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Second Major Storm Batters the Philippines Leaving Death and Destruction; What Can be Done to Stop the Epidemic of Youth Violence?; How the Recession is Changing the Labor Force

Aired October 04, 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: The second major storm in as many weeks batters the Philippines, leaving death and destruction in its way.

And one day after a funeral for a 16-year-old, what can be done to stop the epidemic of youth violence.

And don't call it a man's job. How the recession is changing the labor force.

Hello, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. And you're in the CNN NEWSROOM. We begin with information growing out of the investigation of Najibullah Zazi, the 24-year-old Afghan national charged with planning a bomb attack on New York City. Sources tell CNN that several people who traveled with Zazi to Pakistan last year have since returned to the United States.

CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti has been working on this story. Ad she joins us with this exclusive report. What do we know so far, Susan?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred. Well, one man who is being watched is Naiz Khan in New York. And he says that he also flew from Pakistan to New York on the same day that Zazi, Najibullah Zazi did last January. But Khan says it's pure coincidence. Khan also says he did not fly to Pakistan with Zazi and showed us his passport to prove this.

This man is a childhood friend of Zazi and let him stay in his New York apartment just before he was arrested. Khan says he is not a terrorist and has not been charged in the case. Now, agents searched the apartment and say they seized a scale with Zazi's finger fingerprints on it. They also found several backpacks. In the past backpacks were used in subway and train bombings overseas.

Khan said those backpacks were children's gifts that belonged to an uncle of his. And we also learned that several people that traveled with Zazi to Pakistan last year are now backing in the United States. Now, prosecutors have said that Zazi and others went to Peshawar, Pakistan, in August of 2008. They say that Zazi admitted he got explosives training at an Al Qaeda training camp.

Now, ever since Zazi was picked up a few weeks ago, a number of people, the exact number is unknown, have been under round the clock surveillance. And one source familiar with the investigation says some of those people that are being watched traveled with Zazi overseas. The identities of those people and locations are being kept under wraps. So a lot of this is still developing along the way, Fred. We can tell you that the investigation is going full throttle.

And as one source is telling us, that no one will tell you that we have our arms completely around all of this.

WHITFIELD: So there are people under surveillance. Now, what about actually being questioned by federal authorities?

CANDIOTTI: We have learned that there is, of course, a grand jury that has been seated some time ago looking at this entire investigation. And we are told that one of the people that the grand jury has questioned this past week is the uncle of the prime suspect in this case, the only man who has been charged so far who has pleaded not guilty. That's Najibullah Zazi.

His uncle was flown from Denver to New York this week to testify. Now, of course, what he said and what he told the grand jury is a secret. But his uncle himself told us that information.

WHITFIELD: Susan Candiotti, thanks so much for that information out of New York.

Well, it is considered the deadliest attack on U.S. forces in Afghanistan in more than a year. Hundreds of insurgents armed with rockets, mortars, and machine guns surrounded a pair of outposts in Nuristan province. Eight Americans were killed.

CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joins us now by phone with details. What more do you know, Barbara?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (ON THE PHONE): Well, Fred, good afternoon to you. It is the Afghans that are saying there were hundreds of insurgents. The number still to be determined. But nonetheless, really a terrible scene to envision. Eight U.S. service members killed in action when insurgents opened up on their small combat outpost from the high ground. This was in Nuristan in Eastern Afghanistan. Along quite close to the Pakistan border.

Insurgents were on high ridge lines and opened up with mortars, rockets, heavy machine guns. By all accounts other insurgents came out of a nearby mosque. This fire fight went on, we are told by U.S. military officials, for over 12 hours. They did get some air support, air cover into the area. But the weather was very bad.

So the combination of poor weather and terrible terrain really worked against the U.S. troops. The first reports are that the insurgents were not able to overrun the outposts, but nonetheless a very terrible day for U.S. forces. The fire was - the fire fight was so heavy, we are told, that actually some of the buildings on the combat outpost burst into flames. A lot of devastation. And now, of course, the major concern, the major issue, is to make sure all eight U.S. military families are notified of these sad events as quickly as possible. Fred. WHITFIELD: And Barbara, this is taking place just as top military brass has been asking, requesting the White House for more U.S. troops in Afghanistan. How might this help or hurt that case?

