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Hundreds of Thousands of Acres Burning in Arizona; Federal Pushback on Anti-TSA Bill; Palin's History Tour; Strauss-Kahn Faces Arraignment Monday; The Casey Anthony Trial

Aired June 05, 2011 - 22:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening, everyone. I'm Don Lemon. We start tonight with a developing story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This fire, as I pull out, you can see how large it is. It spans anywhere from 30 miles plus south to north.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Thirty miles plus, a lot of Arizona is on fire tonight. Over the past week, some of the worst wildfires in state history have torched a total area the size of Phoenix. The air is filled with choking gray smoke. Thousands of people are fleeing their homes.

About 266,000 acres of bone-dry forests across the state have burned. The biggest is the Wallow Fire near the town of Springer Ville. With 180,000 acres now turned to smoldering ashes, it's already on record as the third largest in state history.

More than 2,100 fire fighters are deployed to battle just that one fire. That includes 20 helicopters to hit the flames from the air, but so far there's zero containment. Fire officials warn there is still a lot of potential for this one blaze to get even bigger and more dangerous.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF DEP. BRANNON EAGAR, APACHE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: The conditions are so dry and the fire advances so fast. The fire will build a large plume of smoke and move ahead three to five miles in a short time, a couple of hours.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, the resort down of Greer is in the path of the Wallow Fire. And joining us by phone is Kristi Spillman, who is still in her home but prepared to evacuate if that order comes.

Kristi, thank you for joining us tonight. Why are you still there when everyone else has left?

KRISTI SPILLMAN, GREER RESIDENT WHO HAS NOT EVACUATED (via telephone): Well, we pre-evacuated most of our stuff to the shelter in Sholo from the American Red Cross, but we decided to come back and wait it out and see if we were actually going to have to evacuate because we heard there was a possibility that we wouldn't have to leave.

LEMON: So where you are now in your home, what can you see? How close are the flames and smoke from your house?

SPILLMAN: Well, we understand that the fire is probably about eight miles away. If it travels another two miles closer to us, I think they call it the "trigger point," we will be forced to evacuate within 24 to three hours depending.

LEMON: I said everyone else has chosen to leave, are there any neighbors or stragglers, as they say, who have chosen to stay in your neighborhood? Have you seen anyone or spoken to them?

SPILLMAN: Yes. We still have a lot of locals that are just staying here to see how the conditions go, but most of the elderly folks or anybody with asthma and breathing conditions vacated as soon as the big brown smoke from the back burn came yesterday.

LEMON: I'm looking at one of the pictures that you sent in to us. How is everybody doing there? What are you guys going through?

SPILLMAN: Everybody is very calm right now. The sky is pretty clear, and the area is clear, but we're all kind of on high alert and ready to vacate any time. You know, we're all packed up and ready to go.

LEMON: All right. Kristi Spillman, thank you very much.

She may have to evacuate soon. She's staying now, and she said there are a few locals who are staying as well.

Let's turn now to our meteorologist Jacqui Jeras.

Jacqui, we said that it could get much worse because of the weather conditions. Is that what you're expecting?

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Things are going to be changing a lot between now and this time tomorrow. The winds are really going to be picking up. And let me show you what's going on here.

There you can see Arizona. This is the big Wallow Fire that we've been talking about. And we've got this big storm system here off the coast of California. Now that storm is going to be heading northeastward up towards Nevada. And what that is going to do is to go pick up the southwesterly wind. And we're talking about gusts between 25 and 40 miles per hour, and that could really make the fire line advance very quickly.

Now typically when we see something like this takes place, we'll also watch the humidity start to move up, but it's so, so dry there that there's no way this air is going to get saturated and we'll start to get what we call dry thunderstorms. So, we're watching for eastern parts of Arizona and the western New Mexico for that. And those are thunderstorms that produce lightning but really no rain. It evaporates before it ever reaches the surface. And that can start new fires, so that continues to be a great concern. It's very, very dry here. Drought conditions all across the eastern part of the state. It's been an incredible fire season for Arizona and Texas as well. A bunch of that state under drought conditions as well.

And let's show you our Google Earth here, and this shows you all the heat signatures so you can you detect these things from space. That's how hot the fires are.

We'll zoom in. We'll show you the Wallow Fire where the terrain has been a huge issue. You know, we think about cactus, we think about sand when we think about Arizona, but not eastern parts of the state. This is very, very hilly here. There are a lot of trees in the area, so there's a lot of fuel, as we call, to keep this fire going.

