he has come under intense pressure from the democratic colleagues over a sexting scandal involving several women and lies he repeatedly told about that. for details our senior congressional correspondent dana bash joins us live. tell us, how did he come to this conclusion? do we know where the congressman

is now? and how will this unfold in the next couple hours? >> reporter: to answer the first question, how he came to this decide was with great difficulty. here we are almost three weeks after he sent that initial picture on twitter. it just kep going on and on from there. it was not an easy decision for him to make. we're told he made a final call last night during the white house picnic. at that picnic, we're told he got in touch with steve israel, his colleague from new york city, and the democrat in charges of getting fellow democrats elected in the 2012 election. i'm told that israel went and

found nancy plotti. and that in that conversation i'm told that weiner was very remorseful, very apologetic about the fact that he had done this to his family, hi friends and political caused such a distraction for his party. that distraction, of course, was what ultimately last saturday pushed these leaders to say enough is enough. they took their private shoves, if you will, and said it's time for you to go. >> dana, do we now at what point the congressman made this decision that he realized i just can't survive this. he had said before he was going into treatment, and clearly he's now changed his mind. what was the tipping point? >> reporter: well, it's unclear if there was one particular thing. maybe we'll never know the answer to that question, but obviously it's a very intriguing questioned.

he had been making clear that obviously he did something terrible morally, but he felt he doesn't necessarily break the rules here in this house, so he wanted to stay, but the fact that the story kept going with picture after picture finally, everyone says he was waiting for his wife to return back to the united states so they could have a face-to-face conversation before he made that final decision. we are told that did happen yesterday and it was late yesterday that he informed the leadership that the decision was made. >> we know that huma returned. she was not by his side before

when he announced he lied about all of this, when soenchally he had come clean about the lies and lewd texts. it was pretty apparent she had other work to do, and she would be doing that. do we expect or have any idea whether or not this resignation, whether we'll see her by his side, kind of a final farewell or if she'll be in this picture at all. >> i'm not sure of that answer. local stations in new york are reporting he'll have an actual conference, which to be honest surprise it is me, and that it probably will be more likely he will put out a written statement. whether or not she will be there is anyone's guess, but, look, the fact is throughout all of this, even with that tearful press conference, he kept referred referring to his wife, kept referring to the fact that she loves him, she wanted him to

stay. in private conversations, he was, for lack of a better way to say it hanging it on her as well. he was also he was stalking about the polls. 56% said they didn't think he should resign. that is the other point he was making privately saying, you know, if my constituents, who are the ones who elected me don't want me to resign, then why should i? >> dana, we'll get back to you in just a moment. i know you're working use your sources to unfold some of the dpee tails. i want to go to the white house. clearly the weiner scandal has been a huge political drag on the president's party over the last three weeks. brie ann a keilar joins us live. brianna, do we have any formal reaction or even kind of behind the scenes reaction to this resignation?

>> reporter: no formal word. there is a briefing at 1:30 eastern. no doubt we had reporters will be asking jay carney about the president's response, but the white house has been loathe to weigh in on this scandal, last week saying they didn't have a comment. even in a tv interview the president weighed in. what he said was that if he were the congressman, he would resign, that this was becoming a distraction, that it was getting in the way of being a public servant at a time when the party and certainly congressman weiner himself needed to be focused on getting the economy on track. the real point is for the white house it was becoming quite a distraction as well. when the president is trying to put a positive face on recently not so good economic numbers,

with all the attention pedestrian to congressman weiner, the message wasn't getting out. >> i want our audience to know this is coming from weiner's office, an official statement saying he's going to make this announcement coming at 2:00 eastern this afternoon. 2:00, and that it is going to be out of his bribe listen office. that coming from weiner's office now. so we do have a sense of how this is going to unfold. i want to talk about how extraordinary it was that you said president obama coming out and weighs in on this. he was asked about it, weighing in on whether or not weiner should resigned. he said if it were me, i would. that seems to me as if this white house, this administration really saw him as a accomplice cal liability at this point, perhaps even a calculation they're looking to 2012, saying, look, we don't need this, we've got to move on. >> of course, they thought that congressman weiner was a liability, suzanne. you saw so much pressure, as dana mentioned, behind the

scenes, from leaders in congress, democratic leaders, then you heard from the dnc chair, and then i think the thought -- the sort of conventional wisdom once president obama made the remarks, it was a sense of how long can congressman weiner hang on when he's facing this much pressure and has the president weighs in, a presidents recent sent to say anything, a white house that had been saying no comment up until arier this week, making clear statements that this was a very unwelcomed distraction for them as they are trying to concentrate on an economic message. >> brianna, as soon as you get white house reaction, we'll get back to you. we are learning that this is -- the council -- center for seniors, actually, is where weiner will be making his announcement. just a couple hours from now. i want to bring in our own john king to talk about the analysis here, any idea of what we actually expect for the

congressman to disclose, to say we've heard various stories coming from him. >> representative beaner to address the media today, it does not actually confirm his plans to resign, but we are told that now by a number of democratic sources that anthony weiner will in fact announce he's resigning husband house seat, representing parts of brooklyn and queens. i think it would be unusual he would go before the cameras, because it is such a tough time for him. in stepping aside, he will for the democratic party, it hopes, end a distraction that came at a very bad time. of which they not only hope to keep the white house, they're hoping to take back the representatives. leader pelosi hopes to become

speaker pelosi. there's a personal side. when the congressman resigns, there's personality issues, family issues they'll have to deal with. those will fade mostly from the public scenes. there are political questions. will there be a special special election? will he new york lose the two house seats? which districts have to go? could that district become part of that? it is possible, though ifs look at the population data, it's not exactly easy to draw the lines. dao she have any intention of trying to come back to politics? that i suspect is a question that will be asked. i would guess he does not know, but a conversation five, six weeks ago, and people who understood new york politics, they would say he was a leading kinder to be the city's next mayor.

>> john, does she have any friends? any political friends, those in washington? we know from the last poll there were quite a few new yorkers, the majority backing him, saying he's made a mistake, we're really to move on does he have anybody -- >> maybe people in the country don't quite understand. he's being publicly embarrassed and how could a majority of his district want him to stay on? number one, it's a very democratic parties. he's sometimes abrasive, and in parts of new york city, and i mean this respectfully, that's a good thing. many of these women he came into contact with and had inappropriate relationships, they followed him on social media, because they saw him making the fight and they were impressed with his views. does he have friends and support? yes. does he have the friends he needs right now? hopefully the friends he needs

to help him with the personal side. politically his colleagues in the house, and politics is about survive, they made the decision he needed to go. he does not have deep friendships, but not a deep reservoir, because a, this was embarrassing to them, and b, because he's criticized pelosi and her deputies at times. even if he had that, this is a big deal. he probably would be nudged out anyway. we're going to take a quick break hand talk to our own wolf blitzer who interviewed anthony weiner, essentially on the other side of many of those lies getting him into trouble now. we'll have a quick break and we'll be back with wolf.

