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Severe Weather Hits Northeast; Driver in Corzine Crash Located; Gonzales to Testify
Aired April 15, 2007 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: It is Sunday, April 15th, 4 o'clock in the East Coast. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, and you are in the NEWSROOM.
Winter-like severe weather is making life miserable for millions along the East Coast at this hour. In New York, airlines have cancelled 350 flights as a hard-blowing nor'easter pounds the region.
New York officials say the storm could produce the worst flooding in more than a decade in some parts of that state. And winds of up to 45 miles an hour are pushing a storm surge of three to five feet along parts of the Atlantic coast.
Meteorologists say heavy rain and powerful winds extend from Florida straight up to New England. New York Governor Eliot Spitzer is warning that this nor'easter could produce significant coastal damage.
Jim Acosta joins us live now from a very windy New York coastline - Jim.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT, NEW YORK: Good afternoon, Fredricka. If you can pardon some of the wiping there on the lens.
Yes, we are out on Jones Beach on Long Island, where we are bracing for this major nor'easter. This may all look like hurricane season came a little early right now, because we're standing out here on the beach. But, in fact, this is actually a winter storm that is coming very late in the season, actually coming in the spring.
This is a classic nor'easter that's moving up from the South and now making its way up into the Northeast. And I'm getting blown around here right now a little bit.
According to our wind gauge, winds topping out a little bit over 20 miles per hour. Those conditions, the conditions out here are expected to heighten over the next several hours. This area of Long Island is expected to bear the brunt of this storm sometime between 6 to 8 o'clock p.m. this evening.
We are expecting, as you mention, storm tidal surges from this storm in excess of three feet. You can see out here right now that the surf is really churning up right now.
We've been told by beach officials out here that this tide will come in basically to where we are standing right now over the next couple of hours.
And because of all of these conditions right now, there are major airport delays. If you're planning to fly in and out of the New York metropolitan area, you want to check your airlines. We're hearing about 350 flight cancellations right now.
We're also hearing some reports that some low-lying, flood-prone areas of the New York metropolitan area are already starting to take on some water, already starting to see some flooding.
So, for the next several hours, Fredricka, this is basically it. People just need to stay inside, stay safe and watch this storm where it's safe, inside - Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Jim. Thanks so much. Hopefully everybody will heed the warning.
Jacqui Jeras is getting a closer look at the big picture of how this nor'easter really does span and the kinds of threats involved - Jacqui.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST, CNN WEATHER CENTER, ATLANTA: Yes, just incredible, Fredricka, when you think about the size of this storm, too, by the way.
This is affecting millions of people from Florida all the way up into New England. And one of our most immediate threats right now is the threat for severe weather, including tornados.
And we have had a couple of reports already out of the Carolinas this morning. There you can see the watches which are in place.
Our last warning expired at the top of the hour, so right now no warnings. But there's a very intense line that's pushing through across the Outer Banks at this time. So, this is still a very dangerous situation with some very gusty winds.
We also have some pretty strong cells rumbling along the Raleigh- Durham area right now.
We also have a tornado watch in effect for parts of south Florida. There we have the threat of isolated tornados, as well as some strong, damaging winds with these storms. You can see some heavy rain coming down in the Miami area at this hour.
We'll take our trip on up to the north now. Not a true nor'easter yet. This thing needs to get off the coast. And once it does so, we think it's going to intensify.
So, while the winds may seem strong now, the rain is certainly heavy. Once this thing gets offshore, we're going to watch it strengthen.
So as we head towards the evening hours, I think that's when we're going to start to get the worst of it for those of you that live in New Jersey, on up towards New York City. Boston, we think this will come into play late tonight and through tomorrow. And that will affect the marathon. There you can see estimated wind speeds right now. Check it out in eastern Massachusetts, winds around 35 plus miles per hour.
We're going to have more of a perspective on this storm, Fredricka, by the way, in terms of what this is historically. That's coming up around the bottom of the hour.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Jacqui.
Meantime, South Carolina, a possible tornado is being blamed for at least one death there. It happened this morning in Sumter County, east of the state capital of Columbia.
Reporter Maggie Alexander of WIS joins by phone right now - Maggie.
MAGGIE ALEXANDER, REPORTER, WIS-TV, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA (by phone): Fredricka, there are about two demolished trailers, six damaged homes. You'll see trucks flipped on their side, boats and other things carried across yards.
We know of several people taken to the hospital. And like you said, one person has died, according to the sheriff.
