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Mandatory Evacuation Orders in Louisiana; Head of the International Monetary Fund in Police Custody, Charged with Attempted Rape; Two Imams in South Florida Due in Court Tomorrow; Palestinians Protest the Creation of Israel; The Wife of Ousted Egyptian President Mubarak to Have Open Heart Surgery Tonight
Aired May 15, 2011 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Atlanta. We are following two big stories this hour in the CNN NEWSROOM. Mandatory evacuations underway in Louisiana as floodwaters from the Mississippi River pour through a spillway north of Baton Rouge. And a major figure on the global economic stage jailed in New York on sex crime charges.
But first, we want to update on the flooding. Thousands of people have just a couple of hours to pack up and leave their homes in southern Louisiana. Floodwaters from the Mississippi River are heading their way. Right now mandatory evacuation orders underway, cover about 2,000 people in St. Landry parish. Six other parishes are also bracing for the worst. The floodwaters are from the Morganza spillway. Four flood gates are now open to divert the Mississippi River's floodwaters from Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
CNN's Ed Lavandera is on the phone joining us from St. Landry Parish where people are packing and moving out. So Ed is at the scene for me. Are a lot of people simply panic stricken?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (ON THE PHONE): Well, I think a lot of people knew this was coming, Fredricka, quite frankly. We are in the town of Cross Springs, which is one of the first big communities that is downstream from the Morganza Spillway that was opened up yesterday afternoon. And really, what's happening here is there's a massive levee system that follows the Atchafalaya River all the way down to Morgan City. But what happens is there are hundreds of little tributaries and creeks or whatever that pour into the Atchafalaya River.
And a lot of those creeks will be backed up. And that is the reason why this flooding is a concern. And that's why officials here in St. Landry's Parish have been issuing these evacuation orders. We've been in a number of these small communities this afternoon, and you know, you don't really - you know people were expecting this. You know, still very devastating for them. We have been in several communities where they have been told to expect anywhere between five and 20 feet of water. You know, so it's a wide range there. And people are kind of anxious to see what exactly will play out here in the coming days.
But they have been told by 6:00 Eastern, 5:00 Central time to get out of their neighborhoods and prepare for the water to start trickling in. This will be a slow process. It won't be like a big rush of water barreling into their neighborhoods. This will just be water that will slowly, slowly start to rise over the next couple of days and weeks.
WHITFIELD: Ed Lavandera, thanks so much in Landry Parish. Further upstream now, people are anxiously awaiting a levee, watching rather, near Vicksburg, Mississippi. We're keeping a close watch on that levy there. Floodwaters are inching toward the top. And if it goes, if that levee completely demolishes, it could trigger catastrophic flooding.
Martin Savidge joins us now from the Yazoo Backwater Lever. Martin, tell me what the concerns are there.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, this may look like just a simple gravel road in the middle of nowhere. But this is actually the top of a levee. And this is, of all the hundreds of miles of levee in the state of Mississippi that are currently trying to hold back this historic flood, this is the most critical levee. And this is this levee's most crucial moment right this time.
Let me explain why. All these later back over here from the Yazoo River from the Mississippi River, all backed up for miles and miles. Take a look on this side, you see, it's for the most part dry. The difference between those two 15 feet. That means that this levee is holding back 15 feet of water.
Now here is the concern. There's only about one foot left of free space. The prediction is that the water level here will in fact go over this levee. It will over top it. That's the term they used. Now overtopping is not the end of the world. Levees are designed for some of that. The concern is though if the overtopping were to erode the levee, and then cause it to collapse that would be disastrous.
Just how bad would that be? Well, it's a question I put to Peter Nimrod, who is of the Mississippi Levee Board. Here is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE (on camera): If this levee were to fail, what are the consequences? And who be impacted and how far?
PETER NIMROD, MISSISSIPPI LEVEE BOARD: The town of Rolling Fork (ph) is probably 30 to 35 miles from here. That town would be under water. You have numerous towns under water. All major highways under water. Thousands of people would have to evacuate the area. Thousands of homes would be under water. Hundreds of thousands of acres would be underwater farmland. It would actually float about 1.2 million acres.
SAVIDGE: What do you think the chances are of failure?
NIMROD: There's a remote chance. We are pretty confident that this is going to hold as long as the forecast doesn't change.
