Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Weiner Facing Pressure to Quit; IMF Probes Cyberattack; Tea Party Favorites at Debate; School Band Trying to Stop Bullying; New Photos of Rep. Gabby Giffords; The GOP Contenders; Leaving or Losing Your Job

Aired June 12, 2011 - 17:00   ET

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

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN GUEST ANCHOR: Top of the hour now and new photographs increasing the pressure for Congressman Anthony Weiner to step down. TMZ reports Weiner took partially nude photos of him in the House of Representatives gymnasium and sent them to at least one woman. The website showed photos of a man who appears to be Weiner taking pictures of himself with his blackberry in a mirror. CNN is working to independently verify that those photos were, in fact, taken in the House gym. Weiner's office has no comment on today's report.

Weiner has already admitted sending lewd photos and texts to several women. And even before these latest photos surfaced, there were demands for his resignation. Even from his own party.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRWOMAN: The statement I made speaks for itself yesterday. I think Anthony Weiner needs to resign so he can focus on his family, focus on his own well-being.

REP. STENY HOYER, (D) MINORITY WHIP: It's my understanding Mr. Weiner has indicated he wants to take a leave. I would hope he does so. I hope he reflects upon whether or not he can proceed.

It seems to me extraordinarily difficult that he can proceed to represent his constituents in an effective way given the circumstances of this bizarre behavior --

BOB SCHIEFFER, FACE THE NATION: You think he should resign?

HOYER: I think that certainly he's got to consider that option. I don't see how he can proceed and effectively represent his constituency.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Protesters held a demonstration outside Weiner's district office in Queens, New York, today.

CNN's Jason Carroll was there.

Jason, Weiner has already announced he's going to take a short leave of absence. Is that good enough? JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think for some of his constituents out here in Queens, it is simply not good enough. Evidence of that was at a protest -- very small protest -- we saw out here just a little earlier. Just a small group of people came out to say it was time for the congressman to step down. And also a small group of supporters also showed up.

I want you to hear from both sides first. I want you to listen to what his supporters have to say today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CATHRYN CYLINDER, SUPPORTS REP. WEINER: What he did was disgusting, but I think he's done an excellent job. I support him. I would vote for him again. I think we need more people in the Congress of the United States who will speak out for their constituents.

BRITNEY SILVERSTEIN, SUPPORTS REP. WEINER: He needs help. He's going for help now. And when he comes back from help, he should be a full- fledged congressman and be back helping us.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Well, clearly not everyone feels that way, Deb. I know you mentioned some of those pictures from TMZ. Some -- copies of those pictures actually handed out during a protest today. You know a number of people out here simply saying at this point the congressman simply cannot be effective as a leader.

I want you to listen now to their point of view.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONNA CAFIERO, OPPOSES REP. WEINER: I think he's been lying to us all along about a lot of issues that are really important for the American people, such as the economy, world issues, and I think that he's not really telling us the complete truth.

DR. STEPHEN MORRIS, OPPOSES REP. WEINER: This man has opened himself up to all sorts of illegal things. He's opened himself up to the fact that he could be bribed, he could be -- they could hold this against him and he -- would sway him. I mean sexual encounters, could be HIV, could be anything you want.

All I can say is this is a man who needs extreme medical care. Most of the studies have shown that sexual addictions cannot be cured. And I feel that this skews all his relationships. His family, his wife, his family and how he votes and how he conducts himself.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Well, I think it's clear that Democrats want this story to go away. And I'm sure the congressman wants the story to go away. One thing is clear, though, out here in his district, the debate is still ongoing -- Deb.

FEYERICK: Jason Carroll, thanks so much.

And Weiner has said that he's going to wait until his wife, Huma Abedin, comes back in order to make any sort of decision on whether he will formally step down. Right now he's going to seek treatment.

Thanks so much, Jason.

And the clock is ticking toward a major election event tomorrow night in New Hampshire. Seven Republican presidential candidates will face off at the state's first debate. It's co-hosted by CNN and can be seen only on this network.

Our deputy political director Paul Steinhauser joins us now live from the debate site in Manchester.

And, Paul, all day we've been talking about what's at stake for these different candidates. Tomorrow night they're going to be making their plea to the American public for the first time.

