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Tropical Storm Lee Slams Gulf Coast; Collapsed of Moammar Gadhafi's Regime Revealing Libya Secrets; Palin in Iowa for Tea Party Rally; President Obama to View Hurricane Damage on Sunday; How Much Technology Between Pilots, Plane Required; Philadelphia Police Officer Charged with Rape; Man Follows Home Robbers with Plane

Aired September 03, 2011 - 17:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SUSAN HENDRICKS, CNN ANCHOR: Batten down the hatches, if you live along the Gulf Coast home. Here comes Tropical Storm Lee, it's coming in to many homes. And this boat, no match for the rough waves slamming into the Mississippi overnight, despite efforts to wrangle the boat here, it was a lost cause, digging a huge hole in the hull and capsizing.

You are in the CNN NEWSROOM, it is great to see you. I'm Susan Hendricks in today for Don Lemon.

We are following this massive storm now stalled just off the coast of the New Orleans. It promises to bring high winds, heavy rains and the threat severe flooding. The governors of Louisiana and Mississippi have declared states of emergency for several parishes and counties. Parts of Jefferson Parish near New Orleans are under a mandatory evacuation order because of a flooding threat. Already power has been knocked out to thousands in the southern part of Louisiana, also Mississippi as I mentioned, the mayor of New Orleans held a news conference a short time ago warning residents not to be complacent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR MITCH LANDRIEU NEW ORLEANS: We expect stormy conditions for the next 36 hours, so please do not be lulled into sleep by the breaks in rain. We have to stay alert. We are expecting 15 to 20 inches of rain in New Orleans region as a result of the tropical storm and as all of us who have been through this know, it's not how much we get, but it's how much we get in a short period of time. And should that come with unexpected rain bands, we can expect to get what we got last night, which was some flooding, high tides, and now we have an elevated risk of tornadoes, we're told by the weather service. So we have to be vigilant.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENDRICKS: That was in New Orleans a short time ago, let's go to CNN's Ed Lavandera, he's in Waveland, Mississippi. About halfway between New Orleans and Biloxi. Ed, describe what it's like there. We can see how windy it is. And our people there are afraid because they dealt with Katrina six years ago. ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, absolutely, everyone remembers Waveland, Mississippi well. And literally we're right on the Gulf of Mexico. You can see the gulf waters and just how strong the surge has been. Look all along this road side here, all the sand you see down here, this was all brought onshore by this tropical off the beach here. And we're told that this will continue into tomorrow. So, officials around here are still very concerned about the rain. The rain has been rather minimal here over the last couple of hours, you can still see here in the open space along the beach front, just how windy these tropical storms, winds are still blowing and pushing in. But obviously the biggest concern as you heard the mayor of New Orleans there talking and various other officials, it is the rain that will continue to push onshore in bands.

So, we're between these bands right but so throughout the area and a lot of the wind and as the rains and the water gets pushed inland, that raises a lot of levels in the tributaries and the creeks and canals and that's sort of thing. And that's why you see this flash flooding in many of the roadways that have been underwater. The good news is, what we have seen, is that a lot of those water levels dropped pretty quickly after several hours. But as you heard the mayor there in New Orleans talk about it, it's really a question of just how fast rainfalls in any particular area. So, a lot of this is very kind of depends on where exactly you are in your particular situation. And that's why people are -- the officials are urging people just to kind of be on the lookout. What's interesting thing, you can see how choppy the Gulf of Mexico is here, in the Mobile Bay, the harbor there have been closed because officials are saying that they have had 15-foot swells on the way. But you can see just how choppy the water in the Gulf of Mexico, a very dangerous situation for anyone who would try to venture out there. And people do try, Susan. I saw just a few hours ago in a nearby bay, two guys riding wave runners going out in the water. I couldn't believe what I was watching there.

HENDRICKS: Not a smart thing. As we were talking earlier Ed, we were showing a boat in Mississippi and two guys trying to save the boat. No can do in weather like this. So, if you're telling me that guys are out on wave runners, not a good thing. Here it is. We are showing the video right now. Wow, the gulf is really choppy, really bad because of the weather. So, do not attempt to either get on a boat, a wave runner or save yours if it is in the water right now. Ed Lavandera, thanks so much, live for us. I appreciate it. We're going to check back with you, thanks.

