American Morning
Fast Forward
The stories that will be making news later today:
More and more Americans are filing for unemployment. Today at 8:30 am eastern the Labor Department releases its report of weekly jobless claims. We'll have those numbers for you as soon as that report comes out.
All day long we'll be watching the severe storms affecting most of the United States. In Fargo North Dakota officials are planning for possible flooding evacuations. While blizzard conditions are expected in the Rockies. Meanwhile the southern states are on watch for extreme thunderstorms.
Later today, IBM is expected to announce it plans to lay off about five-thousand employees. These cuts make up about four-percent of IBM's work force based in the United States. This comes after IBM's January layoffs when the company cut thousands of its workers.
At 10 am eastern Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner heads back to Capitol Hill. He's expected to outline the administration's plans for preventing future financial collapse.
What's on Tap – Thursday March 26th, 2009.
Man vs. Water and the War Next Door… Here are the big stories are on agenda this morning:
The Fight to Save Fargo: First a blizzard. Now flooding that could reach near biblical proportions. They’re piling two-million sandbags in sub-freezing temperatures along the Red River. People of all ages, professions and backgrounds – trying to hold back the water.
And 200 miles to the west, crews in the capital city of Bismarck are blasting apart ice on the Missouri river.
Stopping a War at the Border: The exclusive interview with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who says America’s thirst for drugs is fueling a bloody war in Mexico. What if Mexico becomes a Pakistan of Afghanistan, but in our backyard?
Some Drama Obama: The president showing a little impatience with reporters and with the pace at which the country’s problems are being solved. American Morning viewers are getting a little uneasy too. Is the honeymoon officially over?
Savers’ Remorse: A new state of psychological tension, spawned by this economy. Why not indulging enough can hurt you emotionally.
And – Pimp This Bum: a father-son marketing team using homeless people to create buzz for their website, but are these entrepreneurs exploiting victims of the times or bringing attention and help to a needy cause?
We Listen!
Here’s your daily recap of the best feedback we got from YOU on the blog, Facebook, Twitter, Email. Continue the conversation below. And remember, keep it brief, and keep it clean. Thanks!
American Morning viewers eagerly expressed their opinions about President Obama’s second press conference in office. Most were very supportive of the president’s agenda, given his limited time in office:
- Sheldon – I am no economist, but President Obama has been in office for a little over two months tackling a problem eight years in the making. The least Republicans can do is put their heads together to help find solutions to the problems that they created. If they have better ideas then it is their duty as Americans to make them known instead of silently hoping that the "other guy" loses.
Others expressed deep concern about the president’s proposed budget:
- Vivi – When did educating our children and taking care of our sick become wasteful spending? We play rescue country to every other place on earth BUT GOD forbid us to help ourselves!!!!!
- Sherry – The budget is: There is no budget, only a blank check backed by the full faith & credit of our children & grandchildren. America wanted him, America got him.
What are your thoughts on President Obama’s news conference? Do you think we’re headed in the right direction or are we on a course for disaster? Tell us your thoughts about the record budget.
Thompson: I want some of Obama's policies to fail
The President came into last night's news conference with the specific point that his giant budget plan is vital to fixing the economy.
And to his Republican critics he said, "Got any better ideas?"
Former GOP Presidential Candidate Fred Thompson joined us live with his reaction.
Is Thompson right in wanting some of President Obama's policies to fail? Tell us what you think.
Bring on the budget!
We survived the TARP debate. Then the stimulus fight. Bring on the budget!
The political wrangling over the president's $3.6 trillion budget is set to explode this week on the Hill. The president is pitching the budget as an investment initiative, not a bunch of typical big government spending. He says investments in energy, healthcare, and education will seed a recovery and grow a more efficient economy. All the while, he promises, with an eye firmly on fiscal responsibility. He pledges to cut the budget deficit in half by 2013.
It'll be tough. His growth assumptions are slightly more optimistic than some economists. I asked noted economist (and AM regular) Jeff Sachs this morning about the president's statement in his press conference, that his budget's assumptions are "consistent with what blue-chip forecasters are saying."
"That's just wrong," Sachs said. Sachs and many others worry that a recovery when it comes will be weak. A UCLA Anderson School of Management survey released this morning is more pessimistic than the White House assumptions on unemployment (UCLA forecasts unemployment will hit 10.5% in the middle of 2010 and will still be above 9% in 2011, even as a recovery takes hold.)
Frank defends calling Scalia a "homophobe"
Congressman Barney Frank is taking some heat for referring to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia as a "homophobe".
The Massachusetts congressman joined us live to defend his comments.
What do you think about Frank's comments? Is Justice Scalia a "homophobe" for his dissent of Lawrence v. Texas?
About this Show
Welcome to the American Morning blog where you can get daily news updates from American Morning's reporters and producers. Join us for "the most news in the morning," weekdays from 6-9 a.m. ET, only on CNN.
On Twitter
