American Morning
U.S. census reaching out to immigrants
There's no running water, questionable sanitation, and abject poverty. No, it's not Port-au-Prince, but towns along America's Mexican border, called "colonias," where many are illegal immigrants.
Near Laredo, Texas, the U.S Census Bureau is reaching out, hoping the desperately poor will participate in next year's census. And as our Ed Lavandera found out, many in the "colonias" would rather be counted out, than in.
Should Americans trust the Red Cross?
Americans have opened their hearts and wallets for Haiti. The biggest recipient has been the Red Cross.
Texting the word "Haiti" has raised $31 million so far. America clearly trusts the Red Cross, but should we?
Our Allan Chernoff investigated the Red Cross relief effort in this report.
U.S. security plan for Vancouver Games
A huge point of focus for security and intelligence officials here in the U.S. during the Olympic Games will be at the border.
That means more planes in the air, more boats in the waters and plenty of extra eyes on border crossings. Our Homeland Security Correspondent Jeanne Meserve breaks down the security plan in this AM original report.
The cost of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
By Carol Costello and Ronni Berke
Gay advocates are hoping that on Tuesday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates will unveil a new approach to the current policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," which was put in place in 1993. More than 13,500 service members have been discharged under the law since 1994, according to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, an advocacy group seeking its repeal.
Critics say there are unseen and stiff costs involved in simply applying the law. The Government Accountability Office says "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" cost taxpayers $190.5 million dollars over its first ten years. However, a blue ribbon panel commissioned by the Palm Center at the University of California at Santa Barbara faulted the GAO figure as too low. The panel, which included former Defense Secretary William Perry, put the price tag at $363.7 million – factoring in the cost to recruit, train and then discharge gay troops.
"Repealing the ban would save money in the long run, absolutely," said Nathaniel Frank, senior fellow at the Palm Center. "We've spent roughly half a billion dollars kicking out competent gay people that we badly need just under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'" But some who support the current law say the cost doesn't justify repealing it.
"The discharge of 13,000 or so people is miniscule in comparison to the overall administrative burden the military pays every year – discharging 280,000 people a year," says retired Lt. Col. Bob Maginnis, who works as a Pentagon consultant.
Related: Sources: Joint Chiefs set to review 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy
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