(END VIDEOTAPE) SAVIDGE: Now, here is what they are doing to try to make sure the overtopping doesn't erode and cause that catastrophic failure. For four miles, which the Army Corps of Engineers says is the most vulnerable of this particular levee. They laid down very heavy plastic sheeting. They call that armoring the levee. The idea is when the water goes over the backside of the levee, it runs off on the plastic and then dissipates in the farmland. It does not erode the soil and then cause the levee to collapse.
But here's the rub, Fredricka. That is the theory. It has never been tried on this particular levee. This levee has never faced the kind of stress it is under now. And as you heard, if it gives way, it would be absolutely catastrophic. Now again, there would be a warning, it wouldn't be a wall of water rushing like a tsunami towards people. It would take days. But that town of Rolling Fork (ph), 30 miles to the north would have four feet of water in it. That's how much water is over here, trying to get over here.
WHITFIELD: Wow, potentially tragic.
All right. Thanks so much. Martin Savidge, appreciate that.
Now other stories we are following. This big story that we continue to keep close watch of criminal allegations leveled against the head of the International Monetary Fund, Dominic Strauss-Kahn charged with attempting to rape a housekeeper at his luxury hotel in New York. He was arrested after police pulled him off an Air France flight headed for Paris.
CNN's Susan Candiotti is standing by live in front of the court house where Strauss-Kahn is expected to enter a plea today. Susan, what more do we know about this case?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly very disturbing allegations to say the very least. We do know this. And it's certainly to no one's surprise. But the defense attorney tells us that his client will plead not guilty when he makes his very first court appearance here in New York in Manhattan court some time later this afternoon. Everyone thought it would be much earlier than this. But apparently this is taking longer than expected.
He will hear the charges placed against him and then he will be asked to enter a plea. He will. And then there might be a discussion of bail. We'll have to see, but the proceeding is not expected to take very long. We are at this hour learning a bit more about the alleged victim in this case. We know from police that she is 32 years old. They are not releasing any other information beyond that. Only that she was treated for minor injuries after this alleged assault occurred on Saturday.
We do know this, however, from the general manager of the hotel chain, Hotel Sofitel. He tells us that this woman did work at the hotel for three years and in his words, he was - he is fully satisfied, as he puts it, with her behavior and her work. Above and beyond that, we are learning more and more details about what allegedly happened at the Hotel Sofitel on Saturday. The police tell us that this is the account they received from the alleged victim. That when she went in to clean this luxury suite, costs $3,000 a night, she thought it was empty. It was about 1:00 in the afternoon. However, she was confronted, she said, by the head of the International Monetary Fund. He approached her, police said naked. She said that he tried to attack her. That he dragged her into a bedroom, into a bathroom and she was able to get away and ran for help.
By the time police arrived at the hotel, he had already left the hotel. Police tell us he left in a big hurry and even left behind his cell phone. But they caught up with him, police say, at JFK Airport. He had already boarded a flight to Paris. And just before they closed the door, the police went on board and removed him from the flight. He said he did not offer resistance. And they took him in for questioning. It lasted all night. Police say he was not cooperative. Fred.
WHITFIELD: And Susan, do we know anything more about - was he scheduled to go on that flight bound for Paris or was this a last- minute decision?
CANDIOTTI: As to whether his timing or what decision he made about getting on the flight, we don't know what his schedule had been, whether he was planning to get on that flight or purchased a last minute ticket. And in terms of where he was going after that or why he got on the flight, his attorney is not answering any particular questions, any specific questions about what his client was doing yesterday.
WHITFIELD: All right. Susan Candiotti, thanks so much in New York. Appreciate that.
And so a little while ago, I talked to our senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin and he says the road ahead will be rough for Dominic Strauss-Kahn. Just listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: (INAUDIBLE) is in a world of trouble. The issue of bail is the one that will come up first. But certainly the longer term and greater problem is if he is convicted of sexual assault, which is a very serious crime in New York state as it is everywhere, he could be looking at multiple years in prison.
Obviously, we have to learn what the facts are and they ultimately have to be presented to a court. But given these circumstances, he is looking at a lot of legal trouble for the foreseeable future.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Dominique Strauss-Kahn's arrest comes at a time when expectations were high in France that he would be a leading president candidate in next year's election.
CNN's Jim Bitterman has more from Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM BITTERMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's difficult to overstate exactly what a bombshell the arrest of Dominique Strauss- Kahn has been. As a director of the International Monetary Fund, he had dealings with heads of state. He had a meeting this afternoon, for example, programmed with Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany, this coming week about the Greek financial crisis up in Brussels. And he was going to be at the table during the G-8 summit here at the end of May.
