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Osama bin Laden's Handwritten Diary; Losing Homes in Flood; Government Flood Insurance Broke; Bringing Baseball to Inner City Youth; Residents Brace for Troubled Waters in Louisiana; Rebels Claim Misrata

Aired May 12, 2011 - 11:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7, I'm Suzanne Malveaux. Want to get you up to speed for Thursday, May 12th.

First, Osama bin Laden's personal diary. U.S. officials call it al Qaeda's playbook.

The journal, apparently handwritten by bin Laden, shows he did leave his compound on occasion to meet with other terrorists. Bin Laden's notebook encourages his followers to target smaller U.S. cities, but he also says another attack on the scale of 9/11 would be necessary to drive U.S. forces out of the Middle East.

The CIA is showing photos of bin Laden's corpse to members of Congress who sit on the Intelligence and Armed Services Committees. Now, Republican Senator James Inhofe says the pictures are grisly and leave no doubt that bin Laden is dead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JAMES INHOFE (R), OKLAHOMA: There are 15 pictures. The first 12 were taken in the compound. Obviously, it was right after the incident took place. So they're pretty grueling. The other three were taken on the ship, and they included the burial at sea.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: A little later I'll talk live with Florida Congressman Tom Rooney, who is also viewing those pictures.

Now, gas prices, they're up a couple pennies today, even though oil prices have been falling. AAA says the national average for a gallon of regular is now $3.98. You'll pay $4.25 for premium.

Against that backdrop, Congress is coming down hard on oil company execs. That's happening today.

Five CEOs are testifying before the Senate Finance Committee. With oil companies consistently showing big profits, some in Congress want to end billions in taxpayer subsidies to big oil. One exec says that's un-American.

Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi resurfaces, apparently to prove that he is still alive. Gadhafi hadn't been seen in public for two weeks or so when a NATO airstrike killed one of his sons and three grandchildren.

Well, a Libyan state television camera panned from a TV screen to Gadhafi, showing the date May 11th. They say he's alive and well. CNN cannot confirm that that video is authentic.

At least 13 people are dead in the latest round of bloodshed. That, in Yemen.

(GUNFIRE)

MALVEAUX: Anti-government activists tell CNN that Yemeni security forces used live ammunition on protesters in Sana'a and Taiz. Doctors say 169 people are wounded, some critically. They expect the death toll will rise.

The Army Corps of Engineers says it will probably open a Missouri River spillway near Baton Rouge as early as Saturday. People who live in the flood's path are filling sandbags. Opening the spillway will take off pressure off the levees and cut the flood threat to Baton Rouge and New Orleans. But that means more than 2,000 homes in the spillway are certain now to flood.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Getting prepared for the high water coming. Hopefully we worked for nothing, but it's better to work for nothing and save a house. You know?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We understand to save the cities and populated areas and industries, that's what the spillways were, you know, built for. So we chose to live in these areas, and it's something we put up with.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I bought the property, I didn't really think about that. And I didn't even worry about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Up river, in places like Kentucky and Illinois, flood victims are finally returning to their homes to find a muddy mess. Some communities are handing out bleach and cleaning kits.

An earthquake rocks Spain's central Mediterranean coast, killing eight people. The 4.1 quake brought parts of this old church tumbling down.

There was a wider view. Take a look at this. Unbelievable pictures. Thousands of people slept on the streets last night, afraid other buildings might collapse as well.

Well, President Obama today going after Latino voters. This morning he told the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast in Washington that immigration reform is a moral imperative. He's going to sit down for interviews later today with Spanish-language networks Univision and Telemundo.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is a subject that can expose raw feelings and feed our fears of change. It can be tempting to think that those coming to America today are somehow different from us. And we need to not have amnesia about how we populated this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The Reverend Billy Graham is in a hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, today, but doctors are treating the longtime evangelist for pneumonia. They say that Graham's overall health is good for a 92-year-old man, and they expect him to go home in just a couple of days.

Want to bring you more now on Osama bin Laden's handwritten diary. It was recovered in the raid that killed that terrorist leader.

The intelligence analysts are reviewing the diary, the journal now. We're learning new details about what's inside.

I want to bring in our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.

