Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Shots Fired Inside a Church; Foreclosure Crisis; Beginning the Drawdown

Aired March 08, 2009 - 16:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Shots fired inside a church sanctuary: a news conference is getting under way any minute now, and CNN will bring it to you live.

The draw down begins. Thousands of U.S. troops leaving Iraq within months.

And from bad to worse, breaking down the foreclosure crisis. Where it is happening the most.

Hello, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

A pastor is dead. A congregation is in shock. A gunman opened fire in the sanctuary of a church in southwestern Illinois during this morning's services. It happened at the First Baptist Church of Maryville just across from St. Louis, Missouri. We're expecting a news conference from Illinois at any moment. Meantime, we're - while we're waiting to hear that press conference get under way, I want to bring in Leisa Zigman with CNN affiliation KSDK. She's outside the church. So Lisa, tell me something about this suspect. Was this person a member of the church? Do they know him?

LEISA ZIGMAN, KSDK: We don't know right now. What I can tell you is church services were already under way. The 8:30 service had begun when this gunman walked down the aisle, walked up to Pastor Fred Winters. The pastor said, can I help you and he shot what police tells us is a .45 caliber weapon. The gun jammed. He was only able to get off one shot, but that shot was enough. He killed Pastor Winters. The pastor has been here at least 22 years. This is a church he helped build from a congregation of a few hundred to now more than 1,000. We're told 1,200 members.

The gunman was taken to St. Louis University Hospital. He is in serious but stable condition. They did surgery on him. After the gunman pulled the trigger, he was then taken down by two congregants. One is a former military. A gentleman who is about 51 years old. I talked to him just a few minutes ago. He said his military training wasn't sure whether he could accredit that to trying to take down the gunman, but he said I couldn't get there fast enough.

They tackled the gunman. The gunman then pulled out a knife, stabbed himself and the two heroes who were trying to save the day. An associate pastor came out about an hour ago and credited the two congregants with saving lives. He said it could have been a lot worse. We are hoping to hear more information what comes out of the news conference.

And then in a few hours from now, at 6:00 p.m. Central time, there's going to be a church service at a neighboring church about 10 miles -- about 10 ten minutes from here where members of this church will be gathering to prayer and to remember their pastor. Fred, I can tell you, this man, this pastor is described as someone who knew every member's name, even though there were more than 1,000. They said that he suffered from tennis elbow because he would shake so many hands.

Recently, they told the story of him handing out $15,000 in envelopes to congregants. And he challenged them. He said, there are 5s, there are 10s, there are 100s. Go out into the community and do some good. And his congregants said that they rose to the occasion and they handed out all that money. They would come in on church on Sunday and they would tell the story of what they did. How they made a difference to people in need here. So a tremendous loss for the people of First Baptist Church of Maryville, Illinois.

WHITFIELD: Wow, clearly, he'll be missed. Dr. Fred Winters. A lot of folks grieving on his loss. And so, you know, Leisa, I wonder, while you mention at this was a congregation of about 1,000 people, I also understand this took place at the time that one service was ending, another was beginning. So there really were a lot of people around. A lot of witnesses.

ZIGMAN: There were. And police are talking to those witnesses right now, especially the two that helped bring down this gunman.

WHITFIELD: All right. Lisa Zigman, thanks so much. Appreciate it. Of course, we'll be monitoring this story. We will bring you this press conference as it happens as it pertains to this now investigation.

Meantime, overseas, a bloody day in Iraq. A suicide bomber struck police recruits lined up outside of Baghdad police academy earlier today. 30 people were killed. More than 60 wounded. It's the same academy where double bombings killed 16 people back in December.

So the United States is not winning the war in Afghanistan. That's according to President Obama. In an interview published in today's "New York Times," Mr. Obama said Taliban rebels have become bolder in recent years, adding, "in the southern regions of the country, you are seeing them attacked in ways that we have not seen previously". The president suggested one possible solution may involve reaching out to moderate factions of the Taliban.

And in that same "New York Times" article, President Obama talked about the recession and when we might see an economic turnaround. We'll have that story for you a little bit later on in this hour.

