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Freedom Riders Discuss Fighting the South's Jim Crow Laws; Manhunt Under Way for Cop Shooter; Some Take Elaborate Steps to Save Businesses, Homes from Mississippi Flood; Preacher Says Today is Judgment Day; Herman Cain Announces Presidential Bid; Six Killed in Taliban Hospital Attack

Aired May 21, 2011 - 17:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HERMAN CAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have become a nation of crisis. We have a moral crisis. We have an economic crisis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Another candidate throwing his name into the Republican race for the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAIN: We got an immigration crisis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: "The Best Political Team on Television."

And the Southern floods. Levees are holding, but for how long? Rain is in the forecast.

And if you use a cell phone, some important information from our very own Dr. Sanjay Gupta. You don't want to miss his report.

I'm Don Lemon in Los Angeles. The news starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAIN: This hour, this moment, I came here to declare my candidacy for the Republican nomination for president of the United States of America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And of course, we begin with politics. Herman Cain today making his bid for the White House official in Atlanta. The former CEO of Godfather's Pizza and former radio talk show host is the fourth republican to officially jump into the race, but there are many more still eyeing a run, like Mitt Romney who is on a key trip to South Carolina this weekend. So, I want to bring in just for some analysis Shannon Travis, who was at the McCain event, and then our Peter Hamby as well who is on the trail today with Mitt Romney. So, first, to you Shannon, well Cain may not have the name recognition that others have in this race. So, give us the lowdown on him.

SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: Well, the lowdown on him is some of the things that you just mentioned that he has the solid business experience, a financial background. He was, as you mentioned, the former CEO of Godfather's pizza. He has some other experience in other high profile executive experience in restaurants. He's going to run on that, Don. He's going to run on the fact that he's got his solid business credentials, he's also going to run on the fact that he's got immense Tea Party support. And he hopes that that will help differentiate him from the more well known names like Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. So, part of this announcement today was to obviously drum up the support and excitement, but part of it was almost like a reintroduction. Hey, I'm Herman Cain, I'm the business guy, and if you're worried about where the economy is going, I'm the one that you need to support.

LEMON: All right, Peter. This question is to you. This is Romney's first trip to South Carolina in this election cycle. So, tell us what he's doing and why the state is so important.

PETER HAMBY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, this is the state, you know, Mitt Romney is the puditive (ph) front runner for the republican nomination, but first you have to shore up the gauntlet of these early states, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina. And frankly, Romney's chances don't look that good in Iowa and South Carolina, states that are strongly dominated, the republican primary electric is dominated by social conservatives. And Romney finished fourth here last time despite sinking boatloads of money into the states. So, he came today and did a very low key visit wearing expectations, and he really kept focus on jobs and the economy, which is right in his wheelhouse. That's all he wants to talk about. So, he came in just today, hit a barbecue joint, a group of small business owners, and then he's off to the next campaign stop, and then back to Boston.

LEMON: All right, Peter. Since I have your attention, let's talk big picture now. What are the movements of the other big candidates this weekend?

HAMBY: Well, Jon Huntsman is out grabbing headlines in New Hampshire. You're not grabbing headlines nationally because a lot of folks actually don't know who he is if you look at the poll numbers, but he served as ambassador to China under President Obama, before that, he was a republican governor. He's sort of selling himself as a fresh face in the field, and he made his first announcement in New Hampshire, the state where you can stick and appeal to independents and economic minded voters. So, while Romney is down here, kind of under the radar, Jon Huntsman is trying to build up his profile up in New Hampshire -- Don.

LEMON: So, listen, Shannon, tell us about the folks that you're covering. What about Tim Pawlenty? Did he ask something coming up on Monday? What are the movements of the candidates that you're focusing on?

TRAVIS: Absolutely. As Peter just mentioned, I mean, Tim Pawlenty, many of them are trying to just attract more buzz and attention. And Tim Pawlenty is going to officially, officially throw his hat into the presidential race on Monday. We know that he's been exploring a run, testing the waters, but he'll make it official on Monday. He'll join, as you mentioned earlier, three others who have already done that, well, four now with Herman Cain, but you've got Newt Gingrich who is officially running, you've got the former governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson, who is officially running. He's also got Texas Congressman Ron Paul who has officially declared candidacy. So, Tim Pawlenty will do it as well, and this field is beginning to solidify and gel a little bit more -- Don.

