what? they found another way to spend your money. plus, a dramatic escape for passengers aboard a delta flight. we'll show you what happened in this memorial day weekend, the fleet has arrived in new york. i'll speak to a marine who survived being shot and is headed back to combat in afghanistan. we start with spending cuts on capitol hill. every politician is looking for a way to save a little money, whether it's from medicare or public television or what have you. but funding cuts may not be on the menu when it comes to pet projects. yes, they say they have banned earmarks, but somehow lawmakers are finding a way to keep the money on hand. they're taking it from other projects. so instead of cutting that money from the bottom line, they're funneling it to a little known pentagon fund. senior cnn congressional correspondent dana bash has a look at that. >> reporter: redstone arsenal in alabama could go et $2.5 million added to a defense bill for unmanned vehicle technology thanks to congressman mo brooks who represents the district. that is probably going to go to your district and help your constituents. >> i can't say it is going to the fifth congressional district but i will say this, if that is a service we can offer to america, i'll be tickled pink. >> reporter: in this press release brooks boasted about getting more jobs for his district. that sounds like an earmark which the house banned this year. what's this all about? watchdog groups worry it is a back door way around the ban. house armed services chairman cut hundreds of millions of dollars from a variety of defense programs and put the money in a newly created pot dubbed "the mission force enhancement transfer fund." lawmakers are using it to pay for projects and policy proposals. to some, it is a pet project slush fund. >> this money has never been in this bill before. it's certainly suspicious that it has occurred for the first time ever earmarks have been placed under a moratorium, and it looks like a work-around. >> reporter: but it is another form of pork. >> well, no, i disagree. i don't think that it is pork because you're not able to allocate where it goes. >> reporter: that is a big difference with traditional earmarks, lawmakers guaranteed funding for projects back home. here, the defense department has final say over the money. but in some cases, there appears to be little doubt lawmakers' districts would benefit. betty sutton secured more than $30 million for a defense corrosion prevent program and projects. it so happens the university of akron in her ohio district has the first corrosive engineering program in the country. sutton declined a cnn interview request. then there's the tea party-backed freshman steve palazzo, scoring $9.9 million for navy ship design and feasibility studies and sent out this press release promising much of it will directly benefit south mississippi ship building. he also declined to talk to cnn and aides said the navy would ultimately decide how the money is spent. senator clair mccaskill, a long time earmark opponent, says she knows the way things work and doesn't buy it. >> somebody's going to call the defense department and say this is what it heavelps, this is whi want it for. if it locks like a duck, if it quacks like a duck, it is a duck. it is an earmark. >> reporter: most representatives said they would not agree to an interview. until the pentagon ultimately decides, we won't know for sure if lawmakers successfully steered pork to their districts. regardless, some deficit hawks say members of the house armed services committee should have used the hundreds of millions of dollars they found in pentagon savings to help pay down the sky-high deficit, not for even more government spending. dana bash, cnn, washington. we're talking about hundreds of millions of dollars here. put that into a special fund for the pentagon or should we say pet projects? joining me now, steve ellis, the vice president of taxpayers for common sense. steve, thanks for coming in on the holiday weekend. is it disingenuous for congress to talk about cuts while funneling money to this fund, and they said they were getting rid of earmarks but is this just sort of a way to get around that? >> well, it certainly appears that that's the intent here. i mean they created this mission force enhancement transfer fund, and then mao they just transferred -- they basically put $1 billion into this fund and they used $700 million of that to go to a variety of different member oriented pet projects. and so here in washington, they're talking about cuts, that you canning about competition. but when they go back to their district they are talking about bringing home the bacon, just like they always have. >> they say that it is the pentagon making the final decisions, not the lawmakers. so maybe that's the reason you don't call it an earmark? do you buy that argument? >> well, some of that will depend on what happens in the long run but in reality you can game the system such that it is a very one-sided competition. if you're giving funding to a project that's gotten funding year after year after year, for instance, representative hunter from southern california got $5 million for a brown-out, basically a helicopter sensor. and he's gotten funding for that project in each of the last three