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CNN Live Today

Flooding in Mid-Atlantic After Record Rains; Gaza Incursion; Supreme Court On Texas Redistricting; Brownsville, Texas, Remembers Kristian Menchaca

Aired June 28, 2006 - 10:00   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to focus on this anxious day in the east. It is another one. Torrential rains bringing death and destruction. The waters are still rising. The latest from the flood zone just ahead.
Also, Israeli tanks and troops on the move in Gaza. This hour the search goes on for a kidnapped soldier. A live update from Gaza straight ahead.

And arrested seven times in two years, but each time she was the victim. I.D. theft outrage later this hour.

The rain is moving out, but the worst may yet to come for soaked eastern seaboards. Floodwaters are rising. All eyes on a dam in Maryland as thousands are told to move to higher ground.

The nation's capital is under a state of emergency. The declaration paved the way for help from the National Guard and for emergency relief. Crews are still mopping up some government offices that were damaged by the storms.

The weather system has caused problems as far north as New Jersey and New York. Roads are washed out. Several deaths are blamed on the storms. At least three people are still missing.

A successful rescue turns to tragedy. The bodies of three young people found early today in Myersville, Maryland. It happened like this. The three were stranded in a car as waters rose all around them. A pickup truck came by and rescued them. But as they were riding away in the bed of the truck, it got caught in a flash flood and the three were swept away.

Searchers are back out at a creek in Keymar, Maryland, this morning. They're looking for two teenagers there who told their parents they were heading to the flooded little pike creek last night and they never came back. A bicycle and clothes have been found near the creek.

Lieutenant Dorcus Howard-Richards is with us from Montgomery County, Maryland, from the Fire Rescue Service and she's joining me now on the phone.

Lieutenant, hello.

LT. DORCUS HOWARD-RICHARDS, MONTGOMERY COUNTY FIRE RESCUE: Hi. How are you?

KAGAN: Sounds like you have a lot of serious rescue situations taking place in your county?

HOWARD-RICHARDS: We do have rescue situations taking place in our county. But probably, more importantly today, approximately 1,200 of our resident were notified to evacuate their homes due to the fact that we want to remove them from the face of danger for potential failure of a lake called Lake Needwood. And it's in our Rockville, Maryland, area.

KAGAN: Yes, let's talk about -- there's a dam there.

HOWARD-RICHARDS: That is correct.

KAGAN: An earthen dam, right? And there's concern -- well, I was reading that the lake is 25 feet above where it usually is?

HOWARD-RICHARDS: That is correct.

KAGAN: Amazing. And so you're afraid that this dam might give way or spill over? What's the possible scenario here?

HOWARD-RICHARDS: Well, our engineers, both engineers from our county and engineers from the state, had an opportunity to look at the dam and they advised us that the dam was in danger of failing due to the high water and the pressure that was building behind the dam.

KAGAN: And it is something they are aware of that needed fixing before all this rain came?

HOWARD-RICHARDS: No. It had not been brought to our attention prior to this.

KAGAN: And what is downstream if this were to give way?

HOWARD-RICHARDS: Well, downstream are approximately 1,200 homes and residents. We're looking at approximately 700 single family homes and townhomes and probably about a 500 apartment unit complex.

KAGAN: And so those are fine now. It's just what they might face if this dam gives way?

HOWARD-RICHARDS: That's exactly right. They're fine now. We're just, you know, out of the concern and out of the care for our citizens in this area, we just -- in the event that something should happen, we just want them to be in a safe place.

KAGAN: Are you getting good cooperation?

HOWARD-RICHARDS: We are getting very good cooperation. As a matter of fact, the majority of the residents that we asked to move -- and it was certainly at a late hour. It was about 12:00 this morning that we started asking residents to evacuate. And they were very cooperative. And we certainly thank them for that.

KAGAN: And, finally, is there any other way to relieve pressure on this dam besides just evaporation?

HOWARD-RICHARDS: Well, not being an expert in this area myself, those are matters that are going to be left up to the engineers. Exactly how to protect this area and how to restore this area, if necessary.

KAGAN: We wish you well. A big day ahead and hopefully it continues to stay dry for you. Lieutenant Dorcus Howard-Richards with the Montgomery County Fire Rescue Service. Thank you, Lieutenant.

