[John Roberts, Cnn Anchor:] You know, make the most of it though.
[Kiran Chetry, Cnn Anchor:] Yes.
[Roberts:] This is going to be a great summer ahead.
[Chetry:] Thanks for being with us this morning. We have some breaking news and we're talking once again about the might of the Mississippi River pushing past yet another levee. Now as many as 30 more in northern Missouri and western Illinois are in danger this morning. The water stretches as far as the eye can see. Homes, businesses and another 60,000 acres of farmland underwater this morning. And the Mississippi is expected to crest sooner than first predicted. Experts say that a 50-mile stretch of the river could start dropping today between Quincy, Illinois and Winfield, Missouri. There's a look at the Google Earth map. It's because so many levees have given way that the water has now spread out across such a large area. Also, the powerful strength of the floodwaters. These pictures showing vital levees in Missouri being ripped away. The widening gash is sending tons of water along a new path and that has saturated farmland. Right now, people are filling sandbag after sandbag raising to build a defense against the rising river. CNN's Ed Lavandera is live in Clarksville, Missouri with more. Good morning, Ed.
[Ed Lavandera, Cnn Correspondent:] Good morning, Kiran. While you guys are talking about how today is going to be the longest day of the year, there's no question that residents here in Clarksville are definitely feeling that pressure. This is a unique town along the Mississippi River as kind of an old historic town along the river, but there's also no levee here. So really the residents of Clarksville have been fighting over the last few days, rapidly trying to bag full of sand. They've actually brought in the Missouri National Guard using pumps to get the water back into the river and away from the historic town here. You can see the sandbags that have built up. This is just one little portion where actually it's very difficult to get on to the main part of this street where the real heavy machinery has been brought in by the National Guard and other city emergency officials to fight this process. This has been going on for several days now. And we're talking to some people here this morning who say they're hoping the river is starting to go down. But as you've mentioned, as this levee breaks it's made it very difficult to figure out exactly when rivers are going to crest because water is moving in so many different directions. But the anticipation here is that perhaps it will start going down although we have talked to some other people who say they expect it to go back up again at some point as well. So the fight continues here again today in Clarksville, Missouri Kiran.
[Chetry:] Sure does. Ed Lavandera for us. Thanks.
[Roberts:] President Bush and his potential successor John McCain are promising help for Midwest flood victims. Both touring the flood zone in Iowa. And while their paths never actually crossed, their message was very much the same. CNN's Dana Bash is covering the story.
[Dana Bash, Cnn Congressional Correspondent:] A bird's eye view of the worst flooding Cedar Rapids, Iowa has every seen. A briefing under severe damage the flooding has caused and a promise from a president chastened by his sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina.
[George W. Bush, President Of The United States:] Congress passed, allowed to pass, you know, a big chunk of disaster money. Hopefully would help put people's minds at ease, and that we're going to help you recover.
[Bash:] Even as the president spoke. Some 60 miles south in Columbus Junction, the Republican candidate who wants his job was meeting with local officials, getting his own firsthand look at Iowa's flood damage.
[Sen. John Mccain , Presumptive Pres. Nominee:] I know that I speak for all of America. We'll do everything necessary to try to rebuild their lives and have a chance to continue living a normal life here.
[Bash:] Visiting a disaster area is a standard move for any would-be president, especially when it happens in a battleground state like Iowa. But this was a curious juxtaposition for John McCain. Two months ago when his quest to separate himself from the unpopular president, McCain made his harshest comments ending in the city that symbolizes Mr. Bush's failures New Orleans.
[Mccain:] Never again. Never again will a disaster of this nature be handled in the terrible and disgraceful way that it was handled. Never again. Never again.
[Bash:] McCain aides tell CNN they knew the president would be in Iowa the same time he was but for scheduling reasons had little choice. If nothing else, the images are a reminder of their sometimes awkward coexistence. A president determined to show he's still hands on and learned Katrina's lessons, and a candidate whose own show of compassion is part of an effort to shield himself from Bush baggage. And McCain's very different life experience from the president was on display. The Vietnam veteran sought several buildings that were partly underwater and said, "You lost the battle but you won the war. Dana Bash, CNN, Washington.
