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Mitt Romney in South Carolina; Floodwater to Recede in Mid- June; Tough Words Between Allies; Parents Hope to Curb Teen Suicide; Kids Who Kill Themselves; Cain Announces Presidential Bid; Suspected Drug Runner Busted; Endeavour Crew Examines Tile Damage; Floods Threaten Oysters; Students Try Teaching; Predicting the Apocalypse

Aired May 21, 2011 - 15:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM, where the news unfold live this Saturday, May 21st. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin with the growing list of Republican hopefuls. A short time ago, Tea Party favorite Herman Cain announced his candidacy at a rally in Atlanta. He is the fourth Republican now to toss his hat into the ring.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HERMAN CAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This day, this hour, this moment, I came to declare my candidacy for president of the United States of America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Herman Cain there.

Mitt Romney, meantime, is in South Carolina, focusing on jobs and the economy -- also a hopeful for the presidency. It's his first visit to the state since gearing up his political machine for possible presidential run in 2012. So far, the former Massachusetts governor's candidacy is undeclared. Just simply presumed.

Peter Hamby is at the Romney event and joins us by phone from suburban Columbia.

All right. So, Peter, it is presumed he's throwing his hat into the ring. Otherwise, why would he put so much mileage to try and get his message across?

PETER HAMBY, CNN REPORTER (via telephone): I know. It's a game we play. Mitt Romney is not officially a candidate. He's still in exploratory phase. But he came to South Carolina, obviously, because this state is one of the first four states, along with Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, that kicks off the presidential nominating process. It's a state that he lost badly in 2008 when he last ran for president.

But he came down here today with the simple message about jobs and the economy. He was meeting with small business owners. One interesting thing I did notice today, he talked a lot about states rights and how he believes in the Constitution and how he doesn't believe President Obama respects state as much as he does.

Why is that interesting? The Tea Party that are currently fueling the party are very powerful. And that sort of language from Sarah Palin, and Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich, not necessarily from the Mitt Romney wing of the party. So, interesting to see him kind of test drive that message down here in South Carolina today.

WHITFIELD: Meantime, something he was encouraging people to talk about would be health care. He's gotten a little flak over being a bit of a hypocrite as it pertains to health care in Massachusetts, universal health care that he encouraged. But then when it comes to national health care reform, he has been on record as saying he sees that as very different and he doesn't like it.

How did he explain himself today?

HAMBY: Exactly. And that sort of dovetails with the whole states' rights message. Romney's explanation, of course, is that he implemented a plan similar to what's called Obamacare among Republicans in Massachusetts. But he's saying he did it in a state level, and that's different than mandating the entire country buy into Obamacare.

Now, his answer and he knows this is an Achilles heel for him. So, he went out of his way to address this. It's very interesting. He brought up the question before any voter could.

He took about four or five questions from a crowd of small business owners and said, I know somebody here wants to address health care, don't they? So, he's getting ahead of it because he knows it's something he can't escape on a campaign trail.

WHITFIELD: Almost as if he feels like it's going to haunt him the whole way through, right?

HAMBY: That's correct. And his staff is very aware this could hurt him in the Republican primary. So, he is more -- that's why you saw him give that huge speech in Michigan just a short time ago, to try to get ahead of this problem.

WHITFIELD: All right. CNN's political reporter, Peter Hamby, thanks so much. Appreciate that.

HAMBY: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: In the meantime, let's talk about the devastating floods. People along the Mississippi Delta today are still watching the water levels there. And now, it is pouring in some areas, making an even muddier mess.

Take a look right there. Pretty widespread.

The rain comes as the Mississippi was cresting in Natchez, Mississippi, at more than 60 feet.

CNN's Brian Todd is in Redwood, Mississippi.

What's the view from there? Oh, boy, it's waist high.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It certainly is, Fredricka. These floodwaters have not receded. It doesn't look like they're about to any time soon.

You mentioned the rain that we got earlier today. It made things much worse. And, of course, officials are now saying that doesn't bode well for the next couple days. We're at an off-ramp of an interstate here outside redwood. You can see the road signs over here. All the roads are closed. We had to have a sheriff's escort to get us this far.

And our photojournalist, John Pearson (ph), is going to pan to my left. You're right. You can see the floodwaters extend just as far as the eye can see over here. And, you know, we're told we're several miles in from the Mississippi River at this point. We were earlier at a levee holding some of this back up north of here, from some of the areas over here.

