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CNN Live Sunday

Teen Goes On Shooting Rampage In Southern California; White House Could See Major Staff Changes

Aired October 30, 2005 - 16:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Our top stories now in the news, two American soldiers are being charged with abusing detainees in Southern Afghanistan. The soldiers who haven't been identified are accused of hitting detainees in the chest, shoulders and stomach. U.S. military officials say none of the detainees required medical treatment.
An emotional memorial service today in Montgomery, Alabama for Rosa Parks, the woman who inspired the civil rights movement by refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. This evening, and tomorrow, Parks' body will lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C..

And a FEMA building in Hyattsville, Maryland is evacuated today after mysterious fumes overcame scores of employees. At least 30 people were sent to the hospital. Investigators found a gasoline can on the roof near the fresh air intake of the building's air conditioning system. But they're not sure yet if that was the source of the fumes.

Is a White House shakeup in the works? Lewis "Scooter" Libby is out. Are more of the president's men in trouble? This hour, we'll talk to both our White House correspondent and a "Time" magazine reporter about rumblings that changes could be on the agenda.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JJ RAMBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm JJ Ramberg in Goulds, Florida where Hurricane Wilma devastated the winter vegetable crop. I'll have a live report for you coming up soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY NUREMBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is Gary Nuremberg at the United States Capitol where the nation is preparing a final and unique tribute to civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And treasure hunts, meet the man who found the lost SS Republic and all its millions.

Hello and welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. All that and more straight ahead. New questions today about the president's inner circle and word of a possible shakeup at the White House. It follows what some are calling the week from hell. The White House is rocked by scandal with Vice President Dick Cheney's top aid Lewis "Scooter" Libby indicted in connection with the CIA leak investigation. Carl Rove, the president's top political adviser, though not indicted, remains under scrutiny.

And according to "Time" magazine chief of staff Andrew Card is getting some of the blame for bungling the response to Hurricane Katrina and for the botched Supreme Court nomination of Harriet Miers. "Time" reports the president will reveal a new agenda and a possible change in staff as early as January.

Well, covering all aspects of this story, "Time's" Mike Allen joins us in a moment, but first let's find out what our own Dana Bash is hearing at the White House.

And Dana, how damaging does the White House see this week's revelations?

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, this past week's revelations I think you nailed the way you described it as the week from hell. That's certainly the way they feel it was here at the White House. And let's just take sort of the two issues that they need to deal with separately. First -- the two issues being staff and agenda.

First an agenda. Of course, January brings the State of the Union Address. And that is when all presidents, including this president, will likely come up with new agenda items. But the question for Mr. Bush is much mover immediate. He needs to hit the reset button right away, as early as tomorrow.

And White House aides say to expect a Supreme Court pick, somebody to replace the debacle, really, that was the Harriet Miers nomination. That, of course, made part of last week the week from hell. To do that as early as tomorrow.

And the president is expected to pick somebody who likely has a pretty clear tried and true conservative record. The short list includes people, people who many conservatives have heard of and certainly appreciate.

The other issue is the staff. And Bush aides say they understand that the president understands many people, gray beards as we call them, from the outside say that the president must shake up his staff because this is part of the problem, that many of them have served for quite a long time at full tilt, including his chief of staff and that perhaps they do deserve some of the blame for bungles like Katrina and other I issues. What I'm told is that will likely happen towards the end of the year but not immediately.

WHITIFELD: And Dana, the president reportedly is saying he really doesn't want to reshuffle. He wants to keep things as is. But because of so much pressure and because of these problems within the past week, there is some advice being given to him that he has to reshuffle. Is this advice coming from inside the administration? Or are they from colleagues or mentors outside of this administration?

BASH: At this point, it seems to be mostly from outside. But I can tell you that I talked to one Bush adviser who said, look, the president is disappointed in some of his staff in the way things have been handled. The many, many political problems that the president has faced over the past month, two months. And that the president understands that there are many issues and one is that people are simply just tired.

So they say that the president -- look, he's known for loyalty. And some think maybe he won't replace anybody in his staff because of that. But other officials here say they also understand that he needs to do what he needs to do. And that might and very well likely will include replacing some top officials, including his chief of staff by the end of the year.

WHITFIELD: Dana Bash at the White House, thanks so much.

Well, the CIA leak investigation is seen as one contributing factor as we hear Dana say leading to the possible changes. Former ambassador Joe Wilson, the husband of Valerie Plame, wrote an op ed article for yesterday's "Los Angeles Times" explaining how he reacted to her cover being blown.