LEMON: All right. Shannon and Peter, thanks to both of you.

We want to turn now to the developing story that we have been covering here on CNN. You're going to hear a lot of four-letter words along the Mississippi levees these days, but none as dreaded as r-a-i-n. The forecast calls for downpours today and tomorrow dumping up to three inches per hour in some places. So, what that means for the overload levee system is not quite clear yet. Right now, the Mississippi River is cresting in Natchez, Mississippi. It's just shy of 62 feet. Almost 14 feet above flood stage. Even though it's not expected to get any higher, it's expected to stay above flood stage for weeks. Now, the possibility of levee failure has everyone on edge, of course. A bridge over the Mississippi River near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has been reopened after several barges broke loose and hit it. Some of the barges sank. It's not known if the record flooding contributed to the accident which is now under investigation.

The flooding broke a record in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Cresting one foot higher than the epic 1927 flood. The levee north of Vicksburg near the town of Redwood is causing engineers a whole lot of concerned.

CNN's Brian Todd is there as crews try to shore it up. So, Brian, can they keep the levee from breaking?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They don't know yet, Don. They're trying to do that very frantically right now. That's a levee not far from where we are. We're in Redwood right now where the roads are closed here. You can see, this road is completely under water. This is an off ramp from a nearer state towards Vicksburg, and our photojournalist John (ph) first is going to pan to his right and my left where you can see the flooding just goes on for miles here. That levee you're talking about is in Lake Albamor (ph) in Mississippi not far from here. It's experienced what's called a slide, and that means that the underpinnings of the levee have been compromised.

The weight of the water has been so forceful that it's just kind of pushed some of the mud, some of the sand about five or so feet in the underpinnings. So, they're frantically trying to patch that up. Some of the water is seeping through. We saw it earlier. One of the officials here, Peter Nimrod of the Mississippi Levee Board, told us if that levee failed, you've got more than a million acres of land that's going to be under water. Several towns under water, thousands of homes, thousands of people displace from their homes, they're frantically trying to shore it up, Don. It's going to take several days. LEMON: And you know, there's always concern about health hazards, and there may be many lurking in the water, Brian. What do you know about that?

TODD: Yes, the Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour has told us that in places like this where the water is just everywhere and some of it is sewage, the E. coli levels are sometimes 200 times above normal. And I couldn't say it any better than him. He said, this stuff is nasty. They're really concerned about that. They have security concerns as well because in Vicksburg, near here, the officials are saying they're patrolling the streets night and day with police and sheriff's deputies to make sure that abandoned homes and businesses aren't broken into. That could be a concern for many weeks to come because we're told that these waters may not go back to the banks of the Mississippi for almost another month.

LEMON: All right, our Brian Todd reporting from near Redwood, Mississippi. What a mess, Brian. Thank you, and please stay safe.

TODD: Let's turn now to our meteorologist Jacqui Jeras, she's in the CNN severe weather center. So, Jacqui, how worried should people be about the rain in the forecast?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, they should be worried about it. In terms of the Mississippi River at this time, if we're just talking about three to six inches of rainfall, it's probably not enough to bring that crest back up, but it's some of the smaller rivers tributaries that lead into them that we could continue to have some trouble. Let's talk a little bit about where the river is at right now. The best thing that I can tell you is that it looks like most of the major river gauges now have now crested. But even though they have crested, they're still way above flood stage. Some of them still at record stage, so Vicksburg, we're talking about 14 feet above where that river, you know, should be to be within its banks. And we've got cresting, sort to speak still into Baton Rouge and New Orleans. And that's because we've opened up that spillway to our maintain levels.

Let's show you the rainfall forecast now over the next five days. And this will tell you that, you know, most of the heavy rain is going to be in the middle Mississippi River valley and into the Ohio River valley. But keep in mind, the Ohio River dumps into the Mississippi River, right? So, all that will eventually will be making its way downstream. So, we'll have to watch this over the next couple of days. Again, places like the white river in Indiana. That could start to rise once again. So, we'll watch some of those spots as well. The other thing that we're worried about is that some of these thunderstorms could be severe. Right now, we're watching places like central Texas where a severe thunderstorm watches in effect. But some of these storms could produce tornadoes. So, be aware of that, and then we also have some stronger thunderstorms in parts of Kansas, as well as in western Iowa. So, Don, if no more rain fell, we would be good as long as the levees hold. But unfortunately, we've got that rain in the forecast.