Millions of square acres are safe for now. But there is a problem with that one particular levee at Lake Albemarle. They have what they call a slide. And that is when the sheer weight of the water weakens the underpinnings of a levee.

And there's a major levee there that's holding the water back. Those underpinnings have shifted, slid about five feet from where they should be, and they are frantically now with bulldozers and backhoes and gravel trucks getting in there and trying to fill some of those gaps. If that thing gives way, millions of acres could be flooded. Thousands of homes could be flooded. Many more people will be displaced.

And as you can see, a lot of those other places may look a lot like this, Fredricka. This is at crest stage near Vicksburg. It is holding at crest stage right now. In Natchez today, it crested at just under 62 feet, about 14 feet above flood stage. So, it's still a pretty dire proportions right now, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Very scary stuff. Thanks so much, Brian Todd, in Redwood, Mississippi. Appreciate that.

Let's check with our Jacqui Jeras.

Because we're talking about cresting in some places, crested in others. How might people respond to this?

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, what Brian was talking about there, that's the critical thing in the days and weeks ahead is these levees -- my mike is on?

WHITFIELD: Yes, I think I'm hearing you in an indirect way.

JERAS: Is that better?

WHITFIELD: That sounds much better. Now, we got you directly.

JERAS: Sorry for that. Sorry. We had a tour group in here earlier.

But what I'm saying is, you know, what Brian was talking about, about the levees holding. That's a big thing in the days and weeks ahead.

And we talk about crested versus cresting. The best thing I can tell you is all the major gauges along the Mississippi River have now crested or are cresting. And the only two that are still cresting is artificial. It's because we've opened the spillways and those floodways. And so, we're maintaining this, you know, via other measures.

So, there's still a lot of pressure on this big system. And, in fact, the river is still in flood -- which means you're above flood stage, all the way up towards Cape Girardeau, Missouri, still. So, this is a long way where we all of this water, all of this pressure. And we've also had record volume of water the last few days moving through here. And so, all that causes stress on this main system.

So, certainly, we're not out of the woods yet. Take a look at Vicksburg. We have crested here. But the river remains 13.8 feet above flood stage -- 14.8 feet above flood stage at Red River Landing -- I cannot say that one, can't I? In Natchez, 13.7 feet above flood stage. Baton Rouge cresting at 9.7 above and we're holding at 17 feet now in New Orleans.

So, hopefully, we'll continue to maintain this as we look ahead, Fredricka. But there is some rain in the forecast. And some of that could be heavy. We're specifically talking about the Missouri -- middle Mississippi as well as the Ohio River valleys. We're going to talk a little bit more about that, tell you how much rain we're expecting, and what kind of an impact it could have on that river, coming up in about half an hour.

WHITFIELD: All right. We'll look forward to that. Thanks so much, Jacqui.

All right. Other headlines we're following.

In Oklahoma, a manhunt is under way for two men wanted for shooting an off-duty sheriff's deputy. Police say the officer was working at a security guard at a restaurant and was walking to a bank when he was shot in the head. The shooting was caught on videotape which may help identify the attackers. The deputy is listed in critical condition.

And opening statements are set for Tuesday in the Casey Anthony murder trial in Florida. The jury was sworn late yesterday. Anthony is charged with killing her 2-year-old daughter Caylee back in 2008 and dumping her body in the woods in the Orlando area, about a quarter of a mile from her home. Anthony has pleaded not guilty.

And a major drug bust in Mexico. This man that you're about to see had a $5 million bounty on his head. How they got him and the punch this delivers to the drug trade, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Police in Mexico arrested the man they believe is the leader of one of the country's most notorious drug rings. That's him right there in the red shirt. Gilberto Barragan Balderas was also wanted in the United States with a $5 million reward on his head. I talked to a former DEA agent a little while ago, who told me that this bust is a big deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB STRANG, FORMER DEA SPECIAL AGENT (via telephone): This is major. And you've got to remember that this gang was responsible for large shipments over a long period of time, over 10 years, that were coming from Mexico to the United States. You're talking about cocaine, marijuana. Also, because they were able to free up the borders and get control over the borders, there was methamphetamine and heroin that crossed the border as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Other international news today. The Taliban claims responsibility for a suicide bombing today in Afghanistan. At least six people died when explosives detonated at a military hospital in Kabul. A Taliban spokesman says two of its members carried out the attack.