STARR: Well, it is just, of course, bringing more and more attention to this very urgent matter for the Obama administration to make a decision one way or the other about what they want to do in Afghanistan. As of today, really, the positions could not have been more clearly lined up. General McChrystal, the top commander there, Admiral Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General David Petraeus, the top commander for the overall region all advocating the very strong counterinsurgency fight, strategy, policy, whatever you want to call it that could require tens of thousands of additional troops.

The White House led by national security adviser Jim Jones sounding a note of caution, saying maybe more troops, but that a lot of other things would have to be done as well to try and bring some stability to Afghanistan, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr, thanks so much. And on this very topic, our Elaine Quijano brings us up to date from the White House, on the White House position of where we go from here.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: More U.S. troop deaths this weekend underscored the high stakes. As President Obama gets ready to meet with his national security team to figure out how to move forward in Afghanistan. But on CNN's "State of the Union with John King," national security adviser Jim Jones said the president does have some time to weigh his options.

GEN. JIM JONES, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: I don't foresee the return of the Taliban. I want to be very clear that Afghanistan is not in danger, imminent danger of falling.

QUIJANO: Republican Senator John Kyl disagrees. Arguing time is running out.

SEN. JON KYL (R), MINORITY WHIP: Time is of the essence. And I don't think we have a great deal of time to sit around and have a big debate about this.

QUIJANO: He sides with the top commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, who reportedly wants thousands of additional U.S. troops.

JONES: Troops are a big portion of the answer, but not the total answer.

QUIJANO: Jim Jones says the picture is more complex. He questions whether Al Qaeda could once again find safe haven in Afghanistan. And he takes issue with General McChrystal's public push for more troops. JONES: Ideally it's better for military advice to come up through the chain of command. And I think that General McChrystal and the others in the chain of command will present the president, with not just one option.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: Now, the president meets with his national security team on Wednesday and Friday. Senior aides, Fredricka, say that the president will consult with that same group at least one more time beyond that before a strategy is drafted. Fredricka -

WHITFIELD: So what role does the administration see for the government of the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai?

QUIJANO: You know, Jim Jones said today he thinks that Afghanistan's government under Hamid Karzai does have a chance at succeeding. But he says that it's going to require a really strong assist by the U.S. here in order to beef up the Afghan national army and the Afghan police force.

Bottom line, Jones says that he believes that government of Afghanistan needs to improve, basically to gives its people some hope. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Elaine Quijano from the White House. Thank you.

Well, anguish and agony in Indonesia after two devastating earthquakes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I say to Jesus, why this can happen? We will all love you. But how can this happen?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And as a stunned community tries to cope, some are now questioning their faith.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: It's a frantic search for survivors in Indonesia following two devastating earthquakes. But hope is fading fast. The death toll has topped 600. And at least 1,000 are still missing.

CNN's Dan Rivers reports from one of the hardest hit areas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Padang, a delicate search for survivors has given way to clearance with heavy machinery. A sign that here at the Amberchang Hotel, at least, there is now no hope at finding anyone else alive.

The search and rescue teams that have been carefully probing the rubble for days have little more to do but look on as the mountains of debris are removed. Within sight of the destroyed hotel, a church service held outside dedicated to those that died. Congregation laced with grief and shock. Unable to pray inside for fear of more aftershocks. It's left the Catholic buildings here unusually quiet for a Sunday.

This 100-year-old chapel is in ruins. Thankfully there was no service here on Wednesday when the building swayed and then collapsed.

EV. YOHANES CAHAYA, PADANG CATHEDRAL: When I see, that I see the church was broken, I felt very sad.

RIVERS: Across the street, another church with a gaping hole to heaven above the altar.

(on camera): For the 6,000 or so Christians in Padang, Sunday has been a day to reflect on the awful destruction done to their community. But also in some cases to give thanks.

Take, for example, this church. On Wednesday afternoon, the choir were due to hold practice right here. Thankfully, none of them had arrived when the earthquake hit.

(voice-over): It's shaken this community to its core. Leaving some questioning their faith.

MINAR SITUMARANG, CHOIR MEMBER: I'm really sad. I'm really sad. I say to Jesus, why this can happen? We will all love you. But how can this happen?

RIVERS: Searching questions of faith in this time of crisis for this small Christian community living in the world's largest Muslim country. They're salvaging what they can, and they're starting to think about the long, slow process of rebuilding.

Dan Rivers, CNN, Padang, Indonesia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Further east, similar scenes of devastation in the Samoan Islands. A mass burial is scheduled on Tuesday for victims of last week's earthquake and tsunamis. At least 165 people are confirmed dead. U.S. agencies are rushing aid to the most battered region.

