until 2014. so obviously tracking these numbers as they come in. randi? >> i see a lot more negotiating for some reason in washington. or stalemate or both. they call it negotiating. i don't know if it is negotiating. something is happening there. kate, appreciate it. thank you. it's 3:00 on the east coast, 9:00 in libya. we've received word of heavy fighting south of tripoli. take a look. this was the scene a couple hours ago at tripoli international airport. at last report held by the rebels. at this hour, the rebels taking fire from fighters loyal to moammar gadhafi. why the fight there? we'll ask that question momentarily among several others. first being take a quick look at this. the end finally, the end of this nightmare for dozens of western journalists.

this is a crew speeding away from the rixos hotel in tripoli where gadhafi loyalists, the gunmen who had been holding these men and women captive for five-plus days. now and only now can they tell their story. we will hear it coming up. something here, the cnn crew, among dozens of international journalists, as i mentioned at the rixos hotel, between 30 and 35 journalists were held inside for five-plus days trying to negotiate the release according to our matthew chance, every hour, every minute of every day. the end came today when a cnn producer persuaded the local commander that the fight outside was over, that the gadhafi forces had lost. listen to this. >> well, i actually we've spent time with him over the past few days sitting and talking to him about his kids, his family and so he started to come -- i really miss my family and i

really want to go out and see my family who are really worried about me now, same thing for the 30-plus journalists sitting in the hotel. he got tears in his eyes at that moment. felt emotional about that too. and you know, slowly myself and another colleague here, an arab cameraman, we both sat there with him and told him that things were changing out there. slowly he started listening to us. you have to think of your kids. just let us go. it just happened. it was a small process, it was a messy one at times. but it worked out in the end. >> and also matthew chance, he was among those released today as well. along our producer. we'll speak with him a little later about the negotiations that happened inside that hotel lobby with the gadhafi gunman. the journalist who escaped captivity today at the rixos hotel. they couldn't have made it to safety without the help of the international committee of the

red cross. robyn joins me on the phone from tripoli. he's with the icrc and robin, congratulations. we have seen this video here, here it is again of our own crew riding to safety on the back of one of your agency's vehicles. can you just tell me how you're able to get so close to this hotel, given the fact this really has been one of the final pockets of colonel gadhafi's control? >> caller: the international commit eave the red cross has been working in tripoli since the beginning of the conflict in february. and to make it possible for us to get here, we had to speak with the libyan government, but we're also talking to the ntc and benghazi, the national transitional council. we knew about these journalists in the hotel for quite a while that they've been there and they've been traveling around with the government to different places. but only last week did we have contact with one of them who

told us that their conditions were deteriorating and feared for their well-being and then we decided to find out what we could do for them. journalists are protected under international human laws, civilian. so we decided to contact both the parties to the conflict. the position and their leading military as well. having talked with the military from the government side and having talked also to the authority in charge of them at the rixos hotel, we went with a team of colleagues, spoke with the -- got guarantees that it would be safer for us to go in. because the rixos is between the frontlines. when we talked to them and they gave us the go ahead and we had talked with the military on the other side, we're able to access through this zone where the hotel is, which is looking like a no man's land. and able to reach the hotel, get the journalists on to the motor

vehicles and transfer them out safely. >> robin, let me jump in. because you make the point multiple times that you had been in communication with the military, the gunmen. how do you negotiate with these people? >> supposedly when you're speaking with the authority, who is in charge of them at the hotel, he say that these people are free, you can come and pick them up. we said okay, you're in a dangerous area. we need security guarantees in order to come in. when we got to the hotels, there were no gunmen inside. everybody had left. just the journalists were left. >> was there any fear that this would be a ruse? >> caller: we thought about that. we thought, of course, it would be dangerous most definitely. we weighed the seriousness of the risk towards the benefit of

removing the journalists out. and also obtaining the security guarantees, we were able to say, okay, we shall go in. but we had to make sure that our own people, first of all, would be able to safely reach them and be able to bring them out again safely. >> which your teams were able to do apparently magnificently. what were these journalists telling you? from our understanding from our crews they had been part of this negotiation, you know, you say that by the time you all arrived there with your -- in your vehicles the gunmen were gone. but these journalists were afraid to step outside. they didn't know what tripoli was like on the streets. they were fearful for their own eyes and it took you getting there and getting them in in your safe cars for them to realize and take that sigh of relief that they were okay. what were they saying? >> caller: they were isolated in the hotel for quite a while. so they had no idea what was going on outside. especially the last three or

four days when the conflict was spreading into tripoli. there's been a total change in the scene in this city. as for them, they had been warned that -- they knew that there was security outside. they knew there might be snipers outside, even guards inside. i don't think they would risk going outside nothing knowing what's out there. once arriving, they were sure that now it's possible for them to come out safely. the icrc often asked for the neutral intermediary between armed groups when the need arises like this time. >> we've seen 35 or so of the journalists now thrilled and posing in pictures and just calling their families and feeling fortunate to just be free and be alive. let me ask you this. i've been follow the icrc on twitter today. you tweeted in terms of the situation on the ground in tripoli, you're mobilizing

surgeries. this is something i have yet to hear about. how great is the need in tripoli and what can you tell me about injuries? >> caller: there's a very great need for medical assistance. especially since this conflict is now being wedged in an urban environment, in a city where there are civilian populations. so there's a lot of victims. you've got victims of armed fighters, but also civilians being affected. so the medical institutions have been overwhelmed in some of the places we've been. we've been to two trauma hospitals and one of the hospitals and we're also looking the other different meth medical establishments. first of all, some of them do not have enough medical supplies, that's number one. number two, it's the medical personnel who have not been able to reach the hospital because they are afraid of the situation was quite dangerous. what the ikrc decided to do is bring in surgical teams, at

least two of them. one should arrive by the end of the week. this surgical team will try to roam in different hospitals in order to assist them. >> final question, to you robin. journalists never want to steal the spotlight from the people in the country who they're covering. just if you can, big picture here, just tell me what the situation on the ground is this week for the libyan people that you've been assisting all these many months. >> caller: the situation right now is becoming relatively calm. not sin the conflict started in tripoli in the weekend on such a big night on sunday was quite chaotic with bullets and explosions flying just outside our house here. and in different parts of the city. as we speak right now, the areas are contested. the government and the armed -- as we speak. that's why we cautioned the armed both parties that they should take precautions for civilians and medical workers.

the people of tripoli are having a very difficult time because of the security. there's been disruptions in the water and in the electricity and in the health. so it's not a normal situation. we all hope that this will come to pass and there will be better times. but the icrc is usually here during times like this. >> robin,waudo, the national committee of the red cross playing an integral role in getting the journalists free. thank you very much. just about the past half hour or so, we have taken in video from eastern tripoli. let's just have a quick look at this. >>. [ gunfire ] >> cnn's, sara sidner has opinion in central tripoli all day long.