And we're talking zero percent containment and the strong winds coming in, Don. That's very, very concerning, and we're worried those evacuations are likely going to be ordered in the upcoming hours.

LEMON: All right, Jacqui, thank you. Stick around. We're going to talk tomorrow's commute tonight in just a little bit here on CNN. We appreciate it.

Let's talk more about the weather. There are some 600 residents in Hamburg, Iowa, are scrambling to evacuate tonight because of a levee breach along the Missouri river. Right now, the breach is less than two inches in diameter. Crews are working furiously to repair it, but they aren't sure that they can keep it from becoming a major breach. If the levee fails, interstate 29 and parts of homburg would likely be flooded.

The rising water is posing a threat to Nebraska as well. In flooded parts of Fort Calhoun, residents tried to salvage what they could. National Guard members stand ready to repair a levee in the western part of the state. Crews are also using a Black Hawk helicopter to drop sandbags on a levee. Authorities in some towns are asking volunteers to help fill sandbags.

And up next here on CNN, Mother Nature turns a day of fun into a day of terror. Winds blow inflatable bounce houses up and over with more than a dozen kids going along for a very dangerous ride.

And the Casey Anthony trial. It's one of the most talked about stories in the country. We're asking a panel of guests if the mother accused of murdering her own daughter may claim she is insane.

Also, a music star's home catches fire with his children inside.

And if you want any information on the stories that we're airing tonight here on CNN, you can reach out to us on Twitter, on Facebook, on cnn.com/don and on foursquare.com as well.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOICE OF UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Oh, my God is right. A day at the soccer fields on Long Island turned into chaos when three bounce houses blew away with kids inside them. Take a look at how a gust of wind made one of the inflatables blow around like it was a plastic bag in the breeze. Thirteen people were hurt, but the injuries were not serious. It happened Saturday at a tournament hosted by the Oceanside United Soccer Club.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NINA RHATIGAN, WITNESS: The wind blew everything down.

LARA RHATIGAN, WITNESS: It just felt like someone was grabbing my neck and dragging me.

MARIANNA RHATIGAN, MOTHER: I was just getting hot dogs, and I just happened to turn around, and I saw the slide blowing in the wind. And I just - I couldn't believe it was like something out of a movie.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: No criminal charges are expected. Our New York affiliate WABC reports there have been 10 bounce house accidents so far this year nationwide.

Country singer Trace Adkins lost his home to fire, but his three kids and their nanny managed to escape unhurt. The blaze destroyed Adkins' 5,000 square foot house in the Nashville suburb of Brentwood. The singer was on a plane to Alaska when the fire started on Saturday. His wife was driving a few blocks away. She credits some recent fire safety training at school for her kids' ability to get out. No word yet on what caused that fire.

With the president now in Saudi Arabia getting medical treatment, there's renewed hope for peace in Yemen. A tribal leader waging war against the government has agreed to a truce with the country's interim ruler. He's asking his fighters to evacuate buildings already seized and to halt all fighting in the capital.

Well, news that President Ali Abdullah Saleh has left the country sparked celebrations. A senior U.S. official says the president had shrapnel wounds and severe burns to his face and chest from an attack on the presidential palace Friday. The government insists he'll return after undergoing treatment in Saudi Arabia.

A suicide bombing at a bakery in northern Pakistan killed 19 people today and injured 38 more. Officials say 17 pounds of explosives were used by the attacker. The blast followed another bombing at a bus stand in the northern village in the north. Six people were killed in that explosion which was remotely detonated.

The Israeli military is keeping a close watch on the Golan Heights border with Syria tonight. Israeli soldiers fired on protesters who stormed across the border today. Syria claims 25 people were killed and more than 300 wounded. The protests marked the 44th anniversary of the 1967 Six-Day War. Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in that war.

Meantime, Defense Secretary Robert Gates is making his final stop in Afghanistan, and he gave the troops an emotional sendoff. Gates is leaving his post later this month. He told a group of U.S. forces that he feels responsible for their well-being and noted that he signed the deployment papers that put them there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Just want you to know that I think about you every day. I feel your hardship and your sacrifice and your burden and that of your families more than you can possibly know. You are, I believe, the best our country has to offer, and you will be in my thoughts and prayers every day for the rest of my life. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: As for the planned withdrawal of U.S. troops, Gates says he expects it to be a mix of combat and support elements. In his words, "I have confidence we'll strike the right balance."

