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Additional Troops in Afghanistan?; Race Against Time in Indonesia; Chicago's Deadly Streets; Rio de Janeiro Wins 2016 Olympics, Chicago Loses; Typhoon Parma Pounds the Philippines; Georgia Flooding Victims Find They Needed Flood Insurance

Aired October 03, 2009 - 17:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon in Chicago, where I attended the funeral for Derrion Albert just about an hour ago. The mood in the city has gone from anticipation to disappointment, but is that disappointment over the right thing?

We're digging much, much deeper.

Also today, in Indonesia, a race against time. Rescuers believe more than 4,000 people are buried in the rubble of this week's big earthquakes.

And we've heard about the guy who climbed up the fire escape to rescue a young boy, but what about the fireman who climbed into the burning building and found him first? We'll introduce you to him.

The Letterman saga grows. Details of the alleged shakedown and the women he's admitted to having sex with.

And drunk mom passes out in the front seat in her driveway with her kids in the car. What was she thinking?

Hello everyone, again. I'm Don Lemon, live here in Chicago.

We're going to get to the Olympic disappointment and the escalating youth violence in Chicago in just a moment.

But first, we want to start tonight in Afghanistan, where an Afghan policeman has American blood on his hands. Officials say the officer was on patrol with U.S. soldiers in Wardak Province when he opened fire, killing two Americans and injuring two more before running away. Afghan officials say two people who recommended the policeman for his job are being questioned, along with U.S. forces, to try to learn how he escaped. A pair of roadside bombings killed three other U.S. troops in just the last two days.

Well, incidents like this are raising some big questions about discipline in the ranks of the Afghan forces as President Barack Obama and his top commander in Afghanistan consider shifting the war strategy there.

Our Elaine Quijano live at the White House tonight.

Elaine, the president met with General McChrystal yesterday. So, what is on the table here? ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Don. It was a one-on-one meeting that President Obama had with the top commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal. This was aboard Air Force One, we should tell you, while it was in Copenhagen, Denmark.

We're told by aides that this meeting lasted 25 minutes, and White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs describes it as a valuable meeting, but officials really are not saying much more beyond that. We know, however, that there are a number of options, of course, available on Afghanistan, including increasing the number of combat troops there.

Right now there are some 68,000 U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan. It's been reported that General McChrystal would like to see an additional 40,000 U.S. troops.

Now, the president could, of course, decide to grant that request, or he could decide on a smaller figure. At the same time, the president could also decide to keep troop levels exactly where they are, or perhaps even start to draw them down.

Whatever the president decides, one thing is clear, Don, and that is the president is making this decision at a time when polls are showing that most Americans simply do not support the war in Afghanistan -- Don.

LEMON: So Elaine, what is the White House saying about the time frame of this new strategy?

QUIJANO: Yes. You know, that is a key question, a really difficult question to answer.

The president, we know, has three more meetings with members of his national security team. We know that two of them are set to take place next week, one on Wednesday and one on Friday. And then there's a third meeting that's set to take place at some point.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says that, after those meetings, that is when they will be able to draft this strategy, so a decision doesn't appear to be imminent right now. But as you reported, those deaths in Afghanistan, obviously reports like that, Don, continue to underscore just how big the stakes are for the United States in Afghanistan -- Don.

LEMON: Our Elaine Quijano at the White House on this weekend for us.

Elaine, we really appreciate it, with our top story.

And the head of the international nuclear watchdog agency arrived in Tehran today to arrange an inspection of a previously secret plant there. The accusation is that Iran is trying to produce an atomic weapon at its underground uranium enrichment plant. Its president says they're only trying to generate energy. Well, Iran agreed at a landmark meeting Thursday with six world powers to allow inspectors into that facility.

Meantime, in Indonesia, at least 540 people are confirmed dead from Wednesday's massive earthquake, but the final death toll is likely to be in the thousands.

CNN's Dan Rivers brings us a bird's eye view of the devastation in the city of Padang.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The city of Padang is peppered with destroyed buildings. Some, like this, collapsed like a house of cards. Some remain standing, but severely damaged and structurally unsound. The city's main hospital is also badly affected, but much of the city somehow escaped the worst of Wednesday's magnitude 7.6 quake.

