American Morning
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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/05/12/viking.dome.oil.gi.art.jpg caption="The Viking Poseidon lowers the top hat device into the Gulf of Mexico at the site of the oil spill late Monday night."]
BP deploys second box to control massive oil leak
(CNN) – BP is lowering a second oil containment box in an effort to stop a weeks-long oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, the oil company said.
A larger containment vessel was unsuccessful in stopping the flow of oil from the gusher about 5,000 feet underwater. The spill is sending 210,000 gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico each day.
Called "top hat," the 5-foot-tall, 4-foot-diameter structure weighs less than two tons. The structure is being deployed by the drill ship Enterprise.
BP built the smaller dome after a much larger, four-story containment vessel designed to cap the larger of two leaks in the well developed glitches Saturday. Ice-like hydrate crystals formed when gas combined with water and blocked the top of the dome, making it buoyant. Read more
Would you consider boycotting BP?
There's a growing cry today both online and along the Gulf Coast to boycott BP. More protests are planned for today. Yesterday, the anti-war group Code Pink heckled the oil executives right before the hearings, holding up signs reading "BP kills" and "BP = bad people."
In South Florida, demonstrators carried "mobile oil slicks" in the form of large black plastic tarps that were placed along sensitive areas of Miami Beach. This environmental nightmare is now a full-blown public relations disaster for the British oil giant.
Sound off: Would you consider participating in a boycott of BP? 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.
Calif. spinal injury clinic draws controversy
(CNN) – For people with severe spinal cord injuries, the ultimate dream is walking again. For many, that's just not possible. Spinal cord patients were given a very famous and public advocate with the late actor Christopher Reeve.
Reeve frequently pushed for more studies involving stem cells, but a controversial clinic in California is taking a much simpler approach. The results seem to be medical miracles. Our Alina Cho has this AM original report.
Related link: Help A Fwend
Fighting America's prescription drug abuse
(CNN) – In our special series, "Addicted," we brought you Melissa's story. Like many kids her age, she experimented with drugs. Not what you'd typically think – street drugs – but prescription pills right out of her family medicine cabinet.
Stories like hers happen every day and the problem is growing. The latest government figures show abuse of some of the strongest types of prescription painkillers is up 400 percent over the decade. Deaths from these drugs are up 160 percent over just five years.
Today, the White House is launching a new drug strategy focusing on prevention and treatment. It also gives real attention to prescription drug abuse. The director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Gil Kerlikowske, joined us on Tuesday's American Morning.
Teen's battle & recovery from drug addiction
(CNN) – The White House today is set to release a new strategy to battle America's drug problem, shifting the focus from law enforcement to prevention and treatment. But that can be tricky, because the problem isn't always illegal drugs.
Across the nation, more and more teens are using prescription pills and over-the-counter medicines to get high. In our ongoing series, "Addicted," we're following the story of one teen, named Melissa. She nearly lost her life, and everything she used to get high could be right inside your medicine cabinet.
Gulf oil spill threatens wildlife
(CNN) – There's a developing story out of one of the states dealing with the disastrous impact of the BP oil spill. Many animal species are now in jeopardy.
You might think their wings would carry them away from the danger, but rare birds are finding it hard to escape the brown sludge. Wildlife experts in Mississippi are calling the situation "catastrophic." Our Rob Marciano has the report.
Read more: BP execs face hearings on Capitol Hill
First responders learn to deal with terror attacks
(CNN) – It's hard to know just how bad the Times Square car bombing could have been. The device itself was not sophisticated, but we're about to give you a look at the powerful force of these bombs. Our Ted Rowlands takes us to the New Mexico desert where first responders quickly learn how to assess the danger.
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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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