LEMON: All right, Jacqui. Thank you very much. Stand by. We'll check back with our Jacqui Jeras. I appreciate it.

A suicide bombing attack that one man is calling cowardly. The casualties mount after an attack on a military hospital.

And they were young, they were scared, and yet they rewrote history. Members of the freedom writers talk about their role in the civil rights movement, that's just ahead here on CNN.

And many of you have been asking for information and social media. And you can reach out to us on Twitter, on Facebook, on cnn.com/Don, and on foursquare.com/DonLemonCNN. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Cowardly, that's what one official describes an attack by the Taliban on an Afghan military hospital in Kabul. The defense ministry says, six people died in the attack but a Taliban spokesman claims 51 people were killed. The U.N. says, the hospital is the largest medical military facility in the country providing services to Afghan soldiers and their families. The Taliban's number two official says, militants are determined to finish the job Osama Bin Laden started.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALI REHMAN, TALIBAN'S NUMBER TWO LEADER (via translator): We love his mission which is not dependent on any one man. We loved him because he was courageously fighting against America and its allies. We have to continue his mission because we love his mission more than the man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan has warning that this isn't the last attack we'll see, will likely see like this. David Petraeus said, quote, "These attacks may increase the risk of civilian casualties and put Afghan and coalition forces in difficult situations." He also urged troops to do their best to reduce civilian casualties in the world.

More violent shook Syria today. A witness tells CNN that security forces killed four people after a funeral march in the city of Hama. The same city was torn apart by violence Friday, seen in these pictures. Forty four people reportedly killed in clashes across that country. Well, today's assault came as people were leaving a cemetery after burying victims of that violence. The Syrian government has forbidden CNN from reporting in the country, so we're unable to confirm these reports independently.

Sixteen people were killed today in the bombing of an oil tanker in Pakistan near the Afghan border. Nine other tankers burned Friday in another bombing. It's not clear who is behind these attacks, but the tankers are easy targets for militants operating along the Pakistan/Afghan border.

In Libya, NATO air strikes took out eight Libyan warships in three different ports. A NATO spokesman says, Moammar Gadhafi's forces were using ships to lay mines and block humanitarian aid. But the Libyan military quote, called this, "a crazy attack," and claimed that NATO put civilians at risk. No deaths nor injuries to report here.

In Yemen, a deal has been reached that could result in the departure of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and in the country's growing political crisis. The president is expected to sign the agreement Sunday, that's according to officials from the government and the opposition. Saleh has held power for 33 years. He's been unpopular in many parts of the country, sparking violent anti-government protests. But he's also been a U.S. ally against terrorism.

Coming up here on CNN, a new study provokes outrage after seeing women of one race are uglier than others. The controversy on the other side of this break.

But first, we want to tell you about this. Spring is usually a prime selling season for real estate, but foreclosures are driving down prices in many parts of the country. So, how do you sell your home in a buyer's market? Our Christine Romans says, it's all about first impressions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHEN SAINT-ONGE, HOME AND STYLE DESIGNER: Now, when I drive up to this house, it's a great classic American house. But it needs some attention. Obviously the garage, just, you know, chipping and needs to be painted, putting, you know, scraping and putting on a fresh coat of paint will really help out with that. Plants, and cleaning out the leaf, they're getting a leaf blower and blowing all this out. Cleaning out this flower beds, and just cleaning it up with mulch and some simple flower planting is not going to cost a lot of money, but that focal point of drawing you into the house is really going...

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Forget the old adage, it's what's on the inside that counts. In real state, it's what's on the outside that counts.

SAINT-ONGE: You've got a great backyard.

ROMANS: Home and style designer and author of "No Place Like Home," Stephen Saint-Onge helps homeowners who want to sell. He helps them redesign the inside and outside in a buyer's market.