here she is. >> reporter: what's happening is a lot of shooting going on on this side. the reason why it sounds so close, indeed my cameraman is trying to get you a shot. look at this truck that's going to pass by. you see that truck? that truck is going around the square blowing off rounds. there's another truck with about five men in it. all holding ak-47s. they're blowing off rounds. there's guys, they're blowing off rounds. there are cars now, if you'll notice in just a few seconds, you will see a car filled with children sitting on the outside holding the flag. here it comes here. he's trying to get you a shot. a flag, children holding the flag on the outside sitting up on the car. so there are some of the remnants we've been telling you about. but i mean, look, they are not protected. they are leaning out of the car. there are guns all around. >> sara sidner, thank you. we'll have much more from our teams on the ground in libya as soon as it's safe for them to pause and give us a call here at cnn.

still ahead, let's take a look at the pictures of live radar here. it's large, it's powerful and aiming for the u.s. we're tracking hurricane irene. now a category 3 storm as churns through the atlantic and the bahamas. folks battening down hatches as they brace for a direct hit in a matter of hours. but then ha? where in the u.s. will, could irene strike people in north carolina? not taking any chances. >> there are few evacuation options. the island is 40 kilometers long. outrunning the storm isn't an option. >> some of the predictions here have the tar heel state as irene's bull's-eye. we'll check in with meteorologist chad myers next. [ male announcer ] they'll see you...before you see them. cops are cracking down on drinking and riding. drive sober, or get pulled over.

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hurricane irene already a dangerous category 3 hurricane. could grow even more powerful in the coming hours. take a look at this live picture from the international space station. we're just getting these images in. irene whipping now parts of the bahamas with strong wind and conditions are expected to deteriorate as the day wears on. earlier, it slammed across puerto rico causing flooding and widespread damage. the hurricane has much of you, if you are on the east coast, you are on alert right now. irene could be knocking on the door of the u.s. this weekend. fema keeping president obama, ho is on vacation in martha's vineyard updated on the storm. evacuations are under way on the barrier islands of north carolina. folks who live there, also people who are just there for vacation, being told to leave. irene could deliver a glancing blow before heading farther north. >> our models that we looked at

this morning, our forecasts show that the storm is moving further from the coast and toward the sea. the worst part of the storm, we believe at this point in time, which is known as the right front quadrant, would be out over the ocean. however, again, let me repeat, our predictions are not anything but predictions. and we must all prepare for the worst. >> there are also concerns that irene could impact this weekend's scheduled dedication of the new martin luther king, jr., memorial there in washington this coming sunday. if the storm veers towards d.c. and now just to give you a better perspective here about irene's enormous size. look at this view. this is a view of the hurricane as the international space station was passing over it. obviously, she is a -- let me rye mind you, cnn your hurricane headquarters. chad myers tracking hurricane irene for us. this is the first hurricane we've seen so far this season.

the worst we've seen in quite some time. can we go back to the pictures from space. i think those are just tremendous. i was on one of the astronaut's twitter page tweeting some of his own images to see how massive she is. >> with a perfectly round eye. it's like a heat engine. the water below the eye is thrown into a massive generator and a generator generates heat. as the moisture from the water evaporates into humidity, the humidity condenses. like putting your hand over a steaming teapot. that's how hot the steam is when it touches you. it turns into hotter clouds. hotter clouds go up, hotter clouds get bigger and begin to spin. that's where we are right now at 120 miles per hour. the threat for the bahamas is it will get to 135. some of the islands are eight feet tall. there will be winds at 120. but there will be waves 15 feet over the island. >> double the size? >> double the size of the island

and all of a sudden if you had a building there, not on 15 foot stilts, that building was gone. most of the southern bahamas will take a direct hit from this and many of the buildings will literally disappear from some of the very low islands. the storm will get from a 3 to a 4 today. you say what does that matter? we go from 120 to 135 miles per hour off shore of the u.s. what that means, brooke is that all of this wind will push water on to the u.s. east coast. the st. john's river up and down the east coast, may be flooded because of just the waves coming on shore. you have all of that force pushing all of that water that way. then you have rip current where the water going up, up to the do you know and then ripping back out. you need to stay away from that water, out of that water even if you think you're an expert diver or swimmer or wafr whatever. >> surfer. >> surfer, for sure, be out of that water. here's the problem for the rest of the forecast. by the time we get to sunday, the cone is from here to here.

then all the computer models in between. there's still a potential, there's still a possibility that new york city has a 100 miles per hour hurricane right at the mouth of the hudson river. that's still a possibility. the same possibility that it is hitting boston is right there. somewhere in the middle is probably more likely. but you have to understand, the population density right through here of an 85 or 100 mile per hour storm hitting the northeast is probably more significant than the storm although it will be bigger hitting the outer banks of north carolina. we're getting the people out of there. it's mandatory evacuation for the outer banks. there should not be anybody there. i hope there's not even a tv crew there. we're not going to send one. it's simply too dangerous to be out there. the island could be cut in half. no kidding. the sand may literally go away where these crews will be standing. hopefully the authorities don't let anybody out there. >> a lot of uncertainty still, though, thus far as we look at the eastern seaboard of the u.s. what we do know is that the

bahamas could see sustained winds of 135 miles per hour. irene already targeting the southern bahamas. the deadliest potential threat could be the surrounding sea. all that water swept inland by the storm surge. he mentioned it could reach 11 feet. jim spellman is in nassau where people are taking advantage of the blue sky to get busy with the last minute preparations. >> reporter: here in nassau, the winds are beginning to pick up and people are preparing for the arrival of hurricane irene expected to pass close by as a category or 3 hurricane. out in the bay, normally, you would see a handful of cruise ships with thousands of people on them. this beach here would be full of tourists. but the cruise ships departed to get out of the way of the storm. the beaches are closed. most of the tourists have flown out if they weren't on the cruise ships. those that remain are hunkering down in large tourist hotels like this one. >> the island is only 20 miles long.

outrunning the storm isn't an option. their best bet, try to protect their property and hope for the best. >> basic shutters and they strap down real quick. takes a matter of ten minutes to do a window. we've done it so often. more often than not, we have to put them up for near misses. but this one looks like we're going to get it. >> hope when irene passes their homes and businesses remain and their families are safe and sound. jim spellman, cnn, nassau, bahamas. jim spellman, thank you. we're talking about hurricane irene. but let's talk about the earthquake from yesterday. are you one of the millions who felt that earthquake in we're getting all kinds of video now from all over the country. capturing the frightening, some saying fun moment when it struck. we're going to show you some of the images we're getting next. perhaps lost in all the east coast quake coverage, this. another earthquake and a whole other part of the country. [ waves crashing ]

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so that earthquake that shook parts of the eastern u.s. yesterday, first had people scrambling for safety, then they scrambled to get their video posted on-line. so many of you were tweeting me as well. take a close look. this is inside a pharmacy in chester, virginia. the quake hit, the pharmacy tech. can you tell, there she goes out the window. but wait, watch the reaction in the richmond office building here. little bit of shaking. little bit of streaming as well. now to the animals. a dog asleep here on the sofa.

