the morganza spillway. the state making a decision to open the spillway and release water into some communities, burying homes in those communities to protect communities like baton rouge, new orleans, one of the extraordinary measures this state is taking. the stakes are enormous. governor jindal saying $300 million alone in crop damage, tens of millions in other property damage. there are a dozen oil refineries in flood zone. there are chemical factories, homes and businesses as well. listen to governor jindal here explaining the tough decision to open the spillway he says will protect larger communities without a doubt but for the families right in the devastated zone, listen to how many homes could be, could be just buried. >> look, worst case scenario and i don't think the numbers will be this bad. they said 3 million acres under water. 20 to 30,000 people will be flooded. approximately between 11 or 15,000 homes. since then the estimate has been revised. they didn't have to open as much of the spillwa

we're still at the spillway area.n that wide open space of grass land that was just on the dry side of the morganza spillway here in the last two hours has really filled up. that water continues to gush through the one bay that has been opened. they will open up more bays here in the next 24 hours, all in the effort to diminish the pressure on the mississippi river and the levee system that keep baton rouge and new orleans dry. that's the focus. it will take some time for this water to make its way downstream. we're told it would take about a day to get down to interstate 10 which is about 40 -- we're about 45 miles north. it will take about three days to get down to morgan city. >> ed, thank you very much. >>> i want to bring in sunny hostin, our legal expert on this network and hln and our sister network, trutv as well. i want to ask you about the legal ramifications for this. did illinois set a precedent when they opened the levy to relieve pressure and flooded land? >> remember those 25 farmers in missouri did att

the first bay of morganza spillway is open.slowly diverting dangerous flood waters from the mississippi river away from baton rouge and new orleans. it comes at a great cost to others as water gushes through the spillway, homes and farms across the atchafalaya river basin will be flooded. >>> and jury selection in a sensational florida murder trial will continue today. lawyers are working a full day trying to seek jurors to hear the case of casey anthony. she's accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter nearly three years ago. she was missing for two months before her skeletal remains were found near the home. >> and etta james is in the hospital this evening with a blood infection. she's best known for "at last." her son tells cnn his mom was admitted to a hospital in southern california and she's doing a little better but she's not out of the woods just yet. >>> an taems is being conducted to find out what killed new york rangers player derek boogaard. the hockey player's body was discovered yesterday in his minneapolis apart

the one and only time the morganza spillway had to be opened. there's no guarantee it will even work. the mississippi river is already dangerously high in new orleans. the army corps of engineers is hoping that by diverting water through two spillways will lower the river level and spare the city. so far, the corps says opening the morganza spillway appears to be having the desired effect. the biggest test is still days away, the highest water, hundreds of miles up river. this is greenville, mississippi, that you're looking at right now. a live report from there, and it is being inundated, straight ahead on cnn. let's get right to ed lavandera who was there when the morganza spillway was opened just about three hours ago. ed, tell us about it. ed lavandera is joining us on the phone. ed, can you hear us? >> reporter: just a while ago, this is the area that was all dry several hours ago, but since they opened up the first floodgates of the morganza spillway, this is what has been drowned out. as we've mentioned, this will be a long, slow path to

the morganza spillway is now open.lk with the tulane university professor and retired general russel honore about the decision to flood thousands of homes and businesses to save the state's two largest cities. sary! are we still on for tonight? yeah, of course. of course. [ laughs ] you remembered to make a reservation, right? yeah, i remembered that. the number one thing a man should remember. i'm gonna be there soon. i'm gonna come pick you up. and i'll, uh...i'll -- i'll -- i'll call you -- i'll call you when i'm on the way. i'm -- i'm on the way. ok? ok! [ male announcer ] only at&t's network lets your iphone talk and surf at the same time. your finances can't manage themselves. but that doesn't mean they won't try. bring all your finances together with the help of the one person who can. a certified financial planner professional. cfp. let's make a plan. unlike fish oil, megared softgels are small and easy to swallow with no fishy smell or aftertaste. try megared today. ♪ for the radio station don't sign off with

all of this capacity will not be need but the bonnie carey spillway, one of the spillways that protects new orleans is at full capacity. everything is opened up there. they need to use this. what does that mean for the people that live in the path of this water as it begins the slow process of moving southward, towards morgan city, to the river basin for the area that's flooded out. this river is not expected to crest until after may 24th. we're looking at perhaps mid-june by the time am of this water dissipates and everything gets back to normal. that's the reality for thousands of people who live downstream where we are now. >> thank you, ed lavandera, cnn meteorologist has more information about how opening morganza spillway already has measurable effect on new orleans already. >> earlier in the day we saw around 16.98 feet. right now its close to that. that's minor flood stage. as i take you back over, we'll talk more about that and how it affected parts of new orleans in just a moment. as i zoom in four, we have this image coming in from the armies corps of engineer. this area in b