And then, it's election weekend in Spain. Voters are picking their local and regional leaders. Protesters turned out last night against Spain's economic crisis. Much quieter today. By law in Spain, people are not allowed to gather and demonstrate the day before an election.

And clear differences remain between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel's borders. The president has called for a Middle East peace settlement based on Israel's pre-1967 borders. But Netanyahu rejects that. The disagreement is fueling tension the two leaders.

Here now is Brianna Keilar.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was about to leave for the U.S. when President Obama made an announcement that infuriated him.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We believe the borders should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps.

KEILAR: At the White House Friday, Netanyahu panned the proposal.

PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAEL: These lines are indefensible because they don't take into account certain changes that have taken place on the ground, demographic changes, that have taken place over the last 44 years. KEILAR: After the initial war of words, the White House hoped the meeting would be a time to kiss and make up.

OBAMA: Obviously, there are some differences between us in the precise formulations and language, and that's going to happen between friends.

NETANYAHU: We have an enduring bond of friendship between our two countries.

KEILAR: But for all of the niceties, Netanyahu drew a line in the sand, and not only on a return to pre-1967 borders, he said Israel will not negotiate with a Palestinian government supported by Hamas or house Palestinian refugees.

NETANYAHU: That's not going to happen. Everybody knows that. And I think it's time to tell the Palestinians forthrightly it's not going to happen.

KEILAR: Despite tough words, the U.S. and Israel will remain allies even past this rough spot. But the tension between the two leaders was palpable.

Robert Danin is with the Council on Foreign Relations.

ROBERT DANIN, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: I think there's not a great deal of mutual affection there. They've met a number of times. But, nonetheless, they have not succeeded in establishing a close bond, a close working relationship. They have, but there is not a great deal of deep trust it seems.

KEILAR (on camera): After the president's meeting, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney was peppered with questions about the border issue. He said the president made clear the pre-1967 is a starting point, that the mutual swaps that would create the eventual borders be negotiated. The thing is: what the White House considers a starting point, Israel still considers a nonstarter, even after the meeting.

Brianna Keilar, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Arnold and Maria split. Why our legal guys say this might not be another messy celebrity divorce.

And more face to face with Venus Williams. She says she and Serena share plenty on and off the court, but some things are simply off limits.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VENUS WILLIAMS, PRO TENNIS PLAYER: On the court, like I said, there are limitations, like maybe we can't talk to each other about injuries are happening because, hey, then the other would need to just take advantage. That's just how it happens in sports. So, you know, you might want to keep your mouth shut on that. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: They're sisters forever, but also competitors forever. That's straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A probe into the evidence against Amanda Knox was extended for another 40 days Saturday. Knox is the American student convicted in the murder of her roommate in Italy. The results of new DNA tests had been due today. But experts say they needed more time to complete their work.

And one of the big legal stories this week is also filling the gossip pages. I'm talking, of course, about the split between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver. After 25 years of marriage, the announcement came on the heels of the revelation that Schwarzenegger had fathered a child with family housekeeper.

Celebrity divorce is more than enough to get our legal guys going.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Let's move on to the Arnold Schwarzenegger-Maria Shriver case, because little dribblings come out every day. And now, we're talking about the case of, you know, Maria Shriver hiring a fairly well-known celebrity divorce attorney, Avery. And so, clearly, the couple probably had prenup agreements before they got married, but the wealth changed over the years. They've been married for 25 years.

Isn't California kind of that 50/50 state? After 10 years, usually the wealth or the assets get split in half. Would that apply here even if there were prenups?

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Well, ordinarily, the prenup will expire after a certain period of time, 10, 15 years. They've been married 25 years, Fredricka. But the fact is that it is -- California is one of 10 community property states. That's exactly right. Look for a quiet discreet resolution.

WHITFIELD: How is that possible?

FRIEDMAN: The victims here are the children. In fact, I'm remembering, I think it can be done. And I'm remembering you did a face to face with one of the children who talked about her struggle.

WHITFIELD: Yes. With Katherine Schwarzenegger, yes.

FRIEDMAN: And the fact is that's exactly right. And the bottom line is that's the motive to do this discreetly, carefully, thoughtfully and minimize the visibility which, of course, is highly visible now.

