American Morning
Nuclear fusion the 'Holy Grail' of green energy?
(CNN) – There are a lot of options on the path to better, greener power: solar, wind, hydro-electric. But for a small and devoted group, the way to move ahead is nuclear fusion. Believe it or not, but that tech-savvy guy next door may just be building a fusion reactor in his basement. Our Carol Costello introduces us to one of these amateur scientists.
Is the water safe enough for swimming?
(CNN) – BP said Monday that the cost of its response to the Gulf oil disaster now totals approximately $3.12 billion. That includes containment, relief well drilling, grants to Gulf states, claims paid and federal costs, the oil giant said. The Fourth of July weekend brought beach-goers to the Gulf shore, despite the oil spill. But how safe is the water? The town of Pensacola lets people swim, but is anyone sure the water is really safe? Our John Zarrella reports.
Political ads aim for a memorable message
(CNN) – It's only July, but across America campaign ads for the upcoming mid-term elections have already gone viral. Attention-grabbing spots have emerged featuring female candidates firing machine guns, actors playing our founding fathers, and the "dirtier" side of dairy farms. Our Jim Acosta reports.
Madonna's new girls' school
Editor's Note: In an American Morning original series, “Big Stars, Big Giving,” Alina Cho looks at celebrity philanthropy and how these big stars can make a big impact. Through one-on-one interviews with Elton John, Ben Stiller, Madonna, Martha Stewart and Richard Branson, she shares what causes have become their passion, and how you can get involved. Originally posted December 23, 2009.
By Alina Cho, CNN
Madonna has spent most of her life being provocative about almost everything; above all, her personal life.
These days nothing is more personal than her two children, adopted from Malawi. It’s a small African nation where half the population lives on less than a dollar a day, and where more than a half million children are orphaned by AIDS.
“I would love to take them all home, yes, if I could,” Madonna tells me.
Because she can't, and because she's Madonna, she made a documentary, called I Am, Because We Are, about Malawi.
“People always ask me why I chose Malawi, and I tell them, ‘I didn't. It chose me.'"
She also founded the charity Raising Malawi, to help feed, educate and provide medical care to some of Malawi's orphans – the ones she can't bring home.
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 week day. Join the live chat during the show by adding your comments below. It's your chance to share your thoughts on the day's headlines. 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/US/07/05/gulf.oil.disaster/t1main.jpg caption="Initial results from test runs of a ship billed as the world's largest oil skimming vessel could come back Monday after a weekend of plowing the Gulf of Mexico."]
Skimmer vessel plows Gulf over weekend, test results may be in Monday
(CNN) – Initial results from test runs of a ship billed as the world's largest oil skimming vessel could come back Monday after a weekend spent plowing the seas atop the undersea gusher in the Gulf of Mexico.
The converted cargo ship A Whale spent the weekend attempting to separate crude oil from seawater in a 25-square-mile area north of the ruptured BP oil well at the heart of the disaster. If the test is successful, the massive vessel could play a key role in efforts to clean up the largest oil spill in U.S. history.
Initial results from tests are expected Monday, Bob Grantham, spokesman for the company that owns the ship, said.
The ship, which swallows water with oil then separates it, can skim about 21 million gallons of oil a day. That's at least 250 times the amount that modified fishing vessels currently conducting skimming operations have been able to contain, according to Taiwanese company TMT shipping, which owns the vessel.
Meanwhile, BP said Monday that the cost of its response to the Gulf oil disaster now totals approximately $3.12 billion. That includes containment, relief well drilling, grants to Gulf states, claims paid and federal costs, the oil giant said. Read more
Sound off: 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.
Oil-eating microbes could be effective cleanup for BP spill
(CNN) – We've heard about a lot of solutions to cleaning up the Gulf oil spill, but what about oil-eating microbes? Our John Zarrella takes a look at some microscopic bacteria with a big appetite, but is it big enough? Watch 
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