The storm weary Philippines is getting as saturated with more heavy rain today. Typhoon Parma, which has now been downgraded to a tropical storm, is still lingering off the coast. At least 15 people were killed when Parma slammed into the country yesterday. Most of those from landslides.

Earlier in the week more than 200 people died in tropical storm Ketsana. Much of the country remains under water and tens of thousands of people remain in shelters.

Typhoon Parma may now be a tropical storm. But there's a new typhoon to worry about. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras has more in the severe weather center. Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Fredricka. We're tracking both of those for you. And we'll go ahead and start with the new one, Melor and this is what you will call a super typhoon, which is the equivalent of a major hurricane. Look at the maximum winds, 160 miles per hour. You can see the very well defined eye. The good news for the Philippines is that it looks like this storm will stay north of you. But it could be approaching Japan. And that would happen on Wednesday.

Right now they're in the cone of uncertainty. It will make a close approach, we think, towards Tokyo by Wednesday before it curves off. But it's still too early to tell whether or not it will be hitting Japan or not. So we will continue to track this very powerful and dangerous storm for you.

All right. Now, on to Parma which is a tropical storm, 65 mile per hour maximum sustained winds. And it's over the open waters here in the South China Sea. The storm has been weakening very significantly. But the problem is it's basically stalled out, and it's not going to move a whole heck of a lot for the next three to five days.

We've already seen as much as 10 to 20 inches of rainfall across northern parts of the Philippines. And we could be seeing an additional 10 to 20 more. So flooding a huge concern. Of course, it's already happening. But likely to get worse in the coming days as well as the threat of landslides and mud slides as a result. So lots of devastation still happening overseas.

Back here at home, our lead story tonight is that we've got a new fire that we're talking about. This is just outside of Los Angeles in San Bernardino county. This is the sheet fire which started yesterday. It started out as a very small fire and has now blown up to 3,500 acres. Only 10 percent contained. Mandatory evacuations are in effect for the town of Wrightwood. That's about 4,000 people that live there. Three homes were destroyed yesterday. And other structures are being threatened there about a mile and a half away from the fire.

But look at those flames just whipping at this hour. We've got high wind warnings in effect where winds may be gusting as much as 60 miles per hour. Let's go ahead and show you the weather map for today. Here's that powerful low that we're talking about across the west. And those strong winds which continue to blow through the area. Wind advisories in effect across much of the four corners area and the southwest. And there you can see the warnings in effect right over the fire areas.

Now, we've got an upper level system here that's feeding moisture from the pacific into the nation's midsection and into the southeast. Very heavy torrential downpours expected and flooding in the San Antonio area yesterday and today. Flood watches and warnings in effect from that area through Mississippi. And Atlanta is going to get back in on the area of, you know, just devastated from floods here about two weeks ago, Fredricka. And now we're looking at another two to four inches of rain on top of that.

WHITFIELD: We don't need any more rain.

JERAS: We sure don't.

WHITFIELD: I'm done with it. All right. Thanks so much, Jacqui.

JERAS: Hard hats and hammers. Not traditional attire for all female workers. But in today's economy, these women are making what used to be called men's work, their own. We'll tell you about the new program that is helping them get started.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories right now.

It's been a deadly day in Iraq. The interior minister says five people were killed during clashes between gunmen and Iraqi police in Baghdad. It happened in a Shiite neighborhood when gunmen attacked an Iraqi police patrol. Two of those killed were policemen. Six others were wounded.

The man accused of stalking ESPN reporter Erin Andrews is due back in court tomorrow. A Chicago judge will determine if Michael David Barrett should be freed on bond or be shipped to Los Angeles as a federal prisoner. Police say Barrett secretly videotaped Andrews through an altered hotel room peephole and tried to sell the video on the internet.

And the newborn who was kidnapped in Tennessee has been briefly reunited with his mother. But police are keeping the baby and his three siblings in foster custody for now while they try to answer some safety questions. The baby was allegedly abducted by an Alabama woman who claimed to be an immigration agent.

A dire prediction from former Fed Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan today. He says the economy will grow through the end of the year, but that won't halt unemployment from hitting the 10 percent mark. In an effort to make ends meet, some women are actually turning to non- traditional jobs, in some people's view. Our Kate Bolduan explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRRESPONDENT (voice-over): Talk about tools for success.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't push it too much.

BOLDUAN: Women like Janice McCain of Maryland are trying to power through tough economic times with a fresh start in an industry still dominated by men. Construction.