pay close attention to the sharon the right side of the screen here. moments before, moments before the quake hit, the dog seems to sense it, gets up and walks away. and now this. >> it was bouncing. >> that's a vantage point from exactly where we're sitting. let's look at the top of the stadium. this is a look at what it felt like when the stadium -- >> this is the little league world series in pennsylvania. batter up. you can see the cameras shaking. at first espn photographers thought somebody was messing with the mounted cameras. not so much. took a couple minutes to realize it was an earthquake. and yes, even our own crews in the washington studio there feeling the jolt. then finally, there was a guy in chantilly, virginia, in the

middle of making a furniture commercial when the quake shook things up for him. >> just thought we would take this opportunity to show you our new customer waiting room. do you feel that? >> what was that? >> again, this was a rare east coast 5.8 magnitude earthquake. not so rare, i know for you on the west coast, you deal with this all the time. take a look at what happened inside this store, near trinidad in colorado. stuff just starts flying off some of these different store shelves. before the day was over, southern colorado was hit with a series of 14 quakes yesterday. this one captured on the video was the largest. measured 5.3. quakes may not be rare in this part of the country. but one hasn't hit colorado in nearly 40 years. coming up next, explosions rock a small town in iowa as a school bus, look at this, up in flames. the terrifying scene caught on

video. also on camera, a frightening moment for the nation's former first lady. we'll tell you what happened to nancy reagan. back in two minutes.

let's get you back to what's happening in libya. moammar gadhafi, his forces not at all finished. take a look at the scene here. this is south of tripoli, the tripoli international airport. at last word, it is held by the rebels. the rebels taking fire from fighters loyal to moammar gadhafi. and the end of a nightmare for dozens of western journalists. this here is our cnn crew in this car speeding away from the international hotel, the rixos hotel in tripoli where gadhafi loyalists have been holding them captive for five-plus days. we'll be checking in with sara sidner on the ground there right now i'm being told. sara sidner, if you're with me, tell me where you are and what you're seeing. >> reporter: i'm here, brooke. i'm overlooking tripoli now. we're in the capital. we're listening to the -- the chant god a great.

what we're seeing today, another extraordinary day, brooke, in the square. we went to a couple of different neighborhoods, three or four neighborhoods today. drove around to get a sense of how much of the city that the rebels control. it's clear that they're in control of a lot of the city. however, as you mentioned, there is still a battle going on near the airport. it's about 20 kilometers or so from the city center. also near the neighborhood just east of that, there was firing coming into that compound again today. although not as much as yesterday. and we do know that the checkpoints are set up more and more in the city by the rebels. it doesn't mean that they control every single street. but it means that they know which streets are dangerous and which streets are still trying to clear. they're trying to keep people away from the streets where they say there are still snipers and still armed gadhafi loyalists in that area. brooke? >> sara, what are some of the visual signs that this city is increasingly claimed by these

rebels? >> reporter: it's both what you can see and what you cannot hear. we're not hearing as much gunfire. now, some of that gunfire we have been hearing over the last couple of days has, of course, been celebratory as you know. but some of it has not. so we're not hearing as much gunfire. we're not seeing as many fires near the area. so it's pretty clear that street by street, as we have been going along today, we were able to get to places that we have not been able to get to before. but the rebels do not claim this entire city. they know they don't have it 100% on lockdown. there is still battle going on, especially near that airport, brooke. >> with regard to the airport, sara, do we know who specifically is fighting whom and who has what territory in and around that area? >> reporter: as we understand it, it is the rebels versus

gadhafi forces. very fierce battling going on there. our reporter arwa damon is covering that aspect. we can't get to that area now. they are not allowing us to go to that area because they say it's too dangerous. but in parts of the city, they're celebrating like mad. they're going around shooting in the air, chanting, screaming, waving flags because they feel like they have enough of the city to say that they do, in fact, control the city. they do control quite a bit of it, brook,e. but there's still a firefight going on. until they can get a grip on exactly who is where and go forward with their plan to have 100% control, this is a bit of a tense situation still unfolding in the capital. >> we're working to talk to arwa as you mentioned. she has this -- she's the only person, only journalist who is that close to the international airport. but quickly, sara, because this is the first time i'm seeing you without a helmet on and without a vest. i was so struck by the images of

you covering the breach of the compound, the gadhafi compound yesterday. i know you were inside the compound with the rebels. were you actually in the ruse going with the rebels? if so, what did it look like? >> reporter: yeah. we didn't get into it. we entered the second gate which really led to insigh. we did walk in and see a bit of the buildings there. one was an unfinished building that caved in, clearly, from cannons, from mortar fire as well. we did see one building that had been collapsed. what we heard from the rebels who did go all the way in and began combing each and every one of those rooms is that they literally found pots of -- the frames were coming from the stoves. people had literally run out, left their clothes and shoes. left rooms. that gives you an indication that there were still people

inside of pro-gadhafi supporters, still people there. who they were? we don't know. that's a big question tonight, brooke. sara sidner, thank you so much. again people victorious in the capital city. by no means is this fight over. coming up, the sexual assault case dropped against dominique strauss-kahn. but the trouble for this man not quite overment we'll tell you why coming up next. what's in store when he returns home to france? there was some buzz most definitely buzz that he wanted to be president. is that still possible? we'll get insight from someone who knows coming up. up to 90% os in just two weeks, it also strengthens and rebuilds your enamel. new crest 3d white enamel renewal toothpaste. life opens up when you do. [ male announcer ] they'll see you...before you see them. cops are cracking down on drinking and riding.

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reputations are shredded. a political career scattered. dominique strauss-kahn is not entirely a free man. the sexual assault case against him was dropped yesterday and it imploded when prosecutors

started to doubt had woman. this is the woman who is the maid who accused strauss-kahn of attacking her in that swanky manhattan hotel suite. strauss-kahn's worries are far from over. he still faces a civil suit filed by the woman. also french investigators are looking into a writer's claims that strauss-kahn tried to rape her eight years ago. and then there is this. this visual called the perpendicular walk. strauss-kahn being led away in handcuffs after his arrest back in may. with all these potential strikes against him might they weigh heavily on the minds of the french public once he heads home. emanuel st. martin is a correspondent for france 24 news based in new york. good to have you here. before we talk about the court of public opinion in france, tell me, do we have any idea when strauss-kahn may be able to go home? >> no. we don't really know. his lawyers said that he wanted

to go to washington, d.c. first. he was living in washington, d.c. as the head of imf before that happened. and it was said that he wanted to talk to people he was working with at the imf to explain to them what happened. a few months ago, when you had to quit at the imf. he's going to spend a few days in washington, d.c. and then certainly go back to france and maybe get some explanation inside of the story maybe. this first interview is expected in france. >> that's the first time i've heard that, that he would go to washington. do we know specifically what he would be apologizing to his former colleagues for? >> we don't know that. we know that he said what he did was not a crime. that it was -- that something that he shouldn't have done. something already happened. he had a relation with a woman who was working at the imf. he already apologized about that