What about Tea Party favorites Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, Deb, let's start with Michele Bachmann, congresswoman from Minnesota. You know later this month she's going to announce in her native neighboring Iowa that she's running for the White House. She's well known there. That state of course kicks off the presidential primary caucus calendar.

But what about here in New Hampshire? The state that holds the first primary. She's not as well known. So I think tomorrow night the debate is going to give her a nice platform to reach out to New Hampshire voters who are of course very crucial in picking the next Republican nominee and will also give her a chance to speak to the wider national audience.

She's known, yes, among Tea Party activists. She's known very well because of her vocal criticism of the president. But this is a chance for her to reach out to more mainstream Republicans, I guess you could say.

The same thing for Herman Cain. Listen, the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza. He's also a radio talk show host. He's very, very popular among some Tea Party activists. But no, not well known among most mainstream and other Republicans. So here's another chance for him to say why he's qualified to be president.

And I think you'll hear Herman Cain probably talk about his business pedigree as well in the financial world -- Deb.

FEYERICK: And ultimately, all these candidates are really going to have to show that they present the best alternative when it comes to the economy and creating job growth.

Rick Santorum, what's going to be his big challenge?

STEINHAUSER: Yes, it's interesting on Rick Santorum because that's not one of the things he's been emphasizing. Rick Santorum, the former two-term senator from Pennsylvania, is beloved by a lot of social conservatives because of his stances on such as issues as gay marriage and abortion.

There are very influential voters in the race for the White House but he's not very well known among all Republicans. So here's an attempt or here's an opportunity for Rick Santorum to reach out to a national audience of Republicans and others and independents and even Democrats to tell about his proposals, his philosophies.

He's also been emphasizing foreign policy because he was very experienced Armed Services Committee in his tenure in the Senate. He hasn't talked as much about the economy. But I think we'll hear him talk about that as well tomorrow night. That, of course, the overriding issue with voters right now -- Deb.

FEYERICK: All right, Paul Steinhauser, thank you so much.

It's always interesting to see who starts and who ultimately finishes. I think we've got , what, something like 500-days to go.

Thanks so much, Paul Steinhauser, there for us in Manchester.

Well, then tomorrow night you can catch the debate, hear all their ideas, all their thoughts live from Manchester, New Hampshire. That's going to be at 8:00 Eastern only here on CNN.

And today we're getting the first clear photos of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords since she was shot in the head in January. They appeared on her Facebook page this morning. The two photos show her smiling. One alone, the other she's seen with a woman who is her mom.

We also learned today that Giffords will leave her rehabilitation facility by the end of this month and begin her outpatient therapy.

And thousands of Americans are out of their homes this weekend, chased away by fires and floods. In eastern Arizona, the second biggest wildfire in the state's history, it's still spreading. But there's some relief for evacuees in the towns of Springerville and Eagar. They can now go home but at their own risk.

And along the -- the Missouri River and its tributaries, extensive flooding. Record rains have filled reservoirs from Montana to Missouri. The Army Corps of Engineers is releasing massive amounts of water as you can see there to relieve pressure on those lakes.

The flood could rival the 1952 flood along some stretches from Omaha, Nebraska, northward.

And let's check in now with Alexandra Steele with more on what's happening with the fires, the floods, everything seeming to impact all various parts of this country -- Alexandra.

ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Let's add some tornadoes, how about that? In the mid-Atlantic. You know you're flying today. A lot of people flying. We've had big impacts. We've talked a lot about the mid-Atlantic and some of severe weather and of course airports being impacted.

(WEATHER REPORT)

FEYERICK: All right. Alexandra, thank you so much. And the point you made earlier, which was great, and that is extreme is the new normal.

STEELE: Absolutely.

FEYERICK: So thanks so much. Alexandra Steele. We'll check in with you a little bit.

Well, a volcano goes boom in South America. And that spells troubles for thousands of airline passengers. A whole continent away. Details on that coming up.

And imagine going through garbage just so you can find something to sell. That's what some children are doing until our CNN Hero got involved.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Some international headlines.

Fighting near Misrata, Libya, today killed at least seven people. That's according to a hospital spokeswoman there. Among them a woman who died when a rocket struck her home.

Also today, a rebel spokesman says his fighters killed about 100 troops loyal to Moammar Gadhafi in fighting west of Tripoli.

New images today of Gadhafi. Libyan state TV has shown video of the Libyan leader playing chess. It identifies his opponent as the president of the World Chess Federation. During the video the camera shows a TV screen displaying today's date. There's no word on where the video was shot.

