American Morning
Craig Robinson on life with sister Michelle Obama
(CNN) – Craig Robinson is first lady Michelle Obama's big brother and head coach of the men's basketball team at Oregon State University. He also had the honor of introducing his sister at the 2008 Democratic Convention.
Robinson has written a memoir titled, "A Game of Character: A Family Journey from Chicago's Southside to the Ivy League and Beyond." Our Kiran Chetry sat down to talk with him about his new book and even learned some tips on how to shoot hoops.
Don't miss: Excerpt: A Game of Character by Craig Robinson
'South Park' creators threatened for Mohammed portrayal
(CNN) – For years, the show "South Park" has made fun of things usually too controversial to target – religion, in particular. Jews, Catholics, Mormons, Scientologists, Hindus, Buddhists; no one is safe.
In last week's episode, the world's biggest religious figures came together, including the Muslim prophet, Mohammed. To poke fun at censorship guidelines against showing him, Mohammed was first kept inside of a moving truck and then he wore a bear costume.
One extremist Muslim group has responded, warning the show's creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, that they will probably end up dead. Does that go too far or is the warning protected by free speech? Our Drew Griffin with the Special Investigations Unit has the report.
School lunches called national security threat
(CNN) – School lunches have been labeled a number of things: High-calorie, unhealthy, fattening, gross. But a threat to national security?
A group of retired military officers says millions of kids are too overweight to join the military. They're now calling for a bill that would make school lunches healthier.
We were joined on Wednesday's American Morning by retired Air Force Lt. General Norman Seip, a member of the executive advisory council of "Mission: Readiness." He testified on Capitol Hill about the report, "Too Fat to Fight."
Ash cloud diverts wounded troops
(CNN) – Fallout from the volcanic eruption in Iceland is being felt around the world and the U.S. military is not immune. The ash cloud is hampering efforts to get wounded American troops transported out of the war zone. Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has the report.
Excerpt: A Game of Character by Craig Robinson
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/04/21/robinson.book.art.jpg caption=" "A Game of Character: A Family Journey from Chicago's Southside to the Ivy League and Beyond" by Craig Robinson."]
From "A Game of Character"
By Craig Robinson
PREGAME:
TESTS OF CHARACTER
The idea to write this book—as a way of paying tribute to a handful of very important individuals who have shaped my understanding of basketball and of life, and who have contributed to my ongoing search for what it truly means to have character—has been percolating in the back of my mind for years.
But it wasn’t until the waning minutes before my appearance at the Democratic National Convention in Denver on Monday night, August 25, 2008, that I made the conscious decision to put pen to paper. Of course, writing a book was the last thing that I needed to be thinking about at that particular time for me and my family, not to mention in those very moments while standing backstage—where I was attempting to go through the equivalent of my pregame ritual that allows me, as a coach, to remove myself from the hubbub and become the calm within the storm for my players. But this night, for lack of a better description, was a whole other ball game! Read more
LIVE Blog: Chat with us during the show
Editor's Note: Welcome to American Morning's LIVE Blog where you can discuss the "most news in the morning" with us each and every day. Join the live chat during the program by adding your comments below. It's your chance to share your thoughts on the day's headlines. Keep in mind, you have a better chance of having your comment get past our moderators if you follow our rules: 1) Keep it brief 2) No writing in ALL CAPS 3) Use your real name (first name only is fine) 4) No links 5) Watch your language (that includes $#&*).
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/04/21/court.gi.art.jpg caption="A jogger passes by the U.S. Supreme Court April 9, 2010 in Washington, DC. "]
Poll: Obama will appoint liberal to Supreme Court
(CNN) – President Obama is expected to meet with key Republican and Democratic leaders Wednesday to discuss a replacement for retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.
A new national poll released this week suggests that a majority of Americans expect Obama to appoint a liberal to the Supreme Court, but only one in four want that to happen.
The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey indicates that 61 percent of the public expect the president to nominate a liberal to replace Stevens on the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, 21 percent said the president will name a moderate and 16 percent predicted that Obama will nominate a conservative. Read more
Sound off: What do you think? Who should Pres. Obama appoint to the Court?
Radical Islamic Web site takes on TV's 'South Park'
For years, the show "South Park" has made fun of things usually too controversial to target. Religion, in particular. Jews, Catholics, Mormons, Scientologists, Hindus, Buddhists... No one is safe.
In last week's episode, the world's biggest religious figures came together, including the Muslim prophet, Mohammed. To poke fun at censorship guidelines against showing him, Mohammed was first kept inside of a moving truck. Then he wore a bear costume.
One extremist Muslim group has responded, warning the show's creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, that they'll probably end up dead. Does that go too far or is the warning protected by free speech? Our Drew Griffin with the Special Investigations Unit has the report this morning.
Are teens texting too much?
For most teenagers, cell phone texting has become a lifeline, but is it an addiction? Ask many parents and they'll say yes. Today in our original series, "Texting 2 Much?" our Deb Feyerick talks to teachers to find out what some schools are doing to keep kids' fingers off their phones.
Sound off: Do your teens text too much? We want to hear from you this morning. Add your comments to the LIVE blog below and we'll read some of them on the show.
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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.
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