the morganza spillway is now open.h the tulane university professor and retired general russel honore about the decision to flood thousands of homes and businesses to save the state's two largest cities. [ female announcer ] it's more than just one thing. now aveeno brings all five factors of radiance together with positively radiant spf 30. with active naturals soy, it's now proven to visibly transform all five factors of radiance; tone, texture, blotchiness, dullness and brown spots. so now the definition of radiant skin... you're looking at it. [ female announcer ] positively radiant. and try skin brightening daily scrub, only from aveeno. discover the power of active naturals. should i bundle all my policies with nationwide insurance ? watch this. on one hand, you have your home insurance with one company. and on another hand, you have your auto with another. and on another hand, you have your life with another. huh... but when you bundle them all together with nationwide insurance... ... they all work together per

of engineers opened two major spillways. that spared the big cities but it came at a cost to rural communities in the floodplain. dean reynolds is in amelia, louisiana, tonight. dean, a lot of water is headed in that direction. >> couric: to give you an idea of the power of the water coming out of that spillway, it could fill up an olympic swimming pool in less than a second. the spillway strategy designed to lesson the force of the mighty mississippi appears to be successful. >> the crests we thought we were going to have a couple days ago prior to opening up the morganza floodway has been reduced because of that operation. >> reporter: the river is now expected to reach a height of 45 feet in baton rouge on wednesday instead of the record 47.5 feet previously calculated. new orleans will top off at 17 feet and go no higher according to the national weather service. >> the corps continues to assure us there should be no flooding and the main line levees are projected to hold.

more spillway gates have been open.new orleans it will bury smaller towns in water. ook? ♪ flash, aah-ah that's right. it runs flash. so unlike some tablets we could mention, you get the best of the internet - not just part of it. ♪ flash, aah-ah ♪ flash, aah-ah >>> check on the top stories on cnn. new video just in of the morganza spillway north of baton rouge. today two gates were opened doubling the rate of water pouring in to the basin. it is too late for some residents in saint francisville. even though many homes are on stilts, water was higher than anyone had seen before. >>> a man in charge of hundreds of billions of the world's money is in a new york city jail cell on attempted rape charges. dominique strauss-kahn is accused of sexually assaulting a mate at a luxury hotel where he was staying near times square. dominique strauss-kahn is the head of the international monetary fund, an organization that oversees the world economy. his attorneys say he'll plead not guilty when he's arraigned this evening. >>> in t

morganza spillway looks like this. a little bit of water comicome ing through. the gates stop the water. if you decide to open the gates, you can see how that works. you let a lot more water through the gates. that's pretty basic how it would work. the question is, what are the consequences? let's bring this down. i just showed you an animation of one gate. there are 125 of them. 125 bays across the spillway. it stretches 4,000 feet. it controls access, 4.5 million gallons of water. i want to show you why this is so important, as this plays out. here's the sense here, you see this flood area here? look at the scale here. if it's pink, it's moderate flooding. if it's orange or red, it's severe flooding. this is a scenario right now, if they open the spillway about halfway, this is the scenario. now, obviously, you see some flooding here along the edge, but you see new orleans and this area in here more populated, much less flooding. now, if they don't open the spillway, this is what happens. this is if you don't open th

the morganza spillway was an important component for us. it's going to relieve a tremendous amount of pressure in the city of new orleans. based on what the corps has told us, we believe the city of new orleans is going to be safe. this is a very tragic situation, really for everybody in america and of course the people who live along the atchafalaya basin and in morgan city, and our hearts go out to them, but we have every reason to believe based upon the information the corpses has given us and the inspections that have been done, that new orleans is going to be safe. >> reporter: so many new orleans when you say it was a natural disaster, they stop you and say it was man made. there's a lot of anger toward the corps. further, is it tough to square the fact that others will suffer to spare new orleans, really? >> well, those are two separate questions. let me answer. first, the levees in question are not the ones that were breached by katrina. the levees in question now are the ones that have been buttressed for 50, 60, 70 years on the mi

there's the spillway. hit it.ng to be all of the way down here, and the levees will keep it in at least for a little while all of the way down to morgan city, but a big area here will be flooded. we are talking about farmland, and winter wheat not out of the ground yet and talking about rice still there going to be ruined and talking about further down oyster beds and fish camps here. >> it is not just about the water, but a huge economic impact as well? >> well, this water is to be brakish and salty, too. you will kill some of the oyster beds, because the oysters cannot live in pure fresh water and that the come and go and come and go and i-10 goes right across the spillway and don't know if they will close that, too. but this town, if you see this, the army corps of engineers said beaut -- butte larose. and that is protected be alevee wall system, but east of, there amelia is not so protected. this is the back area here, and that town will be certainly probably will called devastated. >> this has not been opened