Elsewhere in Libya today, a rebel spokesman says they've confiscated a secret military document. He claims it spells out a plan to attack Misrata with more than 11,000 troops and clear the city of opposition forces.

CNN has seen the 15-page document but can't vouch for its authenticity. No acknowledgment and no comment from the Libyan government.

And look at that plume of volcanic smoke and ash shooting high from the sky from southern Chile. It's causing major problems as far away as Australia and New Zealand. Airlines in both countries are keeping their planes on the ground for safety's sake. Thousands of passengers are stranded.

Somebody or some group or something attacked the computer system at the International Monetary Fund. We're a little short on details and don't know yet what kind of attack, just vandals or something more sinister, but the IMF says they definitely were hacked and they're seriously investigating it.

Ralitsa Vassileva is here from CNN International, and really, what are we talking about here? Are we talking about cyber spying? Are we talking about a cyber war? An attack? What are we looking at?

RALITSA VASSILEVA, ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT, CNNI: Well, we don't know exactly what we are looking at. But we know for sure the IMF is saying that it was hacked, that information was taken, but it's not identifying a source.

But imagine the IMF. This is the international organization that manages the economies of the world and it organizes all the bailouts of all the economies that are in crisis. It has very sensitive information including secretive negotiations with countries and also it has information on countries we don't even know that could be on the financial brink.

So basically some have described this as political dynamite, this information that could have been accessed, which could affect the global economy. But we still don't know the extent of the crisis and it is very, very troublesome.

I even talked to a defense expert -- a U.S. defense expert, Tony Shaffer, who told me that he thinks this is a transnational organization or a nation state. And I asked him, he says he doesn't know who this is behind it.

But I asked him about Google. Google, if you remember, pointed the finger straight at a nation state, China.

FEYERICK: Right.

VASSILEVA: That it originated in China, the hack attack that they had. China's government has vehemently denied this. But here's what Tony Shaffer thinks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY SHAFFER, CENTER FOR ADVANCED DEFENSE STUDIES: Frankly, everything I've seen -- our center's research indicates China as way out ahead and doing this sort of thing as a matter of their own internal policy.

Of course they're going to deny it. But everything I'm seeing is that China is doing a superb job, although they're getting caught at times, of mapping the infrastructure. And frankly the Google hack was brilliant. They went after both the amalgamated data controlled in Gmail and looked for sensitive U.S. government information because the fact is this.

Politicians and policymakers like to have information that they send to each other outside the government systems. China recognized that and went after it. That's brilliant. But it doesn't change the fact that we've got to do something now to recognize our own vulnerabilities and stop this bleeding of information to the Chinese and frankly the Russians, the Serbians, North Koreans, Iranians all have very superb cyber capabilities.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

VASSILEVA: I was really shocked after I talked to him because basically he's saying that the U.S. -- that the world basically doesn't have a policy.

FEYERICK: Right.

VASSILEVA: A working policy to combat this. He's calling for people to focus on this.

FEYERICK: And what's so interesting, before we move quickly to another point, and that is that the IMF took it so seriously they cut all connections to, I think, the World Bank.

VASSILEVA: The World Bank.

FEYERICK: Because, again, you don't know who's doing it, what their aim is, what their goal is and whether they want to bring down or manipulate the system. But the head of the IMF, it's a woman who's a frontrunner. And she's making a lot of people very impressed.

VASSILEVA: That's right. It's Christine Lagarde. She's the French foreign minister -- the French finance minister, the first female French finance minister. She's broken a lot of glass ceilings. She also worked at a U.S./Chicago-based law firm in their Paris offices, became the first female executive officer of that firm.

She's 55 years old, specializes in labor and antitrust law. And once famously said that the global financial crisis was -- let me see if I can quote her here," caused by a male-driven, testosterone fueled culture and that needs to change."

But she's quite an impressive candidate. Definitely the frontrunner. She faces two challengers, but she has more support than them. One is the Mexican Central Bank chief Agustin Carstens. And also a new central bank chief also of Israel who just put his name in the hat in the very last moment before the nominating process ended. But she's definitely the frontrunner.

FEYERICK: And she really is, she's a fascinating woman and a fascinating philosophy vis-a-vis financial institutions and how they operate.

Ralitsa Vassileva, thank you so much.

