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Christine O'Donnell's Admission in 1999 Clip; Pope Expresses 'Deep Sorrow'; Trial in Shocking Home Invasion; High School Quarterback Mourned

Aired September 18, 2010 - 22:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Right now on CNN, a murder mystery so gruesome, even the details are too much for the jury. Now some wonder if the family in this Connecticut home invasion could have been saved if police have responded faster.

A high school football star collapses on the field, dies at the hospital. The entire Texas town is reeling. Tonight, you'll hear my emotional conversation with the young man's coach.

And chances are, if not you, then someone close to you is using illicit drugs. Illegal drug use is up this year. Which ones top the list and why? We'll tell you.

Good evening, everybody. I'm Don Lemon. Thanks for joining us. She explored witchcraft, once went on a date to a satanic altar and now she is a Republican nominee for the Senate in Delaware. It's a bizarre admission from the Tea Party darling Christine O'Donnell courtesy of a 1999 clip from Bill Maher and ABC's "Politically Incorrect."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINE O'DONNELL, REPUBLICAN NOMINEE FOR SENATE: I dabbled into it, but I never joined this coven.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You were a witch?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, she was a witch.

O'DONNELL: I was a witch.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How were you a witch?

O'DONNELL: Because I dabbled into witchcraft. I hung around people who were doing these things. I'm not making this stuff up. I know what they told me they do. In one of my dates, in one of my dates, my first date --

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to hear about -- O'DONNELL: One of my first dates with a witch was on a satanic altar and I didn't know it. I mean, there was little blood there and stuff like that --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a date? Your first date was on a satanic altar?

O'DONNELL: Yes. We went to a movie and then had a little midnight picnic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: We wanted to tell you that Bill Maher showed that clip last night on his newer program. HBO's "Real Time." He says he's got more, and he's going to keep showing them until O'Donnell comes on. O'Donnell has canceled two appearances on his Sunday talk shows because her campaign says she has obligations in Delaware.

CNN contributor John Avlon says all of this spells trouble for her campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN AVLON, INDEPENDENT POLITICAL ANALYST: Look, there's a reason the libertarian magazine reason called her a crackpot of the first order. You are seeing a lot of the controversies from her past have -- are coming out and they're going to keep coming out in drips and drabs. I think you may see more about her past talking about gay conversion therapy. But this is a real issue for her campaign. It's a real issue for her candidacy. It's a reason that a lot of responsible Republicans and conservatives were very concerned about her winning the nomination. Not just about electability in the broadest sense, but also just about these skeletons in her closet, being a professional social conservative activist on a lot of talk shows during the 1990s. So expect more of where this comes from.

LEMON: Listen, do you think this clip is the reason she canceled yesterday? I mean, obviously you're not in her campaign. But do you think this clip had something to do with it?

AVLON: Probably. Because she was on a surge giving a speech at value voters just the other day, talking about how some people out there call us wingnuts. But we represent "we the people." And getting a very positive reception at the Values Voters Forum. So, you know, news that this was coming down the pike is what causes campaigns to go into massive defensive mode. And when you're book for the Sunday shows, and then you'd go into retreat, that is a sign of a candidate in panic mode, usually for a good reason.

LEMON: Yes. Well, she's saying she's doing it, because of she had, you know, some things that were previously scheduled. But then you would wonder why she accepted them in the first place if she had something scheduled. So it's very -- you know, to call people wingnuts and say we're not wingnuts and then say you were part of a coven that may not bode well. So we'll see how this plays out.

Let's move on here to talk about -- you know, Bill Maher is a comedian. He has a talk show. So are Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert.

What do you make of this thing that they're having on October 31st in Washington, these rallies?

AVLON: The "restore sanity" rally? I love it. You know, I've long dreamed about the day when people take to the streets and yell "be reasonable." And it is a good push back and some of what we've seen. And Colbert throughout competing rallies is going to keep fear alive, which itself is pretty inspired.

I mean, we are living in a time where sometimes satire is the only way to tell the truth about our politics because the spin cycle is so insidious, is so extreme. And it also does speak to the way that media is playing a really dominant role in our politics. It is informing the conversation. It is driving the conversation. And so this is just another step in that direction, and from my point of view, a centrist point of view, an independent point of view, that's a hopeful sign because we do need to restore some sanity in our politics.