he joins us from the morganza spillway in louisiana. roughly an hour from now, ed, they'll be opening the spillway. how quickly before people would see that run-off of water? >> reporter: well, they've developed a map that will show that. it will take some time. we're about 40 miles or so north of interstate 10. they say it will take about a day to get there and possibly as much as three days to get down to morgan city, louisiana, which is right on the gulf of mexico, about 100 miles away. if you look down here, this is the morganza spillway structure. if you look about halfway down, there are a couple of cranes up there. that's where the first gate will be opened today. they will open up one today in about an hour or so. over the course of the next couple days, they will continue to open up more as needed. that's obviously a very fluid situation. they'll have to make those determinations as they see the amount of pressure that's taken off the mississippi river over the coming days. that's one of the things they'll continue to be monito

in areas like that, they could get major flooding once that spillway is indeed opened. morgan city is protected by flood walls. those walls could fail. the city's mayor talked about his concerns with our ed lavandera. >> are you worried about it flooding? this is the heart of the city right here. >> it is the heart of the city, primarily protected by that wall right there. it would take a failure of that wall before this would be at risk. what we're really concerned about is that high river stage raising the water level back where the lake is, and if that got topped, because that level of protection is not nearly as high as that, if that got topped, the water is going to flow throughout the city. it won't be held within a particular compartment of the city. we're an island, the river on one side and both our eastern boundaries and south even boundaries is the river, the northern and western boundaries is the lake. >> this water threat surrounds you? >> absolutely. it's starting to lap up under the planks of the wharf. so the water is just now getting here. >> it will be

with that spillway open, 12 to 13 feet of water could be heading that way. so, brian, it does look like new orleans may end up being spared. but other locations like morgan city may not be so lucky. >> all right, chris, we're going to count on you to be part of our team keeping an eye on the water in the days ahead. thanks. >>> now we turn overseas. the latest news resulting from the death of osama bin ladin. we seem to be learning more about him in the 11 days since his death at the hands of u.s. navy s.e.a.l.s than we've been able to learn in the past ten years, thanks to all that stuff the s.e.a.l.s were able to grab from his house on their way out, including a handwritten notebook. nbc's peter alexander in islamabad again for us again tonight. peter, good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening to you. nbc news has learned in that handwritten notebook, osama bin ladin was focused on what one u.s. official calls spectacular attacks. we are told he specifically mentioned four major u.s. cities as potential al qaeda targets. new york, washington, chicago

through that morganza spillway heading downstream.lp from the army corps of engineers will save baton rouge and new orleans from a flooding disaster, but rural areas of south central louisiana, they have to sacrifice to make that happen. homes could be under 15 feet of water by the end of the week. people are being told to evacuate and they may have to stay away for up to a month. guy is president of the st. martin parish and joins us from butte larose, louisiana. welcome to the program. these spillways they're designed to do this, to relieve pressure from the system. unfortunately, for your residents, relieving pressure from the system is going to flood their homes, their businesses, to save the bigger cities downstream. how is that making people feel? >> it's heart wrenching. i mean we know that we live in -- these residents know they live in a spillway without a doubt. the last time the structure was opened up was 1973 and only opened one time. it was finished in 1958 and here we are, 2011, and they're using it again to save those

the second one is the morganza spillway.opens up, this is going to be impacting people. this is going to be impacting agriculture as well. that one has not been used to protect new orleans just yet. it was opened one time back in 1973. it is designed to fill a swampy area basically between the atchafalaya river. if the hlevee is opened seven parishes could be covered. st. francisville, louisiana. five feet of water could move into parts of houma and morgan city. this one will certainly be detrimental. that's that catch- .22. do you harm fewer people or more people? the corps has asked for them to open the morganza one. it hasn't been approved yet. that could happen in the upcoming week. >> similar dilemma played out upstream. this is complicated in so many different way. . thank you very much. >>> more now on that raid that killed osama bin laden. former cia director michael hayden was a guest today on cnn's "fareed zakaria: gps." earlier this hour we heard him talk about the courier who unwittingly led them to obama's doors

let's talk about where that progression is here of that spillway. today it should be heading down towards i-10. it should be reaching this level sometime into the afternoon hours, and then we're expecting it to make its way by tomorrow somewhere near the baldwin area year grand lake. and then as we head into tuesday, that's the time when it's going to start to be approaching the area of morgan city, and we've been talking about some questionable numbers of how high the water could go here, maybe as much as five feet, maybe more than that. we'll have to watch and see as they continue to open up more gates in the future. so let's talk about the river itself and what we're expecting here in terms of cresting yet, and where is that crest? we're still talking until thursday potentially until this thing moves towards vicksburg and then we're talking about cresting maybe the 20th or 23rd. when we're talking about new orleans, for example, fredricka, it's cresting there now. we were talking about the 23rd before that was going to happen. the reason that is