(on camera): From the air, you get a real sense of how patchy the damage is. There are large areas which are relatively intact, but then you come across the odd building that has been completely destroyed.

(voice-over): Like one of the city's main hotels, the Abercang (ph), it's feared many dozens of people may have died here.

On the ground at the hotel, a frantic operation to find survivors.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The rescue now, it's still going , but not many here found many bodies, dead bodies, still in the hotel in Padang. We are still thinking that there is still a lot of people missing there.

RIVERS: The operation is continuing around the clock. Blowtorches being used to cut through the tangle of metal.

A specialist search and rescue team from Switzerland is here, using sniffer dogs to check for signs of life. But so far, it's not looking good.

(on camera): How possible is it that there are still people alive after this amount of time?

STEFAN CHRISTEN, SWISS RESCUE TEAM: Well, there are examples that other people survived quite a long time in other earthquakes. In Turkey, we had a lady which survived over 100 hours trapped in a building, so the hope is still here.

RIVERS (voice-over): Elsewhere, though, many people are coping on their own. Away from the city, there is little in the way of help. And for many, little in the way of hope.

Dan Rivers, CNN, Padang, Indonesia.

(END VIDEOTAPE) LEMON: And to find out how you can help the quake victims, visit our Web site at CNN.com/impactyourworld. There you can find a list of charities that are involved in emergency relief efforts.

A week-old infant abducted from his mother in Nashville has been found safe. Police recovered the baby boy last night at a home in Alabama.

A 39-year-old woman is in custody and charged with kidnapping. Police say a woman entered the child's home posing as an immigration agent, then attacked the mother with a knife. Now, the newborn was snatched when the wounded mother fled next door to get some help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MY HARRISON, FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: I just would like to say our goal was threefold -- to recover the victim, to get the victim safely to his parents, to identify the person responsible, and get that person in custody. I'm happy to announce that we were successful in all three.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: A 3-year-old child in the home was not harmed.

Derrion Albert was buried today. He's just one of the 29 Chicago teens, 16 or younger, who has been killed in the city so far this year.

The 16-year-old honor student was beaten to death last week in a senseless street brawl on Chicago's South Side while on his way home from school. Derrion's videotaped killing horrified the city and the world.

Now, rap artist Naz was so upset, he posted an open letter decrying the culture of violence that has taken hold among some people.

I went to Derrion's funeral today, and many prominent African- American leaders were there -- many prominent leaders, really, in the city, including Nation of Islam leader, Minister Louis Farrakhan, the Reverend Jesse Jackson. Also, Father Pfleger, who's going to join us here on CNN a little bit later.

It was, in a word, heartbreaking. Earlier, I spoke with this grieving mother about how this tragedy has affected her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Right now, it is -- kids are just starting to go back to school; right? Halloween, the holidays, or whatever.

Tell people what you're doing. What's your day like? You have to go and do what today?

AN-JANETTE ALBERT, DERRION'S MOTHER: I have to go find my son a suit to bury him in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: You know, it's really hard to watch. That was an interview that was really hard to conduct. But you're going to hear more of my interview with An-Janette Albert a little bit later on this hour and throughout the evening here on CNN, when we go in depth into the violence that's happening in Chicago, especially among the youth.

So make sure you stay tuned.

The president, the first lady, Oprah, America's star power, well, it just wasn't enough. What happened to Chicago's bid for the Olympic games?

We'll talk with a man who helped put the bid together.

And two toddlers and a drunken mom. We'll tell you how the pair walked two miles in traffic as mom laid passed out in her car.

And as always, we want your feedback on the stories that we're putting on the air, what you think is important. Make sure you go to Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, or iReport.com. We'll get it on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: A federal magistrate today ordered an Illinois man return to California to face charges for recording nude videos of ESPN reporter Erin Andrews. Forty-eight-year-old Michael David Barrett faces interstate stalking charges for taking the videos, trying to sell them to a celebrity Web site, and posting them online. He was arrested Friday night at O'Hare Airport, here in Chicago, and he will return to court Monday to determine if he will be freed on bond or return to California in custody.

