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Sandusky Could Spend Life in Prison; Debby, First Gulf Tropical Storm; Presidential Candidates on the Move

Aired June 23, 2012 - 19:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.

I want to get you up to speed on today's headlines.

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky could be sentenced in about 90 days. He's under suicide watch in Pennsylvania Centre jail. He was convicted on 45 counts of child sex abuse.

Dottie Sandusky was spotted around noon, delivering a package to her husband.

In just a few minutes, I'll speak to the attorney for witness number four.

Gusty winds and flames are forcing Colorado residents from their homes. Fire crews are warning of extreme fire conditions and the potential for the Hyde Park fire to rapidly grow. The number of acres burned has just jumped to 75,000.

Meantime, in Saratoga Springs, Utah, fast-moving flames and falling ash surrounded homes. CNN affiliate KTVX reports a number of families barely made it in time.

Flood waters as high as five feet are swamping parts of Minnesota. The only way to get around the town of Rutledge is by boat. And people are finally getting a look at the scope of the damage. Homes are surrounded by water and roads and bridges are washed out.

The mayor of hard-hit Duluth estimates the flood has caused at least $100 million in damage.

The atmosphere in Cairo's Tahrir Square is tense as thousands wait for results of Egypt's presidential election to be announced. The results were delayed Thursday and the uncertainty has drawn out a huge crowd. Now, the country's election commission says it will make the announcement tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. Eastern.

Meantime, riot police are gathering in front of the election commission, gearing up for possible violence when the results are announced.

A once revered coach has been brought to justice and now Jerry Sandusky is facing the very real prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison. Sandusky is in protective custody this hour under suicide watch at the Centre County, Pennsylvania jail. He was convicted late yesterday on 45 counts of child sex abuse.

CNN's Jason Carroll at the courthouse for us.

Now, Jason, prosecutors got their conviction, but this case may not be over yet. It seems as if the legal team is laying the ground work for an appeal. What can you tell us?

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Most certainly. You know, I can tell you that a source close to the defense told me that just a few days before this trial was to get under way, they felt like they still needed six months to prepare for the trial. And just earlier today, Karl Rominger for the defense went on a radio show, Don, and spelled it out very clearly. He said they specifically asked to be removed from the case because they felt as though they were not ready.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

KARL ROMINGER, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: We actually asked to resign from the case, and that was done in secret. Joe Amendola and I asked the Judge Cleland if we could withdraw from representing Jerry Sandusky because we felt we were ethically unable to go forward.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When did you ask to resign the case?

ROMINGER: We did that the morning before jury selection started. We got an informal ethics opinion from the bar hotline and we were told that under rule 1.16, if I'm quoting it right, 1.16., an attorney has an ethical duty to be prepared and adequately able to represent the defendant. In he can't, he must asked to be withdrawn from the case. We did that and it was denied.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

CARROLL: Well, you know, Don, last year Jerry Sandusky waived his right for a preliminary hearing where theoretically some of these issues may have been able to be brought up. So it remains very much in question whether or not this appeal has any validity -- Don.

LEMON: Jason, what about community reaction?

CARROLL: Well, yesterday outside here, you obviously heard some of the community reaction. You heard people out here cheering when the guilty verdicts came down.

Out in Jerry Sandusky's neighborhood, there was one of his neighbors, her name is Sue Strauss. She knows Dottie Sandusky and she said in the beginning she believed in Jerry Sandusky's innocence. But as she began to learn more about the case, her opinion changed. Not only about Jerry Sandusky but about Dottie as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SUE STRAUSS, SANDUSKY'S NEIGHBORHOOD: There's going to be a day, whether it's today, next week, it hasn't happened yet. But there will be a day when she wakes up and she says, this 4 1/2 decade-long the marriage was not what I thought it was. And that will be a tragedy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: It is Strauss's belief that Jerry Sandusky suffers from some sort of disorder that prevents him, she says, from admitting or feeling or seeing the truth. Meantime, Jerry Sandusky continues to maintain his innocence -- Don.

LEMON: All right. Jason, thank you very much.