let's talk about what's going on with the spillway. they opened up the gates yesterday. they are going to continue to open up more gates in the days and weeks ahead as necessary to maintain the flow of water from the spillway southward from the mississippi river to stay the same. it's going to take awhile for the water to move from the spillway extending toward the gulf of mexico. today, we have been watching that progression as it heads southward. we are looking at the area around i-10 and southward. that's where the highest water levels could be because of the low land, the low area here. we'll take you southward and show you this is monday, graham lake. it's where the water is expected to be tomorrow. as we head into tuesday, we go toward morgan city. it's a huge concern. this is a population of around 12,000 plus people who live here. they may have to be evacuated. they are packing up their belongings, birth certificates and photos and getting ready for the water on tuesday. we could see five feet in that area. let's talk about the impact opening the spill way has no

we want to tell you about the spillways. the first one is called the bonnet carre spillway.ready decided, yes, tomorrow morning 8:00 a.m. they're going to start opening this area. what it is, as we zoom in, you'll see this is the mississippi river here. this is lake pontchartrain. this is that spillway. they're going to open it up, allow it to flood this area. this is all good news. nobody lives here. it was designed to do this. this will help relieve a little pressure on the entire levee system. it will also keep the crest a little bit lower in new orleans. at this time we do expect that new orleans crest to be at about 19 1/2 feet in about a week and a half from now. and that is just shy, about a half a foot shy of what the levees were designed to do. they are to protect the city at 20 feet. we'll watch. that does take into account opening up that spillway. now, this was done before a couple of times in the past, about nine times. most recently in 2008. this google earth image along with nasa will show you that spillway as it got flooded and moved that water. the second qu

are they going to open the spillway? >> they are.hat's amazing is about it time we get to say the next day or so, we could see parts of the area under 20 feet of water which is really amazing. but you have to look at the choice here. here's one example. you have the idea of seeing massive flooding in places like baton rouge, perhaps into even other communities downstream or new orleans. but there's an option. the option is to open up that spillwayment by doing that, what you're going to do is keep the water off the part of the mississippi in this area and then right back in the area that you see that is surrounded by this blue which is the areas that will be flooded once they open the floodgates. we'll see the water channel here. you'll see some small communities that may be under the gun and may be threatened. one of those possibly, morgan city, maybe even into patterson, louisiana. those are two areas of great concern. one advantage we have in a spot like morgan city is we have a levee system. the reason that's important is simple.

army engineers unlock a mississippi river spillway for the first time in 38 years, hoping to relieve pressure on the river and spare new orleans. i'm russ mitchell. also tonight, terror arrests-- federal officials charge a south dakota florida imam and two of his sons with funneling thousands of dollars to the pakistani taliban. riding into history-- on the 50th anniversary of the alabama bus burning, civil rights pioneers remember their brush with death. and walking tall-- a paralyzed college student fulfills a dream as he receives his diploma thanks to remarkable new technology. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with russ mitchell. >> mitchell: good evening. for army engineers hoping to keep ahead of the rising mississippi, it is the most drastic step yet. this afternoon they opened the first of the floodgates of the morganza spillway, up stream from baton rouge and new orlea orleans. potentially flooding thousands of square miles of countryside. dean reynolds is in organza with the very latest. >> reporter: good evening, russ. officials told us this aftern

. >> the army corps of engineers began releasing water from a spillway along the mississippi river in louisiana today. and they're diverting water hoping to avoid a bigger disaster in the more populated areas downstream. randall pinksston is in moreganza louisiana with the latest. >> reporter: the spillway was opened in louisiana this afternoon for the first time in many years. >> it is an historic day. >> and opening the spillway could inundate 3,000 square miles of low lying swamp and cropland affects thousands of residents. the release will be gradual, beginning with one of 125 flood gates. more gates will be opened as the floodwaters move downstream. >> it is going to be under tremendous pressure for quite a long time. >> and just 24 hours, water in this field will be two feet deep. engineers say opening the spillway will relief the pressure on the levee to protect baton rouge and new orleans and lower the level at the mouth of the river. if the mississippi rises too high, the coast guard could be forced to close the river to navigation. >> we're trying to do everything we can to

morganza, and spillways that had not budged since 1973. on the swollen mississippi river to stop the downpour from baton rouge and new orleans, and flooding more areas. more are to be opening today. this is home of the atchafalaya basin. and looking at this place is another place where lives are loaded on to trucks literally. no one knows how high it will be and how to gwhen they leave. but one man is fortunate that he has time to get out. >> we are fortunate to have what we have and get out. material things we can replace and our family and what we believe in daily, you cannot put up a price. >> did you put up that sign? >> yes. i'm proud of that and what it says we will be back. >> what about the city that morganza was built to protect? well, last week baton rouge crest was not expected to crest until may 22nd next weekend, and reach a 12.5 crest above flood stage, and new orleans 2.5 feet above flood stage, but the forecast has changed and now baton rouge will see 10 feet above flood stage and new orleans is cresting right now at flood