Jacqui Jeras is in the CNN Weather Center. How bad is this storm likely to get, because right now, Jacqui, there are some lulls in between and it seems to be, I don't know, not too bad as of yet, but it looks like it is getting worse.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Right. The threat is still out there, we've actually been fortunate with the storm that the heaviest of rain and the strongest of winds are not near the center of the storm. They're down here to the south and east of it into the Gulf of Mexico where nobody lives. So, that's the good news out of all of this. I mean, you can see on the northern tier of this system, we've got dry air which has been coming in from Texas, that's been helping to keep this storm a little bit weaker, but it remains offshore so as long as that center is over the open water, there is a chance for some intensification. So, the biggest concern then is as these rain bands come in here with the threat of tornadoes and the downpours to go along with the flooding. This thing isn't moving much, it literally has only moved like maybe 20 miles all day long. It's kind of drifting ironically. Right now the present moment is to the North at three miles per hour.

It's basically going to sit in this area for the next 24 to 48 hours and landfall really isn't really all that important with this system. It's where that rain track is going to be. And you can see, as we head into Monday into Tuesday, it's still down here near the Gulf Coast. We're waiting for a cold front to come in and try and sweep this up and pick it up. But it's going to take a little while for that to happen. The rainfall forecast as you can see, it's going to be as much as ten to 20 inches. And some of those numbers are already starting to come in. Look at this, Carrollton, Louisiana, this is in the New Orleans area, nearly nine inches of rain. So, we do have a lot of threats out there. There's the watch box that we were talking about. I also want to make one other mention, we've got an update on Katia too, still out in the middle of nowhere here, but now it's a tropical storm. So, it's weaken a little bit. But we still can't write this thing off as we're talking about days away before this could potentially impact of the U.S. It's still a may or may not situation.

HENDRICKS: So, Jacqui when you hear slow moving, I automatically think that may be a good thing, meaning, winds, but it's not because it's hovering and it increases the risk of flooding, right?

JERAS: It's all about the rain, the longer it sits there, the more rain they're going to get. The more of flooding form it's going to be.

HENDRICKS: We want this thing in and out of its coming. All right. Jacqui Jeras, I appreciate it. Thanks so much.

JERAS: OK.

HENDRICKS: A CNN exclusive now. The collapsed of Moammar Gadhafi's regime is revealing Libya's secrets to the world literally. Including supposed agreement to take prisoners from the U.S. and the U.K. for interrogations. Libyan authorities left stacks of files behind when rebels forced them out of Tripoli.

Our Ben Wedeman has gotten a look at these documents. Again, this is exclusive. Ben, how were you be able to get them and what did you find?

BEN WEDEMAN, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we did find was in the basement of the Internal Security Agency of the Libyan government. Basically, they are CIA, where thousands of documents that went into the details of the developing relationship beginning in early 2004, between the Libyan spy agency and the CIA, MI6 in the U.K. and others. Over this program of extraordinary renditions, whereby the United States or the U.K. would capture terror suspects and hand them over to countries like Egypt, like Jordan, like Tunisia and it turns out, Libya as well where they would be interrogated by the standard methods in these countries which oftentimes was torture.

So, what we saw was correspondence between the Libyan intelligence agency and the CIA. Some of it quite intimate. Everything on a first name basis with holiday greetings and all. Going into the finer details of how this relationship developed and it appeared to be quite warm, despite the fact that for year after year, the State Department, for instance, in its annual human rights report would document all the human rights abuses by many of these same agencies which with the CIA was cooperating.

HENDRICKS: This is truly fascinating, as we're looking at pictures of the documents of the files, any reaction, Ben, from the U.S. or from Britain as of yet?

WEDEMAN: Well, the British government has said they don't comment on intelligence matters and the CIA has declined to comment specifically on this alleged documents. However, a spokeswoman for the CIA did point out that all of this cooperation, that it's normal for the CIA to cooperate with other countries in the effort to protect American citizens around the world. That seems to be the rationale. And in a sense, in the world of spies there's no such thing as a strange bedfellow -- Susan.