JANICE MCCAIN, WAWIT GRADUATE: I want to get into looking at environmentally friendly ways of building. I want to look at solar thermal energy. If I don't do it now, time is wasting. BOLDUAN: Why? After a career full of office jobs, including at the state department and Howard University, McCain found herself unemployed. No job. No income.

MCCAIN: I just trimmed a lot of corners. I mean, I don't go shopping at the malls. I don't splurge on things that I normally would splurge on.

BOLDUAN: But she says it's been a blessing in disguise. A friend from church mentioned a D.C.-based program called WAWIT, Washington Area Women in the Trades, a free training program designed to help low income women reach financial independence through non- traditional careers like masonry and carpentry.

ALICE DREW, WAWIT DIRECTOR: e have woman who come from a very diverse background. We have women who have been unemployed for a long time. We have women who returning from incarceration. We have average, everyday women.

BOLDUAN: Along with seven weeks of classroom and job site skills training, these women also get physical training.

DREW: Because we know when we get out there, it's going to be hot. It's going to be cold. You're going to be doing heavy duty work. And we want you to be prepared physically to have the stamina that's required.

BOLDUAN: For McCain, WAWIT also offered a chance at a childhood dream.

(on camera): It's always been a passion of yours, working with your hands?

MCCAIN: Yes.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

(VOICE-OVER): McCain graduated in August and is now working on getting an apprenticeship. Her new goal? To one day run her own construction company.

MCCAIN: I think that if you are a woman and you are interested in construction, there shouldn't be a door being blocked from you getting in.

BOLDUAN (on camera): This program has opened that door for you?

MCCAIN: Definitely, it opened that door for me.

BOLDUAN (on camera): The program's director says this training course started up just over two years ago. So far they've graduated more than 100 women. More than 65 percent of which, they say, are either employed or enrolled in an apprenticeship program.

Kate Bolduan, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: A city trying to come together as it mourns the brutal beating death of 16-year-old Derrion Albert.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Hundreds of mourners attended a funeral in Chicago yesterday for 16-year-old Derrion Albert. They included the Reverend Jesse Jackson and Nation of Islam minister Louis Farrakhan. Albert was walking home after school when he got caught in a street fight and was beaten to death.

Video of the brutal attack has brought the attention on the epidemic of youth violence, particularly in Chicago. Mayor Richard Daley talked about it when he returned from his city's failed Olympic bid in Copenhagen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR RICHARD DALEY, CHICAGO: I want to again express my condolence to Derrion Albert's family. Every family, every community should stand up shoulder to shoulder and not allow teenagers to run their family, run their block or their community. This is truly unacceptable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Many children did actually witness the beating that left Derrion Albert dead. Four arrests have been made. But no calls have been made to police on other suspects being sought. What exactly is going on?

CNN's Joe Johns shows us why it's so hard to crack the code of silence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It would seem obvious, right? If you saw this happen, if you were a witness to this murderous beating of 16-year-old Derrion Albert, you'd call the police and tell them what you saw and the names of the guys who did it. Four teens identified from the video have been arrested and three others were being sought.

To this moment, cops tell us no one has been caught. No kids, no parents. Why> Call it the code of silence urban school children learn early, especially in tougher neighborhoods. Mind your own business. And that means don't talk to the police.

(on camera): The death of Derrion Albert brought an outpouring of sympathy here. It also brought quite a police presence. Take a look. One, two, three, four police vehicles near the community center where Derrion was beaten. The question really right now is not about police presence. It's about who's talking to the officers. Why parents and children who may have seen something or heard something aren't coming forward. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People don't want to get jumped.

JOHNS: What do you mean they don't want to get jumped?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because they snitch, they're just going to get beat up.

JOHNS: And yes it is clear. A message that it's OK not to get involved may send kids a message that crazy, senseless violence is OK. And it's not.

REV. MICHAEL PFLEGER, SAINT SABINA CHURCH: We have got to get to the hearts of our children! Because nothing, nothing excuses or justifies the actions of an individual who would beat another individual. Nothing justifies that in this society!

JOHNS: So why is it people don't want to talk to the police?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because it's what some call snitching. Snitching. Don't snitch. It's not your business. OK?

JOHNS: Is that something somebody told you, or is that something you tell people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's the way of the street. You snitch --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As my mama said, she said that the kids should be burying their parents. Not the parents burying their kids.