SAINT-ONGE: People tend to notice is they notice the things that are not quite as nice looking, like maybe if the plant is dying or something like that. So, I would just get a nice new plant, a flowering plant, and maybe stagger a few out here.

ROMANS: Plants won't break the bank, but a lot of sellers assume they need to make big expensive renovations to sell their home. In fact, the quarterly report on remodeling released by Harvard University projects annual growth in remodeling this year at only 0.2 percent. But the returns on some home improvements can be worth the investment.

(on camera) The best returns on your renovation dollars are things like outdoor improvements, the front door, for example. Let's say, buying and installing a fiberglass front door to cost you about $1,000. You'll get back 60 percent when you sell, 60 percent of your money. Make it a steel front door, you get back more, 102 percent of your money. A new garage door, you'll get back nearly 84 percent of your money, and a new wood deck that recoups about 73 percent, all good investments.

(voice-over) And if you can't afford any of these things, small, outside touches still matter.

SAINT-ONGE: So, outside your house, my first impression driving up, you're in a neighborhood, so obviously, people are going to come here and see the front lawn. So, you know cleaning up the lawn is always key before showing.

ROMANS: Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Your show is ugly.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That was actually one of my favorite scenes from "The Color Purple," you remember that scene from "The Color Purple"? That's fiction, but you know, what, a scientific article presumably based on fact makes a very similar statement that black women are uglier than other races. All right. So, an evolutionary psychologist wrote the article which appeared on the Web site Psychology Today, a respected academic journal. A huge uproar followed, then the Web site pulled the piece. Hmm, and now its author, Satoshi Kanazawa, PH.D at the London School of Economics has been under attack.

So, let's talk about this a lot more with human behavior expert Dr. Wendy Walsh. She is here and she's going to break down how and why the study can't be right. So, Wendy, we've actually talked about some of this. The researchers' previous word, specifically has findings that better looking people have higher IQs. So, you say, and I know you believe this study is flawed, right?

DR. WENDY WALSH, PSYCHOLOGIST: It's absolutely flawed. First of all, he did the wrong study. If you did the study that says, what are the cultural factors in America that contribute to people's narrow idea of what beauty is and look at all as influence is, and we could understand where we are, that make sense for study. But to say black women are ugly, first of all, he didn't actually do a study, he pulled data from another study and extrapolated it. So, it wasn't even that he pulled data, and then it was clean as you'll say. The other piece, Don, he said he called -- go ahead.

LEMON: No, I want you to finish. And I have a question for you, go ahead.

WALSH: He called the people who rated people based on beauty objective observers. And you're never objective if you're part of a culture and if your culture has one definition of beauty. In other words, if you took this particular study and tried to implant it and say, India or somewhere in Africa, it would have a completely different result because you have to think about the culture.

LEMON: Yes. Someone answered my next question. I mean, talk to us more about our narrow definition of beauty and why is that so, why is that pervasive?

WALSH: Well, I know, you and I talk about this all the time, Don, because I'm part of a multiracial family, and my children are actually quite brown. And so, have become keenly aware of how the media depicts blond and blue-eyed from characters on Disney shows to magazine covers, et cetera. And if you're trying to sell a product to an American family, you rarely will see a typical black American family unless you're going after marketing to that particular audience.

LEMON: OK.

WALSH: So, they're in the background more often. But the best thing about the study, by the way, is the self reports that black women showed that they actually think they are quite beautiful. Duh, yes.

LEMON: Yes. And got us talking about it. So, maybe we might rethink what our standard of beauty is. And I have to say Dr. Wendy that we reached out to psychology today and the study's author and we have yet to receive a response from them. So, let's talk about other human behavior issues. One of our affiliates is in Dallas, KTVT is noting a trend among young people who are getting plastic surgery to avoid bullying like getting their ears pinned back, or their nose jabs, their noses done. Is that a good idea, Wendy?

WALSH: Well, you're using two buzz words that are hot in the media right now, and that is plastic surgery and bullying. Now, if we were doing this story in the '70s, it would be, would you do corrective surgery to keep teasing from happening to kids, OK? And I think, we have to make a distinction between plastic surgery designed to make someone look more beautiful or youthful or to make someone conform to sort of, I hate to use the word normal, but a range of attractiveness in our culture. Now, you and I Don, can argue all day about, well, if somebody does have ears that stick out or particularly large, protruding nose, shouldn't we let our kids be proud of who they are? But most parents don't want to take a risk with their own kid to try to change the culture. So, that's why these kinds of corrective surgeries have been going on, you know, for 50 years.