...was it something big? thing you ever saw? ...or something small? ...something old? ...or something new? ...or maybe, just maybe ...it's something you haven't seen yet. the 2nd generation of intel core processors. stunning visuals, intelligent performance. this is visibly smart. host: could switching to geico 15% or more on car insurance? host: what, do you live under a rock?

man: no way! man: hey rick check this out! anncr: geico. 15 minutes could save 15% or more on car insurance. can your moisturizer do that? [ female announcer ] dermatologist recommended aveeno has an oat formula, now proven to build a moisture reserve, so skin can replenish itself. that's healthy skin for life. only from aveeno. 8% every 10 years.age 40, we can start losing muscle -- so skin can replenish itself. wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. [ female announcer ] ensure muscle health has revigor and protein to help protect, preserve, and promote muscle health. keeps you from getting soft. [ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge!

[ female announcer ] wake up to sweetness with honey nut cheerios cereal. kissed with real honey. and the 100% natural whole grain oats can help lower your cholesterol. you are so sweet to me. bee happy. bee healthy. [ male announcer ] want to pump up your gas mileage? come to meineke for our free fuel-efficiency check and you'll say...my money. my choice. my meineke. breaking news, disgraced new york congressman anthony weiner plans to resign. he's come under intense pressure from his democratic colleagues over a sexting scandal involving several women's and the lies he told repeatedly about it. we are going to bring in our wolf blitzer, who spoke to representative weiner shortly

after those lewd texts came out. wolf, are you with us? >> yes, i am. you had a rather extensive interview. it was lie after lie after lie. does this surprise you this is the way it's turned out? >> it doesn't surprise me that he's now about to resign. he'll do it 2:00 p.m. eastern later in new york. the pressure has been enormous and the embarrassment has been amazing. the statements yesterday, the stripper coming out with gloria allred. the statements he made. it's been a huge embarrassment for him, his family, for the constituents, for the democrats even. it's not a surprise that he's going to step down. as john and dana pointed out, there were many people in his

district in new york, brooklyn and queens, who wanted him to fight on, but in the end, he simply couldn't. having said that, there are a lot of people to forgive and forget. he's raise the a lot of money over the past few years. i think he has about $4 million in fund-raising. under the law he could save that. there are restrictions how to use that money, but he does control a significant amount of money maybe down the road, run for elected office once again, he'll have a campaign financial base from which to do it if in fact he decided down the road to

do that. >> wolf, i think one of the big questions is whether or not people will feel as if they can trust him, what he says is actually the truth. i want to play a bit of that interview you conducted with the congressman in which he lies repeatedly, makes excuses, and reasons, lying repeatedly he was not involved in sends those lose photos to some of those women. >> have you ever taken a picture like this of yourself? >> i have taken photographs. i don't know what things have been manipulated and doctored, and we're going to try to find out what happened, but the most important reason is to make sure that it doesn't happen against. obviously someone got access to my account. that's bad sill get it, touche. at the time it happened, i tweeted right away i got the

joke and continued on with my life. i think that frankly that's what i would encourage everyone to do. >> houses does he overcome that? how does he earn the truth of people if he wants to be any kind of position of authority. >> i don't know how he does that. he'll have an enormous struggle in front of him. people will ask, can we believe anything you're saying? no one doctored those photos. no one created those e-mail exchanges he had with those women out there. he was doing it all himself. there will be a credibility question he'll have. having said that, the american public is forgiving. if we're convinced that someone has amended his or her ways, has moved on and done the right thing -- i'm not ruling out the

possible that he might run for elected office at some point down the road. before that happens, suzanne, he has an enormous amount of wo, to do and struggle to simply save his marriage at this point. it will be interesting to see if his wife, will she be at his side this afternoon in brooklyn? will she not be there? i think there will be high interest to hear what he has to say. i'm sort of surprised, as my colleagues john king, suzanne and you, dana bash is surprised that that he has decided to personally do this news conference instead of releasing a statement. i guess he figures he owes it to his constituents, they elected him, he's made that deciding to step down, end his term early, and maybe he has that response to sort of man up and go before the cameras. >> sill imagine that any kind of

political resurrection, he would have to talk directly to the voters, to constituents, but he'll have to earn reporters' trust again. has he picked up the phone? has he personally apologized to you? or do you think that's even necessary that he address the media? >> in that news conference he had when he announced he lied, he did apologize generally to the media, his constituents, his family, friends he hasn't called me personally. i don't expect that he would, but if at some point he wants to go out and do an interview, obviously we'll be happy to do that. but he has an enormous struggle. let's see how he gets through the news conference at 2:00, and he can move on, and hopefully all of us can move away from

this story that's been so sordid, as you and i know, it's not a pleasure for us. it's not something we look forward to. i would much rather by discussing economic issues, jobs, the future of medicare, national security issues, than talking about this. >> absolutely. we both covered the clinton days so, of course, i totally agree. here's your chance to talk back on the big story of the day. today's question. should anthony weiner resign. our carol costello is joining us from washington. carol, you know, maybe some people believe he has a job and could do a good job. >> you might be surprised, but finally suzanne, anthony weiner will resign. democrats are relieved. maybe all of you are, too. as john boehner said, it's been a distraction. distraction? that may be the understatement of the year. we've been obsessed. at a time americans want their

politicians to create jobs. half-nude weiner pictures keep coming and the jokes keep flying. >> today is a being day in the weiner household. anthony weiner is being reunited with his wife. that should go pretty well, i should think. and weiner asked that the people respect his privacy, and well, i guess that wasn't a concern when he was texting photos of his junk. no, i don't think it was. okay. let's put aside the jokes. there is another way to look at this, really. sexting is a part of life. lisa bloom, who wrote a book on straight talk -- the book is called "straight talk" says we're obsessed on personal lives of politician. she asks how many people decided today they could never run for public office? and then there are thiol

pose 'tis that remain in office. barney frank, david vitter, and president bill clinton, he still has a voice despite his dalliance in the oval office. so the talk back question today -- should congressman weiner resign? facebook/carolcostello. i'll read your comments in a bit. after the quick break, we'll bring you up to speed on the rest of the news today. stay with us. i'm good about washing my face. but sometimes i wonder... what's left behind? [ female announcer ] new purifying facial cleanser from neutrogena naturals. removes 99% of dirt and toxins

without dyes, parabens, or harsh sulfates. so skin feels pure and healthy. [ female announcer ] new from neutrogena naturals. and started earning loads of points. you got a weather balloon with points? yes i did. [ man ] points i could use for just about anything. ♪

♪ there it is. [ man ] so i used mine to get a whole new perspective. ♪ [ male announcer ] the new citi thankyou premier card gives you more ways to earn points. what's your story? citi can help you write it.

anthony weiner plans to resign. he's come under pressure over the sexting scandal. he's one of the world's most wanted terrorists and spent more than a decade as the top deputy. today ayman al zawahiri is the new face of al qaeda. according to jihadist web sites, al qaeda has appointed ayman al zawahiri as its new leader. more for what this means, later in the hour. sgleef explosions rocked tripoli today. the new attacks by nato forces come as washington debates the war powers act. u.s. lawmakers accuse president obama of failing to consult congress over the military effort in libya. the without is defending the legality of that mission.

this internet video is said to show unarmed warriors. cnn cannot verify the video, but our arwa damon says she spoke to a woman who witnessed the bloodshed and she's now on the run. >> i come here. the circumstances are so difficult. i'm pregnant. i cannot be here for such things. every day when we have protesters, military and the army come to them and kill them in front of our eyes. the stanley cup is shipping up to boston. for the first time in already four decades, they won the nhl championship last sneak in a victory over the canucks on their home ice. angry fans responded by torching cars outside the arena.