And Barbara, officials have referred to this as an al Qaeda playbook. What is the most interesting information that you're learning from his writings?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, you're right, Suzanne. They've called it the al Qaeda playbook. They've called it his diary.

Think of it as his journal, the handwritten views, if you will, of Osama bin Laden. What we are told is in this, the theme throughout much of it is attacking the United States, that he talks about the need again to attack the United States, that he offers some guidance to his followers, how to attack the United States. This seems to be his real focus. Whether his operatives in the field picked up on that or not remains to be seen.

What officials are telling us is there was communication between bin Laden in that compound and his operatives, the al Qaeda affiliates, out in the field. They did communicate back to him.

The key question, of course, is how effective was the communication? Were there plots and plans that were carried out or about to be carried out due to what he was saying and writing?

U.S. officials say they are still going through all of this. It could take them months. But, in fact, right now they say what they see are largely are aspirations of al Qaeda, its desires, its playbook, its wishes. They don't see anything yet that leads them to a specific time, date, and place for an attack, but they certainly are following up, they say, on every lead that they get out of all of this -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Barbara, are they hoping that they'll be able to tell just how close they were to carrying out potential attacks, or do they believe that this was simply a planning stage, that they never really did get to the point where they could actually have those plans in place even after bin Laden's death?

STARR: Well, one of the things is they need to follow up on the leads that they see there, see where it takes them, see if they can roll up other operatives, if they can get additional leads about any plots and plans. I think it's very fair to say that one of their continuing concerns is bin Laden's communication.

Again, we've talked about it with the affiliates, al Qaeda in Yemen, the American-born Yemeni cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, also communication with Ayman al-Zawahiri, the designated al Qaeda number two over the last many years. We don't know where he is or what his position is right now.

I think they're really trying to assess what the communication was with some of these key operatives and come to that conclusion. Were there plots and plans that they -- that might have been disrupted, that some of the U.S. protective measures may have disrupted? You know, with all the airline security and transportation security, the goal over the last 10 years has been to just make it too tough for al Qaeda to try and operate in this country -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: OK. Barbara Starr, thank you very much.

Here's your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the today. Today's question: Should high profits equal higher taxes?

It's all a matter of fairness, I think, and people have such different opinions about this.

COSTELLO: Yes, they do. It really depends on which side of the aisle you're on.

You know, these hearings are going on right now on Capitol Hill, and they're quite juicy. They've been dramatic. But we've seen this movie before, right, politicians playing of public anger, confront the villains in a televised lashing?

No, they're not the fat cats of Wall Street, but the guys who run big oil, five companies that raked in a combined $34 billion in profits already this year while gas prices have skyrocketed. Democrats want to end $21 billion in tax breaks for oil companies.

And things got ugly when oil giant ConocoPhillips called the Democratic proposal un-American.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ROBERT MENENDEZ (D), NEW JERSEY: For ConocoPhillips to question the patriotism of those public officials who believe that they do not deserve billions of dollars in wasteful subsidies is simply beyond the pale, and I expect an apology.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: There was no apology, just some dripping sarcasm like the dog and pony chart from Republican Orrin Hatch. Look at that. That was in the hearing today.

About those profits, the oil industry says it only earns 5.5 cents on every dollar it sells, and its taxes are way higher than its competitors overseas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REX TILLERSON, EXXON MOBIL CEO: Increasing these companies' taxes would only discriminate against certain U.S. workers and make our companies less competitive against others who are in the same business that we are in, and discourage future energy investment in this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The funny thing is, Democrats know eliminating the tax breaks will not lower gas prices, so they found a new tactic. They could use the money to help cut the deficit. By the way, this bill that they've introduced has no chance of passing. Even Democrat Max Baucus says that business-making profit is the American way, so why should those five big oil companies be singled out and penalized?

So, the "Talk Back" question today: Oil companies: Should high profits equal higher taxes?

Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour.

MALVEAUX: Carol, tell me a little bit more about the dog and pony. What was that -- was that actually sitting there at the hearing?

COSTELLO: Yes. Senator Orrin Hatch referred to it, and someone asked him, like, who was the dog and who was the pony? And he said, "Well, we know who the horse's ass is."