One of the jurors from the Sandusky trial is speaking out. He tells the "Today" show that the witnesses who took the stand were believable and that their testimony helped seal the verdict.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSHUA HARPER, SANDUSKY JUROR: It's hard to judge character on the stand, because we don't know these kids. But most were, you know, very credible. I would say all. And -- but then also the fact that we saw this corroborating story between all of them. It was very convincing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That same juror told "Today" that Sandusky showed no reaction to the verdict and that the former coach's expression only reinforced his belief that Jerry Sandusky was guilty.

Coming up in about five minutes here on CNN, we're going to talk live with the lawyer for victim number four, and he'll tell us exactly why his client wanted justice and wasn't just after money.

But first, we have a new tropical storm to tell you about that's turning in gulf. Debby reached tropical storm strength about two hours ago and this is the first tropical storm to form in the Gulf of Mexico this hurricane season.

A live look now at Petersburg, Florida where conditions have deteriorated over the last several hours. Looking at a live shot now from our affiliate Bay News 9. The system is spawning tornadoes already in southwest Florida and dumping a lot of rain.

And check out this video. This is from Mobile, Alabama where riptide warnings have been issued.

Debby could strengthen over the warm Gulf water. So, the entire Gulf Coast is keeping an eye on the storm as it gets closer to land. We'll keep an eye on it for you as well.

Warnings are up for much of the Gulf Coast as tropical storm Debby heads West.

Bonnie Schneider has the very latest on the storm for us -- Bonnie.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I'm meteorologist Bonnie Schneider, tracking tropical storm Debby, which has formed in the Gulf of Mexico. This is a strong tropical storm and the forecast calls it for it to get even stronger.

Take a look at the track and you'll see it moves westward over the next few days. The movement is slow and that means Gulf Coast residents need to be on alert because Debby is coming close enough that we have the cone of uncertainty by the middle of the week, stretching well into Louisiana and Texas.

Now, we don't know exactly where Debby will hit when it makes landfall or exactly how strong it will be. That's why it's so important to keep monitoring CNN so we can let you know the track, and if there's any changes.

In the meantime, the immediate threat right now, tropical storm force winds and heavy rain. And that will occur within the next 36 hours.

So there's a tropical storm warning in effect from the mouth of Pearl River, westward to Morgan City, Louisiana. That does not include the city of New Orleans -- Don.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right. Bonnie, thank you.

Take a live look now at Cairo's Tahrir Square. Huge crowds have packed the square just hours before we learn the outcome of Egypt's crucial presidential election.

And here's a live look at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, where the stars are arriving for the 39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards. They're getting ready. We're going to check in on all the action for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We ore going to learn more now about this Jerry Sandusky case. Jerry Sandusky's accusers got their day in court and they prevailed. And one of the jurors who convicted the former Penn State coach called their testimony, quote, "very credible."

So, joining me now is Ben Andreozzi. He is the attorney for the witness who was known during the trial as victim number four. He's the first victim to testify at the trial.

And, Ben, you also were the only attorney to -- was called to the stand to testify.

What is your client feeling today -- relief, happiness -- what? BEN ANDREOZZI, ATTORNEY FOR SANDUSKY TRIAL VICTIM #4: Well, I think initially when the verdict was announced, he certainly felt relief, he felt vindicated. But later in the day, I think he kind of echoed the sentiments of one of the mothers of the other victims who said there's really no winners in this case.

LEMON: Yes.

ANDREOZZI: So it truly is a tragic situation, and I think that started to settle in and come to be a realization for him after the verdict came in a couple hours later.

LEMON: The defense part of their claim is that it was financially motivated, some of the victims here. What about the claims that your client was financially motivated?

ANDREOZZI: That was one of the most difficult things, sitting on the sidelines, hearing, you know, repeated allegations that this was financially motivated. You know, I have a question that I think I'd love to hear answered by the defense. I pose it as a statement.

My client testified before the grand jury in the summer of 2011. At the time he testified and swore under oath and gave that testimony to the grand jury, he had no clue that there was a cover-up at Penn State. Therefore, he was not aware of these -- the conspiracy which could give rise to a civil claim.