>> this is wrong for the city. this isn't the reputation we want. >> the defense began presenting its case today in the casey anthony murder trial. anthony is accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter caylee. defense lawyers say they want to question a convicted felony who served time for kidnapping. no word yet whether they'll stake the stage in her own defense. firefighters in arizona are up against some critical weather conditions today. higher winds are expected to spread this massive wildfire in the eastern part of the state. had has burned almost half a million acres. evacuees are getting word now they can go back home. >> i'm excited. i get to go home. >> the community draws a little closer with situation like this, you know, we're glad it's coming to an end.

>> i a major milestone for arizona congresswoman gabby giffords. recovers from a brain injury received five months ago in a shooting. her doctors in houston say she's improved to the point where she no longer needs to stay in the hospital. the fight officer same-sex marriage takes center stage in new york. it faces a much tougher fight in the republican-controlled state senate. a vote could come as early as tomorrow. right now, five states and the district of columbia have legalized same-sex marriage. we're going to have more on the anthony weiner story, his announcement he will be resigning, and also the democratic leader nancy pelosi, what she's got to say about that, after the break. two of the most important are energy security and economic growth. north america actually has one of the largest oil reserves in the world.

a large part of that is oil sands. this resource has the ability to create hundreds of thousands of jobs. at our kearl project in canada, we'll be able to produce these oil sands with the same emissions as many other oils and that's a huge breakthrough. that's good for our country's energy security and our economy. the authentic, the rare, the hard to define. to those always searching for what's pure and what's real from we who believe we know just how you feel. haagen-dazs. now you can apply sunblock to your kids' wet skin. new neutrogena® wet skin kids with helioplex. the first sunblock designed to be applied directly to wet skin. ordinary sunblock drips and whitens. neutrogena® wet skin kids instantly cuts through water. forms a broad spectrum protective barrier. with wet skin kids, your kids have full strength sun protection. try new wet skin sunblock for adults too.

neutrogena® #1 dermatologist recommended suncare.

following breaking news, we know that congressman weiner intends to resign. i want to go directly to capitol hill where our congressionally correspondent kate bolduan is. we saw the democrat sick leader nancy pelosi, almost kind of chuckled in the beginning of her statement when she looked at all those people and said, this is just a regularly scheduled meeting here, but clearly a lot of people wanted to know if she was going to make any news regarding anthony weiner. i would imagine they are ready to move beyond this, yes?

>> reporter: you are 100% right about that. this press conference was the perfect example very evident of the point you just made. nancy pelosi made a splash when coming out, not only calling for anthony weiner, an ethics investigation, but then coming out to call on him to resign. today she made very clear she did not. right off the bat, saying she was not going to answer any questions about anthony weiner. but of course that was not going to stop us from trying to ask the questions. listen here. >> at this point, do you plan to withdraw your call for an ethics investigation? >> perhaps i was unclear. i am not going to be responding to questions about anthony weiner. let's see what he decides to do

today, and we will go from there. i'm not making any announcement for him or about him at this time, but i appreciate your question. >> reporter: could you talk generally what it calls for one of your own members to resign? >> no, i can't. i won't be doing that. we'll have a chance to talk about this, but we're not doing it before we have a decision from mr. weiner. congressman weiner. we respectfully gave him time, his wife came home for them to talk. he's going to make an announcement. hype not going to predicate any remarks on a decision we haven't heard yet. >> reporter: now, the democratic leader nancy pelosi said she did say they would have something to say after the announcement. she made very clear sflech she made a very clear turn trying to get back on talking about their agenda and what democrats want to be talking about, about jobs and the economy, but that's why,

suzanne, i pressed her again to ask her, since we know that anthony weiner is making this announcement, that he will be resigning, why allow the distraction to continue since that's what democrats have been calling it, citing this distraction for three weeks now into its third week from their agenda, why let the distraction continue? why allow him to, you know, wait until he makes the announcement. she wouldn't budge. she was not going to answer any questions, but they are definitely ready, i think it's safe to say, to get back on to talking about their agenda. we'll see how quickly that happens. >> kate, good try on your part. i imagine they're going to try to allow him to have some dignity in letting go or resigning from his office. you probably know the answer to that question on the howlett ethics investigation. once he walks away, really is there any point to that investigation? does that kind of just go away

as well? do we have any sense of how that works? >> the sense i get is that the ethics investigation that's been called for, it could technically go forward, i believe, but there really doesn't -- i guess from an outward standpoint, there doesn't seem to be much, definitely not as much reason for it after he resigns. if this distraction is then going to be gone, it's -- to be, you know, away, why would this investigation go forward into his behavior? we'll have to see, have to ask. that was my backwards way of trying to get her to confirm he's going to be resigning, but it doesn't work this time. i believe that once we get this announcement, we will definitely be hearing more from these members of the house. they haven't been quiet about commenting and calling for his resignation at this point. it seems they're waiting to allow him to make the announcement himself. >> sure. i'm sure we'll be getting more clarity after weiner's formal

announcement. thank you, kate. appreciate it. >> reporter: of course. he is the new face of al qaeda. we'll have a live report on the appointment of bin laden's former top deputy as the terrorist group's new leader. -why? -why? -why? i love the sun. past sun goddess. every line has a story. [ female announcer ] we all age differently. now there's roc multi-correxion 4 zone moisturizer with roc®retinol and antioxidants. a lifetime of stress lines, sun damage, and worry wrinkles will fade in just 4 weeks. -crows feet... -belong on birds. [ female announcer ] roc multi-correxion. correct what ages you. -aging... -bring it on.

the top deputy to osama bin

laden is the new leader of al qaeda. ayman al zawahiri is a 58-year-old former surgeon. he grew up in an upper-class neighborhood in cairo, the son of a prominent doctor and the grandson of scholars. ayman al zawahiri joined the egyptian islamic jihad group as a teenager. after members of the group assassinated anwar sadat, he later befriended osama bin laden in afghanistan and joined forces with him. they issued a decree, calling to muslims to kill and fight americans. cnn's mohammed jamjoom joins us. >> reporter: suzanne, it doesn't seem to be making a difference. the real question is why did it

take song for zawahiri to be appointed. this has taken several weeks. many analysts are wondering if this is pointing to the fact that al qaeda is weakened, less strong than it used to be, not as emboldened as it once was. there was has been on lot of discussion about who would fill osama bin laden's shoes. zawahiri, though the de facto leader, and very well known in the organization, the deputy for bid laden, really seen as a ideologue, seen as difficult to work with. there was a lot of speculation, would someone like anwar al awlaki, who's seen as so charismatic, more eloquent, if somebody like he from the younger generation of al qaeda

would take over the group. this is clearly a statement that it's the old guard, the statement that was made today made mention of the fact that the group would try to wage global jihad as in the past. they rye asserted their claims, that is allegiance to mullah omar. >> do we think the united states is any greater danger or less danger? you have this new number one, or has al qaeda weakened at this point? >> many feel al qaeda has been weakened. one weakening is the arab swing. the pro-democracy movement that's been flewishing, you have not seen al qaeda play any role in that. there was one statement from osama bin laden in which he praised the movement, but today's statement made no mention. many people feel the fact that

so many societies in the arab world rose up and challenged their governments, and that there was no militancy involved in this and no al qaeda involvement. many people thought that that signaled al qaeda had been significantly weakened. many people do feel that al qaeda is on the wane. there are some groups that are emboldened, resurgent, but it's not a top-down organization anymore, and it's fractured. >> mohammed jamjoom, thank you very much. we're going to talk with a former operations officer about the appointment of zawahiri. mike baker joins us in the next hour of "newsroom" noon eastern time. to other international headlines. explosions rattled the capital.