Valerie told me, quote, "later that this was like being hit in the stomach. Twenty years of service had gone down the drain. She wondered how her friends would feel when they learned that what they thought they knew about her was a lie," end quote.

Joe Wilson will be a special guest in "THE SITUATION ROOM" tomorrow. Look for that interview at a special time for "THE SITUATION ROOM" at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

Lewis "Scooter" Libby's indictment in the CIA leak investigation, or at least in connection to, is just one of the setbacks for the Oval Office. Mike Allen co-wrote the "Time" magazine article on the White House's regrouping strategy. He's with us now from Washington.

And Mike, in your article, you describe the president as losing confidence in almost everyone except for his wife, the first lady and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. What are you learning about the possible reshuffling of some people?

MIKE ALLEN, TIME: Well, good afternoon, Fredricka. And if the president makes changes, and I think he will, it won't be because of pressure or advice from outside. This president, as you know, doesn't tend to react well to that. And that's why I think any changes you will see, will be gradual. I'm told they don't want to look panicked because they aren't panicked.

But overtime, I think you are going to see changes. The chief of staff, Andrew Card, Secretary Card as he's known around the White House, has served almost a record length of time in this job. He's been with the president from the beginning. And he's wanted to be Treasure Secretary for a long time. And I think it may not be long before the president takes the opportunity to nominate him for that. And I'm told that could happen as soon as January.

WHITFIELD: And what about for the likes of like a Karl Rove? Might this mean, while we may hear that Andy Card might get a Treasury Secretary appointment, as far as Karl Rove, will his role in any way change or be diminished or would he be reassigned?

ALLEN: Yeah Fredricka, that's a very interesting question. I'm told that Mr. Rove has the last government job that he's going to have. I think his next pursuit will be private. We have no idea what the timing of that is.

But one thing we discovered in researching this story, is the president is a little lonely at the moment. That it's Mr. Rove, Secretary Card, Vice President Cheney who are the people he relied on most for advice. And each of them has had a role in one of the triplets that's besetting him playing Katrina and Miers. And so the president at a time when he most needs advice, when he most is trying to restart the administration on a better foot, each of those aides has, as one person put it to me, something that they're wearing.

WHITFIELD: And so your sources are also telling you that perhaps come January, this might be an opportunity for this Bush White House to relaunch itself. In what way aside from the usual State of the Union Address?

ALLEN: Yeah Fredricka, someone used the expression with my colleague Karen Tumulty, pressing the reset button which gives you an idea how they feel about how things are going. I think people in the White House are extremely optimistic that probably tomorrow, maybe the next day, when the president nominates a conservative to the Supreme Court, that that's going to help a lot.

The president's traveling, as you know, South America, Asia, in November. December's holidays. So the president will do some foreshadowing of his agenda in those months. But I think in January is when he is really hoping to start afresh with new policies.

Among the things that are being looked into is some sort of tax reform, broad based tax reform which Republicans feel would be a great issue for them to have in a midterm election year. They had been hoped to do immigration. I don't think the president has decided whether or not to proceed with that, because it splits the party regionally and ideologically. And so that might be a tough one.

WHITFIELD: Mike Allen of "Time" magazine. Thanks so much. I liked the line in your story where you also say this could be a point of no return or a turning point. We'll all see, won't we.

ALLEN: Have a great week, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Tanks a lot. You too.

ALLEN: Well, new concerns today about detainees being mistreated, this time in Afghanistan. Two U.S. soldiers are facing charges for allegedly assaulting a number of detainees in custody in the southern Oruzgan Province. The detainees in question did not require medical attentions. They were allegedly punched in the chest, shoulders and stomach. The U.S. military is now investigating.

And now to Iraq and a new report on civilian casualties. Officially, the U.S. military does not track civilian casualties, but a Pentagon report recently delivered to Congress shows roughly 26,000 Iraqis have been killed or wounded by insurgents, since last year many from roadside bombs. CNN's Aneesh Raman joins us from Baghdad after being embedded with U.S. troops hunting improvised explosive devices -- Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, good afternoon. As you mentioned, we've never seen the Pentagon issue a public estimate of Iraqi civilian casualties. This one came tucked away on page 23 of a 44 report page report issued to Congress earlier this month. That total number you mentioned of 26,000 Iraqis either killed or wounded since January '04 is based on daily averages.

In January of '04, the daily average of Iraqis either killed or wounded was some 26. That number rose to 64 by early September of this year ahead of the country's constitutional referendum.