All right. Parts of the midwest are under a tornado watch right now. Let's get straight to Jacqui Jeras who is keeping close tabs on all of this. Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We have a breaking situation right now, Fredricka. This is in Indiana and southwestern parts of the state. We got a confirmed tornado that's touched down a couple of times on the ground. And right now, the closest location is the town of Heltonville. This is in Lawrence and Jackson counties. You can see the cell that we've been watching. We have reports of a touchdown in Fayetteville as well as the town of Owen and at least two homes have been destroyed.

We're going to continue to follow this situation and keep you up to date on that. Just to give you some perspective. Here's the Indianapolis area and Evansville is just down to the south and west. So it's king of sandwiched in between. These are incredibly fast- moving storms. This one moving to the northeast around 55 miles per hour. And another one up here in the northern Indiana moving 65 miles per hour. You cannot outrun these kind of tornados. You can't out drive these tornadoes.

So you need to be seeking shelter immediately. The lowest level of your home. Away from doors and windows. If you know anybody that is out there in their car saying what's going on, the car is probably the worst thing to be outside of a mobile home when it comes to this kind of a situation. This is for Fulton County here as well as Marshall, Polasky and Stark. This is a Doppler radar indicated tornado but we could get a touchdown at any given time.

We've got some pictures to show you, ground truth from earlier today. This is in Illinois, a town called Athensville. This is about 50 miles north northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Also, just north of Greenfield, Illinois. There's a couple of homes damaged there as well as some farming equipment and a couple of out buildings. No injuries reported with that one. We have at least eight tornado reports for touchdowns throughout the day today.

And this is going to be ongoing now as we head through the afternoon into the evening hours as well. And our primary area of concern is right here, right along the Ohio River up towards Indianapolis, over into central Illinois. That's where we have a moderate risk of severe weather, including those tornadoes. If you live in places like Cincinnati, over towards Cleveland and into Pittsburgh, this will be an area to watch as we head into the evening and then even into the later nighttime hours for tonight.

So a real vigorous storm systems. Mild, moist, warm conditions to the southeast of this storm. On the north side, we're getting a little overrunning. And the rain has been coming down all weekend long. So we're concerned about that flood threat as well. Don't drive over any roads that have water on them. Because you just never know how deep it is.

And if you try to go by the airways, we have a lot of trouble there, too. Midway and O'Hare both looking at big time delays. New York, JFK and Newark both getting into delays. The clouds start to move in there. If you are trying to travel in the northeast tomorrow morning in particular, that's where the storm system is expected to be. And probably no longer severe, but a lot of rain associated with that.

And then our next storm system developing coming into the plains states means another round of severe weather here tomorrow afternoon and into the evening. Places just north of Dallas-Ft. Worth into Oklahoma City and just shy of the Kansas City area. We'll see that threat of tornadoes once again. So we're starting things off pretty busy here, Fredricka. Not even spring yet but things are kicking.

WHITFIELD: Yes, weather wise. It's starting to feel and look like it, though, isn't it?

All right. Thank so much, Jacqui. Appreciate it.

All right. We want to go back to an update on what's going on in Iraq. And an announcement involving U.S. troops which may soon be leaving in months. All this taking place on the heels of renewed violence in Iraq. We want to turn to our CNN international correspondent Nic Robertson who is joining us from Baghdad. Nic?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Fredricka, while we heard from U.S. commanders today saying that by the end of September 12,000 U.S. troops will be cut from the force here in Iraq. There's about 140,000 right now. It will be cut by the end of September to just less than 130,000. What they say is happening, that two combat brigade teams that are being rotated out of the country right now by the end of September will not be replaced. So that will leave a remaining 12 combat brigade teams in the country.

Also, they say, one squadron of F-16 fighter aircraft, they are also drawing down right now. They won't be replaced as well. Also in that same announcement we were told 4,000 British troops, that's almost the entire remaining contingent of British troops in Iraq. They will be drawn down and they will leave the country by early summer.

So a significant reduction in troop strength in the country. At the same time in Baghdad today, a suicide bomber on a motor bike targeted a line of recruits outside police recruitment center on the east of Baghdad. 30 people killed. 61 wounded. 12 of those killed were police officers. And it is not uncommon these days, just yesterday, five significant attacks in the country, three of those targeting the police. So the police again today and the recruits, the targets of these suicide bombers.