TSA patdowns are pretty much routine when it comes to flying, but a lot of people still are not happy about them. Now one state may make those patdowns a crime. The bill's sponsor joins me live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUSIE CASTILLO, MISS USA 2003: And I do feel violated. I didn't think that I would when I had to opt out of the machine, but I completely feel violated. This woman, she touched my (BLEEP) four times.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That former beauty pageant winner talks about the ugly episode she had going through security lines at Dallas Fort Worth Airport. Texas lawmakers heard her complaints and many others. They created a bill that would make it a misdemeanor for a TSA agent to touch a passenger's private parts. But just as this bill was about to go up for a vote, lawmakers got word from the justice department if they pass the bill, the federal government could shut down Texas airports, all of them. So joining me live is one of the bill's sponsors, Texas Senator Dan Patrick.

Thanks you, sir, for joining us tonight.

DAN PATRICK (R), TEXAS STATE SENATE: My pleasure. LEMON: Senator, first of all, how can a state law trump the TSA, that's a federal agency?

PATRICK: Well, it may be a federal agency. It doesn't give them the right to run roughshod over our liberties and our freedoms. The one thing the states cannot do is pass a law that trumps federal law. Well, this isn't federal law, Don. This is just a rule. And if we allow the TSA or the EPA or any other government agency simply to pass rules and policy that some bureaucrat likes or thinks is right, then pretty soon what's the purpose of even having a state legislature to protect the people's rights?

I'm elected to protect the rights of Texans. And if I think the federal government is interfering in those rights, it's my job to speak out on behalf of Texans. And if the federal government doesn't like it, they can take us to court and see who prevails.

Thomas Jefferson was very clear. He said resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions he wishes that it always be kept alive. Well, it's being kept alive on this occasion because this is important that we speak up and say to the federal government, "You just can't pass any rule that you want and expect the American public to take it."

LEMON: OK. Senator, you understand that we have an issue when it comes to terrorism and that they are doing it for safety reasons, don't you?

PATRICK: I understand. I understand. But when I have a bill that says the federal government cannot grope people in a manner that would be illegal in the state of Texas, then the TSA needs to respond to that. I don't like it as a state senator when I'm called off the floor, and there are two members from TSA in the back hall of the Texas capital to tell me, "You know, Senator, if you pass this bill we might have to shut down the airports in Texas." Then they follow that up with a letter that basically said the same thing.

I want our skies safe, but are you telling me that there's not a better way to keep our skies safe without touching the genitals of a 6-year-old or reaching into the bra of a grandmother simply because they were picked out at random from a line?

LEMON: I want to read the letter that you're talking about.

PATRICK: Yes, go ahead.

LEMON: But I want to make this point. You understand that it's not just Texans who go through the airports in Texas. It's people from all over the world that they are concerned about security.

PATRICK: Let Texas lead the way, Don. We often lead the way.

LEMON: OK. Let me read -- let me read this letter. This is the letter that you talked about. The letter said, "If the bill were enacted, the federal government would likely seek an emergency stay of the statute. Unless or until such a stay were granted, TSA would likely be required to cancel any flight or series of flights for which it could not ensure the safety of passengers and crew."

So, Senator, I heard that you reintroduced the bill. How bad would you feel, though, if the airports in Texas were indeed shut down?

PATRICK: They are not going to shut down the airports in Texas. This is just the federal government bullying states. Look, I want our skies safe for my family to fly, for everyone to fly. Only 2 percent, Don, of people are subjected to this invasive touching. These are people pulled out at random from the metal detector who decide not to go through the AIT scanner -- screener and then they are subjected to this invasive search.

First of all, a person can say no and not fly if they choose to, if they don't want to subject themselves to that. But the TSA needs to come up with a new way to be sure our skies are safe without this invasive groping.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: OK. Hang on, right there. You said the TSA with a -- let me get in here. I'm going to let you finish. You said the TSA needs to come up with a new way. What are you proposing then? How should they screen people if they can't pat them down?

PATRICK: Well, first of all, remember, it's less than 2 percent. So suddenly, this 2 percent that they are picking out at random is going to make our skies unsafe. If they pull someone out at random and they don't want to go through the AIT scanner because they have cancer or their doctors advised them not to or for whatever other reason, they can ask them a series of questions. There are a number of things they can do without touching a person in their private parts if that person wishes not to be touched.

Look, if you go on YouTube, you'll see children being groped. What do we do -- we teach our children don't let an adult touch you in that area. But at the airport, it's OK, if a TSA guy. For what reason?