Now other groups have put the total number of Iraqi civilian casualties higher. It is virtually impossible to know the true number just because of the logistics of this entire situation. It is, though, the first public estimate we've seen from the U.S. military.

Now in meantime in the Iraq capital today, the brother of one of Iraq's vice presidents was assassinated earlier today in the western part of Baghdad. Gali Abdul Mehdi (ph) was killed alongside his driver after unknown gunmen opened fire on their vehicle.

We have seen other relatives of Iraqi politicians targeted before. Officials say they are easier to get to than those who have incredibly high security.

Also today in the eastern part -- I'm sorry, in the western part of the capital, Iraq's deputy trade minister was injured after his convoy came under attack. Two of his bodyguards were killed. In all, in some three incidents in the capital today, Fredricka, some seven Iraqis were killed.

WHITFIELD: Wow. And Aneesh, you were with U.S. troops when we hit that devastating marker of 2,000 U.S. troops killed since the war began. What was it like being with those troops?

RAMAN: Well, they certainly knew that that unfortunate mark was coming. They obviously hoped it would not come so soon. I was with members of the 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment of the 3rd ID. They are based in the northern part of Babel Province, just south of the capital and they are in an incredibly difficult fight. Fourteen of their troops in the regiment were killed in just some 45 days this summer from IEDs. Thirteen of them from these improvised explosive devices. So they are going out into this area which the military says is a staging ground for a number of insurgent group, for their attacks in the capital. They're finding these IEDs, just hours later another one is planted. And when I talked to them about this marker of 2,000, you really get the sense for the majority of those I spoke to, this fight is essentially about keeping the guy to their left and their right alive, making sure that the numbers don't go any higher. And that is what they're hoping to is just make it back to families as quickly as they can -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Aneesh Raman, thank you so much from Baghdad.

A U.S. marine died after an IED attack in Baghdad this weekend. When American soldiers are killed in either Iraq or Afghanistan, the nation's highest ranking military officers are determined to honor their sacrifice. That's a lot of funerals to attend, but some think the Pentagon seems committed to do. Here's our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): So many funerals. So much grief. The Army has been at war in Iraq for nearly three years, and for those three years, it has been burying its dead. Since the beginning of the war, the Army has assigned a general to each funeral. Each time to render final honors.

MAJ. GEN. WAYNE ERCK, U.S. ARMY RESERVE: This particular funeral, Lieutenant Colonel James was in my division. He was a battalion commander. So, I knew him personally. I knew the family personally. And this is the only place I would want to be today right next to him.

STARR: It's an extraordinary mission for the nation's highest ranking officers. More than 200 Army generals have now journeyed often on a moment's notice to towns across America meeting widows, moms and dads they may not even know, telling families the Army is sorry for their loss.

MAJ. GEN. GALEN JACKMAN, U.S. ARMY: There is not a general officer in the United States Army who would not drop what they're doing to participate in a funeral.

STARR: Major General Galen Jackman escorted former first lady Nancy Reagan to President Reagan's funeral. He has now attended four funerals here at Arlington. This senior officer says the heartbreak of death so young is tough for everyone.

JACKMAN: You see them, lance corporals and sergeants and private first classes and so most of these young men and women are probably anywhere from about 18 to 23-years-old.

STARR: It begins with a phone call from Major Holly Gay whose job is to make sure there is a general for every family who wants one there. She says it's the hardest job she has ever had. (on camera): How many funerals have you coordinated for?

MAJ. HOLLY GAY, U.S. ARMY: Too many. Too many.

STARR: Give me a ballpark.

GAY: Well, you know, if it's been about 15 months, over 700.

STARR (voice-over): The names and faces of the fallen are very personal even after 2000 deaths.

STAFF SGT. TERRELL GANT, U.S. ARMY: You see some of these young soldiers being in the army for a year, a couple of months and to see what's actually happened, how the sacrifice they have made, you always think it could be you.

STARR: One reason for the effort? It keeps senior officers in touch with the grief of a life lost.

GAY: Because when you go to the funeral, understand the sacrifices that the soldiers and their families are going through.

STARR: Confronting the last full measure of devotion, the generals say they will keep coming to each funeral for each soldier for each family.

Barbara Starr, CNN, Arlington National Cemetery.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Neighborhood tragedy after a 19-year-old allegedly goes on a shooting rampage in an upscale California neighborhood, a man and his daughter are dead. Neighbors are now asking why. We'll go live to Los Angeles for details.