LEMON: Now you can look at people like Christine O'Donnell. You can look at the early beginnings of the Tea Party Movement, and what Glenn Beck did. And what's happening now with Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert, you can really call them outsiders, I guess.

So do outsiders have more power than in the past?

Absolutely. We are in a time when people are energized about politics. They are engaged and they are anxious because of the economy. And that's good to the extent that it keeps the political establishment on its toes.

Just today, the fact that Mike Pence, a conservative congressman but not somebody who's frequently mentioned in the top tier of presidential candidates, the fact that he won the value voters straw poll I think also shows a continuum of that attitude. So that makes it an exciting time, a fluid time. It does reinforce, though, that in particular, I think the Republican Party is in sort of warlord status with a lot of competing leaders, but no clear one stand-bearer.

But if you care about democracy in the deepest sense, in terms of citizens engaging, even if it can be -- informed by fringe groups which help boil up and stir up the grassroots, that's a good thing. It is good to see outsiders engage our politics. The trick is to make sure we're holding all the candidates accountable and keeping them honest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: John Avlon.

We have some new developments to tell you about out of England tonight. British authorities have freed six men who were arrested on suspicion of terrorism. A Scotland Yard spokesman tells CNN the men were released about three hours ago. London police took the men into custody Friday. The same day Pope Benedict XVI arrived in the city. Authorities would not say, though, if the arrests were connected to the pope. And it is not clear what prompted police to focus on the men. The pope's security chose not to make any changes to his schedule.

Also in London, Pope Benedict today addressed victims of the clergy sex abuse. He met privately with five of them according to Catholic Communications Network. And earlier in the day, he spoke publicly of the shame within the church during a mass he led in Westminster Cathedral.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE BENEDICT XVI, CATHOLIC CHURCH: Above all, I express my deep sorrow to the innocent victims of this unspeakable crimes along with my hope with the power of Christ's grace is the sacrifice of reconciliation, may it bring deep healing and peace to their lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The "Telegraph" is reporting about 80,000 people gathered to support the pope during a prayer vigil in Hyde Park. The protesters also rallied. They oppose the Catholic Church's stand on gays, women priest and birth control among other things. The pope wraps up his visit to the U.K. tomorrow.

An American woman tonight is on her way home after spending more than a year captive in Iran. Sarah Shourd left Oman earlier where she was staying following her release Tuesday. Shourd is one of three American hikers detained by Iran after they allegedly crossed over the border from Iraq in July of 2009. She regrets having to leave the others behind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH SHOURD, AMERICAN FREED FROM IRAN: I will always associate your country with the first breath of my freedom, the sweet smell of sandalwood and the chance to stand by the ocean listening to the waves. I thank the good hospitable people of Oman for your support and ask you to please, please extend your prayers to my fiancee, Shane and my friend, Josh. They will soon be free.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, Iran agreed to release Shourd for medical reasons. She reportedly found a lump in her breast while she was in prison.

A deadly election day to tell you about in Afghanistan. The country was rocked by Taliban attacks that killed at least 11 people. Still election officials say more than 3.5 million people, 40 percent of eligible voters, cast ballots for 249 parliamentary seats. Counting is expected to take about a month and even then the outcome might be in dispute. The election commission is already flooded with complaints of irregularities and accusations of fraud. Taliban attacks kept 20 polling places from even opening.

In the Gulf of Mexico tonight, a crucial pressure test of BP's Macondo Oil Well is set to begin in about two hours. If successful, it means cement pumped deep into the well today is holding. The so- called bottom kill is holding. National incident commander Thad Allen will have the final word on whether the well is officially dead. If and when he does, crews will pack up and probably be gone in about a week.

A husband and father helpless as his entire family is killed. Next, hear the frantic 911 call in this case. And why one man says these murders were preventable.

And drug use in the U.S. is on the rise. We'll take a look at the possible reasons and why.