I spoke to someone who said he saw a twister pick up his neighbor's home. And he said it was like it just - it made the house explode. It was unbelievable to hear what he saw, and I'm sure he was very frightened, like he told me.
The people are now cleaning up, though, many going through their things to see what they can save. We're told power should be restored soon.
One of my favorite quotes of the day was from a man who said it's going to get back to the way it was, that this is a tight community, and we're going to pull it all together.
So, it just shows you how close this community is, Fredricka. And despite all the damage there, they are very optimistic.
WHITFIELD: All right. Maggie Alexander of WIS, joining us from Sumter County, South Carolina. Thanks so much.
We'll have much more on the big storm throughout the newscast. Coming at the half-hour, I'll talk with Rally Caparis (ph) of Travelocity Business about the storm's impact on air travel. As we mentioned, already 350 flights in the New York area have been canceled.
Well, to Capitol Hill right now where embattled U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales prepares for his Tuesday showdown with the Senate Judiciary Committee over the firings of eight federal prosecutors. And in what some presume is a preemptive move to save his job, Mr. Gonzales wrote an op-ed piece in today's "Washington Post," maintaining he has done nothing wrong beyond "creating confusion."
CNN's Kathleen Koch is live at the White House with more on that - Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT, THE WHITE HOUSE: Fredricka, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales knows that he is literally fighting for his political life here and that he has got to convince these senators that the firings of these eight U.S. attorneys were not made for improper political reasons.
And to that end, not only did he send an op-ed to the "Washington Post," that was printed in this morning's paper, but he also had the Department of Justice release in advance his opening statement for the hearing on Tuesday.
And in it he says, quote - he denies any wrongdoing, I should say.
He says, "I know that I did not and would not ask for a resignation of any individual in order to interfere with or influence a particular prosecution for partisan political gain. I also have no basis to believe that anyone involved in this process sought the removal of a U.S. Attorney for an improper reason."
Gonzales also in his testimony says that while his former chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, gave him - periodically gave him brief updates on how the review of U.S. attorneys was going, that he himself never made that final decision on who was going to be ousted.
Now, a couple of senators on the Judiciary Committee had mixed reviews on whether or not this actually clarifies the firings of the U.S. attorneys.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER, D-NEW YORK: The opening statement of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales does not advance his cause at all. So, the questions he is asked and the answers he will give on Tuesday will be make-or-break for him.
Not a single important question we have asked is answered in his opening statement just released this afternoon.
SEN. JON KYL, R-ARIZONA: It's really incumbent upon those who are casting aspersions on him and on the administration, to show the evidence - if there is any, and so far there is not - that any prosecution was stopped because of this or that it was done for that purpose.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
KOCH: Now, former chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, was interviewed on Capitol Hill today by both House and Senate staffers. Senators are saying that if they are not satisfied with both his answers and Gonzales', they could have additional hearings.
And senators are also saying they're likely to continue pushing the White House to allow the testimony of top advisors like Karl Rove to explain the White House role in all of this.
Back to you, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And so, Kathleen, as we just heard Schumer say, that Tuesday testimony just may be make-or-break for Gonzales. So, is that the White House position, too, that whatever is said or is not said on Tuesday really could determine whether he keeps the job or not?
KOCH: Well, the vice president on one of the Sunday morning talk shows today said that he has full confidence in Gonzales, as does the president.
But certainly, throughout Washington the belief is that it is very important, this testimony Tuesday morning, to the attorney general's future, to him being able to hold on to his job.
He's got to give some hard and fast answers that will satisfy the senators. Otherwise, those calls for his resignation will only increase.
WHITFIELD: Kathleen Koch from the White House, thanks so much.
KOCH: You bet.
WHITFIELD: Well, doctors say New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine remains in critical condition after undergoing a medical procedure today to remove fluid that had collected outside his left lung.
Meanwhile, police have found the 20-year-old driver who supposedly triggered the crash that left Corzine seriously injured. The driver apparently didn't realize what happened and will not be charged with leaving the scene of an accident.
But police add they are still investigating and that other charges are still possible.
A rather testy exchange for New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday while campaigning in New Hampshire. A voter demanded to know whether Senator Clinton had read the Iraq intelligence report before voting for U.S. military action.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you read it though (ph)?
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, D-NEW YORK, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No. I was briefed on it. I was briefed ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You said you would (ph) (UNINTELLIGIBLE) ...
CLINTON: I was briefed on it. (END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Senator Clinton repeated her claim that she would not have voted for the Iraq war, if she knew then what she knows now. The woman was later escorted from the building.