Crops ruined after Wilma tramples Florida farmland. How bad is the damage?

And the search for gold, a man's quest fulfilled after finding treasure off the Georgia coast. He'll join us live this hour on CNN LIVE SUNDAY.

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WHITFIELD: A teenager dressed in a black cape and a paintball mask goes on a shooting spree before killing himself. It sounds like a scene from a horror movie. But police in Southern California say that's exactly what happened yesterday morning in an upscale Orange County neighborhood. For more on this story, we go live to Los Angeles and CNN's Kareen Wynter -- Kareen.

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, residents in this quiet neighborhood are still in shock over what investigators are calling a random shooting. Now, officials spent the weekend interviewing some of the victim's family members and say they still haven't determined a motive. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WYNTER: Donning a black cape and helmet, investigators say the alleged gunman, 19-year-old William Friend left his house Saturday morning, not on a Halloween hunt, instead, a deadly mission, a shooting spree that would rock this upscale suburban Southern California neighborhood.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was just scary because this has never happened so close to home before.

WYNTER: Armed with a shotgun, officials say Friend drove about 70 yards to a neighbor's house and killed 22-year-old Christina Smith and her 45-year-old father. Both were shot in the upper torso. The bodies found on the staircase and in the family room.

Christina's brother heard the gunshots and escaped through the backdoor. Investigators say the shooting continued.

Friend shot through a neighbor's window and came face to face with another neighbor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The suspect then pointed the shotgun at him, attempted to fire that gun at that potential victim. However, the shotgun misfired. Then the suspect apparently went home and then shot himself to death.

WYNTER: Neighbors described Friend as a loner. And just what triggered the shooting rampage has investigators baffled.

ERIN GIUDICE, ORANGE CO. SHERIFF'S DEPT: There doesn't seem to be any relationship with the victims, there's been no dispute. He doesn't have a record, not that we know of at this time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WYNTER: Autopsy results are expected today, but Orange County officials say the cause of death is quite obvious here.

Fredricka, investigators also say they don't expect to find drugs or alcohol in Friend system but are looking into his mental health condition.

WHITFIELD: Based on that one explanation from that one official, they're treating this as though it were a random shooting?

WYNTER: Absolutely. They say again there's no connection here. They don't know what triggered this. They say maybe it could have been a Halloween prank, but we really don't know at this point. Maybe more details throughout the next several days, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Terribly sad. All right. Kareen Wynter in Los Angeles, thank you.

Searching for loved ones after the deadly attacks on marketplaces in India. We talked to some survivors there who are looking for their families. They're stories straight ahead.

Plus, remembering Rosa Parks. We're going live to the U.S. Capitol where the civil rights pioneer will lie in honor today and tomorrow.

CNN LIVE SUNDAY will be right back.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD:: A no comment today from authorities in India on reports suggesting that yesterday's deadly terrorist bombings were the work of Islamic militants. At least 59 people were killed in three separate blasts ahead of a major Hindu holiday, more than 200 were wounded. CNN's Satinder Bindra is in New Delhi with this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bank executive Satish Ochani was at work when he received word several of his family members had been injured in one of the blasts. By the time he reached this hospital, his 26-year-old sister-in-law was dead. Five other members of his family are still being treated for burns and other injuries.

SATISH OCHANI, NEW DELHI RESIDENT: My mother-in-law, my sister- in-law.

BINDRA: My mother-in-law, my sister-in-law, wife and two girls are at this hospital, he says. Three members of my family are still critical.

More than 55 people were killed. And almost 200 people were injured in Saturday's blasts.

(on camera): Police are still investigating what they describe as a terrorist attack. But 24 hours after the explosions, they still haven't revealed any details. In fact, they've just announced a $2200 reward for any information leading to the bombers.

(voice-over): Two of the explosions were in crowded marketplaces where thousands were shopping for the Indian festival of Dewali. Among the shoppers, software engineer, Aroun Hardwag's (ph) parents. His mother escaped unhurt. But even after visiting the morgue and all the city's hospitals, Bardwag (ph) has still not been able to find his father.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know what happened to my dad. He's nowhere to be found.

BINDRA: More than 30 people were killed in the South Delhi market. But the day after, several story owners including this 42- year-old Arjun Kumar are busy cleaning up.

If I cry, it's not going to help he says. I need strength to rebuild my life. Strength and resiliency is also what Satish Ochani will need in the coming days and weeks. As he's comforted by his friends, Ochani says he remains disoriented and confused.