to the people he worked with. he might be doing the same now. we don't know yet exactly. >> so he goes to washington. ultimately, he goes back to france. i just wanted to know, how will all of france that the public see him as he goes home, one, one part of the question and secondly, could he possibly salvage his promising political career? >> you know, there is some sympathy for a man who has been through this now that few months ago everybody was saying that he was guilty of rape and now he leaves free. he's going to leave the u.s. free. of course, there is some sympathy. but his career, is really -- i wouldn't bet anything on his political career now. you know, he's a politician, so i guess the urge to run is always -- but the first question is does he want to run now. there is a lot of signs that he doesn't want to run now, especially because if he runs, then he might have to answer

some embarrassing questions. what are you really doing? a lot of his behaviors with women, et cetera. so maybe, i don't see him running and also his image has been damaged by what happened. you don't commit any crime, that's one thing. but the way he deals with women, the way he behaves with women, that's something that was not well-known by everybody in france. now everybody knows that. you know, it's very, very difficult to have a political career with that after that. >> so if we don't know if he would want to have any sort of political career given perhaps some of the questions he'd be answering, would france want him as a leader? >> that's really the question. i don't think so now. his image has suffered a lot. people really, even if there is sympathy for someone who went through this ordeal here in new york for three months.

but still, people discover there are a lot of things about him and not only about his sexual behaviors and behaviors with women, but also about his fortune. the fact that -- very, very rich. has nothing do with sex scandal. he was going to run as a socialist. being such a rich man for socialist person, that might be a problem. a lot of things have changed since may 14th when that happened in this hotel. i don't see him -- most people in france don't see him in a position of running in france now. >> as we mentioned, emanuel, he faces this attempted rape investigation that is under way in france. i'm wondering what impact the end of this criminal case in manhattan, would it have any kind of impact on the investigation in france? >> on the case in france, i don't think so. i think the case in france is a

very long shot. it happened seven, eight years ago. there is really no explanation why this woman didn't file this complaint sooner. so it's a very long shot. there is not much to fear from strauss-kahn about this suit. but the civil case in the bronx now from the woman might be another question. you know, it's going to be there and we're going to talk about this again and again and again. if the civil case goes forward. >> emanuel, since i have you, i would be remiss not to ask you about something that happened today between french president sarkozy and mahmoud gentleman bril, he's the head of the libyan rebels, national transitional council. the ntc. sarkozy really took the lead pushing nato into action in libya. given this image that we see here, the ntc flag, the french

flag and these two leaders, what is the reaction to this in france today? >> you know, sarkozy bet a lot on the libya war if you will. maybe some would say even his reelection. he felt like he and all of people saw him as -- the recent evolution in libya. so he's going to be very, very involved, very much involved in whatever happening in libya. he has been, you know, qualified as his war in a way. because he was very -- he pushed a lot to have nato intervening and the u.s. intervening in libya. that's seen as really, if it's a victory for the revolt in libya, was seen a victory for sarkozy at least in the short term. >> emanuel saint-martin with 24 news france. i appreciate it very, very much.

as we stay on libya here, obviously there is still no sign of colonel gadhafi. now rebels are offering a bounty of almost $2 million for his capture. but what about gadhafi's money? the united nations is deciding this hour whether or not to give to the rebels. we're going to take you live tt united nations next. every time a local business opens its doors or creates another laptop bag or hires another employee, it's not just good for business -- it's good for the entire community.

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the united nations security council is meeting to decide if now is the time to free up large amounts of gadhafi's money it had frozen when the uprising began. i'm going to bring in richard roth and richard, easy question. has a decision been made? >> the meeting has just started. there's heavy pressure on one country, south africa, which diplomats say has been the lone holdout. the plan is to release $1.5 billion in frozen assets. this is money that was held when

the security council passed that resolution to denounce gadhafi when he was oppressing his own citizens. now the situation has changed on the ground and they want to give that money, plus the libyans on the libyan transition council, they're asking for $2.5 billion in additional aid. there's a lot of money going on. the key is to get some stability for the people of libya after all of this chaos. >> richard, let's check back in with you as you mentioned that meeting just began. when it is finished. i definitely want to check back in with you at the u.n. for now, we'll let you go. richard, thank you very much. i want to get to mike baker, joining me again today. former cia covert operations officer. mike, okay, first i want to -- let's juxtapose what we're seeing in terms of the images coming out of tripoli and also what we're not. we're seeing amazingly, all the journalists freed from the rixos hotel. all kinds of celebratory gunfire. my question to you in terms of

intel, what aren't we seeing? >> well, the outward visuals that we've got, certainly everyone is concerned about the chaos that they're seeing. the firing on the streets, the dumping of weapons outside of the armories. what you're not seeing behind the scenes is on several levels. one is a significant effort by british and french for the most part personnel to try to pull together a chain of command that can bring all these militia and rebel groups under control of one central leadership. so they're not acting somewhat independently. th independently. what you're not seeing is the effort put forward to continue to train the rebels, now to get ahead of the curve and to try to understand how do we create this into a workable military. most of these people are civilians. are they going to want to give up their weapons and go home. there's a great deal of gathering intelligence. work is done by cia and also french and british services to be able to debrief recent

defectors coming particularly from the military and cabinet trying to get a handle on everything from where's gadhafi to what about the weapons? there are a significant number of weapons that have just basically gone walkabout. >> let me just jump in because this is something i have been struck by watching this story playing out, the weaponry these rebels have, coming across these different caches as well, getting more weapons from the gadhafi compound, there has to be a concern of these weapons if no one's looking, they could walk out the back door and fall in the hands of the bad guys. >> absolutely, they likely already have to some degree. they have raiding armories for months as they gain control of certain bases. there can be upwards of 20,000 portable meaning shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, russian

built, you have anti-tank systems, variety of weapons systems stored up in the armories, they burst open the doors and you can guarantee nobody is standing at the door with a clipboard taking inventory. we have a real concern at some point some extremist elements not to go down the road say oh my good jihad extremists will take control of the country. they'll take advantage of the market. >> there's the city south of tripoli with the mustard gas. we'll get news from the pentagon and talk about that next hour. mike baker thank you very, very much. a coaching legend in women's basketball facing her toughest competition yet. pat summitt's stunning revelation and why she won't be throwing in the towel just yet. s 2011 truck of the year. no, it was good because you told us so.