MALVEAUX: Oh my goodness.

COSTELLO: That's what he said.

MALVEAUX: Can we bleep that? Is that OK? Can we bleep that?

COSTELLO: I don't know. We just didn't bleep that now, but I think we should get that sound bite so we can play it.

MALVEAUX: All right. We're cable.

All right. Thank you, Carol.

COSTELLO: Sure.

MALVEAUX: We'll see what they have to say.

Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we're covering the next two hours. Hoping for the best along the Mississippi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You're confident about these walls holding up?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have to be, yes. I have to be.

LAVANDERA: And if for whatever reason they fail?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Total catastrophe. This entire city would flood.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Louisiana towns watching and waiting as floodwaters heading their way.

Also, after the bin Laden raid, concerns now about what other countries might learn from the helicopter that was left behind.

Plus, amazing photographs taken by a class of fifth-graders.

And finally, Major League Baseball reaches out to inner city kids.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Want to go down river now to the city of Vicksburg. Our Holly Firfer is there.

And we just heard about the difficulties that are facing folks in Tunica. Tell us about Vicksburg residents. How are they coping with the rising river there, Holly?

HOLLY FIRFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Suzanne, the residents here in Vicksburg are on edge, as you can imagine.

I mean, I'm standing in yet another flooded parking lot. This is the parking lot of the Diamond Jack Casino. It's completely closed.

And right here, we're about five feet above flood stage already, and they're expecting this water not to crest until next Thursday. So, as you can imagine, people are on guard and they're watching very closely.

The people over here, this is a barge company. They've barricaded themselves in with sandbags, a wall. And they've got about five pumps that are still pumping water out. It is seeping through.

And behind me on the other side, I don't know if you can see this, there is the top of what looks like a railing that's about four feet tall. And then you can see treetops beyond that. That's still supposed to be dry land. The shore isn't until beyond that spot.

So, people are just kind of waiting and hoping that this doesn't head to residential areas. And right now all eyes are on the Yazoo River. The confluence of the Yazoo and the Mississippi is not too far behind us, and it's backing up, and they're afraid of that backwater flooding there. There's about 850 homes in danger along the Yazoo, so residents there are watching and waiting and wondering if and when they will be evacuated -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And Holly, I know that that area really relies heavily on the casinos for the jobs, as well as government revenue.

How are the other local businesses doing as well? Are they impacted by these floods?

FIRFER: They're actually not. I mean, the downtown area of Vicksburg is on a little bit of higher ground, so we're not seeing a lot of shops closed. And actually, there are some tourists coming to see the Mississippi rising.

So the hotels are still open, the restaurants are still open. So far, so good. But we're hearing that they may close down Highway 61 in and out of Vicksburg sometime this weekend, so that will impact businesses here.

MALVEAUX: All right. Holly Firfer, thank you so much.

We want to go "In Depth: Troubled Waters."

The Mississippi River is now swallowing more and more homes, businesses, crops, communities, as it's surging south towards New Orleans. Fourteen Mississippi counties have been declared major disaster areas. You're looking at the hard-hit city of Tunica.

Our meteorologist Rob Marciano is there.

And Rob, give us the situation on the ground. What are you seeing?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, we've moved away from the river today to get a little bit of the human story here. You mentioned all the counties in Mississippi that are declared a disaster. On the other side of the river, in Arkansas, it's a little bit more of farmland, but thousands of dollars -- hundreds of thousands of dollars being affected by the flood on that side.

There are a number of what we call cutoffs throughout river where the Army Corps of Engineers straightened the river to make it shorter for ships to go through. And in some of those cutoffs, they're very susceptible to flooding.

And those are the pictures you've been seeing. Out of the Tunica cutoff here, just west of Tunica, where hundreds of people live, completely flooded, completely inundated. And a lot of those people that are homeless are here at this Red Cross shelter and have been actually for a couple of weeks.

So, this is a long-term event for these folks, Suzanne. It didn't just start yesterday when the river crested, and it's not going to end tomorrow as the river slowly begins to recede. MALVEAUX: So, Rob, how are people dealing with that? I mean, this is very different than what we've seen before, where you had flooding disasters with Katrina. This is long, drawn out, as you had mentioned.