Of course you can always see Ralitsa when she -- when you travel over abroad on our sister station CNN International.

Thanks so much.

Well, coming up --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JONATHAN TAYLOR, PARALYZED PLAYER DRAFTED BY RANGERS: I believe I can get back on the baseball field. All I have to do is -- you know, keep on working hard every day, 9:00 to 5:00. You know just keep getting stronger every day. Keep continuing to make progress.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: A young man who should be an inspiration for all of us. A college athlete on the verge of a career in baseball paralyzed after a horrifying on-field collision. But the story does not have a tragic ending. We'll tell you his inspirational story in the "Chatroom" coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: And around the world in order to survive, many children must work instead of go to school. Our CNN Hero once witnessed children eating and collecting items from a trash dump, and she's stepped in to help them get out of the dump and get into school.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELENA DURON MIRANDA, CNN HERO: Currently in Argentina there are a lot of children working. In Bariloche most children work recovering waste from the garbage dump to sell for a small profit.

They can be very small children, 3, 4, 5 years old. All parents want a better life for their children than what they had. But there are when the whole family has to work and try to make ends meet.

My name is Elena Duron Miranda. I founded an organization to help the boys and girls of the Bariloche trash dump to get out so they no longer have to work there to survive.

When I arrived in Argentina, it hit hard to see so many small children dig into garbage. Many of these boys and girls have dropped out of school. I decided that I had to do something for them.

We tried to be as fully integrated as possible. There's a school tracking group of psychologists and a social worker. We worked with the family and the value of putting them in school. Any time we get a child close to school, it's a seed we are planting. You hope not to see the child on the street again. If he returns, we go after him.

Education is how we start to break vicious cycles. To give children a better future. I learn something from the children every day. To be happy even under very complex circumstances.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And we always want to hear from you, so tell us about the heroes in your community. Send your nominations to CNN.com/heroes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: You know it's just always amazing to see that video. Well, time to enter the "Chatroom." And Alexandra Steele is joining me right now.

Our first story, if you didn't guess, is about Michael Jackson's "Thriller" jacket which is going on sale later this month. What's amazing is, Michael Jackson wore that jacket almost 30 years ago when that title album "Thriller" came out. And so much has happened in those three decades. And clearly, of course, he's passed on.

But now we've got this auction and they're thinking it's going to bring in a lot of money. Anywhere between, what, $200,000 and $400,000?

STEELE: I know and what's so funny is that two years ago his famous white glove sold for $350,000. But they thought at that time it was only going to get $50,000 and they got $350,000. So the expectation now is between $200,000 and $400,000.

So hey, you never know. If you're scared of the stock market this may be a good bet. You never know.

FEYERICK: Absolutely. And what's also interesting about this jacket is that he gave it before he died to the two designers, the men who had created the jacket. And he signed it to them and so, again, I do think that that's going to increase the value of this jacket and what it is likely to get when it is sold.

And part of the proceeds, it's part of the whole charity and part of the proceeds are going to go to an animal sanctuary where it so happens Michael Jackson's two tigers --

STEELE: Right.

FEYERICK: -- happen to be. But then there's another story, and this one's pretty incredible.

STEELE: It really is. I think this story is going to make you both smile and cry.

Now last week, you may know this. Two college baseball players were drafted into the Major Leagues. Both those players, though, most likely will never play for their teams. Both have recently been paralyzed.

And Don Lemon recently talked to one of the players and the Texas Rangers scout that got them there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAYLOR: The first day the coach tried to call me, I was like -- I didn't believe him for a minute but when he told me that -- and then -- you know, my trainer Mike Millon told me, too. I was, oh, my gosh, I can't believe I actually got drafted after all I've been through.

RYAN COLE, SCOUT, TEXAS RANGERS: Well, Andrew, you know, Andrew, this guy was a great Injury or no injury, he's a great baseball player. He's a fun guy to watch. Table-setter type guy. Could really run, play defense. And I was happy to be able to be the one that drafted him.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Really inspiring. And you know what, it sends a larger message to athletes out there, those who are committed to the support, committed to the field that if you're good, that there is hope even if there is this kind of strategy that you can still have a career in the sport. Certainly heartwarming that they would bring these two players on board.

