tom bearden with "p.b.s. newshour" joins us by phone from baton rouge, louisiana. tom, what's the latest from your location? >> well, the crest is predicted to reach the morganza spillway sometime tomorrow and then continue downriver until it reaches baton rouge on wednesday. that probably gets more attention than it probably should. all it means is that the river will reach its highest level at that point. but it will stay there for several days, perhaps more than a week. and the water itself will retain in the area in the areas where it is backed up perhaps for a month or six weeks. >> tom: now the spillway was opened about 48 hours ago. and you have been traveling around the basin there. what has been the affect of this. >> it is a slow-moving flood. you're not talking about a wall of water five feet tall inundating towns and ranches and farms in one fell swoop. but rather seeping in to drainage canals and things of that nature and slowly rising. >> tom: tom, let's talk about the energy situation, because a decent amount of the u.s. gasoline supply comes from whe

on the "newshour" tonight, tom bearden examines how the rising water is affecting the environment. they each picked up a lot of rain. those things have an impact. >> lehrer: then, we update the case against i.m.f. chief dominique strauss-kahn and explore the differences between u.s. and french laws and reactions. >> ifill: congressional correspondent kwame holman reports on two bills aimed at big oil and bringing down high gas prices. >> lehrer: paul solman explores the connection between new technologies and new jobs. >> ifill: reporting from bahrain, margaret warner interviews the foreign minister about the government crackdown on protesters. >> lehrer: and spencer michels reports on a california artist, who finds inspiration in everyday places and things. that's all ahead on tonight's "newshour." major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this p

on the newshour tonight, tom bearden reports from louisiana on the decision to divert the river away from major cities, a move that's affecting families along the way. >> reporter: a number of small towns are bracing for what could be record high water. >> ifill: then we analyze the fallout from the arrest of i.m.f. chief dominique strauss- kahn on sexual assault charges. >> suarez: we talk with binyamin appelbaum of the "new york times" about raising the federal debt ceiling as the government hits its limit for borrowing today. >> ifill: in advance of tonight's pbs documentary about the "freedom riders," judy woodruff talks with two who reenacted the trip. >> you believe in something that is so right, so good and so necessary that you're prepared to stand up and be willing to die for it. >> suarez: plus, as the space shuttle launches, we profile poet tracy k. smith, who writes about exploring the universe and ourselves. >> ifill: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: in 1968, as whaling continued worldwide, the first recordi