The flooding is making a mess elsewhere. Officials warning of more trouble ahead in northern Pennsylvania. Three deaths are blamed on the storm. A Coast Guard helicopter made dozens of rooftop rescues. Roads look like rivers in upstate New York. Homes are flooded. Some major highways are closed and a mudslide is reported. Ten counties are under a state of emergency.

A lifelong Virginia Beach resident says he's never seen the water this high, even during hurricanes. Water where it shouldn't be. As much as a foot covering some of the streets.

So what does mother nature hold in store for that part of the country and the rest of country today? Let's check in with Chad Myers.

Chad, good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: On to international headlines now.

Israeli troops on the move this hour in Gaza. They are searching for an Israeli soldier held hostage by Palestinian militants. And while Israel says it will take extreme action if necessary to rescue the young man, it says it has no plans to reoccupy the territory. Our John Vause is keeping track from Gaza City.

John.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): This is not the all-out offensive Israel had threatened. Only the first stage. Israeli forces have dug in around the southern city of Rafah, the area where it's believed 19-year-old Gilad Shalit is begin held hostage.

The attack began in the dead of night. Air strikes on Gaza's only power station set it ablaze, cutting electricity to most of the coastal strip. While Israeli fighter jets bombed two bridges, effectively leaving Gaza cut in two.

"This was the last bridge that connected the north and south," says this man. "There is no connection now. Ambulances cannot pass. Even firemen cannot pass. Nothing at all can reach anyplace."

And that's the immediate goal of Operation Summer Rain. Israeli officials say the order was given after intelligence reports suggested the hostage-takers may attempt to smuggle the Israeli corporal to Egypt. With diplomatic efforts led by a team from Egypt now all but over, Israel warns this military operation could soon escalate.

SHIMON PERES, ISRAELI VICE PREMIER: The moment that the soldier will be released, everything will stop and the can return to normal life. So they, too, have to decide which way they're going.

VAUSE: Gilad Shalit was kidnaped over the weekend in a deadly raid that began underground. Early Sunday morning, Shalit and several other Israeli soldiers were stationed near the Gaza border.

According to reports, seven or eight Palestinians militants entered Israel through a secret tunnel. When they emerged, the attackers were nearly 1,000 feet into Israel and close to the army outpost. The Palestinians opened fire on the soldiers. Two Israelis and three militants were killed and Shalit was taken hostage.

The military wing of Hamas, the militant party that governs the Palestinians, has claimed responsibility for kidnapping Shalit, but the orders seem to be coming from outside Gaza. In particular, from the Hamas political director, the hard-line Khaled Mashaal, exiled in Damascus.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And this just in to CNN. News out of the U.S. Supreme Court. A number of rulings expected today. This one on the Texas redistricting battle. And this goes back to 2004 when the Republicans were able to change the redistricting. This shifted the balance of power from Democrats to Republicans in the lone star state.

Now we're just getting very early details and we're hearing the high court overturned part of it but upheld most of it. Of course, this was a Texas congressional map that was masterminded by former Representative Tom DeLay.

Let's bring in our legal correspondent, Jeffrey Toobin.

Jeff, as I said, we're getting details now. Not sure on what part sticks and what part doesn't. But when they uphold most of it, that says mainly that the Republican argument holds that really this map now reflects more of what the political reality is in Texas?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Daryn. This was an immensely important case, not just in Texas, but for the whole country. Because basically what's happened in the United States now is that in virtually every state the congressional districts are gerrymandered, are designed so that one party is clearly going to win the seat.

KAGAN: OK. Let me just jump in here because I am getting some more details.

TOOBIN: Sure. OK.

KAGAN: The part that they overthrew. They say the problem here is that they failed to uphold or take into consideration minority voting rights. How is that important?

TOOBIN: The way I understand the case extrapolating, is that there was one district in particular where there was a voting rights issue. But the larger issue was, can you gerrymander districts purely on the basis of partisanship? Can Tom DeLay or a Democrat in another state simply say, look, we are going to design all our congressional districts for one party or the other. And what they appear to have done is upheld that practice, which is the big issue, and maybe had a problem with one district under the voting rights act, which, you know, is potentially significant just for that one district. But the idea of party partisan gerrymandered, which has made most of the Congress uncompetitive, that looks like it's been upheld and that's really important.

KAGAN: OK. Let's bring in Jeff Greenfield and get your comments on this as you're watching this story unfold.

Jeff.

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. There are a couple of things about this. The gerrymandering. That's a term that goes deep into the, I think, the early 19th century. So partisan gerrymandering has been around a while. One of the questions here was are there limits?

