TUCHMAN: But things went downhill. The Helmsleys were indicted for not paying their taxes. And while Harry did not have to pay taxes because of his health, Leona did.

HELMSLEY: I'm not going to jail. I have done nothing wrong. I have done anything wrong. I am innocent. My only crime is that I'm Leona Helmsley.

TUCHMAN: Newspaper headlines blared that she once told the made only maid only the little people pay taxes. Something she always denied she said.

HELMSLEY: We pay $344 million in taxes. Of course, I didn't say it.

TUCHMAN: The U.S. Supreme Court turned down an appeal for Helmsley. And after a federal judge ordered her to serve a four-year prison sentence, Leona Helmsley collapsed and rushed to the hospital where she was treated for a heart irregularity and hypertension. Only a month later she was off to jail. The author of the Helmsley book believes that Leona forgot about the priorities of life.

HAMMER: We're not here just to make money. And we're not here just to accumulate power. And that's the way she acted. And that, then, becomes her -- the legacy is the perils of it.

TUCHMAN: For Leona Helmsley, a woman with a brilliant business mind, the downfall was painful, but to most observers it was also preventable. Gary Tuchman, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Hmm.

Well, he's back! PHILLIPS: That's right. Wolf Blitzer. Getting ready for THE SIT ROOM. Where are you, Wolf, are you in Washington?

BLITZER: No. I'm in New York, New York. It's a big city here. The CNN bureau at the Time Warner Center. I don't know if you guys have ever been here. But it's lovely.

PHILLIPS: I heard it's really nice. I heard the food is really good upstairs, too.

LEMON: We can't afford it.

BLITZER: Very nice cafeteria. Let me give our viewers an update on what's coming up at the top of the hour in THE SITUATION ROOM.

We'll take a look at the monster storm that's called Hurricane Dean. It's churning towards the Yucatan Peninsula, possibly toward Texas. Will it become a Category 5 before it makes landfall?

Also -- the families of six missing miners in Utah are accusing officials from simply giving up on the trapped men. Why they say precious time is being squandered on the rescue effort.

And two influential U.S. senators just back from Iraq. We're going to tell you what Democrat Carl Levin and Republican John Warner are now saying about the situation there and if they see any signs of progress.

All that, guys, coming up right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

LEMON: We'll be watching, Wolf, thanks.

PHILLIPS: Closing bell and a wrap of all the action on Wall Street is straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Just in to CNN, the NFL weighing in on the Michael Vick plea agreement. Here's what they're saying. They're saying that they'll conclude their own review under the league's personal conduct policy as soon as possible. In the meantime, they have asked the Falcons to continue to refrain from taking any action pending a decision by the commissioner. That is from an NFL spokesperson.

And just as we reach the closing bell, just seconds away, let's take a look at the big board there, live from the New York Stock Exchange. Dow Industrials up 39 points. Big switch from Friday. There's the bell. We're going to take it over to Wolf Blitzer now and THE SITUATION ROOM.

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