From that point of view, it's a huge story. But also domestically here in France, it's a huge story because Dominique Strauss-Kahn was the leading candidate for president. He regularly outpolled over the last few months, outpolled all the other candidates, including incumbent president Nicholas Sarkozy. And for political analysts here, this was huge.
CHRISTIAN MALLARD, FRANCE TV3 POLITICAL ANALYST: It's amazing. I think the word would be astounding, amazing. I would even use the word of the secretary general of the socialist party (INAUDIBLE) saying it's just a thunderstorm. I would say, if Strauss-Kahn is out of the political process for the presidential elections, definitely we will be starting a political tsunami.
BITTERMAN: Many leading politicians here did not want to talk about the Strauss-Kahn case until more is known about it. But one did, (INAUDIBLE) the leader of the far right party. She said she wasn't particularly surprised because rumors have circulated for years about his Strauss-Kahn's sexual indiscretions, especially after a 2008 case in which he was charged with sexual harassment by one of his subordinates at the International Monetary Fund. He was later cleared of those charges. But he had to apologize to the Fund and it said that in fact, he chose very bad judgment. When we talked to people on the street today. There were in no hurry to pass judgment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Even if it's real or not, even if he's proven innocent, it will definitely leave a mark in the months to come and it will be a decider. So yes, I think it will be all over for him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I think for most people Dominique Strauss-Kahn is innocent until proven guilty. Indeed, everyone has in mind a certain history that's coming back to the surface. Dominique Strauss-Kahn is a French citizen who must be judged like all the others. So we hastily await the outcome.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Firstly, it's a question of responsibility. The fact that he fled speaks for itself. It's not the situation itself. A situation is dealt with. A crisis situation should be managed. And a man who is supposed to have strong shoulders to manage a government must be able to face this situation, not run away. It's obvious.
BITTERMAN: Anne Sinclair the well-known television anchor woman, wife of Dominique Strauss-Kahn is telling reporters that she doesn't believe for one second the charges that have been leveled against her husband, irrespective of whether those charges are ultimately proven to be true or false though, a great deal of damage has already been done to one of the world's highest flying political personalities.
Jim Bitterman, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Dominique Strauss-Kahn won't be heading up the IMF while he's facing these sexual assault charges. The Fund's number two official John Lipsky will step in as acting managing director. So here is a quick look at what the International Monetary Fund does. The IMF.
The fund is like the world's savings and loan. It has around $360 billion to lend gathered from nearly 200 member countries. The U.S. is the IMF's biggest shareholder. It contributes around $70 billion to that fund.
Well, could major league baseball be having a change of heart about banning Pete Rose from the sport he loved?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUD SELIG, MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL COMMISSIONER: Pete broke an existing rule of 70 years. My office was created by the Kenesaw Mountain Landis and the Black Sox scandal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: I talked to baseball commissioner Bud Selig about Rose's status as it pertains to the Hall of Fame.
And later, gifts for the graduate in your life.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: This weekend in Atlanta, major league baseball is celebrating civil rights history. Among those reflecting baseball commissioner Bud Selig. In my exclusive interview with him, he talked about baseball's efforts to rid the game of steroids as well as the eligibility of certain players for the hall of fame. He also had some very interesting things to say about Pete Rose, currently banned from the game for betting on baseball games.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: It's cleaner now than ever?
SELIG: Goodness gracious, no question about it. We banned amphetamines, which were a great problem in major league baseball for years. The incidents of steroids in terms of positives are almost down to nothing. We are the only American sport testing for human growth hormone. We're giving blood test in the minor leagues. And so I'm proud of where we are. We always have to be on the look out. Chemists are always trying to develop things but this is the first time baseball ever had a drug testing program. We went through the cocaine era in the 80s. We went through a lot of other (INAUDIBLE). There was never any testing done. Now, there's very stringent testing. Ad I'm very proud of the great progress we have made.
WHITFIELD: How will that impact the eligibility of players in the hall of fame? When you hear of names like Sammy Sosa, Mark McGuire, Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco and the records and the potential of hall of fame and yet at the same time, the cloud of (INAUDIBLE) enhancing drugs that they may have.
SELIG: That's going to be up to the Baseball Association of America. I mean that really is. And they are going to have to make that judgment in the years to come.
WHITFIELD: Will it be your judgment?
SELIG: No. That's strictly up to the Baseball Writer's Association of America. So they have to make their own individual judgments on players as they do now.
WHITFIELD: So when it comes to a Pete Rose, your opinion of a Pete Rose weighs very heavily on whether he should be a hall of famer.