I don't want to say anything to the people who did this, he says. I just hope my government takes notice and wakes up.

After these attacks, the government has increased security nationwide. It may be too late for these families who just yesterday were planning week long festivities. Now they're cremating their dead.

Satinder Bindra, CNN, New Delhi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Damaged land, crops devastated after Hurricane Wilma. Ho will this impact farmers? We'll go live to Homestead, Florida.

Hurricane Beta comes ashore. How much damage did it do?

And sunken treasure found. We'll meet the man who found the SS Republic. The ship went down back in 1865. How he located it straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Now in the news, for the first time the Pentagon is reporting a tally of Iraqi casualties. It tells Congress nearly 26,000 Iraq civilians were killed or wounded by insurgents from January 1st, 2004 to mid-September of this year. That doesn't include any civilian deaths or injuries caused by the coalition or any insurgent casualties.

The casket of civil rights heroin Rosa Parks is expected to arrive in Washington in 30 minutes. She will lie in honor at the capitol, the first woman ever to do so. Earlier today her former church held a memorial service in Montgomery, Alabama, where her refusal to give up her seat led to a boycott of the bus system to help end segregation.

The board overseeing the $9 billon trust that runs the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles is investigating allegations of wrongdoing. Greece and Italy say Getty bought illegally smuggled ancient art. A former curator is on trial in Rome. California's attorney general is also investigating whether the trust misdirected funds to private benefit.

Almost a week after Wilma hit Florida, more than 1.4 million customers still don't have electricity in the extreme southern part of the state. And utilities say it may be weeks until power is fully restored. The death toll from Wilma is now up to 21. Medical care is scarce and many schools remain closed.

The fallout from Wilma may hit Americans nationwide in the form of higher food prices. With that part of the story, CNN's JJ Ramberg. She is standing by live in Homestead, Florida.

JJ RAMBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Hello.

RAMBERG: Hi there, Fredricka. I'm at a farm area here in Gould Florida. Now the early estimates are in there was topping nearly $1 billion in damages in agriculture areas from Wilma. I want to bring in right now Mark Dunnagan; he is a fourth generation farmer here. He grows avocados, beans and squash. You can see, right now we are on this avocado farm. How much damage did this do?

MARK DUNNAGAN, SOUTHERN FLORIDA FARMER: Probably about 80 percent damage. It takes a long time to get them back up and going. As well as you can see it's a process we have to do. Probably about 100 acres or 100 trees per acre.

RAMBERG: When we look at this, this is generally an organized grove of trees, right and these all toppled.

DUNNAGAN: There are rows. You can't see them now, but it's definitely going to take a long time to get them back up.

RAMBERG: Can you estimate personally what kind of financial damage this is?

DUNNAGAN: You're looking at two to three years before you start growing like you should be growing. That tree is hurt. It takes a long time to get it set back up, get it nutrients, sprayed, you know, maintain how it should be.

RAMBERG: When you look at this and you know that hurricane season is not over, you were hurt by Katrina, then you were hurt by Wilma. This is valuable land that you could build housing on. Do you ever want to throw up your hands and say I'm done with farming?

DUNNAGAN: Yes, but like you also said fourth generation, my father and my grandfather had to deal with this. Why should I not have to deal with it?

RAMBERG: Thank you so much for joining us.

DUNNAGAN: Yes, ma'am.

RAMBERG: Fredricka this is just one story of many that we're hearing all across the areas. You drive by, you see toppled trees, dead plants and as Mark was just telling us, it's going to be awhile before these plants start growing again.

Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. JJ Ram berg in Homestead, thank you so much.

Well as it happens Wilma zeroed in on a section of Florida that's home to thousands of retires, as well. CNN's Rusty Dornin reports on a one-man effort to help them out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IRV SLOSBERG, FLORIDA STATE REPRESENTATIVE: Any body in there?

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Searching for elderly shut-ins, no power and no way of getting food.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's representative Slosberg.

DORNIN: A man with a mission, Irv Slosberg has barely slept or showered in days. We caught up with him last Thursday in senior community in Boca Raton where he organized the first hot meals and ice for thousands of residents. On Saturday, he's in nearby Dearfield Beach, another 20,000 seniors living without power. People who often can't fend for themselves.

SLOSBERG: There's a lot of shut ins.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They cannot get out beyond their apartment.