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i want to talk about this amazing women's basketball coach pat summitt and her dementia diagnosis is trending right now. the 59-year-old basketball coach with the most wins in college history is used to glaring at her opponent head-on with tenacity, helped lead the tennessee women's basketball team to eight titles, some say she is not leaves basketball. joining me by known, christine brennan, sports columnist for "usa today." christine, you have covered coach summitt for years, she's been named wizard of knoxville, talk to me about her decision to go public with something so private. >> you know, i think, brooke,

this is something very much typical of pat summitt and i think she is going to become the face now of this terrible disease, as sad as all this news is. i think there's such a positive in terms of bringing people who have this disease to be able to see her, to be the face of it, as i said, pulling it out of the closet a bit. that will be a wonderful offshoot of this and bring people to the game of basketball to watch her team, to be interested in how she's doing. as sad as it is, brooke, i feel there are many positives and i think pat is coming to the realization as tough as she is, as strong as she is, people are going to look at her now and there won't be a pity party but there will be a concern and softening of the feelings people have for her. >> her quote is, "don't throw me a pity party." several months ago may she went to the mayo clinic, described

some erratic behavior she was experiencing last season. do we know what some of the signs were? >> we do. for example she was having trouble remembering the offensive plays, the offensive sets she was about to call with her team, she was very concerned to the point where she didn't necessarily want to go to work, felt awkward who she was going to say to people, forgetting her keys -- things we all do but she was doing it more and more. she and her son went to the mayo clinic and she was put through the battery of tests and they came up with the diagnosis. >> i understand being in a career where you make quick split-second decisions and she is planning on going ahead and coaching the vols next season. how does she plan on juggling and mitigating the problems with the diagnosis? >> this is her third season with tennessee and shes aan excellent coaching staff. we'll see a team coaching much

more than in the past. they know what they want to do at tennessee. they've won so many times so a professional operation will continue to unfold. pat will be the figure head of that but she will not necessarily be the only one calling the shots, so that's going to be a very comfortable feeling for her. >> leading her team as i said to eight victories all the way, it is so impressive, christine brennan "usa today" thank you so much. >> my pleasure, thank you. we're watching hurricane irene, forecasters say it could become a monster storm, live radar churning through the atlantic. a big question remains about where she will strike. much more on the hurricane straight ahead. in here, inventory can be taught to learn. ♪ machines have a voice. ♪ medical history follows you. it's the at&t network -- a network of possibilities... committed to delivering the most advanced mobile broadband experience

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forecast in this hour. chad myers will have it for you. the hunt is on for moammar gadhafi dead or alive. there is a bounty out on his head. the news starts right now. as we've been reporting, there is heavy, heavy fighting this hour, just south of tripoli at the tripoli international airport, and the fighting there has raged for hours. at last report, rebel forces controlling the airport were being fired upon by forces loyal to deposed libyan leader moammar gadhafi. we have established contact with cnn's arwa damon. eric, are you telling me we have arwa? go to chris. chris parry, former british and naval commander, we work to establish contact with arwa, chris parry to you, sir. i want to begin with cnn reporting with the stockpiles of muss card and sarin gas.

nato has begun high-level internal discussions on how to protect the supplies if the stockpile is deemed no longer secure, they're using this phrase "prudent planning." can you explain to me what that means, wearing your former nato hat, is this standard procedure? >> at the end of the cold war a number of countries had obsolete nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and we had to make those safe so we have quite a lot of expertise in cooperating with regimes after they've come across the democratic side of actually making safe these sorts of weapons and ensuring that we've got the people, the expertise and the resources in place to make sure they don't harm anybody. >> i know also we were talking with richard roth, determining how much in terms of frozen assets may be given to the ntc. i was talking to the state department yesterday saying they may be unfreezing one, 1.5 billion. how does that process work,

where does the money go and who decides how it's disbursed? >> well this is not an area i've had a lot of direct experience with. in areas where i have worked in this sector, it's most important, first of all, the assets are given the assurance of knowing where it came from, in the first place. a lot of these assets would have been exported by individuals associated with the gadhafi regime and some of the institutions that are now associated with that regime so we have to find out what the providence is first and before it's disbursed, i think we have to ask to what end are these assets going to be put. because in some cases as we've seen in haiti, pakistan, indonesia and other places they can't get into the hands of either criminals or people subject to bribery, corruption and all sorts of other inducements that money tends to bring along. >> i want to throw a question at you, chris parry, that i tossed

to our former cia covert ops guy, mike baker, a moment ago. we're seeing jubilation, he mentioned a flurry of chaos but what we're not seeing is intelligence operatives debriefing, trying to figure out where moammar gadhafi is, trying to figure out where some of his sons are. what more do you think we aren't seeing, what's happening on the ground there? >> i think it's very difficult to get into the minds of individuals, and networks, and cultures that we, frankly, don't understand. this is a regime that has been under wraps for the best part of 40 years so we don't understand the motivations and some of the characters involved in these transactions. i think what we'll see very shortly is all these groups coming together, and they'll either cooperate or they're going to compete with each other both for power and for influence within whichever sort of society they want for the future. >> sure. chris parry, let me -- >> i think what we can do --

>> let me jump in, we have arwa damon on the line, it's been touch and go as far as getting communication getting established. arwa, tell me where you are, good to see you and tell me about this fighting. you've been covering the fighting at the international airport. >> reporter: yes, and we're still at the international airport, although we have had to move inside because the artillery barrage was quite simply too intense, some of it landing a bit too close and this has been going on for hours. there is right now as we speak a plane in flames on the tarmac, part of it exploded, still incoming artillery, heavy exchange of machine gun fire. the battle is quite intense and going on for some time. the rebel fighters are growing increasingly frustrated for reason they don't vote the vital highway they don't control the location north to tripoli and to

the east, where the majority of the assaults on the airport complex are coming from. the fighters tell us gadhafi forces are using villages not too far away as cover to launch the various attacks on this site. they say that is preventing them from being able to fire back because they're concerned about civilian casualties. they say that is what's preventing nato from being able to target these positions. a lot of this frustration also emanating from what many here believe is that this area has been used by gadhafi loyalists to try to perhaps smuggle him out. one of the senior commanders here was telling us is that he believes based on the intensity and ferocity of the assault for multiple directions on this airport complex that gadhafi loyalists are trying to figure out some sort of a route to either get gadhafi out of tripoli or that he perhaps may already be in the area or traveling through the area. brooke? >> so you're saying, given the

barrage of firepower that you've been witnessing, you mention this plane on fire on the tarmac that's directly correlated potentially according to sources at the airport, that could be correlated with the position of moammar gadhafi? >> reporter: well with the senior rebel commander is telling us, he believes the intensity of the fighting is directly related to gadhafi's whereabouts. all of the fighters that we have been speaking to from the top down have been saying that the level of resistance they're getting from the gadhafi forces in this area has been unexpected. >> got it. >> reporter: senior commander also point to the fact the attacks are coming from multiple directions. they're relentless so they say that someone is being protected and they believe that it's gadhafi. they believe that the loyalists are trying to keep the rebels pinned down at this location, preventing them from gaining control of land to the east, preventing them from gaining

control of the highway to tripoli. >> arwa, we have heard that gadhafi may have a farm in that area somewhere around the airport. do we know precisely where that is and are the rebel forces actively trying to find him? >> reporter: well, they haven't been able to reach that farm and it is located just off the main highway that runs from this airport to tripoli. it's a fairly elaborate sprawling complex but it's not well guarded. no one believes he may have gone there to try to seek shelter. what they do believe is because the areas are controlled by gadhafi loyalists they will be able to maneuver him through. last night the rebels spotted a convoy and they say it also contained an armored mercedes. [ explosion ] i don't know if you're able to hear that explosion. >> we heard it. [ explosion ] there's another one and another