The Iraq war certainly is getting plenty of play on the campaign trail.
Last night in an Atlanta appearance, Illinois Senator Barack Obama blamed President Bush's, quote, stubbornness for the Iraq war.
Today, Obama is in Tampa, Florida, for a kick-off fund-raiser there.
Meanwhile, former North Carolina Senator John Edwards campaigns through New Hampshire. Right now he's scheduled for a house party in Nelson, New Hampshire.
And former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is in the Granite State, as well, serving as keynote speaker at a GOP dinner later on tonight.
Well, setting the record straight in a press conference, World Bank chief Paul Wolfowitz responds to allegations that he got his girlfriend a high-paying job at the State Department. Will his comments help clear his name and help him keep his job?
We all know the ship's story, but what about the people who lived and died aboard the Titanic? New information now, up next in a live report.
Also ahead, tracking wicked weather as it leaves a trail of death and destruction all along the East Coast. Get an update live from the severe weather center in about 10 minutes from now.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: About a quarter past the hour, here's what's happening.
His birthday is tomorrow, but today in Saint Peter's Square, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his 80th birthday with a special mass before thousands of Catholic faithful.
Meanwhile, violence flairs again today in Iraq. This is one of three vehicle bombings in Baghdad that killed at least 47 people and wounded more than 100 more.
And British defense officials say two British troops were killed when a pair of military helicopters collided some 20 miles north of Baghdad. Initial reports suggest the crash was an accident.
And this programming note. General David Petraeus, the new military commander in Iraq will talk to CNN tomorrow morning about how things are going there. This must-see interview with the general will be on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING, which begins at 6 a.m. Eastern.
Embattled World Bank chief Paul Wolfowitz is trying to set the record straight. Wolfowitz has been under fire for getting his girlfriend a job at the U.S. State Department, which included a hefty pay hike.
Well, now he's struggling to keep his job and trying to silence his critics. At a press conference going on in Washington right now, Wolfowitz said, "I intend to continue the important work the bank has to do."
The White House has come to Wolfowitz's defense, but it may be a little too late. Global aid ministers are meeting today and discussing the controversy.
And as our Zain Verjee explains, Wolfowitz's critics may have found a reason to say "gotcha."
(BEGIN VIDEO)
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT, WASHINGTON (voice-over): Paul Wolfowitz has given his enemies a gift they've been waiting for.
PAUL WOLFOWITZ, PRESIDENT, WORLD BANK: I made a mistake, for which I am sorry.
VERJEE: The controversial World Bank president has confessed to promoting his girlfriend, Shaha Riza, to the State Department and then on to a U.S.-funded foundation.
She's been kept on the World Bank payroll at a tax-free salary of about $194,000. That's more than the secretary of state makes.
BEATRICE EDWARDS, GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT: It is simply embarrassing and inappropriate for the president of the bank to use the resources of the bank to fund the lavish lifestyle of his girlfriend.
VERJEE: He was already unpopular when he arrived to lead the World Bank. He was the number two of the Pentagon, a hawkish architect of the Iraq war.
And now, World Bank employees say Wolfowitz has destroyed the staff's trust and his leadership. He must act honorably and resign.
His supporters say this is not about his love life; it's just an excuse to dump a tough administrator.
His management style and his fierce anti-corruption drives in developing countries have frustrated old hands.
A "Wall Street Journal" editorial says, "The real fight here is over his attempts to make the bank and its borrowers more accountable for results."
Despite questions about unethical behavior, President Bush is fully backing the man he put in the job.
DANA PERINO, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESWOMAN: The president has full confidence in Paul Wolfowitz. He's done a remarkable job at the World Bank, where they are working to lift people up out of poverty from around the world.
VERJEE (on camera): This is all erupting as the World Bank holds its annual spring meetings.
Meanwhile, the woman at the center of all of this, Shaha Riza, says she's been a victim here. She says she never reported directly to Wolfowitz and she never really wanted to leave the World Bank in the first place.
She says the episode has affected her psychologically, professionally and physically.
Zain Verjee, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO)
WHITFIELD: Almost 100 years later, newly released information about the passengers who boarded the Titanic. That's up next. What makes these new details special and where you can find that in a live report.
Also ahead, details on the settlement between NASA and the families of astronauts killed aboard the space shuttle Columbia.
You're in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: News across America now.
Five children are dead after a fire ripped through a house in Quincy, Illinois. The children range in age from eight months to 10 years old. Two other people were injured, one critically. It's not clear how the fire started. An investigation is underway.