The police say they have 500,000 policemen in the country. But right now, they need to recruit another 60,000. So there's going to be more instances where you get a lot of these recruits lining up at recruitment centers, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Nic Robertson, thanks so much for that update out of Baghdad.

Now the other top story we're following for you. Out of this country, news conference underway in southwestern Illinois out of Maryville, Illinois, where we understand details are being revealed about the shooting that took place at the First Baptist Church in Maryville killing the pastor. We understand four shots were fired overall by a 27-year-old suspect who now has self-inflicted knife wounds. Let's listen in on this press conference.

LARRY TRENT, DIRECTOR, ILLINOIS STATE POLICE: ... the church members stated they were not familiar with him, hadn't seen him in church before.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you name the suspect?

TRENT: Not at this time. We're awaiting charges before we name him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are police familiar with this suspect? Does he have any past record?

TRENT: We are not --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What happened to the third victim in this, the knife wound victim?

TRENT: There were two - besides the suspect were wounded with the knife, there were two members of the congregation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One is hospitalized in St. Louis. What happened to the other one?

TRENT: The other was treated and released, I believe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did the suspect inflict the wound, a knife wound upon himself?

TRENT: We don't really know the answer to that. When he was tackled by two of the members, we don't know whether he fell on the knife injuring himself at the time or whether it was self-inflicted during the struggle. We really don't know the answer to that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does the suspect have any connection to the church in form of spouse or children?

TRENT: Not that we're aware of.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did the suspect have a criminal record, sir?

TRENT: Not that we're aware of.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any history of mental illness?

TRENT: Not yet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you talk about the red jeep that was in the parking lot. Was that the suspect's vehicle?

TRENT: It may be. We believe it may be.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you talk about the conversation or what words were exchanged between the pastor and suspect?

TRENT: Well, we're going to be reviewing the video and audio the church had going at the time. But right now, the only thing we know is that the suspect said something to the pastor and the pastor said something back to him. We don't know what that was. It was almost as if pastor may have recognized him but we're not sure about that at all. There was something spoken, but people that were closest to them at the time couldn't say what that was.

The suspect raised his hand, fired the first shot, hit the pastor's bible. When it did it hit the very top of the bible and exploded the top of the bible into what many in the congregation thought was confetti. In fact, some thought it was some type of skit or some type of program at the time, which is really not uncommon in these types of shootings.

I know from firsthand experience at the Northern Illinois University shooting, many of the students sat frozen in their chair either because they couldn't believe what was really happening in front of them or they were just too terrified to move, or they just thought it was not real. They thought it was some type of play or skit.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was that the bullet that killed the pastor then? The pastor was struck only once?

TRENT: He was only struck only one time but the first shot that hit the Bible was not the fatal shot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you know about the suspect?

TRENT: Not very much at this point. We've got to get - there's no record. No record of a firearms card. No criminal record. We're still researching his history, but right now haven't found anything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is he out of surgery?

TRENT: We don't know - as far as we know, he is not married.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How would you describe the gunman's demeanor? Was he resistant? How would you describe his emotional state?

TRENT: We haven't spoken with him yet. He's been in surgery. Pretty serious wound to the neck.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know if the suspect had any type of livelihood or occupation?

TRENT: No we do not. Not at this point.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Four shots were fired. Did the other two strike anybody or anything else?

TRENT: No, they did not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did the church have any sort of emergency procedures for something like this? Did they go into lockdown? Did they practice any of this in the past?

TRENT: As a matter of fact, since the Colorado Church shooting, they've been discussing not necessarily the fear of that, but what they would do in the event of something like that. But at the present time, I don't believe they had a policy in effect. Do you know, chief?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They had certain procedures in effect, yes, of what to do in case a situation like this occurred.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you believe that the gunman targeted only the pastor or do you think other people - he would have gone after?

TRENT: We don't know. The fact that the gun stovepiped or the shell caught in the ejector may have prevented something else. We don't know. We can't answer that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: - hit the pastor?

TRENT: We're not really sure. It wasn't the first one. We know that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where was the pastor wounded? In the chest?