LEMON: All right. Dr. Wendy Walsh, very interesting. We have a whole lot to talk to you about, especially tonight because we're going to be running our special. We have a special tonight and it's called, in the newsroom, "Sex, Lies, and Arrogance." We're going to talk about men behaving badly. It airs tonight on CNN. "Power, popularity, influence." Why do so many men in positions of power have the history of cheating? Make sure you watch. Before I'll let you go Dr. Wendy, it's going to be at 10 p.m. tonight.

WALSH: Yes.

LEMON: What did you think when you first heard that Arnold Schwarzenegger's, the parent, mother of his love child had been living in the house for more than ten years? What was your gut reaction?

WALSH: Well, as a woman, dog, scoundrel. As someone who studies psychology and human behavior, I would say some maybe degree of narcissism, a sense of entitlement, and how could he possibly maintain this life for so long and live with this?

LEMON: OK. Save some of that for 10:00 p.m. Eastern. All right. Dr. Wendy again, "Sex, Lies, and Arrogance." "Power, Popularity and Influence." Why do so many men in positions of power really have a history of cheating? We're going to examine that, 10:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN. And Dr. Wendy will join us.

In the meantime, Pope Benedict XVI speaks to millions nearly every day, but it's not every day that he speaks to astronauts to board the space shuttle. His words to the crew and to Congresswoman Gabby Giffords straight ahead here on CNN.

Also, they were young, they were scared, they endured and they helped change the world. Members of the freedom writers talk about their role in the civil rights movement. That's just minutes from now, you don't want to miss that one. It's very interesting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Let's check our top stories right now on CNN. Herman Cain formally tossed his hat into the ring for the republican nomination for presidential event in Atlanta. The former CEO of Godfather's Pizza and former talk show host, he's the fourth republican to officially jump into the race. Mitt Romney hasn't said whether or not he's getting in, but he's campaigning like he is this weekend. Romney met with small business owners in South Carolina, which is a key early primary state. It is his first trip there this election cycle.

The crest of the Mississippi River flooding has now reached Natchez, Mississippi, which is about 100 miles north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Even though the water is not expected to rise, it's not expected to go down, either. Stressed levees may have to hold up for more weeks. Can you believe it? Health officials warn the flood waters are extremely dangerous with E. coli levels up to 200 times higher than normal.

Pope Benedict XVI made history today with the first call ever to the international space station. He spoke with Commander Mark Kelly about how technology in used in space could improve the lives of people right here on earth. The pope also mentioned Commander Kelly's wife, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head last January. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH RATZINGER, POPE BENEDICT THE XVI: I know Mark Kelly's wife was a victim of serious attack, and I hope her head continues to improve.

MARK KELLY, HUSBAND OF CONGRESSWOMAN GIFFORDS: Well, thank you for the kind words, your holiness, and thank you for mentioning my wife, Gabby.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Freedom, and we're going to get our freedom. We'll get it taken!

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: You don't understand that. You don't understand that. He doesn't know what we want and what we need.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: We will die for our freedom.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, you know, we have been profiling them for months. Young revolutionaries like the ones here in Egypt, overcoming their fears to make change, life-altering foundation, and then chattering change there. You know, it's happening now and it happens 50 years ago this coming week right here in the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People don't understand us. He don't understand that. He doesn't know us, what we want and what we need.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will die for our freedom.

(SHOUTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DON LEMON, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: You know, we have been profiling them for months, young revolutionaries like the ones here in Egypt, overcoming their fears to make change, life-altering foundation, and then shattering change there.

It's happening now and it happened 50 years ago this coming week right here in the United States. In 1961, 461 Freedom Riders headed out on buses to fight the anti-black rules in the south known then as Jim Crow Laws.