HENDRICKS: Well said, Ben, could there be fallout from this for the U.S. government? Because when you see these files, it's kind of like gaining access to the basement of the CIA, a lot of secretive files here, any fallout expected?

WEDEMAN: It's difficult to say, in a sense it's not a surprise, Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, the son of the former Libyan leader did tell CNN in an interview that Libya was part of this program of extraordinary rendition. So, it's not necessarily a surprise that there was cooperation, it's just the surprise is in the details of just how warm that relationship was. And just to reassure you, this gun fire you hear in the background is just celebratory gunfire from residence of Tripoli because Libya this evening beat most Mozambique in an Africa Cup qualifying match.

HENDRICKS: I'm glad you mentioned that Ben, it did take me a back when I first heard the shot. I'm glad you're safe out there, Ben Wedeman in Tripoli, great job, thank you.

You know that pilots are highly trained individuals but does the fact that they rely so much on autopilot put you as a passenger at risk? We will talk with the man behind the miracle on the Hudson, the one and only Captain Sully Sullenberger.

But first, will she or won't she? Sarah Palin addresses a Tea Party rally today, and as usual, she does not hold back.

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SARAH PALIN, FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: Good and honor. (END VIDEO CLIP)

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HENDRICKS: Welcome back. No one knows how to fire up the Tea Party faithful like Sarah Palin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PALIN: Polls, they're for strippers and cross country skiers. But...

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENDRICKS: Yes, she said that, Sarah Palin, just one of the official and potential republican presidential candidates taking advantage of the Labor Day weekend to stir the political pot so to speak. Those polls, Sarah Palin was referring to show former Utah Governor John Huntsman has a lot of work to do. He was in New Hampshire this morning working the crowds at a gun show in New Hampshire there in Concord. A couple of hours later, Texas Governor Rick Perry spoke to would be supporters at a house party in Manchester. He took questions on everything from the economy to immigration and promoted his record on creating jobs. As we showed you, Sarah Palin was the star attraction a few hours ago at an Iowa Tea Party rally.

CNN's political reporter Peter Hamby was there for all of this excitement. And Peter, I understand Palin talked about more than polls and strippers and skiers, yes, she said it. She also she took a shot at one of the new party front runners, what was that about? Tell us.

PETER HAMBY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: She did, I mean Palin really has to carve out a space for herself in the republican primary field if she decides to run, because it is getting late for her. One of the chief rivals in the race if she did run obviously would be the front- runner, Texas Governor Rick Perry, and while she didn't name him specifically, she did attack quote unquote, "crony capitalism" and take shots at certain GOP candidates who happen to be prolific fund- raisers, take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PALIN: Some GOP candidates, they also raised mammoth amounts of cash and we need to ask them too, what if anything do their donors expect in return for their investments. We need to know this. Because our country can't afford more trillion-dollar thank you notes to campaign backers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMBY: So, there you hear Sarah Palin sort of offering a thinly veiled barely veiled criticism of Rick Perry. Again, she didn't name him by name, but it was sort of telegraphed to the press by Palin world this week that she would kind of draw a line in the sand between herself and Governor Perry. So, that was pretty interesting because the conventional wisdom holds that Perry and Palin are pretty close, but Palin may clear today that it might not be -- Susan.

HENDRICKS: As I see behind you. The crowds have gone away with a much different scene a couple of hours away. The big question is, will she or won't she run? It seemed like she was going in the direction that the answer would be yes, even making some promises today in terms of taxes.

HAMBY: That's right, I mean, she sort of for the first time actually, delivered a...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PALIN: It's so wonderful to be here, thank you. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMBY: Let's talk about that. She delivered a five-point campaign platform to fix the nation's economy, and she actually said she would eliminate all corporate income taxes, and balance that out by closing loopholes in the federal tax code, so that's a specific that we haven't actually heard from her. She did sound a bit like a candidate, if she does decide to run, she's sort of honing her message positioning herself as kind of a populist reformer outsider which was the brand that kind of trust her in the power back in Alaska when she became governor back in 2006. She's traveling to New Hampshire tomorrow to speak to a Tea Party rally there, so all the clues are there, she just needs to make a final decision. Only she and Todd Palin know the answer and we probably won't know until October if she actually is going to run. So, a little bit more of this cat and mouse game for a few more weeks -- Susan.