TRENT: In the chest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As far as the investigation is concerned, what happens throughout the next several hours, throughout this evening?

TRENT: Well, we'll be - we already have sought a search warrant for the vehicle in question. We'll be searching the vehicle. We'll be talking to the suspect's family members, continuing our interviews of the congregation. Some of them didn't see anything. Some of them saw a little bit and some of them were, of course, very close. We will certainly be concentrating on those people. We'll be reviewing a video and audiotape from the service to try to answer some of the questions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many people were in the church at the time?

TRENT: Estimates are about 150 which is relatively small for that church. At least in their opinion, that was a small service.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know how long the suspect has resided in Troy?

TRENT: I do not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: the suspect was from Troy?

TRENT: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What caliber was the gun again?

TRENT: A .45.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The seriousness of the suspect's wounds? When might investigators be able to speak with him?

TRENT: I can't really answer that right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He will live, though?

TRENT: Jay, do you have an update on his condition? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do not have an update on his condition. He was going into surgery, I believe, as of about an hour and a half ago. So we have - we're not able to be able to tell you when we'll be able to speak with him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chief, you said there were certain procedures in effect. Those procedures are what would - should be done after something like this happens or did they have security personnel on hand or can you elaborate on that?

CHIEF: Well, the church itself, what they did, they've identified medical personnel that attends. They've identified law enforcement personnel that attends the church. And they've works with them so they had procedures in place that if someone did become injured. They had lockdown procedures in place to secure the building. So they've done a lot of work out there if something like this should happen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there any reason for why you can't release the name of the suspect at this time?

TRENT: The state's attorney's office would prefer that we wait until the subject is charged.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where is he at, the suspect?

TRENT: In a St. Louis Hospital.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're not saying which one?

TRENT: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does this suspect have a military record at all as far as you can tell?

TRENT: We don't know the answer to that yet, Mike. That's something we'll be looking at. But we don't know the answer to that yet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How would you describe the actions of the two church members that tackled the gunman?

TRENT: I would call it heroic. While many people are understandably stuck to their seats, if you will, they didn't and took quick action. As I said, we just don't know what would have happened if that gun hadn't stovepiped.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know how the suspect was dressed this morning when he walked in?

TRENT: I do not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Could you tell us why the state police have taken over the investigation?

TRENT: We assume command of it at the request of Maryville Police Department. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So once again, you said that the service was being videotaped and audiotaped. What's happened to that video? Tell me about that process.

TRENT: Well, we'll be looking at it today, Russell, to see if we can find anything of value to help us in the investigation. I'm not sure. I think that as a normal - as a norm, their second service was the largest, I think, normally. I thought I heard somebody say that this morning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that's correct.

TRENT: And I'm confident they always videotape that one. I'm not even sure whether they did this one or not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It wasn't a video, it was an audio.

TRENT: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you expecting charges tomorrow or today?

TRENT: I would expect them soon. I really don't know. It's going to be today or tomorrow. But I would expect them soon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If he's released, where would he be kept?

WHITFIELD: Listening there to the director of the Illinois State Police Larry Trent talking about how they are still piecing together details of what took place this morning at the First Baptist Church in Maryville, Illinois, which is really just across the border from St. Louis, Missouri.

The pastor of that church was killed when what is believed to be this 27-year-old suspect, the gunman, opened fire right there inside of the congregation. This is a pretty sizable church, as you can see right here, with a congregation of about 1,000 people. This shooting took place as one service was ending and another about to begin.

And you also heard the director of the police department describe that right now, that alleged gunman is actually being hospitalized for knife wound injuries. And they are still trying to assess exactly what transpired, who this person is, the relationship he may have with the church, et cetera. And of course if you want to continue to watch this press conference you can by going to cnn.com/live.

All right. Imagine paying your rent on time but you still get kicked out of your home. We'll explain how renters are now feeling the effects of foreclosure.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. An update on a story we first told you about yesterday. It's going to be a tense night for hundreds of people in a Phoenix apartment building. They are waiting to find out if a deal is in the works right now and if that deal will actually help keep them in their homes. Already, they've been packing up and some of them actually moving out. And they have done nothing wrong. They pay the rent on time but they got a shocker when they found out that the owner - their landlord - was not paying the bills.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEARLE OGLE, RESIDENT: The property is due on their water bill and it will be turned off five days from the date of the notice. I think it's crazy. We just renewed our release March 1st and then to get that notice three days later after we paid rent. I was like, at first I thought it was a joke.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Our Phoenix affiliates report that a buyer has stepped in. This weekend and is working with the city to actually pay that water bill.

