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Response to 9/11 Terror Threat; Training Afghan Forces; President Obama Pushes His Jobs Plan; U.S. Troops Remember 9/11; Tea Party Won't Budge; Flood Disaster Declared in Northeast; Food Disaster Declared In New England; The Help Desk; The Children Of 9/11

Aired September 09, 2011 - 12:01   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Let's get you up to speed now.

Police are on alert in response to a possible terror plot coinciding with the 9/11 anniversary. Officials say they have received "specific, credible, but unconfirmed confirmation." It's believed to involve three people and a possible car or truck bomb.

Officials say the focus seems to be on New York and Washington, but law enforcement around the country is on alert. And we asked CNN national security contributor Fran Townsend how concerned we should be.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: The one thing that's most concerning to me, we heard from Commissioner Kelly this morning that the three individuals, at least one of which is a U.S. citizen, officials tell us, they haven't identified. That's a very difficult problem, especially for the U.S. citizen. Americans cross our borders pretty easily. That's a real challenge for them, and that's why you're hearing officials ask for Americans' help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And President Barack Obama has signed emergency orders for parts of Pennsylvania and New York devastated by flooding. One of the area's major rivers, the Susquehanna, is starting to crest, but the water is still rising in other places. At least three deaths are blamed on the flooding brought on by the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee.

One of our iReporters captured this incredible scene. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is that a house? Oh, my God. Get off the bridge. Seriously, that's metal.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Wow. Well, it's another day on the front lines for firefighters, too, in Texas, battling dozens of wildfires, and the flames are still spreading. A fire near Austin is the biggest. At last count, it has destroyed 1,400 homes. Dozens of new fires have started in the last week as well.

Take a look at live pictures right now of a plane doing some airdrops there. This is considered the Magnolia Fire.

They are trying to douse as much as they can. You're not seeing the airdrops taking place right now, but the plane getting into position for the areas that need some sort of flame retardant as soon as possible.

All right. Meantime, President Barack Obama is on the road in Richmond, Virginia, promoting the jobs plan that he outlined last night. The president called on Congress to approve the $447 billion plan right away.

In his speech in Virginia just moments ago, the president said it will help get America working again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It will create more jobs for construction workers, more jobs for teachers, and more jobs for veterans, more jobs for young people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And still no sign of Moammar Gadhafi, but now there's a new warrant out for his arrest, this time from Interpol. The international criminal police organization is sending out red notice arrest warrants for the former Libyan leader, his son, Saif al-Islam, and his brother-in-law. The warrants will help with the extradition of Gadhafi from Libya and impede his ability to cross borders, according to the International Criminal Court.

And back in this country, parts of southern California are getting back to normal after a massive power outage that left millions of people in the dark. San Diego Gas & Electric says it has restored power to all of its customers. The blackout started yesterday.

Parts of Arizona and Mexico were also affected. Authorities say a worker replacing equipment at a substation near Yuma, Arizona, actually triggered the outage.

Well, the weather just simply did not cooperate again, so NASA will try once more to launch its latest moon research mission tomorrow. The space agency hopes to discover what's beneath the lunar surface from crust to core.

And more now on the response to a possible terror plot timed to coincide with the 9/11 anniversary. Authorities say New York and Washington are likely targets, but law enforcement agencies across the country are now on alert.

Tom Fuentes is a former assistant director with the FBI. He's joining us now from Washington.

So, officials say they have credible, specific, but unconfirmed information. Try to break down what that means for us.

TOM FUENTES, FMR. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, FBI: Hi, Fredricka.

Well, unfortunately the specific isn't specific enough. It doesn't name who the individuals are, which makes it very difficult for any of the U.S. authorities to locate someone that you don't even know who you're looking for. So you are hoping for a vigilant public. If something looks out of the ordinary, to report it.

WHITFIELD: All right. No color codes being used this time. Do you like the way this administration is handling this?

FUENTES: Actually, I do. I think most people thought the color coding system was silly and confusing, and also wasn't specific enough as to locations within the country. Here, you have specific statements involving New York and Washington, D.C., and information at least of what the public should be aware of at this point as far as what the attack might be.