HENDRICKS: I think she'll wait until the very last minute, we shall see. Peter Hamby, thank you.

HAMBY: Yes.

HENDRICKS: I appreciate it.

HAMBY: Thanks.

HENDRICKS: About this time last week, the Northeast was bracing for Irene's impact. Now it is cleanup time. Irene is gone, but this is what is left. We'll take you to New Jersey in two minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HENDRICKS: President Obama will see Hurricane Irene's aftermath in person tomorrow when the president tours hard hit areas in New Jersey. It has been a week since Irene barreled into the northeast killing at least 40 people causing severe flooding that is still causing severe problems.

Our Susan Candiotti shows us the devastation in New Jersey. SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Susan, the great falls in Paterson, New Jersey are always a spectacular sight, but nothing like this, thanks to Irene, the Passaic River here has a very strong current causing the waters to gush over this water fall. And the Passaic River to overflow it's banks. On this day, nearly a week after the storm came through, many people remain evacuated from their homes in parts of the city. Hundreds still have to boil their drinking water, many people still don't have electricity and some stores remain closed as well.

This is the backdrop for President Obama's visit on Sunday. Inspectors wearing protective suits are also looking over businesses and homes that have been damaged by the flood to make sure they're safe before people move back in. I spoke with a lifelong resident of the city, a male carrier about what he thinks about the President's visit on Sunday and how he thinks residents have been affected by the storm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: After the initial shock of everything, and it's like everything else, there's a grieving process that goes on when something happens and it's just a question of how long it takes to get over it. Because I have seen a lot of people help each other out and everybody does because that's what we're supposed to do as human beings. It's not, you know, the President is a nice gesture and that's what a lot of things are, moments are to make gestures, to make people feel more comfortable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: I asked Patterson Mayor Jeffrey Jones about the message she plans to share when he meets the President.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR JEFFREY JONES, PATERSON, NEW JERSEY: We definitely need help. There's no misgiving on this. We are at the very bottom, trying to find our way to a place by which we become to use the word stable. So, yes, our local resiliency is that we found a way to kind of work together. But if you look around the economy and all those other things, we're at bottom. So, help is what we need and there's no other way to say it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: Mayor Jones says that he hopes federal disaster relief money like the great falls will power this city forward -- Susan.

HENDRICKS: And again, President Obama will be in Paterson, New Jersey tomorrow, our thanks to Susan Candiotti there.

All right. Stop me if you heard this one before, a guy walks into a bar and leaves without his iPhone prototype. Yes, you have heard it. We'll have the details. And does reliance on autopilot put you at risk. The pilot behind the miracle on the Hudson, the one and only Sully gives us his take in two minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HENDRICKS: The phrase, use it or lose it can apply to a lot of job skills. Take flying an airplane. Pilots are highly trained, but when computers take over, most of the flying pilots can lose skills that help them do their job and help keep us as passengers safe. Miracle on the Hudson pilot Captain Sully Sullenberger weighs in just ahead.

But first, here is CNN's Brian Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): June 2009. The autopilot system on Air France Flight 447 disconnects. A stall warning goes off. A co-pilot repeatedly says, "climb," points the nose up. It's the opposite of what he's supposed to do.

The pilot comes into the cockpit and says, "No, no, no. Don't climb." It's too late. The Airbus A-330 plummets into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 people on board. An investigation revealed questions about the pilots' training and their ability to respond to surprises.

KEVIN HIATT, FORMER AIRLINE PILOT: They were misreading their cues and, therefore, unfortunately the aircraft continued its stall.

TODD: Former airline pilot Kevin Hiatt is part of a group of independent experts out with a new report commissioned by Congress and loosely overseen by the FAA. They found that overall, pilots are relying too much on autopilot systems.