this interned video is said to show unarmed protesters hiding behind a wall as syrian forces shoot indrip natalie. we cannot verify the video, but a woman who says she witnessed the bloodshed talks to cnn. you'll hear from her later this hour. in nigeria's capital, a powerful fiery explosion, authorities say a suicide bomber detonated at a police station. officials say at least five people are dead. we're going to have more on the congressman anthony weiner story, the fact that he plans to resign, give up his position later. we're going to go to new york with our mary snow, to talk to his constituents to see their reaction to the latest news. we'll have that after the break. but for some of us with overactive bladder,

our pipes just don't work as well as they should. sometimes, i worry my pipes might leak. but i learned there's something more i can do. now, i take care with vesicare. once-daily vesicare can help control your bladder muscle and is proven to treat overactive bladder with symptoms of frequent urges and leaks day and night. if you have certain stomach or glaucoma problems, or trouble emptying your bladder, do not take vesicare. vesicare may cause allergic reactions that may be serious. if you experience swelling of the face, lips, throat or tongue, stop taking vesicare and get emergency help. tell your doctor right away if you have severe abdominal pain, or become constipated for three or more days. vesicare may cause blurred vision, so use caution while driving or doing unsafe tasks. common side effects are dry mouth, constipation, and indigestion. so why wait ? ask your doctor today... ... about taking care with vesicare. 3q this past year alone there was a 93% increase in cyber attacks.

in financial transactions... on devices... in social interactions... and applications in the cloud. some companies are worried. some, not so much. thanks to a network that secures it all and knows what to keep in, and what to keep out. outsmart the threats. see how at cisco.com cisco. [ lane ] here's the trouble with most anti-wrinkle creams. the cream disappears but your wrinkles don't. ♪ introducing neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair. it has the fastest retinol formula available. in fact, it's clinically proven to smooth wrinkles in just one week. so all you have to do is sit back and watch your wrinkles go away. new rapid wrinkle repair. from neutrogena®. who's ready to break through more barriers, from brick walls to budgets.

then let's get our hands on some of those tools that only live on orange shelves. cause when we come home with that fistful of doing, and keep that pocketful of savings, there's nothing we can't conquer. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. power more projects, with this ryobi starter kit or dremel multi-max, each just 89 bucks. we're following breaking news this hour. new york representative anthony weiner is set to resign today over a sexting scandal he initially lied about. cnn has confirmed that weiner will hold a news conference at 2:00 p.m. eastern in brooklyn. it is part of his district. and that is where cnn's mary snow, she is standing by. mary, i understand you've been

talking to folks there. what do they say? do they think he should stay? go? >> some of the people he spoke with today, suzanne say they are very sorry to hear he is resigning, but a couple people said, you know, the pressure he was under both from politicians and from the press, under daily scrutiny, he felt they didn't have a choice, but he also said he felt they wouldn't be effective. just to give you a sense of how popular he was, we've been talking to many people here throughout the past couple weeks, and these are both, you know, republicans and democrats saying this, just a few weeks ago it was widely viewed that anthony weiner was the front contender for -- to be mayor in 2013. he had a lot of support in new york city. so this is something that is really hard to believe just a few weeks ago this is happening, and now, you know, the question

is what will happen to his district? because as we've been talking about, there has been a lot of speculation that because of redistricting and reapportionment that maybe his district may be faced out dumb 2012, because new york is slated to lose two districts. >> that's still an unanswered question. mary, if can you still hear us,s constituents, the voters there, do they think he could have been effective in leading them and still keeping his job even though he lost so many friends and lost the confidence of the leadership in washington? >> some of the people we talked with today said he would not have been effective. you look at the polls that were out last week that showed a majority of voters in his district said he should not resign and he should keep going and they would vote for him. and we talked to people today about does he have a political future. when you hear pundits talk about

it, they are still holding out hope that this one woman said there's always a chance. it doesn't look too good right now. another one saying, you know, that she could not believe that he was so foolish. he was seen as somebody that was very effective in the district, and really listening to the constituents and acting on their needs, so this is something that she took very personally. >> we will get back to you very shortly. we're giving you a chance to weigh in on today's big story. the talk back question, should weiner resign? carol costello is up next with your responses. i got mine in iraq, 2003. u.s.a.a. auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation, because it offers a superior level of protection and because u.s.a.a.'s commitment to serve the military, veterans, and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto insurance quote. u.s.a.a. we know what it means to serve.

now use the best suncare recommended most by dermatologists. neutrogena®, with technologies like helioplex... it provides the highest average spf and unsurpassed uva protection. neutrogena®. get the best. her morning begins with arthritis pain. that's a coffee and two pills. the afternoon tour begins with more pain and more pills. the evening guests arrive. back to sore knees. back to more pills. the day is done but hang on... her doctor recommended aleve. just 2 pills can keep arthritis pain away all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is lara who chose 2 aleve and fewer pills for a day free of pain.

and get the all day pain relief of aleve in liquid gels.

getting a lot of responses to today's talk back question. carol costello is here with a look at what you are saying, whether or not he is making the right decision. carol, what do folks think? >> you would be surprised, suzanne. surprising support for congressman weiner. the question was should congressman weiner resign. this from paul. he did not have to when it's not very surprising. the lying was the real miss deed here. and this from tom. another effective butt kicker removed from office.

democrats suck. they join conservatives to destroy a congressman that broke no laws, and constituents wanted him to stay. and this from joy, he's doing the right thing for his wife and family and constituents and seeking treatment for himself. and then this from scynthia. i find it offensive this decision has been taken away from his constituents, short of any legal violations. they elected him and they should be the sole influencers whether he stays or leaves. >> looks like he has support in new york as some of the voter constituents there say they believe he should be able to serve. we will have more information about the congressman from his early days in politics until

now. that is after the break. aveeno has an oat formula, now proven to build a moisture reserve, so skin can replenish itself. that's healthy skin for life. only from aveeno. is best absorbed in small continuous amounts. only one calcium supplement does that in one daily dose. new citracal slow release... continuously releases calcium plus d for the efficient absorption my body needs. citracal. for the efficient absorption my body needs. and my dog bailey and i love to hang out in the kitchen. you love the aroma of beef tenderloin, don't you? you inspired a very special dog food. [ female announcer ] chef michael's canine creations. chef inspired. dog desired.