JOHNS: Whatever reasons high school students on the street may give, experts say one of the main things driving this behavior is fear. Fear of what could happen if you talk to the police. It's not just a Chicago phenomenon. It happens all over the country and it undermines the criminal justice system. What people here in Chicago and other cities are trying to figure out is what do you do about it? Keeping them honest, one problem is that the heavy police presence that's supposed to provide a sense of security is often viewed in big city neighborhoods as very temporary. Once the TV cameras leave, it's back to business as usual.

MIKE MOSEBERRY, CHICAGO RESIDENT: They know that this police presence is not going to last. It's not going to last. A couple of week or two, it's not going to last. These kids going to be out there by themselves and then another kid get killed.

JOHNS: Of course it's complicated. But if people don't feel safe and will not go to authorities, then experts say intervention is needed even before violence erupts.

TIO HARDIMAN, CEASEFIRE: These people are not willing to step up and stop it on the front end, then. That's it right there. Derrion, somebody in the crowd should have said, you know what I'm not going to tell on nobody. I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to stop all this mess from happening.

JOHNS: And finally, we checked again. So far police say no one's come forward to report what they saw outside the community center.

Joe Johns, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So terribly sad. Alonzo Washington is working to end this so-called code of silence. He's a community activist in Kansas City. And he said the don't snitch mind set is hurting African- American communities all over America not just Chicago. And he wants to now make it hip to give those tips. So Alonzo how in the world are you doing that? When you hear the many people in Joe Johns' piece, they talk about their not snitching because they fear for their own lives. They know that someone will come after them if word gets out that they helped lead to an arrest. How do you make that hip?

ALONZO WASHINGTON, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST: Well it's like this. A lot of that is fear and hype. They put on the stop snitching shirts and they say somebody's going to shoot me. I've been an activist since I was 16. I painted over gang graffiti. When people saw me doing that they said somebody's going to shoot you. Guess what --

WHITFIELD: Painting over gang graffiti is very different than actually witnessing someone's death that may have resulted from a bunch of people who are out to clearly target anyone.

WASHINGTON: Well it's like this. I have resolved a number of homicide in my community. I have my number on my car to give tips. I let the public know, hey, look, we have a community. You know, this stop snitching thing is a recipe for genocide. You're going to let a murderer walk around in your community? We have anonymous tips. And I still don't buy that they're afraid. African-American youth buy knives; you can get killed from knives. They buy rims for their cars; you can get shot for that. They'll put their life on the line to look good. To save their community they won't do it.

WHITFIELD: Alonzo you're an adult. You've got experience on your side. Now you need to transfer this knowledge, that kind of reason, to a young person, someone who's 10, someone who's 12, 14, who witnessed what took place in Chicago and tell them, convince them that this is the right thing to do. How do you do that?

WASHINGTON: OK. Well I'll tell you. I haven't always been an adult. I've been working on this issue since I was a teen. We have to change our minds. We have to begin to stand up for things. I go into schools. I work with kids. I advertise and speak to kids in a way that a media does. Stop snitching. I put up a shirt that says stop the silence and violence. I will talk about reason. A lot of these kids say snitching is not good. If somebody shot their mother, they would want somebody to give that tip. Let's talk logically.

Why are we listening to rappers who you have to pay to see and, you know, if somebody gets shot in your community, they won't care one iota. I also speak out against police brutality. I have enough street credibility to get tips. I've solved countless murder cases. And I have no fear. That's what kids respect. I think in Chicago and a lot of other cities across the country, they see a lot of adults who are afraid of the children. They have church leaders who are afraid to come out of that pulpit and put some leadership into that community. It's time for black men to stand up and be righteous and not be afraid of children and to contradict these stupid slogans that make no sense.

WHITFIELD: So you personally are taking a stand. But of those young people that you've talked to, you convey this message, how convinced are you that a lot of those young people have changed their ways, they've broken the code of silence, their more willing to talk?

WASHINGTON: It's happened countless times. I've talked to 13- year-olds that have done thrill kills. After they get arrested they let me know who else was involved. I have leadership. I have that kind of credibility in my community. I don't just come out in the cameras. I go out and put it on YouTube. I do a MySpace blog every day.

WHITFIELD: What are you suggesting Chicago ought to do?

WASHINGTON: Chicago should get some real leaders that can come into the community, not just when the cameras are there, that will address that issue and speak to those kids and be bold enough to say I saw Chicago leaders on the news that say I don't know about snitching, snitching is bad. I mean black people need to take off that criminality out of their culture. The mafia came up with a code of silence. When the police use a code of silence, it benefits the police department. When black people do it, it hurts us. We're going to let murders walk around and kill our children and say I don't want to say anything? That's ridiculous.