HIATT: They're becoming very dependent upon using the autopilot, the auto throttles, the auto flight system, the computers to actually operate the entire flight.

TODD (on camera): And they're getting rusty as a result of this?

HIATT: Yes, because what happens is you don't actually hand fly or manipulate the controls, where it's a control yolk or a side stick controller. Therefore, your computer skills get greatly enhanced, but your flying skills start to get rusty.

TODD (voice-over): It's sometimes called automation addiction. January, 2009, as the Colgan Air regional plane approaches Buffalo, New York, the pilot countermands what the computer tells him to do to get out of a stall. The plane crashes, killing 50 people.

Hiatt and his panel say it's another example of a pilot possibly forgetting some key procedures.

(on camera) Kevin Hiatt and other experts say part of the problem is that standards have evolved to the point where, in recent years, pilots have only been flying manually for between one-and-a-half and three minutes of every flight at takeoff and landing.

(voice-over) And these days, Hiatt says, landings can also be done on autopilot. Experts say the problem may get worse because of the way younger pilots are trained.

JIM TILMON, FORMER COMMERCIAL PILOT: When you bring on a new pilot who has not been through some of the things the older guys have, they've never flown an airplane that had anything but some computer activity on it. They don't understand what to do necessarily when something goes wrong with their computer.

TODD: The authors of this report say this is not really the fault of the FAA or anyone in particular. It's just how the technology and the standards have evolved over the years. The FAA would not comment on the report. The Airline Pilots Association e-mailed CNN, saying, "The safety of airline operations today is a testament to the high levels of skill brought to the cockpit by the professional airline pilot." Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HENDRICKS: And we wanted to dig deeper into the problem of pilots becoming too dependent on autopilot systems. I spoke with a very talented Captain Sully Sullenberger, the pilot who did the unthinkable, in a moment notice saved 155 people by landing a U.S. airways plane on the Hudson River in what has become known as the miracle on the Hudson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HENDRICKS: Now a pilot who has logged more than 19,000 hours, 40-plus years, what is your take on the use of autopilot? Is it being overused these days and has it changed over the years?

CAPTAIN CHESLEY SULLENBERGER, CBS NEWS AVIATION AND SAFETY EXPERT: The use of autopilots has changed over the years, we have much more technology available to us right now. So, what we have to do is be well trained in how to most effectively use it and we need to have a good idea about how much technology is appropriate to use at any part of the flight. For example, during a long range flight and cruise portion when not much is happening, and the workload is actually low, automation can actually lower the workload and in some case, take the pilots to far out of the loop and make it harder for them to stay really engage in aware and quickly able to intervene if something was wrong.

HENDRICKS: Right. Brian Todd's report said, the pilots actually only fly the plane for about three minutes while taking off and landing. Isn't that surprise you? And if that risk, the pilot getting distracted because here she has so little to do.

SULLENBERGER: Well, let me clarify one part of that. I think what you're talking about is actually manipulating the controls manually. Hand flying the airplane as we call it for a short period during the takeoff and afterwards and then right before the landing. But of course, it's important that everyone know, especially professional pilots that entire flights have to be flown by a human pilot's mind.

The question we have to ask is, how much technology should be placed between our mind and the fight control surfaces on the wings and tail. Should we move those controls manually or should we use the technology to do it? And the answer is we need to do an appropriate amount that keeps us engaged and aware. So we need to get more practice at hand flying the airplane. and right now we're often encouraged or required to use the autopilot and that provides fewer chances for us to hand fly the airplane and keep our skills sharp.

HENDRICKS: And you knew exactly what to do on January 15, 2009. I'll never forget the interaction between you and the air traffic controller. You said, they said to you, what runway would you like, and you said, "We're going to be in the Hudson." That is because of all your training and you also stated it was because you were well rested. Let's talk about pilot fatigue and why this is such an issue?

SULLENBERGER: Pilot fatigue has been on the National Transportation Safety Board's most-wanted list for decades. It is a problem. The last time we updated our fatigue rules was about 20 years ago. And the FAA is in the process right now of updating those rules. And it's important that we get it right because we're likely to be living with these rules for another 20 to 30 years and that has implications for anyone who flies. So it's important that we take into account human abilities and limitations. We have learned much in the science of fatigue about what causes fatigue and how to mitigate it. And it's important that we get these rules right.