fiscal years. so clearly when the prosecuting looks around they're going to go back to that exact same entity. >> you know, steve, over the years you and i have talked many times about earmarks and the one thing we always have to say is, this is just a drop in the bucket when you look at the entire budget. what is the reason why this actually matters to americans? >> well, you know, we're essentially -- one is, we have a $1.65 trillion budget deficit and congress should be looking in the couch cushions for every bit of spare change and not sending it back home. but two is, they invite this corruption into the process and i mean the small seat corruption where we pick winners and losers on the basis of political muscle rather than project merit. for instance, only members of the armed services committee actually got these projects. the rest of congress was not able to do it. >> picking the winners and losers. that's the thing. thanks so much, steve ellis, for coming in on the holiday weekend and i'll see you back in the nation's capital. the nation's chief executive offering comfort to tornado damaged joplin, missouri later today. president obama is expected to arrive shortly after 1:00 p.m. eastern. he's going to meet with tornado victims and deliver brief remarks at 3:00 eastern at a memorial service. his visit comes as the death toll rises now to 142. more than 90 people remain missing. the city is going to observe a moment of silence at 5:41 central this afternoon. that is the precise time when one week ago today that tornado plowed a half-mile path through joplin. president obama's visit to joplin comes one month to the day after he visited tuscaloosa, alabama. an april 27 tornado there killed 41 people. 1 of 14 tornadoes that tore across that state. homeland security secretary janet napolitano toured pratt, alabama shortly after that tornado. she's headed to another town to survey recovery efforts there today. lockheed martin says they've successfully fought off a cyber attack and projected the integrity of customer and employee data. the attack was launched may 21st but the aerospace company is not saying what part of their computer system was targeted. lockheed martin says they have kept government agencies in the loop on the investigation. people are back in their homes this morning after a scary situation in hudson, north carolina. a massive fire at a chemical plant there forced the evacuation of more than 700 homes in the area. crews fought the fire well into the night. we don't know how it got started. the plant makes chemicals to coat furniture. the epa does say the air is safe to breathe. the taliban is claiming responsibility for an attack on a top coalition general in afghanistan. the german general is one of the regional commanders for the international security force there. he's in stable condition. seven people were killed in the suicide attack that took place during a meeting between isaf and afghan military officials. the remains of seven u.s. military personnel killed overseas returned saturday to dover air force base in delaware. fallen troops include sergeant christopher solsby killed thursday in an attack in afghanistan and chief warrant officer christopher continthibe who killed during combat. what caused the landing gear on this plane to catch? 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[ male announcer ] ge technologies help doctors detect cancer early so they can save more lives. bringing better health to more people. ♪ fleeing a fire on the runway. passengers had to use those inflatable emergency slides to get away from the delta plane when smoke started billowing out of the landing gear. we get more now from george howell from cnn affiliate wsb. >> reporter: emergency crews responded to delta flight 2284 from pittsburgh after officials say the brakes overheated on the taxiway causing the fire. >> i just thought we need to get off plane. they kept telling us they are assessing the situation. i think when the fire broke out we opened the doors and we all went down the emergency chutes. >> reporter: cat reason harrison was one of 4 3 passengers on-board. >> the pilot got the plane to stop but then there was a burning smell and the right side of the plane caught on fire. >> reporter: harrison says it was bumpy landing. passengers were evacuated on the taxiway and bussed to a terminal. it will be examined at a maintenance facility. >> i'm lucky, i'm going home. but people were fly to paris and other places and it is going to be a long time until they get their luggage. they say it is a national safety board investigation. >> actually, took around two hours for the luggage to make it to the terminal. investigators will check out the plane to find out what caused the problem. we're going from the food pyramid to the plate. the government is trying a new shape to illustrate what we should be eating. the pyramid has been the standard for around 20 years. the new shape is part of a new initiative to promote healthy eating and good choices. here's cnn's senior medical correspondent elizabeth cohen. >> the pyramid, to put it gently, is not considered a great public health success. you don't look at it and think, oh, i get it, now i know how to eat right. it was confusing and divided into lots of intricate sections and one of the biggest