professional driver on a closed course. ♪ do not attempt at home. always wear your seat belt. ♪ and please drive responsibly. [ male announcer ] it's the most fun you can legally have. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers on the c-class.

new york representative anthony weiner is set to resign today over a sexing scandal that he initially lied about. he has been in the news nonstop for almost three weeks now. let's take a closer look at the congressman and his career. anthony weiner is new york to the core. born in brooklyn to a lawyer and

schoolteacher. he went to a state university aiming to be a tv weather man and when that did not work he turned to politics working for charles schumer, and hanging out with good friend, comedian, jon stewart. he then turned his scrappy nature into votes and at age 27 became at the time the youngest person elected to the council. when his old boss, schumer, ran for senate in 1998, weiner jumped in and ran to replace him on the house. ho capitol hill weiner was famously fighting for women's rights and gun control. he is known for his determination, feistiness and above all his fire brand rhetoric. he took on king over a bill to provide medical care for 9/11 first responders. >> if you believe it's the wrong

thing, you vote no. we're following a procedure -- i will not yield to the gentleman, and the gentleman will observe regular order. >> but he does have a soft side. last july, weiner married long time aide to hillary clinton, and became the only jewish member of congress to be married to a devout muslim. officiating at the ceremony, former president bill clinton. >> she knows that goes with a certain amount of aggravation. i don't think that she imagined that it would be this. >> i am suzanne malveaux. want to get you up to speed. two hours from now disgraced new york congressman anthony weiner is expected to call it quits. he has come under intense pressure from his democratic colleague from a sexing scandal

involving several women and the lies he told following that. let's get you to capitol hill on the details of weiner's planned resignati resignation. any word on what we can expect from weiner's news conference? >> we expect him to say publicly what he told democratic leaders and friends privately, which is what we have been reporting that he is going to resign. weiner has been very upset and apologetic, and that's the first time that he actually admitted that his twitter account was not hacked, as he initially said. and in fact, he sent these lewd photographs of himself. and this is, suzanne, i think you cannot overstate how much this is a relief to his colleagues here, to the leadership here on capitol hill, who they say they didn't want to go public for their push to

resign but felt like they had to this past saturday after their private pleas did not work. they felt it was too much of a distraction when the democrats felt he was doing much better on issues like medicare and that's why they want it to end. >> he reached out to nancy pelosi and others. what did he say to them? did he explain how he came to the conclusion? >> unclear if he explained exactly how. this is a big difference and change. suzanne, we talked last hour about the fact that in the last couple of weeks -- and this is a saga that has been going on for three weeks now, he was very defiant. one congressman that talked to him told me that he was quote, dug in, and not going to re-sign at all. as more and more pictures came out and the leadership said it was time for him to go, and it was clear it was hard for him to

stay. and yesterday at the white house, there was a white house picnic for members of congress and their families, and steve isra israel, the chairman of the democratic campaign committee got the call from anthony weiner saying it was time that he would resign. and then when israel found nancy pelosi, and they went off to get privacy by a tree, and weiner explained to them that he said that he was remorseful and said that he was very sorry, and not as broken up and highly emotional as some people who i talked to say he had been over the last few weeks, but much more with it, if you will, than he had been after he made this decision. >> any reaction at all from democrats or republicans to this news that he will step down? >> very interesting. you heard kate bolduan report in the last hour that nancy pelosi will not go there and will not

talk about it until weiner himself speaks. we have a statement from his colleague. she said there's life after congress for anthony weiner and i hope he devotes himself to repairing the damage he has caused to his personal life. she is a fellow democrat from new york and somebody who had been close with him. she went to his wedding last july, and she is somebody that i was told who privately urged him to resign, and she had harsh words for him privately and said you have got to go and enough is enough. >> how is his seat going to be filled? will it be effective immediately when he leaves? >> presumably he will say he will be leaving effective immediately, and then the next step is a special election, and that's to be determined and set by the governor of new york. we don't know when that will be. that will be up to him to decide. that will be a temporary thing.

the next regular election is in 2012. and what will be very interesting is to see whether or not this particular seat, he represents the ninth district of new york, whether or not that goes away, because new york, because of redistricting is going to lose two congressional seats. and one of the subplots is some of his colleagues from new york have been reluctant to say something publicly because they stand to gain if he's gone, because it's easier for the powers that be, if you will, to get rid of his seat and not theirs. and the new face of al qaeda. according to jihadists web sites, al qaeda has appointed this man as their new leader. >> seen as the i idealog.

explosions rocked tripoli today. u.s. lawmakers accuse president obama of failing to consult congress over the military effort in libya. the white house is defending the legality of the mission. obama administration officials have released a 32-page report arguing that the president is not required to get approval from congress because u.s. involvement in libya is limited. firefighters in arizona are up against some critical weather conditions today. higher winds are expected to spread this massive wildfire in

the eastern part of the state. it has burned almost half a million acres. right now it's only 30% contained. the stanley cup is shipping up to boston for the first time in almost four decades. the bruins won in a 4-0 victory against the canucks. the canuck fans responded by setting fire to cars outside the stadium. five months after a gunman shot her in the head, congressman woman gabriel giffords has been released from a houston hospital. while back at home with her husband she will keep up the rehab on an outpatient basis. dr. sanjay gupta said she may have lingering affects, including communicating.

>> moving on to things done more easily in the home, the behavior associated with increasingly independent living. it's not a definitive milestone, but all indicators are it's a pretty good thing. here's your chance to talk back on the big story of the day. today's question, should anthony weiner resign? carol costello joins us from washington with more. i guess some people feel like, you know, maybe he could have survived this. >> maybe so. but finally, congressman anthony weiner decides to resign, and democrats are relieved and maybe you are too, as the house leader, john boehner said, it's been a distraction. distraction? that may be the underestimate of the year. it's more of a distraction. half nude weiner pictures keep coming and the jokes keep on flying.

>> and today's a big day in the weiner household. anthony weiner is being reunited with his wife. that should go pretty well, i think. and weiner asked that the people respect his privacy, and well, i guess it was not a concern when he was texting photos of his junk. i don't think it was. >> so jokes aside, there is another way to look at this, really. sexing is a part of life. i bet you know somebody that does it although you would not know it because they would never tell you about it. lisa bloom who wrote a book on straight talk asks how many imperfect but smart people decided today they could never run for office. and democratic congressman barney frank, and republican senator david vitter, and president clinton still has

spris. should congressman weiner resign? facebook.com/carolcnn. first, almost three weeks into a growing scandal, anthony weiner is resigning from congress. we'll look at the district he represents. casey anthony's lawyers try to convince jurors she did not murder her 2-year-old daughter, caylee. a new witness is a convicted kidnapper. al qaeda appoints a new leader. we will explore what that might mean in the fight against terrorism.

it's a curious thing that happens. it seems that when we get to a place where no one knows us,

we become most ourselves. try new things. make new friends. laughing out loud. and dancing in the streets. its time to venture out. who knows just who we might discover... as we come alive under the spell of pure michigan. your trip begins at michigan.org. personal pricing now on brakes.