So, it's frustrating for me sitting on the sidelines, knowing he had no clue what happened at Penn State at the time that he's testifying. He learned about the cover-up at Penn State at the same time everyone else learned.

LEMON: Yes.

ANDREOZZI: And that's after the grand jury report came out.

So, you know, it's -- unfortunately, that issue has never been brought up, and I don't know how the defense would be able to maintain this theory, that there was some financial motive.

Now, did he have a financial motive, did he know he could have sued Jerry Sandusky? Well, probably. But do you really think that someone would be willing to put themselves on center stage for the opportunity to sue Jerry Sandusky? I don't think that's practical.

LEMON: OK. You have been criticized, as well. And it was part of the reason that you were the only attorney called to the stand. The defense says that you were coaching your client to agree and have his testimony go along with the other -- the other young men who said that Jerry Sandusky molested them, which was really rape. That's what it is.

So what do you make of that?

ANDREOZZI: Yes, it's interesting. I think the allegations were generally directed more towards the police officers that were involved in the case. You know, I have to tip my hat to the defense, because they were able to introduce a piece of evidence and pull that piece of evidence out of context. And that was a tape recording.

What they did is they took about 15 minutes out of a tape recording in which I was speaking with a police officer and the police officer and I were discussing how we could put my client at ease, because he was so uneasy and felt so comfortable talking about these things. And the thing that's interesting to note is before that tape recording was played, you know, there was a recording, had the defense played the five to 10 minutes before the section that they played, they would have heard about the graphic details and how he was talking about how Mr. Sandusky graphically sexually assaulted him.

So essentially it was a good move for the defense from a tactical perspective. It's unfortunate that it wasn't able to be put in context.

LEMON: And just to clarify here, victim number four in his testimony was talking about in graphic detail about what happened and afterwards the state trooper went out for a cigarette break and that was caught on tape, you and him talking. Maybe it might put him at ease by letting him know that other people have come forward and are making similar allegations, correct? I just want to clarify.

ANDREOZZI: Right.

LEMON: OK.

ANDREOZZI: It was victim number four who went out for the cigarette break. Yes.

LEMON: OK. I got you.

So, here -- this is what I want to know. There's supposedly an incident, and let me get right here, there's an incident that apparently Dottie Sandusky interrupted a hotel room in Texas at the Alamo Bowl during an attempted sex act in a bathroom and she said that your client was wrong, and that she only walked in and that Jerry was yelling at your client for missing a dinner, which was an expensive ticket for them to get. And she also said that your client was troubled that he off took things out of context or exaggerated events.

ANDREOZZI: Well, you know, it's extremely unfortunate. I stand by my client's testimony. I think it makes sense of what happened. I think Mrs. Sandusky did probably what any wife would do and she stood by her husband in this case.

But, you know, you've got my client, who is saying she walked in the door, essentially turned her head, looked over and they were getting ready to be in a compromising position and knew something strange was happening. She said, what's going on in here?

And then you have her testimony which she says they were outside -- or she was outside the room, came in and heard that they were fighting. One of the things that's interesting, which I think common sense supports my client's version. He's alone by himself, no parents, he's at the Alamo Bowl in Texas. He loved going to these banquets and he loved meeting with the players.

He was obviously hungry. What is he going to do, he's going to sit in that room and let Jerry and Dottie go by the banquet themselves? Doesn't make sense.

LEMON: The reason I ask that question, and I want to get your response, do you think Dottie Sandusky says she didn't know about any of this and she didn't believe it. Do you think she had knowledge of these events and that she is either covering it up or not allowing herself to admit that she knows?

ANDREOZZI: Well, I'm not going to presuppose I know exactly what she knew. But I think it's fair to say that I think she had knowledge that Jerry was doing these heinous -- performing these heinous acts on the young man. But I think, to a certain degree, it could be argued that she turned the other way and didn't want to know what was going on.

LEMON: Ben Andreozzi, I think you were correct in the beginning of this when you said there are no winners in these situations. Thank you for your time. We appreciate it.

ANDREOZZI: Thank you.

LEMON: All right.