Barrett faces up to five years in federal prison if convicted.

CBS "48 Hours" producer Joe Halderman has pleaded not guilty to allegations he tried to shake down David Letterman for $2 million. His attorney says this is an extortion case in which Halderman allegedly threatened to expose Letterman's sex life. Well, it's not as open and shut as it may appear.

CNN's Tom Foreman has what we need to know about this case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Halderman in court, charged with first-degree attempted grand larceny. Prosecutors say he demanded $2 million from Letterman in exchange for what he presented as a screenplay but what prosecutors say was a clear attempt to blackmail.

ROBERT MORGENTHAU, MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY: The document related then that Mr. Letterman's "world is about to collapse" about him. FOREMAN (on camera): This whole drama, according to prosecutors, played out over the past three and a half weeks, largely right here in Manhattan, within a few blocks. September 9th, they say, Halderman goes to Letterman's home down here and he leaves a package before dawn. That package contains the note and it makes his demand.

Letterman calls his attorney who meets with Halderman that same day and then contacts the district attorney. Prosecutors say more meetings are arranged including one right up here at the Essex House on the south side of Central Park. Halderman is secretly recorded.

(voice-over): Then, this week, Letterman gives him a fake check for $2 million which investigators say Halderman deposits. Letterman goes to the grand jury. And then, on his own show, he says he told them some creepy stuff.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": The creepy stuff was that I have had sex with women who work for me on this show. Now, my response to that is, "Yes, I have."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOREMAN: Outside CBS News, Halderman was arrested. He's pleaded not guilty. His lawyer says they will fight the charge.

GERALD SHARGEL, HALDERMAN'S ATTORNEY: This story is far more complicated than what you heard this afternoon. It's not the open and shut case that you just heard about.

FOREMAN: Halderman is out on bail now, but, if convicted, could wind up in prison for 15 years.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN: Halderman made good money, more than $200,000 a year, according to a contract from a couple of years ago. But he also had big bills. There was a divorce settlement in which he was ordered to pay almost $7,000 in alimony and child support every month -- Don.

LEMON: All right. Thank you very much for that, Tom.

You know, it's all in a day's work. That's what heroes say. Well, next, you're going to meet a man who saved a young boy's life as fire ripped through his home.

And later, thousands of people lost everything in floods that hit Georgia. Our Jacqui Jeras is going to sort through all the problems with flood insurance that you have. You might have some questions about that, and she's going to give you some answers. Some questions, and the answers may be tough to get. Jacqui's going to sort it out for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: All right. So, you have likely seen the pictures of the good Samaritan who helped rescue an unconscious boy from a fire in New York. But what about the firefighter who braved the flames to get inside the apartment and hand the boy out?

Our Susan Candiotti decided to get his heroic story as well. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These images of a good Samaritan who climbed up a fire escape and took an injured boy from the arms of a fireman captured worldwide attention and made the man Horia Cretan an instant media hit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Storeowner Horia Cretan snapped into action.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The man is a bona fide hero, I'm sorry.

HORIA CRETAN, STOREOWNER: Will you marry me?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... was instantly turned into an American hero.

CANDIOTTI: An unexpected hero.

A closer look at the video made us wonder about the other hero, that fireman who went inside a blazing inferno to snatch that 4-year- old boy, the firefighter who handed off the youngster to Cretan. There he is.

(on camera): This is it?

JIMMY SENK, FIREFIGHTER, FDNY: That's my helmet. Yes, that's my coat. My pants are somewhere down here.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): They belong to firefighter Jimmy Senk.

SENK: Oh, ever since I was a little kid, I was just -- you know, it just seemed like the right thing to do. I wanted to do something with my life that would mean something to me.

CANDIOTTI: He's been a firefighter for only five years, but his training paid off that day in the Bronx.

SENK: As soon as we came around the corner, there was heavy black smoke pushing out all the windows.

CANDIOTTI: Senk saw the little boy's arms hanging outside the window but couldn't use the fire escape. Too many people were coming down it. His buddies got him up there on a ladder.

SENK: I smashed a window to get in and to get the boy.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): What happened? SENK: He disappeared into the black smoke.

CANDIOTTI: And you thought?