The other thing that made this case so interesting is that the Texas legislature, as soon as it turned Republican, drew these congressional lines not after a 10-year census, which is normally how every state does it. There's no requirement in the law, but that's been a long tradition. And one of the interesting consequences of the court upholding most of this Texas policy or redistricting is you wonder how many other states are not going to wait for the 2010 census to try to redraw their congressional lines to benefit whatever party happens to be in control of the state legislature.

There are at least four, maybe five, seats of the Republican majority in the House that are due solely to the redrawing of these line. And you can imagine both parties looking around at whatever state they control, saying, why do we have to wait for 2010? We'll redraw our lines.

KAGAN: Because now, as it stands, with the new lines, it gives the Republican a 21-11 majority in the state's U.S. House delegation.

GREENFIELD: Right. And that was a shift of I think five incumbent Democrats were defeated, probably four solely due to this redrawing.

Now the defense of this -- this was House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who actively worked with the Republicans down in Texas to do this. The defense of that is, look, over the years, Texas has become a much more Republican state and the existing lines that were drawn after 2000 really didn't reflect that.

The counter-argument is not just on the merits, but it's on procedure. I mean you could imagine, theoretically, after every two years, if a state legislature changes -- the party in power loses, the new guys and gals are going to say, we'll, hell, we'll draw the state lines to benefit our party. And there's a lot -- that's why the consequence of this decision may actually wind up whirling the political process far more than just one state redrawing its lines.

KAGAN: Well let's welcome in Bill Schneider.

Bill, how Tom DeLay plays or played into all of this?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tom DeLay was the architect of this entire redistricting plan. He helped engineer the Republicans takeover of the Texas state legislature in 2002 and immediately put into place a plan for the new legislature, now Republican controlled as Jeff said, to redraw the district lines in the middle of a decade. It's happening in some other states as well, in Georgia and Colorado. It is unusual. It appears to be constitutional.

But Tom DeLay was the master planner behind that plan to redraw the lines. And you may remember, the Democrats were so outraged that they left the state legislature, fled the state on mass in order to deny a quorum in the legislature. They did that on two occasions. But eventually they came back and the DeLay plan passed.

KAGAN: I remember that. Those were some interesting times. They were on the run.

SCHNEIDER: Exactly.

KAGAN: Yes. Interesting to watch. Bill Schneider, Jeff Greenfield, Jeffrey Toobin, thank you. More on this as we get more details. Right now all the wires are reporting the Supreme Court tossing out parts of he redistricting plan, but not saying what. Some are reading it as a minor victory for Democrat. But then they say most of it is being upheld. So we will sift through that as our morning goes on.

Also ahead, a stolen name and a stolen life. She's a victim of identity theft. Why is she the one who went to jail?

A deadly motel explosion. Now fears that someone else may be trapped. The search is on LIVE TODAY.

And Ed Lavandera.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm in Brownsville, Texas, at the funeral service of Army Private First Class Kristian Menchaca, which will be laid to rest today. His family isn't the only ones mourning. This entire city is mourning. That story coming up on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Rising river is causing problems up and down the east coast. Want to focus right now on Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Residents there definitely facing problems this morning. And go ahead and -- from the Coast Guard I have Lieutenant Gene Maestas on the phone.

Petty officer.

LT. GENE MAESTAS, U.S. COAST GUARD: Good morning.

KAGAN: What can you tell us about what's happening in Wilkes- Barre?

MAESTAS: Well, currently we have a helicopter crew conducting search and rescue operations in the Wilkes-Bare, Scranton, Pennsylvania area. They've been in the air since early this morning. Initial reports are that two people were rescued already and the search and rescue operations continue.

KAGAN: And one of the particular rivers or places being evacuated?

MAESTAS: Well, I don't have any indication on what particular rivers are flooding, but I do know it's just north of the Scranton, Pennsylvania, area.

KAGAN: And are you getting good cooperation? And is there some place for those people to go?

MAESTAS: Well, actually, with an operation of this type, we're just looking for high ground to take the people and drop them off unless there is a medical emergency and we'll try to take them to the nearest hospital. And all that is being coordinated through FEMA at this time.

KAGAN: And the biggest challenge right now for you in that area?

MAESTAS: Well, the search area is expanding as we speak because there's a potential for up to 300 people that are in need of assistance. So, actually, we're out there listening to the radios and trying to coordinate the rescue efforts with additional helicopters that are in the area.