SELIG: Well, that's different. Pete broke an existing rule of 70 years. My office was created by Kenesaw Mountain Landis and the Black Sox scandal. And that's a matter still under review.
WHITFIELD: So you might change your mind on that?
SELIG: Well, I didn't say we might change my mind but it is under review and I understand the pros and cons of the Rose situation.
WHITFIELD: In your lifetime, do you think you would see a Pete Rose in the hall of fame? (INAUDIBLE) those reviews?
SELIG: Not a judgment that I would like to make now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Later this hour, hear what the commissioner has to say about MLB taking over the L.A. Dodgers.
All right. The democratic convention is more than a year away. But the host city, Charlotte, North Carolina is already preparing for the big event and building up its economy in the process. Here is CNN's Tom Foreman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Charlotte's hockey team is in the playoffs. But the sign overhead says what everyone knows the hottest game in this arena is the coming democratic convention.
All over town, new places are opening. Old ones are polishing up. And from his office high above it all - MAYOR ANTHONY FOXX, CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA: This is a stage unlike any other one.
FOREMAN: Mayor Anthony Foxx hears opportunity knocking.
FOXX: It's a pretty aggressive move to go after a convention in the middle of a recession. I mean, that doesn't happen -
FOREMAN (on camera): You think it sends a signal?
FOXX: Yes.
FOREMAN: To all sorts of business?
FOXX: They are saying Charlotte is growing, Charlotte is progressing. Charlotte is getting ready to even be bigger and better than it already is.
FOREMAN (voice-over): They say the convention will draw 35,000 visitors who will spend up to $200 million on restaurants, hotels and attractions but local leaders believe the real value goes far beyond that, beyond politics.
DR. DAN MURREY, EXEC. DIR. HOST COMMITTEE: Part of what we are going to be able to show is not only how well we do in the hospitality aspect, but also how well we function as a community.
FOREMAN: So the city is touting improvements to transit, education, the business climate and quality of life. And it's already working. Some old stalled projects have started up again. And new ones are appearing. Energy giant Siemens, for example, is expanding its huge turbine here by 1,000 jobs.
MARK PRINGLE, SIEMENS: Well, I would say a great vast majority of them. I would say 80 percent of the people we hire will be from the local community.
FOXX: I just think there's a ripple effect that's going to go on for decades.
FOREMAN: Building up this town long after the conventioneers go home.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And now, to building up your career. The key to finding a new job could be just a phone call or e-mail away. We'll explain right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Perhaps you are looking for a new job or you're just simply trying to advance in the position that you already have, trying to go the next step forward. Well there is one word you should never forget. Networking. Life coach Valerie Burton is here to tell us why your contacts are crucial and how to use them all the time. VALERIE BURTON, LIFE COACH: Absolutely. And especially these last couple of years. Some people have gone into overdrive with trying to make new connections.
WHITFIELD: Yes, some people wear out the welcome mat.
BURTON: Yes, the best time to do it is just as a part of your overall career strategy that you should always be expanding your network and building up your connections.
WHITFIELD: OK. So you say, you know, begin with, you really got to figure out your purpose here. Why are you even doing this and what do you want out of it.
BURTON: Exactly. Understand your why. So you know why is it that I'm trying to build my network. For some people it might be a career transition they're trying to make into a whole different field. So they want to build connections in that field. Some people it is they are looking for a job and others, you know, they realized in the next year or so, they would like to be doing something different. So understand your why because that helps you narrow your activities and your focus.
WHITFIELD: And then know your target audience. What do you mean by that?
BURTON: So understand who are you trying to reach. And you need to ask yourself who am I trying to connect with and where do they congregate. Where am I going to find those people. So you want to make you're not doing activities where you are not going to find any of the people actually in your target audience. So look at professional associations that might be sporting activities, you know, things that allow you to actually connect with people in a real way.
WHITFIELD: They have to be strategic. Don't waste time in other words.
BURTON: That's right.
WHITFIELD: Don't try to come to places you might not be able to benefit from.
BURTON: There's so many things you can do. So you want to be strategic.
WHITFIELD: And many of you need to simply ask around. A lot of times, people when they are looking they want to keep it close, they don't want to kind of reveal their cards. They don't want anybody know that they are looking for something else so they tend to be quiet about it. You say no. Publicize it. Let the world know.