criticism is that the stuff you weren't supposed to eat so much like sweets and sugars were at top of the pyramid which is sort of counterintuitive. >> the new design is from the agriculture department, expected to be unveiled on thursday. almost a quarter past the hour. let's check in now with meteorologist reynolds wolf, today's weather forecast looking pretty good. we're getting ready for memorial day officially. >> that's right. a lot of people have their own pyramid that's going to include barbecuing an outdoor events. >> corn on the cob. >> you got to have that. one thing people will take on their outdoor menu, snow skiing. joe, take a look at this video. these are conditions near aspen, also near yellowstone. the snow is so great in some places, they're going to allow ski runs to be open in aspen. we've been warned top the top of the mountain things are fine but towards the end of the run, things are a little slushy. just the idea you're out there on memorial day is cool enough. a little bit farther up the rockies, tetons and yellowstone national park show snow at 20 feet in some locations. good times. we show you radar. plenty of snowfall still coming down the grand tetons and yellowstone national park right about here. you see idaho falls, low lying areas, mainly rainfall in the highest spots the snow will pile up. in some locations you could see five to nine inches of snowfall in the mountains, valleys, considerably less. out in sierra nevadas, basically same situation. anyone driving along parts of i-80 you won't have an issue but near pare dies, california, you look up the towards the summit, it should be just spectacular for you. what you can anticipate the rest of your forecast today, we'll be kind of stormy in the central plains and back into the portions of the great lakes. especially those of you tuning in from commerce township, expect a chance of thunderstorms near detroit. as you make your way into the central plains from texas northward into conditions and oklahoa in kansas, some snow but out in california, could be picture perfect. new york should be okay. sunshine and clouds but late monday the rain may be moving in. witnessing america's military might on the high seas. new york celebrates fleet week and you'll meet one of the heroes being honored this memorial day weekend. >> hello, this is staff sergeant amanda ford in baghdad, iraq. i just want to give a shout out to my husband, ker currently lo at ft. bragg, north carolina. i want to say thank you to all those serving in the military and words cannot express the grat feud i feel for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice serving today in iraq and afghanistan. thank you so much. 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[ 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. you've probably heard the saying "practice what you preach." but one atlanta church is taking it to a whole new level. a pastor is literally sheltering his flock and housing members of his congregation who have fallen on hard times. listen to this from my colleague randi kaye. >> reporter: gas is up, the economy is down, and jobs are down right hard to come by. but in these trying times, four strangers formed a brotherhood of sorts. all are without a job trying to get their life back on track. >> we help each other out because it gets like that some time. it is hard to live check to check but when you got brothers that will support you, it helps out a lot. >> reporter: and all were brought together by this man -- pastor tony smith. smith delivers the sermon at way of god church in atlanta. when he saw his congregation fall on hard times, he knew he had to live by the words he preached. >> when the economy fail, people found themselves not able to get jobs and find places to stay and just needed a boost in some way to help them out. >> reporter: help is an understatement. pastor smith literally shelters his flock. he purchased a home for members to live in at no cost, while they struggle to get back on their feet. members like dexter thompson. >> i was in the military. i got out and, you know, i started getting into drugs and alcohol and, you know, all those type of things. so one day i just got sick of that lifestyle that i had and i just wanted to change what i was doing. >> reporter: with the help of his new support group, this brotherhood, thompson did change. >> i actually got hired on full time as an electrician. i also have another job where i work at home. i'm able to get some extra hours in so i can make some extra money, get on my feet. i'm looking to move out one day and so some other members can come through. >> watching these people recover, they finally kind of break through. you let them know that there is hope in the midst of did he spare. so it is definitely a delight. it is a blessing. >> more than 30 people have cycled through the house since it was purchased by pastor smith in 2006. the way of god church is now looking to buy another home where female congregation members can live while trying to get back on their feet. if you want to explore more about your faith or other faiths, go to cnn's belief blog at cnn.com/belief. new york harbor is a bit more crowded and patriotic these days as the city hosts the 24th annual fleet week for the u.s. navy, marines and coast