The Congress, in the law passed a year ago, required the FAA to, by August 1st of this year, publish the new fatigue rules. That deadline has been passed and we do not yet have the rules. so there's growing concern in many parts of the industry about when these rules will be published, what form they will take, will they be effective enough, or if this will be another missed opportunity, and we'll have to wait another 20 years to finally get the political will to do what we know we need to do.

HENDRICKS: It seems that everyone would agree on this, that a pilot needs to be well rested for the pilot's safety, the passengers' safety. What's the holdup here?

SULLENBERGER: I think ultimately it's about cost. I think there's great pressure against these new rules from the industry. They are greatly concerned, in this extremely cost competitive airline world, about any additional, what they consider, regulatory burden. They think it's going to require more staffing in some cases, or be too expensive. And let me tell you from my own experience, if there's anything that we have learned about airline safety, is that, in the long-term, nothing is more expensive than an accident.

HENDRICKS: And you have said that well and we all saw that. A sight to see. The world will never forget it, Captain Sully, the day that you landed that plane on the Hudson, everyone on board, 155 people saved, because of you, a true hero.

It's an honor to speak with you. Thank you, Captain. SULLENBERGER: Good to be with you.

HENDRICKS: Again, our thanks to Captain Sully there.

Coming up we're following developments along the gulf coast. Tropical Storm Lee pounding the Louisiana and Mississippi with heavy rain. Major flooding is possible. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras has the latest information on Lee's strength and where it's going, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HENDRICKS: You are looking and hearing Tropical Storm Lee. Brace yourself. This boat, no match for the rough waves slamming into the Mississippi overnight. Take a look at this. Looking at how bad this is. Despite efforts to keep the boat from being battered to pieces against the pier, it was a lost cause. They tried. Daylight revealed a huge hole in the capsized hull. But again, everyone's safe, which is a good thing.

The large storm is now stalled just off the coast of New Orleans. Coastal residents can expect high winds, heavy rains, and the possibility of severe flooding. They're looking out for that. The governors of Louisiana and Mississippi have declared states of emergency for several parishes and counties. They know the drill. Katrina was six years ago. Parts of Jefferson Parish near New Orleans are under a mandatory evacuation order because of that flooding threat. Can't be too careful.

We go to Jacqui Jeras in the Weather Center for the latest on Tropical Storm Lee.

Hi, Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Susan. We're going to wait just a quick second on Lee because we have some breaking weather information we want to bring to you. We just got word here at CNN that Notre Dame Stadium is being evacuated because there are severe thunder storms just off to the west. This is where we're talking about in northern parts of Indiana. There are severe storms here that have a history of producing 60-plus-mile-per-hour winds in addition to hail. So they're evacuating the stadium right now, getting everybody out of there. Game delayed to help keep those people safe. So this is a great move on the part of officials and authorities there. If you remember, it was just three weeks ago today in Indianapolis where the stage collapsed during the Sugarland concert and three people died there. I'm not sure if there's any play, if that's being taken into account at all in this situation. It's great to see that they're evacuating the stadium right now as these storms are approaching from the west.

You can see there's a severe thunderstorm watch in effect across the whole area. It does include Chicago too, by the way. And there have been ground stops at O'Hare as well as Midway because of those thunderstorms. So if you're trying to travel, unfortunately, things aren't looking better as more storms are pushing from the west. All right, let's talk a little bit about what's going on with Lee. It's a tropical storm. Maximum winds around 16 miles an hour. It's been kind of drifting erratically, south, off the coast of Louisiana here. So the intensity has stayed the same. Very little movement. The best thing about the storm today has been that all of the heavy showers and thunderstorms and most of the heavy rain has stayed to the south and east of the center of the storm, into the Gulf of Mexico. While we have already seen some rainfall report, up to nine inches. This is a slow moving storm. It's going to start to pick up towards the north and into the east and make its way across Georgia and into the Appalachians by the end of next week.

