Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Second Strike in Qana in Ten Years; Congo Votes; Women Defy Vatican to Become Priests; California Heat Wave Death Toll Tops 100

Aired July 31, 2006 - 14:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We're 20 days into the Middle East crisis and the battle will go on. Here's what we know right now.
No cease-fire in the coming days. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says the offensive against Hezbollah will continue. Olmert says that the militants have already suffered a heavy blow and they might not recover.

Meantime, warplanes and ground troops are on the move. Israel launched some targeted airstrikes in Lebanon, even though it called a 48-hour halt to most of them yesterday. Also, Israeli troops have entered another south Lebanese village.

Armed with a plan, Secretary of States Condoleezza Rice is heading back to Washington right now from Israel. Rice says she thinks a comprehensive settlement can be reached this week.

Painful memories from 10 years past. Israel's deadly attack on the Lebanese town of Qana comes a decade after an even bloodier strike.

CNN's Brent Sadler was in Qana then. He's there again now. He's got this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRENT SADLER, CNN BEIRUT BUREAU CHIEF: World attention has been focused on what happened here at Qana. The building behind me is the structure that collapsed after an Israeli warplane dropped at least one bomb in this location. Now, the force of the explosion shattered buildings around here, but the main blast toppled the building.

Inside that building, dozens, if not scores, of Lebanese civilians sheltering from the air and artillery bombardments over the past several weeks. A large number of them were huddled inside the building. They were using mattresses and pillows, sleeping there night by night at some of the worst times I'm told from eyewitnesses of the Israeli attacks.

Now, an Amnesty International representative came around here earlier today and she told me that of the bodies that were taken out, only 27 could really be described as in one piece. All the others who lost their lives, their remains were simply shredded, making identification that much harder.

Now, as I talk to you I can hear overhead -- you maybe hear an a distant buzz. That's an Israeli drone, a pilotless aircraft acting in a reconnaissance role. And I'm told by Amnesty International that these reconnaissance planes were operating, according to eyewitnesses on the ground, before the strike against this village on the outskirts of Qana. That means, says Amnesty, why didn't the Israelis know there were civilians in this building at the time it was hit?

Now, the Israelis say Hezbollah was firing Katyusha rockets from this location. No hard proof on the ground, but I can tell you, the area around here undulating, hilly, also green, plenty of places where Hezbollah liked to have them in the past, can position Katyusha rocket sites. But no clarification on that issue.

Brent Sadler, CNN, Qana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Now the fallout. The anger unleashed by yesterday's deaths in Qana is having consequences already.

With the latest on that, CNN's Nic Robertson in Beirut -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, just in the last couple of hours we've heard those Israeli surveillance aircraft flying overhead of Beirut. We've also heard in the skies here a lot of celebratory gunfire.

That gunfire coming after Al Manar, the Hezbollah-affiliated TV channel here, announced that Hezbollah had hit and sunk an Israeli warship off the coast of Tyre, south of Beirut. There's no -- there's no clear evidence that that is actually factually correct, but, nevertheless, once it was announced on television here, a lot of celebratory gunfire around Beirut.

Also, we've seen people today in the south going back to their home to try and retrieve possessions. We've seen lots of people flooding out of the south, taking the opportunity of what many people earlier in the day had thought was going to be an effective cessation of at least air hostilities and a chance to get out of the area, many people leaving the south.

Aid agencies, as well, we have seen taking supplies into the south. Many more aid organizations in Beirut are preparing to send shipments to the south.

But, of course, the backdrop to all of that, the backdrop to the evacuations, the backdrop to the -- to the aid being shipped into the south has been one of a changing climate through the day, a changing military climate. What has seemed to be a relative cease-fire has now turned into a continuation of the ground offensive, Israeli artillery fire, Israeli airstrikes, and Hezbollah continuing to fire their rockets -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Meanwhile, Hezbollah taking -- or claiming responsibility, rather, for a strike against an Israeli warship. Have you been able to confirm that, Nic? ROBERTSON: We don't have any information that would confirm that at all. We've heard Hezbollah making claims before through Al Manar, their affiliated TV channel. Some have proven to be correct, not all. It's not clear on this one.