tell us what you want to pay. we do our best to make that work. deal! my money. my choice. my meineke. new york congressman anthony weiner to resign. that announcement coming in an hour and 45 minutes or so. already reaction in new york to the announcement. let's see what folks have to say. >> i think it's a good thing. very good thing he is going to resign because when something like that -- with all the problems of the world, you know, and all the things we're trying to solve, and we're taking away from these problems by some stupid idiot that tries to do something -- you know, i can't understand it. >> i am very happy he's

resigning. >> reporter: did you vote for him? >> i did. and i liked him, but he's not quite -- there's something wrong there. i don't think the person who has something wrong with him should represent us. >> reporter: so what do you think it means for his future? >> he's a smart man, so maybe he can straighten himself out. but he does not belong in the politics right now. >> we are talking more about the new york democrat as well as the district he represents. who are the folks he's representing in washington? >> he represents the ninth district in new york state, and that covers brooklyn and queens. it's democratic. weiner was first elected in 1998 after his political mentor, then congressman chuck schumer, ran for the senate. he has been a reliable voice

since then and ran unopposed in '06 and '08, and won by 22 points over his republican opponent last year. and weiner has fully embraced social media sites as twitter and facebook, which has done him more harm than good. >> what was his political life before being elected? >> he graduated from the new york state university. he served on the new york city council throughout his time in office he found himself drawn back to new york. the city he calls home. he ran unsuccessfully in the democratic mayor race. >> there is still some questions, right, about whether or not his district is going to exist? >> that would be an irony of

ironies, suzanne. the census is showing that it will cut two districts. defense gets its turn in the casey anthony murder trial. we will talk about the defense strategy, and also what to expect in the case with attorney and author lisa bloom.

the defense case got under way today in the casey anthony murder trial. anthony is accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter. the first witness is called by the defense today, a crime scene investigator and an fbi forensics expert. we want insight on what we can expect as the defense unfolds. lisa bloom is a author of a best-seller. she joins us from los angeles and good to see you. first of all, defense lawyers say they want to question a convicted felon who served prison time for kidnapping claiming somehow that he is linked to casey anthony's father, george. what is this about? >> it's a fascinating development, isn't it, suzanne? kind of thing you think happens in the movies, surprise witnesses after three years of background discovery and investigating of this case, and this person is revealed at the

11th hour. the defense says this man, who is a convicted kidnapper, had four telephone calls with george anthony, casey's father, the day before caylee was reported missing. that would make everybody scratch their heads and say why on earth would he be communicating with this guy. we don't know what the testimony will be or if the judge will allow it, but george anthony released a statement through his lawyer saying i never spoke to a guy by phone or other electronic means, and i don't know who he is. the plot thickens. we don't know who it's going to turn out. >> do you think this is a strategy to portray george as the bad guy? is that what is behind this? >> definitely. we know that from the opening statement. casey anthony has a very high risk defense strategy. not only does she say she didn't do it, she didn't kill her

daughter or even accidentally kill her daughter, but her own father, george anthony did that. her attorney alleged in the opening he molested casey as a little girl, and caylee, the little baby drowned in the pool and that the father was there and the father was basically covering it up all this time and casey was covering for her father. now it's time for the defense to prove up their case. the defense does not have an obligation to prove a case ordinarily, but when you make a claim like that in opening statement the jury will expect you to put on evidence, and so it's time to put up or shut um effectively. >> do we have any kind of idea of what evidence they will present? >> they may call george anthony back to the stand. he was already cross-examined and called by the prosecution, and the defense could call him and ask brand-new questions. and the big $65,000 question is will casey anthony herself take the stand. i think probably not. her attorney would probably advice against it.

she wants to, she can. she would be the one to primarily offer up the testimony and evidence. other than that, i don't see how they are going to do it. >> do they have any burden at all to dispute what has happened where people say she has lied and lied and all the stories are not true. is there something that they have to do now to say, look, still believe her anyway that she is not the murderer? >> no defendant in an american criminal which i will has no burden of prove, it remains with the prosecution to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. and the judge says they have put on a case where it cannot be dismissed and it's going to the jury. the defense has to do something now. the case will go to the jury. i think the prosecution put in a strong case. the defense has to do something to undercut all the evidence the jury has heard, especially evidence of computer experts

that before caylee went missing, somebody in the home was searching chloroform, and death, and head injuries. that's very, very damaging. although they could not drink it directly to casey anthony. and then all of her lies, which looked mysterious. her getting a tattoo that translates into beautiful life. this is incriminating stuff. the defense has to put on something to undercut all the mountain of evidence from the prosecution, otherwise their client will be convicted. >> thank you. he's the new face of al qaeda. bin laden's former top deputy is the terrorist group's new leader. we will talk about what that means for the fight against terror.

we're following the developing story, breaking news, congressman anthony weiner to resign. that resignation coming in an hour and a half out of new york. and weighing in, michael bloomberg. he was addressing a number of issues and he was asked about his reaction to the congressman's resignation. let's take a listen. >> he's got to talk to his family and decide what is right for the country and what is right for his family and what is right for himself and make a decision. i think that the fact that it looks like he is addressing the

issue today, one way or another, and i don't know what he is going to do, is a positive step. you cannot let it go on and on because it's a diversion away from the important things that this country has to deal with. >> new york mayor, michael bloomberg, weighing in on this. i want to bring in our senior political editor, mark preston. >> anthony weiner, he was the one who a lot of people saw in new york as potentially the frontrunner for bloomberg's job as new york mayor. what do we make of weiner's future now? >> well, that's a great question. it's a question we cannot answer right now, suzanne, because we have seen politicians embroiled in sex scandals who have come out on top after a few years. look at former president bill clinton. he was impeached by the house and almost convicted by the senate and bill clinton has been

able to weather the storm and gone on to be a great ambassador to the world, and still a great statesman in the party. weiner has to get through the next couple weeks and month and try to get it back together with his family. the question is why did he wait this long and drag it out, and it was very frustrating to democratic party leaders. they wanted to see him step down on his own last week, which he refused to do. and the democratic national committee woman, and the person that overseas the campaign efforts called on him to resign. in talking to democrats and republicans over the past couple hours to get their take and feel the temperature of where they think the story is going or what is going to happen, and for democrats it sums it up in what one official says to me, a collective sigh of relief all across the party. the reason being it was becoming a distraction not only for the