WHITFIELD: And is it your feeling, Tom, that people anticipated this? Anxiety of course comes with this 10th anniversary of 9/11. And then after the killing of Osama bin Laden, a lot of the material found in that compound inferred that there were other things to follow that might coincide with this anniversary date.

FUENTES: Right. I've been told that the information found in the Bin Laden compound obviously showed that he had an interest in the anniversary date. The threat information that's being put out now is coincidental that this date is coming up.

I've also been told that much of the information coming in is similar to what is received all the time. This is an ongoing stream of reporting that comes out of Pakistan, comes out of Afghanistan, that individuals have trained in camp. Some may attack in Europe, or some may travel on to the United States and commit an attack here. It's just that getting that same stream of information this weekend makes it all the more interesting to the authorities to be alert.

WHITFIELD: Tom Fuentes, always good to see you. And appreciate your insight.

FUENTES: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And as we mentioned, Washington and New York are cited as possible targets. Next hour, Randi Kaye will speak with D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray to find out about security in Washington. That's at 1:00 Eastern Time, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Actually, it will be T.J. Holmes, filling in for Randi Kaye. All right. Ten years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the start of the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. mission to train Afghan troops is intensifying so American forces can actually come home.

Our Suzanne Malveaux is in Afghanistan's capital of Kabul. She's joining us live from Camp Eggers.

Suzanne, what more can you share with us?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure, Fred.

Well, you think about this, it really is a race against time. You're talking about U.S. and NATO troops pulling out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014. So they have got to train these Afghans, get them up to speed, in pretty quick, short order.

So what are they doing? They have got to get together an air force, an army, and police. They are talking about doubling and even tripling in size.

Huge challenges, Fred, that they are dealing with here. You have 30 years of war that this country has been engaged in, and so there's a generation that is lost when it comes to education.

There's about 80 percent of the recruits for the Afghan army that can't read, they can't write. I've even met some folks who can't even count.

This is an army that has to be strengthened if it is going to be independent, if it's going to allow those troops to go home. So that is why the international forces have this literacy program that -- it's a very aggressive program that they are hoping will be successful. So far, the last six months, they have seen some really good signs.

The other thing that we're taking a look at is the air force program. And this is really for the elite, if you will, for those who are educated.

So it's a much smaller group. But we had a chance to go up in a C-27, a transport plane, had a chance to go up in a helicopter to see first hand that program, what they are doing, and there are some changes that are being made, Fred. You actually have some young women that are involved in that program.

We're going to have more on that story after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Let's return to Afghanistan now. Ten years after 9/11, the start of the war on terror as well, seemed to follow.

Our Suzanne Malveaux is back with us, live from Camp Eggers in Kabul.

So, Suzanne, you have been watching U.S. efforts to train the Afghan troops. You've made a lot of observations about the challenges at hand as well.

MALVEAUX: There are a lot of challenges, Fred. People, they are encouraged that they are moving in the right direction here, that, ultimately, it's the Afghans that are going to have to be responsible for their own security. So this has to happen fairly quickly.

We had a chance to actually go up in a helicopter, as well as C- 27 transport, to check out the air force training that is taking place. Admittedly, it's a much smaller group of people involved because they have to have education, they have to be qualified, but it is encouraging, especially when you see the young women who are involved in this program.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX (voice-over): Getting around Afghanistan is tough. It's the size of Texas, but it has poor roads, extreme weather, and rugged terrain. Travelers are often the target of insurgent attacks.

(on camera): The thing you have to understand about Afghanistan from above (ph), critical to its security. (INAUDIBLE) the helicopter is special (ph), as is the Afghan pilots.

(voice-over): We are taken on a training exercise aboard a Russian-made MI-17, often used for battlefield operations. On this day, we fly across a huge lake 20 miles east of Kabul. It's a desolate area, but strategically important for supplying those fighting the Taliban.

(on camera): It's unbelievable. We just went about 30 minutes or so on this helicopter ride across Afghanistan, and Jalalabad Road is what we followed, but we are here in the middle of nowhere.

Tell me a little bit about the mission, Americans, alongside the Afghans, flying these things?

LT. COL. JOHN CONMY, U.S. AIR FORCE: Well, and it's not only just the Americans and the Afghans, it's the Americans and our squadron, Croatians, folks from the Czech Republican and from Hungary, all of which are providing training and the helicopters that you see there. So it's been the ride of my life so far with respect to this job.