So we have got a long way to go with Lee. We'll give you more information on rainfall totals throughout the afternoon and evening hours, yet, Susan. But a huge flood maker. That's the biggest thing we have to worry about Lee. And also any more information on that breaking news with the storms and the evacuation at Notre Dame. The first game of the season, they're playing in south Florida. Unfortunately, they might not get that game finished today.

HENDRICKS: But when you mentioned that Indiana stage collapse, it's probably a good thing.

JERAS: Absolutely.

HENDRICKS: Because we all remember the image of that. So the evacuation of the stadium probably a good thing. People probably aren't too happy about it but it's better to be safe than sorry.

JERAS: It's definitely the right call, yes.

HENDRICKS: Jacqui, thank you. And as you said, we'll certainly be following that.

Also, right after the break, a homeowner in an airplane -- imagine this -- leads police directly to the crooks who robbed his house.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's taking a north-south turn on China (ph) Road 625.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're going north on 625?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Uh-huh.

They're just now coming to 158. It looks like they see an officer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENDRICKS: OK you're in a plane, you see someone robbing your house, you call the police -- we'll have that story just ahead.

But first, as millions of Americans braced for the arrival of Hurricane Irene, this week's "CNN Hero" was standing by to help victims. You don't want to miss this. 77-year-old Wilma Melville and her search dog organization have helped save lives at major disasters for the past 15 years. Here she is.

(CNN HERO)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HENDRICKS: Welcome back. New developments today in the Dominique Strauss-Kahn case. He is returning to Paris just days after New York prosecutors dropped sexual assault charges against him. You see him right there. Authorities decided not to prosecute because of questions about the accusers' credibility. Strauss-Kahn was widely seen as a contender in the French presidential election before being charged with attempted rape. Again, he has denied those allegations. That's from a few hours ago.

Police are supposed to enforce the laws, of course, not break them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES RAMSEY, PHILADELPHIA POLICE DEPARTMENT: The police lab did an excellent job on this. In fact, it wasn't easy to get the evidence that they needed to get and they followed through, didn't give up until they got what they needed to present to the D.A.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENDRICKS: Philadelphia police commissioner, Charles Ramsey, describing how a member of his own police force ended up behind bars, charged with rape. We know officers are human, but because of their power and authority, we hold them to a higher standard.

Criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor, Holly Hughes, is here to weigh in on this and a few other stories.

And, Holly, it seems like we have heard a lot of these cops-behaving- badly stories. Is it because of their power and their authority and maybe the select few who maybe would do that no matter what job they held are hiding behind this power?

HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY & FORMER PROSECUTOR: That's exactly right. They're hiding behind the badge because, of course, they think they're untouchable. And you know what it is? On top of criminal behavior, Susan, it's arrogance. And what they are doing is making every good cop out there on the beat look bad.

Two weeks ago, they arrested a New York cop in the middle of raping a schoolteacher at gunpoint. So we're seeing this, and what they're also doing is exposing their departments to civil liability for negligent hiring.

HENDRICKS: I'm glad you mentioned that because there are so many police officers every day who work so hard, risk their lives, and then the police officers that do break the law give them a bad name.

Another incident, maybe it wasn't illegal, but, come on, you can't do this in uniform. and if we have to blur it out, it's not a good thing. OK, a cop was caught having sex on top of a police -- is that a police car? No, but come on, you're in uniform.

HUGHES: Right. He's a state trooper in full uniform, so, of course, we recognize that. He's caught on video. Now, this isn't a crime, this is just plain stupid, OK?

(LAUGHTER)

That's not a legal term, but let me tell you something. This guy was voted officer of the year --

HENDRICKS: No.

HUGHES: -- in 2009 and he was just given a commendation in July, and then he turns and engages in this idiotic behavior. And has now, according to some news reports, Susan, been dismissed. He lost his job over this indiscretion.

HENDRICKS: I can see why. Something you don't want to do.

HUGHES: Right.

HENDRICKS: You're in full uniform. You win an award for being an officer of the year. You know what's right and wrong, or at least you should know.