From dueling banjos to white water rapids, find out why many people in one north Georgia county would rather forget their big screen claim to fame.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHARLES PERREAULT, NEW HAMPSHIRE RESIDENT: I'm Charles Perreault. I'm from Manchester, New Hampshire. And my question for you, Dr. Perry, is whether or not you think that charter schools will eventually replace the traditional model of public schools?

STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR: Charles, that's a great question.

We need to get off the focus of charters versus traditional, public versus private.

I am not a charter school advocate or a magnet school advocate or private school advocate. I'm a good school advocate.

Our schools need to produce better prepared children. We have to find out where the best and brightest educators are and track them. The same money we were wasting on a failed school, we can take that same money and put it in a successful school.

So many parents have the misfortune of living in a community where most of the schools are underperforming. More parents need to take on the responsibility of fighting to make sure the school choices is the order of the day. You have to fight, not just as a parent of your child, but as a parent of the children in your community, and as a tax payer in your community, for school choice -- school choice that extends beyond the local public schools, but if necessary, to private schools.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. Less than an hour daytime drama hits primetime on our sister network, HLN. Daytime Emmys are here. We've got a sneak peek of some big arrivals.

There we go, live on the red carpet. You see that, it looks like a very tight red carpet. These pictures are from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. There's a look inside the room.

So make sure you join us. Right in the corner of the screen you saw A.J. Hammer up there. Don't miss Daytime Emmys coming up at 8:00 on our sister network, HLN.

In the meantime, the movie "Deliverance" helped America discover the untamed wonder of north Georgia's River Rapids. That was 40 years ago. Wow. And the flow of outdoor enthusiasts hasn't slowed. But it also it created something of an unsavory reputation that the region is still trying to live down.

Here's CNN's Martin Savidge.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Every year, hundreds of thousands of people come to north Georgia, thanks in large part oh the movie "Deliverance".

LARRY MASHBURN, OWNER, SOUTHEASTERN EXPEDITIONS: It essentially started the white water rafting industry in the Southeast.

SAVIDGE: Annually, tourism brings in $42 million to the area. When the movie was made, it brought cameras and excitement to Rabun County. Many locals signed up to be extras, only to be horrified by what emerged from Hollywood.

The infamous "squeal like a pig male" rape scene was especially shocking here in the heart of the Bible Belt.

Forty years later, there's still anger.

STANLEY BUTCH DARNELL, CHAIRMAN, RABUN COUNTY COMMISSION: We were portrayed as ignorant, backward, scary, deviant, redneck hillbillies. And that stuck with us through all these years. And in fact, that was probably the furthest thing from the truth.

SAVIDGE: He's right. Rabun County is a second home to many wealthy Southerners.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This would be a dream come true.

SAVIDGE: Unlike Burton (ph), the average house costs $2 million to $3 million. This one nearly $10 million.

JEANNE KRONSNOBLE, MAIN STREET GALLERY: When people build houses, And they come here and they need art on their walls.

SAVIDGE: The area has dozens of trendy galleries. And rather than toothless sociopath, more than 80 percent of the residents are high school graduates.

Actor Ronny Cox who played Drew is sympathetic to local attitudes about the movie.

RONNY COX, "DELIVERANCE" ACTOR: For a lot of people, it became a tough pill to swallow. I think some people missed, Martin, I think they missed the artistic essence of it -- value of it.

SAVIDGE: And then there's Billy Redden. You remember him.

You think if anyone would be angry it would be Billy. He's not and he can't understand after 40 years why others still are.

BILLY REDDEN, "DELIVERANCE" ACTOR: I think they just need to let it go and let it just be a movie. That's all it is, just a movie.

SAVIDGE: Martin Savidge, CNN, Clayton, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Billy, thank you. Wise words.

Members of a North Carolina church are calling it a gift from God. Grandview Baptist Church owed $345,000 to the bank and they were facing foreclosure. But just as they were moving the last items out of the church, a man walked in with very good news. He offered to pay the balance to the bank.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. JOHN WHISNANT, GRANDVIEW BAPTIST CHURCH: I shouldn't be surprised when you ask the Lord for a miracle and he sends it. You really shouldn't be surprised, but it was -- it's a bona fide miracle of epic proportions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The man didn't want to be identified, by the way, but he certainly made his mark in this community.