And don't just sit there. We want you to be part of the conversation tonight. Make sure you logon to Twitter or Facebook, and send us a comment. And check out my blog, CNN.com/Don. And look for us on FourSquare.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Jurors in Connecticut are getting a break this weekend from one of the most gruesome murder trials in recent memory. A Connecticut family, their home invaded, only one made it out alive. And as Susan Candiotti tells us, the details are just as shocking now as when it all happened more than three years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jennifer Hawke-Petit, nervously asking a bank teller to withdraw ransom money to save her family. She had no way of knowing she'd be dead within an hour. An employee calls 911 --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have a lady who is in our bank right now who says that her husband and children are being held at their house. The people are in the car outside the bank. She is getting $15,000 to bring out to them, but if the police are told they will kill the children and the husband.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): The 911 call to police was made by the manager inside that bank branch. She told police she saw Mrs. Petit being driven away by someone else going in that direction.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She said they've been very nice and she knows they'll leave after they get the money.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Suspects Joshua Komisarjevsky and Steven Hayes did leave but only police say after allegedly strangling and raping Mrs. Hawke-Petit and tying up 11-year-old Mikaela and 17-year- old Haley. Husband Michael Petit was beaten and tied up in the basement before the house was set on fire. He escaped. The only survivor.

Nagging questions remain about whether police could have stormed the house and saved the family. JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: It is tempting to at least raise questions about the behavior of the police because they were there and didn't enter while the victims were still alive.

CANDIOTTI: A radio log shows patrols notified at 9:26 a.m. about 20 minutes later, a call to set up a perimeter before phoning the house. Ten more minutes pass and the suspects bolt. The house is on fire. Police call for an ambulance and fire truck more than a half hour after the first call. Security expert Tom Ruskin defends Cheshire's small 49-man force.

But in hindsight says --

TOM RUSKIN, SECURITY EXPERT: You have to take the house immediately. If you knew what you knew today what was going on then, first officers probably as quickly as they could would have taken that house.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): We wanted to ask police about what they did that day and why they did it. But because of a court-imposed gag order, they told us they couldn't answer our questions, except to say this - that they were competent in what they did and followed their protocols.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very emotional.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): During trial this week, Dr. Petit took the stand and jurors looked at crime scene photos of the burned remains of his wife and two daughters.

MICHAEL CHRISTIAN, "IN SESSION" PRODUCER: One juror was crying openly, a female. A male juror I saw wipe a tear away at one point. And even the jurors who weren't crying were extremely somber.

CANDIOTTI: The attorney for Steven Hayes admits his client's role in the crime in hopes of escaping the death penalty. There's no escaping what happened at this memorial garden where a family's house once stood or questions about whether two alleged killers could have been stopped sooner.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Cheshire, Connecticut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Well, both suspects in the Petit murders are convicted felons who were on parole at the time. The co-chair of Connecticut State judicial Mike Lawlor says warning signs were clearly missed here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE LAWLOR, CO-CHAIR, CONNECTICUT JUDICIARY CMTE.: Well, these two guys, the younger guy is the more dangerous guy, the clearly -- the potential future predator. He had been identified by many people in the system - for example, the sentencing judge in his case said, this guy is a potential killer down the road. But that information never got to the Department of Corrections.

LEMON: So how could it not get to the Department of Corrections? What went on that it didn't go there?

LAWLOR: Well, it turns out Connecticut has this antiquated information system for police and prosecutors and parole officials and they relied on photo copies and the U.S. mail when many other states do this electronically. And I think in this day and age, that's just not acceptable.

So in the three years since the tragedy, the governor, the legislature up here, have made these kinds of changes. So in the future, this won't happen. But clearly in retrospect, this was probably preventable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And after this crime, Connecticut did pass a home invasion law and made reforms to the way the parole board operates.

A high school football player collapses on the field and later dies at the hospital. A community is in shock tonight. We'll hear from his coach.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn't know what to do. I just stood there -- it's like you're seeing something bad play out but you don't really -- it's not real, it's surreal. That's the way it was on that sideline.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Plus this video, shocked all of us. A little baby crawling into traffic. What happened? Ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Time to check your top stories right now. Deputies in West Odessa, Texas, have arrested the man who forced them into a standoff that lasted nearly 24 hours. It started late Friday when the gunman shot two deputies and a civilian who are expected to survive. The "Odessa American" reports the suspect, Victor White, set fire to his home which was surrounded by officers. He is now in the hospital with burn injuries.