[Roberts:] John McCain is accusing Barack Obama of breaking his word today after Obama said that he would not take public money for the general election. The campaigns exchanged heated e-mails after the Obama camp was denied access to McCain's conference call with reporters. Obama's team wanted to get on the call to explain why Obama has changed his position. Communications director Bill Burton sent an e- mail to the McCain campaign saying, "Any particular reason you weren't willing to have an actual discussion about the disagreements here on your conference call?" Not only did they send that e-mail to the McCain campaign. They sent it to all of the political reporters covering politics. McCain communications director Jill Hazelbaker shot back calling the last minute request a "stunt." She went also also went on to say, "That type of boys club bullying embodies an arrogance better suited for a frat house than a serious campaign about serious issues." Hazelbaker said that McCain would rather discuss the issue at 10 town hall meetings at a location of Senator Obama's choice. Fur is flying Kiran.
[Chetry:] It sure is. Well, Louisiana lawmakers are demanding some answers after a CNN investigation exposed how FEMA gave away $85 million worth of household items that were meant for Hurricane Katrina victims. State lawmakers requested a hearing after watching our special investigation last week, and they want to know why a state government official rejected those FEMA supplies.
[Edwin Murphy, Louisiana State Senate:] He had to know the need was there, unless he just lives completely oblivious to everything that's in the newspaper. He just kind of had to know. I understand that you're here representing the agency in
[Karen St. German, Louisiana State House:] And so, what happened? Oh, I hope this is a glaring lesson for the future because if it's not, this is a slap in the face to think that anybody in this state doesn't know that the need is still there.
[Chetry:] The first truckload of lost relief supplies will be redistributed today to community groups helping Katrina victims John.
[Roberts:] The European Union will lift its diplomatic sanctions on Cuba hoping that the move will lead to democracy on the island and get Cuba's new president, Raul Castro, to make progress on civil rights. The U.S. has much more severe economic sanctions on Cuba and says it is not changing its stance. State Department Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said, "While we've seen some very minor cosmetic changes made by this regime, we certainly don't see any kind of fundamental break with the Castro dictatorship that would give us reason to believe that now would be the time to lift sanctions or otherwise fundamentally alter our policies." Elian Gonzalez controversy could create problems for Barack Obama before his visit to Miami tomorrow. Elian's great uncle plans to hold a press conference this afternoon blaming two of Obama's advisers for helping send Elian back to Cuba eight years ago. He's taking aim at foreign policy adviser Greg Craig, who represented Elian's father, and Eric Holder, currently part of Obama's VP search team who is deputy attorney general when Elian was seized. At the time, Elian lived in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood with relatives for several months. Obama was an Illinois lawmaker during the month-long custody battle, never took a public position on it. The House agrees to give President Bush $165 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In exchange, Democrats get approval for two of their issues, extending unemployment benefits and money for college education for U.S. troops. The plan also includes over $2 billion to deal with Midwest flooding. The Senate, though, still needs to approve it.
[Chetry:] Well, scientists reviewing pictures sent from NASA's Phoenix Lander say that signs point to ice on Mars. They say chunks of white material exposed in a trench earlier this week disappeared. That indicated the stuff was probably frozen water that melted instead of salt. Our Miles O'Brien is going to be joining us, and he's going to have more on this discovery and what it could mean. Coming up at our next hour.
[Roberts:] Is there life on Mars? That's the big question. As gasoline tops $4 a gallon, more and more people are trying to save money by turning to hybrids. But there's a big catch. Try to find one.
[Chetry:] Also, attached at the hip. BlackBerry users say they work around the clock and they want to get paid for it.
[Roberts:] And Larry King like you have never seen him before. Hanging out backstage with Tommy Lee and Motley Crue. Oh, playing guitar? Larry, what's up? You're watching the most news and the most music in the Morning."