(LAUGHTER)

MALVEAUX: Mine, too.

CONMY: But it's just been a phenomenal job.

MALVEAUX: And we saw some pretty rough terrain. Explain to us how important it is to have these helicopters in and out. I mean, it seems like it really is the best way to learn about these mountains and how to supply these routes. Yes?

CONMY: Yes. The options that you have are a donkey, possibly, or a helicopter. A lot of times, again, as you can see with the rough terrain, especially as you go out to the northeast of where we are, it just gets worse.

MALVEAUX: How important is it to make sure that the Afghans are able to fly these helicopters? Not only these helicopters, but some more advanced aircraft, too?

CONMY: Well, it's a fairly expensive asset. I mean, it's $12 million, each one of those helicopters that we have out there, and they need to make sure. And the leadership of Afghanistan wants to ensure that the people that we have flying can handle the $12 million asset.

MALVEAUX (voice-over): Nineteen-year-old Afghan Safia Ferosi (ph) is training to become one of Afghanistan's few female pilots. This is her first time ever on a plane. It's a C-27. She tells me she's excited.

American Master Sergeant Erin Manley shows off the plane's capabilities by opening the rear ramp. Safia gets to sit with the pilots. A bumpy ride makes her queasy, but she quickly recovers.

On landing, she tells me she's not deterred. She feels great. Her American mentor is proud.

MASTER SGT. ERIN MANLEY, U.S. AIR FORCE: It's great that you can take this and run with it and build a foundation for future females in Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: So, Fred, admittedly, you're not talking about hundreds of thousands of Afghan pilots being trained, you're really talk about the dozens here. It's a very ambition program, but it is only for the highly educated.

It used to be that this was just available for Afghans and Afghan women in the United States, but the idea is to actually train them here in their own country. And one of the things we're going to be doing tomorrow, as a matter of fact, we're going to be going with General Caldwell -- he's in charge of this whole mission -- to a place where they are actually going to be wrapping up and creating an air force base within Afghanistan itself -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: So, Suzanne, as it pertains to this training, is there an international commitment as well, or is it strictly U.S. forces?

MALVEAUX: Oh, no, you have the United States. There are at least 35 other countries that are actually involved. It's an international force, and they want to make sure that they have got experts from a lot of different places that are involved in this.

And what makes it unique is the fact that they're actually going to be able to do it here in their own country, as opposed to outsourcing it somewhere else. And that's going to take some time. It's going to take years or so. This is not something that's going to happen overnight. And as you know, with the education, the lack of education, they're really going to have to build up these recruits and these students. These are the kinds of folks who have at least had the equivalent, if you will, of, say, a high school diploma, maybe going into college, who'd be able to handle those types of aircraft.

WHITFIELD: All right. Suzanne Malveaux, thanks so much. We'll see you again at the bottom of the hour from Kabul there.

Suzanne has been talking with the U.S. troops, as you can see, about the memories of 9/11 as well. Emotions are still very raw. It's a powerful interview that you don't want to miss.

And President Barack Obama is in Richmond, Virginia, to promote his jobs plan. In his speech just moments ago, the president said both parties should be able to get behind this proposal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Everything in the American Jobs Act, everything in there, is the kind of proposal that has been supported in the past by both Democrats and Republicans. Nothing radical in this bill. Everything in it will put more people back to work and more money back into the pockets of those who are working. Everything in it will be paid for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Here are some of the highlights of the president's $447 billion plan.

It would extend payroll tax cuts for workers and employers. It calls for infrastructure spending on roads, railways, transit projects, and school renovations. The plan would extend unemployment benefits. And it includes money to subsidize job training, and to keep teachers and first responders from being laid off.

The big challenge for the president is getting Congress to go along with this plan. Well, last night he called on lawmakers to "stop the political circus" and actually do something to help the economy.

John Avlon is a CNN contributor and senior political columnist for "Newsweek" and "The Daily Beast." He's joining us now from New York.

All right, John. Good to see you.

Is the pressure on for Republicans to get on board regardless of how economists may be assessing this plan?