WHITFIELD: Interesting. So, Richard, you know, there -- I don't know if there would end up being a bit of a custody battle at least over the two younger kids. I don't even know if that would be an issue that Arnold would try to pursue. RICHARD HERMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: I agree with Avery. It's going to be resolved behind doors. But, Fred, at this point, Maria Shriver has not said she wants a divorce. So, you know --

FRIEDMAN: That's right.

(CROSSTALK)

HERMAN: And want it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. You can catch our legal guys right here every Saturday, noon Eastern Time. They're always fired up about some case.

All right. Be sure to tune in tonight for CNN NEWSROOM special, "Sex, Lies and Arrogance." That's tonight at 10:00 Eastern Time.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: It's been four months since tennis star Venus Williams tore three inches of muscle in her abdomen. Unable to play in tournaments for now, Venus is in strict orders from her doctors and trainers. But she tells me face to face as a part owner of the Miami Dolphins, a CEO of fashion design and interior design businesses, she's busy. Venus explains why it's important to be diverse.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIAMS: I do a lot of things off the court. I'm in school for interior design. So I've been taking classes. And also, of course, I have an interior design company. So, do a ton of war for that.

WHITFIELD: For V Starr.

WILLIAMS: Yes, V Starr Interiors. And that keeps me very, very busy.

WHITFIELD: And you already have accomplishments under your belt. I mean, you designed a television set, as well as -- did you also design the dorms for what could have been the New York Olympic Games had it won the bid?

WILLIAMS: Yes. Had we won the Olympic bid, New York 2012, we would have designed the athlete quarters, which would have been something special because now, they're -- you know, there's a bed and a table and that's pretty much it. But it would have been something special. That was an exciting project to work on.

And we just got a new project, too, working with Howard University, remodeling the gymnasium there.

WHITFIELD: That's my alma mater.

WILLIAMS: Really?

WHITFIELD: Yes. WILLIAMS: Wow. We're doing Burr Gymnasium.

WHITFIELD: Burr needs it.

WILLIAMS: Burr needs it and it's going to look great in the year. And just working on a new hotel project in Miami. So, really getting the wheels rolling and doing some great things.

WHITFIELD: So, where did this come from, where you felt it's important to diversify myself? People think Venus Williams -- monolithic, tennis great. But you felt it was important to demonstrate that there are other interests, other things, other abilities.

WILLIAMS: Growing up, my parents, they always said, you know, you can't just be an athlete. So, like a lot of other parents, too, you have to get good grades. And we made a joke, we were allergic to bad grades because we knew there would be big trouble.

So, we just never brought them home. So, we were always encouraged to explore ourselves outside of tennis. So, our parents took us for lessons for music and languages and we were always encouraged to get a higher education and those kind of things. If I say encouraged, it means --

WHITFIELD: You're going to do it.

WILLIAMS: You need to do it. I felt like I had a choice, but maybe I didn't.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: And you're going to be 31 in June, right?

WILLIAMS: I'm going to be 31.

WHITFIELD: And you've got, what, 21 grand slam titles under your belt. Do I have that number right?

WILLIAMS: I don't know. I don't count them.

WHITFIELD: You don't even keep count?

WILLIAMS: No.

WHITFIELD: It's not that important this.

WILLIAMS: I can count them up quickly right now. Well, it's a good sign that you've lost count, but it's not so important that I need to keep count, you know? Because I need to add to that count.

WHITFIELD: I guess you've met up with your sister, some eight times in grand slam arenas, is that about right?

WILLIAMS: I don't know.

WHITFIELD: You don't keep up with that either.

WILLIAMS: No.

WHITFIELD: Wow! So, what is that like when you and your sister are opponents versus when you're playing doubles?

WILLIAMS: It's totally different because we're on a team in the doubles and were playing against each other. For example, I think there was one year, maybe '08, where I was playing -- we had to play each other in the Wimbledon Final and we had the semifinal the day before. And I sprained my thumb so bad that I really couldn't hit a back hand. But I couldn't tell her that in the doubles because she'd know in the Finals, I'd just have --

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: You couldn't even share it with her.

WILLIAMS: Nothing was wrong, you know?

WHITFIELD: When it's someone other than your sister, is there a lack of eye contact. Are you thinking, you know, I just want to run them into the ground? What are you thinking about that person on the other side of the net?