I sat down with four Freedom Riders, Carol Silver, Bernard Lafayette, John Lewis, and Bill Harbour. I want you to listen closely.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: I have to say, I owe a debt of gratitude to all of you, to Carol Silver, to Bernard Lafayette. And, of course, you recognize John Lewis and Bill Harbour. Thank you for the sacrifices you made and what you did.

But I have to ask you this. Did you ever think you would be sitting here together? Look at each other. You guys, look at each other. 50 years, what do you think when you look at each other's faces?

(LAUGHTER)

REP. JOHN LEWIS, (D), GEORGIA & FORMER FREEDOM RIDER: Unreal, unbelievable that some of us are still here, still working to change America.

CAROL SILVER, FORMER FREEDOM RIDER: At that time, we were young. And we were frightened.

LEMON: You still look young.

(LAUGHTER)

SILVER: But we were -- we had a purpose. And that -- you can never recapture that unless you had some threat against you. So we are basking in this -- in your attention and the attention of al these young people, and it's wonderful.

LEMON: Yes. When Mr. Lafayette walked in, he said to me, he goes, I finally get to meet you, I'm so proud of you. I'm thinking, me? You're proud of me? I'm proud of you.

Where does that come from? You did what you did in order for me to sit there. Is that what you're saying?

BERNARD LAFAYETTE, FORMER FREEDOM RIDER: Well, yes. We didn't know what was going to happen to us, but we wanted to make sure that the next generation would not suffer the indignities that we suffered and would be able to have the opportunities that we did not have. And that's the thing that makes me proud. And I'm also proud of CNN because it gives the impression that there is acceptance, and the diversity that we see, it gives me a sense of accomplishment that the things we did made a difference. It's one thing to do things to take action because it's the right thing to do. But it's another when you see some results.

LEMON: Yes, and Bill, you're shaking your head.

BILL HARBOUR, FORMER FREEDOM RIDER: I don't know if I can look down 50 years from now, from heaven or hell or somewhere and say, what did these young folks do to the country we gave them in the last 50 years. It's amazing with the technology going on now. It's amazing, with the things that are happening, the cell phones and everything else. But it bothered me that children that don't realize that the dropout rate is 58 percent around the country. And we really need to do something about it. I'm hoping that we turn this over and when we're know that they will be able to tell this world we gave them the last 50 years.

LEWIS: I tell young people all the time, I told some young people just a few day said ago, especially young black men, they must pull up their pants. (LAUGHTER)

LEMON: They must pull up their pants.

LEWIS: That drives me crazy. And stand up. And walk with a sense of dignity and with a sense of pride. We have to deal with the criminal justice system. At the same time, there's still too many people in America and around the world that have been discriminated against because of their race, their color, their religion, or because of sexual orientation.

LEMON: There isn't anything any one of us can accomplish, especially considering what you did, what you went through. So the little problems I have and other people have are nothing compared to what you guys suffered. And I thank you for it from the bottom of my heart.

LEWIS: Thank you.

LEMON: Thank you so much.

(CROSSTALK)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Monday, I'm going to show you, a week-long celebration to recognize the 50th anniversary reunion will start in Jackson, Mississippi.

And, again, our thanks to the Freedom Riders. We stand on your shoulders.

You've probably heard, and maybe used some salty language at a bar before, but don't get carried away at this one in Baltimore where each four-letter word will cost you.

And a police chase unlike any other in Minnesota we're going to show you. See if you can make out the fugitive running for it in there. Do you see it? It's going to be tough getting him in handcuffs, I'm telling you now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN WHETSEL, OKLAHOMA COUNTY, OKLAHOMA SHERIFF: We heard him. He turned around. He was immediately shot before we were handed an opportunity to go for his weapon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: An Oklahoma sheriff's deputy is fighting for his life tonight after someone shot him in the head. Now a manhunt is under way for two men. Police say the men approached Major John Waldenville (ph) at an off-duty job in Oklahoma City last night. The deputy was making a regular midnight bank deposit for a restaurant. Our affiliate, KWTV, reports the officer has undergone face and jaw surgery. He's in critical condition. Police say there is surveillance video of the attack. Hopefully, it will lead to the suspect here.

I want to take you across country, now. You probably don't want to step into this Baltimore bar if your team is losing. That's because every curse word, or cuss word, as some say, out of your mouth, will cost you. The Mount Royal Tavern now has a cuss bucket, and customers have to plunk in a quarter for every bad word they say. The owner said he's sick of strong profanity and he's giving all the money to charity.