guard, allowing civilians an up-close look at our nation's military might and a chance to meet the heroes who serve so admirably. i'd like to introduce you to one of those heroes right now, 1st lieutenant matthew crimpal, a purple heart recipient for his time in afghanistan. tell me why fleet week is so special. >> main reason fleet week is so special, we're out here for two reasons really -- to educate the public on exactly what we do for navy marine corps team. a lot of americans don't really understand it. they think it is a rivalry between the navy and marine corps. and it is an enjoyable rivalry but at the same point we're always out there 24/7, 365 somewhere parked off the side of the coast in order to provide service to america and most people don't know that, like with the recent conflict in libya and that air force pilot who went down, we were part as part after naval marine corps team to retrieve him as well as any humanitarian missions that may pop up around the world. we have been there and we continue to be there as well. the second reason is really to remember those who have fallen. our brothers in arms, sailors and marines who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. >> now you have already served a tour in afghanistan, you're getting ready to go back. you were actually wounded in the line of duty the first time. tell me a little bit about that and why it won't keep you from returning to afghanistan. >> well, ultimately what happened on the last tour i got shot twice in my right arm. spent about a week in the hospital. but ultimately as an officer we're taught from the beginning you have to be out there for your guys. for myself i work out with my platoon, about 46 marines, for a good year training with them, then eventually deployed with them. an for myself just to turn around and go home is really an after-thought. it's impossible to do for us. we have to be for our guys, be on patrol with them constantly and be able to put ourselves on the line as well and do what we ask them to do plain and simple. really it's no question in my mind that would i go back, it is just when i need to go back. >> now so much of our military effort in afghanistan really started with osama bin laden and the attacks on the twin towers in new york city. now as you return to afghanistan, knowing that osama bin laden has been eliminated, does that sort of change your outlook and your view of what you're going to be doing over there? >> not exactly. i mean of course, every american, it is good what happened with osama bin laden happened and for those new yorkers especially that were heavily hit by 9/11 to kind of get that closure. but for ourselves, i mean the overall mission remains the same and when i was over there, yeah, that was kind of an afterthought. we were mainly focused on helping out afghan public and being able to just bring freedom to the afghan people and of course, osama bin laden's great but we were kind of focused initially on a higher mission, sir. >> now here you have a date at citi field with the new york mets baseball team on military appreciation day. tell me what's going to happen in the seventh inning stretch, if you know. >> yes, sir. well, it should be a good night, sir. i'm going to be able to check out a couple of my lieutenant buddies and they should be presenting myself up on the jumbotron and introduce myself and tell the marine corps story to the people out there. should be a good time. >> thank you so much on-board the iwo jima. i've been on-board that vessel before. we appreciate your service. happy memorial day. a forecast in washington, d.c. -- plenty of rolling thunder but one potential presidential candidate may hog up all the attention from the veteran bikers. we'll talk with the club's founder., at is at work, building up our wireless network all across america. we're adding new cell sites... increasing network capacity, and investing billions of dollars to improve your wireless network experience. from a single phone call to the most advanced data download, we're covering more people in more places than ever before in an effort to give you the best network possible. at&t. rethink possible. to london starts with arthritis pain... and a choice. take tylenol now, and maybe up to 8 in a day. or...choose aleve and 2 pills for a day free of pain. enjoy the flight. or...choose aleve and 2 pills for a day free of pain. ♪ ♪ membership rewards points from american express. they're a social currency with endless possibilities. ♪ ♪ when you're resonsible for this much of the team, you need a car you can count on. ♪ but it's our job to make them say something interesting. so how about this weekend we learn some new tricks of the trade... then break out our doing clothes and get rolling. let's use some paint that helps us get the job done in record time and makes a statement when we're finished. we're lowering the cost of a new favorite color. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. get five dollars off gallon cans of our top paint brands, now through memorial day only. 