You know, the Jerry Sandusky case comes a whole new focus on horrors of child abuse. And we're going to visit a camp where the healing for victims begins.

Don't forget, you can stay connected. You can watch CNN live on your computer. You can do it from work. Just go to CNN.com/TV. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Coming up very quickly on half past the hour, want to give you your headlines right now. Another guilty verdict in a high profile child abuse case in Pennsylvania. This one involving an official in the Catholic Church.

A Philadelphia jury convicted Monsignor William Lynn of child endangerment. Lynn becomes the first U.S. Catholic official convicted, not for the abuse itself, but for covering up abuse claims.

The season's first Gulf tropical storm slowly moving west. Storm warnings are up from Louisiana to Texas. Debby is packing 50-mile-an- hour winds and expected to intensify over the next 36 hours. Gulf states affected by the storm can also expect heavy rain.

Mitt Romney, fund-raising in Park City, Utah this weekend and he meets with several donors in four other states next week. The campaign stops the Republican presidential contender is blasting President Obama's economic policies. And President Obama is taking the weekend off from the campaign trail but he is back to the grind on Monday with several stops planned in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Tuesday, he heads south to Georgia and the key battleground state of Florida.

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is under suicide watch in Pennsylvania's (INAUDIBLE) County Jail. Sandusky will be sentenced in about 90 days on 45 counts of child sex abuse. He wore a blank expression as he was led out of the courthouse following last night's guilty verdict. Defense attorneys say they will file an appeal, citing what one attorney called "questionable court rulings" during the trial.

Earlier, CNN caught a glimpse of Sandusky's wife, Dottie, arriving at the jail to deliver a package to her husband. Meantime, one of the jurors at today's show says that the witnesses who testified against Sandusky helped seal the deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSHUA HARPER, SANDUSKY JUROR: It's hard to judge character on the stand, because we don't know these kids. But most were, you know, very credible. I would say all. But then also the fact that we saw this corroborating story between all of them. It was very convincing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That same juror told "Today" that Jerry Sandusky's reaction to the verdict reinforced his belief that Sandusky was guilty.

How do you empower children who have been through the horrendous trauma of sexual abuse? Lisa Sylvester visited a place of refuge for abused children in Virginia. She says for the 60 kids there, it is a place where they can begin to heal. Lisa. LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, there are some 80,000 reported cases of child sexual abuse every year, but experts say that is just a mere fraction of the actual cases. We know there are many, many instances that never go reported to authorities and it's such a tough burden for children to carry around. But we found one place that's helping abused victims heal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SYLVESTER (voice-over): It's the first day of summer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a little warm out here.

SYLVESTER: These kids are waiting.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's go.

SYLVESTER: Something so normal.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're having a great time.

SYLVESTER: For children who have been so traumatized.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

MARK HORNER, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: The worst you can imagine that people are capable of, these children have experienced.

SYLVESTER: Sixty boys and girls who live at a residential camp in rural Virginia, ranging from ages five to 14.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right here. Yes.

SYLVESTER: They're all victims of physical or sexual abuse.

HORNER: Probably 75 to 80 percent of our kids have been sexually abused.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi sweetie.

SYLVESTER: They live here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sweetheart, right here.

SYLVESTER: Eat here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How about peas and corn?

SYLVESTER: And hope to heal here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You need to eat what you got, your salad, before you come back for cucumbers, honey.

HORNER: Most of the kids don't come out and report that somebody did something to them, because there's that whole shame factor.

SYLVESTER: The children's stories at the non-profit child help residential center are almost too difficult to hear.

STEVEN LANCASTER, EXEC. DIR., CHILDHELP CENTER: The scope of the problem is huge.

SYLVESTER: But you can see their angst.

LANCASTER: You can see where the kids are struggling with some of their identity in some of the pictures.