SENK: Oh, man. What am I going to do now? I got to go get him. You know?

CANDIOTTI: And there you are on the ladder. So...

SENK: So, then I went to Plan B and I jumped to the fire escape. And masked up, went in. I found him by his door.

CANDIOTTI: What condition was he in?

SENK: He was unconscious, his body was limp. He was foaming black stuff at the mouth.

CANDIOTTI: What did you think?

SENK: I didn't think he was going to make it, to be honest.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Senk handed the boy to the stranger on the fire escape. The youngster survived.

(on camera): Is your colleague a hero?

LT. ERNESTO TOREDO, FDNY: Oh, definitely, and we're extremely proud of him.

SENK: The fact that he lived was, like, incredible, because I wasn't sure if he was a goner when I took him out. Everyone has to do their job in order for everything to work right and for good things like this to happen. And everyone did that, thank God.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): From firefighter to civilian, a chain reaction of heroes.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right. Some true heroes there.

An arrest in the nude videotaping of an ESPN reporter, how police caught the man who is accused of taping Erin Andrews in more than one hotel room.

And funeral services for the honor student beaten to death by teens on his way home from a Chicago school.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Want to tell you about a story that's also taking place here in Chicago.

We're live here to talk about the missed Olympic bid, and also to talk about the violence that's happening in Chicago. But the story about ESPN reporter Erin Andrews, taped on two different occasions, in two different hotel rooms, the man who is accused of that was arrested last night at O'Hare Airport.

The question is, is whether he's going to stay here or if he's going to be sent back to California on bond, or if he's going to remain in prison.

The rest of the day's top stories again, including the story of violence here in Chicago and the missed Olympic bid. We're going to have that for you.

So, in Chicago, 16-year-old Derrion Albert, he was laid to rest today after being beaten to death by a teen mob. Derrion's family, his friends, Chicago leaders, well, they mourned the loss of the honor student today.

Also, some big names in the African-American community turned out for the funeral of 16-year-old honor student Derrion Albert -- the Reverend Jesse Jackson, also Louis Farrakhan and others. Father Pfleger there as well, all pleading for an end to the cultural violence that is killing Chicago's children.

Derrion was beaten to death in a street brawl on his way home from school, an ominous beginning to the new school year. Last year, 37 Chicago schoolchildren were killed in random violence.

The other day, I sat down for an exclusive interview with his mother as she struggled to make sense of losing her child to Chicago's deadly streets.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: People see that videotape, and they have this reaction -- "Oh, my gosh." You have seen that tape?

ALBERT: No.

LEMON: Why not?

ALBERT: I don't think I can. I know the extent of the damage they did to my baby. I had to identify him at the morgue. I don't need to see what they did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, make sure you stay with us throughout the 7:00 p.m. hour here on CNN. An-Janette Albert and her daughter, Rhea (ph), well, they have much, much more to say about Derrion's death. You'll hear more of my exclusive interview coming up a little bit later on.

In that shaky cell phone video of Derrion being beaten to death, you see young thugs arm themselves with planks of wood, and they go on the attack. After seeing it time after time, it still makes you shudder. It's just tough to watch. So, I visited Chicago's Urban Prep Academy, where students are cultivated into future civic leaders. Here's their take on what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: When you see the video of Derrion Albert that's been played all over, what do you think?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, I got real emotional when I saw it. I was, like, "Man, that is just sad." Like, I couldn't finish watching it.

And I was thinking, like, man, they just going to keep -- even though they're just showing it on TV, they're going to keep -- you know, like they're going to keep doing violence.

LEMON: What do you mean?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Violence is going to continue to go on. Like, even though they're showing people -- like, even though, like, we keep dying, people are just going to keep up with violence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Feeding off the violence. Yes, it's kind of the times. Like, this isn't the only incident where a student has been beaten to death or killed over a dispute between students.

