alina cho live along the connecticut shoreline. mary snow live in front of the raging passaic river in little falls, new jersey. let's start with you. what's the situation where you are? >> well, ali, as fierce as this looks, take -- crested about 7 feet above flood stage, and as intense as this is, it's a big improvement from just the last 24 hours. passaic river crested in several places yesterday, but with the rising waters forced evacuations in several towns, including patterson, new jersey. >> reporter: for a city that is used to flooding this became too much as people could no longer get out of homes on their own in patterson, new jersey, rescue crews in boats had to bring them to safety, from adults to babies. the passaic river hit levels not seen in more than a century. this woman had gone to her mother's house with her two children. 30-year-old couple kelly said he ignored evacuation orders because he's experienced many floods before. he lives on the second floor, but when waters topped the door to his building he waited b

i'm alina cho. t.j. holmes is off this morning. they are days away from moving in on the capital of tripoli. that comes as u.s. officials say gadhafi is preparing for a last stand. libyan officials are disputing rebel claims that gadhafi is seeking refuge for his family. a leader tells sara sidner that they are days away from moving in. a long battle for tripoli is unlikely unless gadhafi decides to fight to the end. >> discipline forces and ammunition. it could be ugly there. it could go on for days just like the fighting in misrata that went on for days. my guess is that is unlikely to happen. i think if gadhafi goes into tripoli and pulls in there and it goes against him, he will struggle for a way out. once he goes into tripoli, there is no other than just saying okay, we surrender. we lay down our arms. give us a political solution. he has lost his bargaining position by going into tripoli. my guess is he is not going in and if he does, it is not going to end up in a misrata-like combat. >> rebel leaders say a former libyan pr

i am alina cho in for t. j. holmes.s in libya now have their sights set on triply, the capital. gadhafi loyalists paint a different picture saying the rebels are fighting and losing each battle. >>> vice president biden wrapping up his five-day visit to china. he spent much of his time trying to reassure america's biggest foreign creditor that the u.s. will never default. >>> and the attorney representing two american hikers found guilty of spying says he hopes that tehran will show them some lean yuns during this holy month of ramadan. they were handed eight year jail terms yesterday. their attorney says he will appeal the sentences. >>> so will tropical storm irene become the hurricane that harvey never was? our reynolds wolf is watching it all for us, and it's -- i want to be careful with my language, it's heading in the general direction of the united states. >> when you mention general direction, it's so tempted to say its moving from point a to point b. they don't move smoothly at all and jar themselves around on

i'm alina cho. t.j. holmes is off this morning. coming up, mounting pressure on dictator moammar gadhafi to resign. the libyan leader denies reports he is looking for refuge for his family. >>> take a look at this just released video. are london rioters firing at police helicopters. a live report in just a moment. >>> severe storms strike the northeast, unleashing deadly flash floods and it's not over yet. the ohio valley could be next. >>> but we start with the sputtering economy. president obama says there are steps we can take to spark the economy. watch. >> there are things we can do right now that will mean more customers for businesses and more jobs across the country. we can cut payroll taxes again so families have an extra thousand dollars to spend. we can pass a road construction bill so construction crews who are now sitting idle, can head back to the work site, rebuilding roads and bridges and airports. >> that's when the president's weekly address. ohio governor john kasich gave this morning's republican weekly address.

i'm alina cho.ndidates are zeroing in on two key early voting states this weekend. we want to go live to washington and cnn political deputy director, paul steinhauser. paul, i want to start with the newest gop candidate, rick perry, and he's back in south carolina today, isn't he? >> he sure is. it is a week ago today, alina, that he announced his presidency for the united states, and where'd he do it? south carolina. the first southern state to vote in the primary and caucus calendar. from there he went on to iowa and new hampshire, the very other crucial early voting states, back to new hampshire, and now he's back in south carolina, the second straight day campaigning there. it's been a whirlwind first week for him, not only his visits, but some of the controversial things he's said. it's been quite a week for rick perry. >> and who else is on the campaign trail today? i heard newt gingrich may be in hawaii? >> his campaign has been quite modest, you can say, on a shoestring budget. he is in haw

i'm alina cho. t.j. holmes is off this morning. we have new word on the fate of two american hikers held in iran. we'll have the latest court ruling. it is breaking news out of iran at this hour. >>> also, rebel fighters are closing in on libya's capitol of tripo tripoli. is its leader, moammar gadhafi, going to stay and fight or could he possibly leave? >>> and we've just gotten this dramatic video showing armed rioters shooting at police in the british city of birmingham. so what's the latest in that investigation? we'll have a live report. >>> let's get right to the breaking news of iran. iranian state television is reporting that two americans accused of spying have been sentenced to eight years in prison. shane bauer and josh fattal were arrested after crossing into iran during a 2009 hiking trip from iraq. a third hiker, sarah shourd, was also arrested, but she was later released last fall for medical reasons. let's turn to our very own susan candiotti, who also joins us by phone from new york city. she's been in touch with t