WHITFIELD: Yeah. It's very frustrating. Alonzo Washington, joining us from Kansas City, hopefully your words of advice will help.

WASHINGTON: And also they can call me -- they can call me direct. You can call me from Chicago and give me a tip. I'll turn in the people who beat Derrion. I have no fear like that.

WHITFIELD: Alonzo Washington thanks so much for your time. Appreciate it,

WASHINGTON: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: A live interview with an entertainer who is reaching out as well to young people in Chicago. Grammy nominated wrapper Nas wrote what he calls an open letter to young warriors. Nas joins Don Lemon live at 7:30 Eastern Time.

All right. They thought their houses were safe. Now some Georgia homeowners are learning an ugly lesson the hard way. Find out the simple step that you, perhaps, can take to protect your treasures from floods.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Taking a look at our top stories. Eight U.S. soldiers were killed in a battle with Taliban militants in eastern Afghanistan. Two Afghan soldiers were also killed. Hundreds of militants stormed two security outposts northeast of Kabul. The fighting lasted about 12 hours. It's the largest number of American combat deaths in Afghanistan in more than a year.

Parma is no longer a typhoon. It is still causing problems for the Philippines. The tropical storm is lingering off the coast, dumping heavy rain on the region there, 15 people were killed when Parma came ashore yesterday. A week earlier hundreds died in tropical storm Ketsana.

The California wildfire destroyed three houses outside of Los Angeles and threatens dozens more. Winds of up to 45 miles an hour are driving the blaze known as the sheep fire. Through the canyons near San Bernardino. Residents are fleeing with their pets as well as their horses. About 50 homes are in the fire's path.

All right. The Atlanta area is bracing for yet more rain tonight and tomorrow. Just weeks since a deadly storm dumped record rainfall and flooded northern Georgia, many residents are learning the hard way that they should have had flood insurance. Our meteorologist Jacqui Jeras spoke with many of them. Jacqui, a lot of folks figure, you know what? There are no creeks. There are no rivers near me. I'm not necessarily in a flood zone. So I don't need flood insurance.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah. But you know a lot of those people, like you said, learned the hard way this last go-round. And you know many of those people would have told you just the day before that they didn't need the flood insurance. Or that they didn't live in a flood zone. Or that they tried to get flood insurance, but they were denied. So, you know, there's been a lot of confusion as to whether or not you need some of this flood insurance. This tends to happen not just after this flood, but after many in the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAGDALENA RODRIGUEZ, FLOODED HOMEOWNER: This was our living room. The two person sofa that was here ended up on that side of the house. It was like everything was basically moved around.

JULIUS RODRIGUEZ, FLOODED HOMEOWNER: Shifted, yeah.

JERAS: All of that furniture. And just about everything else Julius and Magdalena Rodriguez owned now sits in their driveway in wet, moldy piles. The Rodriguez's, both serving in the army, bought their dream home in 2006 in a suburb of Atlanta.

M. RODRIGUEZ: First property. First home for us. So it was exciting.

JERAS: Now it's just another casualty of the torrential rain and flash flooding that hit the region in September. So all of this was under water.

J. RODRIGUEZ: All the way up to the ceiling.

JERAS: When they were able to get close enough, they took this picture of their home sitting in 11 feet of water. Even the second floor was flooded.

J. RODRIGUEZ: The closet now has the black mold in it.

JERAS: The Rodriguez's know they have to repair the house. But wonder where they'll get the money. They had no flood insurance. And more importantly, didn't think that they need any.

M. RODRIGUEZ: I think our realtor was the one who -- who had the whole track of the floodplain. And they used maps from 1981 to see whether we were in a flood zone. And as with most residents in this neighborhood and around, we weren't -- we weren't in the flood zone. Didn't need flood insurance. Wasn't really even offered to us, 2008, apparently, the place was made a flood zone. Nobody told us.

JERAS: But when we contacted the county where the Rodriguez's live, they told us that the previous survey from 1992 also showed that same neighborhood in a floodplain.

JOHN OXENDINE, GEORGIA INSURANCE COMMISSIONER: They should have been notified either by FEMA or by their mortgage company. Because -- to do that. Now, it's really designed when you always catch it or should always catch it is when there's a refinancing or a purchase of a new house.