the spillway strategy designed to lesson the force of the mighty mississippi appears to be successful. >> the crests we thought we were going to have a couple days ago prior to opening up the morganza floodway has been reduced because of that operation. >> reporter: the river is now expected to reach a height of 45 feet in baton rouge on wednesday instead of the record 47.5 feet previously calculated. new orleans will top off at 17 feet and go no higher according to the national weather service. >> the corps continues to assure us there should be no flooding and the main line levees are projected to hold. >> reporter: the result was accomplished by opening even fewer gates of the spillway than anticipated. only 11 of 125 are open now. that means the low-lying less- populated areas in the path of the spillway tide will probably have more time to prepare for the water water's approach. so far, slower and shallower than once feared. >> you're still going to have thousands of homes underwater, millions of acres of water but certainly better news than what we were facing just as recently a

considering doing the same at the morganza spillway near baton rouge. dean reynolds has more. >> reporter: in butte la rose, louisiana, dwayne farrell is gathering up what he wants and leaving the rest to the floodwaters about to inundate his home. >> there's nothing we can do about it. so get our stuff out and hope for the best. >> reporter: his property lies two football fields from the river where the water is already over its banks and up the trees. perhaps as early as saturday the army corps of engineers will open the spillway at morganza, an hour's drive away, to relieve pressure from the bulging mississippi river as it rolls south. >> we're doing everything that we can to take that excess water off of the river, and take the stress off of the levee systems. >> reporter: by opening the floodgates, some of the mississippi river water will temporarily be allowed to merge in the atchafayla and pour a torrent of water over the homes, buildings and businesses for 100 miles south to the gulf of mexico but bypassing big cities. they really had no other c

some in this community, just 50 miles from the spillway, are racing to get their valuables to higher ground. >> i'm going to watch it daily. if i see it coming up, you know, if i feel threatened by it, i'm going. >> reporter: ronald per perry has lived in morgan city. >> a nice retirement life, and seems like everything is turning upside-down on us now. >> reporter: mandatory evacuations are now issue ud for parted of the parish, including the three-mile lake area. voluntary evacuations are also in effect. if the residents refuse to leave, they will not be forced out of their homes but they will not be checked on again. abc news, louisiana. >> alan: one of the most powerful men in the world is facing serious charges tonight. up next, the head of the international monetary fund responds to accusations of sexual sexual -- sexual >> all new. the biggest controversy in "oprah show" history. now, five years after "a million little pieces," they meet again. oprah, james frey. the interview. >> closed captioning brought to >> closed captioning brought to >> alan: senator dianne fine tine sa

they are from the spillway. four flood gates are open to divert the mississippi floodwaters from baton rouge and new orleans. ed is joining us there. ed is at the scene for me. are a lot of people panic stricken? >> i think a lot of people knew it was coming, quite frankly. we are in the town cross springs, which is downstream from the spillway opened up yesterday afternoon. really, what's happening here is there's a massive levee system following the river down to morgan city. what happens is hundreds of tributaries and creeks that pour into the river. a lot of those creeks will be backed up. that is the reason why this flooding is a concern. it's why officials have been issuing evacuation orders. in a number of the small communities this afternoon, you don't really -- you know people were expecting this. still very devastating for them. we have been in several communities where they have been told to expect between five and 20 feet of water. a wide range there. people are anxious to see what exactly will play

but that's if the spillway operation works. it was last done 38 years ago. a sign that baton rouge is preparing for the worst are these orange tubes-- mile after mile of what are called tiger dams. they're here to raise the levee perhaps two critical feet. heavy industries in baton rouge, including exxon mobil's second largest facility in the country, worry that without some relief a rising, roaring mississippi would prove impossible to navigate, and force a suspension of barge traffic. so now we'll wait to see if opening the floodgates is the solution. but in the meantime, the river is rising. katie? >> couric: dean reynolds. dean, thanks a lot. you can expect victims of the flooding to apply for federal assistance, but listen to this. sharyl attkisson reports thousands of people who got federal money after past disasters are now being told they have to give the money back, because f.e.m.a. made a mistake. >> how the basement looked. >> reporter: christine holmquist's illinois home was damaged by severe flooding last year. >> this is how our entire basement

the morganza spillway goes south into the heart of cajun country. >> do what you do. pray the lord it don't come up higher than three or four feet. i'm protected up to about four feet. >> reporter: people plan to return, they just hope they have a home to return to. randall pinkston, cbs news, butte larose, louisiana. >>> now to politics -- the race for the white house instead of heating up seems to be cooling down. two top republican contenders have pulled out. >>> and for other candidates, the big money is coming in, tara mergener, good morning, tara. >>> good morning, betty. yeah. they're going to need that money because this is going to be a very expensive race, a race mike huckabee and donald trump will not be running. the race for the republican presidential nomination is down another contender. >> i will not be running for president as much as i would like to. >> after months of flirting with a bid, donald trump announced monday he's sticking with the world of business. while the billionaire insisted he could have beaten president obama, analysts say his depart