It's happened several times. It's just this time it's been caught on video. And I'm actually happy they're showing it over and over again, because it's like a wake-up to people -- like, we need to stop all of this nonsense.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Seeing that made me -- reality set in for me. It showed me life's value.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It can happen to anybody at any time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It can happen to anybody.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My thing with it was, I couldn't really watch the video because I do a lot of reading, and I listen to a lot of people that talk to me. And seeing that type of black-on-black violence to that extent, to someone resulting in not having their life, it irritates me to no end, because the whole world has to constantly see it. And I'm not trying to pull the racial card or whatever, but our race alone is always having things thrown in our face about violence, about school, about life, period.

And this is doing nothing but proving people right. Like, this is the life that we live. It's not people just saying something to pick on us, or whatever. It's what we are actually living, the life that we're actually living. And to be honest, no one is doing nothing about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: Well, the Chicago Police Department says that so far this year, 84 people younger than 21 have been killed, 29 of them were under the age of 17.

The 2016 Olympic bid is a tale of two cities, Rio de Janeiro is the biggest winner, of course, and Chicago, well, unfortunately, the biggest loser.

Let's start in Brazil. A lively beach crowd erupted in cheers as the International Olympic Committee announced Rio would become the first South American city to host the games.

But there was just a dumbfounded sigh in Chicago. The windy city was eliminated in the first round, in spite of an all-star push from the first family, from Oprah, and a crew of American Olympians. Maybe next time.

Billy Dec is the director of culture relations for the Olympic Bid Committee. And he was part of the team that pitched Chicago to the IOC. He's joining us via Skype live from Copenhagen.

Hey, Billy.

BILLY DEC, DIRECTOR, CULTURE RELATIONS, OLYMPIC BID COMMITTEE: Hey, how are you, Don. What's going on?

LEMON: Oh, man, so what did you guys think? When I was watching it, all I could think about was that music, like, wah-wah, it was so sad. What do you think?

DEC: You know what? You couldn't hear that sound. I mean it was dead silence. Obviously, in Chicago, I saw it on CNN, but what was happening in our private -- spirits were high, everyone was excited, no one, nobody expected that would happen first round like that. I don't think anyone really -- I don't think a majority of people would have expected that, first round, it would have gotten, you know, eliminated like that.

LEMON: Well, what do you think happened? There was some question about the voting, that maybe two different countries got together and sort of blocked the vote? You were there. You're on the inside. What do you think happened?

DEC: Well, it's obviously a really unique form of voting, you know, it's not just one set and you have a winner. They obviously have the rounds that you guys have talked about. I think after the presentations, I think I heard a lot of rumbling about a general consensus or talk of Rio being the winner, and that they should win. And I don't know how that -- how they do things, but I still don't know why that meant first round. but I think, from what I hear quite a bit, is that people did feel generally that Rio should walk away winning this, and south America as a whole should finally get the Olympics in 2016 and I think that's great.

LEMON: I'm looking here, Billy -- you probably don't have a copy of the "Chicago Tribune." I don't have a copy of the "Sun Times." But the "Tribune" on the front has people gasping. and there's also this little funny thing about you in the paper, I don't know if your read that or if people sent you -- the "No Game Chicago" people had a little bit of fun today. but the No Game Chicago people bring up a point, saying that maybe in all of this some of the issues, spending $74, $75 million on an Olympic bid, that maybe the priorities in the city were in the wrong place, should have been paying attention to the kids who were dying on the streets of Chicago. Any talk about that over in Copenhagen? How do you feel about that?

DEC: Well two separate questions. No talk about that in Copenhagen right now. I think that right now, I'm just kind of getting information either from CNN or on Twitter from people that are following me and most of its positive. Everyone says we did a great job, we went out there, did our best, we put a good face on and played a great game.

I think there's a lot of issues always in every big city. And Chicago has its own and I think that all of them matter. And that's definitely one that needs to be tackled especially now, it sounds like a lot more activity is occurring. And, you know, I know when I get home, I'm actually volunteering for Chicago Public Schools Principal for a Day when I get back. There's a bunch of other things that people can get involved with. And it's really all of our jobs to just get involved with kids.

LEMON: Yes, and, Billy, I know that you will be doing some charitable work with that and helping out as well. And we've done fund-raisers together when I worked here so I know you'll be trying to help out with that.

Billy, you're a good sport. Too bad, but as they say, maybe 2020, the next thing will happen or maybe the Cubbies will go all the way this year, who knows. But something good will come out of it.