And in Minnesota, I want you to check out this unusual early morning chase involving police in north St. Paul. It's all caught on dash cam. Look at it. Officers responded to a call of a black bear running through a residential neighborhood. They followed, crossing over a highway, and caught that furry guy. See him there? That would be scary.

Just ahead here on CNN, some of the most arresting images of the flood zone are scenes like this, of elaborate do-it-your levees to hold back the water. And you're going to meet one man who built a large levee to save his family business but only gives it a 50/50 chance of working.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Record flooding along the Mississippi River is forcing many people to take extraordinary measures to hold back the water. In some cases, large makeshift levees are popping up in a desperate attempt to keep things from being swept away.

CNN's David Mattingly is in Natchez, Mississippi, where the owners of a family-run lumber company are doing everything they can to save their business.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fighting the Mississippi is a game of vengeance.

(on camera): How far out can you go?

(voice-over): And the river doesn't quit.

HOWARD JONES, OWNER, J.M. JONES LUMBER COMPANY: Right here. It just caved away right there. There's nothing

There used to be dirt all the way out to there. All this has caved away.

MATTINGLY: Howard Jones is the fourth of five generations at the J.M. Jones Lumber Company in Natchez, Mississippi, but I find him strictly in the business of surviving, building up and trying to hold together a levee that keeps his family's business from being swept away.

(on camera): Are you confident you can hold the river back?

JONES: Absolutely not. No, I mean, I'm confident that it's not going to go over my levees, but I'm not confident that enough of this is going to cave off and I'm going to have a breach. I would say it's 50/50.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): It's been four weeks since lumber operation ceased and all resources went into building up the company's existing levee, up to eight feet higher in some places. Now they're constantly plugging, bagging, and patching what the river gouges away.

JONES: You can tell this is a patch deal here. We -- our primary tarp was ripped.

MATTINGLY (on camera): Compounding the problem, river traffic. Boats pushing barges upstream stir up waves Jones says has been doing damage, pounding away fragile dirt from the levees. He calls it a battle of attrition because this water is going to stay high for weeks.

(voice-over): The Coast Guard stepped in, slowing boats down to a crawl, keeping them to the middle of the channel and spacing them far apart. A small bit of comfort for a family with five generations of success and a proud legacy at the mercy of a river.

LEE JONES, PRESIDENT, J.M. JONES LUMBER COMPANY: Very humbling. Very humbling, and I think about this all the time. And that's why we're doing everything we can to fight it. And if we fail, we'll just say, well, we tried.

MATTINGLY: So far, a half million dollars of company cash has gone into the levee. If it fails, the Jones Lumber Company will probably not be able to recover, so there's nothing left to do but work, watch, and worry.

David Mattingly, CNN, Natchez, Mississippi.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Coming up next, a man battling brain cancer goes on a mission to make the technology we use every day safer. We'll introduce you to him after the break.

But first, the average adoption in the United States can cost tens of thousands of dollars. This week's "CNN Hero" decided something needs to be done after she adopted her two children. Her organization helps parents adopt without breaking the bank.

(CNN HEROES)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Each week in our "Human Factor" series, we look at ordinary people who are accomplishing extraordinary thing. This week, our Dr. Sanjay Gupta introduces us to Allen Marks, a man who is battle with brain cancer led him on a journey to try to ensure the technology that we use every day is safer.

(HUMAN FACTOR) LEMON: All right. We've been talking about this a lot. I'm chatting with you guys on Twitter about it. You've been tweeting me all day. If you haven't heard by now, a group is predicting the world is supposed to end at 6:00 p.m. eastern time, which is immediately after the show, one second after we go off the air. We'll try to stay up -- I'll stay up a couple seconds late for you. We'll tell you who's saying it and take a look at what's supposed to happen. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. There we go. You're going to see a count down to rapture clock on your screen pretty soon. There it is, 4:48, 47, 46, 4:45. A radio preacher in California believes the beginning of the end of the world starts today, to be exact, 6:00 p.m. local time, which is right after the show. But I'm going to stay on a couple seconds later to see if it happens. It's in the Eastern Time Zone. He's not the only one.