the pore ganza spillway if it had not been open would have flooded two refineries in baton rouge as it is. there is one flood, or one refinery that's directly in the floodway and is considerably threatened by this. that is the one that is owned by the allen refining company in pratt springs, louisiana. >> tom: stay safe, and our best wishes for you and your crew and the folks you are talking to as well in louisiana. >> thanks very much. tom bearden with the pbs newshour with us from baton rouge, louisiana. >> thesearch giant was the $3 billion. google's move is similar to ones paid by other largetech companies including ebay and microsoft. the company shares have slipped 9% this year so it is likely to use the proceeds to expand. now one option is buying other companies. under the aggressive new leadership of chief executive larry page who replaced eric schmidt back in april. >> tom: another step back for former harvard classmates mark zuckerberg. a federal appeals court today refused to rehear his decision against the brothers who sued zuckerberg saying the idea for facebook was there

that is water released from the spillway was opened.munities being deliberately flooded to divert the waters from baton rouge and new orleans. more on the flood prevention efforts under way in mississippi and louisiana. tonight al qaeda has an interim replacement for osama bin laden. he's an egyptian named saif al-adel. cnn has been told he's been appointed interim chief of al qaeda because the community has grown restless about the lack of a formal announcement about bin laden's successor. fran townsend is here. both the department of homeland security and the cia. and with us from washington, peter bergen. you studied al qaeda for some time. why now, and why not the number two, al-zawahiri, but this man? >> well, according to the source of this story, a long time associate of both bin laden and zawahiri. they were getting restless about the lack of a normal announcement about somebody to replace bin laden. they tapped saif al adel, who has been involved in anti-american activity since 1993. been involved in jihadist activities to be t

considering doing the same at the morganza spillway near baton rouge. dean reynolds on how these spillways work. >> reporter: in butte larosa, louisiana, duane ferrell is gathering up what he wants and leaving the rest to the floodwaters about to inundate his home. >> there's nothing we can do about it. get our stuff out and hope for the best. >> reporter: his property lies two football fields from the atchafalaya river, where the water is over its banks and up in the trees. perhaps as early as saturday the army corps of engineers will open the spillway at morganza, an hour's drive away, to relieve pressure from the bulging mississippi river as it rolls south. >> we're doing everything that we can to take that excess water off of the river and take the stress off of the levee systems. >> reporter: by opening the floodgates, some of the mississippi river water will temporarily be allowed to merge with the atchafalaya and pour of a torrent of water over the low- lying farms, homes, and businesses for a hundred miles south to the gulf of mexico but bypassi

he's not upset about them opening that spillway. it's a reality they have lived with and they don't expect it to come. hadn't come in a long time. my goodness, interesting perspective from him. ed, great to talk to you this morning. we'll talk to you, once again. >>> to our viewers, memphis was one place that got so much attention, it has been getting a lot of attention because of the flood waters there. finally, the river started to crest there in memphis, i believe it's starting to recede now. the president is actually going to be in memphis on monday giving a speech there to some high school kids for their commencement and also visiting with some of the people who have lost a lot. a lot of people still dealing with that loss. the president coming to help out, but another group coming to their aid, the memphis grizzlies. the nba team. the team that's not supposed to still be in the playoffs right now. the eighth seed who is now tied 3-3 with oklahoma city going into a game seven. people there, really a rallying cry for the city. t

two spillways we're talking about. first of all, the one opened tomorrow morning is the bonna carrie spillway. nobody lives here. this won't be a problem for anybody, and they are going to push that water through the six-mile area and move it into pontchartrain so it provides a little relief for new orleans. that is taken into account in the forecast now for the flood stage and for the forecast crest in new orleans. the forecast crest may 23rd expected to be 19.5 feet, that's half a foot below what the levees can hold so that takes into account that spillway, but they are a little concerned that that might not be enough. this is what it looked like, too, by the way, a google earth and nasa image when they did the spillway before back in 2008. they have done it nine times before so they know that it does work. let's talk about the second system. the next with enis the morganza spillway, north of baton rouge, and this is the area we're talking about here. if they were to open that thing up, that's really going to open up

i do want to go to our ed lavandera who has been standing by at that morganza spillway. you were giving us the heads up that this could come in the next few hours. is that still what you're hearing? >> we still anticipate that that will happen and really what they're monitoring right now, t.j., is the water pressure throughout the mississippi river as it heads into baton rouge and new orleans and there's a number you need to keep in mind here. 1.5 million cubic feet of water per second. that amount of pressure on the levee system between baton rouge and new orleans will trigger the opening of this morganza spillway gate. i don't know if you can see, way off in the distance, halfway down the bridge, you see two giant cranes on top of the spillway here. this spillway is almost 5,000 feet long and has 125 flood gates and those cranes have already been put into position here in the coming hours. they will drop down and start to lift up one of those gates and the process of opening up these flood gates will be very slow. all of this water that you see here wasn't here about a