JOHN AVLON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, here is what we know so far. The speech seems to have played very well with swing voters. And that's because -- and this was not just another inspirational speech from President Obama. This was a policy speech, this was direct, and it was based around one core idea which the president was just talking about. Everything in it has had bipartisan support in the past. That's key.

And that gives him the ability to say to Republicans, support this now to improve the economy. And if not, then you're just playing the political games that so many independent voters are just sick of in Washington.

And there were a lot of ideas. Look, there is not going to be unanimity about this, but things like the infrastructure bill, that got bipartisan applause. So, over and over, we saw some areas of bipartisan applause, and that's a hopeful sign, I think.

WHITFIELD: Sure. OK. Well, even John McCain and Eric Cantor seemed to be a little bit more open to adopting some of the measures. Some, not all. But could there still be an ugly battle just around the corner?

AVLON: An ugly battle in this Congress? In Washington?

WHITFIELD: I know.

AVLON: Where did you get that crazy idea? I mean, look, I think the fact that John McCain and Eric Cantor, and John Boehner, for that matter, opened the door to saying we can work with some of this, that's a big deal in this environment. And that's because these plans are just, frankly, bipartisan.

You know, infrastructure banks already has legislation supported by Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison and Democrat John Kerry. You know, the idea of cutting corporate taxes, closing some loopholes, creating incentives for folks to hire new workers, especially returning GIs, free trade bills, Colombia, Panama, South Korea, these are issues that Republicans can and should get behind. They're right out of their wheelhouse.

So I think that there is a hopeful sign because the president framed the speech in terms of policy, on firmly bipartisan ground. That is the key to its effectiveness to date. Now we're going to have to see if citizens start calling up their congressmen and saying stop the political games, let's start seeing some action on the economy.

WHITFIELD: All right. John Avlon, always good to see you. Thank you so much.

AVLON: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: The flames from wildfires keep spreading in Texas. And we'll get a live update from the biggest fire near Austin.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: More wildfires are breaking out across Texas as the state copes with its worst drought on record. The biggest fire in the state is in Bastrop, near Austin. CNN's Jim Spellman has been covering the fire. And there is about 1,400 homes there have burned to the ground.

So, Jim, what's happening now?

JIM SPELLMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fred.

It's been an interesting morning here at the Bastrop Fire.

At the morning press meeting -- they do this every morning, every afternoon -- Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst came out, introduced himself as the acting governor, and went on to blast President Obama, saying that he has twice sent him requests for him to declare Texas a major disaster area because of these wildfires and to make available more resources to fight the fire, and saying that he wasn't getting it, hadn't gotten a response, and blasted him for last night, asking Congress to act immediately on his jobs bill, when they need help immediately here.

Take a listen to the lieutenant governor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GOV. DAVID DEWHURST, TEXAS: I have just signed another letter asking him again to make a major disaster declaration for the state of Texas. We need help yesterday. We need help earlier.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SPELLMAN: I asked the lieutenant governor where Governor Perry is, and he wouldn't answer the question. CNN though is on it, of course. We know that he has been in California doing campaigning and fund-raising.

Governor Perry did appear at a press conference here earlier in the week, and he said that this fire is not about politics. I don't know. Maybe that's changed.

Here is why the lieutenant governor says they need help, though. People are returning to their homes in this just devastated community. As you mentioned, almost 1,400 homes destroyed.

We caught up with Andrew Womak (ph) as he went home yesterday to take a look at the damage to his home. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW WOMAK (ph), FIRE VICTIM: What is there to say? This used to be a two-story house sitting there. I mean, it's all gone.

I think it's time to clean up the pieces and move on, build another building back in here. We like this place, and now with everybody banding together, and what everybody is doing for each other, this is definitely home. So we're staying around.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SPELLMAN: And we're going to see that same story play out here hundreds of times as these families are allowed back in to assess the devastation that they're going to have to recover from -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Jim Spellman, thank you.

U.S. troops in Afghanistan talked to our Suzanne Malveaux about the 9/11 attacks. Emotional memories, including an Air Force captain who had to identify the bodies of those killed at the Pentagon.

Suzanne will be joining us live from Kabul after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Ten years after 9/11, emotions are still raw.