A wall of smoke and flames engulf an entire block of 100-year-old buildings not far from Toledo, Ohio. Officials say the fire may have started in a restaurant, then spread to four other buildings, destroying all of them. Two firefighters on the scene were hurt.
And in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a tense standoff with a murder suspect and some onlookers. Police say the suspect, holdup in an apartment building. When officers arrived at the scene, more than 100 neighbors started throwing rocks at them. Police say shots were also fired from the crowd.
No one was hurt. Officers were finally able to disperse the group, and the suspect later surrendered. A bizarre attack in eastern Maryland. A two-year-old boy suffered serious chemical burns after using playground equipment that had been doused with industrial strength drain cleaner. According to police, the cleaner was stolen from a nearby school.
They say whoever was responsible most likely suffered minor burns to their hands and to their arms. And they're urging anyone with information to contact authorities.
NASA has confirmed it paid settlements to families of the seven astronauts killed in the 2003 Columbia tragedy. The "Orlando Sentinel" newspaper citing government documents said the settlement amounted to $26.6 million. NASA says it got the money from a congressional appropriation.
Ninety-five years ago today it sank to a watery grave deep in the Atlantic Ocean. Now, new details of the passengers who died on the Titanic's maiden voyage are being released. We're learning the names, the ages and the professions of the passengers as they were recorded on the ship's handwritten list.
Our Joshua Lev is here with pretty fascinating details.
JOSHUA LEV, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CENTER, ATLANTA: It is. It is. It's really fascinating. It's really striking.
And, you know, we're also going to learn something about the couple that inspired the 1997 movie, which is a lot of people's first image that they get when you think about the word "Titanic," you know, the whole Celine Dion sob fest - for some people. I don't cry at movies.
But what's really interesting here, we're five years away from the centennial of that disaster, and now, for the first time, we're getting a really fascinating glimpse into the people who lived the nightmare.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
LEVS (voice-over): You know the story line. It's been told and retold, like in the 1997 movie, "Titanic."
And you may have seen images like these - the wreckage of a disaster that killed more than 1,500 people, when the ship that had been touted as unsinkable hit an iceberg and sunk.
Its wreckage was found more than 70 years later in 1985.
But how much do you know about them, the people on the ship that set sail from Southampton, England, with massive publicity on April 10, 1912, heading for New York?
This is who they were - their names, professions, ages, what class ticket they had, at which stop they would have disembarked.
The original, handwritten passenger list has been published for the first time by the Web site FindMyPast.com. The site says it was allowed to scan the list, kept in Britain's National Archives.
It includes survivors who have told their stories over the years.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was a beautiful ship. It was too good to go down.
LEVS: The 34-page list does not include those who boarded in France, such as the legendary Molly Brown. The Web site says that list was lost or never collected by British authorities.
But there are well-known figures, including the Countess of Rothes, who survived, along with her cousin and maid - and a couple who help inspired the movie, Henry Morley and Kate Phillips. They were eloping to New York and registered under the name Marshall.
The list does not include the ship's crew.
All those who died are being remembered Sunday in a ceremony at Southampton, the spot where the voyage began nearly a century ago.
(END VIDEO)
LEVS: And you know, when you look at those pictures of Southampton and the ship there, it's also a reminder of how far that technology has come.
But Fred, when you think about it, we still to this day sometimes report about problems with cruise ships, one recently in a sinking incident. And so, 10 steps ahead, one step back sometimes.
WHITFIELD: Right. So, tell me a little bit more about the couple that inspired - the couple that was portrayed in "Titanic."
LEVS: Yes, the movie couple. They are really interesting. They served as inspiration for that couple. But their story is pretty different.
Henry and Kate - Henry was about 20 years older than Kate. She was only about 19 years old at the point that they got on that ship.
They were eloping to New York. But what ended up happening was - and one say similar to the movie - he died, she survived. And the story goes that she conceived his child. So, out there, there is a product of that union still walking among us.
WHITFIELD: Well, maybe there is a part two, "Titanic 2."
LEVS: I wonder.
WHITFIELD: I mean, you know, if art is going to imitate life here, right?
LEVS: Yes, but you remember they made like $10 billion off that movie. If James Cameron could have done a part two, we would be up to part seven by now. You know?
WHITFIELD: OK. I get it. All right. Thanks a lot, Josh.
LEVS: Thanks.
WHITFIELD: All right. Let's check in with Jacqui Jeras, severe weather.