MARCIANO: Well, Suzanne --

MALVEAUX: Yes?

MARCIANO: I want to bring another guest. I'm not sure if you we got cut off or if you can't hear me, but this is Mr. Les Sherwin, who's kind of a bit of a figurehead with the Tunica cutoff community.

Can you speak to -- I got to talk to a lot of you folks, and amazing willpower and strength. But can you speak to how the community is holding up?

LES SHERWIN, TUNICA FLOOD VICTIM: Well, I am a resident of that cutoff deal at Tunica Lake, and we're all holding up. And we're very thankful for the establishment here, and the Red Cross have provided us with excellent service.

And it's a day-by-day situation which nobody can hurry, nobody can speed it up. We have to live until the water recedes to see what we have left.

MARCIANO: And what do you think is going to happen to that community? I've talked to a lot of folks say, you know what? I've just got to pack up what I have left and move on to somewhere else.

SHERWIN: This is a one-time deal, maybe, and it may happen again next year. We don't know from day to day until after the fact, until it's gone down, the water has receded.

They've put different stringent regulations on us in that area, the county, the Corps of Engineers, and we do not know at this time if we even want to go back, if we can go back. It's a whole new ballgame from here on out.

MARCIANO: A new ballgame for you. You've been around a while. I assume you've never experienced something like this.

SHERWIN: I've never in my life. I'll be 78 in November, and I've never in my life run into a situation like this. But we're making the best of it day by day, and taking it day by day until it's over.

MARCIANO: Well, our hearts are with you, Mr. Sherwin. We appreciate you taking the time to speak with us. Good luck in the rebuilding process.

You know, the closeness of this community, Suzanne, is really remarkable. A lot of Red Cross shelters that we go to in disasters like this, they'll actually partition off the dormitory. Men, women and families are separated. But here, everybody knows each other.

Everybody is getting through this together. And there's no such separation. So there is strength in numbers, and these folks are holding it together with their community will. That's for sure -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: That is so powerful, Rob, just the story of that gentleman there. We certainly wish him the best. But he says all they can do is take it day by day at this point, and they just really can't rush or speed up the process.

The people you talk to, Rob, is that pretty much a sense of how they're dealing with this?

MARCIANO: Very much so.

And just as you were speaking, Lester, you mentioned you wanted to say one more thing.

SHERWIN: Yes. I am a big fan of CNN. I watch it daily. And I appreciate the job you folks do in the way of news and other things.

MARCIANO: Well, that's very sweet of you to say. I didn't expect that, nor -- we didn't plant that. But we appreciate that little plug there, Mr. Sherwin.

Remarkable people here, Suzanne. A little bit of humor and kind graces thrown our way, which is certainly undeserved.

Back to you.

MALVEAUX: All right. Well, yes, you've been doing a great job there, Rob, and we appreciate Mr. Sherwin, as well.

Thank you.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: CNNMoney.com's lead story, the Senate oil hearings. Take a look at this.

A clever use of the dog and pony show on oil, taking the execs to task there. You can see a little bit of humor as well.

Also, checking a look at the Dow Jones, the market here down about 37 points or so.

We're also following, as well, a story that is impacting a lot of people, and that is the flooding. And when it comes time to clean up the flooding along the Mississippi River, who's going to be picking up the tab? Well, it turns out that it could be all of us. That's because the government's flood insurance program now is broke.

Alison Kosik, from the New York Stock Exchange.

Alison, we feel for these folks who are dealing with their homes, losing their homes and their land. We just saw a gentleman talk about it. Now it looks like as well you have got this flood program that doesn't have any money left.

What is the situation?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Oh, you're right. And this isn't a good picture.

You know, FEMA's national flood insurance program, Suzanne, is $18 billion in the hole, and, you know, the timing couldn't be worse. We're in the middle of a national debt crisis, as well.

You know, an analyst says this program is in the worst financial shape it's ever been in, in the program's 42-year history. Now, this is a program that covers a lot of people.

Almost six million people carry government flood insurance. And if you live in a high-risk area, this is probably the only flood insurance you can get since most private insurers don't offer it.