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. checking our top stories. president obama is just back from europe and he's heading for joplin, missouri. he will deliver brief marks during a memorial service at missouri's southern state university. at least 132 people died in joplin. more than 90 are still missing. atlanta police say one woman died and another is in critical condition after falling from a tenth floor hotel window. police say the women were play fighting when they accidentally crashed through the window. the remains of seven u.s. military personnel killed overseas returned saturday to dover air force base in delaware. the fallen troops include sergeant christopher soldby and chief warrant officer christopher thibadeau, both killed on thursday. now let me tell you what's going on in washington, d.c. today. potential gop candidate sarah palin is kicking off her bus tour there coinciding with the annual rolling thunder bike rally. but is she exploiting what's supposed to be a non-political event? cnn's sandra is live at the pentagon. she's not exactly crashing the party but then again, show's not exactly invited. >> reporter: well, exactly, joe. we are waiting for the potential presidential candidate to arrive here at the pentagon. we apparently found out that she will be riding a motorcycle just like the thousands who have gathered here for this annual rolling thunder ride for freedom. thousands of motorcyclists are here, they're gathered, they're waiting for the day to start. it is packed with activities for them to honor the veterans of the nation, as well as prisoners of war an those missing in action. let's bring in the national executive director of rolling thunder. tell me what's unique about this day today and the events that are set for this memorial day. >> well, it's to let america know and the world what memorial day is all about, that we honor those who gave their lives and limbs and minds so that we can live in freedom the way we do in america. and other countries that we made free. and to basically put a little more pressure on our government for the live american p.o.w.s that they have left behind and done absolutely nothing for to get them released in all these years. we don't care if you're american p.o.w.s or foreign p.o.w.s but any country who holds p.o.w.s from any previous war we want them returned. >> you'll be hearing from secretary gates latered a admiral mike mullen at your rally at the national mall but also potential presidential candidate sarah palin will be riding with your group. tell me about how that came to play? >> they said they wanted to ride with us and they're welcome just like anybody else. we're all here in this country as one and they have just as much right to ride with us as everybody else an we're glad to have everybody here. >> do you feel like she's politicizing this event though? >> to this point i don't think so. the media turned that around the wrong way the past couple of days and we sort of hopefully straightened it out that she's coming here just to ride with us for the issue. i believe one of her sons is in the military and i think that's one of the reasons she's also here. >> artie, thank you so much. have a great day. it is all going to kick off in just a matter of hours. they will ride from here from the pentagon to the national mall for a big rally. joe? >> sandra end dodoendo, thanks . a special memorial day edition of state of union with candy crowley at 9:00 eastern. she's talking about the difficulties veterans face after returning from serving. i'll ask her about that after the break. what makes us number one in motorcycle insurance? we love bikes. we love riders. and most of all, we love to ride. perfect hair every time. leading the pack in motorcycle insurance. now, that's progressive. call or click today. at 9:00 eastern this morning, in honor of memorial day, state of the union is concentrating on issues that affect veterans. candy crowley joins me from washington now. candy, some veterans returning home from military service are experiencing a lot of difficulties, aren't they? >> the figures are pretty astonishing. 1 in 4 deals with either substance abuse problems, ptsd, homelessness. look, most veterans come home and find a way to cope with the world that they find and move on to have very productive lives, but there are those particularly those coming back from what really has been the longest war counting iraq and afghanistan, who, after double and triple rotations into these war zones, are coming back with some serious problems. the va, by everyone we've talked to, said it has improved but it is not there yet in terms of getting some services to some of the these veterans who are really in need. one of the things that really had us sitting up straight was a statistic that showed in a year-long period, more veterans and active military kill themselves than died in combat. that's quite an eye-blinking number. we wanted to kind of look in and say, look, the best way to memorialize those who died in the service of country is to maybe take a look at how we're treating those who were lucky enough to live. >> yeah, i know i've actually talked to one veteran who became homeless because she got injured in afghanistan and while she was recovering, she lost her job obviously, lost her income, ended up homeless, all of this after serving her country. really sad story. so you're talking to senator patty murray about trying to help veterans who are unemployed. what's she trying to do? >> she's got a couple of bills on capitol