as army engineers open more mississippi spillway gates, thousands of people across cajun country prepare for the worst. help wanted, facing a shortage of skilled workers, hospitals try a new approach, training their own employees for better jobs. and words in pictures. how one innovative artist is transforming old books into unique sculptures. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with russ mitchell. >> mitchell: good evening. we begin tonight with a major shock in the financial world. the head of the international monetary fund who is one of the most powerful men in world banking stands accused this evening of sexually assaulting a woman in a new york city hotel. michelle miller has more on the arrest and tells us what this could mean for the business of the imf. >> reporter: for almost four years dominique strauss-kahn has run the international monetary fund which is grappling with europe's debt crisis. now the 62-year-old french politician has a crisis of his own. accused of attempted rape inside an upscale manhattan hotel. a 32-year-old made told police she was s

they opened up the spillway, the mor morganza spillway and the old river spillway, the water levels wasit would be. that's fine. having said that, it's a dangerous situation. our hearts go out to those in the spillway. we'll be there to help as we have been. >> so much for your state and each community is connected to one another when it comes to things like the economy. what's your greatest concern right now for the areas surrounding new orleans and for the state of louisiana. >> again, it's important for the nation to realize that the nation's economic security and the national security depends on louisiana actually doing its worst. the river, if it closed down, would cost $400 million a day and would really just kind of put a strangle hold on exports and imports coming in on the country. that's one of the major concerns. the other, just, of course, people's life and property and their way of life, we're interconnected not only in louisiana but in america. like we do all the time when folks are hurting, we're going to get in there and help them as fast as we can. >> have folks come to

. >> federal authorities opened three more flood gates of louisiana's morganza spillway. they're trying divert water from the mississippi river to save new orleans and baton resume from flooding. the river has crested at 17 feet above stage in new orleans. here's more. >> reporter: four flood gates are now open at the time morganza spill we were. the mississippi river is rushing through, farmlands transformed from a dry field to a lake. houses and roads being submerged. even animals are being forced to deal with the rising water. opening the spillway diverted the water from the more heavily populated cities of baton scrooge new orleans. >> -- baton rouge and new orleans. >> nothing is going to push us out. >> people in the path of the flood waters are urged to evacuate. some people 50 miles from the spillway are raising to get valuables to higher ground. >> i'm going to watch it daily, and if i see it coming up, you know, if i feel threatened by it, i'm going. >> reporter: perry has lived in more began city for 20 years. >> going to have nice quiet life. retirement. and s

one flood gate is opened on the morganza spillway.o relieve pressure on that swollen mississippi river. army corps of engineers opened that spillway to save baton rouge and new orleans by diverting a lot of the water. in doing so it's going to head towards other low-lying areas in louisiana, and possibility flood hundreds and hundreds of homes. >> when you have an evacuation order from a local elected official or local armed enforcement official you need to understand what's important to you, pack up a few important things, get your family and heed their advice. >> those pictures of that water gushing out, exactly, it's hard to get a good idea of how much water we're taunging about here. by the end of this hour, $269 million gallons will flow through there. how much is that? sounds like a lot. here's perspective for you. the water flowing out of that one gate is half of what's flowing over niagara falls right now. if they opened all the gates that spillway will generate the same flow in one hour that my rag rah falls does all day long

officials also say that this spillway could remain open well into june. lester. >> ann thompson this morning. ann, thank you very much. as ann mentioned, vicksburg, one of the places fighting rising waters. nbc's tom trung is in vicksburg, mississippi. >> reporter:.river is expected to rise above 58 feet. that's something that hapt been seen since 1957. neighborhoods like these are taking on more water every day, and that's begun to continue until the river cresteds at 57 1/2 feet. all the eyes are on the levees. the army corps of engineers spent the entire week shoring them up. as can you see here, some neighborhoods regardless will be flooded. lester. >> where are they putting, tom, the people who have been evacuated so far? i have to figure it amounts to thousands. are they going to be allowed into their homes soon? >> reporter: well, they do have some emergency shelters open, but most evacuees are either staying with family or friends at this point. as for when they can come home, there's no exact time. officials here expect that some areas in neighbo

it's the bonner carre spillway. as we zoom in you'll see the missouri river in relation to lake pontchartrain, nobody lives here, this is not going to be a problem for anybody, and they're going to move the water through the six-mile area and move it into pontchartrain so it provides a little relief for new orleans. that is taken into account for new orleans now for the flood stage and the forecast crest for new orleans. the forecast crest may 23rd expected to be 19 1/2 feet. that's half a foot below what the levees can hold. so that takes into account that spillway. but they're a little concerned that that might not be enough. this is what it looked like, too, by the way. this is a google earth and nasa image when they did this spillway before back in 2008. they've done it about nine times before, so they know that it does work. let's talk about that second system now. this next one is called the morgansa spillway. this is north of baton rouge and this is the area we're talking about here. if they were to open this