But the program is deep in the red. So it has to borrow money from the Treasury just to play its claims, and it's really unlikely that the $18 billion it owes will ever be paid back. And, of course, that leaves taxpayers on the hook with the bill -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: So how did this happen? How did the program end up in such bad shape?

KOSIK: Yes. Where do you begin with this?

Well, I mean, for one, the flood insurance program, it isn't structured to make money, if you can believe that. For example, FEMA can't reject high-risk applicants, but it also can't raise its rates too much. So, basically, it pays out billions of dollars in claims, but unlike private insurers, it can't collect enough to make up for that.

There's another problem. Many people pay discounted rates even though their flood risk is high.

Also, there are a lot of repeat claims. That's when your house or your business is destroyed. Then you file a claim and rebuild in the same disaster-prone area, and then get hit with another disaster.

And get this, Suzanne. The GAO says only one percent of policyholders file repeatedly, but that accounts for 30 percent of all claims. It's really a huge financial drain on this program -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: I mean, you have got to wonder if it's even fixable at this point, $18 billion. I mean, really.

KOSIK: I know. At the very least, Suzanne, FEMA itself is calling for a review of the program. As for solutions, there are analysts who say people should be encouraged to move if they live in these high- risk areas, but reality can be difficult, to just pick up and move. You know, there's a financial issue, there are ties to your communities, and there's an environmental expert that we spoke with who said in these cases it's all about timing. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID CONRAD, CONSULTANT, WATER PROTECTION NETWORK: If we can move quickly to help people -- they need to get back on their feet, and the speed is essential to help them with maybe some financial support, to remove the building from the floodplain, and to get relocated. If we wait -- and unfortunately many communities are a bit slow to get into this -- then people get re-established.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: So, basically, here, people really need to get the money to relocate before they invest in rebuilding their home that was destroyed. He also says that in many cases, people just don't have to move that far away. They just have to go to higher ground or away from the water.

Now, any change is really going to take a coordinated effort. You know, at this point, you know, the flooding issue is everyone's problem, just because the government is spending everybody's money. It's spending your money, it's spending my money, and the government needs to set rates that reflect the risks at hand -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Alison Kosik, thank you so much.

Time now to reveal the choice of today's "Choose the News." Tell us which story that you'd like to see by texting 22360.

First, a military town embarrassed by its military, even making jokes about the soldiers. Residents in Abbottabad are having a laugh after Osama bin Laden was found there, but also have some tough questions for the military leaders.

Second, he was the owner of baseball's most famous team, the New York Yankees. Well, now, new reports that the late George Steinbrenner also was an FBI informant and even helped with a terrorism investigation.

Third, controversy swirling around a new film documenting the death of Princess Diana. The claims, they're not new, but some shocking letters and images of her death featured -- are now featured in that film, and some are outraged.

So vote by texting 22360. Text 1 for mocking the military, 2, owner and FBI informant, or 3 for Diana movie controversy. Winning story is going to air in the next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Got some news just in from our political team here.

Congressman Ron Paul from Texas, we understand, is now going to be making a bid, a run for the White House in the presidential election. This is coming hot off the presses.

Our own Mark Preston of the political unit reporting that the Texas congressman is expected to announce on Friday that he's going to seek the Republican presidential nomination. That is according to a source that is close to the campaign that he will hold a morning campaign event in Exeter, New Hampshire, where he is expected to receive several endorsements, we are learning, this coming from Mark Preston.

This is the third time, you may recall, that Ron Paul is actually running for president. The first go-around he ran as a libertarian. That happened in 1988. The last go-around was 2008. You may recall he was a Republican running for the GOP nomination.

So Ron Paul throwing his hat into the race. We're going to have more on that in our political segment just up ahead.

Well, CNN "In Depth." Troubled waters. Along the lower Mississippi River there is a nervous wait-and-see. It is likely that the Morganza Spillway will be opened to keep major floodwaters away from New Orleans. But what that does, it puts other cities and towns basically in harm's way. And they are getting prepared.

Our CNN's Ed Lavandera.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GERALD GAUDET, STEPHENVILLE, LOUISIANA RESIDENT: They going to start pumping the water out when it starts coming in.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gerald Gaudet will fight off the rising water with a little Louisiana bayou ingenuity. His own homemade levee wall.