one. that gives you an idea of the intensity of the ongoing barrage. [ explosion ] i'm just going to go off to the side a bit. >> let me jump in, arwa. >> reporter: they believe he is traveling inside of that armored vehicle. >> i just wanted to jump in. what is it exactly that you're hearing? we definitely heard it as well three times over. what kind of firing is that? >> reporter: that's incoming artillery, most likely mortar rounds. they've been pounding it in that exact way for hours now. it started in the morning. they were ground rockets being fired at this complex, and then it intensified into a non-stop barrage of artillery. also we do hear at times the rebels trying to fire back out but again, they say that they're constrained because of their concern for civilian casualties. we've also been hearing some pretty intense heavy machine gun fire and the gadhafi fires are

not just concentrating this barrage from a single direction. they'll launch from one direction and send a unit of fighters to loop around and attack the rebel fighters that have positioned outside of the airport complex, trying to attack really from multiple locations at the same time, because they're not just trying to regain control of the airport, the rebel fighters are telling us. remember, they believe they're trying to clear a route for gadhafi himself to be able to escape and i think this is an indication even though the rebels say they control large parts of tripoli, there are still areas like this, where gadhafi loyalists are really posing a very serious challenge. >> arwa, while i have you and guys on the fly, throw the map up, because help us understand, if you say that the gadhafi forces have control of that main jugular, the main artery between the airport and the city, and they're trying to gain control, obviously, where you are at the airport, what ultimately could

their end game be? you mention it's not likely that gadhafi would be at that farm nearby. would it be possible, we know he's from sirte, which is from east of tripoli. maybe it would be circuitous for them to try to go that way but would that be a possibility? >> reporter: yeah, actually it would be and that is what the senior commanders here believe. they believe the loyalists will try to move gadhafi and his family either to areas in the far south of the country, the central south of the country or perhaps loop around and take him up to sirte, a city that still remains pretty much firmly under his control. it is his hometown. it is filled with people who are loyal to him, and so that very much is the thought here and there are, of course, great concerns that he is going to somehow slip away, because he is the ultimate prize for the rebels. they want to see him, and his family captured. they want to see them brought to

justice. they want to see everything that they have suffered through for the last 42 years. they want to hold somebody accountable for that, so they most certainly do not want the type of scenario where gadhafi is going to somehow slip away, survive, continue sending out those taunting messages, saying that he is still alive and that he is calling on people to rise up and fight with him. >> arwa damon there inside for her safety and our crew's safety inside the tripoli international airport, arwa, thank you very much. we'll have much more on the unfolding situation in libya here in just a moment. but coming up next, millions here in the united states bracing for a direct hit. >> reporter: there are few evacuation options. the island is only 40 kilometers long so outrunning the storm isn't an option. >> the entire east coast on alert. the warning now from the obama administration is hurricane irene barrels towards the u.s., its path constantly changing.

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all eyes on irene today, and for the next couple of days, the dangerous category 3 hurricane could deliver a glancing blow to north carolina before taking aim at new england. look at irene from the international space station. she's huge. right now, irene is whipping parts of the bahamas with strong winds, conditions expected to worsen by nightfall and irene caused widespread damage and flooding in puerto ricorico. evacuations on the way on bare area island in south carolina.

>> i think if anything thursday is the day we'd be talking about evacuations if we needed to do that but it's one when we say it we want the state to certainly listen and make sure they're paying attention, too, but right now that is not the case. >> chad myers is tracking irene's moves. we're going to talk to you about where she is right now. we'll talk bahamas momentarily. we're going to talk to the charleston mayor, joe riley. mr. mayor nice to have you on. you have weathered a number of storms in beautiful south carolina. you've been around nine terms, i hear. let's just talk about preparations. are you -- how are you preparing or do you think you're going to miss it? >> well, for charleston it looks like we are going to do okay now. we still have all of our preparation systems in place, but we take hurricane

preparation very seriously and it's a year-round thing for us. when the season begins we communicate again with our citizenry about each citizen having their own hurricane plan, about their -- >> mayor -- >> about which -- in advance and so much more. >> i know charleston doesn't have a lot of major evacuation arteries, if you get the order to go, do you anticipate any problems for folks trying to leave town? >> no, we don't. we encourage people to leave early who can, and they can go whatever route they want and if you wait until the mandatory evacuation, we have many highways where all lanes are reversed, so that people can easily get out, and we are comfortable we can successfully evacuate whatever community needs to be evacuated, if the call comes. >> chad, go ahead. >> mr. mayor, it's chad myers. i'm wondering about edestahl and

wild dunes. there's not much protection. the dunes are basically gone. will the islands be evacuated? if it's a 135-mile-per-hour wind and waves 20 to 30 feet the erosion could be tremendous. >> you know, there's likely to be erosion and this will be monitored, you know, in the next 12 to 24 hours but if the storm remains the 100 to 150 miles offshore from us, then the barrier islands adjacent to charleston i don't believe need to be evacuated. that's carefully monitored and we'll err on the side of caution. what is more dangerous is if the storm comes at us and it creates the surge, which is more damaging than the waves, the

surge is a wall of water that comes up instantaneously and that's the greater fear of the hurricane is the storm surge, and in direct hit the evacuation is essential. the killer in hurricanes is rising water. >> chad and i have been talking and some of the concern is the barrier islands but when i think of charleston, i think of beautiful historic homes there, rainbow row, you have the battery, and i know that you all suffered quite a tough hurricane, what was it, back in '89, hugo. >> that's right. >> a lot of damage then. can these homes, these very, very old homes withstand a potentially category 3 hurricane? >> well, they did in 1989 with hugo, and they've all been wonderfully restored and city's more beautiful than it ever was. they're sturdy. the main thing is to get the human beings out, you know, you can rebuild a building after a

hurricane. you can't replace a lost life, so that's our first concern. if need be, get our citizens in safe areas in evacuation shelters or out of this region, then if damage comes, we'll work hard and rebuild the several hundred-year-old houses as they've been rebuilt over the years. hopefully in the case of irene here, that won't be necessary, but the hurricane season is early. we're on ready alert, until the hurricane season is over. >> okay, mayor riley, i thank you for coming on. hopefully you will not have to deal with evacuating anyone. thank you very much, sir. quickly, chad, you'll get some sort of update by the end of the hour. you'll bring that to us. for now, irene over some of these, some of the bahamian islands? >> right now, 120-mile-per-hour storm, wind gusts to 130, tearing up those islands. we're waiting for the turn. remember we've been talking about the right-hand turn? we wait and we wait and we wait and sometimes it's late and if

it's late turning it's closer to charleston than we were predicting. i'll update you in 35 minutes. >> chad myers thank you very much for that. still ahead as we don't go very far from the situation in libya, this man, our senior international correspondent matthew chance getting ready to join me live where moammar gadhafi's thugs held him and other international journalists in hotel. hear about the dramatic negotiations for his freedom. also up next -- americans scrambling for safety after that earthquake shakes entire regions. many of you felt it. we're getting new video of those moments from yesterday afternoon. plus another earthquake hitting the u.s. and this one causes some damage. [ female announcer ] what if your natural beauty could be flawless too?