thousands of acres inside the spillway are already flooded. and water will soon start showing up here, outside the store his father owns. how are you dealing with it? i mean emotionally? >> just trying -- really, ain't really dealing with it. just trying to get as much out as we can. >> reporter: with the mandatory evacuation order looming, it's neighbor helping neighbor, doing what they can to protect their property before the flood gets here. >> this is a very poor community. people who live here are not wealthy. >> reporter: by tuesday, these homes, and everything else in a 3,000 square mile area, millions of acres, will be flooded. water depth will range from 6 to 25 feet. it's part of the army corps of engineers' plan to sacrifice some communities to keep the mississippi floodwaters from flowing into baton rouge and new orleans. and it's working. river levels are dropping. this is the first time the spillway has been used in almost 40 years. but the people here always knew this day could come. >> it's my choice to live here. and i have to

two more gates were opened at the morganza spillway. ordered to evacuate and it's too late for some residents in st. francisville across the river where mississippi has invaded the town. even though many homes are on stilts, no one had ever seen the water get this high. arraignment postponed until monday for the top politician. dominique strauss-kahn is accused of sexually assaulting a maid at a luxury hotel. he'll plead not guilty according to his attorneys. here's what they had to say moments ago outside the courthouse. >> we have a very short thing to say. our client willingly consented to a scientific and forensic examination tonight. >> can't hear what you're saying, sir. >> our client consented to an examination tonight at the request of the government. that being done. in light of the hour we agreed to postpone the arraignment until tomorrow morning and we expect to be here in court tomorrow morning. >> how is your client doing? >> he's tired but he's fine. >> thank you very much. >> again, mr. strauss-kahn's appearance tomorrow

we were talking about that on friday, and opening several gates of the morganza spillway. so they did it to save new orleans and baton rouge, but it means that people living in the low-lying areas just to west and south may lose their homes and everything they cannot pack, pack in a bag and leave with. in fact, in vicksburg, mississippi, the national weather service tells us that the river reached record levels of 56.2 feet yesterday. our martin savage is live there in vicksburg, and martin, obviously, tough for people right there. i know that you went on a boat tour and tell me what you saw and what people there are saying. >> well, you know, vicksburg is under siege once more. if you remember the history from the civil war, there was the great siege of vicksburg now, and now it is the yazoo and the mississippi river. this is looking like a model, but it is very real. that building dates back to 1802, and now it is completely inundated. that water is up 11 feet on the city frontier, and right next door is the blue tarp which is a quickly put together wooden levee that has

this spillway is designed to move water fast. it can move 600,000 cubic feet per second, three times the rate of niagra fall. but they're taking it slow, opening one gate today, two or three more tomorrow, trying to balance the node to relieve pressure on the leaveys and giving people enough time to get to higher ground. >> water is coming their way and they need to evacuate. >> reporter: the wart will move gradually and will take an estimated 12 hours to reach this up to. 30 hours to hit henderson. more than three days before it floods morgan city before making its way into the gulf. >> for the folks down river, can they expect federal compensation if they lose their property? >> the thing to remember is public safety is our number one priority and we're fighting thing shoulder to shoulder with the local officials. >> in other words, no, that's because the residents chose to live here despite the risk. the reality tough to take. >> makes me sick. >> reporter: the water could reach 15 feet in some areas. moving trucks lined the s

on the "newshour" tonight, we look at the rising waters and the complex system of levees and spillways aimed at protecting communities up and down the river. >> lehrer: then, "newshour" political editor david chalian updates the race for the 2012 republican presidential nomination. >> brown: from kiev, special correspondent kira kay reports on the push to curb a growing epidemic. $you crane has la t highest h.i.v./aids rate in all of europe. half a million people may be infected. more than france, germany, and the united kingdom combined. >> lehrer: judy woodruff has the latest on the violence in syria, as government tanks shell residential neighborhoods. that's all ahead on tonight's "newshour." major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> i want to know what the universe... >> looks like. >> feels like. >> from deep space. >> to a microbe. >> i can contribute to the world by pursuing my passion for science. >> it really is the key to the future. >> i want to design... >> a better solar cell. >> i want to know what's really possible. >> i want to be the first to cure ca

it's day two of the morganza spillway opening. the u.s. army corps of engineers opened two additional flood gates sunday morning and could open even more. the first mandatory evacuation order has been issued for nearly 2,000 residents in one louisiana parrish. when you have an evacuation order from a local elected official or a local law enforcement official, you need to understand what's important to you. pack up a few important things and get your family and heed their advice. >> other residents have left voluntarily, using levees and sandbags as protection for their home. >> we took a chance and purchased the property because we love the river. the river has always been a part of our lives. if the river destroyed properties, then that's what happens to be. >> the usda says farmers who are covered for crop damage will be eligible for crop insurance. and as the spillway is expected to be open for weeks, evacuees will have to wait at least that long to return home. i'm barbara hall, reporting from atlanta. >> let's go to our meteorologist