Now our last story that I want to get to, you have to wonder who designs certain things. Well, Franklin County judge warning women not to take the new staircase. Why? Not because it cost more than $100 million. But because it's made of glass. And if you're standing below the stairs --

STEELE: It's peek-a-boo.

FEYERICK: It's a little bit of peek-a-boo.

STEELE: And you know it's $100 million. Opened on Monday. Have a litany of other issues before this issue. And the judges and the female lawyers that work there are being told to not go up the stairs. Before they begin to walk, there's a police and a guard saying, excuse me, Deb, you know, don't go up there right now because, you know, you can be exposed.

And the lawyers and the judges are worried about people going up with cameras, taking a picture of you as you're walking up and then you're on the Internet forever. So we're going to have to see what happens with this. The judge saying, you know, half the population not being, like, looked at and thought of, architects for this were men.

FEYERICK: Well, that's exactly right. You know it's hard to escape that particular point.

STEELE: Yes.

FEYERICK: All right. Alexandra Steele, thank you so much. We're going to have a lot more coming back right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: And according to the National Crime Prevention Council, 6 out of 10 teenagers see someone being bullied every day. Some ignore it. Some join in. But few try to stop it. A teen rock band is encouraging more kids to stand up and do something.

CNN education contributor Steve Perry explains in today's "Perry's Principles."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): Teen band Radio Silence NYC is making some noise about bullying with its first single, "Renegade."

(On camera): You're starting to write our own music, when wheels stop spinning, how do you end up on bullying?

WYATT OFFIT, HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR: We have this idea. Let's make three lists. Things we love, things that we kind of don't really care about, and things that we really don't like. And we all wrote the word "haters" on the list of dislikes.

PERRY: What's that? What's a hater?

OFFIT: Someone who makes fun of you for what you like, your style. And we're like, that's it. It's the song we want to write about. It's something that's affected us in our lives.

PERRY: How?

DYLAN BRENNER, HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR: Well, we've all experienced it. But probably me the most because I've always been on the shorter side. So kids just, like, got a hoot out of -- out of their verbally, you know, picking on me or sometimes even physically.

PERRY: When I look at a band like the Ramons and others, they must have been outcasts. Tell me about that experience of being on some level by design outcasts.

ZACH ALLEN, HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORE: I guess you just have to try to learn that it's OK. You just have to be your own person and not care what other people think.

PERRY (voice-over): To spread that message the band teamed up with dosomething.org, a nonprofit that provides tools for young people to create social change. Together they spoke out and rocked out at several high schools in New York and New Jersey this year.

(On camera): What do you want kids to take from this?

TIM HOLMES, HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORE: We're trying to get kids to, you know, like stand up and say something to the bully. Be like, stop that. You know it's not cool.

PERRY (voice-over): Steve Perry, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Checking our stop stories.

Congressman Anthony Weiner's office has no comment on newly surfaced photographs. TMZ reports that Weiner took partially nude photos of himself in the House of Representatives gymnasium and sent them to at least one woman.

The Web site showed photos of a man who appears to be Weiner taking pictures of himself in a mirror. CNN is working to independently verify that the photos were taken in the House gym. Weiner has admitted sending lewd texts and pictures to several women. He is under extremely heavy pressure to resign.

Floodwaters are receding along the lower Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Levees that protect the city are open again. Those levees are popular spots in the Louisiana capital for pedestrians, bicyclists and sightseers.

Today we're getting the first clear pictures of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords since she was shot in the head in January. The pictures first appeared on her Facebook page this morning.

Let's bring in CNN's Lisa Sylvester who joins us from Washington.

And Lisa, the pictures show a smiling Giffords. They give us some indication that she's come a really long way since when she was shot meeting her constituents in Arizona.

LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Deb, you know, she looks absolutely terrific. Gabby Giffords on her Facebook page, more than 800 people who have now posted comments sending her well-wishes.

A sample of some of them. "Great to see you smiling. You're a wonderful inspiration." Another one reads, "Same smile, same attitude, can't wait to see you back in Congress." And she continues to improve. She's walking more. Her verbal and cognitive skills are coming along.

And now we have these pictures. And you can see some differences in the latest pictures. You know, her hair is darker. It's cropped short. She's wearing glasses. But the most obvious difference is the indentation on the left side of her head.

There's a second photo that we have, by the way. Her mom -- I think we've got that picture that we can put it up there. But it's her mom who was actually in there -- in that picture with her. But you know throughout this all she still has that gorgeous smile as you mentioned, Deb.