Six people were killed on Saturday in a crash involving a church van in Woodbury, New York. At least four people were rushed to the hospital. Two of them are in intensive care. One of the first firefighters on the scene tells CNN affiliate YNN that the accident was caused by a blown tire.

A spokesman for Toyota says the car company has settled with two families over a deadly crash. Four people were killed last year when their Lexus sedan accelerated uncontrollably on a freeway near San Diego and crashed over an embankment. Lexus is a division of Toyota. The company says both parties wish to keep the amount of the settlement private. As part of the deal, Toyota is not admitting liability.

A community in Texas is mourning the death of a high school football star. His name is Reginald Garrett. He collapsed just moments after throwing his second touchdown in a game on Friday night. He was rushed to the hospital. But before the game had even ended, the word reached the sidelines that their friend was dead.

Dan Hooks was Garrett's coach. And I spoke with him not long ago from Orange, Texas.

Coach, thank you for being so brave to come on. OK?

DAN HOOKS, HEAD COACH, WEST ORANGE STARK H.S. (via telephone): Thank you.

LEMON: Our condolences to you and your team and everyone in your town. How are the players taking Reginald's death?

HOOKS: It's devastating. It's just hard to talk about it. They were all crying and falling out, you know?

Well, you couldn't say anything to comfort them. I mean, what are you going to say? You know, you lost a 17-year-old child and nobody knew what the circumstances were or nothing. It's really bad.

LEMON: Tell us what kind of -- what kind of guy Reginald was?

HOOKS: Oh, he was a great kid. He was -- he was a great student, good kid, leader of his team. Teammates respected him.

And, you know, it's just a great loss to the family, to the community and the coaching staff. It's just got us all in the tank.

LEMON: Have you had a chance to speak to the family?

HOOKS: Yes, I've talked to -- I talked to his mother. His father -- I didn't get to talk to his father. But we're trying to get things arranged, you know, and worked out with the school and everything. And we're going to have a meeting tomorrow with administration just to see what direction we're going to go.

LEMON: You know what, coach? This is a story that really every community can relate to. There's a high school -- there's a junior high school and a high school not far from my home. And I can hear the football games. And you know the camaraderie of high school games especially, but every community can relate to this story.

HOOKS: Sure. Reggie was like my boy.

And I -- you know, I didn't know what to do. I just stood there -- it's like you're seeing a bad -- you know, something bad play out but you don't really -- it's not real, it's surreal. That's the way it was on that sideline for about, you know, a long time. And then when we got the word that he was -- had officially died, the community just -- I mean, it erupted. And like the lady said, there was a parking lot at the hospital. It was full of people. And people supporting the family. And we're just going to have to regroup and press on.

LEMON: Hey, coach, I want to ask you about this. It's been reported that Reginald had a history of seizures. Was there anything to suggest last night that this was about to happen?

HOOKS: No. You know, and I can't document that. Somebody says his mother said it. But I didn't question her about that.

But he's always -- I mean, he hasn't missed a day of school, I don't guess, ever, since I've known him in the seventh grade. And he had no history of anything, you know -- at least he hasn't shown any signs of any seizures or anything, you know? It was just a sudden thing and it caught everybody off guard.

LEMON: And, coach, as we -- as we look at this video, you see the other team kneeling, everyone, as you said, was caught off guard by that. I have to ask you -- you got a game coming up next weekend. Has a decision been made yet about whether you'll play it?

HOOKS: It will be made tomorrow by the administration and the coaches, and we'll meet and see. It's going to be kind of difficult probably because we're going to be going to a funeral next week and all the other things that go along with it. So, we haven't made the decision. But if I was to say, I would probably say we weren't going to.

LEMON: All right. Dan Hooks was Reginald Garrett's coach -- thank you, sir. And best of luck. Our thoughts and prayers are not only with you but with the entire community, OK?

HOOKS: Thank you.

And again, the family is preparing for a memorial service sometime next week. We'll keep you updated.

You know, it doesn't happen very often. A tornado touches down in New York City. Actually, make that two of them, two tornadoes. Wait until you hear how destructive they were.

And a woman sits on death row, scheduled to be executed next week. Our Brian Todd talks to her as her appeal for clemency is denied.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Time right now for a "CNN Equals Politics" update. We're keeping an eye on the latest headlines on the CNN.com Political Ticker. And here's what's crossing right now.