SLOSBERG: I represent 133,000 seniors. And my average voter is 80 years old. That means if you take a look at those high rises over there, the fourth floor, the elevators aren't working. So these people can get down here, so these people can get down here, but if you think about this village, there's probably 6,000 or 7,000 people stuck up there.

DORNIN: It was five days after hurricane Wilma before food and ice trucks came here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Meals for people that are shut in, but only one for yourself.

DORNIN: Now local officials are giving assurances and aid. And neighbors are taking care of neighbors. Many residents here know who made it all happen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you Abe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You made a lot of friends.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you, Abe.

DORNIN: Were you guys getting any food or ice before Irv came?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no, no.

DORNIN: The man who listens to every complaint.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why the heck don't they get the national guard?

SLOSBERG: Unfortunately, there wasn't a good plan.

DORNIN: It's been frustrating and frightening for many here. Sometimes he can only offer comfort to people like Lucille Robbins.

LUCILLE ROBBINS, HURRICANE VICTIM: Do you know that 90 percent of our roof is open and my windows plus the whole thing, the framework is gone. And you're telling me ice and food? I don't care about that. There's going to be rain on Tuesday and here's the people are frightened that the roof is going to --

SLOSBERG: I'm trying.

DORNIN: Robins isn't the only one who lost her roof.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You see that piece of roof?

SLOSBERG: Yeah, I see.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's the piece that was over my house.

DORNIN: For Slosberg these people are not just his constituents. They're a national treasure.

SLOSBERG: Battle of the bulge. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have this great country. I'm really sorry this had to happen. We're tough people, resilient.

DORNIN: There are many heroes in the aftermath of hurricane Wilma. This is one man fighting for the greatest generation, fighting to make sure no one is forgotten.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: That was Rusty Dornin reporting from Boca Raton.

It's now a tropical storm but beta roared ashore as a hurricane overnight on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. Officials there fear heavy rains could trigger mud slides further inland. The storm is expected to dump a foot or more of rain on parts of Nicaragua and Honduras. So far, no deaths or major injuries are being reported.

Standing by live with more from the weather center, CNN's Bonnie Schneider. Hi Bonnie.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi Fredricka. That's right. A tropical storm now but came in as a powerful category two hurricane. Beta when it made land fall had maximum winds of 105 miles an hour. Now it has died down a bit interacting with land. Unfortunately rain, heavy, heavy rain. We're still expecting about another ten inches of rain before it is all said and done. But this is a narrow strip of land. The storm is moving to the west at seven miles per hour with maximum winds right now at 65 miles per hour.

This is what it looked like around 7:00 this morning if you missed it early on when Beta made landfall. It came in near the town of La Barra and that is where the center of circulation made landfall, once again as a category two. Just devastating for this region because mud slides a major problem and it's not over yet because the storm is working to the east. We're concerned about rainfall areas just on the western side of the Central America region, including El Salvador. They are getting about eight inches of rain there as well.

So things are not through yet with Beta. And here is the latest tracking. What's interesting is that you can see it, it kind of stops in the middle that is because the National Hurricane Center is not anticipating the storm to develop further. It should dissipate within the next 24 hours, then we won't see any more advisories with Beta and it doesn't look like that circulation will cross over into the pacific.

As we check things out for the United States for today, switching gears back to the center of the country, we've got a cold front that's actually triggering some showers in the nation's midsection. A lot of rain today for Wisconsin that continues presently at Green Bay down through Madison and further to the south, as well. A little bit of light rain near Davenport, Cedar Rapids and Iowa but none of this is coming in as heavy thunderstorms so that is good news.

As we check things out for these evening, overnight low temperatures as a result of that cold front pulling down colder air, we have a pocket of really chilly conditions in Salt Lake. It will drop down to 36 tonight, 63 for the low in Phoenix that is cool and cool in San Francisco, as well, with a low temperature at 48 degrees.

Now, yesterday's nor'easter, at least that is done. Tonight's overnight lows in Boston a big difference, right at 46 degrees and 50 for the low. But checking things out for tomorrow we're still in that warming trend especially on the eastern coast and the northeast looking better. Hard to believe it snowed in Boston yesterday. We had reports of three inches of snow north of the city near Cape Ann, Rockport but as you can see now that new snow that was on ground didn't stand a chance with highs in the 60s. Nicer weather to round things off as we wrap up the month.

WHITFIELD: Yes, now folks can go back to enjoying the change in the foliage before they dust off their skies.

SCHNEIDER: Good weather for Halloween for the trick or treaters.