SYLVESTER: Subject to severe neglect, physical abuse and horrendous sex abuse. Sometimes at the hands of a parent, a step parent or another trusted person in their lives. Lancaster says child sex abusers choose their victims carefully.

LANCASTER: If they walked into a room, they could pick out which kids they can groom and probably victimize. It's that loner in the classroom or the child that often isn't included in part of the groups.

SYLVESTER: And sexual predators manipulate their victims.

LANCASTER: From convincing the child that nobody's going to believe them, that they're going to lose friends, that everybody is going to hate you, to things as drastic if you tell, then I'm going to do something, you know, horrible to your family.

SYLVESTER: The advice for parents -

HORNER: Listen carefully and believe what your child is telling you and to inquire if you see them acting differently and to avoid what's all too easy, which is to discount concerns because priests would never do this or coaches would never do this.

SYLVESTER: When innocence and self esteem are stolen, the center tries to build it back.

LANCASTER: This is such a healing place. You've got this 270 acres that used to be a horse farm.

SYLVESTER: The horses have stayed. And now are part of therapy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think four-legged therapists are better than any two-legged therapists. Very confidence building, especially for kids who have been victimized. It gives them a sense of "wow, I'm not as small and powerless as I felt at other times in my life."

SYLVESTER: When the children leave the center either to return home or to foster care, they leave behind their hand prints at the stables.

(on camera): Some of these hand prints are so small. This one is about the size of my son's hand print, and he's not even five.

(voice-over): Small hands. Hopefully leaving behind huge burdens.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SYLVESTER: Parents and other caregivers really need to play a role, starting with look for any red flags. Children who are being sexually abused may withdraw or they may suddenly not want to go to a neighbor's house or a sports practice or they may start regressing behaviorally such as wetting the bed. Also parents need to talk to your children to prevent abuse. Explain that there are proper boundaries, things that are appropriate and things that are inappropriate. And they need to start having these conversations at a young age. Don.

LEMON: All right. Lisa, thank you very much for that.

Bracing for violence no matter what the outcome may be. Riot police are ready as thousands pack Tahrir Square in Cairo tonight, waiting to find out who their next president will be. Will the losing party accept defeat?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Tensions rise with each passing hour in Egypt as we get closer to finding out who the country's next president will be. Take a live look now at Cairo's Tahrir Square, which is packed with people in advance of the results. The official results are scheduled to be released tomorrow 9:00 a.m. Eastern time.

Meanwhile, riot police are gathering in front of the supreme presidential election commission gearing up for possible violence from the losing party.

With all that's happening in Syria, its relationships with Turkey went from friendly to frosty and now this. A Turkish fighter jet was shot down by the Syrian military on Friday. Search boats are still looking for the plane and its two pilots and the Syrian Navy is said to be helping with the search as well. That is according to a military spokesman quoted by Syrian media.

Word is also trickling out from Turkey that the jet may have strayed into Syrian air space before it was hit. The Turkish president says planes often drift across borders unintentionally.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. ABDULLAH GUL, TURKEY (through translator): We are now trying to determine exactly where the jet was shot down. After this discovery, all necessary measures will be taken. When we think of the speed of these jet planes flying above the sea, crossing over borders for a short distance and then flying back again, it's a little bit routine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Meantime, the U.S. State Department says these four Syrian military officers are part of an accelerating stream of high- level defections. A Syrian fighter pilot also defected this week and was granted asylum in Jordan. As for the latest violence in Syria, an opposition group says at least 75 people were killed across the country today.

Roadblocks in the streets. Rocks hurled through the air. Signs of anger in the capital of Sudan over government austerity measures and soaring food and fuel prices. The African nation has seen a wave of social upheaval over the past week with protesters calling for the ouster of the President Omar Al Bashir and security forces are showing zero tolerance for the demonstrations.

Sudan has lost billions of dollars in oil receipts sales since south Sudan became independent last July.

Amazing video from central China where torrential rains are causing big problems. Two passenger buses were swept away by the flash floods. Several people were trapped, but eventually rescued. The heavy rain also triggered land slides. It is expected to continue raining in central China for the next 24 hours.