What we have seen today in the south as well was a strike against the Lebanese army. An Israeli surveillance aircraft equipped with -- equipped with a missile fired a missile on a car, a Lebanese car carrying Lebanese army soldiers, killing the aid to a Lebanese general and wounding four other soldiers in the car. The Israeli Defense Forces say they believed that in that car there was a senior Hezbollah commander, and they say that's why the car was targeted.

The Lebanese army here saying one of their aides to a general and three soldiers -- aides to the general -- killed three soldiers wounded in that attack -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Nic Robertson in Beirut.

Thanks, Nic.

Israel calls the civilian deaths in southern Lebanon this weekend a tragic mistake. It points a finger of blame at Hezbollah.

CNN's John Roberts reports from the Israeli-Lebanese border, and we caution, some of the images in this report are disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN SR. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The images are heart-wrenching: dozens of dead, many of them children, carried from the rubble of this building in Qana, destroyed by an Israel bomb. They are also, Israel military officials admit, a terrible blow to public opinion in its campaign to push Hezbollah out of southern Lebanon.

Deeply sorry for what it calls a mistake, the Israeli military claims it was targeting a Hezbollah rocket launcher nearby and released infrared video of what it says was evidence Hezbollah launchers are using civilian buildings for cover. This video is not of today's attack, nor is it from Qana. But according to the Israel military, the circumstances from this July 22nd incident in southern Lebanon are similar.

The black flashes on the screen are the heat signatures from the missiles' rocket motor. The launcher appears to be positioned behind what the military says is an apartment building, a building like the one destroyed in Qana.

Another video, this one from an aircraft gun site camera, shows what the Israel military claims are Katyusha launchers operating in Qana. The military says it was shot in recent days and that the white flashes are missiles aiming toward towns in northern Israel. Israeli officials insist it is a threat that must be removed.

MARK REGEV, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN: Well, if we know that there are civilians in a target area, we won't act. But we have to state the facts here.

This wasn't some peaceful little community that Israel went into. Unfortunately, we had just in the last few days more than 100 rockets fired from that community into Israel cities.

Now, that doesn't excuse. We really express our regret. This is a terrible, terrible incident. But blame has to be shared around here, and primarily with Hezbollah.

ROBERTS: A third video provided to CNN by the Israeli military shows how difficult it is to target where those Katyusha rockets are being fired from. The gun site cameras follow missile launch vehicles as they weave through the streets, running for cover in buildings and garages. The Israeli military said the video was shot recently in southern Lebanon but not in Qana.

Israeli officials say they will conduct a full investigation into the Qana bombing and the civilian deaths, but they make no apology for targeting the rocket launchers and the deadly threat they pose to Israeli civilians.

John Roberts, CNN, along the Israel-Lebanon border.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Secretary of State Rice is on her way back from the Middle East, and she'll have a lot to tell her boss tonight. President Bush shares Rice's optimism that a comprehensive settlement can be reached. But at a speech in Miami today, the president again resisted calls for an immediate cease-fire. He says a number of things must happen first, including Syria and Iran ending their support for Hezbollah.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm monitoring the situation in the Middle East very closely. Secretary Rice was in the region over the weekend, and she is working urgently to get a sustainable cease-fire. A cease-fire which will last. We're going to work with our allies to bring before the United Nations Security Council a resolution that will end the violence and lay the groundwork for lasting peace in the Middle East.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, the crisis in the Middle East isn't the only potential ticking time bomb at the United Nations today. As the issue of Iran's nuclear ambitions is coming to a diplomatic head, today the U.N. Security Council voted 14-1 on a draft resolution telling Iran it must stop enriching uranium by the end of August or face possible economic and diplomatic sanctions. Iran's U.N. ambassador says the Security Council vote has no legal basis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAVAD ZARIF, IRANIAN AMB. TO THE U.N.: Iran's peaceful nuclear program poses no threat to international peace and security. And, therefore, dealing with this issue in the Security Council is unwarranted and void of any legal basis or practical utility.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Pressure from China and Russia delayed immediate U.N. sanctions against Iran, and the only no vote on the resolution came from Qatar, the only Arab nation on the Security Council.