BURTON: Everybody has a network. And a lot of times people have a small network, and say "Well, I don't really know anyone." Well, you know someone and the people that you do know, let them know and try to meet new people. I want to make new connections. You know what are you involved in? What do you think I should get involved in? WHITFIELD: And then focus on connecting. How is that different from the whole networking?
BURTON: Well, you want to focus on connecting, and not just getting. And so when you get involved and I would say, you know, when you're involved in association, take on a project, do some volunteer work. That allows people to see how you work, how timely you are. You know what kind of a worker you are. So that they understand better what you might really have to offer beyond just your elevator speech or your business card.
WHITFIELD: And these are all things that really generally are not going to you anything.
BURTON: That's right.
WHITFIELD: When people start to think about, you know, sharpening your tools, it means or translation to them means you got to go get new courses or buy new hardware. You are saying, you know, it's all right there and accessible. You need to get organized.
BURTON: You need to get organized. So you are going out and you're doing all these new things. You are collecting business cards. You're collecting names and a lot of times, they are just scattered all over the place. So have your own personal database you might even use some of the online tools like Linked In to make sure you are connecting on a regular basis and you've got everybody in one cohesive place so that when you are ready to reach out, it's easy to do.
WHITFIELD: Is e-mail still considered informal? Or is that OK? Because for a long time it was the letter writing.
BURTON: That has changed a lot. That changed a lot. I mean, especially in the '90s, people thought everything needs to be handwritten. I still think a handwritten note is a great idea. And you might set aside once a week to do that but e-mail is so instant.
WHITFIELD: And phone calls?
BURTON: That's right. Phone calls. Great, for some people. Know how people want to be communicated with. And e-mail is a great way to ask. Some people prefer e-mail. Others would love for you to pick up the phone and call them.
WHITFIELD: Fantastic. Valerie Burton, thanks so much. So you got the pink memo, too.
BURTON: I know.
WHITFIELD: We both were thinking pink. Thinking positive. All right. Appreciate that.
BURTON: Thanks, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, they have less than two hours now to grab their belongings and leave. It's actually rather urgent. Thousands of people in Louisiana are evacuating as the floodwaters rush their way. Updates straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories right now. The first mandatory evacuation orders are under way in Louisiana as the Mississippi River flood water surges through the Morganza spillway. Two thousand people in the St. Landry Parish west of Baton Rouge are being told to pack up and get out. Right now four floodgates on the Morganza spillway are open. More openings are planned in the days ahead.
And the head of the International Monetary Fund is in New York City police custody charged with attempted rape. Police pulled Dominique Strauss-Kahn off a Paris bound flight shortly after a hotel employee reported that Strauss-Kahn attacked her in his Manhattan suite. His attorneys say he will plead not guilty.
Two spiritual Imam leaders in charge of two separate mosques in south Florida are due in court tomorrow. They are father and son. They were arrested yesterday on charges of aiding the Pakistani Taliban. Four others have also been indicted. Authorities say the charge is related to allege crimes committed between 2008 and 2010 and have nothing to do with the recent killing of al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden.
Let's check in with our Jackie Jeras. Because while evacuation orders are under way in one Parish it is likely that may kick in in others too. Up to seven Parishes there and overall the flooding as a result of the Mississippi.
JACKIE JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Right. This is a work in progress. They opened a couple of those gates yesterday. Think of like taking a water hose on your slip 'n slide. So it gets wet on top of it and it takes awhile to spread out and makes it way down and eventually kind of spills over the side and you get a big puddle all over the place. That is kind of what we have going on here in the spillway. I have a couple pictures that I wanted to show you from the Army Corp of Engineer and this shows of an aerial view what it looks like when they opened some of those gates yesterday. So this big area right here that is where the water is gushing through the gates and then you can see it's starting to spill out into these areas and eventually it will make its way all the way down toward the Gulf of Mexico. We'll show you a closer view and talk about some of these gates.
There are four of them now that are open. Don't they look like garage doors? So each one is a gate, there are 125 of them. The ultimate plan is to open a quarter of those, maybe 30 some odd gates. But it's about maintaining control. How many of those gates they have to open have to do with how much pressure continues to build up at that crest along the Mississippi River eventually gets into some of these areas.
Now let's talk about how long it's going to take for some of this water is going to be going. This shows you, this is the Mississippi River. This is the basin that we are talking about. We'll put this in motion. And there you can see as the water progresses on down. Now the reason why those evacuations, they are hoping to get those people out of there in St. Landry's Parish in the next couple of hours because right along I-10 and south of there is where some of the deepest water is expected to be. So this could be as much as 25 feet of water as it pushes on through there.