. >>> i'm alina cho. dr. sanjay gupta begins right now. >> welcome to a special edition of sgmd. i'm reporting to you from a place i never get to visit. we are in havana, cuba. we have been working on the documentary of diana nyad. she is a 61-year-old long distance swimmer who set out to do the impossible. something that people tolder that simply could not be done. she wanted to swim from here in havana and swim all the way to florida. more than 100 miles. no rest. no shark cage. complete exposure to the elements. the swim was planned to take over two days through day and night. more than 60 hours. she had to do this again without any rest whatsoever. what we now know is diana lasted about half that distance. about 50 miles, 29 miles in the water. the currents were rough and the waves big. her shoulders started to bother her. it was no less inspiring to watch her near the end of that swim. the big question on a lot of people's minds, including mine, is what is next for you? that is part of our story today. >>> although we are 100 miles away from florida, we are miles away from t

i'm alina cho. first, a look how cuba handles medical care. san jay gupta m.d. from havana begins, right now. >>> good morning. welcome to a very special edition of "sgmd." i'm sanjay gupta. i'm reporting to you from a place i never get to visit. we are in havana, cuba. we have been working on the documentary of diana nyad. this for some time. a few may not know who she is. one of the most aspiring people you'll ever meet. she is a 61-year-old long distance swimmer who set out to do the impossible. something that people told her that simply could not be done. she wanted to swim from here in havana, jump in the water right over here and swim all the way to florida. more than 100 miles. no rest. no shark cage. complete exposure to the elements. the swim was planned to take over two days through day and night. more than 60 hours. that's what the intent was going to be, and she had to do this again without any rest whatsoever. what we now know is diana lasted about half that distance. about 50 miles. 29 hours in the water. the currents were rough and the waves big.

i'm alina cho sitting in today for t.j. holmes. past the hour. >>> top stories now, it's back to work form tore some 45,000 unionized workers at verizon communications, on the picket lines the past two weeks fighting the company over diminished holidays, health and retirement benefits. although both sides haven't agreed to a contract just yet, they have agreed to continue to negotiate. >>> in iran, the attorney representing two u.s. hikers found guilty of spying says he hopes the holy month of ramadan might help lighten their prison sentences. both josh fattal and his friend slapped with jail sentences. their lawyer will appeal the sentences hoping the court shows leniency citing the spirit of ramadan. >>> a sense of jubilation with each victory over dictator moammar gadhafi's military, and the rebels say the capital of tripoli is next after securing the town of zawiya about 30 miles away, but gadhafi loyalists paint a far different picture saying the rebels are fighting and losing each battle. >>> i want to find out what's happeni

we will continue with the news room right now with alina cho. >> we're watching the case of the westhree, and we're talking about the wild roller coaster ride on wall street. it went up and then back down, but that's an improvement over yesterday. how do you make sense of it all? a very good question. to help sort it out,

cnn's alina cho has more on the damage there. >> the whole first floor is gone, this is the second floor actually. and -- >> reporter: this is the second floor? >> reporter: the living room, kitchen, rooms that were once one floor up in dino brainard's home are now hugging the beach at ground level. homes sheared in half by what many here call the perfect storm. >> it's eerie. you come back and it's almost like it's so surreal. >> reporter: like this scene, people enjoying their summer, just feet away from total devastation. these are the pilars on which the homes were built to protect them. this is what's left after irene. one resident told me it's as if one picked up their home, threw it and stomped on it. all of the homes flattered and reduced to rubble. >> we believe that we have 25 homes that are a total loss, and maybe another 20 that are uninhabitable. >> reporter: adding to the heartbroke, coalsy beach is tight knit and many families have owned their homes for generations, like jim delucia. >> we got a little water in here, now that's very unusual. >> reporter: 65 of his 70 summe