More bold kidnappings in Iraq. The gunmen all dressed as police officers. Witnesses say the kidnappers stormed these offices in central Baghdad and dragged out at least 26 people. Most of them from the Iraq-American Chamber of Commerce. Others from the mobile phone company next door.

For U.S. Marines it was another deadly weekend. Four Marines killed in combat Saturday in the volatile Anbar province. Four others were killed there Thursday and Friday.

Now the personal stories of three U.S. servicemen who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in Iraq.

Army Sergeant Irving Hernandez Jr. of New York City was killed in Mosul on July 12th. He was disarming a roadside bomb when a sniper shot him. His wife Susan says he was the greatest dad you could ever ask for and a greater friend than anyone deserved. In addition to his wife, he leaves behind his 8-year-old daughter Stacy (ph) and his 6- year-old son named Christian (ph).

A longtime friend says that Marine Lance Corporal Geoffrey Cayer had a great sense of humor and knew hot to say just the right thing to make you laugh. Cayer, who was from Fitchburg, Massachusetts, wrote home often and had urged his younger brother to consider joining the Marines. Cayer was killed on July 18th in Anbar province.

A fellow sailor says that the word of Navy Petty Officer Jerry Tharp was better than a contract. Forty-four-year-old Tharp was killed by a roadside bomb in Anbar province on July 14th. He got the nickname "Pumpin' Jerry" for his work with concrete pumps. The Navy CB was assigned to repairing the potholes and craters left by roadside bombs. He leaves behind a wife, two stepdaughters and four grandchildren.

These are just two -- or just three of the 2,576 men and women who have sacrificed their lives in Iraq.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Now it's not bullets (ph) in Congo. Votes are being counted in the war-ravaged country's first election in decades.

As our Jeff Koinange reports, Congolese voters showed a true thirst for democracy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They came to do what they haven't been able to for more than four decades, cast votes for their candidates of choice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm happy to vote. It's obvious.

KOINANGE: "It's a great day for the Congo," she says, "and we're hoping these elections are transparent and legitimate."

Thirty-three candidates running for president, close to 10,000 running for the 500 national assembly seats, a challenge in any democracy, let alone one in its infancy. Thirty-three-year-old lawyer Delfine Banza (ph) brought her 7-year-old son along. "I am telling my son this is a historic day and that he should be proud to be Congolese because we have voted for peace and stability," she says.

Many didn't seem to mind the lines. After all, they had waited more than 40 years. What's a few hours more?

International monitors were there to make sure the Congo got it right this time around.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not experiencing so far problems of the authenticity or the validity of the vote, but there are serious logistical problems with the actual practicalities of the voting process.

KOINANGE: Incumbent Joseph Kabila, ever the military man, was all business as he cast his ballot, followed soon after by his main challenger, millionaire businessman Jean-Pierre Bemba.

(on camera): Now, many here are quick to say this wasn't a perfect election by any means, but the same people agree it's a start of something new and different, something the Congo hasn't seen in decades and something the Congolese are hoping will be a fresh chapter in their often turbulent history.

(voice over): Many here hoping the setting sun marks the end of a dark chapter in the country's history and the beginning of a true African democracy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Jeff Koinange joins us now live.

Jeff, are you surprised with how this went, or is this sort of the calm before the storm?

KOINANGE: Two very good points, Kyra. You know, yes, and I have covered quite a few elections on the African continent for the last decade or so. But for this one, for the very first time -- and the lights have gone now. We'll try and get them here.

But if you can hear me, for a country going into elections for the first time, very, very impressive. People didn't think they could pull it off in the Congo. And, what, with 25 million-plus -- I think we're back now, Kyra -- but 25 million-plus registered voters, 53,000 polling stations, in a country a third the size of the United States -- and check this out, with only 350 miles of roads. So you can just imagine the logistics alone are a nightmare.

But, you know what? There's only one province so far that we heard in the middle of the country where they've had to extend voting to a second day, but one out of the 11 provinces, hey, that's not bad for a first time around -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, and, you know, we've been staying on top of this story with you, Jeff, because you brought us riveting pieces with regard to the rape that takes place in this country and how women are treated.