WILLIAMS: I guess I want her to go down, I don't know. Obviously, the main thing in singles especially is really staying focus on you, at the same time, being aware of what your opponent is doing, their patterns and their weaknesses, but ultimately hitting the best shot that I can and putting them out of position.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: "Face to Face" with Venus Williams. She's still out on injury. She's not playing in the French Open, which just got underway. But maybe, she says, maybe still Wimbledon next month.

Meantime, we've got more "Face to Face" with Venus Williams. Guess what her favorite past time is when she's not on the court. Plus, your viewer questions, next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: It's hard to imagine the kind of grief a family experiences once a member has committed suicide, bottomless grief and forever unanswered questions.

I have two family stories and a mother whose heart will never heal. Watch this from CNN's Julie Peterson. It's a story of pain and a family's call to take action.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIE PETERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The north view Titans are down a man. In October their teammate, number 13, Will Troutwein killed himself. Will Troutwein grew up in a tightly-knit family, 15 when he died. He was the oldest of four kids.

Will was president of his class in elementally school, well liked and like his brothers and sister, a musician, athlete and all-around good kid.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very nice.

PETERSON: Dad John played Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox and is a successful businessman. Susie is a devoted mother and the family is active in its church.

They say they saw no signs of mental illness in their son. Susie found 15-year old Will. He hung himself in his bedroom overnight.

PETERSON: The family has been embraced by the community and by friends.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These sheets were hung at the vigil. One day, one day, we'll sit and read them.

PETERSON: They are clear about their anguish.

JOHN TRAUTWEIN, WILL TRAUTWEIN'S FATHER: There are times when I shut my door and I play a video of him knowing it's going to make me cry, knowing it's going to bring me to my knees, but I get to see him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We cry a lot. It's not --

TRAUTWEIN: Part of our Will time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Part of our healing and our grieving.

PETERSON: John and Suzie insist Will's death must mark a beginning, not just an end. They started "Will to Live," an organization about having life teammates and getting kids to be there for each other.

TRAUTWEIN: We just know that it's more likely that kids will talk to kids first so we said, you know what? Let's promote it. Let's really promote it. Let's over promote it. Let's talk about loving each other.

PETERSON: So they've been spreading their conviction to kids and parents while awaiting nonprofit status. They've already raised tens of thousands of dollars all with a singular purpose, to get the word out to kids and to their families.

TRAUTWEIN: Not only do we want you to love each other, but we want you to tell each other you love each other, so that they do pick up the phone.

Whatever Will was feeling is very common, but he didn't think it was common. Suicide and mental health issues and depression, it's a disease, it's not a crime.

PETERSON: Many are taking notice. Georgia Governor Nathan Diehl recently honoured the family. Most important to the Trautwein's though their target audience hears the message loud and clear.

MICHAEL TRAINER, WILL TRAUTWEIN'S FRIEND: The message is that spreads to us about your family and loving each other I think are some of the most important that you'll ever hear.

Everyone takes that in open heart. I mean, everyone misses Will. I think that's the best way to remember him, is to just talk about it and be open about it and remember good things.

PETERSON: Julie Peterson, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So joining me right now is a mother who knows very well what the Trautwein family is going through. Elvira Delaplane son, Nathan committed suicide and that was 11 years ago.

I cannot imagine that a mother, a family, can ever really get over that, can ever feel like they have healed after their child commits suicide.

ELVIRA DELAPLANE, SON COMMITTED SUICIDE IN 2000: I think it's something that you continue to go through. There is no other side. Your normal has changed and you have changed. The dynamics of your family have changed, yes.

WHITFIELD: So the Trautweins, they have put together this non-profit organization. You heard the father explaining that. The idea here is to let children, young people, know that they are loved.

But sadly, so often that's not at the root of why a child may commit suicide, if they don't feel loved. So given what you've been through, what do you say to families, what are the things they need to look for or what alerts them that something is awry, something has a hold on my child that they just want to -- they've lost the will to live?

DELAPLANE: It's really sometimes very difficult to see. In our case, Nathan was dealing with depression. We knew he was dealing with depression and he went for help, but we had absolutely no idea that suicide was a possibility. Not even his therapist knew that.

I think the idea of them having children, having teenagers working with other teenagers, I think the way it helps the best is when they are truly taking the mask down and sharing their hurts and their pains so that the other individual feels safe enough to share what they're going through.