Our Suzanne Malveaux is in Afghanistan, looking at the war that began in response to the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Suzanne, what are American troops telling you about their memories?

MALVEAUX: Well, Fred, I had a chance to talk to a number of soldiers, but this morning we were all just kind of gathered as a small group at a picnic table. And it's pretty clear that they believe in this mission. They still believe in the mission, and that it galvanized and it motivated them in some ways, their personal experiences from the September 11th attacks.

But -- but what was surprising and what was unique was just how candid they were about still the pain, that some of it's still fresh and -- and still raw.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX (voice-over): Thomas Carter was in Room 4D131 of the Pentagon when it was hit.

COL. THOMAS CARTER, U.S. AIR FORCE: I heard a loud sonic boom. And then, after that boom, it was like an earthquake had actually hit the Pentagon. That massive building actually really shook.

It was a -- a feeling of surprise and shock, and then anger.

MALVEAUX: Colonel Todd Key was also inside the Pentagon, on the other side. He had just gotten off the phone with his wife.

COL. TODD KEY, U.S. ARMY: I swear, I thought she was dead. I just had that feeling that she was dead.

MALVEAUX: He realized she was alive when he reunited with her after escaping the burning building.

KEY: I realized, too, that everyone that dies in the Pentagon has a family, and it -- it made it real to me that that's was -- you know, it was different. At that moment, it was different. MALVEAUX: Colonel David Komar was thinking about his five- and two-year-old children when he began carrying out the toddlers at the Pentagon daycare.

COL. DAVID KOMAR, U.S. ARMY: What was painful was -- was the thoughts that went through my head that perhaps some of those children's parents had perished.

MALVEAUX: For Captain Jason Gracin, the pain of 9/11 was different. He had to leave his pregnant wife to identify the Pentagon bodies.

CAPT. JASON GRACIN, U.S. AIR FORCE: I was the one who was taking all the x-rays on all the victims and trying to match dental records. To be honest, the toughest part was that, at the end of the day, they would take the victims that were ready to be transported back to the families --

MALVEAUX (on camera): It's OK. Take -- take your time. It's OK.

GRACIN: -- and the hearses would come --

MALVEAUX: It's OK. Take your time. It's OK. It's OK. Take your time.

Do you want to -- want to join him? It's OK. It's OK.

GRACIN: And the hearses would come, and the military escorts. They'd be all lined up. (INAUDIBLE) final salute, and you do that enough times, it -- it wears on you, because you know that that could have been -- that could have been me. It could have been one of these guys, and they all had families. And then, that -- that was the worst part. That was the worst part.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

WHITFIELD: All right, Suzanne Malveaux there in Kabul. Obviously the transmission very difficult. It is a very tough area in which to get these live shots going.

Suzanne is going to be joining us throughout the weekend for extensive coverage from Afghanistan to recognize the 9/11 10th anniversary on Sunday. Please join us throughout the weekend for her reporting and more.

All right, homes and businesses in parts of Pennsylvania and New York are no match for flood waters. We'll go live to one of the Pennsylvania towns that is being hard hit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Jobs, jobs, jobs -- that was the central message of the president's speech last night. And, to get more Americans working, the president wants to invest tax dollars back into the economy. But was his speech enough to sway the Tea Party faithful?

Our Don Lemon asks some of them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, so recent polls show that people care a lot more about jobs, jobs, jobs and the economy than they do about spending. Do you think you're on the -- the right track with the spending and not -- you don't want to hear jobs coming out of their mouth? Are they going to create new jobs?

TIM CURTIS, COCHAIRMAN, TAMPA 9-12 PROJECT: Well, they go hand and glove. You can't separate one from the other.

If you take a dollar out of the private sector to do something government with it -- first of all, it's an absolute fallacy to hear anyone say that the government's going to create jobs. It just simply doesn't happen. And when you remove a dollar from the private sector to have the government redistribute that -- that dollar somewhere else, then it's going to -- it has an -- an immediate impact.

I own a small business. I'm not hiring anyone else until I can forecast -- not 12 months, not even 24 months. I need to be able to look down the road because my commitment for borrowing is a five-year or a seven-year commitment. I don't want to hear about, well, we're going to give you a one-year break on this, that or the other. And that's not going to get it done.