hill that she's pushing. one of them would require that those coming home go through kind of job training, job education. remember, a lot of young vets whose first job was actually the military. so now they get ready to go out into what's a bad economy. they have skills obviously, they've learned -- one of the things i thought was so interesting that medics. okay, now imagine the things they're seeing during warfare. when medics come out can't even drive an ambulance because they need to go through certification which generally teaches them things they learned quite well while they were serving overseas. so there are a lot of things, a lot of holes and gaps. she also wants to give tax credits to businesses who hire veterans. so those are a couple of ways she thinks she can help. but i have to say one other thing. that is, we learned that only half the vets coming home actually sign up for va benefits. so there's a huge disconnect and there are a lot of sort of private things. the other thing we learned in these conversations is the government can't do it all, that the community has to start reaching out to some of these vets, whether it is the vet next door or a veterans organization. >> this is a memorial day weekend edition of "state of the union" with candy crowley. candy, we'll be watching. starts in about 15 minutes at 9:00 eastern, 6:00 a.m. pacific right here on cnn. for a soldier going into a battle zone, it never hurts to ask for a little help from above. saints riding into the fight on the wrists of america's warriors. ♪ ♪ you know i like my chicken fried notes ♪ and cold beer on a friday night ♪ ♪ a pair of jeans that fit just right ♪ ♪ and a radio on >> that's awesome. that's the zac brown band there. if you ever see them in concert, you may notice they're wearing battle saint bracelets. these are not-for-profit idea that comes from the lamay family, the wife of our weekend managing editor jim lamay here at cnn. >> something else that she happens to be is she is obviously the mother of one of our enlisted men and all moms tend to worry quite a bit. what she's done is taken some her worry and turned it into something positive. take a look. >> reporter: a somber march. a loud ovation and a last good-bye for these deploying troops. the atlanta airport is the final stop on their way to war, so that's where you'll find military moms like cynthia lamay. >> where are you guys headed? afghanistan? >> reporter: lamay knows the pain of deployment all too well. >> our son right now is in afghanistan. my nephew just got back from his third tour in afghanistan and we also have several other members that are in harm's way. >> reporter: while she can't be on the front lines protecting her son, she can ask for a little help from above. >> i put together these saints bracelet. my son's been wearing it since he went over. he's been in a couple of firefighters and attacks. >> reporter: this is the battle saint bracelet, made up of 12 to 16 different saints, each with a unique military connection. >> these are bracelets actually have different saints on them, including st. christopher to protect you when you travel, and st. paur bra to protect you if you work with explosives, that have very specific meaning to the military and provide them specific protection. >> reporter: she started it as a way to feel connected and to show support for troops overseas. and now the small memento has spread to hollywood and beyond. ♪ may freedom forever fly ♪ let it ring ♪ salute the ones who died sthoets ♪ ♪ the ones that give their lives so we don't have to sacrifice all the things we love ♪ ♪ and a little bit of chicken fried ♪ >> reporter: you'll find them on the wrists of celebrities like zac brown and the cast from "band of brothers," and now you can get them online, too. a token of support for those at home and those on the front lines. >> i feel pretty proud to wear this and it makes me feel like i'll be a little more protected over there, like i got somebody watching over me a little more. >> when you have a loved one in harm's way, not a moment goes by when you don't think of them. so we wear these every day. we think of our loved ones and all the other servicemen and women who make so many sacrifices every day. >> the battle saint bracelets cost only $5. $1 of that goes to the intrepid fallen hero fund. a very good cause. >> the thing that i've thought about is when you look at the other bracelets people wear around that are very popular, these actually look better. i mean they're much more artistic, they have the little ceramic painting designs. they're pretty good looking things. conversation pieces. >> no question. very simple, very elegant, great cause. you bet. saving money and helping the troops and all you need is a printer or a pair of scissors. you'll hear from the coupon king next. dishing on how the pros really shop. 