Here are a couple gauges that we are talking about, six feet above flood stage. That is going to happen May 25th. Also, Morgan City, May 25th. That's when the crest is going to be. OK, so that's ten days from now the crest. But keep in mind, the water is going to be moving into these areas in the next two days. So we are talking about by Tuesday for Morgan City, with as much as five feet of water. That is why we are talking about down in the line potentially we could start to see some more of these evacuations. So it's all about control and the reason why some of these crests are happening now in places like say New Orleans is because those spill ways have been opened. They want to maintain the level where it's at right now.
Where the river is naturally cresting at this time happens to be up here in Arkansas City, Arkansas. That's where the cresting of the natural river is occurring right now. Vicksburg is at a record level already. But they are not expected to crest now until Thursday. And there you can see that as it continues down the line. The last thing I want to show you, what I was talking about maintaining that control, Fredricka this is the river gauge at New Orleans. And there you can see it's at 17 feet right now. It's forecast to stay at 17 feet all the way through the 23rd. So the amount of water that is released through the Morganza Spillway will increase or decrease as necessary to keep that level in hopes that the entire left of the levee system holds intact and we don't get any of these sand boils or anything like that to put any kinks into these plans. So far, everything is operating exactly like it was planned.
WHITFIELD: All right. We are hoping for the best. Jacqui Jeras thanks so much.
All right. Meantime, it is graduation season. And hundreds of thousands of students are getting diplomas. Can you guess how much they paid for their caps and gowns? The answer when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Before the break, we asked if you knew how much a cap and gown cost. Well depending on your school requirements you can spend anywhere from $45 to $185. That's without the tassels, the honor cords. So now that it is graduation season, it's time to think about those gift ideas. Well yesterday, I spoke to personal finance advisers Ken and Daria Dolan. They told me that the key to good graduation gifts is to keep it simple.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DARIA DOLAN, PERSONAL FINANCE ADVISER: It sounds easy but when you think about it, the average college graduate you know unless you are very close with them and you know exactly what they like, you probably don't know that much about them. So you are better off doing things where they can do it themselves. Buy it themselves. Such as gift cards.
KEN DOLAN, PERSONAL FINANCE ADVISER: Like a visa card with a limit on it, with an amount of money on it. Maybe Amex. Maybe if they are going to stay at home and maybe they are going to help with home improvements instead of paying rent. Maybe Lowes or one of the home improvement places.
D. DOLAN: That was one of his ideas, not mine.
WHITFIELD: Put them to work.
K. DOLAN: Also, maybe a nice retail card to get a business suit if they are going to be working right away.
WHITFIELD: Oh, that's a great idea. And of course once someone graduates from college especially and maybe high school, they are going to need a computer when they go off the college a high school graduate. And that is a fantastic but high-end kind of gift to give.
K. DOLAN: It is high end, Fred, but keeps in mind there's some really, really good deals on computers now. Because obviously they know an awful lot of people are looking at computers as gifts. And we were shopping around before this segment there's some pretty good deals. In fact Daria got a deal on one, too.
D. DOLAN: On my ipad, I bought the one as the twos were coming out and saves $100 on it. Now it's probably difficult to find the ipad one now, but give it a try. You never know. And you know depending upon your closeness to the graduate will also depend on if you can fork over that kind of money or hey, mom and dad, if you have been helping subsidize the college education, this will be the last big money you have to give away.
K. DOLAN: Obviously I can't live with my blackberry, which is a lot less. I think I pay $99 with a calling plan. A blackberry or something similar is a wonderful, wonderful gift. Whether they are going to work right away, maybe taking some time off, it's nice to stay in touch with the kids.
WHITFIELD: Absolutely.
D. DOLAN: Another great gift idea which you don't think about is to pay for resume writing service for that graduate who still hasn't been able to find a job.
K. DOLAN: Exactly right.
Also, something like information maniacs, but a nice gift of a magazine or a newsletter on something that they are either interested in or in fact will help their career would be very, very good, too. Again, well within almost anybodies budget which they are practically giving away magazines.
WHITFIELD: That is a perfectly smart idea. Keeping them informed and helping them be very equipped as they head on to the real world, right?
K. DOLAN: Yes.
D. DOLAN: But my favorite one, if I have a minute here, to put in the one I think is very important.
WHITFIELD: OK.
D. DOLAN: You can get together with a lot of people. The average college graduate is leaving college now with over $20,000 in student loan debt. It might be the best gift of all to pool a whole group of people's money and give them a payment to get rid of some of that student loan debt.