(On camera): Do you really think this wall will be enough?

GAUDET: I'm hoping so. If it gets any higher, there ain't going to be much in the neighborhood for sure.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Disaster is flowing downstream and residents in towns like Stephenville and Morgan City are at the end of the line.

GAUDET: Getting pretty (INAUDIBLE) now. The more closer it gets, starting to get worried about it.

LAVANDERA: Worried because the Morganza Spillway will likely be opened in the coming days. That will redirect Mississippi River water away from Baton Rouge and New Orleans west into the Atchafalaya River basin.

Army Corps of Engineers Colonel Ed Fleming will decide when to open the floodgates.

COL. ED FLEMING, U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS: So what these structures are designed for is to take excess water beyond the design capacity for the levee system off the top of the river.

LAVANDERA (on camera): This is one of the floodgates of the Morganza flood structure. On the other side, the pressure from the floodwaters is starting to rise. This structure is almost 5,000 feet long, and it has 125 gates.

In the coming days, some of those gates will be opened up, and when that does, a massive wall of water will continue to flow out this way, drowning out this area and flowing toward the Gulf of Mexico.

(Voice-over): These floodgates have only been opened once, back in 1973, bringing the kind of images people around here have never forgotten, like Morgan City Mayor Tim Matte.

MAYOR TIM MATTE, MORGAN CITY, LOUISIANA: This is where the water level reached in '73.

LAVANDERA: '73.

MATTE: Yes.

LAVANDERA: This is part of the wall that held it back.

MATTE: That's correct.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Now a 22-foot wall protects historic downtown Morgan City.

MATTE: It will be water all the way. Of course it will touch this wall and it will extend all the way to that wall over there.

LAVANDERA (on camera): You're confident about these walls holding up?

MATTE: I have to be. Yes. Have to be.

LAVANDERA: And if for whatever reason they fail?

MATTE: Total catastrophe. This entire city would flood.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): National Guard soldiers are building up levees around town, and it seems like everyone in these neighborhoods has a boat in the driveway ready to go. But Gerald Gaudet will stay on the back porch.

(On camera): So you'll just sit back here and watch that water start creeping up here in a few days?

GAUDET: That's it. I'm going to pull my chairs over here and my swing, and we'll sit here and watch. Maybe catch some fish.

LAVANDERA: Yes?

(LAUGHTER)

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Ed Lavandera, CNN, Morgan City, Louisiana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Our Reynolds Wolf is with us now.

And Reynolds, tell us more about the Morganza Spillway. What actually happens if it's opened or if it stays closed?

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, if it were to remain closed the problem is we could see greater flooding in places like Baton Rouge, perhaps, even into New Orleans. So the idea is to open up that spillway and it could be anywhere on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, perhaps even Monday or Tuesday when they open it.

Not quite sure exactly when that movement is going to be. But when it does -- if it does, we could see widespread flooding west of New Orleans, right in this area east of Lafayette. They could extend all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico.

Now to show you the spillway itself, we're going to zoom in on that key spot. And again, this is kind of the choke point, if you will, the Mississippi River right over here. And the spillway would allow all that water to make its way downstream away from the Mississippi River. So it'll be a bit of a -- as I mentioned, a diversionary point.

Now let's put this into motion for a bit, too. This Google Earth image are going to take you back over to the floodgates. Here's where the water would come right on in. As we expand outward a bit, everything would be making its way right down into parts of Morgan City.

So it's kind of a cruel situation where you're sparing some communities along the Mississippi River including Baton Rouge, but at the same time you're putting other places like Morgan City in harm's way potentially. It's not definitely going to be a thing for them but certainly something that's going to cause grave concern.

Again, that's going to be the area where you're going to see that -- the water coming right in towards Morgan City.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WOLF: That's a quick snapshot of what's happening in the world of weather. More coming up right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: -- CNN a group of Libyan rebels will be at the White House tomorrow for a meeting with the top aide to President Obama. The White House has just released a statement saying that National Security adviser Tom Donilon is looking forward to welcoming Dr. Mahmoud Gibril and a delegation from the Libyan Transitional National Council.