I am actually a job creator. Not Hillsborough County government, not Florida State government, not the federal government.

LEMON: And -- but you're not creating jobs right now.

CURTIS: I'm not because of the uncertainty associated with the spending. That's why I say that they go hand and glove.

You cannot say -- they are inseparable entities, job creation and spending.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, Don Lemon joining me now from Tampa.

So, very different perspective here in the economy, Democrats saying spend to create jobs, Republicans and Tea Party members saying cut. So is anyone seeing any middle ground there, especially after hearing the president speak last night?

LEMON: Hey, listen, you heard from the members of the Tampa Tea Party. No, there is no room for common ground here. They say the spending has to stop. They think it -- it has exploded, and if it comes to adding new taxes or anything like that, they say no, no, no.

In fact, Fred, I asked them about, you know, the recent talks over the deficit and also the debt ceiling and if they were happy with what the freshman Tea Party members had done in Washington, and they say yes. They stand by them, and that's why they sent them to Washington.

So anything that has to do with more spending or more taxes, they're not for it. And if the people they feel they sent to office votes for any of that, they say they're going to vote them out, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And so, that one gentleman who owns his own business, what did he say it would take before he's ready to start hiring anybody, to be, indeed, a job creator?

LEMON: (INAUDIBLE). I didn't hear you. Can you repeat that? Sorry, Fred.

WHITFIELD: That -- that one gentleman that you spoke to, what's it going to take before he is willing to hire anyone, be, indeed, a job creator?

LEMON: I think he's -- I think what it would take for him is it's going to take some time and some confidence. He has to see that the economy is on the way back, that it is building. He has to see that the unemployment rate comes down. And, also, he has to see that the people who are in Washington are going to change their attitudes, he feels, and are going to chance their tune, again, when it comes to spending.

If he sees that happen, he said, then he'll feel more confident, and then he'll start to hire more workers. And he said, he's a job creator, like he feels many other small business owners are.

WHITFIELD: All right, Don Lemon, thanks so much. We'll see you throughout the weekend, from Tampa, because that's the lead up to Monday, CNN along with the Tea Party Express and several other Tea Party groups will be hosting a debate with the Republican candidates in Tampa, Florida.

That's the site of the 2012 Republican National Convention, so tune in for the CNN/Tea Party Republican debate Monday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Flooding from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee is breaking records in parts of Pennsylvania and New York. Thousands of people have had to grab what they could and then just simply leave their homes.

At least three deaths are blamed on the floods. President Barack Obama has declared the region a federal disaster area.

And CNN's Mary Snow is live now in one area that's been devastated by the flooding -- West Pittston, Pennsylvania. Mary, what are you seeing there?

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, you know, it's just water all around us. Take a look, right behind us is an entire street that is underwater. And, if you see these homes that are just inundated, and this has been playing out in community after community here in Luzerne County. Officials here say they anticipate that about half of the county's 5,000 residents have been affected.

One of the homeowners that has seen his home just been underwater is Mike Butera. He's been living here for about nine years, in a family home that was built in 1949. He has said he has never has seen anything like this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE BUTERA, FLOOD VICTIM: I love living here. It's a wonderful town, and when the river doesn't flood, it's beautiful.

I -- I think we're going to clean up and rebuild. Whatever we have to fix, we're going to fix. I -- I like living here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: Mike Butera is saying that he will rebuild, no matter what it takes. And he said, you know, in his words, he says it's just so sad but amazing that so much water came from, in his words, out of nowhere so quickly -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So, Mary, just looking at some of the images you were showing earlier, it looks like the water has receded just a little bit. What's the expectation for more?

SNOW: Yes, it has -- it is receding, but it's receding slowly. And it's still above 15 or 16 feet above flood stage. And what officials are saying is that they don't anticipate that anyone will be allowed to go back into their homes until at least Sunday. And one of the big worries is that people may try to go back to their homes and this water is so deep and they're worried about that.

WHITFIELD: Yes, the people are very anxious to see what may be left or what they might be able to salvage. So, tell me about the worry that a lot of the, you know, first responders or emergency folks have that people might find themselves getting in trouble if they try to check out their properties.