Look, we need -- we need to identify the people who are a threat to us. That's what we need to do. We don't need to pull granny out of the line and a 6-year-old out of the line. The TSA needs to do their job. And they've done a good job of keeping us safe and they admitted to me, Don, that they are looking at this policy.

And so the new bill I've introduced -- I'm waiting for the governor to put it on the call, the new bill I've introduced would postpone the implementation of this in Texas until March 1, 2012. That gives them nine months to solve this problem.

I've never had an issue and I carried a lot of key issues in the Texas Senate. I've never had an issue that has gotten this overwhelming response from the public. They want our skies safe, but they don't want the federal government to instruct through a rule, not a law, to touch women and men in private areas for no reason. LEMON: Senator, we get your point. Thank you very much. We can talk about this all night, but we appreciate you coming on. Texas State Senator Dan Patrick.

PATRICK: Thank you.

LEMON: Thank you.

It's the all-consuming question when it comes to Sarah Palin -- will she or won't she make a run for the White House? Hear how she's answering what she's going to do now, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: i don't know. I honestly don't know. It's still, you know, a matter of looking at the field and considering much. There truly is a lot to consider before you throw yourself out there in the name of service to the public because it's -- it's so all-consuming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: All right. So she hit the road. She visited historic sites, but we still don't know for sure if Sarah Palin is running for president. Errol Louis joins me now as he does every week. He's a CNN contributor and political anchor for New York 1.

Errol, what do you think about the Sarah Palin tour?

ERROL LOUIS, POLITICS ANCHOR, NY1 NEWS: I think it's -- well, seemed to have work for her. Got a lot of coverage which is obviously what she intended. I don't know if it helped her very high negative poll ratings across the country. And, of course, she made a little verbal gaffe at end which she is going to probably stick to her for quite a while.

But, you know, she's increasing her visibility. She's -- she's tried to make up her mind. She's tried to see how this plays. And, you know, once somebody has received, as she did, 59.9 million votes, she did put herself before the voters once before and did pretty well, she's got no reason to think that this is not her nomination for the taking.

LEMON: Yes. You know, as we said with Donald Trump, as people would say to me off the air with Donald Trump, "I don't think he's going to run, I don't think he's going to run, he's not going to run," and nobody would say it on the air. I'm going to ask you about Sarah Palin. In the end, do you think she's going to run?

LOUIS: Well, if I had to bet I would say yes for those two reasons. Again, she's run before. She got almost 60 million votes. That ain't bad. And she also has spoken before a convention, and that's one of my private indicators I've developed over the years. When you stand in an arena and 20,000 people are screaming your name, I'm told that it changes you, and it's kind of hard to go back, as we found out with her. It's hard to go back and just be the governor of Alaska. So, she's obviously got her sights set high. She thinks that there's something seriously wrong with the country. She's got all of the ingredients. You know, check, check, check. I wouldn't be at all surprise if she runs for president.

LEMON: I would imagine that can be intoxicating, with thousands of people screaming your name.

So, let's talk now about President Obama. This week, we learned, Errol, that manufacturing has declined -- manufacturing has declined, housing prices are still falling, hiring slowed dramatically, and the Republicans seem pretty disorganized. But you've made this point before -- the economy could spell trouble for the president in 2012.

LOUIS: Oh, definitely. He's got -- look, the president's got some serious disapproval ratings that he's got to be concerned about. It's not a clear -- there's no clear correlation between economic performance and re-election by different presidents. But there are a lot of people who did get tossed out because the economy was falling apart.

You know, so you ask Jimmy Carter, "Why didn't you get re-elected?" I'm sure he'll tell you something about the economy and the stagflation he had to fight. Gerald Ford before him. So -- and certainly, the first George HW Bush. He had a rotten economy and his opponent exploited it masterfully, Bill Clinton. So they've got plenty to worry about in the White House.

On the other hand, there are presidents, FDR had double-digit unemployment, up around 15 percent, 16 percent, and got re-elected both in '36 and in 1940. And even -- even Ronald Reagan. His recession peaked at close to 11 percent unemployment.

LEMON: Yes.

LOUIS: And he knocked a full three points off it and got re-elected resoundingly in 1984. So they've got cause to be worried, but it's still too early to ring down the curtain on this one.

LEMON: Hey, Errol, I want to ask you about this because you know New York Congressman Anthony Weiner. You've known him for years. You've interviewed him, you know, this week during this media blitz. You talked to him.

LOUIS: Yes.

LEMON: What do you make about the controversy over the photographs sent from his Twitter account?