JERAS: Yes, this storm really intensifying right now, Fredricka. And it is expected to do more bad before it gets better.
How does this storm compare to other nor'easters over years past? We'll have the details coming up.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Jacqui.
Also ahead, as thousands remember the Holocaust, we hear new stories of survival. Still to come, one woman's search for passengers of a violent voyage on the ship Exodus.
And today may be April 15th, but you can still squeak in under the wire with the IRS. This has been a pretty rough tax season for most folks. You've got a couple more days before the deadline.
More in the NEWSROOM right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All along the East Coast this hour, severe winter- like weather is making life pretty miserable.
Airlines have cancelled hundreds of flights in the New York area as a hard-blowing nor'easter pushes across the region. Officials say the storm could produce the worst flooding in more than a decade in some parts of New York State.
Boston, too, can expect heavy rains, powerful winds and flooding. Not ideal conditions for tomorrow's scheduled Boston marathon. All day, all along the eastern seaboard, we have been seeing winds of up to 45 miles an hour, pushing a storm surge of 3 to 5 feet. Jacqui Jeras is in the Severe Weather Center where you have your hands full.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I certainly do. You know, Fredricka, what makes this challenging, I guess, as a meteorologist is that there are so many aspects to this storm. And that it's affecting so many people. Millions of people, and everybody wants to know, what's going to happen here in Boston? What's going to happen here in Portland? How big is this storm? This is unusual. What's a little bit unusual about it is it's kind of late in the season to be getting a nor'easter like this but it has happened before. What's going to be different about this one that so many people who live in the megalopolis area, say, from D.C., on up towards Philly and into New York, Boston, is that this is going to be a rain event and a coastal flooding event. This storm has really been intensifying today, and the minimum central pressure of this storm has been extremely low. Now that it's been recorded so low, they're saying the intensity of this storm is now stronger than the nor'easter of 1992 that hit the New York metropolitan area, that was December 11th through the 12th. The central pressure there was 991. We are now down to 989, I believe is the lowest that we had there. So just to give you an idea, you say, yeah, we've seen this before. Well, it's been a long time, hasn't it? We are comparing this to maybe 15 years we have seen a storm this intense across parts of the northeast.
We will continue to get stronger once it gets offshore. We're very concerned about the coastal flooding and since this is rain, not snow, check out the forecast rainfall totals here into the northeastern corridor. The reds that you see up here, that's 4 to 5 inches of rain. We are seeing that very widespread here. Look into New Hampshire, and also down into parts of Maine here that purple indicating potentially 6 to 8 inches of rainfall. You get that in less than 24 hours, that's going to push the small rivers and creeks right out of their banks. That's what we are concerned about. So Fredricka travel a huge issue on the roadways and by the airways.
WHITFIELD: Sounds very touch and go. All right Jacqui thanks so much.
As we have heard, the severe weather is tying up air traffic today. It will likely mean a mess for people trying to fly out tomorrow as well. Rally Caparas of Flightexplorer.com keeps an eye on air traffic control and everything else air traffic-related. So, Rally, we know that in the New York area alone, 350 flights and a minimum have been canceled. Is that the area that's been hardest hit?
RALLY CAPARAS, FLIGHTEXPLORER.COM: Well Fredricka of course, the big apple, they have the most traffic, especially this time of the day. Take a look at Flightexplorer.com, I will show you exactly what's going on there. We are watching a lot of volume headed into and out, every one of those airplanes you see on the screen are headed to or from one of the three major New York City metropolitan airports. And it looks like traffic is pretty heavy, that purple area that you see just below all of that, that mess in front of you, that's winds gusting to as much as 50 miles per hour. The ice blue is 40 miles per hour, the dark blue is up to 30 and the green, it's just some wind gusts, about 20 miles per hour.
So they have reduced the arrival flight handling capacity into all of those locations. They have now canceled 500 flights so far today. The arrivals that are getting airborne and getting to those locations, four and five hours late and it will stay that way. As we move further to the north you see that Boston Logan, they are sitting in the green section of that wind field, so the wind hasn't quite got there yet. However, they have still seen 100 flights be canceled already and three to four-hour arrival delays. Of course you see the volume is not near what it was and it won't build to anymore that, as they are likely to cancel many more flights later this evening. Because as that blue, purple and ice blue move in, so will the winds. It will get nasty.
Further south, down south of New York City, Philadelphia International, they are the other location that's suffering the most today. One hundred fifty flights canceled thus far. They are seeing three to four-hour arrival delays. You see the primary problem there, underneath that purple field where the winds are gusting to as much as 45 miles per hour. It will be a rough ride, folks if you are heading to the northeast.