SNOW: I am having a little trouble hearing you, but, you know, there have been a couple of shelters that have -- many shelters, actually, that have been open throughout the county. Most people have gone to stay with relatives. And they've had National Guard here. Of course, state police, local police out really trying to prevent people from trying to go back into their homes too early.

WHITFIELD: All right, Mary Snow, thanks so much.

Let's check in with our Chad Myers, with a bigger view of this flooding pounding the Northeast.

Bad in Pennsylvania. I was in the Washington, D.C., area just yesterday. Maryland got hit pretty good, too, but not as bad as Pennsylvania.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Right. The river from Shenango and the Susquehanna, as they came together right at Binghamton yesterday, it was flooding Binghamton for a while. That water came down the Susquehanna and then into the Wyoming Valley, which is basically Luzerne County. So if you're anywhere from Shickshinny, which just literally got pounded, all the way up to West Nanticoke, with 14 feet of water in some businesses in West Nanticoke.

And then this is down river. The video you're seeing here from WBAL. This is Port Deposit. The mayor yesterday said everybody out. All of the flood gates between 43 and 53 at this point are open. I don't know if all of them are. They don't tell us how many number, but that's the number. When the water gets this high, between 43 and 53 of those flood gates are open, that means the water is just rushing down the river. There's nothing they can do now to hold it back.

The dam is there to -- well, it is there for a couple of reasons, to make some power and also to hold the water back when it's flooding. When you can't hold it back anymore, because they know that it's a big bubble of water is coming down river.

There's some flooding in Plymouth, all the way up toward Larksville, all the way through the narrows, and then on up into Plains. Significant flooding in Plains. And our Mary Snow is way up to the north.

This is a very long river and this is a long valley. You have to understand that some people live on the mountainsides on both sides. One side being the mountain top and the other side being basically Hazelton. On the other size of Hazelton is the Pocono Raceway. But you can't really live on those very steep parts of the mountain, so people live in the valley. And the valley is what's flooding. And our Mary Snow is right there, in West Pittston. All of this completely under water. Some spots under 10 feet of water.

The only good news is, at least the rain is done. There's no more rain coming, at least not for now. This was all Lee. Lee is gone. The rain is gone. And the rain, although it came, it came west of Wilkes- Barre, all the way down to even, like you said, to D.C. yesterday. Some spots, eight to 10 inches of rainfall in 24 hours. That rain is finally done. The moisture from Lee is finally, finally gone.

We still have flood warnings. They're going to be -- rivers out of their banks, streams out of their banks for many, many days. And, in fact, the Susquehanna, even at Wilkes-Barre, will probably not come down below flood stage for a week. So all those things, all those houses are going to be wet for a week, and then for a lot longer than that as people pick it up. This is as bad as Hurricane Agnes back in 1972 without a doubt.

WHITFIELD: Wow, very miserable conditions. All right, thanks so much, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome. WHITFIELD: All right, in the meantime, I want to take you overseas, show you some new pictures coming out of Cairo, Egypt. You know Tahrir Square. Everyone's come to learn about that place being the centerpiece of the uprisings that help lead to the toppling of the Hosni Mubarak regime.

Well, now, new images. What you're seeing here, it's difficult to see, but what you're seeing on the left, I understand, there is a newly built wall around the Israeli embassy and protesters are out in full force and they're trying to pull down that wall. In large part protesters have converged at Tahrir Square because they're critical of the performance of the supreme council of the armed forces and the government after Mubarak's toppling.

And so there is great sentiment there that people are very upset with the military tribunals that they want abolishes. Also the establishment of the minimum and maximum wages, permitting Egyptians abroad to vote in the coming elections. So a host of things angering a number of people as to why a number of protesters have converged there at Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt.

We'll continue to watch the developments there, as well as developments here in the U.S., right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Time now for "The Help Desk," where we get answers to your financial questions. Joining me this hour, Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, the founder of the financial advice blog, askthemoneycoach.com, and Stacy Francis. She's a certified financial planner and also president of Francis Financial. Thanks for being here, ladies.

First question to you, Lynnette. This comes from Martin in Philadelphia. Martin has a number of different debts. He's got credit card debt, mortgage debt, car loan, et cetera. He's asking if it's -- he says it's getting harder and harder for him to make ends meet and he's asking if bankruptcy is an option. It looks like debt is overwhelming at this point.