Safe travels back here. See you soon.

DEC: I don't know about the Cubbies but I'm happy for Rio. I wish them all the best and I can't wait.

LEMON: Billy Dec good to see you. Safe travels again.

DEC: Take care.

LEMON: So toddlers wandering in traffic -- it's a sad story. That's what police say happened after a mom passed out in her car. They say she was drunk. You'll hear a judge lecture this mom.

Many Georgia families recently lost everything because they didn't have flood insurance. Why? Jacqui Jeras looks at what you need to know.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: In the Philippines, tens of thousands of people are on the run from the second major storm to hit that country in just two days. Typhoon Parma dumped heavy rain, killing at least four people, but it could have been much, much worse. The main part of the storm missed the country's heavily populated areas, including Manila.

Thirty people are still unaccounted for in Sicily, two days after a deluge of heavy rains caused massive mudslides. The Italian Civil Protection Authority says the official death toll stands at 21. One of the worst hit areas is Messina, in eastern Sicily. The Italian government declared a state of emergency as search-and-rescue efforts continue.

Jacqui Jeras is tracking the storm for us right here at the CNN Center in Atlanta.

Hey, Jacqui, good to see you.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good to see you as well, Don. We want to update you on Typhoon Parma, because this storm is still just pounding the Philippines, as we speak. Best thing I can tell you is that all of the rainfall for the most part has been north of Manila so it's been in the northern parts of the islands here. But as much as ten inches has fallen. We can see another maybe ten-plus inches in some areas. And the reason why is that the system is going to be stalling out, and not moving very much. That's good news for Taiwan, which means it's going to take longer to get there, if it ever gets there at all. So we'll continue to watch that storm for you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

JERAS: Don?

LEMON: Hey, Jacqui, it's been two weeks since the record rainfall brought epic flooding to north Georgia, but the impact could last a long time. Many of the victims learning the hard way that they should have flood insurance, should have had it, right?

JERAS: Some of them should have. And I guess it's a gamble, that some people may or may not want to take. Even the day before the floods happened, Don, many of those people who are now homeless basically because of the flooding, they would have told you they didn't need that flood insurance or that they didn't live in a flood plain or that they were told they could not get that insurance. A lot of confusion about it, not just after this flood event, but after most in the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAGDALENA RODRIGUEZ, FLOOD VICTIM: This was our living room.

JULIUS RODRIGUEZ, FLOOD VICTIM: And the two-person sofa that was here actually ended up on that side of the house. It was like everything was basically moved around.

M. RODRIGUEZ: Shifted, yeah.

JERAS (voice-over): All of that furniture and just about everything else Julius and Magdalena Rodriguez own now sits in their driveway in wet, moldy piles. The Rodriguez's, both serving in the Army, bought their dream home in 2006 in Austell, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta.

M. RODRIGUEZ: First property, first home for us, so it was exciting.

JERAS: Now it's just another casualty of the torrential rain and flash flooding that hit the region in September.

(on camera): So all of this was underwater?

J. RODRIGUEZ: Yes. It was all the way up to the ceiling.

JERAS (voice-over): When they were able to get close enough they took this picture of their home, sitting in 11 feet of water. Even the second floor was flooded.

J. RODRIGUEZ: The closet has black mold in it.

JERAS: The Rodriguez's know they have to repair the house, but wonder where they'll get the money. They had no flood insurance and, more importantly, didn't think that they needed any.

M. RODRIGUEZ: I think our realtor is the one who had the whole trek of the flood plain and they used maps from 1981 to see whether we were in a flood zone. And as with most residents in this neighborhood, and around, we weren't in a flood zone, didn't need flood insurance, wasn't really even offered to us. 2008, apparently, the place was made a flood zone. Although, nobody told us.

JERAS: When we contacted the county where the Rodriguez's live, they told us that the previous survey from 1992 also showed that same neighborhood in a flood plain.

JOHN OXENDINE, GOERGIA INSURANCE COMMISSIONER: They should have been notified either by FEMA or by their mortgage company, because to do that now, it is really designed when you're -- always catch it or should always catch it, is when there's a refinancing or a purchase of a new house.