WHITFIELD: Let's talk about some of these peer-to-peer talking points that people can perhaps rely identify with. We've built a screen here so people can see visually the reference as we're talking about it.

You know, telling the story, expressing their emotions, telling young people that if you feel like you can't tell your mom or dad or another adult, a family member, a guardian, aunt or uncle, you've got to tell one another what is troubling you. Express those emotions, and you say, you know, I guess try to help them explain what the meaning behind the loss or that feeling of loss is all about.

DELAPHANE: I think many times they feel very alone in what they're dealing with. And in all honesty, I think it almost starts with the parents, being able to open up freely with their children when they are going through situations that are fearful and they are scared.

I think it almost has to start with the parents. It helps greatly when you have children, when you have teenagers sharing and being able to approach it that way, by opening up themselves to one another. I think it's the aloneness. He even mentioned it, he thought he was the only one. That's what happens.

Many times they can start isolating themselves as well. So it's -- those are the visuals. You can see isolation with our son, Nathan. He slept a lot. He did not like loud sounds. I mean, there were a lot of dynamics going on that we did not pick up. But since his death have come to realize there are a lot of dynamics playing out here that we had no idea.

Because they talk about depression now so freely where before it was something that you don't talk about, but there are so many young people as there are so many adults that are dealing with depression and feeling isolated and alone.

WHITFIELD: That has to help tremendously now that there's acknowledgment from this day forward that people are not afraid to recognize or not afraid to articulate and say out loud that I'm feeling this.

Because if there's this ongoing dialogue, that ultimately is good to help in that kind of communication. Elvira Delaplane, thanks so much. It's been a very difficult 11 years with the loss of your son and our hearts just go out to you.

DELAPLANE: Thank you so much. It was really nice to be here.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much.

DELAPLANE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: We'll be right back right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: This week's CNN heroes have spent more than $100,000 on child adoptions. Here is a look at how they're helping others to adopt.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECKY FAWCETT, COMMUNITY CRUSADER: I don't care how you become a mother, it's a miracle. One of them making the other one laugh is just the greatest noise ever. I waited a long time for that kind of noise.

Jake and Brook are both adopted. To adopt our two children it was over $100,000 in after-tax money paid in full, paid up front. Adoption in this country can cost between $30,000 and $50,000 depending on the situation.

There are plenty of loving homes out there. The only obstacle is this cost of adoption. My name is Becky Fawcett. I started an organization that helps people complete the cost of their adoptions by awarding financial grants.

As a little girl, I dreamed of being a mother. Our applicants are hard working, educated Americans.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's the light of my life. She's everything to me. The expenses were insurmountable and scary. The mother that I received from helpusadopt.org took a lot of weight off my shoulders.

FAWCETT: We helped to build 43 families since 2007. We're helping people bring their children home. We're helping all types of families. We believe in family, period. We believe in loving a child, period.

FAWCETT: My journey to adoption is the best thing that ever happened. Those speaking adoption, there is a happy moment at the end of your story. It takes us all a long time to get there, but it's worth the wait.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: We always want to hear from you. Tell us about the heroes in your community. Send your nominations to cnn.com/heroes.

Checking our top stories right now. A new name has been added to the list of GOP presidential hopefuls. Herman Cain officially declared his candidacy today.

The talk radio host and former CEO of Godfather's Pizza told supporters he needs to run because the nation is in a crisis, in his words, economically and morally. Cain is seen as a Tea Party favorite.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD (voice-over): Dominique Strauss-Kahn is out of jail, released yesterday from Rikers Island after posting a million dollars cash bail. The former IMF chief is confined to a Manhattan apartment under the watch of a security guard, which he is actually paying for. He faces sex crime charges. A New York hotel employee says Strauss- Kahn tried to rape her last week.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

A major drug bust in Mexico, not actually drugs this time, but a drug runner. His name is Gilberto Barragan Balderas. He is the one in the red shirt there. Authorities say he's part of a cartel that controls smuggling routes into the United States. He was captured in Renosa, Mexico just across the border from McCallan, Texas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD (voice-over): The crew of a shuttle "Endeavour" used a laser-tipped boom to take a look at thermal tiles damaged during liftoff. NASA officials say such inspections are routine and there is no cause for alarm. The Endeavour is docked with the International Space Station.