So you may be surprised to find that more than one-third of those hit by foreclosures are not actually homeowners. They are renters. Here now is CNN's Kate Bolduan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Simply playing in a yard, Maria Stephens can call her own is a blessing.

MARIA STEPHENS, FORECLOSURE VICTIM: I was in a situation of no fault of my own. I'm a single mom with three boys. I'm just trying to raise my three kids.

BOLDUAN: Stephens was comfortably middle class, making $80,000 a year, when the housing crisis hit. She lost her job and ended up homeless living in a shelter with her sons for seven months.

STEPHENS: I promised my son - I promised that I would do everything I could to get out of the shelter.

BOLDUAN: Stephens was a renter and was forced out of her home. Why? The lease dissolved because her landlord went into foreclosure. Leaving Stephens little notice or recourse.

STEPHEN: They are everything.

BOLDUAN: According to the national low-income housing coalition, about 40 percent of people facing eviction due to foreclosure don't even hold the mortgage. They are renters. And often unwitting victims.

LINDA COUCH, NATIONAL LOW INCOME HOUSING COALITION: People who have been paying their rent on time, have been keeping up with their lease requirements, all of a sudden, they are served with foreclosure notices.

BOLDUAN: Linda Couch says low-income renters are especially vulnerable because they don't have the money it takes to secure new housing in a pinch. Advocates like her want more protection for renters and more affordable housing options nationwide.

President Obama's 2010 budget proposal increases funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development by $6 billion. Puts one billion towards housing for the poorest families and boosts funding for rental vouchers. Measures Couch applauds but argues don't go far enough.

COUCH: If banks and new owners tomorrow were required to allow people to stay in those homes for 90 days through the term of their lease, we would see an immediate and dramatic impact on potentially millions of people's lives. Maria Stephens is finally moving on with hers. Renting another home but now saving a little more, just in case.

STEPHENS: I can look back in this picture say. I might have been there, but this is where I am now.

BOLDUAN: Kate Bolduan, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: A day that changed the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: History went on a whole new direction once that struggle happened here in Selma.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: On the anniversary of bloody Sunday, a look at how this event helped lead to the swift passage of the voting rights act.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Forty-four years ago today, bloody Sunday. Our John Zarrella with the help of two civil rights veterans looks at how that day helped evolve the voting rights of all Americans.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bob Mants has walked this bridge over the Alabama River in Selma many times. But the first time more than 40 years ago helped change history.

BOB MANTS, PARTICIPANT IN 1965 MARCH: It infuriated people. There were people in the country that did not know - who did not know that there were black people in the South who were disenfranchised. Did not have a right to vote.

SAM WALKER, NATIONAL VOTING RIGHTS MUSEM & INSTITUTE: History went on a whole new direction once that struggle happened here in Selma.

ZARRELLA: Bloody Sunday, as it became known, led to the swift passage of the Voting Rights Act. Finally ensuring African-Americans the right to vote. And setting the course Mants and Walker say, for Obama's presidency. WALKER: This never would have taken place without that moment in history.

ZARRELLA: Seeing Barack Obama now poised to become president, all this worthwhile?

MANTS: Yes, yes.

ZARRELLA: For Mants, it is as vivid today as it was March 7th, 1965. Civil Rights leaders organized a march from Selma to Montgomery. Mants recalled Hosea Williams, James Bevil and Andy Young flipped coins to decide who would lead.

MANTS: Hosea lost so he was to lead the march.

ZARRELLA: As marchers crossed the Edmond Pettis Bridge, state troopers and a band of thugs attacked. The violence was captured by network news cameras and outraged much of the nation. Just yards from the bridge, there's a museum now. Inside the door just to the left is a wall of notes from many who marched that day.

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): I was there Bloody Sunday, George Pearl, Otto Perkins, I walked across the bridge.