Indiana Congressman Mike Pence wins the annual straw poll at the values voter conference in Washington. It is considered an early test of possible 2012 presidential candidates among socially conservative voters. Mike Huckabee came in second, followed by Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin.

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski is launching a write-in campaign after losing her Republican primary to Joe Miller. The Tea Party Express did a lot of campaigning for Miller says this just provokes that Murkowski doesn't get it or proves that she doesn't get it.

Senator Jim DeMint tells CNN that if the GOP wins control of Congress, they must keep its promises to voters or the party is dead. The South Carolina Republican is calling on his party to unite around common causes, but DeMint has angered some in the GOP by supporting Tea Party-backed Christine O'Donnell over establishment candidate Mike Castle in the Delaware Senate race. Candy Crowley will have DeMint's full interview on tomorrow's "STATE OF THE UNION." And for the latest on politics, all the political news, make sure you go to CNNPolitics.com.

New York City is still cleaning up from the two tornadoes that struck there late on Thursday. Thousands of trees were downed by that storm that battered the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn. National Weather Service has confirm New York was hit by not one, but two tornadoes and a microburst with a wind gust of 125 miles per hour. One person was killed in that storm.

So keeping an eye on the hurricane that could wreak havoc on Bermuda and another that's breaking up and soaking Texas and Mexico. Jacqui Jeras joins us now from the CNN Hurricane Headquarters.

Not good.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: No, it's not good. And the problem here is not just that they're going to get hit with a hurricane. But this is a long duration event. Already, Don, Bermuda has been dealing with the outer bands of the hurricane. This is the radar from the Bermuda weather service. We want to thanks them for letting us use their radar here tonight.

And there you can see the teeny, tiny island, only 20 miles across. And these outer bands have been already moving through. So when they do, you start to get those increases in the winds. And you'll see those tropical storm force conditions already. And this is still more than 24 hours away from landfall likely. So that is, you know, almost two days. A day and a half to two days where they're going to be experiencing those strong winds.

Right now, this is a category 2 storm. Maximum winds, 100 miles per hour. We're seeing gusts stronger than that. It's less than 400 miles away from the coast right now. And, you know, it's going to be a close call as to whether or not that eyewall is going to make it onshore. But either way, the island will certainly be impacted by this system because this is a huge hurricane.

We're talking the winds extend out almost 700 miles across. So it's certainly going to be feeling the brunt of that. Here's the forecast track to show you where this thing is going. It's starting to curve on up towards the north. Best estimate is that you might get a hit just to the west of the island. But certainly they've been seeing those big, battering waves all day long. Our Reynolds Wolf is there. And he's going to have some live reports, by the way, in the morning. So I hope you stay tuned for that.

Karl has fizzled out in Mexico. You might be saying to yourself, what is this? Well, this is just an upper level disturbance that's bringing in a lot of cloudiness and a whole heck of a lot of rain. Texas will be affected by this storm from Houston all the way down towards Brownsville through the weekend. And we could see a good 3 to 6 inches of rainfall with just that upper level storm. Don?

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Jacqui, thank you very much.

A grandmother sits on death row tonight in Virginia. Her appeal for clemency has been denied. Tonight, our Brian Todd talks to her just before she is scheduled to die.

And how could this happen? Look at that video. That is a toddler right there in that highlighted spot right in the middle. That toddler crawls into traffic. Wait until you hear what the baby's mother says about all of this and what happened behind it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: She didn't pull the trigger, but a 41-year-old grandmother in Virginia is about to die for plotting to kill her husband and stepson eight years ago. It's been five years since a woman has been executed in this country. CNN's Brian Todd reports on why some think she should be spared.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): From Virginia's death row, Teresa Lewis sings for divine intervention.

No miracles, yet. Virginia Governor Bob McDonald refuses to issue a stay of execution for the first woman slated to be put to death in Virginia in nearly a century. If the Supreme Court doesn't intervene, Lewis will die by lethal injection next Thursday. I spoke with Lewis just before the Governor's ruling.

(on camera) Because of the sensitivity of the case at this point, the questions are limited to just a couple of predetermined questions for Teresa Lewis. We are also not allowed to bring cameras into the facility where she is being held. So we are speaking to her on the phone from her unit on death row in Virginia. If you could say anything to the governor at this point, what would you tell him?