KAGAN: All right. We wish you well with that important work. Petty Officer Gene Maestas is with the U.S. Coast Guard. Thank you.

MAESTAS: You're welcome.

KAGAN: To Texas now. A 23-year-old Army Private Kristian Menchaca will be laid to rest today in Texas. He was one of two American soldiers kidnapped and killed by Iraqi insurgents. His death stunned his town, much of which turned out for last night's memorial. Our Ed Lavandera reports from Brownsville.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This south Texas border town is in pain. Flags across Brownsville have been lowered in honor of Army Private First Class Kristian Menchaca. Messages of grief are posted everywhere.

RACHEL FIGUEROA, BROWNSVILLE RESIDENT: Everybody's hearts were just, you know, broken with this horrendous news.

LAVANDERA: Rachel Figueroa never met Menchaca, but she put up yellow ribbons and flags and watched the 23-year-old soldier's flag- draped casket return from Iraq. One of dozens of people who lined roadsides to pay their respects.

FIGUEROA: Just knowing the manner in which, you know, Kristian was taken from us. It just, you know, it hurt. I think it hurt the whole community.

LAVANDERA: For Menchaca's family, it has been an excruciating week. A quiet, tight-knit family, thrust into the spotlight because of the barbaric nature of his killing by Iraqi insurgents. Days of crying and hugging haven't helped Menchaca's cousin Juan Vasquez.

JUAN VASQUEZ, MENCHACA'S COUSIN: It just feels so surreal, you know. It feels like this real long dream I can't wake out of. And just -- it's hard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While many of us may not have had the honor and privilege of knowing PFC Menchaca, his life and his loss has impacted each and every one of us.

LAVANDERA: Private Menchaca was a young man who was newly married and had dreams of becoming a border patrol agent.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not many young men can pull off having all these characteristics, but he did. Goal-oriented, firm in his beliefs and convictions. Loyal, caring and courageous.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And Ed Lavandera joins us now from Brownsville.

Ed, it looks like it's going to be a very difficult day there in that town.

LAVANDERA: It will be, Daryn. Hundreds of people have been trickling in and will continue to come in here, the funeral starts at 10:00 Central Time. There will be hundreds of people here at this event center, which has essentially been converted into a church where mass will be said here shortly by the bishop here in Brownsville and then a grave side ceremony not too far away from here later on this afternoon.

KAGAN: Ed Lavandera live from Brownsville. Ed, thank you.

We have financial news you can use just ahead. Gerri Willis looking at an important deadline for those of you who still have student loans.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we have some good news for those folks. We have a way of consolidating those loans, getting a lower rate in just 15 minutes. That's right. "Five Tips" is coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Getting close to an hour that the markets have been open on Wall Street. You can see the Dow making some nice progress. It is up 26 points. The Nasdaq moving up just a tiny bit. It is up three points.

And we'll get back to some business news in just a minute. First of all, I want to get to the business of flooding and rescuing as well. Taking a look at Pennsylvania and bringing in director of Emergency Management Mark Wood from Susquehanna Count in Pennsylvania.

Mark, thanks for taking time for talking with us.

MARK WOOD, SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENN., EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Oh, you're welcome.

KAGAN: I understand there's still some parts of the county that you can't get to.

WOOD: Yes, there is. Our eastern portions -- northeastern portion of the county was hit the hardest in our Great Bend, Susquehanna, Haulstead (ph) area. We have anywhere from six to eight feet in roadways -- of water in the roadways. We have people still in their homes. Most of them on the second floor trying to get help to get out. So we're trying to get people in there.

We have the Pennsylvania National Guard here with us to help us do search and rescue. We've been lucky enough to get a Coast Guard helicopter in and we did some rescue work with that. They have since left and gone to another area. So we're trying to get to these people as quickly as possible but the roads are blocked and we're just doing our best.

KAGAN: How many people would you say are stranded at this time?

WOOD: I would say I have probably 300 or 400 people at least.

KAGAN: And do they have any power or anything going to their homes?

WOOD: Most have power right now. They don't have water and they don't have sewer, so that's a concern of mine right now. But we are taking steps to work with that as soon as the water recedes and we can get the people out. We have four shelters open. We're housing about 450, 500 residents right now in those shelters.

KAGAN: And do you think the water has gone up as far as it's going to? Is that what you're working on? Or is the worst yet to come?