What is your take on how things are going so far? And does it look like the right changes will be made for more rights for women?

KOINANGE: We're not going to know that answer for at least another two weeks, Kyra. And why is that? Because by the time the votes are tallied, votes are brought in from all the outlying areas and brought to Kinshasa, right here where we are, it will have to take that long because of logistics. And then, again, it depends on who wins.

As you well know, the story that we covered in the eastern part of the country, I actually showed that to the incumbent himself and he was shocked. He was generally shocked, and he said he would try and do something if he did win.

During the campaign, such issues were not discussed. People were basically discussing other issues that are pertinent to this country, basic jobs, employment, revamping the economy. Those were the issues that were being discussed. Rape, issues about personal safety, those were not discussed, although they are very key issues in this country -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Jeff Koinange, we'll, of course, follow every move with you from Congo.

Appreciate your time.

Well, straight ahead, higher calling or heresy? Some women say it's time they're allowed into the Roman Catholic priesthood. Since the Vatican won't sanction it, well, these sisters are doing it for themselves.

We're talking about it next on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Any opportunity to bring back a little Boy George.

All right. Maybe a New York judge doesn't really want to hurt Boy George, but he definitely wants to make him sweat. The '80s pop singer better bust out the waterproof mascara, because he will be picking up trash on city streets for five days beginning August 14th.

The community service was ordered last March when Boy George pleaded guilty to falsely reporting a burglary at his Manhattan apartment. In June, Boy George was warned to stop stalling on the community service or he would be put to the stir.

Two of the men responsible for Enron's collapse will be sentenced in the next couple of months, but before they head to jail, they'll have it hear from more than just the judge.

Susan Lisovicz live from the New York Stock Exchange with that story.

Hey, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra. They will be hearing from the victims, and there are a lot of them.

Two of the men responsible for Enron's collapse will be sentenced in the next couple of months, but before they go off to jail, they will be hearing from so many of the victims. Jeff Skilling and Andrew Fastow, along with Ken Lay, the late founder of Enron, most closely associated with the company's 2001 bankruptcy and collapse, now Skilling and Fastow could hear first hand how their crimes hurt the people who lost money and jobs.

A federal judge has ruled that victims who show up at Fastow's September 26th sentencing hearing can sign in and speak. Skilling's lawyers have said they expect a similar plan at the former CEO's sentencing on October 23rd. That's because a two-year-old law gives victims of federal crimes the right to speak, even in white collar cases with countless victims.

Fastow, Enron's former chief financial officer, pleaded guilty and testified against his former bosses, and will likely get 10 years in prison. Skilling was convicted of 19 counts of fraud, conspiracy and lying to investigators in May and could spend decades in jail.

And, Kyra, there should be a lot of fury at these -- when these victims get their chance to speak.

PHILLIPS: Well, we'll be tracking it, that's for sure.

Meanwhile, what's happening on Wall Street?

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

LISOVICZ: Kyra, back to you.

PHILLIPS: Oh, boy, another one. Time for another update.

LISOVICZ: You got it.

PHILLIPS: All right. Thanks, Susan -- or upgrade, rather.

Well, still to come, one of the stories that a lot of people are talking about today, Mel Gibson arrested on suspicion of DUI. But the real scandal seems to be what happened afterward. Even Mel is apologizing.

We've got that story straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: We're 20 days into the Middle East crisis and the battle will go on. Here's what we know right now.

No cease-fire in the coming days. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says that the offensive against Hezbollah will continue. Olmert says that the militants have already suffered a heavy blow and they might not recover.

Meantime, warplanes and ground troops are on the move. Israel launched some targeted airstrikes in Lebanon even though it called a 48-hour halt to most of them yesterday. Also, Israeli troops have entered another south Lebanese village.

Armed with a plan, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is heading back to Washington right from Israel. Rice says that she thinks a comprehensive settlement can be reached this week.

Well, the United Nations warns that Lebanon faces the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe. Today thousands of people in the south of that country streamed northward to try and escape the Israeli offensive.