JERAS: John Oxendine is Georgia's state insurance commissioner says the Rodriguez's may not be the only ones who were confused by federal flood insurance, which is administered by FEMA.

OXENDINE: I'm hearing a lot of rumors of FEMA telling people you can't get flood insurance. Well, actually, you could. And turning people down or saying you used to be on a floodplain, you no longer are.

JERAS: Should you be responsible yourself for going out and finding that information.

OXENDINE: Yes. It is your home. You do need to accept personal responsibility for protecting your home.

JERAS: So we went online to FEMA's website and found a map of the Rodriguez's neighborhood. Here you can see it's clearly labeled that they are in a flood zone. But we also went to floodsmart.gov. Another FEMA website and entered their address. And here you can see the property is listed as being at low to moderate risk.

So why the discrepancy? And why aren't the Rodriguez's told when they bought their house? FEMA told CNN that being in a flood zone means you have a chance of experiencing a 100-year flood. Being at low to moderate risk is the general risk of flooding each year. FEMA also says they worked with local communities to develop maps and make changes as needed. Their website has updated information on flood insurance. That's little comfort to the Rodriguez's, who are now living in a hotel.

(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): Thanks.

JERAS: And getting some of their meals from the Red Cross. FEMA has inspected the Rodriguez home and even deposited a check. That the Rodriguez's say it'll only cover their current living expenses and maybe some furniture. Their military unit and friends and family have been very supportive.

M. RODRIGUEZ: We trusted everybody to tell us the right thing and to guide us the right way. Other than that, tragedy can happen at any time to anyone. Even if you think it won't be you. But, really, talk to your insurance. Check with your insurance.

Do a lot of research.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JERAS: And the best thing to do is not to rely on FEMA or your mortgage company to inform you, but to empower yourself. Check your address at floodsmart.gov every six months or so and call your insurance company to confirm that you have that insurance if you think that you have it or if you want it. Nobody is denied flood insurance if they want it. It's just going to cost you a little bit. It's only required for people who live in high-risk floodplains.

WHITFIELD: I really feel for that family. And their experience can be multiplied many times, particularly in Georgia and other places. But particularly Georgia where that flooding just happened. All right, Jacqui. Thanks so much.

Your thoughts on youth violence. How can communities fix the problem? Josh Levs has some of your comments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A few minutes ago we reported on the funeral of Derrion Albert, the Chicago teenager whose beating death was recorded on a shocking video. We talked about Chicago's epidemic of youth violence in our newsroom special yesterday. One of our guests, a police officer, who has a unique perspective. Ronald Holt's own son, Blair, was gunned down two years ago. He says Derrion Albert's death brought back some very grim memories.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RONALD HOLT, OFFICER WITH CHICAGO POLICE: To see that another good young innocent human being like Derrion, 16 years old, just like Blair was. Not bothering anyone. Not involved in gangs, guns, drugs or this culture of violence. That his life had to be taken the way it was. So, yes, it was very reminiscent of when Blair lost his life. When I saw that video, I -- it actually took me back to when Annett and I were in court on the sentencing date of the offender that took Blair's life. And we sat there and watched the bus surveillance video of Blair being shot.

WHITFIELD: Because someone walked on to -- someone had walked on to that public bus where your son was, Blair, and simply opened fire?

HOLT: Yes. Yes. So it took me back to that. And it just brings it up to speed as to how out of control that some segment of the youth culture has become. It's a lot of things that have come into play in society. But before I go, I just want to express my condolences to the family of Derrion Albert. I know what they're going through. I stayed in constant contact with Derrion's grandfather, Joseph Walker. And he is just beside himself with grief. So I just wanted to say that first. That my heart and my prayers and my thoughts on behalf of my family and Blair's family go out to his family. And that hopefully he'll have to endure this, unfortunately.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Thanks to Officer Ron Holt for joining us yesterday on that. No shortage of opinions on Chicago's growing violence. Let's check in with our CNN's Josh Levs. We had a lot of e-mails yesterday. People who were part of the conversation yesterday. So many that we decided to convey a lot of their thoughts today as well.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes Fred. You and I have been talking about the fact, some people really sending in solutions and ideas that are really just interesting angles on this whole issue.

WHITFIELD: We like that.

LEVS: We really do. Let's go to this first one. This is from a man who runs a funeral home in Chicago. Pull up this quote for you, from Spencer and he wrote, "I am 39 year old funeral director in Chicago. Career days should be done in grammar school. By high school we've lost the kids. They should be made to do homework assignments on us and not just the Michael Jordan's of the world. The lawyer, store manager, doctor, and the guy with the construction company- we are successful because we had people in our lives who taught us." Very interesting.