WHITFIELD: Yes. Talk about stress release. I know nothing is worse than graduating and you are excited about getting out in the world and you are already saddled with giant debt. Although, I have heard you say it before there's good debt and there is bad debt. A student loan can be considered good debt. That's another subject.
D. DOLAN: As long as you are working to pay it off.
WHITFIELD: That's right.
K. DOLAN: When in doubt cash doesn't matter if it's student loan, apartment or first month's rent. Some like that.
WHITFIELD: They are so clever. Dolans.com. for free advice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. So we all knew it might take awhile for the housing market to bounce back, but it's taking a lot longer than anyone expected. For homeowners drowning in debt, anxiety is slowly turning to anger.
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WHITFIELD: A quick look at what's happening around the world now. Israeli troops firing tear gas at crowds of Palestinian protesters. This is the Golden Heights on the Syrian border. But similar clashes erupted on all of Israel's borders today. Several people are reported killed and many more hurt. This is a day set aside every year where Palestinians protest the creation of Israel.
Well Moammar Gadhafi could soon have an international arrest warrant on his head. A source close to the International Criminal Court tell CNN that the Libyan leader is one of three people to be charged with crimes against humanity. The courts chief prosecutor is expected to announce the charges tomorrow.
And the wife of ousted Egyptian President Mubarak is said to have open heart surgery tonight, Susanne Mubarak reportedly suffered a heart attack two days ago. While she was being questioned about her husband's corruption charges.
All right. Back to the U.S. now. Economists are seeing encouraging signs in several sectors of the economy. But, the housing market isn't one of them. CNN's Sandra Endo tells us what under water homeowner's face.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This is what single mother Nancy Logan is fighting for. A big backyard and a room to read in with her daughter Carly. The place in Northern Virginia they called home for 12 years.
NANCY LOGAN, TROUBLED HOMEOWNER: I owe more on the house than it's worth. So that is my situation now. It's kind of scary and kind of stressful to have the financial pressure.
ENDO: Logan just found out her job is being eliminated and her mortgage is going up $1,000 a month in January after her loan modification terms expire. Three years ago, she had to be inventive just to get her lender to hear her out.
LOGAN: I actually sent a picture of my daughter and I to the mortgage company in front of the house. I said we are not just a loan number. Please help me because I wasn't getting any response.
ENDO: This time around, she took her fight to President Obama asking him for help at a CBS News town hall forum.
LOGAN: My question to you Mr. President is do you have any plans to help improve the housing market so hard working Americans like myself don't lose our homes.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE U.S: We have got more work to do. So we are trying to expand more modification programs to reach more people.
ENDO: Millions of homeowners like Logan are under water in their properties. A new nationwide survey from the home value website Zillow.com shows first quarter home prices declined 3 percent. The sharpest drop since 2008. The housing and urban development secretary says so far the administration helped grant nearly 4 million loan modifications for struggling homeowners but admits the market remains fragile.
SHAUN DONOVAN, HUD SECRETARY: I would say that there are some encouraging signs and there are also signs of caution. We have accelerating job growth. That should help the housing market lift. The issue is that there was so much damage done in the crisis.
ENDO: Some housing experts are trying to look at the silver lining.
LAWRENCE YUN, NATIOANL ASSOCIATION OF REALITORS: The decline that is occurring at the moment is in a single digits. So this is not a major decline. In some markets, based on their local economy, the prices are actually firming up.
ENDO: Optimism Logan is hanging on to.
LOGAN: I'm hopeful, I always am, and I'm a survivor.
ENDO: Sandra Endo, CNN, Centerville, Virginia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Coming up, I talked to baseball commissioner Bud Selig about his decision to take control of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Debate over the U.S. debt ceiling as to who is in and who is out of the 2012 presidential race dominated the Sunday talk shows today. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R) HOUSE SPEAKER: I'm ready to cut the deal today. We don't have to wait until the 11th hour. But I am not going to walk away from this moment. We have a moment, a window of opportunity to act. Because if we don't act, the market is going to act for us. Our credit bureaus are going to act for us. We can see exorbitant interest rates. We could see the end of our economy if we don't act.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL, (R) MINORITY LEADER: To get my vote, I can only speak for myself; we need to do something significant, short term, medium term and long term.
UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: All before you raise the debt ceiling?
MCCONNELL: Oh Yes. Absolutely.
UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: Short, medium and long term has to be done before you will go for an increase in the debt ceiling?