And -- now these pictures were taken May 17th, the day before she had surgery to replace the skull bone. And that surgery was to put in a synthetic bone and shunt. And her doctors said it went very well. So physically her condition has improved above and beyond what these photos show.

And I spoke to her communications director CJ Karamargin by phone. He just saw her last week. He said she was talking about politics. She was talking about the Mitt Romney announcement and overall in really good spirits. And I asked him how long before he expects her to be back and running the office.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CJ KARAMARGIN, GIFFORDS' COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR: I don't know. Hopefully it will be soon. If you look at the amount of distance that she's traveled so far and how far she's come, I think we're confident it's going to be soon. But, you know, if there's one thing we've learned in this -- the whole process, Lisa, and that is the need to be patient.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

SYLVESTER: Now CJ says the plan is to have her move from the Houston rehabilitation center by the end of the month. And she'll stay in Houston but she'll continue with outpatient treatment -- Deb.

FEYERICK: All right, Lisa Sylvester, thanks so much. And clearly everybody just empowered by the journey that she's taken to get where she is. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

Well, some wonder if it means the end of the line for values voters. A new CNN Opinion poll shows that a majority of Americans don't want the government to promote traditional family values.

Those saying that the government should not favor any set of values is now 50 percent. And that's the highest it's been since CNN started asking the question back in 1993.

America has certainly seen its share of natural disasters this spring. Find out how one relief organization is handling them all. What you can do to help. That and your forecast, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Well, there seems to be no end to the weather disaster we've been seeing all spring. In eastern Arizona, the second biggest wildfire in the state's history, it is still spreading. There's some relief for evacuees in the towns of Springerville and Eagar. They can now go home, but they're going home at their own risk.

Along the Missouri River and its tributaries, extensive flooding, record rains that fill reservoirs from Montana to Missouri. The Army Corps of Engineers is releasing massive amounts of water to relieve pressure on those lakes.

Let's bring in meteorologist Alexandra Steele with a look at what's happening right now with the fires, the floods, the weather, the weather, the weather, the weather.

STEELE: That's right. You know, and we've talked about this. And I think extreme is the new normal. Of course, global climate change. It doesn't mean global warming, everything's getting hotter. Everything's getting more extreme. The hots are hotter. The colds are colder. Tornadoes more severe.

And that's just what we're seeing, right? Every month it seems like another weather element is headlining the news. And not just the weather section of the news. Of course we're talking about the fires today, also the tornadoes. We do have and have had a tornado warning in northern Baltimore -- just north of Baltimore earlier. That has expired. But right now we are seeing some very strong storms around Washington. (WEATHER REPORT)

FEYERICK: All right. Alexandra Steele, thanks so much. We appreciate it.

Well, if you've ever been through a natural disaster, you remember the relief you felt when you saw the American Red Cross trucks coming. With the all the floods, tornadoes and wildfires this spring, the organization has set up disaster operations in 29 states at a cost of $51 million.

Last hour I talked with Laura Howe, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross, about what the greatest needs are for survivors and the organization.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA HOWE, AMERICAN RED CROSS SPOKESPERSON: Of course, food and shelter and some of those basic needs that people have are going to be the first things we want to bring to a community.

Then you've got things like the mental health that kicks in. Because just from being in Tuscaloosa and being in Alabama, I can tell you that people there were traumatized. They saw their friends and neighbors hurt. They lost loved ones. And so the need for people to be there to listen, to comfort, is great.

Then we come in, you know, in the weeks and the days later, and we're there with things like rakes and mops and shovels and tarps and clean- up supplies. And those things that people are going to need to get their communities back in order.

We are concerned that our resources are stretched and we want to make sure that Americans still know that we're out there working. The great thing about the Red Cross is that we have volunteers. We have chapters all over the country. We partner with all sorts of organizations that help us get the job done and help us help people.

And so there's really never a disaster where we throw up our hands and say, we can't do this. We always look to the community and we look to the other people. We look to America as a whole to be able to help us.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And to find out how you can help, just go to the redcross.org.