WOOD: No, I believe the worst is over. I believe that the river is now stabilizing. Our creeks are starting to recede. The river, however, has not. So we're kind of waiting for that. But the creeks are starting to recede.

KAGAN: All right. Well, we wish you well and we wish you good luck with those rescue efforts.

WOOD: OK. Well, thank you.

KAGAN: Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. Thank you.

Let's talk to you students or former students. Are you still paying off that student loan? You have until Friday to lock in a great rate. But consolidating can be a little confusing. That's why we have our Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis to help us with that and her "Top Five Tips."

Hi, Gerri.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Daryn, good to see you. You know, people out there think it's too late to consolidate. Just not true. You still have time. Friday midnight is the deadline. But if you want to lock in the lowest, or I guess it's the fourth lowest rate in the program's history, go online and choose a lender. You can either consolidate with a lender you already have or find a different one.

But if you don't know how to do it, start by getting your loan holder at National Student Loan Data Systems, nslds.ed.gov. And then it will take you only 15 to 20 minutes to complete the application. The only information you need is what loan you have, what the balance is, and your current interest rate. And you can get help at 800-448- 3533.

KAGAN: Can you only consolidate or can you do it if you only have one loan?

WILLIS: Yes, you can consolidate your federal loans, even if you only have one, and lock in that low rate. But the loan has to be over 5,000. And thanks to a new law that was passed this month, you can consolidate with any lender, not just the one that holds your loan.

Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, Gerri, I think we're moving on to severe weather.

Oh, no. OK. All right. Confusion here.

Keep going. So consolidation is good no matter what rate you have?

WILLIS: Well, it is. Think twice, though, if you have a Perkins loan, because not only does this loan have a 5 percent fixed interest rate, but Perkins loans often have loan forgiveness benefits that you may actually lose if you consolidate. So you'll definitely want to think twice about that -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Why is July 1st such an important date?

WILLIS: Well, July 1st is an important date because after that the rate is going to change so dramatically. You'll be able to consolidate after that, but if you do, you'll pay more than 1,500 dollars in interest payments alone, more than if you had consolidated before the deadline.

KAGAN: Can mom and dad come to the rescue?

WILLIS: Yes. Your parents can take -- cut the slack. That's what the mythmakers say. But you have to do the filing on your own and sign your own paperwork. Look, even if you're studying abroad, outside of the country, parents, don't think that you can do this for your kids, because there's serious legal consequences if you sign the documentation on your own.

And, of course, we want too hear from everybody out there. If you have questions for five tips, send us an e-mail, fivetips@CNN.com. And if you missed anything, check out the Web site, CNNmoney.com/fivetips -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, Gerri, thank you.

WILLIS: You're welcome.

KAGAN: To the west now, where fire crews are on the frontlines of a tough battle. Wildfires have burned more than three million acres so far this year across the country. That is way up from 1 million acres this time last year. In Grand Canyon National Park, the fires only 20 percent contained, but the tourism park employees who have been stuck on the canyon's remote north rim since Sunday have now gotten out. They were stranded there after officials were forced to close a highway as the fire got closer.

High water and high anxiety all along the eastern seaboard. Flooding responsible for thousands of evacuations, dozens of rescues and a few tragic deaths. And it could be another perilous day again today.

CNN's Alina Cho gives us a snapshot of that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it was just coming in everywhere.

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From Virginia to New England, much of the Mid-Atlantic under water this morning. Days and days of heavy rain swamping homes, turning basements into muddy pools, and creating havoc for travelers. Flood warnings and states of emergencies posted up and down the East Coast. Across the region, police are warning residents to evacuate, like here in Pennsylvania.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See anybody from the city down here helping out? No. They come down, tell everybody they got to evacuate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All residents are to leave their house and leave the area by 7:00 p.m..

CHO: But many of those people aren't going anywhere. Instead, they're doing whatever it takes to stop the rising waters. In New York State, major highways are being shut down. The high water making travel just too dangerous.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In my years here, this is the worst I've ever seen. And I've been here 35 years.

CHO: There is hope on the horizon. The rains are tapering off from the south. But the cleanup is only beginning.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And our Bob Franken is standing by in Wheaton, Maryland, where a dam is leaking and people are out of their homes. Bob, good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, about 2,200 people were evacuated from their homes overnight. It's because of the Needwood Dam. The problem is that it's a big lake that overrides Rock Creek Park, the famous Rock Creek Park that goes from Maryland through the District of Columbia into Virginia. Well, a lot of people live along those low-lying areas and there was some seepage in this dam, and that alarmed people who have been fighting, of course, the very heavy rains, the torrential rains that have been going through this area. They seem to have left.