Our Jeanne Moos looks at exactly what is supposed to happen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): I hate to be judgmental, but when you keep seeing Judgment Day this Saturday, the end of the world is almost here, it doesn't improve the daily commute.

Here's what's supposed to happen around 6:00 p.m. eastern time Saturday.

TONY SHALLASH, JUDGMENT DAY BELIEVER: The largest earthquake the world has ever seen. Buildings will collapse. It's going to be awful.

MOOS: Like a disaster movie "2012" arriving early, earthquakes worldwide. Believers will experience rapture, heavenly ascent, while nonbelievers will stay for a few hellish months until the fiery end of time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 97 percent of the people, God will destroy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't believe in such (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

MOOS: The generally low-key and polite folks who believe this need tough skin as they hand out their leaflets.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) Yes, right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's all over. It's all over.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See you this time next year.

MOOS (on camera): You're convinced? You're absolutely convinced?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, because the Bible guarantees it.

MOOS (voice-over): The Bible, as interpreted by this California preacher, Harold Camping, head of Family Radio, and lately he's been getting some flack.

UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: My Bible warns about false teachers and, buddy, are you one of the worst.

MOOS: Camping miscalculated his last end-times prediction for 1994.

(on camera): What happens if, on Sunday, we're all still here and there's no earthquake and --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, there will be an earthquake.

MOOS (voice-over): This retired New York City transit engineer spent $140,000 for a subway and bus shelter ads warning of Judgment Day.

MOOS (on camera): That's your life savings.

ROBERT FITZPATRICK, BELIEVES JUDGMENT PREDICTIONS: A good chunk of it.

MOOS (voice-over): On Saturday, where will Robert Fitzpatrick be?

FITZPATRICK: As of now, I'm planning to be in Times Square.

MOOS: With media tagging along, expecting to see him with egg on his face or in rapture.

And if those in heaven need someone to take care of the pets they leave behind --

(MUSIC)

MOOS: -- you can arrange with services like After the Rapture pet care and Eternal Earth-Bound Pets to have non-Christians take care of your animals.

One nonbeliever wants to celebrate We're Still Here Day on the 22nd. For some of us, the 21st is problematic.

(on camera): But this is my birthday. To put this on me is just weird.

So if my birthday is on the 21st, what do you recommend do?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pray.

MOOS (voice-over): And maybe celebrate to you.

(SINGING)

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN.

(SHOUTING)

MOOS: New York.

(LAUGHTER) ((END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right, less than two minutes away.

Coming up tonight at 7:00 eastern, if the world doesn't end, it doesn't come to an end, actor and born-again Christian, Stephen Baldwin, will join me to discuss why we're still here. Why are we still here if there's supposed to be a rapture?

Meantime, top stories.

Our first top story, Herman Cain formerly tossed his hat into the ring for the Republican nomination for president at an event in Atlanta. There you see him there. The former CEO of Godfather's Pizza and former radio talk show host is the fourth Republican to officially jump into the race. Mitt Romney hasn't said whether or not he's going to get in, but he's campaigning like he's doing it this weekend. Romney met with small business owners in South Carolina, which is a key early primary state. It is his first trip there this election cycle.

The crest of the Mississippi flooding has now reached Natchez, Mississippi, which is about 100 miles north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Even though the water is not expected to rise, it's not expected to go down either. Stressed levees may have to hold up for weeks more. And health officials warn the floodwaters are extremely dangerous with E. coli levels up to 200 times higher than normal.

The pope made history today with the first call ever to the international space station. He spoke with Mark Kelly about how technologies used in space could improve the lives of people on earth. And the pope also mentioned Commander Kelly's wife, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head back in January.

I'm Don Lemon at the CNN -- I was going to say the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Don Lemon in Los Angeles, our CNN center here. Tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, power and popularity and influence: Why do so many men in a position of power have a history of cheating? It's a "CNN NEWSROOM" special. SEX, LIES AND ARROGANCE coming up at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

And I'll see you back here in one hour from now. That's if we're still around. We're six seconds into it, and we're still here.

Meantime, THE SITUATION ROOM with Wolf Blitzer begins right now.