WHITFIELD: Yes not bad at all. All right. Thanks a lot, Bonnie.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

WHITFIELD: Remembering Rosa Parks, the legacy of the civil rights pioneer. She will lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol. We'll go there live.

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WHITFIELD: From dignitaries to ordinary citizens all paying tribute to the late Civil Rights pioneer, Rosa Parks. At the memorial service in Montgomery, Alabama where she helped spark the Civil Rights movement in 1955, Park's casket is being flown to Washington D.D. where she will lie in honor in the Capital Rotunda. Her body is expected to arrive within an hour. This hour that is. CNN's Carol Lynn has more.

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CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It's an honor typically reserved for lawmakers, military leaders, and presidents like Ronald Reagan. Fifty years after she helped spark the Civil Rights Movement by refusing to move to the back of the bus, Rosa Parks will lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda. A Civil Rights pioneer making history again.

ROSA PARKS: I am expected to be a first class citizen, I want to be one, and I have struggled hard.

LIN: After Parks died last week; Congress passed a resolution allowing her to lie in honor so that the citizens of the United States may pay their last respects to this great American. The woman recognized around the world will be visited by crowds at the capitol for two days. She will be the first woman and the only second African American ever to lie in the rotunda. A final trail blazing event for a woman who helped transform the nation.

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WHITFIELD: And Rosa Parks will lie in honor starting tonight. CNN's Gary Nuremberg is outside the capitol. About what time is the casket to arrive?

NUREMBERG: We expect that to happen within about the next hour. And as we wait for that to arrive. There are hundreds of American citizens gathering near the west front of the capitol standing by to stand in line and pay honor to Mrs. Parks when the capitol is opened to them at about 7:00 Eastern Time tonight. They'll follow a long line of American citizens who have been paying tribute all week and all weekend.

Rosa Parks was honored Sunday morning at a service in Montgomery, Alabama, the city where 50 years ago she refused to give up to a white man her seat on a bus.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: Her singular act of courage and defiance set off a revolution in this country. That eventually made America face up to its birth defect and face up to the hard work that it still had ahead of it.

NUREMBERG: In Washington, transit workers readied buses draped in black bunting to be part of the motorcade that brings her body to the United States Capitol Rotunda where it will rest in honor. The president emeritus of the National Council of Negro Women and old friend wonders what Rosa Parks would think.

DOROTHY HEIGHT, NATL. COUNCIL OF NEGRO WOMEN: She was not one looking for any kind of publicity or any kind of recognition. She was just one devoted to doing what she thought was right. And she had the courage of her convictions to do it.

NUREMBERG: Citizens around America changed by Rosa Parks lined up early Sunday afternoon for the chance to file past her coffin. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We honor her courage. She was not the first person that was exhausted after work but she was the first person of color that had the courage to defy Jim Crow laws in Montgomery, Alabama.

NUREMBERG: The capitol will be open to the public until midnight and then again tomorrow morning. Among the first to pay tribute, the president of the United States. As the evening progresses we'll keep you up to date with what's happening here at the U.S. Capitol as they honor Rosa Parks.

Back to you.

WHITFIELD: Gary, I imagine a lot of people there standing in line not only talk about the history made by this woman but how symbolic it is that she is going to be lying in state in the very place where there were laws that were crafted and ratified that would not allow equality just as those were made to promote equality and desegregation.

NUREMBERG: It really is, Rosa (INAUDIBLE) had an impact on what happened in this building 50 years ago. And later tonight, we hope to introduce to you some families who brought their children to stand in line so that those kids can learn the lesson of Rosa Parks. Interesting stories and we will tell them to you later tonight.

WHITFIELD: All right. We look forward to that, Gary Nurenberg thanks so much.

In other news across America now. CNN affiliate KNBC in Kansas City, Missouri, reports AMC Theaters are replacing some movie posters of 50 cent. The activists say the posters for the movie "Get Rich or Die Trying" give young people a negative message. One poster shows the rap star holding a child with a gun in his pocket; another shows him holding a gun and microphone.

All subway bus and trolley service in Philadelphia could come to a screeching halt tomorrow morning. The transit workers union is threatening to strike if its labor dispute isn't resolved by midnight tonight. The union wants changes in health care contributions and disciplinary rules. Negotiations are ongoing.

And who would ever think a 1975 Ford Escort could be worth a bundle of money? But not any Escort can be called a pope mobile. This one can. The late Pope John Paul II once owned the car and yesterday it auctioned off for an astounding $690,000. The buyer? A multimillionaire from Houston.