Now that's the group that's preparing to take over Libya if and when Gadhafi is overthrown.

The fight for Libya has been a brutal game of turnovers. Rebels, government forces, gaining, losing control of towns with deadly frequency. Now the rebels say that they have liberated one town that is critical in this fight. That is the port of Misrata. But it is not clear if the disputed city is really in their hands. Our Sara Sidner, she is live in Libya with the very later.

Sara, first of all, tell us, what is taking place in Misrata? Who is controlling that city, that critical city?

SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Now we just got information from the ground there in Misrata, and the rebel spokesman there says that they have not taken complete control of the city. There was a communication mix-up with a spokesman here in the capital -- the rebel capital of Benghazi.

At this point in time, they have not taken control of the city of Misrata. What they do say is there have been clashes in that city and the areas where the rebel forces are going up against Gadhafi forces. There are two gates in the city, they say, that the Gadhafi forces are still in control of, and that is where you're seeing trouble.

Certainly they have not been able to give us, though, at this point in time the number of casualties that have come out of those clashes today. However, they have been able to push a bit forward, they say, in the city of Misrata, taking over the airport, a very important thing, because as you know the port where the ships were coming in had been heavily damaged, difficult to get humanitarian aid there. They're hoping to use that airport for humanitarian aid.

They are also saying that they've been able to push rebel forces back past the airport a bit and taken over a civil defense building. So those are two victories there in Misrata, but certainly this city is still besieged, it is still seeing clashes, and there are still residents there who fear for their lives -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And Sara, real quick here. We saw images earlier, state TV, of Gadhafi alive and well, it appears. This -- what does seeing these pictures mean for this particular battle?

SIDNER: I think what you're seeing here is there've been a lot of speculation because for about 12 days since the airstrike that killed his son and other family members in Tripoli you didn't see him, you didn't hear from him. And so there was speculation that either that he was hurt or that he was no longer alive.

And so I think what you're seeing there is Gadhafi showing that he is still very much alive, still fine. He's well, in good health, and that he's still in control. I think that is why you were seeing those images of Gadhafi on state TV -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Sara Sidner, thank you very much.

Another reminder to choose the news. Vote by texting 22360. Text 1 for mocking the military. Residents in Abbottabad are now ridiculing the soldiers stationed in the Pakistani city after bin Laden was found living there.

Text 2 for owner and informant. New reports now show the late George Steinbrenner not only owned the New York Yankees, he was also an FBI informant. Text 3 for Diana movie controversy. New images of Diana's death featured now in a movie are drawing a lot of criticism.

Winning story is going to air in the next hour.

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MALVEAUX: This just in to CNN, new video coming in. Tiger Woods withdrew from the Players championship. This is in Florida. It is the Players Championship golf tournament today after playing just nine holes because of leg injuries. We are told he shot a six over 42. He skipped last week's tournament due to an injury.

Now, the world's former number one has had a pretty tough time on the course since details of his personal life were revealed last year. He left the game to concentrate on his family, you may recall. He has not won a tournament since his return. And now we understand that he has just withdrawn from the Players Championship golf tournament today.

A likely presidential contender tries to explain the health care Bill that he signed into law as governor. Paul Steinhauser, part of the best political team on television, live from the political desk in D.C. And, Paul, tell us, what do you think Mitt Romney's going to say today?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: He is in the spotlight, no doubt about it today, Suzanne, in Ann Arbor, Michigan at 2:00 eastern, giving a big speech where he'll try to explain his health care plan from five years ago. And also he is most likely attacking the law passed last year by President Barack Obama and the Democrats. Probably coming under criticism from the Democrats because the plan he passed and the universal health care it had in his state, it could be his Achilles' heel. We'll have to see. It's a huge topic for Mitt Romney and just about every other American.

MALVEAUX: Somebody else in the campaign spotlight today. Who else are you watching?

STEINHAUSER: Mitch Daniels, the governor of Indiana. He speaks tonight at a big Republican dinner in Indiana, as does his wife, Sheridan yes. All eyes on Daniels to announce he's running for president. He'll make a decision in the next few weeks. His wife has been maybe a little hesitant for Mitch Daniels to run for the White House.