Joining us now from Beirut, Lebanese health minister Mohamad Jawad Khalifeh.

Sir, thank you for being with us.

Bring us up to date on the conditions right now with the Lebanese people.

MOHAMAD JAWAD KHALIFEH, LEBANESE HEALTH MINISTER: Well, thank you very much. The situation is still -- it's very difficult. On top of that, it has been added what happened yesterday, the massacre in Qana. And what we have seen today, after some stop of the airstrikes, were a lot of corpse and dead bodies has been taken out.

The situation is still -- is very critical. I mean, so far not much of airstrikes, but nothing was like go ahead to the United Nations or other convoys to take to the hospitals fuel and their basic needs. Now, I mean, still, we are suffering very much with the displaced people, where we have to launch vaccination campaigns, where we have to look after the disease that they are spread around from some typhoid, some Salmonella, infections. And the health situation is in the critical, critical condition. We are doing our best in order to try to combat it.

PHILLIPS: Tell us what you are doing, aid-wise, to the people. What are you trying to supply them with? How are you getting it to them? KHALIFEH: Now, I mean, people, you know, has been completely of touch with the villages. We cannot communicate with them very well. And not only do they need health assessment, but they need nutrition, they need power, electricity. They need a lot of things.

Nothing is organized on a larger scale to manage this crisis, but there are certain efforts done by the Red Cross, by some charities, by -- partially by United Nations, and by some volunteers. But nothing at a larger scale to manage this crisis.

PHILLIPS: Mr. Khalifeh, let me ask you a question. Since Hezbollah is a part of the Lebanese parliament and you are the Lebanese health minister, are you helping in supplying aid and trying to care for even the families that are pro-Hezbollah?

KHALIFEH: Yes, definitely. I mean, you see Hezbollah, they have -- well-represented in the parliament. They have very big parliament -- bloc in parliament, which reflects that they have a lot of people which have voted for them. They are present in the government.

And in such conditions, even if we have any civilian that guard us from (INAUDIBLE) nationality -- you know, we have a lot of foreign workers in Lebanon. We are treating them -- the minister of health, some workers from Sri Lanka, from the Far East -- whenever they need support, we have to support everybody. We cannot discriminate. I mean, this is a pure humanitarian aspect, and we have to abide by rules -- by everything.

PHILLIPS: Is the Lebanese army active in trying to help get its people out of dangerous areas, or is the Lebanese army not involved with the evacuations of your people?

KHALIFEH: The Lebanese army is trying to do some help in getting medicines, transporting some medicines. But the Lebanese army is not protected. I mean, there is no umbrella over the head of the Lebanese army.

As you understood today, they have been hit, and they have lost a soldier just because they're -- they were manipulating the gate to the entrance of (INAUDIBLE). They went under the impression that there it was a rocket, and they hit them. Lebanese army moving, doing its best, but is not participating in the evacuation process that is allowed to an army to happen in case of disasters.

PHILLIPS: How long do you think you can hold out?

KHALIFEH: Well, I think it's -- if we cannot achieve a cease- fire and political solution to go ahead, we are coming to a definite disaster, which I mention it from the beginning. I think we are holding, but how far we can hold? We can't hold for indefinite things. We are putting effort, we start to lose our -- to get a little bit exhausted. The system is not going to hold in this way. Because the health system was replaced completely; the other systems, as well. And I think we're heading towards tragic events.

PHILLIPS: Lebanese health minister, Mohamad Jawad Khalifeh. We'll keep in touch with you and keep talking about it. I appreciate your time, sir.

KHALIFEH: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Higher calling or heresy? Some women say it's time they're allowed into the Roman Catholic priesthood, and since the Vatican won't sanction it, well, these sisters are doing it for themselves. We're talking about it, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Challenging tradition. For 2,000 years, give or take, the Roman Catholic Church has only accepted men into the priesthood. But some women in Ohio say it's time to give that archaic notion the boot. And since the Vatican won't sanction it, well, they're taking matters into their own hands.

Tony Harris has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm Sheryl Bristol (ph) from Detroit, Michigan...

TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Flying in the face of centuries of Catholic law, 12 American women will be ordained today as clergy in the Roman Catholic Church.