He found treasure at sea, the man who discovered the lost "SS Republic." It sunk in a hurricane back in 1865. How Greg Stem did it. He joins us live.

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WHITFIELD: The search for sunken treasure is the stuff of great books and films. It's also the life work of a group of explorers who in 2003 found the shipwreck of the SS Republic. The boat was discovered 1700 feet underwater. About 100 miles off the coast of Savannah, Georgia. It was traveling originally from New York to New Orleans in 1865 when it went down in a hurricane. And guess what, on board, it was carrying millions of dollars worth of coins and artifacts or valued at millions now. At the time, it was $400,000. The book "Lost Gold of the Republic," tells a fascinating story of the shipwreck and the journey of the explorers who found the ship. And recovered its treasure. One of those explorers, Greg Stemm joins us now from Tampa, Florida. Good to see you Greg.

GREG STEMM, SHIPWRECK EXPLORER: Hey Fredricka, how are you today?

WHITFIELD: I'm doing great. That must have been an incredible moment after all these years of trying to pinpoint the right place and then low and behold, you find it off the coast of Savannah.

STEMM: I was out there when the robot uncovered the gold coins lying there in a big pile. It brushed away the sediment and bit-by-bit this amazing waterfall of gold came down. It was something -- there it is. You can't even imagine what it was like at the time.

WHITFIELD: Thanks to you all, we've got the pictures you've shared with us. So it is remarkable, at the time, the ship was carrying $400,000 worth of gold and silver coins. Number one, why?

STEMM: This was right after the Civil War. The ship was carrying goods, supplies, money and people down to New Orleans. Ironically, 138 years earlier than what's just happened with Katrina. This isn't the first time that New Orleans has been in a major reconstruction effort.

WHITFIELD: Wow. And now the coins are valued in the millions. But when you recovered these coins apparently it was somewhere between what, a third or maybe half of the coins that were actually there? What do you suppose happened to the others?

STEMM: That's the real mystery. It was only a quarter of the coins there that we expected to find. We have excavated the entire site and we are not sure where the balance of the coins are. For the readers out there that read lost gold, they may be able to cipher the mystery for us.

WHITFIELD: Is this a case of finder's keepers?

STEMM: Well it is to some extent. The deep ocean out there is a lot like the Wild West was 150 years ago. We bought the rights to the shipwreck from the insurance company. At the end of the day, everything we found down there belongs to us and our shareholders. We're an American Stock Exchange Company actually.

WHITFIELD: You're kidding me. So you've got a few pricey little gems in the form of these gold and silver coins. Do you have any ambitions to perhaps share it with museums or sell it?

STEMM: We have a ship wreck attraction that we opened in New Orleans. Ironically the day before Katrina hit. And at that attraction, we put a lot of the coins and other artifacts on display along with a bunch of interactive exhibits.

WHITFIELD: Wow and remarkably, those items did well. The day before Katrina, so much of the New Orleans and the Gulf Coast was wiped out. You have since learned that these treasures fared well.

STEMM: Yeah, we did real well. We were very fortunate. One of our security guards, Ben actually stayed there through the entire hurricane and watched out for everything. Then we got a helicopter in and the helicopter got all the treasures out, but the attractions is there, and we're ready to reopen it and help New Orleans get back on its feet.

WHITFIELD: Wow. What's remarkable is here you found this wonderful treasure, this invaluable treasure of coins. But you also noted that there were some really interesting and intricate other items that were on board this ship wreck from bottles, but you weren't able to locate -- there were no bodies, right? Because all the 60 passengers that were on board, all of them survived, right?

STEMM: It's amazing story. Everybody got off the ship safely in spite of the fact they never expected to. It was a hurricane that sent the ship down to the bottom. It was a hurricane that stopped the attractions briefly in New Orleans and it's amazing how these hurricanes seem to be tied to ship wrecks and the history of odyssey.

WHITFIELD: What did you learn from those items such as the glass bottles and the porcelain figures? Those are among the other things I couldn't remember at the moment that you also found as part of the shipwreck?

STEMM: We recovered over 80,000 artifacts from the shipwreck site, everything from patent medicine bottles to gold and silver to all the everyday items that people would carry on a ship or things that were needed in New Orleans at the time. It's amazing slice of life from 1865.

WHITFIELD: All right. Greg Stemm, "Lost Gold of the Republic" is the book. Thank you so much for sharing parts of your journey. What a remarkable story.

STEMM: Thank you Fredricka. Enjoy the book.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much. We'll be right back.

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