LOUIS: Well, you know, look, first of all, I saw at least one accounting of how you could very easily sort of spoof or fake such a photo, so I wouldn't rule that out. Everybody seems to be saying why doesn't the congressman simply say x, y or z. And I think people should get themselves used to idea that he knows he could say x, y or z and whatever -- for whatever -- the reason he doesn't want to do it is that as bad as his political standing might have been damaged in the last week, perhaps saying x, y or z would damage it even further. So I think that's the holding pattern we're going to be in for the foreseeable future.

LEMON: Errol Louis, appreciate it as always.

LOUIS: Good to see you.

LEMON: We have a quick reminder for our audience. I'll be in New Hampshire this Friday to begin our coverage of the Republican presidential candidates' debate. Our reporting live and anchoring this show from there through the weekend, and make sure you watch the debate a week from Monday. The Republicans square off at 8:00 Eastern live from New Hampshire right here on CNN.

A huge wildfire forcing thousands to flee for their lives in Arizona. Thick smoke fills the air as flames cover more than 260,000 acres. We'll have the very latest for you.

And today marks 30 years since the first case of HIV/AIDS was reported. The AIDS quilt honors the millions killed by the disease. Ahead, an HIV-positive woman shares her personal connection to the quilt.

But first, if you're looking for a job or looking to buy a car, the month of June isn't starting out in your favor, but there's good news for you as winemakers. Alison Kosik has the details in this week's "Getting Down to Business."

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The U.S. job market takes an unexpected hit. The economy added just 54,000 jobs in May. It's a sharp drop from the month before when 232,000 jobs were created. The unemployment rate also unexpectedly inched up to 9.1 percent. That means almost 14 million Americans can't find work.

And car shoppers get a dose of disappointment to start the month as well. If you're in the market for new wheels, it will cost you more than ever. Truecar.com says the average price of a new car is up 2.1 percent from last year with an average price tag just shy of $30,000.

And finally, move over, France. The U.S. is now the world's top wine drinker. Americans sipped almost 330 million cases of wine last year, surpassing the French for the first time. The domestic wine industry is sure to raise a glass to the new record with retail sales climbing 7 percent in 2010, according to San Francisco's Wine Institute.

That's this week's "Getting Down to Business."

Alison Kosik, CNN, New York.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Time for headlines now. Massive wildfires in Arizona are forcing thousands to flee their homes tonight. More than a quarter million acres have burned over the past week. One of the largest in state history is the Wallow Fire in northeastern Arizona near the town of Springer Ville. The cause of the blaze, which has scorched 180,000 acres, under investigation.

Crews are working to repair the breach of a levee along the Missouri river. The breach is forcing the evacuation of 600 residents in Hamburg, Iowa. The breach is less than two inches in diameter, but engineers aren't certain it can be repaired. If the levee fails, interstate 29 in parts of Hamburg would likely be flooded.

Yemen is celebrating the departure of its president, at least temporarily, and the possibility of a truce. A spokesman says a tribal leader has agreed with Yemen's vice president to stop the fighting. President Ali Abdullah Saleh is in Saudi Arabia getting medical treatment after being wounded in an attack on the palace, but the government insists he will return.

Israel says its soldiers fired on an angered mob today trying to cross the border between Syria and the occupied Golan Heights. Syria claims 25 people were killed and more than 300 wounded. Protesters stormed across the border to protest Israel's seizure of the Golan Heights in the Six-Day War in 1967. Today is the anniversary of the start of that war.

Now to the big stories in the week ahead from the White House to Wall Street. Our correspondents tell you what you need to know. We begin tonight with the president's plans for the week.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Brianna Keilar at the White House where on Tuesday President Obama will host German Chancellor Angela Merkel for an official visit. They will be discussing a range of topics, everything from the NATO-led mission in Libya to the global economy. And then on Tuesday night, the president will host a state dinner for the chancellor. On Wednesday, following a week of some disappointing economic numbers, the president will host an event on manufacturing jobs. Thursday, Vice President Joe Biden leads yet another round of those deficit reduction talks with bipartisan congressional leaders.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: I'm Chris Lawrence at the Pentagon. And this week is really going to focus on the office of the secretary of defense. The current man holding that job, Robert Gates, starts the week overseas on one of his last visits to some of his counterparts in other countries. The man who has been nominated to replace him, CIA Director Leon Panetta, will be on Capitol Hill on Thursday for his nomination hearings. A lot of big issues on the table including how many troops are going to start coming home from Afghanistan in July and how much will the defense budget be cut. All that could be on the plate for the next defense secretary.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: I'm Paul Steinhauser at the CNN political desk. All but declared Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum does just that tomorrow, formally announcing for president. The former two-term senator from Pennsylvania announces in his home state. Tuesday, another GOP White House hopeful, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, gives a speech billed as a bid speech to lay out his plans to boost the economy and create jobs.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. After just an abysmal week of economic news and a rollercoaster ride for the stock market, you're going to want to keep your eye on Wall Street when that opening bell rings on Monday morning. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is set to speak on Monday at the International Monetary Conference in Atlanta. We'll see what he have to say about the state of the U.S. economy. And then on Wednesday, we'll get the Fed's latest report on how different regions of the country are faring, where there's recovery and where there is not. And following Friday's much worse than expected jobs report, we'll get the weekly jobless claims numbers on Thursday morning. We'll see how the market reacts to all of it. We'll track it all for you on CNNMoney.