Ahead, Steve Carrell and Keira Knightley answer some of our I- reporter's questions about life, love and careers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. We are minutes away, minutes away, daytime drama about to hit primetime on our sister network, HLN. Daytime Emmy awards are here. Let's go live now.

Oh, the red carpet right there. All the stars being interviewed. And that's inside the ballroom at the Beverly Hilton. Look at that, it's filling up nicely. Just a couple of minutes ago, hardly anybody was in there. Our A.J. Hammer will be leading up our coverage on HLN tonight, 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Don't miss it. Should be a lot of fun.

Moving on now, and more Hollywood stuff. You know Steve Carrell from "The Office" and "Forty Year Old Virgin" and you know, Keira Knightley from the "Pirates of the Caribbean." Or Caribbean, I should say, that movie, now they are teaming up, not only for their new movie, seeking a friend for the end of the world but also to answer your questions in this week's edition of CNN's i-report interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE CARRELL, ACTOR: I go to the mall and nobody cares at all. Nobody is interested in me picking up my dry cleaning.

Hi. I'm Steve Carrell.

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY, ACTRESS: And I'm Keira Knightley and we are answering your i-report questions.

CARRELL: This is from Andy.

ANDY CLINTON: In the "40-year-old Virgin," you played a grown man named Andy who still obsesses over action figures. Are there any life lessons that you learned while making this movie that might be helpful to, other people? CARRELL: OK. So basically what I'm getting from that is that you are my character and you need advice. First thing you need to do is trash all the toys, all the man toys, and start getting out there and enjoying your life. Life goes by very quickly.

KNIGHTLEY: Yes.

CARRELL: And you have to grab it. You have to embrace it. I'm not judging you, but I'm just saying -

KNIGHTLEY: I think you're being very judgmental about the action figures.

CARRELL: I am, and about your shirt.

KNIGHTLEY: I like the Hawaiian shirt. I think the Hawaiian shirt is good luck.

COREY EASOM: If you could have it your way, as part of a role in a motion picture, and you could leave a lasting legacy to help shape this generation and the future, what would that be?

CARRELL: Well, what is it? What's it going to be?

KNIGHTLEY: What's it going to be. How am I going to shape the world?

CARRELL: What's your legacy?

KNIGHTLEY: I don't know, Corey. I think I've always tried to make pieces of work that I find really interesting. Not necessarily characters to look up to, but always characters who I try and empathize with and who I want to see the world through their eyes. If you can produce a character or a story that actually makes people think about things in a slightly different way, or makes them look at their lives or a situation and kind of question that, and possibly have a little bit more empathy for others, then I think that that's a really positive thing.

CARRELL: It's really nice.

KNIGHTLEY: Is that all right?

CARRELL: That was awesome.

DAVID DUESING: In "Little Miss Sunshine," we got to see you take more of a dramatic role but we haven't really seen you return to that genre since then. So I was just curious if we're going to get to see Steve Carrell take on another non-comedic role anytime in the near future.

CARRELL: Yes. Actually, this movie is a little on the darker side. It's comedic without acknowledging. It's comedic nature, I guess. I mean, the overall tone of the movie is comedic and dramatic. So yes, to answer your question, I'm going to try some stuff that's not so comedic, because you're getting sick of that. (END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: You can see more fascinating interviews like this one online at our website, just go to cnn.com/interview. And watch for more i-reporter interviews in the weeks ahead with Christie Brinkley and Olympian Amanda Beard.

Hundreds of families forced from their homes by relentless wildfires as flames are forcing firefighters to pull back. Plus, we'll show you how one firefighter uses her camera lens to document the furry.

And it's not evidence of life on another world, but some believe they are seeing a famous mouse on the planet Mercury.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: There's Disneyland, Disney World, Euro Disney. Is mercury Disney next? Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even other planets have mice, or at least a certain mouse.

(on camera): What do you see?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mickey mouse.

MOOS (voice-over): It is a photo of Mercury.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But it looks like Mickey Mouse, with the ears.

MOOS: The planet closest to the sun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see Mickey Mouse.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A Mickey Mouse with big ears.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks like Mickey Mouse.