2012 election for house democrats and senate democrats but a distraction, suzanne, for the president's own re-election. >> yeah, it was interesting when you think about it, you have president obama weighing in on this, saying if it was him he would resign. that was an extraordinary statement he made. was there a point where weiner would stand a chance of surviving? it started off, and people did not really think it was a big deal, these lewd tweets that surfaced. could he have survived it poe t potentially? >> he could have survived. we had an ex-porn star go out in front of the microphones with gloria allred, and when gloria allred is substantitanding next woman involved in a sex scandal, you know that you are in trouble. and it's one thing to have that one picture go out on twitter a

few weeks ago and kind of raise the eyebroeyebrows, but it kept building. he was so insistent that he was going to stay in office. there was a remote possibility that he probably could have stayed in office if there was only that one picture, but look where we are now, suzanne. >> thank you very much. we appreciate you following all the details there, and we will look at 2:00 eastern, for congress weiner's statement of resignation. we want to go to kate bolduan who is on the hill. we understand there is more congressional reaction before he steps down? >> yeah, they are getting the news that he is going to step down. i was able to speak just a short time ago with a fellow new yorker, fellow congressman, peter king. he has known anthony weiner for a long time and he acknowledged they did not always have the best relationship but have

always been able to work together. he says anthony weiner made the right decision and hopefully will get the treatment he needs. peter king, as i mentioned, they have not always had the best relationship, and they have been known for having epic battles on the house floor. one you will probably remember over a health care bill having to do with health care for 9/11 first responders. i asked congressman king will he miss the fight. listen here. >> i think confrontation can be good as long as it's done in the open and at each other and not sending out mail or targeting people. whatever anthony weiner and i did, we did it as far as our fights in public. we agreed, the 9/11 health care bill in the end, we were able to get that bill through and worked on it together. >> congressman king, as many people have said and will say, he said this has been a tragic

experience for obviously anthony weiner, especially his family. he said in the end, he said this decision to resign is a good decision for himself, for his family, and he said especially for the congress. members say there are many important things that are ready and they need to be talking about and it's a good thing they will be able to start having that conversation again, suzanne. >> not surprising the republicans came out and called for his resignation, and did not support him, but it did seem to be surprising that he lost democratic support so early on. did that strike you? >> reporter: it did strike me. especially, i think you really -- we were really more surprised about the coordinated effort that we did see come out over the weekend of the minority leader, the democratic leader, nancy pelosi as well as other leaders a as well as steve

israel. having that kind of coordinated effort, that big pressure from leadership was a little surprising as we saw that happen. it sent a good signal. i will tell you from one democratic source familiar with the nancy pelosi's thinking, told by the source that she knew that she was pretty confident that the day was coming, it was just what day would it be and how long would it take for him to reach this decision. >> thank you for the insight, kate. appreciate it. the back story. >> reporter: of course. a drop in foreclosures, but the housing market is still suffering. we will show you how foreclosure are taking a toll on one new jersey town. we were actually thinking, maybe... we're going to hike up here, so we'll catch up with you guys. [ indistinct talking and laughter ] whew! i think it's worth it. working with a partner you can trust

is always a good decision. massmutual. let our financial professionals help you reach your goals. right now, go to priceline for a sneak peek at recent winning and better than ever! hotel bids to find where you n save up to 60% on hotels. * we'll even email you other people's winning bids, so you'll know what price to name. *á with new hotel bid alerts, from priceline. personal pricing now on brakes. tell us what you want to pay. we do our best to make that work. deal! my money. my choice. my meineke.

the top deputy to osama bin laden is the new leader of al qaeda. in a statement posted on web sites today says ayman al zawahiri was appointed as the leader to follow bin laden. but some say he will have a tough time following in his foot steps. mark baker spent 17 years encounter terror and counter insurgent operations. what does this mean in the fight

against terrorism? does this put us in a stronger position or weaker position against al qaeda? >> the unfortunate reality is it doesn't affect the way we have to carry out operations against al qaeda. ayman al zawahiri has been around for a long time. he has been number two to bin laden. we have known all about him. he's egyptian born and a doctor by training before he became radicalizing. some give him credit, if credit is the word, for radicalizing bin laden, when bin laden was making the formation toward the al qaeda organization. under his leadership, there will not be that many changes. it's not like a corporate shake-up of any sort. >> stronger or tougher than bin laden? is he more of a threat to us? >> i don't think he is more of a threat to us. the threat really comes from --

if you want to call it, the mid management, the mid level of the organization where the members of the military commission and the bomb makers and the people on the street making the decisions for operational activity. he is very committed. no doubt about that. so we're not going to see some wavering at the top of al qaeda as to perhaps they should come to a kinder, more gentle version of themselves. but he's a very smart individual. it was interesting. early days, right after the bin laden take down, a lot of people were talking about who is going to replace bin laden. and there was some thought that maybe al zawahiri is not well liked or is not considered to be as personal -- change terms to be using for these characters -- by the rank and file. he has been around as long as bin laden was and longer. he is extremely committed.

>> do we have any idea where he is, this guy? >> well, no, we don't is the short answer to that. if we knew, he wouldn't be taking over this position. he would be detained or dead. but he and the other remaining senior commanders -- we have been doing a very good job of limiting and minimizing that number are on notice after the takedown of bin laden. >> what is the most striking thing about this individual. i understand bin laden was the operational part of bin laden. is this a operations guy? >> he's not going to be the great motivator, i suppose you can say, the bin laden was to his people. but he -- you know, he's a thoughtful individual. in terms of his operational capabilities, not so much. you can argue that he will be relying on the people below him in the operational capacities to bring plans forward, and they -- he's not going to be looked at as the morale booster or

individual who blesses all activity or potential operations. more of a thinker and process guy. again, it's very bizarre to be talking about al qaeda as a corporation, i realize, but you have to talk about it in those terms when you are talking about succession. >> we appreciate your analysis. thank you for joining us. >> thank you. it's not what firefighters in arizona want to hear. with winds now picking up, their job could get a lot tougher today. >> we get answers to your financial questions. joining me this hour, greg mcbride, a senior financial analyst, at bankrate.com. so here's the first question. i have money sitting in a savings account and my bank wants to vest it in a commodities basket for five years. the gains have been 6%, and the principle is insured.

is this a wise move? >> if you have money in a savings account that's because you may need it for an emergency or other unplanned expense. you don't want to tie that up. the other thing to keep in mind with commodity baskets or other linked cd baskets, there is often a withdrawal penalty that can leave you in the red. also, there are other ways to vest in commodities if you are looking to add that to your portfolio you don't have to jeopardize your emergency fund to do it. >> and another question, i am 18 and wonder if vesting in a small duplex would be smart to rent out? >> first, an 18-year-old thinking about an investment property and people twice his age are not ready. but yes, if you are credit worthy and an adult and you saved up enough for a down payment and etc., you can qualify. an investment property could be

a good idea. but caution to somebody that young, establish your credit rating and track record. make sure you are prepared for the rights and responsibilities of homeownership, and of particularly being a landlord. it's not as easy as it seems. >> i can attest to that. >> have a question you want answered? send it to us anytime. ♪ you love money ♪ well, you know i love it too ♪ ♪ you love money ♪ well, you know i love it too ♪ ♪ i work so hard at my job

♪ and then i bring it home to you ♪ ♪ i love money in my pocket her morning begins with arthritis pain. that's a coffee and two pills. the afternoon tour begins with more pain and more pills. the evening guests arrive. back to sore knees. back to more pills. the day is done but hang on... her doctor recommended aleve. just 2 pills can keep arthritis pain away all day with fewer pills than tylenol.

