American Morning
Actor Patrick Swayze dies after cancer fight
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) - Patrick Swayze, whose hunky good looks and sympathetic performances in such films as "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost" made him a romantic idol to millions, died Monday. He was 57.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/09/15/patrick.swayze/art.swayze.gi.jpg caption="Patrick Swayze's doctor said in March 2008 that Swayze was suffering from pancreatic cancer."]
Swayze died of pancreatic cancer, his publicist, Annett Wolf, told CNN.
"Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months," Wolf said in a statement Monday.
Swayze's doctor, Dr. George Fisher, revealed in early March 2008 that Swayze was fighting the disease.
Most recently, Swayze starred in A&E network's "The Beast," which debuted in January. He agreed to take the starring role of an undercover FBI agent before his diagnosis. The network agreed to shoot an entire season of the show after Swayze responded well to cancer treatment.
In an interview with ABC's Barbara Walters in January, Swayze said his work on that show was exhausting, requiring 12-hour workdays in Chicago, Illinois, doing his own stunts. But he said the show's character "just felt right for my soul." iReport.com: Share your memories of Swayze
Rep. Wilson faces resolution of disapproval
CNN Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON (CNN) - The House will vote Tuesday on a resolution of disapproval of Rep. Joe Wilson, the South Carolina Republican who yelled "you lie" during President Barack Obama's health-care speech to a joint session of Congress last week.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/09/15/wilson.resolution/art.wilson2.gi.jpg caption="Rep. Joe Wilson, R-South Carolina, shouts "You lie!" during President Obama's speech Wednesday night."]
The House Democratic leadership met Monday evening and agreed to move forward with a resolution of disapproval, according to two Democratic leadership aides.
The resolution "goes directly to the issue of his conduct on the House floor," said Kristie Greco, spokeswoman for House Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina.
Discussion at Monday evening's leadership meeting was about "how this speaks to the breach of decorum alone, and not addressing the issue sets a precedent for bad behavior," Greco said.
"We're not the British Parliament for a reason," she added.
What’s on Tap – Tuesday September 15th 2009
Here are the big stories on the agenda today:
- A campus in shock. A case unsolved. Yale University holds a candlelight vigil for murdered grad student Annie Le. Hear what her roommate had to say and the latest on the police investigation. Why some on the campus are saying, "there could be a murderer among us."
- A tragic loss in Hollywood. Stars, fans and family all celebrating the life and mourning the death of Patrick Swayze this morning. The 57-year-old actor battled pancreatic cancer for nearly two years. He became a silver screen idol in the 80's and 90's for his roles in "Ghost" and "Dirty Dancing." We’ll have a look back at his career.
- One year after the Lehman Brothers collapse kick-started a financial crisis, we're talking to the man who was known as "the sheriff of Wall Street,” before he became infamously known as “client 9,” Eliot Spitzer. What should we really be doing to fix the economy and bring back all the jobs lost in the past year? The former governor will join us live.
- Celebs, pro athletes and politicians all behaving badly. From on court tirades, to on stage outbursts, to heckling the president in the chambers of Congress, where are our manners? We’ll ask an expert on etiquette.
'Electric Zoo' brings new light to dance music in NYC
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/09/17/electric.zoo.art.jpg caption="26,000 electronic music fans gathered for the two-day Electric Zoo Festival in New York on Labor Day weekend."]
Dance music has long been relegated to dark nightclubs of the underground music scene in the United States. But over Labor Day weekend a new electronic music festival brought sunlight and fresh air to the growing genre.
Electric Zoo Festival, a first of its kind event in the U.S., set up shop at Randall’s Island Park in New York City for a two-day, open-air dance music party.
Over sixty artists took to four stages to perform in front of a crowd of thousands of eager fans, who were more than happy to see their preferred music genre given a new spotlight.
New York has always played home to emerging artists and cutting-edge trends in music. But with hundreds of the city’s club and music venues having shut down in the past decade, dance fans have been left with few places to turn.
Made Event co-founders Mike Bindra and Laura De Palma, no strangers to electronic dance music events, hit a seeming homerun with Electric Zoo.
“Electric Zoo was an incredible first festival for us. The natural beauty of Randall’s Island Park, the wide selection of musical choices, and the excitement of fellow beat junkies, all culminated in a successful inaugural festival. We look forward to bringing it for many years to come,” they said in a press release.
Armin van Buuren, Saturday’s headliner, topped a lineup of the electronic music industry’s biggest and best names: Kaskade, Deadmau5, Benny Benassi, Tiga, Roger Sanchez, Steve Aoki – just to name a few. If mainstream audiences aren’t familiar with some of those artists, they’re not to blame.
“It was in these places, the gay clubs, that dance music really started,” says Kaskade, born Ryan Raddon, a San Francisco DJ who became a star thanks to the underground music scene.
Techno, house, trance, electro – are just some of the names given to the multitude of genres and styles of music gaining in popularity. As the genres grow, so do the crowds – from hundreds to thousands.
Electric Zoo organizers announced a combined attendance of 26,000 people at the two-day event.
Traficant mulling another run for Congress
(CNN) — Former Democratic Rep. James Traficant, who only days ago was released from a federal prison after serving seven years on a bribery and racketeering conviction, told CNN Monday he may make a bid to return to Congress.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/09/02/art.trapicant2.0902.gi.jpg caption="Former Democratic Rep. James Traficant told CNN Monday he may make a bid to return to Congress."]
"I'm not sure at this point," Traficant told CNN's John Roberts on American Morning when asked if he wanted to seek a return to the body that, in a near unanimous vote, voted to expel him more than seven years ago.
"Both parties would not want to see me in Washington, believe me… I was very controversial down there," he said. "I'm the guy that changed the burden of proof in a civil tax case and had a bill moving forward that would finally, with the fair justice act, allow these people in the Justice Department to be charged and investigated and prosecuted for crimes."
Traficant also brushed aside recent criticisms from the mayor of Youngstown, Ohio — his hometown — that the former congressman is no longer representative of Ohio voters.
"I think I did a few things around Youngstown that helped Youngstown and improved Youngstown," said Traficant. "So I'm going to have a lot of…opposition if I do run, but quite frankly, I don't give a damn.
"You know, beam me up, I'm ready if I decide to run," Traficant also said, using his trademark closing like from Star Trek.
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