JOAN HOUK, BEING ORDAINED AS PRIEST: I am the first female to be ordained in the Roman Catholic women priests in Pittsburgh.

HARRIS: Eight women will proclaim themselves priests, four will become deacons. The ceremony, the first of its kind in the U.S., will take place on a boat in the Three Rivers in Pittsburgh. The women are devoted church members, but they won't have the church's blessing -- far from it. The Roman Catholic Church prohibits the ordination of women.

The Pittsburgh Diocese says, in a statement, "This unfortunate ceremony will take place outside the church and undermines the unity of the church. Those attempting to confer Holy Orders have, by their own actions, removed themselves from the church, as have those who present themselves for such an invalid ritual."

DR. VIRGINIA RUE, ORDAINED PRIEST: In this day and age, when women are the heads of companies and, you know, CEOs of this, that, and the other, and the Catholic Church is so far behind the times.

HOUK: It's really important that we have women in the ordained ministry of the Catholic Church, because without them, you are missing 50 percent of the people's voices.

HARRIS: Church observers say support for the ordination of women has grown over the years, and those taking part in today's historic ceremony are determined that it won't be the last.

HOUK: We've had a law for a long time that kept women from ordination for various reasons, and now we understand things differently, and we need to look at it in a new way. And by looking at it in a new way, we can change that law and open up ordination to women.

HARRIS: Tony Harris, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: "Really tragic" -- that's how the coroner in one California county describes the devastating heat wave of the past two weeks. Statewide, the death toll keeps climbing.

CNN's Sumi Das joins us now from Los Angeles. Sumi, what are the numbers?

SUMI DAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the number right now is 112, and those are the number of deaths that are most likely caused as a result of the heat wave which began about two weeks ago. A little more than half of those are confirmed to be a result of heat stress and the rest are presumed to be heat-related.

Now, that is the figure with about one-third of California's counties reporting back to the Office of Emergency Services. So that death toll may, unfortunately, still continue to rise, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. So let's talk about the governor yesterday making this temporary regulations permit, Sumi, for outdoor workers. Tell us more about that and how it's playing out.

DAS: Well, what it requires is that employers must now provide outdoor workers with all of the things that they need in order to sort of combat the effects of extreme heat. So that means water, a place to take a break that's in the shade if they start to feel effects of the heat, as well as training to recognize and treat any heat-related stress. And the fines are pretty stiff if there's any violation, up to $25,000 in some cases.

We're at a construction site and these gentlemen are working on a football field, a drain for a football field. This will eventually be a high school and as you can see here, no shade whatsoever. We spoke to the foreman at site, and he said it was just miserable earlier in the week.

And, Kyra, unlike, you know, kids in school -- when we were kids in school, during the winter you'd keep your fingers crossed for a snow day. There's no such thing as a heat day in the construction business, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: You're absolutely right. I used to sit and listen to the old AM/FM radio hoping that we'd get that day off. You've have had a chance to talk to those workers, no doubt. Are their bosses cutting them any slack or do they have to stay on the job?

DAS: They've had to stay on the job but, you know, they say that it's doable. What they do is they make sure that they're drinking plenty of water. That, of course, is very important.

The foreman told me that, you know, earlier in the week he saw that one of his workers was having a bit of a tough time in the heat. He took him out of the heat, put him in the car, made sure he was rested and OK to continue working at a later time. But I think it's just a matter of being diligent and really aware of, you know, what heat-related stress looks like.

PHILLIPS: Well, part two to this story, too, these rolling blackouts in a lot of -- in many areas. Talk to us about the stress to the power system and, you know, a lot of people questioning what's happening in Southern California and where's the money going and who's going to fix this antiquated system.

DAS: That's right. Power has been restored to almost all of Los Angeles and as well as the rest of the state. But that wasn't the case earlier in the week. There were some blackouts, as you mentioned. People were taking refuge indoors, but they couldn't run their fans or their air conditioning units because they simply didn't have the electricity, and there's a couple of reason for that.