If you are sitting in another major hub airport like Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, northern Kentucky, Charlotte, it will be a long wait for you, folks. Grab another cup of coffee and make a friend. It's a great evening for one. I will be back in about a half hour with the latest on these conditions, Fredricka. Back to you.
WHITFIELD: All right. Rally thanks so much. Definitely going to be a tough workweek because those are cities that so many commuters need to get to on a Monday to begin the week. Thanks so much.
So, that foul weather being in the forecast for Boston, so what does that mean for the 111th running of the Boston marathon tomorrow? You are looking at some live pictures right now of the weather conditions. Not looking very good. Officials for the marathon are keeping a close eye on the storm. They have even discussed canceling the famous race. We get the latest now from CNN's Kyung Lah who joins us live by phone from Boston. So what is the latest? Are they getting closer to making an announcement on whether that race will happen?
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well they announced that the latest we have Fredricka is that the race will continue. Of course, that decision is contingent upon what happens throughout the evening, but the latest that we are hearing is that the Boston marathon will go on. The start time is 9:30 Eastern. But, again, the city is still going to wait and see what happens with the weather to see if there's a late decision that needs to be made.
But right now, they are saying they believe it will be safe enough for the 23,000 runners to hit the streets tomorrow. And just that number, 23,000 people have arrived to run it. They're also thousands more who are trying to get to the Boston area, if they haven't arrived already to watch this. So the weather certainly is going to impact this very high profile running event. The big concerns, rain and wind, we are already seeing here. We checked out a couple of different coastal spots in the Boston area just south of Boston where we are. It's cold, it's rainy, and it's windy. We are expecting the peak tonight, into early tomorrow morning. There are reports of gusts of 30 to 40 miles an hour in the islands off Massachusetts.
But the big concern, the very big concern south of Boston is the coastal flooding. Combine that with the high tides that are expected overnight, this could, according to the city, combine to be some of the worst shore flooding in 14 years. Now, the city, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency on stand by. They say everyone needs to brace for it. So far, no reports of any major damage.
WHITFIELD: All right. Kyung Lah, thanks so much from Boston.
Taxing times at the White House. President and Mrs. Bush report their taxable income for 2006 topped $642,000. Tax bill came to just over $186,000. That's about a 28 percent tax rate. The Bushes donated some $78,000 to charity, and the volunteer fire department in Crawford, Texas, the home of the Bush ranch, they were among the recipients. Tax filing time this year is a procrastinator's dream and a paperwork nightmare all rolled into one. Calendar odd its mean procrastinators don't have to file their income taxes until Tuesday but our Gary Nurenberg reports tax filers may need that extra time to overcome IRS hurdles this year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): An H & R Block in Washington on Sunday.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The deadline comes up and hits you.
NURENBERG: For various reasons, the IRS told Congress last week --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We anticipated the most difficult filing season in a number of years.
NURENBERG: For one thing, some of the most commonly used deductions, state and local taxes, school supplies, tuition, weren't reauthorized by Congress in time to end up on the forms.
JAMES WHITE, GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE: So now people literally have to go to a form, scribble out a line, and write in the deduction. It's as if Congress is telling everyone they'd better be their own accountants this year.
NURENBERG: But in a test of professional accountants --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We found that preparers made mistakes in every case, with tax consequences that were sometimes significant.
WHITE: Not only does the tax preparation community have no idea what the law says, sometimes the IRS and Congress don't.
NURENBERG: Here's what we do know. The United States first had an income tax to pay for the Civil War but didn't make it permanent until 1913. The IRS will process about 130 million returns this year, and collect about 1.15 trillion dollars in personal income tax. It guesses it will miss about 300 billion in taxes that should be paid.
WHITE: The top tenth of income earners in the United States pay about two thirds of the Federal Income Taxes.
NURENBERG: About 70 percent of returns are filed electronically, about 10 million filers will ask for extensions. The IRS thinks about 10 to 15 million people who should be filing don't. An experienced crook told Congress the IRS doesn't have adequate protections to prevent identity fraud when taxpayers phone for help.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's easier at the IRS than a bank or even calling a department store.
NURENBERG: He recommends the use of personal identification numbers and passwords, but the IRS Commissioner isn't convinced. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not sure we get after this problem.
NURENBERG: Best advice for taxpayers, be prepared.
KATE WALTER, H&R BLOCK SENIOR TAX ADVISER: Know what you need, take the ancs (ph) of out of tax. Enjoy the spring.