So they had to evacuate, as I said, over 2,000 people. Two hundred of them or so were brought here, where they have been spending the night. They've been talking about the fact that they were rousted out of their beds, 1:00 a.m. until about 3:00 a.m., and brought here into other evacuation centers. Officials are saying they don't know when they want them to go back, but this is getting old fast here -- Daryn.

KAGAN: I bet. And this lake is 25 feet above where it usually is?

FRANKEN: Well, it is. But officials now are hoping that the weather goes away. It looks like it's going to be clearing up here. And if so, they're going to probably be able to let people go back. And there are an awful lot of people who want to.

I spoke to one person who had been evacuated from an assisted living facility. I spoke to her this morning on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RACHEL STANLEY, EVACUEE: Now I just want to go back home and get some more sleep. Since I've been woken up at 3:30 -- quarter after 3:00 this morning, I haven't been back to sleep since. I've been up, having a good time, seeing people here that I know, and it's fun. But I would rather be at home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: These were record storms, Daryn. Meteorologists are telling us this is the kind of rain that you get every 200 years or so. It's left tragedy in its wake. Some children are missing now who had ventured close to some swollen creeks. People were swept off the back of a pickup truck. They had just escaped from their cars that had been overwhelmed by water, but then were tragically swept away again.

The District of Columbia, the capital, is still pumping out. The Internal Revenue Service still trying to get out -- rid of water in the basement. Other building similarly trying to get back to normal. As far as the transportation system is concerned, it is pretty much returning to normal and the district is hoping that this kind of weather, this 200-year event, doesn't come around for another 200 years -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Yes, I hear that. Bob Franken from Wheaton, Maryland, thank you.

Stolen name and stolen life. She is a victim of identity theft. So why is she the one who went to jail? Ahead on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: And we are looking at live pictures from Gaithersburg, Maryland. Looks like much of Maryland today underwater today from all the severe rain that has been falling in that area. The storm has claimed the lives of four people just in Maryland alone since Monday, including one person who was killed in a single car crash near Bowie. That one likely weather-related.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Searching for another possible victim. Right now crews are scouring the debris from a motel explosion in Bremen, Georgia. One person may still be missing. Searchers found a body late last night. It's believed to be a motel-maintenance worker. Earlier authorities said that two motel guests may have been missing, but one man contacted officials to let them know he actually was OK. No definite word on what caused the explosion. Investigators think it may have been a natural gas leak.

A victim of identity theft again and again and again, but she didn't have to clear her name with creditors -- just the police.

Dan Simon filed the story for "AC 360."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Every time Stancy Nesby looks in the rearview mirror, she can't help but wonder if she's about to be pulled over.

STANCY NESBY, IDENTITY THEFT VICTIM: Everybody needs to put themselves in my shoes and know that this could happen to them.

SIMON: A 30-year-old single mom with four kids who holds two jobs working as a nurse's assistant. Life was hard enough before her problems with police.

NESBY: It's made it really hard for me to smile and be the normal person that I felt like I was at first.

SIMON: It started four years ago when Stancy was pulled over for speeding in the Bay area. She admitted going too fast, but couldn't understand why she was being arrested.

NESBY: I ended up going to jail that day. They didn't believe anything I was saying.

SIMON, (on camera): It turned out Stancy had a warrant for her arrest. The police database has showed she'd been busted for cocaine possession here in San Francisco's seedy Tenderloin District back in 1999, but that she never showed up for court appearances.

Stancy had to spend three days in jail. The problem? She was innocent.

(Voice-over): Police later confirmed it when her fingerprints didn't match the real suspect who had used Stancy's name.

NESBY: I've had nightmares about this.

SIMON: She says police told her they'd fixed the problem. But two months later, Stancy was arrested again. This time at her home in Berkeley. Once again, she says when the officer discovered the error, they told her they'd help her clear her name. But three months later, Stancy was arrested again in yet another jurisdiction.

And it didn't end there. From 2002 to 2004, Stancy was arrested or detained seven times by five police departments. In one instance, hauled off right in front of her children.

NESBY: The kids were crying. And basically they ended up, you know, throwing me on the ground and sticking their knees in my back.

SIMON: Every time she says authorities promised to fix the problem, but didn't.