HUGHES: You represent that department.

HENDRICKS: How about this story, this fascinating, Holly, amazing story out of Arkansas. A homeowner was in a plane up above his home looking down, there's my house, there's my house. Wait a minute, someone's robbing my house. What happened here?

HUGHES: Oh, my goodness. This man decides, I just want some aerial photographs of my house. I have got a friend who will take me up in his plane. Won't it be cool? So they're flying over his house, and the pilot says, wait a minute, isn't that your house? Isn't that your house getting robbed?

(LAUGHTER)

Isn't that two guys emptying out your house and loading up stuff and putting things on a trailer? So quick-thinking homeowner calls the cops and say, you're never going to believe -- first, he calls his uncle who lives down the street and says, hey, get on over there, these guys are emptying out my house. Calls the cops and does a blow- by-blow, turn-by-turn route for the dispatchers, saying, OK, they're going down this street now, because as soon as the uncle pulls up, the thieves take off. And don't they get caught because the homeowner is on the phone, giving them turn by turn.

(LAUGHTER)

These guys are now looking at burglary and robbery and breaking and entering, all this stuff.

Let me tell you something, if God every told two people not to be criminals, it's these bozos, because what are the odds, OK?

HENDRICKS: Talk about literal surveillance video.

(LAUGHTER)

It's someone in the air. They don't have cameras. Nobody is up there.

HUGHES: Right, following them, yes.

Holly Hughes, as always, it's a pleasure.

Thanks so much.

HUGHES: Thanks so much.

HENDRICKS: Great to see you.

HUGHES: You, too.

HENDRICKS: Coming up, a dyslexic man creates something, not only about himself, but he helps the suffering of others.

Also a comedian is accused of the unthinkable. Is he apologizing? Uh-huh. Stick around for that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HENDRICKS: Each week CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, introduces us to a person who has achieved remarkable things despite having overcome major challenges. In this week's "Human Factor," Sanjay introduces us to Ben Foss, who was diagnosed with dyslexia as a young child. He has now developed a technology that helps people just like him.

(HUMAN FACTOR)

HENDRICKS: Ben Foss doing truly amazing things for so many people.

Stop me if you heard this before. A guy walks into a bar -- and leaves without his iPhone prototype. The details, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HENDRICKS: Welcome back. Comedian Katt Williams is taking back his publicist's apology for insensitive remarks that he made. He's saying, I'm not sorry. The comedian got into a heated argument with a Mexican member of his audience after the man heckled him during a performance in Phoenix a week ago. Here is part of what Williams said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATT WILLIAMS, COMEDIAN: Do you remember when white people used to say "Go Back to Africa"?

(CHEERING)

WILLIAMS: And we had to tell them, "We don't want to"! So if you love Mexico (EXPLETIVE DELETED), get the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) over there!

(CHEERING)

WILLIAMS: We were slaves (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Y'all just work like that as landscapers!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENDRICKS: Things got pretty heated. Williams' publicist released an apology for that, but the comedian now says, I didn't approve it, I'm not sorry. Here's what he said exclusively to CNN's T.J. Holmes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAMS: As a stand-up, the only thing that I sell is uncensored thought. So I'm only selling them the way I think, uncensored. So I'm not allowed to then come back the next day and apologize. That's -- that's for the Tracy organs of the world. I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. I'm apologizing if somebody thought I was anti- Mexican. Mexicans are my friends.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENDRICKS: Oh, talking about Tracy Morgan too. You can see all of T.J.'s interview with Katt Williams coming up in our 7:00 p.m. eastern hour.

The search what may be a lost prototype for the new iPhone is coming up empty so far. San Francisco police now confirm they helped Apple investigators search this home right here last week. There are indications that they were looking for an iPhone 5 prototype that an Apple employee left at a bar, according to tech media web site, CNET. But they left empty-handed. And get this, this happened before. This is not the first time it happened. Last year, an Apple employee accidentally left an iPhone 4 prototype in a bar in Red Wood City, California. We'll keep you posted.

I'm Susan Hendricks at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. Great to see you. I'll be back here in one hour. "The Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer begins right now.