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

And now for tomorrow's commute tonight, meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is here.

Jacqui, travelers out west, especially air travelers, they better pay close attention. JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, absolutely. That's where we expect most of the trouble for tomorrow. In fact, we still have trouble there.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: I did something really crazy. I went for a run at noon today in Atlanta.

JERAS: At noon?

LEMON: Yes.

JERAS: I suggest before 9:00 a.m., my friend.

LEMON: I know. Drink your water.

JERAS: Lots of water. You're going to need it.

LEMON: Appreciate, it Jacqui Jeras. Thank you very much.

You know, today marks the 30th anniversary of AIDS. U.S. health officials first reported it as a rare form of pneumonia on June 5, 1981. I recently spoke with Stephanie Laster, an African-American woman who made several panels for the AIDS memorial quilt. She is herself HIV-positive, and she's tonight's "What Matters."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHANIE LASTER, HIV POSITIVE/QUILTMAKER: What I do when I make the quilt panels, I make them so that in the statistics where we hear about it's 30 million people every day or whatever, each panel represents a person.

LEMON: Right.

LASTER: And I make the quilt so that we'll know it's not just a number. This was a person in my life that I loved.

LEMON: And this is Ricardo, someone that you loved.

LASTER: Yes.

LEMON: Yes. Let's take a look at this one. Which one? What is this one?

LASTER: This is a brother and a sister. This is my mom and my uncle and this top shows pictures when they were kids and as they'd grown up.

LEMON: You seem to get a little emotional when you talk about it.

LASTER: I do, I do, because not only is it putting a face to the number, but it's also a healing process. And what we have to do is we've got to get away from the fear and the stigma that keeps us from talking about HIV because that's what continues to keep it rampant in our communities because it's such a "shush-shush" thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Thank you, Miss Laster.

An arraignment is scheduled for Monday for Dominique Strauss-Kahn. He is the former head of the International Monetary Fund. He's accused of sexually assaulting a hotel maid. Ahead, a look at the case against him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: He was once one of the world's most powerful men. Monday he will be arraigned in a Manhattan courtroom like a common criminal. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, former head of the International Monetary Fund, faces charges of sexual assaulting a hotel maid. Well, he is out of jail on bail. CNN's Alison Kosik reveals his living arrangements are nothing short of sensational.

KOSIK: Don, Dominique Strauss-Kahn is expected to plead not guilty to the charges against him, and while this is just the beginning of the legal process for him, it's already been a very long ordeal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOSIK (voice over): It's a story that created an immediate sensation.

CANDY CROWLEY, HOST, CNN'S "STATE OF THE UNION": Dominique Strauss- Kahn, the leader of the International Monetary Fund and a possible candidate for president of France, was arrested early this morning for the alleged sexual assault of a New York City hotel maid.

KOSIK: The allegations were sordid.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Inside, 62-year-old Strauss-Kahn allegedly was naked in the bedroom and grabbed at the maid, chasing her through the suite. Authorities say as she tried to escape, he shut the door and allegedly forced himself on her, sexually assaulting her.

KOSIK: A late-night perp walk horrified his French countrymen. The next day, his lawyers proclaimed his innocence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He denies these charges.

KOSIK: The victim's attorney says she's telling the truth.

JEFFREY SHAPIRO, VICTIM'S ATTORNEY: The trauma that is taking place in her life is extraordinary.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Serious allegations have been made and denied.

KOSIK: Since his arrest, the news media has closely tracked every moves Strauss-Kahn makes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's going back to Rikers tonight.