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let's talk about that earthquake that hit many, many states up and down the eastern seaboard yesterday. first it had a lot of people scrambling for safety and then they scrambled to grab their cameras and posted videos online. this is surveillance cameras inside a pharmacy in chester, virginia. the quake hit, see the pharmacy tech, opened that window and out she jumps, but wait. here is some reaction, this is richmond office building. [ screaming ] >> how is it animals tend to sense these sorts of things. a dog asleep on the sofa. chair on the right-hand side of

the screen. moments before the quake hit the dog gets up. the chair started to shake, the dog says see you later, i'm leaving this room, and this. >> it was bouncing. there's the camera. >> that's -- >> here you go, little league world series, pennsylvania. the camera as you can see, they're shaking. apparently first espn photographers someone thought it was messing with them, took them a couple of minutes for them to realize it was an earthquake. and little shaking there in our cnn studios there in washington, d.c. finally let me show you this. there is a man in chantilly, virginia, in the middle of making a furniture commercial yesterday afternoon when it shook things up for him. >> just thought we'd take this opportunity to show you our new

showroom. you feel that? >> you feel that, he says? yes, indeed, a rare magnitude 5.8 earthquake. goodness. let's not though forget about colorado. they got hit by an earthquake yesterday as well, a 5.3 magnitude quake hit the southern part of the state early yesterday morning. people reportedly feeling it as far north as denver, kansas and new mexico. the earthquake tied for the second largest in the state's history and the biggest in 40 years. no reports of injuries but you can see from the surveillance video the quake big enough for some of those store items to get tossed about. now this. and they said look, we're not going to stop you from leaving anymore. all we had to do then was arrange some kind of transport out of the hotel. >> hear the excitement in his voice, held captive for days. finally today, journalists freed from their hotel, they're in tripoli, including our own cnn

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in case you hadn't heard this update yet our cnn crew was among dozens of those international journalists freed this morning from the rixos international hotel in tripoli and the end came today, you're looking at our senior international correspondent matthew case, our cnn producer persuaded the local gadhafi commander that the fight outside on the streets was over and that gadhafi forces had lost. hear from cnn producer j jo manakaradshi. she helped in the end. >> we spent time over the last few days talking about him and

his family. he started telling him i do miss my family and i really want to see my family who are worried about me now and journalists sitting there as well. he got tears in his eyes and felt emotional about that, too. and you know, slowly myself and other colleagues and our cameraman sat there with him and told him things are changing out there, so slowly he started listening to us and like you have to think of your kids. let us go. it happened. it was a slow process, it was a messy one at times but it worked out at the end. >> one of the things that was so amazing about what happened today is that the guys that were holding us hostage essentially they didn't know that any of us had taken place outside the perimeter of the hotel.

they thought the country was still in the control of colonel gadhafi. they didn't realize outside the hotel doors the whole world was changed and when they finally realized there was no reason for them to stay there and carry out these bizarre orders to sort of keep the journalists in the hotel and not let them out, when they accepted that, they lift rally cast away their weapons, said they were sorry to us and said you're now free to to g and we organized these vehicles, these cars and they took us out, it was the international committee of the red cross they took us out to a safe location somewhere else. it's just an amazing coming out to tripoli, all of these people are so happy. they don't know about our situation obviously, they're just focused on the fact their entire country from their point of view is now free. >> it is nice to hear, and see jomana and matthew, but the fighting continues in libya and

we are now getting some white house reaction on the ground there, coming up. also a major accident in space, russia losing contact with the unmanned rocket, it disappears and crashes to earth. we'll tell you where and what happened. plus -- [ explosion ] a school bus carrying 16 kids, you saw it, goes up in smoke, then explodes. up next, the dramatic video and what the bus driver did in those horrifying moments.

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more on breaking news out of libya. joining me from martha's vineyard, cnn's dan lothian. what are you hearing from the white house in terms of reaction to what we've been witnessing on the ground? >> reporter: i can tell you first of all that the national security team has been closely monitoring the situation, watching some of those pictures over the last 24 hours on

television, monitoring social media, also in touch with the ntc, the rebel group. the president himself did receive a briefing from john brennan his counterterrorism adviser, unclear whether the president himself is seeing those dramatic pictures on television, but we're told that he has gotten all of the reports. the white house has been unable to tell us whether or not they believe they know exactly where gadhafi might be, but they do think that he is still inside libya. that is less important, though, than the fact that they believe that he is no longer in control of that country. one other point, the white house does have some concerns about the ntc, that rebel group's ability to carry out that peaceful transition to democracy, but nonetheless the white house saying they still have confidence in that group and will provide any assistance that they need. brooke? >> dan, just curious, we saw french president nicolas sarkozy meeting and speaking with the head of the ntc, mr. jibril.

any indication president obama might try to speak with him as well? >> reporter: no indication at all. but this is a very fluid situation so what they might not be talking about doing today might completely change tomorrow but what we do know is that the white house is communicating with the ntc but at this point we know of no plans for the president himself to have any direct contact. >> dan lothian in martha's vineyard where the president is vacationing. more news "rapid fire" let's go. some news that will bring relief to iphone and sprint customers. according to "the wall street journal" sprint will sell the new apple iphone 5 in mid-october, that will bring the popular smartphone to all three major u.s. carriers. verizon began selling the iphone in february. apple has yet to release details on the new and improved iphone 5.

a frightening moment caught on tape in texas. three people, one with a gun storm this food mart, one let over the counter to grab the cash, the clerks fought back, no luck. the cashier says the robbers took about $2,000, they got out of there. the trio could be men dressed as women. and in iowa, as if for some kids the first day of school wasn't frightening enough, try this on. you are looking here -- [ explosion ] first the school bus is on fire and then it explodes. 16 schoolchildren were on board before it exploded. let's watch it one more time. goodness. all the students and the driver got off that bus safely, minutes before it exploded. a russian rocket carrying three tons of supplies to the international space station went

rogue today. russian mission control lost contact with its unmanned rocket three minutes before it was set to reach orbit. russian emergency officials now say the rocket crashed in a remote area of siberia. >> it's very real, these weapons systems are dangerous. he has literally thousands of anti-aircraft missiles, shoulder-fired missiles. he has about 25,000 pounds of mustard gas. >> as the confusion grows in libya, new concerns about moammar gadhafi's chemical weapons. one u.s. lawmaker says something must be done now before there is a "blackmart bow nan did" and which country is doing what to help out the rebels. we're live at the pentagon next. can i have some ice cream, please ?