MCCONNELL: Absolutely. My definition is significant. Standard and Poor is in the process of downgrading the U.S. credit rating. That's a serious problem. We need to impress the markets, impress foreign countries that we are going to get our act together and astonish the American people that the adults are in charge in Washington are actually going to deal with this issue.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you for coming today. You are a man of great faith. Are you saying you didn't have the fire in your belly to go this time?
MIKE HUCKABEE, (R) FMR. ARKANSAS GOVERNOR: Well I think sometimes people mistake fire in their belly for having had too much pepperoni pizza the night before. They make a great speech and people come up to them and tell them you can be president and the next thing you know they are running not because they really ought to or have any shot at doing it but because they had a handful of people to tell them they are looking at the next president. For me it was a little more introspective than that, you know sometimes I had people ask me does god speak to me in an audible voice. And the truth is no, it's a lot louder than that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello, how you doing? Nice to see you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When are you going to announce? REP. RON PAUL, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CONDIDATE: I would say nobody is perfect. I don't know all the answers. I don't want to run people's lives and the world and the economy. So my qualifications are a little bit different. Compared to others, I would say I am pretty well equipped.
NEWT GINGRICH, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have done things that are wrong. I totally had to seek god's forgiveness. I have to believe people have to decide whether or not what I have said and what I have done is real. I think that if people watch me and talk with me and get to know me, my hope is the Americans will decide that I can help this country get back on track in a way that no one else can.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Talking baseball now and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Major league baseball took control of the team last month because of money problems and in fighting between the owners who are getting a divorce. Well how are the fans reacting? I asked Commissioner Bud Selig that during his visit to Atlanta this weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD (voice over): The MLB also managing now the L.A. Dodgers. And attendance has been very low at the Dodgers games. In your view are the fans saying we don't like major league baseball taking ownership and managing the team.
BUD SELIG, COMMISSIONER: It's hard for me to comment on the contrary. The reception to us taking over has been extremely positive. We are in the process of doing that. In the end, we care a great deal about the fans. But we are in the process now of monitoring it and doing investigation by the law firm. So I'm very comfortable in saying to you and I know I think the people in L.A. know that we will work all that out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Perhaps you want to know what the commissioner thinks about instant replay. His answer in the 5:00 p.m. Eastern Hour.
Next, NBA star Chris Bosh takes on a reality show. See why he's suing his ex over it.
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WHITFIELD: One of the stars from the Miami Heat is challenging his child's mother in court. Chris Bosh is suing his ex-girlfriend Alison Mathis (ph) for appearing on the reality TV show "Basketball Wives." Listen to what our legal guys Avery Freidman and Richard Herman had to say about that yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD HERMAN: He made a free choice to be with this woman. They had a child together. She is recounting her experiences and her events with this guy. The best thing for her is that he's bringing that lawsuit. This brings her names up in the lights, gives her more publicity. He obviously has no value for money. He's wasting money on legal fees. It's ridiculous.
WHITFIELD: Then Avery doesn't he make a pretty good argument that you know your private information should remain so, even if you are a public figure.
AVERY FRIEDMAN: No.
WHITFIELD: No.
FRIEDMAN: I understand the argument. What are they going to do rename the show "NBA Impregnated Girls." A lot of them are not married. And the fact is on one respect, I do agree with Richard. Because this is free choice. And you know what the other interesting thing is that's not even in the lawsuit is what are the rights of the baby? I mean he's the product of Chris and Allison. What about those rights in terms of the income derived from the show? Ultimately will have to be resolved by a probate court. We'll see what happens.
WHITFIELD: All right. We will see what happens Richard and Avery. Always getting us thinking every Saturday at noon Eastern Time right here in the News room.
Hello, again. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Atlanta. We are following two big stories this hour in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Mandatory evacuations under way in Louisiana as floodwaters from the Mississippi River poured through a spillway north of Baton Rouge.
And a major figure on the global economic stage jailed in New York on sex crime charges.
First, we want to update you on the flooding. Thousands of people have just one hour to pack up and leave their homes in southern Louisiana. Floodwaters from the Mississippi River heading their way. Right now, mandatory evacuation orders cover about 2,000 people in St. Landry Parish. Six other parishes are also bracing for the worst. The flood waters are from the Morganza Spillway, four flood gates are now open to divert the Mississippi River floodwaters from Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
In Vicksburg, Mississippi, a tense waiting game is playing out there the Mississippi River has reached a record level of 56.38 feet. And the river is still rising, many worries that can compromise the --