ZARRELLA: Bloody Sunday changed history because it was more than a singular event and Mants and Walker say Obama benefited from that history.

WALKER: I think Barack Obama learned that lesson that you have to create a movement in order to really bring about major change.

MANTS: I met Barack Obama, here in Selma in March '07. And I told him, you cannot run a campaign the way others run a campaign. You have to start a movement. And he did.

ZARRELLA: The rest is history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: John Zarrella first brought us that report before Barack Obama was inaugurated in January.

All right. He said there would be an end to earmarks. Well, President Obama, will he keep his promise?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: An update on our top story now. Illinois police are investigating a deadly church shooting. Fred Winters, the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Maryville, Illinois, was killed today when a gunman walked into the sanctuary and simply opened fire. Police described how the violence unfolded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RALPH TIMMINS, ILLINOIS STATE POLICE: This morning, during 8:00 service, an individual walked down the aisle and was met by the pastor at which time he pulled out a gun and shot the pastor. Then he pulled out a knife and injured himself. Some people tackled him. They were injured slightly with the knife as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Witnesses say the suspect was not a member of that church.

Jacqui Jeras is in the Weather Center. Some pretty fierce weather particularly in the mid section of this country.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. Indiana is the hotbed of activity at this hour. A couple of tornado warnings still ongoing, one that has a history of producing tornadoes on the ground with some damage. We have some several homes destroyed in Davis County and also a couple of farmsteads that have been put out. You see the red boxes. That's where the threat is at this hour meaning conditions are favorable for tornados to occur.

We'll take you down to southern Indiana. Here you can see our tornado warning, including in the town of Seymour, also crossing the interstate, I-65. Bartholmulal (ph), Decatur, Jackson and Jennings County. This is the same storm that had a history of producing many tornadoes as well as funnel clouds. These storms are just ripping along by the way like 65 miles per hour. That's crazy fast for a tornado to be moving. And so you certainly can't outrun. And there you can see a tornado warning in effect here this is for Marshall and Fulton County.

You can see the storm starting to move out of that area. This line also could be producing some damaging winds in addition to present tornados. Maybe 70 miles per hour and also a little bit of small hail, lots of lightning with these storms today as well. Let's go ahead and show you some of the rainfall. Now Chicago, you are on the cusp of the severe weather most of it is just to your south. A live picture to show you out of the Chicago land area. Even though you haven't seen a lot of severe, you have seen some very heavy downpours.

We've seen on average 1 to 3 inches and that was about 11:00 this morning. My buddy from Depage area said he's bailing out his basement right now. A lot of flash flood watches and warnings which have been posted and delays of two hours for O'Hare and Midway both. Cooler air is moving in behind this system. Look at that 43 now in Chicago, 33 in Minneapolis, 70 still across the southeast. Another disturbance moving on through, Fredricka. We'll be watching the Plains again tomorrow for that severe weather threat.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Jacqui. Appreciate it.

We're turning now to efforts to pull the nation out of recession. President Obama has nominated three more assistant secretaries of the treasury. Princeton's Allen Kruger would be assistance secretary for economic policy, former Barclays Capital and Lehman Brothers executive Kim Wallace would take over legislative affairs and lawyer David Cohen would be in charge of efforts to cut off terrorist funding. President Obama is talking about the recession and warning that it may take some time to complete an economic turnaround. He tells "The New York Times," "Our belief and expectation is that we will get all the pillars in place for recovery this year. How long it will take before recovery translates into stronger job markets and so forth is going to depend on a whole range of factors." That from the president in today's "New York Times."

White House budget director Peter Orszag said, essentially the same thing. Appearing today on CNN's "State of the Union," Orszag said the recession was eight years in the making, and it's going to take time to work it all out. Orszag also defended President Obama's $410 billion spending bill. He admits it has too many earmarks, but he says that's not the president's fault.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER ORSZAG, WHITE HOUSE BUDGET DIRECTOR: If you look at where the Congress is, this was negotiated between the House and Senate. Would we like to get the earmarks down further? Yes. Would we like to make them more transparent? Yes. Will that happen in the future? Yes. We've been in office less than eight weeks. This was negotiated before we came into office.

