American Morning
Rep. Cantor: Health care will "bankrupt the government"
Representative Eric Cantor, Republican of Virginia, took his new position yesterday as the majority leader in House of Representatives and he hasn't taken any time to make his party's position on President Obama's health care reform clear. Cantor tells Kiran Chetry that unless something is done the health care bill could potentially bankrupt the federal and state governments.
Newark mayor Cory Booker using Facebook to lose weight
During 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama invited Newark mayor Cory Booker to be an Honorary Co-Vice Chair of her "Partnership for a Healthier America" as part of her larger national campaign against obesity called Let's Move!. As Booker writes on his Facebook page "he proudly and readily accepted" the position but soon ran into a problem:
"Michelle Obama came to Newark on November 18, 2010 to celebrate our progress and talk about the issue. On that morning, with a national audience soon to be watching our city, I went to my closet and ignominiously found my last suit that actually still fit me well. You see, the stresses of 2010 weakened my resolve to watch my weight, and I had ballooned. I was preaching a good sermon but my practice was pathetic. As I sat with the First Lady exhorting Newark school children to eat healthy foods, exercise more, and have fun while doing it – my stomach was still trying to digest the French fries and cookie dough from the night before, and I hadn’t exercised for more days than I could remember."
So Mayor Booker made a new years resolution...to lose weight. He tells American Morning's T.J. Holmes and Kiran Chetry about his goal weight and how he plans to do it.
Freshman Reps. Womack and Cicilline on the change they'll bring to DC
We're taking a look this week at some of the newest members entering congress this year. Yesterday we talked to Representatives Karen Bass, D, California, and Paul Gosar, R, Arizona, about what they thought were the most pressing needs for the 112th congress.
Today we talk to Representative Steve Womack, R, Arkansas, who not only won his seat by the second largest margin in his state but was also the only Republican in Arkansas who had not been backed by the Tea Party. As well as talking to Representative David Cicilline, D, who will replace Rep. Patrick Kennedy as the representative from Rhode Island.
Representatives Womack and Cicilline explain to T.J. Holmes what message they are bringing to Capitol Hill and Washington DC from their constituents outside the beltway bubble.
Reporter: Autism study motivated by 'money'
(CNN) - A physician accused of an "elaborate fraud" in a now-retracted British study that linked autism to childhood vaccines is defending himself, telling CNN his work has been "grossly distorted."
Speaking on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360," Dr. Andrew Wakefield said Wednesday he has been the target of "a ruthless, pragmatic attempt to crush any attempt to investigate valid vaccine safety concerns."
An investigation published by the British medical journal BMJ concludes Wakefield misrepresented or altered the medical histories of all 12 of the patients whose cases formed the basis of the 1998 study - and that there was "no doubt" Wakefield was responsible.
The journalist who authored the report for BMJ, Brian Deer, tells Kiran Chetry and TJ Holmes on American Morning that his motivation was purely journalistic while saying that Dr. Wakefield's motivation was "to make money."
Wild horse roundup triggers controversy
Editor's Note: John Zarrella concludes his four-part series "Mustang Roundup: Taking the wild out of the West" tomorrow on American Morning. Don't miss part one and part two and check out today's story below.
Kim Segal and John Zarrella
CNN
Silver Springs, Nevada (CNN) - The helicopter is on the chase. At first, you can only hear it. Then, from behind the hillside, you see a herd of wild horses running for their freedom, with the helicopter close behind.
One escapes the trap, barely. The crowd cheers.
This is the scene at the Lahontan wild horse roundup in Silver Springs, Nevada. The helicopter pilot works for the federal government. The crowd is composed mainly of activists opposed to the roundups.
More and more, the roundups are becoming showdowns between protesters and the Bureau of Land Management.
Perry's Principles: closing the black/white education gap
The Council of Great City Schools reports that 11% of African American fourth grade males are proficient in reading, while the same can be said for 38% of their white counterparts.
Steve Perry, CNN Educational Contributor and Founder of Capital Preparatory Magnet School, tackles the topic of the black/white education gap in a new American Morning segment, Perry's Principles. Perry says the statistic doesn't just shine light on a racial divide, but also highlights a larger problem. Perry tells Jim Acosta what he thinks would better the American educational system and which approach he thinks would fail.
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