Well, seven Republicans have officially declared their presidential candidacies. But some GOP voters want the field to grow even larger. We're going to tell you why after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: We're counting down to tomorrow night's Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire co-hosted by CNN. Seven contenders will take the stage in Manchester. But as CNN's Jim Acosta reports, the candidates have yet to convince some Republicans they're up for the job.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A Ronald Reagan bumper sticker on a Cadillac parked up front is just the first sign. Tammy's Diner in Round Hill, Virginia, serves conservative politics right along with the country ham.

And it's a good thing the current list of likely GOP candidates isn't on the menu. Some of these Republicans just might stick with coffee.

MIKE MOREL, REPUBLICAN VOTER: I like a candidate who's a staunch conservative. Staunch Republican. There's no mob. They're perfect guys. Some of them right there right now.

TERRY MCCRACKEN, REPUBLICAN VOTER: Obama is going to get elected again. None of these guys can beat him.

ACOSTA (on camera): You don't think so.

MCCRACKEN: Huh-uh. Not right now.

ACOSTA: There may be another reason why voters in Round Hill are looking for some other options for 2012. A few big name politicians are acting like presidential teasers.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What about when the sessions are over, Governor, are you going to think about it?

GOV. RICK PERRY (R), TEXAS: Yes, sir.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: About running for president.

PERRY: I'm going to think about it. But I think about a lot of things.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Texas Governor Rick Perry is stoking speculation with plans to stage a national prayer event later this summer. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani keeps popping up in New Hampshire.

SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: Hi there. How are you?

ACOSTA: And Sarah Palin not only has a campaign style bus, there's a pro-Palin movie coming soon.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What do you think the odds are that you will run?

PALIN: I don't know. I honestly don't know. It's still, you know, a matter of looking at the field and considering much.

ACOSTA: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is headed to Iowa for an education conference next month but insists he's not running.

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: I made a commitment to the people of New Jersey when I asked them for four years as governor. ACOSTA: Think of these Republicans as specials of the day. Not quite on the GOP menu but not quite off. A new CNN Opinion Research poll shows Republicans do want alternatives. Two-thirds of GOP voters would like to see Giuliani jump into the race. A slightly smaller, though not too shabby majority, wants Palin to run as well. Another recent poll found nearly 40 percent of Republicans aren't happy with their choices.

PEGGY MACKLEY, REPUBLICAN VOTER: If the election were tomorrow, it would probably be Mitt Romney. But that's -- that's only because of the lack of choice.

ACOSTA: Back at Tammy's Diner, even the prospect of some new choices like Palin don't sound too appetizing.

JEREMY AIKEN, REPUBLICAN VOTER: Are you going to get elected president and leave halfway through? Give me a break. You shouldn't do that.

ACOSTA: A sign that when it comes to the GOP field these days, not every Republican is a satisfied customer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: While the field has its critics, it may also have a frontrunner. Mitt Romney is leading according to a slew of new polls. The only question is whether Romney can fight off any new flavors of the month that are added to the GOP menu.

Jim Acosta, CNN, Washington.

FEYERICK: Now more on the Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire tomorrow night. Of course, there are seven White House hopefuls. All of them are going to square off in Manchester.

CNN's Don Lemon has been in Manchester for much of the week. He's going to be live at the top of the hour. But right now he is joining us from the debate site to give us a quick preview of what we can expect.

Don, what are we looking forward to?

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Oh, Deb. We're going to take you inside the debate hall right here on the Saint Antone Campus in Manchester. You know it's quite an amazing transformation from start to finish.

You know we're even going to talk to the moderator. You might know him. His name is John King. We're going to get his take on the venue, the voters and the vying candidates on the GOP side for Monday night's big CNN debate.

And just one day before the candidates take the stage some developing news on the big shift on what Americans find important, Deb. It's exactly what voters have been saying to us since we got here. Stay out of their personal business. Money and jobs trump values. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the government generally needs to stay out of that type of business. It's a lot more important to get them back to work. They're so far removed from the common man it's almost laughable.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And you know one of the candidates campaigning on values had a few choice words on that subject and the media. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In all due respect, I think the media is fixated on trying to -- this is how the media works. They try to pigeonhole candidates. They're this kind. They fit this niche. They fit that niche.

Well, the interesting, I think, in my candidacy is that I fit all the niches.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So why is Rick Santorum so fired up especially at the media? We're going to have that, plus the developments in the Anthony Weiner scandal that seem to be coming in every minute.

That's coming up at the top of the hour -- Deb.

FEYERICK: All right. Don Lemon, thanks so much. We'll look forward to watching you in just a short while. Thanks so much.