Our view is, rather than, you know -- Washington is rife with -- we need a little less talk and a lot more action. We need to get this out of the way and move on to serious business that will include next year when we are in charge of -- when we are -- when you can hold us responsible a much different ball game.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Well, that's not good enough for the president's Republican critics. South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham says the president's budget will increase the deficit and further damage the economy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, (R) SOUTH CAROLINA: This budget is a radical and reckless exercise in government. This is not what people were looking for. His budget will triple the national debt between now and 2019. When it comes to government spending, 66 percent of government spending to GDP. When you look at all the goods and services produced in this country, we will be spending 66 percent of that amount. That's an historic high level. That's third world country status.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: During last year's campaign, candidate Obama promised to reform pork barrel spending. CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider is in Washington. So Bill what about all that?

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, he said he was going to slash pork barrel spending and make it more transparent. The question before the Congress right now is the budget actually for this year. This budget was written by the last Congress last year before Obama took office. That's why you just heard the budget director saying this isn't our budget. It's last year's budget.

Most of those earmarks were added last year by members of Congress. Some who aren't even there anymore. Some of them have died or been defeated or retired. At least one of them was indicted for corruption. But the earmarks are still there. The president is being urged by Republicans and some Democrats to veto this budget because they want to make a statement that the president is serious about slashing pork barrel spending.

WHITFIELD: I wonder if not vetoing, does the president at least have the option of making some amendments?

SCHNEIDER: No. It's the line-item veto. Some states allow governors to take items out of the budget. I know California does. But the president has to either sign the bill or veto the bill. And if he were to veto the bill, that would create a bit of a crises. This is the budget to fund the government between now and September. Congress would have to pass continuing resolutions. They already have one to keep it going for the time being. Continuing resolutions to keep the government from shutting down. They don't pass those resolutions, the government would shut down and we know what happens then.

WHITFIELD: We've seen that happen before at least temporarily. It's not good.

All right. Bill Schneider thanks so much. In Washington, appreciate it.

Another sign of the economic times, perhaps? Modern day wrestler in the saga of Susie Q the cat.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A tale of two big box retailers, but for a limited time only. The light goes out for good at Circuit City at midnight tonight. The giant electronics retailer and all of its 500-plus stores are the latest casualties of the faltering economy. On the flip side, budget retailer Target, well, it's going ahead with expansion plans. 27 new stores open in 15 states today. That means thousands of new jobs.

Other news right now. This one weird, scary and very creepy. Police in Los Angeles are looking for a murder suspect as well as the sender of this fax. Someone tipped off CNN affiliate KTLA to the whereabouts of a dead body found in the trunk of a car yesterday. A faxed message provided the victim's identity, the approximate time of death and the location of the body. The tipster also gave police the name of two potential suspects. An autopsy on the 22-year-old victim is expected tomorrow.

And if you think cattle wrestling is a crime from another time and place, meet Massachusetts dairy rancher Robert Fletcher. That's not him right there but he's hopping mad after discovering that one of his calves, worth about 500 bucks, apparently was swiped from his property. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT FLETCHER, CATTLE FARMER: It looks like somebody had pulled over at the end of the driveway. You can see where the set the calf down as if to open a door or a trunk, slip the calf in and took off.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Fletcher says there is a witness in the case. And police are warning other farmers now to be on the alert.

So if you live in South Florida, southern California or even Nevada, there's a good chance that you know someone facing foreclosure. So what has made these areas the most vulnerable in the country?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: It is a problem affecting people all over the country but it is by far worse in two geographical areas, the foreclosure crises. A new interactive map shows just how your area stacks up and our Josh Levs is here with a pretty striking image. It is amazing.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is amazing. You know one of our producers showed me this this morning. I hadn't seen it. And you know what happens, is and I will explain it to everyone, there is a great web site called Realtytrac that follows information, some different maps. But check out, lets just zoom right in. I am going to keep my hand out of the way this time so we can zoom way in. Now we are looking at this on USA Todays website. But check this out, what you are looking at now, not to much blue right, from 2006 when you are going to see dark blue that is where there is the most foreclosures in America. Now watch what happens, look at Florida, this is 2008 as we move away across the country you can see that there are some areas pick up foreclosures.