First of all, the utility companies' equipment was outdated. The structure hadn't been updated. They hadn't kept up with it as fast as they, perhaps, should have. And also the demand was simply unprecedented. You know, typically you see a cooling at night. That wasn't the case with this heat wave.

And you see triple digit temperatures in California, and you know this, but imagine this. In Stockton, California for four straight days it was 113 degrees or higher. I mean, that's just -- I can't even begin to imagine what that must have felt like. So no cooling at night, and that was just a burden that the power grid couldn't handle -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Sumi Das in L.A., appreciate it.

Let's get straight to the newsroom now, Carol Lin working details on a developing story -- Carol.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: It's not the heat but the water, Kyra, rising in Lake County, Ohio just outside of the Cleveland suburbs. We've got some amazing rescue tape of a woman who had to be rescued out of her house window. There you can see as rescuers have to arrive to these houses by boat. More than 100 people have had to be evacuated from their homes, Kyra, because of rising water.

According to the Associated Press, they told a compelling story about a couple in their 50s who looked into their basement and saw the water rising to the fifth step, and they realized they had to get out of there. A daycare center had to be evacuated, as children were watching as the water was rising around their little school.

Nine inches of rain have fallen since yesterday in Lake County and it's now been declared a disaster area. That woman, a very lucky woman to get out safely and alive. We have seen from hurricane coverage, Kyra, that the water can rise in an instant and then you're trapped. So that is the situation.

Look at that. That is a merry-go-round, Kyra, floating in the water. Some of the neighborhoods there in the Cleveland suburbs, and this is what they're dealing with right now.

PHILLIPS: Appreciate our affiliate WJW and other affiliates there in the area bringing us those picture. Carol, thanks so much.

Well, meteorologist Reynolds Wolf, he is monitoring all this also from the CNN Weather Center. Reynolds, what's your take? Is there any relief in site? I mean, all times different locations, different types of weather, did I get you to the map? There we go? Did I stall long enough? Reynolds, are you with me?

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Reynolds.

Well, Northern Israel, the city of Haifa is under siege from Hezbollah rockets. Wolf Blitzer went there for a firsthand look at the disaster and devastation. We'll have his report for you straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, forget California's wildfires and heat waves. Nothing is hotter than Mel, as far as Hollywood is concerned right now. The alleged post-arrest tantrum of Oscar-winning actor and director Mel Gibson is just the beginning. Now the officers who arrested him are under the media magnifying glass.

CNN entertainment correspondent Brooke Anderson has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Reverberations from Gibson's arrest are spreading through Los Angeles. Now the L.A. County Sheriff's Department is embroiled in reports they gave Gibson preferential treatment after he was arrested early Friday morning in Malibu, California, on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

The entertainment news Web site tmz.com reports authorities altered the arresting deputy's handwritten report, allegedly removing offensive comments Gibson made when he was arrested. TMZ alleges Gibson spewed obscenities and hurled sexist and anti-Semitic statements, including, quote, "F*****g Jews. The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world." Gibson then, according to TMZ, turned to the deputy and asked, "Are you a Jew?"

Steve Whitmore, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, will neither confirm nor deny the reports of Gibson's alleged statements, but told CNN the arrest occurred "without incident," clarifying what that means: quote, "Every time somebody is arrested, something out of the ordinary happens, but guns don't always have to be drawn. Without incident means without force." He went on to say, "There has been no cover-up by the sheriff's department. Nothing has been sanitized. The job of the L.A. County Sheriff's Department is not to focus on what he said or didn't say, but to establish his blood alcohol level and concentrate on the facts."

Mike Gennaco, who heads the independent group of attorneys who monitor sheriffs' department investigations, told CNN they are looking into the allegations of misconduct, but said it's not unusual for there to be numerous versions of a report. Quote: "There certainly could be legitimate reasons for sending a report back and changing it. That happens all the time."

CNN hasn't seen the official report, but has requested a copy under the California Public Records Act.

Gibson released a lengthy statement through his publicist Saturday, calling his behavior belligerent and saying, quote, "I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested, and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable. I apologize to anyone who I have offended. I disgraced myself and my family with my behavior and for that I am truly sorry."