LEMON: Out on bail after his arrest for allegedly trying to rape a hotel maid.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He'll be eating normal food. He'll be sleeping in a normal bed.

KOSIK: Well, sort of normal after being rejected from this swanky apartment where he had hoped to stay.

WILLIAM TAYLOR, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: The reason that he had to move is because members of the press attempted to invade his private residence.

KOSIK: Strauss-Kahn ended up in a not-too-shabby place recently on the market for almost $14 million.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A 6,800 square foot luxury townhouse.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Has its own gym, home theater, spa and bar.

KOSIK: A high-profile lifestyle for a man facing high stakes charges.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSIK: Strauss-Kahn remains under a 24-hour security watch, and there are even reports that there were big umbrellas put up on his rooftop terrace to keep out prying eyes. But one thing is for sure, we'll get a look at him Monday when he appears in court.

Don?

LEMON: All right. Thank you, Alison.

Next, the Casey Anthony trial. Jurors getting an earful of jailhouse phone conversations between the woman accused of killing her own daughter and her family.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VOICE OF UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think after this long she would still be local?

VOICE UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's a possibility.

VOICE OF UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's your gut telling you right now?

VOICE OF UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That she's OK.

VOICE OF UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. And your gut tells you that she's close or she's hiding?

VOICE OF UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's not far. I know in my heart she's not far. I can feel it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: We're talking to someone who is inside the courtroom when those tapes were played. What was Casey's reaction? How about the jurors'?

Plus, we're asking, "Are Casey's attorneys planning to have her plead insanity?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the biggest days of testimony that we have seen in this case.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot going on. A lot of emotional testimony by Cindy Anthony.

CINDY ANTHONY, MOTHER OF CASEY ANTHONY: The smell in the car was like something I had never -- it was pretty strong.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Pontiac Sunfire, that's the car that prosecutors say they believe Caylee was once in.

CINDY ANTHONY: Her favorite doll was in the car seat. I sprayed the doll, and I sprayed Febreze all through the car.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cindy Anthony breaking down as the prosecution played tapes of her 911 calls.

VOICE OF UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) There's something wrong. I found my daughter's car today and it smells like there's been a dead body in the damn car. (END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The Casey Anthony trial resumes Monday in Orlando, Florida. She, of course, is a young mother accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter Caylee in 2008. Much of the testimony has been riveting. A panel of experts join me to share their insights into what might be happening inside Casey Anthony's mind as this trial unfolds.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've helped in every way that I possibly can since the day I got here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're the one that can control everything.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, Dad...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please, Sweetie.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I completely...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not trying to get you upset. I'm trying to talk to you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. I am upset now. I'm completely upset. One, the media is going to have a freaking field day with this.

LEMON: Human behavior expert, Wendy Walsh, they are coddling her. They are coddling her.

WENDY WALSH, HUMAN BEHAVIOR EXPERT: They are coddling her because this is clearly a fused family who can't remember whose problem is whose. But in watching her listen to the recordings of those -- of those jailhouse phone calls, I see her eyes darting in a way that shows she's analyzing. "What did I say?" "Did I say something to incriminate myself?" "How am I going to answer to that?"

She's not a grieving mother going, "Oh, my goodness, I don't want a replay of this awful tragedy that's happened to me." It's "how do I get myself off?"

JIM CLEMENTE, ADVISER/WRITER, "CRIMINAL MINDS": Yes, I agree. I think she's doing everything she can to sort of think in the moment. She's not recounting something that happened before, but she's creating right at that time to try to sell the story to her parents.

LEMON: Holly, you say it's almost like the usual suspects. (INAUDIBLE)

HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: That's exactly what it is, Don, because what she's done is take little tiny bits of her reality, you know, like Jeffrey Hopkins. That was a kid she went to grade school with. He takes the stand. Now, he's supposedly the one who introduced her to Zenaida, that was his girlfriend at one time and his little son Zachary, was baby-sat by her. And he gets on the stand and says, "I haven't seen her since grade school; I don't know what you're talking about, I never had a son, I never had anything."

So what we're seeing here is that she's crazy all right, not legally insane but she's crazy like a fox as you and I were talking about earlier because she takes a little bit of reality and she weaves it in, and that's what's going to cook her goose in this trial.

LEMON: Leonard Pitts, go ahead.

LEONARD PITTS, MIAMI HERALD COLUMNIST: I was just going to say that she's creating a fantasy and chose to live in it, which is kind of pathetic. But, again, I agree with your guest. That's not going to save her at trial. That's going to -- I kind of approved of the phrase -- It's going to cook her goose.

