American Morning
Afghan women: Don't exclude our men
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/04/07/afghan.women.world.vision.art.jpg caption="World Vision International launched a project in Afghanistan to train midwives to curb the staggering infant mortality rate in the country."]
By Carol Costello, CNN
(CNN) – In a place where women have few rights, it seems improbable women would plead for men's advancement too. But, it's happening in Afghanistan.
Not for the reasons you might think, but because many Afghan women realize without the support of fathers, brothers and uncles, they will remain second-class citizens.
For years, the United States has developed and funded special "women's only" programs to help women start their own small businesses.
And while those efforts have been greatly appreciated, some global women's groups wonder if these programs are as effective as they could be when it comes to achieving equality in a patriarchal society.
More disturbingly, some other women's groups say these efforts, if not done well, may actually endanger women.
"Women are put at greater risk of violence when they must return home to frustrated, unemployed husbands who don't understand why their wives are getting training and credit and they are not," says Ritu Sharma, president of Women Thrive Worldwide.
It's time, says Sharma, to look at helping Afghan women in a more inclusive way – and that means including brothers and husbands – as well as sisters and wives.
"Gender is about looking at the different roles ... that men and women have in their families ... and then designing projects that meet everyone's needs."
Trapped miners don't respond to rescuers
(CNN) – A bore hole was drilled early Wednesday into the area of a West Virginia coal mine where four miners, unaccounted for following an explosion Monday, are expected to be found, Gov. Joe Manchin said.
Pipes were lowered into the hole, and officials banged on the pipes in an effort to contact those underground, but there was no response, Manchin said.
The hole punched through about 4:15 a.m. ET, the governor said. Two more holes were under way, and a fourth is planned.
"There's a sliver of hope, but we know that the odds are not in our favor," West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin told CNN.
"Everyone's going to cling to the hope of a miracle," he told reporters. "That is the true agony of this."
One drill bore down 1,100 feet to open a 6-inch hole in a ceiling of the mine, said Chris Adkins, CEO of Massey Energy Co., owner of the Upper Big Branch South Mine where Monday's fatal blast occurred.
Teens plead not guilty in bully case
(CNN) – Three teens accused in the bullying of a Massachusetts high school student who committed suicide pleaded not guilty to related charges Tuesday.
Sean Mulveyhill, 17, Kayla Narey, 17, and Austin Renaud, 18, were not present at Hampshire Superior Court. They entered their pleas through their lawyers. Our Alina Cho has the report.
Read more: 3 teens charged in Massachusetts bullying case plead not guilty
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[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/04/07/miners.sign.art.gi.jpg caption="The deaths of 25 workers in a West Virginia coal mine have turned a spotlight on the safety record of the mine's owner, which has paid record fines for safety violations."]
Fatal mine accident sparks scrutiny of owner's record
(CNN) – The deaths of at least 25 workers in a West Virginia coal mine this week have turned a harsh spotlight on the safety record of the mine's owner, which has paid record fines for safety and environmental violations.
Virginia-based Massey Energy Co. has racked up millions of dollars in penalties in recent years. The Montcoal, West Virginia, mine where Monday's fatal explosion took place received 458 citations from federal inspectors in 2009, and more than 50 of those were for problems that the operators knew about but had not corrected, according to federal mine safety records.
The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration hit the company with nearly $900,000 in fines in 2009 and has sought more than $100,000 in the first quarter of 2010. Inspectors cited the operators more than 100 times in the first quarter of 2010, including six times for "unwarrantable failure" to correct violations. FULL STORY
Mass. teens arraigned in Prince bullying-death
Three more Massachusetts high school students accused in the bullying-death of Phoebe Prince will be arraigned today. Yesterday, three others pleaded "not guilty." In all, as many as nine teens could face charges from statutory rape to stalking. Prosecutors say their relentless abuse led to 15-year-old Prince's suicide. Our Alina Cho has the report from the courthouse in Northhampton, Massachusetts. FULL STORY
Doctors who deny addicts in danger
You have seen the headlines from stars like Heath Ledger to Michael Jackson, but America's pill problem is growing in places far away from the spotlight. A new study says prescription drug overdoses were up by two thirds, from 1999 to 2006. Today in our series "Addicted," Carol Costello shows us it can be deadly, not only for the addict, but for the doctor who comes between the addict and his fix. FULL STORY
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