NURENBERG: Enjoy the spring. It was perhaps symbolically on this April 15th raining on virtually every taxpayer on the east coast.
Gary Nurenberg, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, you survived Friday the 13th. Now you've only got a couple days away for Tuesday, the 17th. That is your tax-filing day. Don't miss it. Get the stuff in the mail.
That is in part, it's the 17th because April 16th, tomorrow, is a legal holiday in the nation's capital. Of course, the 15th fell on today, Sunday. So, remember, tax deadline day is Tuesday
Ceremonies from Israel to the U.S. for Holocaust Remembrance Day. Commemorating the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis during World War II. Their unbelievable stories of endurance and survival about five minutes from now.
Plus, Iran has it in order now its neighbors want it, too, nuclear energy. What would a nuclear Middle East mean? Details straight ahead in THE NEWSROOM.
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WHITFIELD: Just in case you are not convinced how bad this nor'easter is right now, you are looking at new pictures out of West Virginia. In Madison, West Virginia, the floodwaters have meant that a number of people, dozens of people, have been trapped in their homes. So, fire and rescue now are using boats to help get many of the residents out of their homes in areas that are being threatened by high water.
In an area of Wyoming County alone, two people have been injured, and then in nearby Logan County, already two people are unaccounted for. So just to give you an idea of what is in store for a lot of folks in the path of this nor'easter.
Now onto a storm of another sort. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is about to begin a major trip to the Middle East. He is scheduled to arrive in Jordan tomorrow where he will hold talks with King Abdullah, then it's on to Egypt for a meeting with the President Hosni Mubarak. At the end of the week he is scheduled to hold talks in Israel with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. No details on the talking points, but Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will likely top the agenda.
Iran's nuclear program just keeps growing. Tehran has announced it is seeking bids to build two more nuclear power plants. Iranian officials say the plants will be light water reactors used to generate electricity. Iran's nuclear ambitions may be motivating its Middle East rivals to pursue their own nuclear power programs. The "New York Times" says Saudi Arabia, despite its vast oil supply, is scrambling to build reactors. The paper points out just two years ago, Saudi leaders told atomic regulators they saw no need to have nuclear power. Analysts attribute the change of heart to the Saudi's concern over a nuclear Iran.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, meantime, has long argued the death of millions of Jews during World War II simply never happened. So, it's not surprising that Ahmadinejad did not take part in today's remembrance of the Holocaust today in Jerusalem.
Today Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert marked the Jewish state's official daylong memorial of Nazi atrocities. A few remaining Holocaust survivors joined the hundreds who braved today's rather frigid weather.
A similar shiver in New York's Battery Park where an estimated 1,500 people, some death camp survivors and their families, joined former secretary of state Henry Kissinger for today's Holocaust observance there.
Never forget. It's the message around the world on this Holocaust Remembrance Day. People from Israel to the United States are mourning the millions who died. The struggle of those who tried to escape is still coming to light today. CNN's Barbara Starr has the story of one desperate journey.
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BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Sixty years ago, thousands of Holocaust survivors made a daring and violent voyage bound for Palestine on a shipped named "Exodus." You may think you know the story from the 1960 movie starring Paul Newman.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the "Exodus."
STARR: But what really happened in the summer of 1947 was even more dramatic than the movie or the Leon Uris novel it was based on. Genya Markon a curator at the Holocaust Memorial Museum is spearheading an effort to find the names of all 4,500 "Exodus" passengers. Many were Nazi death camp survivors who desperately wanted to reach Palestine.
GENYA MARKON, U.S. HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM: This was a youngster, one of the youngest members of the "Exodus". He was 3 years old at the time.
STARR: But the British, who controlled Palestine, were turning back most of the Jews as illegal immigrants. These are just some of the letters, pictures and other "Exodus" artifacts being gathered from around the world, 60-year-old clues about who made the journey and about those who survived the Holocaust.
MARKON: This gives honor to the survivors and it creates a very important documentation for future generations.
STARR: Even before "Exodus" reached Palestine, the British navy rammed the ship, killing three and wounding dozens. Unlike the movie, the real "Exodus" passengers were taken into custody, forced onboard British warships and lived for months on what many called a floating Auschwitz. But "Exodus" made headlines around the world. News coverage like this article in "Life" magazine told of the Holocaust survivors' ordeal. The British were widely criticized for treating Jews like prisoners.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The "Exodus" story came out. The other ships that were grounded came out. Slowly but surely, the British had to give it up.