MALVEAUX: Another candidate about to officially jump?

STEINHAUSER: Yesterday we had Newt Gingrich jumping in, the former house speaker. Tomorrow Ron Paul the congressman from Texas. This will be his third bid for the White House. He ran as a libertarian in Hampshire.

MALVEAUX: OK. Paul Steinhauser, thanks. For the latest political news, go to CNNpolitics.com. We're getting lots of responses to the day's "Talk Back" question. Oil executives are testifying now in Washington over tax breaks their companies are getting. We asked should high profits equal higher taxes? Carol Costello is back with some of your responses.

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MALVEAUX: We're getting a lot of responses to our "Talk Back" question. Oil executives are on Capitol Hill right now testifying about tax breaks that their companies get. And our own Carol Costello has your responses. People are -- well, I don't know. Are they outraged?

COSTELLO: Some of them are. But you had to raise the question, right, since these hearings are going on? Oil companies, should high profits mean higher taxes. This from Tom - "Hell yes. We need to close all corporate tax loopholes and let the parasites know there are no more free rides. If they want to do business in American markets they need to support America by paying their damn taxes."

This from Adam - "In essence aren't we consumers footing the tax bill?" This from Will - "The move to raise taxes on big oil is pure political dog and ponyism. It won't help gas prices. Oil profits are just a symptom of the real disease, and you can't hate the pusher for the money made from an addiction we refuse to get treatment for."

Carla - "Profits are good, but why should the rest of us to pay twice once at the pump and the second time to cover their subsidies? Could someone please explain this all to me in a way that's not degrading and mean? I'd like to know a little bit more about it for being called un-American for asking."

Facebook.com/carolCNN. I'm back in 15 minutes with more.

MALVEAUX: You said those hearings were pretty juicy. They're being grilled?

COSTELLO: Of course. Lawmakers are on stage right now so they are grilling these CEOs and CEOs are reading their prepared statements back, we don't deserve to be singled out. That's how it's going.

MALVEAUX: Little theater there as well. Thanks, Carol.

Major league baseball is trying to ensure its own future, the stars encouraging urban kids to play ball and also to do a lot more.

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MALVEAUX: Major league baseball is holding its annual civil rights game this weekend to honor the contributions of African-Americans. CNN's T.J. Holmes reports on a program that's ensuring diversity in the future by reaching out to inner city kids today.

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T.J. HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These kids are waiting to meet one of their idols. They are part of major league baseball's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities, or RBI, program. CC Sabathia is now a New York Yankee picture and he got autographs. But he was once a kid in the RBI program just like them.

CC SABATHIA, NEW YORK YANKEES: It means a lot to me. I don't think I would be here today without it. It was just a program to get kids out of the inner city and gives them something to do.

HOLMES: There are 300 RBI leagues and nearly 200,000 participants, including both boys and girls. Nearly half of the kids playing in the RBI program are African-Americans and about a quarter each are Caucasian and Hispanic.

The program is a way to bring free baseball and softball programs to urban kids. It not only encourages them to play ball but keep their grades up and stay off drugs so they can go to college and potentially the pros. So far more than 185 RBI participants have been drafted by major league teams.

SABATHIA: It's up to my generation to make sure that we're getting to the inner city and make sure that we get to the African-American kids and let them know that baseball is a cool sport and we came from the same places they came from, and it's definitely an option. Football and basketball's not the only option.

HOLMES: Sabathia's foundation even helped rebuild the baseball field he played on as a kid and runs clinics there. When these kids grow up, Major League Baseball hopes they will be part of a more diverse and even more skilled pool of talent with a program that made a difference in Sabathia's life and he hopes will help the all-stars of the future.

SABATHIA: Baseball was one of my heroes growing up. I remember at my Boys and Girls Club coming to talk to us for five or ten minutes. It kind of just stuck with me, you know? I remember it like it was yesterday still to this day so if I can do that for one of these kids, I think, you know, I'm doing my job.

HOLMES: One day these kids may feel the cleats of players like CC Sabathia.

T.J. Holmes, CNN, Atlanta.

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