Now we heard from Eric, one of the people debating the gun writes. Take a look at what Eric wrote, "No matter whether you have a ban on hand guns or not, the criminals will get them, and that is who we are worried about."

We also heard from Glen who said, "I live in Knoxville, Tennessee a lot of people here carry weapons legally. We have that one, too."

Stick with John now, "If you think the murder reports are high coming from Chicago, it will quadruple at least if more people have guns. There is no reason people in Chicago need hand guns."

WHITFIELD: They're mentioning this on the guns. In that hour we talked about how an effort is being made to lift the handgun ban that currently exists in Chicago. That's a case going all the way to Supreme Court.

LEVS: Yes. The highest court in the land. A lot of people talking about gun rights, gun ownership. Does that play an ultimate role? Some people say lots of people should have handguns to scare away the gangsters. Other people say it's the worst possible idea. We're seeing both of those.

Let's get in a couple more here. I'll tell everyone how they can continue this conversation online. Jaybee wrote, "When you destroy housing projects and relocate people, you're taking people from rival neighborhoods and putting them together. Not a good idea. Chicago has always been a gang infested city."

You and I looked at that earlier. It's a really good point.

WHITFIELD: It's a point that many people were making in terms of the relocation of some housing communities that were torn down, and relocating others. It's also precipitates the other question, which is why, is it acceptable that you have rival gangs attached to certain neighborhoods and why is it that someone would move from one neighborhood to another and suddenly they're in the wrong place. That's part of the problem.

LEVS: Exactly. This is so entrenched in the Chicago culture right now, that kind of immediate moving can cause more problems. We have one last one. I'll toss this one at you. Steppeace, "It is time to stop blaming teachers for not educating our children. It is a society problem, starting with the parents. Stop allowing TV to be the babysitter. Listen to the music that your children are listening to and talk about why it is or isn't acceptable in your home. Be responsible."

Let's show everyone how to weigh in. This conversation continues online. You've got my graphic here. Our blog plus Facebook, plus Twitter CNN.com/josh. After the show yesterday lots of people weighing in online, saying they watched it, they got a lot out of it. The conversation keeps going online.

WHITFIELD: Because you know sadly the problem is not being solved overnight. It's one that is now reached a high point. People are paying closer attention now in really communities all over, trying to come together to say this has got to end. It's ridiculous.

LEVS: It's a national problem for all of us.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much Josh appreciate it. Straight ahead, Jacqui Jeras will be joining us in the chat room. This man right here is at the center. Why is he running? He's got an incredible addiction that he's going to share.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: OK. Time now for a little chat room, Jacqui Jeras with us now. I love this story. For any runners out there or anyone who's not a runner, here's an inspiration. 70-year-old Edward right here in the twin cities, he ran a marathon today. But that's not what's newsworthy. He's run so many dozens now.

JERAS: He's been doing it for 30 years. He started at age 40. He was an alcoholic. He had addiction. And so he said he had to straighten up somehow. Now he's kind of addicted himself to running.

WHITFIELD: He's replaced one addiction with this one. He's pretty extraordinary. 26 years of sobriety. He finished today. Of course he did, because he finishes them all. In three hours, 59 minutes and 33 seconds. Giving him an average mile of nine minutes, nine seconds.

JERAS: That's amazing. By the way, he said he also does races in the wintertime on snow shoes.

WHITFIELD: That's cool.

Another milestone, this for the first couple. They celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary last night by painting the town in the nation's capital. Back from Denmark and decided no we're going to enjoy the town in Washington, D.C. They went to the Blue Duck Tavern there. That striking couple right there.

JERAS: Loving the dress.

WHITFIELD: Yeah. She only sports beautiful dresses.

JERAS: She does.

WHITFIELD: Anniversary night is another reason in which to do so.

JERAS: Kind of a nice, low key evening. I love it. Congratulations.

WHITFIELD: Congrats to them. Thanks so much, Jacqui. Little chat time. We try to squeeze it in every Sunday whenever we can. And then, of course, sometimes we take it outside. Because we chat too much.

Coming up in the next hour, fast-moving wildfires threaten homes and force evacuations in California.

And the governor of Texas up for re-election and under fire. Is he covering up the execution of an innocent man? We'll find out.

"GPS" with Fareed Zakaria, begins right now.