STARR: The "Exodus" passengers wound up back in Germany where most of them waited another year before finally making their way to what is now Israel.
MARKON: The "Exodus" was a turning point in many ways. It became the symbol for the creation of Israel.
STARR: The year after the failed voyage of "Exodus" the British control of Palestine ended, and Israel was declared a state. And now, more than half a century later, the last chapter of the real voyage of "Exodus" is finally being written.
Barbara Starr, CNN, at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
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WHITFIELD: When we come back, in THE NEWSROOM we'll update you on the nor'easter that is wreaking havoc all along the east coast.
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JERAS: I'm Jacqui Jeras in the CNN Weather Center with today's allergy report. Some of the highest concentrations of pollen in the U.S. has been confined across parts of the great basin and into the southwest. Allergy suffers across the upper Midwest and the northeastern corridors are doing pretty good. This is the report, by the way, as of Friday. So with our wet weather pushing in across the southeast, watch for improvement there as we kick off the workweek.
CNN NEWSROOM will be right back.
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WHITFIELD: More pictures that we're getting in. Just demonstrating just how bad this nor'easter is pounding a good part of the country. These pictures coming out of West Virginia, where we understand that five counties now are dealing with some flooding as a result of some steady, pounding rain, as well as in one county, a number of rescues have been taking place. People who have been trapped, dozens of people who have been trapped in their homes because of the rising water. And then you move further north into the state of New Jersey, where the acting Governor Richard Codey mentioned just moments ago what kinds of problems they are experiencing there.
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ACTING GOV. RICHARD CODEY, NEW JERSEY: State police have additional troopers from the rapid deployment force on stand by throughout the state. The office of Emergency Management has Swift Water Rescue Teams on stand by for water rescues. The BPU has spoken to utility officials who have extra crews on stand by for downed power lines. The roads, as you know, are still extremely dangerous. As of right now, 16 roads throughout the state of New Jersey have been totally or partially closed. Flooding is ongoing in many places, and will worsen as the rain continues.
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WHITFIELD: So flooding is a big problem in many states, and even high winds. It's in part why so many flights in the New York area have been canceled. As a result of this nor'easter, and then, of course, we're still waiting official word as to whether the Boston marathon will still take place tomorrow. Let's check in with Jacqui Jeras.
JERAS: Still a very intense storm at this hour, Fredricka, with so many elements to it. We are watching the threat of tornados here across the Carolinas. Look at this intense storm now pushing to the east of Raleigh. A lot of lightning associated with it. We may also see some very strong winds. The Outer Banks just got slammed. You can see those storms are now finally beginning to pull offshore here. We also have the threat of tornados across south Florida. Miami is still under a tornado watch. You can see southwestern Florida getting hit with some stronger thunderstorms right now. But no tornado warnings in effect.
The northern tier of this system, we're still looking at winds coming in from the southeast, so that means our nor'easter is still not officially a nor'easter just yet. We will get a full account of what's happening with the wind speeds, and the conditions and the threat of coastal flooding that is coming up in just a few minutes.
WHITFIELD: All right. Jacqui thank so much. We look forward to that. We will have more on our top story in just a moment.
Severe weather is a real mess all over the east coast, heavy rains, high winds, flooding, you name it, hundreds of flights as I mentioned already canceled and possibly more as the evening progresses. We are tracking the storm and we'll have the latest from the airports right after this break. You are in THE NEWSROOM.
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WHITFIELD: A weather nightmare unfolding this hour up and down the east coast. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. You are in THE NEWSROOM.
Severe winter-like storms are making life miserable for millions. A flood watch is in effect for parts of Washington, D.C. due to heavy rain in the nation's capital. Boston, too, can expect continued heavy rains, powerful winds and possible flooding. Not ideal conditions for tomorrow's scheduled Boston marathon. And airlines have canceled hundreds of flights in the New York area. Tomorrow's schedules are also expected to be affected.
Meanwhile, our Jim Acosta is battling the wind gusts there and the spray of rain. He is on Long Island, which may be among the coastal areas hit the hardest. Officials say the storm could produce the worst flooding in more than a decade. And winds in some places are reported at 45 miles per hour. Let's check in first with Jacqui Jeras.
JERAS: Those 45 mile per hour winds will be picking up Fredricka and we could be looking at 60 plus mile per hour wind gusts and that can cause a considerable amount of damage, that can break off some significant tree limbs, that can tear off part of the roof of your home. So, this is a very dangerous storm. Today is the day you just want to stay inside and play it safe.
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