MOOS (on camera): Maybe it's something else it could be.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, Photo shopped.

MOOS (voice-over): Definitely not. This is a NASA photograph taken by its messenger mission spacecraft showing -

DAVID BLEWETT, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY (ON THE PHONE): Three impact craters on Mercury's surface.

MOOS: The larger one forming Mickey's face is 65 miles across.

BLEWETT: The effect of the mouse ears is enhanced because of the shadows in the craters.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

MOOS: Actually, it wasn't a leader but a summer intern working on a messenger mission who first noticed Mickey's image in the craters. There's a name for seeing a pattern where none really exists.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pareidolia.

MOOS (on camera): There's a man on the moon, a mouse on Mercury and an elephant on Mars?

(voice-over): An elephant shaped formed by lava flowing on the red planet. It's a stretch to us, but some saw this shape as a mermaid on Mars. The most famous Martian face has the most believers until it was discredited by even better images. And check out Big Bird formed by the dark spots in the sun's corona. NASA even put out a helpful side by side image.

Remember when Mork, the alien on "The Mork and Mindy Show" offered inter-planetary travel advice?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You'll never go to Pluto. It's a Mickey Mouse planet.

MOOS: It turns out Mercury is the Mickey Mouse planet. Inspiring puny headlines, "Mickey on Mercury." That's Goofy.

(on camera): Do you think Disney is colonizing Mercury?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, they would if they could.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, Disney might want to claim copyright infringement on that.

MOOS (voice-over): Hey, Disney might as well milk it. After all, Disney bought Mickey Moo, a cow born with Mickey's silhouette on his side. And his cow has Mickey on its head. So if you've seen Mickey on Mercury, join the club.

Jeanne Moos, CNN. New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Very nice. As people in Utah and Colorado run from fast- moving wildfires, one woman is grasping her camera and running toward the fireline. You'll see her remarkable images next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Conditions are only getting worse out west tonight. There are several fires burning around Colorado. Flames in some areas 200 feet high. The biggest of these fires, the High Park fire has burned more than 75,000 acres and forced hundreds to evacuate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL HANNENBERG, INCIDENT COMMANDER, HIGH PARK FIRE: Two weeks of that fire getting established in there still trying to come alive. The resistance to control and the persistence of these fires is pretty unusual.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And Utah firefighters have their own blaze to worry about. A fire that started in a shooting range south of Salt Lake City has consumed more than 4,000 acres and forced thousands to evacuate as well.

As wild fires burn in the west, a group of men and women are along the front lines, capturing the sheer size and power. CNN's Jim Spellman talked with one of the photographers who gets up close and personal with fires.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARI GREER, WILDFIRE PHOTOGRAPHER: First and foremost, I'm a trained firefighter. Photography is my tool. My name is Kari Greer. And I'm a Wildland fire photographer. When I'm in the middle of an active fire, right over the shoulder of a firefighter who is actively fighting that fire, I feel like I'm right there with them experiencing and I feel the heat. I feel the smoke. And my eyes are watering with everybody else's. And I'm sweating. Probably pretty badly.

Those giant walls of fire are rare to see up close and personal. The sensation is complete awe. I think it's definitely like a family that people who do this have a passion for it. They have that ethic of hard work, long hours and kind of loving it for the fact of what they're accomplishing. That is my main objective as I feel it professionally is to show what does it really look like out there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, how do I do this? More often than we like, life delivers us some really terrible circumstances. And it did just that for our CNN family this week. Our colleague Daniel Funk passed away on Wednesday. Daniel was one of the kindest people you'd ever want to meet and was one of our tech experts who never lost his cool. Even when we asked him some pretty silly questions like "Why isn't my computer working?" He would just walk over, press the power button and smile.

I always say that Daniel knew more about me than my closest loved one because he knew all my phone and computer passwords. Daniel grew up in (INAUDIBLE) Georgia. He was a huge Falcon's fan, as you can see from the Jersey there and was quite a snappy dresser as well. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and to his loved ones. Daniel Funk was just 29 years old and we miss you already.

I'm Don Lemon. See you back here at 10:00. Good night.