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 but when she got asthma, all i could do was worry ! specialists, lots of doctors, lots of advice... and my hands were full. i couldn't sort through it all. with unitedhealthcare, it's different. we have access to great specialists, and our pediatrician gets all the information. everyone works as a team. and i only need to talk to one person about her care. we're more than 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. each day was fueled by thorough preparation for events to come. well somewhere along the way, emily went right on living. but you see, with the help of her raymond james financial advisor, she had planned for every eventuality. which meant she continued to have the means to live on... even at the ripe old age of 187. life well planned. see what a raymond james advisor can do for you. you probably know all about saving big by paying with coupons. it is probably the worst kept secret in shopping. but nathan ingles is a guy who knows the real deal. he's not only making out like a bandit, his coupon clipping also benefits u.s. troops serving overseas. i asked him how he got into extreme couponing. >> started it because my wife and i got married and we combined our finances and i'll tell you, we were just drowning in debt. we had so much debt, it was just incredible. so we started setting a grocery budget. through setting a grocery budget i realized i had to stretch my opinion. so naturally i turned to coupons to do that. >> i went on your website and signed up because i'm something of a coupon fanatic myself. some folks though accuse you and other couponers on the show of being a horder but the most important thing that we've been talking about all weekend here at cnn is all the groceries that you're buying that benefits troop a. give us an idea how all this works. >> well, what we can do is we buy a lot of stuff, as you can see on tlc's "extreme couponing." what we do with all that stuff is we are empowered to give it away. that's one of the great things about it. lot of people when they see the show they say, wow, those people have so much stuff in their garage but they don't understand why you would stockpile. why would you pay for something later when it's free or cheap today. but if it is free or cheap today, buy a couple extras so you can give it away. we're empowered to give away to great organizations, operation home front, and the things i wouldn't be able to buy $300 or $400 worthfy didn't have coupons. because because i do, i can donate those wipes to the troops in afghanistan. >> give us an idea how many boxes of stuff you have in your house right now. >> i do have a lot. if you watch the show you can see my stockpile. it is a pretty -- it impresses me sometimes. but i mean what -- our stockpile is really designed to prevent me from spending $200 or $300 at the store. right now i think i have 20 or 30 tubes of toothpaste, about 50 boxes of cereal. 300 or 400 cans of vegetable or soup. but those things have a great shelf life and i don't have to buy them when they are expensive at the store. >> you're kind of an extreme example but is there any way the average shopper can use coupons to donate stuff to troops? >> sure. you can get on our website and that's a great place where you can learn how to do this. it is really simple for the average shopper. doesn't take too much time if you know what you're doing. we liken this a lot to chess. you have to learn how to play the game and if you learn how to play the coupon game you'll really play it well but you sort of have to learn the rules. websites like ours are a great way to empower you to learn. we provide you with lots of lists and coupon match-ups that will make time that you spend doing this a lot quicker. >> i've also read that you sort of dumpster dive for coupons. >> yeah. who wants to actually try to spend money for coupons? if you buy a lot of newspapers like a lot of couponers do, you spent $20 or $40. that's counterintuitive so we stress creative ways to get coupons cheaply. a lot of times can you go to a cafe and see if anybody's purchased a paper and discarded it. go to a dumpster and pick out the sunday newspapers that have coupons in them. there are lots of different ways can you get coupons cheaply. >> nathan engles, thanks so much for that. you're coming to us from cincinnati, which is my home state of ohio. good to see you up bright and early. thanks a lot. no photo shop here. check out these never-before-seen pictures of hollywood icon marilyn monroe. they were taken in los angeles, probably around 1950. sold decades later at a garage sale. only problem is, no one knows who took them. if someone steps forward as the photographer, he or she may still hold the copyrights to the shots. monroe died in 1962. the governor of missouri joins candy crowley at the top of the hour to preview president obama's visit to tornado victims. imagine living your life with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a non-narcotic treatment that's fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young 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[ male announcer ] ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. "state of the union" with candy crowley is come up at the top of the hour. but a quick check of this morning's headlines -- president obama is heading out to joplin, missouri this morning to meet with some of the victims of last week's ternd that killed 142 people. he'll also make brief remarks at an afternoon memorial. a moment of silence at 5:41 central today, the exact moment one week ago when the tornado struck. the taliban with claiming responsibility for an attack on a top coalition general in afghanistan. the german general is one of