TERESA LEWIS, DEATH ROW INMATE (via telephone): I would tell the governor, if I could speak to him one-on-one how sorry I really am. What happened to two people that I loved very much and I just wish I could take it back? I am sorry for all the people that I hurt in the process.

TODD (voice-over): Lewis pleaded guilty in the 2002 murders of her husband Julian Lewis and her stepson CJ in their mobile home in Southern Virginia. But this was a crime of conspiracy. And Lewis herself didn't fire the shots. The two men who did including lead triggerman Matthew Shallenberger only got life sentences. The judge called Teresa Lewis the head of this serpent. But her attorney says her IQ is in the low 70s, near the level of retardation. And they say Lewis has dependent personality disorder making her vulnerable to coercion by others.

(on camera) Is it your basic contention that she was manipulated into this crime?

JAMES ROCAP, TERESA LEWIS' ATTORNEY: Yes, Shallenberger has stated and the experts that have examined her agree that she was being used by Shallenberger not the other way around.

TODD (voice-over): Shallenberger had had an affair with Teresa Lewis before the killings. Her attorneys cite a prison letter from Shallenberger to another woman saying the only reason he slept with Lewis was so she would give me the insurance money she inherited after the murders. Matthew Shallenberger later committed suicide in prison. On the idea that Lewis was manipulated prosecutor David Grimes says this.

DAVID GRIMES, PROSECUTOR: I can frankly say that Teresa Lewis is as evil a person as I have ever met.

TODD: Grimes says his investigation showed Lewis herself took an active role in the plot. That she connived, manipulated everyone from her late husband to her lover, to her children. And he says test his side conducted contradicted those which indicated that say she's near retardation.

GRIMES: Her functioning ability is way beyond that.

TODD: You think she was faking?

GRIMES: Well, she certainly wasn't, as one of the experts said in the habitues proceedings, she certainly wasn't motivated to score accurately and high on those tests.

TODD: Lewis' attorney says the contention that she's faking a low IQ is silly. He says one expert specifically tested to see if she was faking that and found she wasn't.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Also tonight on CNN, the pope meets face-to-face with sex abuse victims. What he told an audience today in Great Britain, and why so many were upset by his visit?

And later, drug use in America is on the rise again. We'll tell you one of the theories why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: All right, time for your top stories right now. Pope Benedict today expressed, quote, "deep sorrow to victims of clergy sex abuse." He made the comments during a mass he led inside London's Westminster Cathedral. The pontiff also met privately with five abuse victims and held a prayer vigil in Hyde Park.

In the meantime, thousands protested against the Catholic leader, opposing the church's stand on gays and birth control, among other issues.

In Afghanistan, more than 3.5 million people cast ballots for parliament today. Despite a wave of deadly attacks by the Taliban, at least 11 people were killed. Counting begins tomorrow and should take about a month. Complicating the process, of course, the election commission has already been flooded with complaints of irregularities and allegations of fraud.

A crucial pressure test of BP's Macondo oil well in the Gulf of Mexico is set to begin at midnight eastern time. If successful, it means cement pumped deep into the well today is holding. The so- called "bottom kill." National incident commander Thad Allen will have the final word on whether the well is officially dead.

For nearly 40 years, the federal government has asked people in every state if and how much they use illegal drugs. Well, this year the national survey on drug use and health isn't the worst researchers have seen, but it is worst than last year. CNN's Jeanne Meserve reports that drug use is up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Illegal drug use is higher than it has been in a decade. According to a new government survey, usage among Americans 12 and over rose from eight percent in 2008 to 8.7 percent in 2009. With an upswing in the use of ecstasy, Methamphetamines and particularly marijuana. Among teenagers, Marijuana use jumped from 6.7 percent in 2008 to 7.3 percent in 2009, that would still less that it was in 2002.

GIL KERLIKOWSKE, OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY: Young, heavy marijuana users are much more likely to report getting Ds and Fs than As and Bs, are more likely to be in trouble with the law for crimes like theft.

MESERVE: The survey shows a change in teen attitudes towards using marijuana.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Marijuana has a very low risk compared to other things, I'd say.

MESERVE: Like?

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Like alcohol for example.