And another casualty of the Mississippi River flooding, the oyster industry. The Mississippi Department of Marine say oysters will be hit hard because they're a stationary species.

Shrimp, thin fish and crabs are mobile so they're expected to move ahead of the floodwaters. Oysters can't move from those floodwaters and they could die before they are actually harvested.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: South of New Orleans oyster fishermen are working hard trying to get their catch before the floodwaters destroy them. Rob Marciano reports from Terrebonne Bay.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): Greg Voisin's family has been farming oysters here for more than 100 years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is basically where the fresh and the saltwater meet.

MARCIANO: Perfect for oysters. But get too much fresh water like during a historic flood and the oysters die.

GREG VOISIN, OWNER, GOLD BAND OYSTERS: Being out on the water, there's a lot of unexpected. It's very similar to harvesting any crop out in the land or out on the water.

MARCIANO (on camera): But it's been a lot of back to backs, Katrina, Gustaf, oil spill, now this flood.

VOISIN: Ike. You missed that one.

MARCIANO: How do you survive this long? It's been tough for you guys.

VOISIN: Yes, we just have -- you know what? There's a little bit of pirate in each one of us. I think you figure your way through it.

MARCIANO (voice-over): We tie up to a working boat to check on his crop.

VOISIN: Once everything is on the table, these guys go to town and they start working the oysters.

MARCIANO (on camera): They're going to town all right. Look at the harvest so far. We're not even mid morning. What kind of take will you have on a day like today?

VOISIN: We'll probably end up with about 50 sacks, which is about 5,000 pounds.

MARCIANO (voice-over): Time to sample the product.

VOISIN: Stick your lips on the meat and slurp and chew all the yummy goodness. What do you think?

MARCIANO: Wow. Somebody shut the flood gates. Save me the oysters. Fresh water does not affect the taste, which keeps him motivated to get through what will be another tough year.

VOISIN: You still have that flavor in your mouth of that oyster, and you can taste it. That's what keeps me going in this business, is what we just did.

MARCIANO (voice-over): Rob Marciano, CNN, Terrebonne Bay.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Frightening times for so many people along the Mississippi. Jacqui Jeras in the weather center. It's frightening stuff. It's impacting commerce on so many different levels beyond other lifestyles and livelihoods of people.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. You've got the fishermen. You've got the farmers. You've got, you know, people that ship stuff up and down the Mississippi River. And of course, people's homes and their businesses as well, so yes, lots of different levels we're talking about.

The good news is that the river for the most part has crested or is cresting. So I think we've seen the peak now or we're in the very tail end of that peak. So we just still need the levees to hold for another couple weeks because so many places are still in flood.

One of the other things that we're concerned about is the threat for more rain, right? This is something we're going to be watching in the upcoming days. Not a lot of heavy stuff today. But in the coming days, we'll see this more active weather pattern that's going to bring in showers and thundershowers and some of these individual storms could bring as much as two inches per hour.

We're focusing especially, right up here, talking about the middle Mississippi River Valley into the Ohio River Valley in the next five days could see as much as maybe three to six inches of rainfall. That will likely be detrimental.

Keep in mind, the Ohio River goes right into the Mississippi, doesn't it? Remember the whole thing with the Bird's Point levee exploding in the Cairo area. We'll watch this area. At this time our thinking is it's not going to be enough to make the river go back up, but it could be enough to keep that level higher for a longer period of time.

Now, something else we have to worry about is that the thunderstorms developing today are likely to be strong, possibly severe. We're watching an area from southern Minnesota, stretching all the way down into parts of Texas.

We have two watches issued here in the last hour you can see one, dry line thunderstorms, possibly supercells possible. Be aware isolated tornadoes will be possible and another one for western Iowa, including into Sioux Falls and Omaha.

So we'll watch these storms and if anything is popping and hitting the ground, of course, we'll let you know about that.

WHITFIELD: My goodness. All right, thanks so much, Jacqui. No one wants to see any more rains in that region at all, even if it's half inch of rain. They don't want to see anymore. All right, thanks so much.

We'll talk about a role reversal. So See what happens when students become the teachers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Across the country, educators are trying to find new way to teach students the three Rs. Well, in this week's "Perry's Principles," Steve Perry shows us how some children are teaching the teachers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): The students are teaching class today at the Beardsley School, the pupils, their teachers.