Well, remember you can catch the New Hampshire Republican presidential debate live 8:00 p.m. Eastern tomorrow only on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: It's do or die time for the Miami Heat. They play the Dallas Mavericks in game six of the NBA Finals tonight. The Mavs have a 3-2 lead in the best of seven game series but neither team is taking anything for granted. The Heat would have to win the next two games on its home court to take the championship.

And Friday was graduation day for a 90-year-old man -- that's right, 90 years old -- in Bend, Oregon. Bob Maxwell picked up his high school diploma 73 years overdue. He dropped out of school in the seventh grade to work on his family farm. He says graduating is an honor. And this is a man -- well, he knows about honors.

See the medal around his neck? Well, you can see the ribbon there. That's the Medal of Honor and he received it for saving his platoon in France during World War II.

Very impressive. And the latest unemployment numbers, well, they're pretty bleak. The number of people filing for first-time unemployment benefits stayed above the 400,000 mark for the ninth week in a row.

Earlier today I talked with Valorie Burton. She's the author of "Where Will You Go From Here." A new book being released later this month. And in today's "Reclaim Your Career," we looked at five ways to minimize the emotional toll of either leaving or losing your job.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALORIE BURTON, LIFE COACH: People a lot of times think that the biggest impact is losing your income, but research actually shows the biggest impact is that loss of social connection that you had every single day when you go to work.

FEYERICK: And that's a big thing because obviously you go -- you know the people, you've got some sort of a friend system, a benefit, and then you have to start all over again.

BURTON: That's right.

FEYERICK: And it's different when you choose to leave or when you're forced to leave a little bit, no?

BURTON: That's right. There's that sense of loss that comes when you lose your job, but a lot of people choose to leave and don't necessarily realize what the impact is going to be. Whether you're choosing to leave because you're tired of that job, whether it's retirement, some people are tell commuting. There are a lot of different reasons that people choose to leave their jobs.

FEYERICK: Now once you make the decision or the decision is made for you.

BURTON: Yes.

FEYERICK: It's important not to get stuck.

BURTON: Yes. Yes. So number one, you want to be able to reach out consistently. And I think this is really important. You want to be able to reach out to some of those he old bosses, your coworkers, people around you that still give you that sense of emotional connection.

FEYERICK: All right. And another thing is that, obviously, you leave there's kind of the sense of I'm going to take a vacation, I'm going to just sort of relax, chill, catch up on my life. But it's important if you've either lost your job or you're going to look for a new one to stay active, stay busy.

BURTON: It's important to stay busy. It's important also to not ruminate. And so many people ruminate. They would rehash all the things that went wrong. Either why have I lost my job or someone has done me wrong in some certain way. It's really important that you stop those ruminating thoughts because that can lead to depression. It doesn't go anywhere. And if you're still on the job and you're thinking about leaving, being negative is not going to get you anywhere. You might end up leaving sooner than you wanted to leave.

FEYERICK: Right. Clearly for some people who have lost their jobs, it's important for those to remember what they were so good at.

BURTON: That's right.

FEYERICK: Don't focus on the negative.

Now what about being social? Just keeping your network, how valuable is that?

BURTON: Keeping your network is essential. You want to find ways that you can get out and volunteer. If you're ruminating, if you're frustrated, being able to focus on helping somebody else can be really, really powerful. So finding those ways to get connected outside.

Also there's something that's really interesting. A professor at the University of Virginia Jonathan Height talks about having a high in his book, the happiness hypothesis, and that's all about finding that place where you belong. So if it's not in the work place right now, you want to make sure that you're finding that place of social connection, whether it's a sports league, a professional association, making sure you're staying involved and connected so that you feel a sense of a team or a part of something bigger than yourself is essential.

FEYERICK: Absolutely, because it's very easy to wallow in self-pity or just become lost if you have too much time on your hands.

BURTON: Yes. And this is really about people not recognizing what the real impact will be. One of the greatest statistics I've heard is men who live to age 95 on average worked until they are 80 years old. And that social connection is huge, that sense of passion for doing something every single day that's meaningful.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Well, that will do it for me. Thanks so much for spending part of your weekend here with all of us. There's lots more to come. CNN NEWSROOM continues at the top of the hour with Don Lemon live from Manchester, New Hampshire.

Have a great week. And stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)