LYNNETTE KHALFANI-COX, FOUNDER, ASKTHEMONEYCOACH.COM: I think a lot of people are struggling with debt at all form. But, frankly, bankruptcy isn't just some magic bullet. With a mortgage, for example, bankruptcy might not make that -- or it won't make that go away. You know, a Chapter 13 bankruptcy can help you to save the house, but a Chapter 7 will do absolutely nothing for it. So do think twice before you go out and do something as drastic as bankruptcy. It will stay on your credit report for up to 10 years.

HARLOW: I think people watch companies go through bankruptcy and reemerge, like a GM, and they think, oh, I can do that, too. And that's just very, very different.

KHALFANI-COX: Right.

HARLOW: Thank you. Stacy, this question comes from Joe in Madison, Wisconsin. Joe writes, he's about to leave his job and work on his masters. He's got about $18,000 in his pension and his 401(k) and he wants to know what to do with that money when he leaves. Should he combine all of it into a single IRA or keep that money separate?

STACY FRANCIS, PRESIDENT, FRANCIS FINANCIAL: What he does -- it's really going to depend on what type of contributions those have been. If they all have been pre-tax contributions, it's fine to go ahead and put them together in the same IRA. However, if one of them has any post tax contributions, he wants to keep track of that because that money will not necessarily be taxed the same way. Actually a reduced tax when he takes it out. So in that case, keep them separate.

HARLOW: All right, do the homework. Thank you, guys.

If you've got a answer that you want answered, just send us an e- mail any time to cnnhelpdesk@cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: They were just seven years old when the president visited their classroom on September 11, 2001. Little did they know they were going to have a front row seat to history. Our Jason Carroll reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What began as a photo-op to show off second grader's reading skills at the Emma E. Booker Elementary in Sarasota, Florida, ended up becoming one of the defining moments of 9/11, which chief of staff, Andrew Card, whispered in President George W. Bush's ear telling him of the terrorists attack. The president's reaction? He did not immediately leave class, was criticized by some, praised by others for years to come.

DINASTY BROWN, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: Well, I think he handled it the right way.

CARROLL: Natalia Jones-Pinkey, Dinasty Brown, and Danyelle Green remember the day well.

BROWN: He was sitting, like, right here.

DANYELLE GREEN, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: I was sitting over there, right by the door.

NATALIA JONES-PINKEY, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: It was (INAUDIBLE).

CARROLL: The girls are now 17-year-old high school seniors. But back in September of 2001, they were seven year old second graders.

GREEN: I just remember, like, he came into the classroom --

CARROLL (on camera): The president? GREEN: The president. And then we all -- we started reading. He shook a couple of our hands. Then we started reading. Then a man came from the side door and whispered something in his ear and he kind of got stunned.

JONES-PINKEY: We could tell something had happened because his whole face had changed. And they proceeded forward with the lesson and we just went through like it was a normal lesson.

CARROLL (voice-over): One of their most vivid memories was when their teacher tried explaining what had happened.

JONES-PINKEY: She came into the room and sat us all down on the floor and she kind of had tears in her eyes. She had been crying.

BROWN: She said we were young. So it kind of still cartoonish. Like, you know, in a cartoon you see a big old plane hit a tower. It wasn't real to us.

CARROLL (on camera): At what age did you really finally begin to realize the magnitude of what had happened on that day?

BROWN: Once you're in high school, you're in (INAUDIBLE) history classes. And now this has been 10 years, so the 9/11 attack is in our history books now. So reading about it and then having a personal experience with it, I could relate.

JONES-PINKEY: You know, we took a trip to New York and we stayed there six days. And we actually got to see the World Trade Center being rebuilt. And that's when it became real for me.

CARROLL: Do you remember signing it?

JONES-PINKEY: Yes, I do.

CARROLL (voice-over): They showed me the book the class read from that day. A story called "The Pet Goat." Each class member signed it. Looking at it now, they say they're just beginning to realize it tells a different story for them, of how a group of second graders have a place in history.

BROWN: We're not at that point where we completely understand the whole situation. It's still sinking in and we still have a lot of learning to go through.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And this Sunday join us for our special 9/11, 10 years later.