JERAS: John Oxendine is Georgia's state insurance commissioner. He says the Rodriguez's may not be the only ones confused by federal flood insurance, which is administered by FEMA.

OXENDINE: I'm hearing a lot of rumors of FEMA telling people you can't get flood insurance. Actually, you could, and turning people down or saying you used to be in a flood plain, you no longer are.

JERAS (voice-over): Should you be responsible yourself for going out and finding that information?

OXENDINE: Yes, it is your home, and you do need to accept personal responsibility for protecting your home.

JERAS (on camera): So we went online to FEMA's web site and found a map of the Rodriguez's neighborhood. And here you can see it's clearly labeled that they are in a flood zone. But we also went to floodsmart.gov, another FEMA web site, and entered their address. And here you can see the property is listed low to moderate risk. So why the discrepancy and why weren't the Rodriguez's told when they bought their house?

(voice-over): FEMA told CNN that being in a flood zone you have a chance of experiencing a 100-year flood. Being at low to moderate risk is the general risk of flooding each year. FEMA works with local communities to develop maps and make changes as need. Their web site has updated information on flood insurance.

That's little comfort to the Rodriguez's, who are now living in a hotel.

M. RODRIGUEZ: This is the lunch?

JERAS: And getting some of their meals from the Red Cross.

FEMA has inspected the Rodriguez's home and even deposited a check, but the Rodriguez's say it will only cover their current living expenses, and maybe some furniture.

Their military unit and friends and family have been supportive.

M. RODRIGUEZ: We trusted everybody to tell us the right thing and to guide us the right way. Other than that, tragedy can happen at any time to anyone, even if you think it won't be you. But really, talk to your insurance. Check with your insurance.

J. RODRIGUEZ: Do the research. Do the research.

M. RODRIGUEZ: Do a lot of research.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JERAS: And the best thing to do is not to rely on FEMA or your mortgage company to inform you, but empower yourself. Check your address at floodsmart.gov every six months or so. And call your insurance company to confirm you have the insurance if you think you have it or if you want it. Nobody is denied flood insurance. It will cost you a bit. But it's only required for people who live in high- risk flood plains. So if there's like a 100-year flood or a 500-year flood, even you could be at risk -- Don?

LEMON: I learned something, floodsmart.gov. You check your property every six months you said, right?

JERAS: Absolutely.

LEMON: Very good information.

Thank you, Jacqui. Appreciate it.

What does Grammy Award-winner John Legend have to say about one of our "CNN Heroes"? Find out when we come right back. We're live in Chicago.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: This week, we announce the top-ten "CNN Heroes" of 2009. In the next few weeks, we'll be calling upon friends of "CNN Heroes" to tell us more about these extraordinary individuals and their work, as you begin voting for which one you want to be the "CNN Hero" of the year.

Today, Grammy-winning musician, John Legend, introduces us to Doc Henley, a former bartender who brings clean water to thousands worldwide.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN LEGEND, MUSICIAN: Hello. I'm John Legend. During last year's "CNN Heroes" and all-star tribute, I had the honor of performing and helping to recognize the great works of everyday citizens changing the world. As founder of the Show Me campaign, which seeks an end to global poverty, I am thrilled to be able to help CNN introduce one of this year's top ten honorees. Now more than ever, the world needs heroes.

DOC HENLEY, VOLUNTEER: Approximately one billion people lack access to clean water. It's killing more children than aids and malaria combined and yet all that could be prevented.

There you go, sir.

Your regulars, especially, sit on the same stool; pay the same tab every day. I felt like they wanted to be a part of something.

My name is Doc Henley. I used to be a bartender and now I provide clean water to people in need.

I got on the ground in Darfur and, seeing these people living in conflicts, yet their biggest concern was the huge loss of life because of the unclean water. That's when water changed the burden.

Whether we're filtering water or filling a well, we want to train and educate people already on the ground, enabling locals to fix their own water needs.

Joy is the only thing that helps lift the burden. You can be just a regular anybody and you really, really can change the world. I'm walking truth of that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right, you can go to CNN/heroes right now to vote for the "CNN Hero" that inspires you the most, CNN.com. You can vote for the person who inspires you the most. Lots of inspiration there. They'll all be honored at an all-star tribute hosted by our own Anderson Cooper on Thanksgiving night right here on CNN.