MESERVE: The nation's drug czars says, fewer teens see marijuana as dangerous because of media coverage of current policy debates. KERLIKOWSKE: Absolutely cannot rule out that this constant discussion of so-called medical marijuana, marijuana legalization and the down playing of marijuana harms that is prevalent in the media.

MESERVE: With California voting in November on a ballot measure legalizing marijuana, that debate has picked up tempo. Earlier this week, former heads of the Drug Enforcement Administration urged the Obama administration to take a strong stand against the measure. But supporters of legalized marijuana say the new survey numbers illustrate the failure of current government policy, criminalizing marijuana.

MIKE MENO, MARIJUANA POLICY PROJECT: We need a legal, regulated marijuana market.

MESERVE: And that will lead to less teen use of marijuana?

MENO: It has for alcohol. It has for tobacco.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: In fact, the rate of teen alcohol and tobacco use stayed essentially the same during the past year. Other trends, the abuse of prescription drugs is up, but the use of cocaine has declined 30 percent since 2006.

Don, back to you.

LEMON: Oh wow, 30 percent since 2006. So in the '80s and '90s, cocaine was the drug. It was raging, especially on Wall Street when people were doing well.

So then what's the reason behind the drop in cocaine use? Could it be money, the economy?

MESERVE: Well, at this press conference, officials said what they thought the reason was with education, simply the people had become more aware of the hazards, particularly of crack cocaine, and that was leading more people to stay away from it -- Don.

LEMON: Our thanks to CNN's Jeanne Meserve.

And all year, we have introduced you to remarkable, everyday people who are changing the world. And in just one week, we reveal our top CNN Heroes for 2010. And one of those ten will become the CNN Hero of the Year.

First, let's check in with our 2009 Hero of the Year to see how the recognition has transformed his life and helped him expand his extraordinary work.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: The CNN Hero of the Year is Efren Penaflorida.

(voice-over): From the slums of the Philippines to the stage at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Efren Penaflorida has come a long way.

EFREN PENAFLORIDA, CNN HERO 2009: We are the change that this world needs to be. Mabuhay.

COOPER: For 12 years, Efren and his team of volunteers have pushed their mobile classrooms through the streets of their neighborhoods, teaching kids who never make it to school. But after being named 2009 CNN Hero of the Year, Efren became a national hero.

PENAFLORIDA: It is really overwhelming.

COOPER: Upon his return, Philippine President Gloria Arroyo presented him with one of the country's highest honors. One year later, the pushcart classroom model has been replicated more than 50 times across the Philippines and inspired the construction of an education center funded in part by the CNN Heroes grant.

PENAFLORIDA: They say that that's a symbol of poverty, but now they see a pushcart as the symbol of hope and education.

COOPER: Recently, Efren has had his story told in six countries and languages and can be seen weekly in his own search for heroes on Philippine television. The young man from the slums has turned the attention of a nation toward a common dream.

PENAFLORIDA: My fellow Filipinos, they are unleashing the hero inside of them. Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: We want to tell you that next Thursday, we will be announcing the year's top ten heroes on CNN.com at 1:00 p.m. And that's when you can vote online for the CNN Hero who inspires you the most. All ten will be honored on Thanksgiving night at "CNN HEROES," an all-star tribute hosted by Anderson Cooper but only one will be named CNN Hero of the Year.

Using hip-hop to heal. It could be the latest tool for mental health professionals. We'll explain.

And this one got us all talking. A half-ton gator and the 115- pound woman who bagged that beast?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: In tonight, "What Matter," the mental health profession is being pushed into a bold new direction called Hip-Hop Psychology. The theory is urban kids with emotional issues might respond better to treatment if involves graffiti, rap music or hip-hop dance. Over the past three says, Hip-Hop Psychology was the focus of a symposium at Vanderbilt University. And just a short time ago, I spoke with two grad students behind it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: OK. Here's the thing, I mean, it sounds good, but it is unconventional in the sense that it's not Freudian, right? You're not laying on a couch and what have you and you know, listening to someone with a note pad and it's $75 an hour. So then by just what Debanshu is doing there, how is that going to accomplish anything? Both of you can respond to that, you first, Lauren.