This role reversal is part of a revolutionary program developed by the National Urban Alliance or NUA.

(on camera): How do the teachers respond to having kids tell them how to teach?

ERIC COOPER, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL URBAN ALLIANCE: They love it primarily because it really gives them an understanding of the strengths the students have as well as where the gaps are that need to be filled in.

PERRY (voice-over): The training is broken up into two parts. First, an NUA representative leads a session on creative teaching methods for both students and teachers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ready, set, go.

PERRY: Then the kids take over.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll only give you about two minutes, so go.

PERRY (on camera): You're working in some of the lowest performing school districts in the country. What is it you hope to gain? YVETTE JACKSON, CEO, NATIONAL URBAN ALLIANCE: It's not just so the students feel empowered. It's so that the teachers see what unbelievable wealth of potential these students have.

PERRY: Today, you were teaching. Was that cool?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

PERRY: What makes you think you'd be a good teacher?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They always teach us.

PERRY (voice-over): Cost for the program is split between the NUA and participating school districts. More than 250 students in 15 schools across the country have participated so far.

The NUA says those students' performance has improved in the classroom and they're currently sponsoring formal research to confirm that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think teachers should know that they should keep on trying and keep teaching the kids no matter what.

PERRY: Steve Perry, Bridgeport, Connecticut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And tonight, CNN takes an in-depth look at school systems across the country. Tune in for "Don't Fail Me, Education in America" 8:00 Eastern Time.

It's judgment day, or is it? An expert weighs in on the dooms' day prediction made popular by a popular evangelical radio broadcaster. Find out why he calls the rapture call hurting Christianity.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: So the Family Radio Network is predicting the world will end today. But so far, no apocalypse, no dooms day, no rapture, despite the prediction from Harold Camping, the leader of the California-based radio network. They have spent of millions of dollars to get the word out. Our T.J. Holmes spoke to Pastor Robert Jeffress about Camping's prediction.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REVERENT ROBERT JEFFRESS, SR. PASTOR, FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF DALLAS: I think it's important for viewers to know Jesus said no man knows the hour or the day when he's coming back, not even the son of God knows. Only God the Father knows.

And I tell people if God hasn't even told his own son when the second coming is going to occur, I doubt he's told Harold Camping, or how does Harold Camping know?

T.J. HOLMES: Well, you're talking about Harold Camping. He's the pastor out in California that has been pushing this idea. He's been wrong before, I should say, he was wrong back in 1994. I believe I have that right, but tell me, how did he come up with May 21st in the first place?

JEFFRESS: Well, first of all, T.J., it's nowhere in the bible. One reason I wrote this article on cnn.com about why this harmed Christianity is it causes unbelievers to discredit the bible.

You know, they're people running around saying well, the bible says the earth is 6,000 years old. No, the bible doesn't say that, and it doesn't predict the date of Christ's return.

HOLMES: So where did he get it?

JEFFRESS: T.J., I think - well, he just made it up. He completely made it up through his own mathematical calculation, which was wrong before and I suspect will be wrong again.

HOLMES: This is a mainstream -- I should say a mainstream idea. People do believe that Jesus will return. The people believe in a rapture, now what is that supposed to look like?

JEFFRESS: Well, the bible does say the next event on God's prophetic calendar is going to be a rapture, a catching away of Christians followed by tribulation time and the return of Christ.

And here's what I'm saying, T.J. Even though we can't know the hour or the day, God does know the hour and day. It's on his calendar and it's going to happen. Instead of trying to predict the date, we just need make sure we're ready whenever it is.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: OK, so with that, we have a little fun with the end of the world discussion, which means I ask my tweeps on Twitter what activities they might be doing if they were believers in judgment day. Just few of the comments right now. D. Lindsey (ph) "I live every day as if it were judgment day. Seize the day." And fan Corey Aaron Engles (ph) tweets this "Me and the other heathens will be hitting up them rapture sales. Everything must go as the earth does!" Oh yes, I'm just reading it as I see it, as I seize it, as you say.

All right. This is Lee Catalina (ph). "I will be trying to figure out why the end of the world will have to take place in U.S. Standard time. And Superstar Chef tweets this "Spending the day boogie boarding the Morganza flood gates and then camping out in the swamp." Well, I asked and you delivered in tweeterdom (ph).