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secure and know exactly where it is, at the rapta place south of tripoli. they've been keeping a close eye on the place for days, weeks, with drones and satellite plas make sure it's secure. >> where is it? >> we've learned there are talks within nato at some of the highest levels about just that question, what to do if for some reason it does not become secure. they are talking in terms of sending in, how they would send in teams, how those teams would be made up, whether they would be military, intelligence agents or even contractors with the kind of expertise needed to secure a chemical stockpile. >> is it weapons grade, chris? >> it's not, meaning you can't just take it, put a few khansters in a briefcase it or release it or detonate it

somewhere. the real concern is that it could be sold off to a third party, fall into the wrong hands and later be weaponized. >> we know special forces from britain, france, jordan, qatar, all stepping up operations in the capital. what are they doing right now? >> we know some of the french and the qatari special forces have provided weapons to the rebels, and they've also as a whole all of these special forces teams have been helping them better plan some of their tactical missions, and really helping with communication. when you've got a rag tag bunch like these rebels are, we're all of the sudden thrust into a fighting role a lot of times it can be hard for the right hand to know what the left hand is doing, the special forces have been instrumental in helping these groups coordinate and also calling in some of the very precise air strikes from some of

the nato war planes that are providing air support. >> final question, what about us? what's the u.s.'s role? . >> the u.s. is involved in the talks with nato about what to do if for some reason the chemical stockpile is no longer deemed to be secure, but at this point they're not talking about u.s. troops being part of that team, no u.s. military troops being part of that team. the thinking is that if this had to happen in a worst case scenario it might be easier for one nation to send its team in, because if you take it as a whole nato mission, then a lot of different countries have to agree on parameters and like that, it may be faster and easier for one nation to send a team. >> chris lawrence at the pentagon thank you. coming up see how this dramatic day in tripoli unfolded in real time. also is washing a child's mouth out with soap, is that considered child abuse?

how about this? how about feeding your child with hot sauce as punishment? one mother did just that, and she could go to jail. if so, though, what happens to her kids? and the dr. phil show which aired the video, sunny hostin is on the case. welcome back, after this. to talk face-to-facekes y with another iphone. this easy to talk with a mac and this easy to talk with an ipad. facetime. just one more thing that makes an iphone an iphone.

a slam dunk case blows up in prosecutor's faces, gets kicked out of court, talking about dominique strauss-kahn and the hotel maid. he's not totally a free man. sunny hostin is back on the case for us.

dominique strauss-kahn faces legal challenges here in the u.s., being sued by the maid who accused him of attacking her. let's listen to what one of his lawyers said on cnn the last night. >> the same difficulties, the same lies will come back to haunt her in a civil case as occurred in the criminal case and we're not really worried about the civil case. >> sunny so this civil case, i don't know it could take years and years. does she have a chance of winning that? >> i think she does. what people have to remember about the civil case, brooke, there is a different standard of proof there. we're not talking about reasonable doubt, which is the standard beyond a reasonable doubt which is the standard in the criminal case. we're talking about a preponderance of the evidence. i'm surprised they have sort of come out swinging in terms of the civil suit. that is a case i think that is ripe for settlement. that is a case that can let him go on with his life and perhaps

if this did happen give her some semblance of justice, and so i am surprised that they intend to fight that as vigorously as they seem to be professing. very interesting turn of events for me. >> we also know the ongoing investigation in france, and does it help him at all that his accuser here took eight years, she's a french writer, took her eight years to come forward and say he tried to rape her? >> well i think it does, in a sense, right, because of all the publicity around, there's certainly the argument she only came forward because he's a powerful man because perhaps she wants money, because perhaps she's making this up. in france the statute of limitations for sexual assault is three years but attempted rape ten years. she's within the statute. prosecutors can still bring charges against him but it's certainly i think in front of any jury, in front of a judge it is going to help she waited so

long to report that. my understanding from a lot of the reports she has reason for waiting that long and so perhaps we'll still see that case go forward in france. >> case number two, we talked about this when you were off and got under a lot of people's skin, calling her the hot sauce mom, jessica beagley, found guilty for child abuse for pouring hot sauce into her son's mouth. this is a clip she submitted to the dr. phil show. >> open. close your mouth. did you swallow it? do you lie to me? no, don't spit it. >> okay. so what happens next? could she go to jail? >> she could go to jail certainly. she was convicted of misdemeanor child abuse and she should go to jail. every time i look at that clip

as a mother when i put my mommy hat on it makes me blood boil. i don't think there's any question that it's child abuse. you don't treat a child like that, a 7-year-old little boy who was adopted from russia, he had some issues, he had some separation anxiety, i mean this is just child abuse in its clearest form for me. i think she should get the book thrown at her, that's a year in prison if judge sunny were rendering that. >> i'm thinking about the boy, though, the boy, sunny hostin, what happens to him and by the way she has five other kids. >> isn't that something? apparently he also has a twin brother and it's been reported that perhaps they will be taken from her. russian authorities are looking into that, and i really hope that that is something that happens. this is not a woman fit to be a mother, not from what i see on that videotape. >> quickly, can prosecutors go after the dr. phil show too here? >> you know, we're hearing a lot about that. i don't know whether or not prosecutor also go after the dr.

phil show. i think this is really about the mother, right, because mothers are supposed to be protectors and advocates for their children, supposed to have the best interests of their children in mind at heart. this is all about the mother, not the dr. phil show. >> judge sunny ruled. thank you so much. i appreciate it. now this looking at chad and the weather team watching the computers. thumbs up from chad good deal. we're getting a brand new update where hurricane irene is heading. free 'cause that's how it ought to be my brother credit 'cause you'll need a loan for one thing or another score 'cause they break it down to one simple number that you can use dot to take a break because the name is kinda long com in honor of the internet that it's on put it all together at the end of the song it gives you freecreditscore-dot-com, and i'm gone... offer applies with enrollment in freecreditscore.com [ martin luther king jr. ] i still have a dream

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the update is now in for the national hurricane center. chad myers what is the latest? >> 100 miles an hour, the traing got smaller and the window, cone got smaller. only 15 miles away we would know within a mile where it was going to hit. the cone offshore, potential miss but right over long island, maybe no boston and into northern new england. look at that 100-mile-per-hour storm. >> chad, thank you. we were holding our breath today, all of the events unfolding around libya from the outskirts of the gadhafi compound where it seems sara sidner hadn't seen the end of the shelling to the drama unfolding inside and outside that rixos hotel as producer,

senior international correspondent matthew chance and jomana karadshen. >> reporter: gunfire going off, they feel very, very excited, very excited. we're going to go in a little bit further. if you look over here to the right, you are seeing the fire inside of gadhafi's compound. [ gunfire ] >> reporter: all right, i'm going to back up. let's pull back a little bit, let's just pull back because i'm getting hit by some of the shells. [ gunfire ] see that truck? that truck is going around the square blowing off rounds. these kids are out here and you hear all this gunfire. you've got gentlemen walking by with guns, you know, and doing doughnuts and shooting out the window, anything can happen.

>> reporter: breaking news situation. we have now left the compound of the rixos hotel, all of the 36 journalists that were kept inside essentially against their will in what we all considered all along to be a hostage crisis, it's been a very complicated, a very frightening, a very emotional roller coaster of the past five days, we managed to negotiate the red cross to get in and we've got all the journalists into these four cars plus a civilian car, and we're now driving out of the rixos, we're driving through the deserted streets of tripoli to our freedom essentially. it's been an absolutely, it's been an absolute nightmare. >> matthew, is your producer,jomana with you? >>jomana, nice to hear your voice.