The Anti-Defamation League issued a statement Sunday, saying Gibson's apology was, quote, "Unremorseful and insufficient." They went on to say, "It does not go to the essence of his bigotry and his anti-Semitism." The ADL is responding to reports that Gibson allegedly made anti-Semitic remarks, allegations Gibson did not directly address in his statement.

Gibson's publicist, Allen Nierob, told CNN on Sunday he would not comment on whether Gibson had entered an alcohol rehabilitation program, nor would he address whether Gibson made anti-Semitic remarks during his arrest. He said Gibson's statement speaks for itself.

Brooke Anderson, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Steve Whitmore, spokesman for the LAFC, held a press conference just a little while ago here in L.A. And, again, he would not confirm nor deny the reports of Gibson's alleged outrageous behavior. He said that the next step for them is to present their case to the district attorney.

Now, Kyra, there is also a new report on tmz.com which claims that Gibson has pulled over in Malibu twice before for reckless driving, and reportedly let go without an arrest or a ticket. Whitmore says he does not know anything about that. Back to you.

PHILLIPS: I know you'll be talking about more of this tonight. What else is coming up tonight?

ANDERSON: That's right. On "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," we are talking more about Mel Gibson. Was there a police cover-up? "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" has up-to-the-minute details. Plus, you won't believe who's now calling this incident Gibson's career lethal weapon. That's on TV's most provocative entertainment news program. Join us, 11:00 p.m. Eastern, 8:00 Pacific, on CNN Headline Prime.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Brooke.

Well, the man behind tmz.com, Harvey Levin, joins us now from Glendale, California. He's the managing editor of that Web site, which by the way is owned by CNN parent company Time Warner. And by the way, Harvey broke this story.

How did you do it, Harvey?

HARVEY LEVIN, MANAGING EDITOR, TMZ.COM: Well, you know, we got a tip and it kind of led us down a path that took about six, seven hours. And, ultimately, we got hold of these four pages that were eliminated from the report -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: What do you know about ties between the sheriff's department and Mel Gibson?

LEVIN: Well, look, I mean, he has done things for them. I mean, we just posted -- as Brooke said, we posted this public service announcement where you see Mel Gibson in a uniform. And he's done work for them, charity work for them. He's had some personal friendship with Lee Baca, the sheriff. And I can't connect the dots for you and tell you what the motivation behind all of this is. What I can tell you is there was absolutely a cover-up in this case, and it was a sloppy one that got exposed.

PHILLIPS: How did it get exposed? What were the loopholes, the gaps, Harvey?

LEVIN: Well, let me tell you what happened here. This deputy wrote an eight-page report, Kyra. And the report had all the details in it: evading arrest, trying to escape, getting subdued, the anti- Semitic remarks, the whole thing. That deputy submitted it to a sergeant for a signature. The sergeant gave it to a lieutenant, who gave it a captain, who called downtown. And then the captain came out and said, Sheriff Baca is really concerned about it, and they ordered this deputy to take out all of the incendiary information.

Then the sheriff started lying and they said that the arrest occurred without incident, because they had this the sanitized report now. And, clearly, it was without incident because Gibson tried to flee. He was subdued. And then -- here's what I can tell you. When I got wind of this information, when I found out about the anti- Semitic remark and all the other things, and I called the sheriff's department, I was told we don't know what you're talking about. The person I talked to was one of the people who ordered the officer to take all that stuff out of the report. She totally knew.

And then, an hour before I put this on our Web site our Friday night, I talked to Steve Whitmore, who is the spokesperson for the sheriff's department. And I said to him, here's what I'm going to publish. He said, you are wrong, I have the full report in my hand, it is not in there, that didn't happen and you're going to make a big mistake after you publish it. Only after I got the actually document and I called him back and I said Steve, I have the document now, did they change their story?

PHILLIPS: All right, Harvey Levin, I know you're on top of it. Let us know what happens, and if indeed, jobs could be at stake. Keep us posted, all right?

LEVIN: OK, Kyra, good talking to you.

PHILLIPS: Appreciate it. Thanks, Harvey.

Crime tape and police lights in New Orleans. Shootings and murder may be one of the city's biggest obstacles to recovery. We're on that story, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com