NESBY: Maybe it's because I'm not a rich person, that they feel like I'm nobody. But I am somebody and I have feelings and I don't think that they should ruin people's lives like this.

SIMON: Stancy filed this lawsuit against San Francisco, claiming false imprisonment and emotional distress after failing to remove her arrest warrant from state databases. Her attorney says the case is clear-cut.

MATT GONZALEZ, NESBY'S ATTORNEY: You think you've seen so many cases that you're jaded to what you're going to see, but this one still hits you in a very kind of visceral level. You just -- you just look at it and you say this is not right.

SIMON: The city says it's not responsible for correcting faulty arrest warrants. It also notes that Stancy was never arrested in San Francisco, but concedes she was wronged.

MATT DORSEY, CITY ATTORNEY SPOKESMAN: This is something that I don't think you would wish on your worst enemy. You know, you pray it doesn't happen it to you.

SIMON: No one has taken responsibility for Stancy's ordeal. The courts ruled against her twice. Her attorney says he'll appeal to the state Supreme Court if necessary.

GONZALEZ: Bureaucracies don't change because people wake up and want to make them more efficient. They generally change because they're forced to take responsibility for something that they're doing that they shouldn't be doing.

NESBY: I just can't believe that people that are supposed to be helping, you know, people that are supposed to protect and serve would actually hurt somebody who's innocent.

SIMON: Even though a judge dismissed her lawsuit, the court asked the D.A. to remove the warrant from the database, which finally cleared her name.

Still, she can't help looking in the rearview mirror.

Dan Simon, CNN, San Francisco.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: You can see more stories on identity theft on Anderson Cooper's show, "AC 360" airs weeknights at 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 Pacific.

Space shuttle Discovery, it is supposed to take off on Saturday from Florida. Will it? We'll have an update coming up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is my Kiss wife and my Kiss children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Yes, they rock hard, but Kiss wants you to mellow out with a cup of the Kiss coffeehouse. You heard that right. We'll take you there on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

KKGAN: Oh, yes. If you want to rock 'n' roll all night, Kiss is your band. Now these hardcore rockers have a new way to get your heart racing, a Kiss coffeehouse. Want some Demon Dark Roast or Frozen Rockachino? Then head to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Tyler Pearson with our affiliate WBTW has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How you doing?

TYLER PEARSON, WBTW REPORTER (on camera): So how long have you been here waiting?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've been here since 6:00 this morning.

PEARSON (voice-over): A long day for the Miller family, but they aren't what you call a normal family.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is my Kiss wife and my Kiss children.

PEARSON: He started them off early.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just like the music, and their concerts are awesome.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Their music, their merchandise -- everything is cool.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Their merchandising is fantastic.

PEARSON: And it's this merchandise that the band has become known for. The band's name appears everywhere, and now on a coffee shop, but coffee shop with the band's unique flair.

PAUL STANLEY, KISS: We figured this is the place to get the party started. Not the last Kiss coffeehouse.

GENE SIMMONS, KISS: This is Just another step in Kiss' plan to rule the world. Yes!

PEARSON: A plan that's succeeded thanks to successful marketing and tons of adoring fans.

STANLEY: All we are are people who listen real carefully, and then when we give people what they want, everybody says how brilliant we are. We listen to what our fans want, and that's what we try to give them.

PEARSON: In this case, they want coffee.

In Myrtle Beach, Tyler Pearson, News 13.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: Fredricka Whitfield with news on the space shuttle -- Fred?

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, kind of continuing on to your rockin' theme, NASA was hoping that the Spacecraft Discovery would be rocking its way up into space, but now NASA is letting everyone know there is a 60 percent chance that weather just might delay this Saturday's scheduled launch. Still, NASA says that its seven-member crew has arrived. They arrived yesterday. They are excited. They are in good spirits and ready to fly.

But NASA has been emphasizing safety, especially after the past year. Last year was the last manned launch. Well, now it appears that Mother Nature just might be getting in the way, something out of their control. But, of course, we're going keep tabs on NASA. But right now they're saying a 60 percent chance that weather just might interfere with their planned launch. More on that.

And more news coming up on more of LIVE TODAY right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: At the top of the hour, thousands battle rising floodwaters in the east. In Maryland the big question is will a dam hold? We'll look at that.

And in world news, tanks roll, tension rise. Israeli forces cross into Gaza, hunting for a kidnapped soldier. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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