Check this out, look at the west. That is striking. I am going to go back to 2006, 2008 right there and you can't miss that. We have been reporting a lot about what happens in California and Florida it is striking when you look at the difference that way. I also want to show you what we have right here. Cnnmoney.com. they are showing you, most of our viewers are across the country. See how the states stack up. One thing I like about this map, you can click on it anywhere at all and it will tell you the latest statistics that we have from any given state. Going back to that one we were seeing just now, there is no comparison. What you are seeing in this section here and what you are seeing down here shows you.

WHITFIELD: California, Nevada, South Florida. Good part of all of Florida. But mostly south Florida.

LEVS: Mostly south Florida. You can see stretching upward into Florida. They account for a huge percentage. Actually, right here, some of these statistics; last year 35 counties accounted for half of the nation's foreclosure actions.

WHITFIELD: Yeah, OK. We were so intrigued by it as well this morning, Josh that we wanted to reach out to someone who lives in one of those regions and is facing the same exact thing. And we found that person because she kind of found us. She's an I-reporter. Mariya Beejan, she's in Modesto, California. So Mariya is with us on the phone right now to kind of describe your journey. Maria, how in the world did you get yourself in a situation or did you find yourself facing foreclosure?

MARIYA BEEJAN, FACING FORECLOSURE: I am one of the innocent people who lost their homes. My husband has cancer and he lost his job. My husband and I were fighting foreclosure. But unfortunately, our lender didn't cooperate with us. They used to send us letters to call them if we might qualify to refinance the loan. And when we call them, they would say, sorry. Your loan is higher than the value of the house. We went to Housing Urban Development, and we applied for different federal housing programs.

WHITFIELD: So let me stop you right there. So you got notices. Your husband had lost his job. You got notices from your lender. You called the lender and you are saying that oftentimes when you call there was such a volume of calls that you really couldn't get through to a person?

BEEJAN: No, we -- they were -- they would say, I'm sorry, the value of the house.

WHITFIELD: Oh, the value of the house.

BEEJAN: Is less than your loan of the house.

WHITFIELD: You owe more than your home is actually worth?

BEEJAN: Yes. Plus all the times they would hang in our faces. They didn't help us.

WHITFIELD: So you tried to refinance and that was the response. What situation are you in right now. Your husband lost his job. So are you all able to make payments or are you default to a point now where foreclose is imminent?

BEEJAN: Yes, I am working by myself. I have only one income at home. But on August 2008, I put an offer of $160,000 because I wasn't in the title at all. And my offer was accepted. But, unfortunately, they didn't approve the loan. I went to many banks and to mortgage companies. They said we cannot approve loans for short sale between spouses, even though you are not on the title.

WHITFIELD: So, Mariya, it sounds like you've tried a lot of things and to no avail. We want to perhaps continue checking in with you because, you know, we know last week the White House revealed their new refinancing or mortgage modification plans that should help a lot of people who are facing the same kind of predicament. So we want to check back with you and see if you make any headway over the next few weeks before you are to actually lose your home.

Let's hope that you don't. Mariya Beejan thanks for your time. And all the best to you and your family there out of Modesto, California. So, Josh, this is -- this story is being duplicated over and over again. We know particularly in California, where property values have gone down between 30 and 40 percent, and putting a lot of people upside down just like her.

LEVS: And it does -- the ripple effects spread throughout the region. So many people are hurt. I'm just going to mention quickly. Yesterday we did a whole hour on foreclosures and the challenges. But I have a list of web change pages for you that may help. Financialstability.gov. I'm going to take all of these sites right now and post it right here on my face book page. Josh Levs CNN. I'm going to take all of these links and put them there. These are helpful. Hopefully it will do something for the people out there like her who are struggling right now.

WHITFIELD: Hopefully Mariya was able to hear. We'll try to convey those Websites to help her out. Thank you, Josh. Very, very helpful appreciate it.

Coming up, 6:00, Oprah weighs in on Chris Brown and Rihanna. You'll hear what she actually had to say about the two and the allegations of domestic abuse. Much more straight ahead here on CNN. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Thanks so much and have a great rest of the weekend.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)