LAUREN GARDNER, CO-FOUNDER, HIP HOP PSYCHOLOGY: Well, the thing is that we're actually very firmly based in traditional science. And I mean, clearly we're in masters programs now and pursuing our Ph.D.s in psychology. So we actually use that very traditional science and meet that with our artistic background and our whole idea behind hip hop psychology is to create an authentic experience for clients through which they can connect to their own personal life experience through which they can actually evoke and they can feel and express their own emotions and ultimately create some sort of artistic piece that actually is very expressive and authentic to themselves.

LEMON: OK. Go ahead, Debanshu.

GARDNER: And to begin to communicate it that way, rather than just through other methods.

DEBANSHU ROYCHOUDRHURY, CO-FOUNDER, HIP HOP PSYCHOLOGY: Yes, and I think, you know, we don't even get into the conversation of which is better or which is worse, that's not what we're here to talk about.

LEMON: No, what I'm asking you is how it works, that's not what I want you to debate. I'm asking you how it works, because usually you lay on a couch and you tell your problems and someone will ask you a question that they think it's going to wake up something, awaken something from your long lost childhood and it's going to help you. So I'm really asking you more about the process.

ROYCHOUDRHURY: I think it's about emotional expression and what we're here to do is really to create another option and to really enhance a clinician's toolbox and add other tools to their toolbox. So we're really here to create more options amongst the options that already exist.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: You know, one person who knows the healing power of professional counseling is L.A. Laker Ron Artest. Now he's encouraging children to speak up about the issues that bother them. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez talked to Artest about why he is promoting mental health service for children, and we'll bring that interview to you next week. So make sure you stay tuned.

A mother has some explaining to do, for sure. Take a look at this. A toddler goes crawling right onto a busy street. You can see traffic going by, whizzing by. How one man saved this little guy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. It's time now to try to catch you up on some of the news you might have missed throughout the week. We call it, "New You Missed." A 13-foot alligator, nothing to mess with, right? But no one told a Massachusetts woman who came to the swamps of South Carolina to bag one. She hooked into the 900-pound animal with a fishing rod. The battle was epic. Never mind the gator outweighed her by nearly eight times and could have swallowed her whole, really. She plans to have the carcass stuffed, probably because no one would believe it otherwise.

Die hard sports fans often carry their passion to the grave. And in Australia, "The Herald Son" newspaper reports football club songs are the most requested music at funerals. But not now. The Catholic Church there saying they're not going to do it anymore. The archbishop of Melbourne has issued strict new guidelines banning everything except church hymns at the funeral mass. According to the guidelines, that means no romantic ballads, pop or rock songs, political songs, football clubs songs, none of it. The church says those are more appropriate at a wake or memorial service separate from the mass.

Well, The Fountain on Locust is not a big place. You've been there. You know that? It's an old-fashioned ice cream parlor and soda fountain in downtown St. Louis. But it has got something no other place it has. It's got the best bathrooms in America. That is according to online voting in an annual competition. Fountain on Locust had some serious competition though, including major hotels around the U.S. in New York City's Bryant Park. But the hand-painted art deco decor and posh fixtures made it the top crowd pleaser among restaurants. So now you know.

A bizarre twist in a Colorado wildfire that wiped out 166 homes near boulder around Labor Day. Investigators say it started in a fire pit in someone's yard. Our affiliate KUSA reports that that pit belongs to a 20-year-old veteran of the area's volunteer fire department. KUSA says the man did a legal controlled burn several days earlier to get rid of brush on his property.

OK, this is the most talked about video all day. In southern Turkey, a very close call for a toddler who wandered into a busy street. A little boy and his mother apparently had taken refuge in nearby bushes just to take a nap. And she didn't notice when he woke up and then he crawled away. Fortunately, though, an alert truck driver stopped, stopped traffic until the mother could retrieve her baby. Can you imagine? Just look at that baby playing in traffic and then the mom. She's asleep. Didn't know what happened.

Again, that's the most talked about story all day. The most tweeted story, too, to me once we ran that video.

Hey, listen. Thank you for joining us. I'll see you back here tomorrow night at 6:00 and 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

I'm Don Lemon at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. And right now, I want to tell you to watch a very special investigation. It's called "LATINO IN AMERICA," and it's by my colleague, Soledad O'Brien. See you tomorrow night. Good night.