"The Situation Room" is straight ahead. Mr. Wolf Blitzer is going to tell us what he has for us.

What do you have, Wolf? WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Thanks very much, Don. Lots coming up at the top of the hour.

You don't often hear someone acknowledge that they flat-out lied. But we're going to speak to a former prosecutor in the Roman Polanski case who now says he lied to HBO about what happened and what didn't happen. Stand by for that.

Also, my exclusive interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger. He's got views on everything, ranging from Roman Polanski to legalizing pot and a whole lot more.

We've got a big show coming up at the top of the hour, Don. Right now, back to you.

LEMON: All right. We'll be watching. Thank you very much, Wolf Blitzer.

You know, a Florida mom is arrested after sheriff's deputies find her passed out behind the wheel. Her children, both toddlers, are found two miles away, wandering a busy street.

Derek Hayward of our affiliate WSVN has the report for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: Here's some highlights from the police report.

DEREK HAYWARD, REPORTER, WSVN (voice-over): The details are not pretty. 44-year-old Brenda Lee Dukeblo is accused of starting the engine of her '99 Ford Windstar, her 3-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter in the back, before passing out under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: You're charged with child neglect; DUI, first offense.

HAYWARD: Stuck in the driveway, Mom in ozone, engine running, the 3 and 4-year-olds decide to leave. Two miles away, a stranger finds them trying to cross busy southwest 100th Avenue two miles away, by themselves, on their way to find their older sister.

(on camera): Deputies say when they arrived at the house with the kids in the back of the patrol car, they found the mother here, passed out behind the wheel of the van with the engine still running. And that the kids told them they'd been in the van for, in their minds anyway, hours. They got tired of it and just climbed out and walked off.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was about to drive under the influence with her two precious children. She was going to pick up her older daughter. But when she passed out, those two youngsters actually got out of the van, and they were trying to walk to their sister's school to tell them -- to tell their sister what happened. UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: Let me make this clear one more time. You are not allowed to operate a motor vehicle in which there is anyone in that car under the age of 16. Do you understand? Ma'am, I hate to try to be a tough guy or hard on you but, ma'am, your children were found two miles away from you passed out in your driveway. And if that is not a danger to your children, then I don't know what is, ma'am. Short of having a loaded gun with them, I don't know what's any more dangerous.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: That was Derek Hayward from our affiliate WSVN.

The judge has suspended Dukeblo's license for now, and she will be granted a hardship license to drive to and from work only. Police said they found empty wine bottles in her vehicle.

Coming up tonight, 7:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN, you can see we are live here in Chicago where we are following the story, not only about the Olympics, but we're following the story of the violence here in Chicago. We're going to be talking with several community leaders about the nonstop violence that's happening in this city. Why are the kids dying at such an alarming rate, and what is being done to stop it? That's coming up 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

(COMMERCILA BREAK)

LEMON: New York safety, Kerry Rhodes, is such a health nut that they make fun of him for the health advice he dishes out. Now he's sharing his message. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta finds out just what's in Rhodes' fridge and why he wants to make sure his message of fitness gets out.

(FIT NATION)

LEMON: All right, Dr. Gupta.

Tiger Woods has another big triumph to celebrate. The $10- million prize that he got for winning the FedEx Cup has put him over the ten-figure mark. Wow! "Forbes" magazine is reporting that Woods is the first athlete to earn $1 billion, making him the richest athlete in history. Woods' bank account had tallied a cool $895 million at the end of last year. He has earned more than $100 million off the course this year. Tiger Woods in the billion-dollar territory.

Coming up tonight at 7:00 p.m. eastern here on CNN, we're going to go in depth, take an in-depth look at the Chicago stories dominating the headlines this week, the horror over the beating death of a 16-year-old honors student, the out-of-control violence in the street that no one can seem to get a handle on and the disappointment in the windy city over the 2016 Olympic announcement. Make sure you join us tonight for "Chicago's Deadly Streets" coming up in an hour.

Meantime, "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer starts right now. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)