LEMON: This is what I want to know. I want to know, Drew, when you're sitting in that courtroom and you're watching the faces, when she's watching herself, what are people -- what's the expressions on people's faces

DREW PETRIMOULX, REPORTER, WBDO RADIO: Well, you know, there have been times that she just sits stone faced and doesn't really show any emotion. Kind of stares into the computer screen. She's watching these videos as they are being played in a monitor right in front of it. It's almost like she's looking through the screen.

I spent a good amount of time watching the juror's reactions. And early in the trial, they really focused more on the judge and on the lawyers. But as these videos were played in monitors right in front of them, I noticed them looking up more at Casey Anthony and kind of trying to digest the two different Caseys, the one that she portrays herself in court and the one that she is in these videos, where she's telling her dad that there's still hope, telling her mom there is still hope that Caylee can be alive all the while, the defense even now admits, that she knew Caylee was dead.

LEMON: And so, Wendy, here's the thing. Holly says she's crazy like a fox. So is there the possibility, I have to ask this and maybe you can weigh in as well, Holly, of an insanity defense. Is she insane?

WALSH: No, no.

LEMON: Is she really -- go ahead, Wendy.

WALSH: No, because the kind of lying, you know, the definition of the insanity is an inability to understand what they did was wrong. But her lying is all about covering her butt because she clearly knew what she did was wrong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Gavel-to-gavel coverage of the trial can be seen on "In Session" on truTV and on HLN. Stay with us. Your top stories are next.

Plus, take a look at this. An acrobat completes a daring highwire walk, but what's even more interesting is who was with him. Details coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: History comes full circle for a famous family of acrobats. The great grandson of the famed highwire walker Karl Wallenda has completed the feat that killed his ancestor more than 30 years ago.

Remember the Flying Wallendas?

Well, Nik Wallenda walked across a 300-foot long wire between two hotel towers in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His mother Delilah did it, too, 100 feet above the ground. And check it out, there is no safety net. Back in 1978, Karl Wallenda fell to his death trying to make the same walk. He was 73 years old.

Gets you caught up before we get out of here.

In the headlines, massive wildfires in Arizona, forcing thousands to flee their homes tonight. More than a quarter million acres have burned over the past week. One of the largest in state history is the Wallow Fire in northeastern Arizona near the town of Springer Ville. The cause of the blaze, which has scorched 180,000 acres, under investigation tonight.

Crews are working to repair the breach of a levee along the Missouri River. The breach is forcing the evacuation of 600 residents in Hamburg, Iowa. The breach is less than two inches in diameter, but engineers aren't certain that it can be repaired. If the levee does fail, interstate 29 in parts of Hamburg would likely be flooded.

Yemen is celebrating the departure of its president, at least temporarily. and the possibility of a truce. A spokesman says a tribal leader has agreed with Yemen's vice president to stop the fighting. President Ali Abdullah Saleh is in Saudi Arabia getting medical treatment after being wounded in an attack on the palace, but the government insists he will return.

Israel says its soldiers fired on an angered mob today trying to cross the border today between Syria and the occupied Golan Heights. Syria says 25 people were killed and more than 300 wounded. Protesters stormed across the border to protest Israel's seizure of the Golan Heights in the Six-Day War in 1967. Today is the anniversary of the start of the war.

Defense secretary Robert Gates is making his final stop in Afghanistan. He's leaving his post later this month. He told a group of U.S. forces that he feels responsible for their well-being, noting that he signed the deployment papers that put them there. As for the planned withdrawal of U.S. troops, Gates said he expects it to be a mix of combat and support elements. In his words, "I have confidence, we'll strike the right balance."

My favorite story of the day right now. A touching story from a scene of devastation in Massachusetts. A family reunited with the puppy that was sucked out of their home by a tornado last week. A state trooper found him alive under the wreckage of a house. Look at that cute little face. One family member described the terror of watching the puppy being torn away from them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AUDREY CARABETTA, OWNER OF DOG: I could hear his nails being dragged across the floor and he was just crying. You could hear him hitting the walls as he was being pulled out of the house. It just completely broke my heart.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Can we see him again? Nobody wants to see me. It's a cute puppy there. The puppy miraculously was unharmed. There he is. He was a gift for the family's daughter who is in remission from cancer.

Hey, little cutie pie, glad you're OK.

I'm Don Lemon at CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. Have a great week. I'll see you back here next week.