this is lara who chose 2 aleve and fewer pills for a day free of pain. and get the all day pain relief of aleve in liquid gels. when an investment lacks discipline, it's never this obvious. introducing investment discipline etfs from russell. visit russelletfs.com r a prospectus, containing the investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses and other information. read and consider it carefully before investing. red lobster like this before. your own complete four-course seafood feast for $15. start with soup, like our hearty new england clam chowder. then enjoy a fresh salad with unlimited cheddar bay biscuits, followed by your choice of one of seven entrees, like new shrimp & scallops alfredo, spicy coconut & citrus shrimp,

or wood-grilled fresh tilapia. then finish with something sweet, all for just $15. right now at red lobster. a new report out today say foreclosures are down 33% from last year, and the experts say that is because the robo signing scandal, and our reporter went to one small city where 1 in 10 homes are in foreclosure. >> reporter: plainfield, new jersey, may look like other parts around america. but when you walk around here and start to talk to folks around here, you realize something. the bank owns a lot of the city. >> three of the houses i moved

into, foreclosed and i had to move. >> nearly 900 homes are in foreclosure here. that's three times the national average. >> my kids have to walk past the empty houses, and i'm afraid for them. >> you won't find pad locks or boarded up windows. >> right here on east front street, there is 25 homes in foreclosure, and down there you will find eight more. the police spent their time breaking up gang activity and determining which came first is a chicken and egg situation for the sheriff. >> do you feel as though the amount of foreclosures, the foreclosure crisis in the city led to the increased gang violence? >> there may be a relationship in terms of certificate areas where some residents have been

laid off who feel hopeless at this point. >> the highest density of foreclosures are near the gang violence. 123 within a half mile. but there are hundreds more all over town. >> the town is going down and the taxes are going up, and we're suffering. >> reporter: today, there are layoffs in the schools and the city has cut 50% of its workers since february. at rise and shine restaurant, the owner says business is slumping. >> there are ups and downs, and some days are better and some days are slow. it's tough. >> unless something can turn around, we need a miracle. >> first of all, tell us about the mortgage modification for folks. what are the banks saying? >> that's a big question. the mayor told me i need more help from the banks. we reached out to the two

biggest lenders, bank of america and wells fargo, and bang of america had no comment, and wells fargo said they are continuing to work with borrowers in that region to modify the loans. and neither would come on camera. when you have 1 in 10 homes in foreclosure, you are cutting half of the city workers, you have a big problem. and it's not just in this town, it's across the country. >> talk about the ripple affect for the town. >> that's a good question. did the gangs come first or violence or foreclosures? the economic situation is getting worse. what the mayor told us, and it was hard for me to believe this, that already they have seen hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue just from the foreclosure for the city, and therefore the layoffs. the longer it goes on, the more the city loses. soon it could be millions of dollars that the city is losing.

it's a catch-22. and also as people leave the city, their homes are foreclosed and they leave the school district and less funding for the schools. it's a vision sicious cycle. still no end in fight to the floods and fires that cover parts of the united states. along the missouri river, the army corps of engineers is releasing more water from bloated reservoirs. areas down stream are keeping a close eye on the levees. in n in arizona, firefighters face a tough day ahead. high winds are expected to fan the flames of the massive wildfire in the eastern part of the state. the fire is now only 30% contained. hot dry conditions, and high winds, and they are also feeding wildfires in new mexico. in some areas evacuations have now been ordered. smoke from the western fires is affecting air quality far

away from these fires. want to bring in reynolds wolf for more on that. it looks like you get worst weather conditions. >> what they need is to get rainfall. unfortunately, you have a surplus of rain in some areas, and then not enough in others. you have seen the video here. smoke everywhere. as suzanne was mentioning moments ago, some of the smoke is moving to other places in new mexico, and some areas in colorado. in the high mountain passes, the winds could be stronger in excess of 40 or 50 miles per hour. when you have the classic clouds that travel around parts of the globe, the same rule applies here. you have smoke being picked up and moving in parts of the central plains, and of course people that are susceptible to

all kinds of airborne illnesses or have weak systems in terms of the respiratory tracks, they will have some issues. now, no relief expected anytime soon. low humidity and high winds will keep things troubled in the southwest. on the other side of this, expect the heavy rain to continue in the eastern seaboard. back to you. >> it was kind of scary, too. >> yeah, we need the thunderstorms. >> yeah, that's a good thing. we're giving you a chance to weigh in on today's big story. the talk back question, should congressman weiner resign? mackenzie says no, he should not. he has been a champion of the constituents. isn't that a job of the members of congress? a lot of times, things are right underneath our feet,

and all we need to do is change the way we're thinking about them. a couple decades ago, we didn't even realize just how much natural gas was trapped in rocks thousands of feet below us. technology has made it possible to safely unlock this cleanly burning natural gas. this deposits can provide us with fuel for a hundred years, providing energy security and economic growth all across this country. it just takes somebody having the idea, and that's where the discovery comes from.

we're awaiting a press conference from anthony weiner, who is set to resign. mary, tell us what the significance is of where you

are, the spot that he has chosen to make the announcement and what folks are saying. >> reporter: well, this certainly has special meaning for anthony weiner, suzanne, because this is where he launched his city council campaign two decades ago, and this is where he will give his press conference. i want to give you a sense of the kind of media attention it has drawn. this is the line outside the senior center where the press has been lining up the past couple of hours waiting to get in and set up for the press conference. in talking to the constituents here in the ninth district, they are calling it a sad day. he was very popular in the district, both between democrats and also republicans. a lot of people thought that he was very effective, and in talking with some of them today, some felt that he had no choice but to step down and question whether or not he could ever be effective had he stayed in office. as you know in the polls that we had seen just a week ago, a

majority of the people in his district felt that he should not resign, and he should weather this out. suzanne? >> mary, thank you so much. obviously we will get to the press conference as it happens, in about an hour or so. we will go to the talk back question we asked you, our viewers, whether or not you think it's the right decision whether or not anthony weiner should resign. your answers with carol costello after this break. (screams) when an investment lacks discipline, it's never this obvious. introducing investment discipline etfs from russell. visit russelletfs.com r a prospectus, containing the investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses and other information. read and consider it carefully before investing. how can expedia now save me even more on my hotel? well, hotels know they can't fill every room every day.

like this one. and this one. and oops, my bad. so, they give expedia ginormous discounts with these: unpublished rates. which means i get an even more rockin' hotel, for less. my brain didn't even break a sweat. where you book matters. expedia. your home and auto policies and save. it's quick and easy. don't worry, tiny people. flo is a gentle giant. yay! bundle your home and auto insurance at progressive.com. hundreds more in your wallet year after year. feed me! you're hungry again? i just fed you a whole roll of quarters. saving you money -- now, that's progressive. call or click today. i could not make working and going to school work. it was not until the university of phoenix

that i was able to work full-time, be a mom, and go to school. the opportunities that i had at the university of phoenix, dealing with professionals teaching things that they were doing everyday, got me to where i am today. i'm mayor cherie wood, i'm responsible for the largest urban renewal project in utah, and i am a phoenix. [ male announcer ] find your program at phoenix.edu.

we're getting responses to today's talk back question. carol costello is here with a look at what they're saying. hey, carol. >> the talkback question today, should congressman weiner resign. this from gary. yes, he should resign. this from joseph. no crime was committed. democrats want him gone because they look bad. last time i checked a bad pr campaign was not against the rules. this from molly, yes, he should resign. this was a stupid and irreresponsible decision on his part. do we want somebody with poor judgment running the country. this from sam. if he sexually harassed somebody, that is one thing. but then millions of americans do that every day and don't resign from their jobs. this from tim. only after senators