American Morning

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October 4th, 2010
05:58 AM ET

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 $#&*) 6) Stay relevant to the topic.

Americans abroad alerted: Terror plot rooted in Hamburg


Hamburg, Germany (CNN)
–A group of jihadists from the German city of Hamburg are alleged to be at the heart of the recent al Qaeda plot to launch co-ordinated terrorist attacks against European cities, according to European intelligence officials.

The plan prompted the U.S. State Department to issue a Europe-wide security advisory for Americans traveling in Europe.

Western intelligence officials say they learned about the plot when Ahmed Sidiqi, a German citizen of Afghan descent was arrested in Afghanistan in July and taken to the U.S. Airbase at Bagram for questioning. He has not been charged and intelligence sources in Germany say he is co-operating with the investigation.

In early 2009 Sidiqi and ten others left Hamburg for the tribal areas of Pakistan - where most joined a jihadist group fighting U.S. and coalition forces across the border in Afghanistan, according to German intelligence officials.

Sidiqi told American interrogators that at least one member of his travel group was to be a "foot-soldier" in the plot, with other members of the group helping to plan the attacks, a European counter-terrorism official told CNN. FULL STORY

Verizon says it will refund some 15 million customers

(CNN) - Verizon Wireless said Sunday it will refund about 15 million of its customers because the company incorrectly charged them for data sessions.

Over the past few years, some 15 million Verizon customers who did not have data plans were billed for sessions on their phones that they did not initiate, said Mary Coyne, the company's deputy general counsel, in a statement.

She added the majority of data sessions involved minor exchanges caused by built-in software. Others involved opening the web, which should not have incurred charges, she said.

"We have addressed these issues to avoid unintended data charges in the future," Coyne said. "Our goal is to maintain our customers' trust and ensure they receive the best experience possible."

Current customers will receive notification of credits on their October or November bill of between $2 and $6 in most cases, while former customers can expect to receive a refund check in the mail. Some will receive larger credits or refunds.

Rutgers holds vigil for student who committed suicide

(CNN)
- Rutgers University held an emotional vigil Sunday evening as the campus grapples with the suicide of a student whose sexual encounter with another man was broadcast online.

The body of Tyler Clementi, 18, was recovered from the Hudson River on Thursday, more than a week after he jumped from the George Washington Bridge, which spans the river between New York and New Jersey.

Two other Rutgers students - Clementi's roommate, Dharun Ravi, 18, and Molly Wei, 18 - have been charged with invasion of privacy. The pair allegedly placed a camera in Clementi's dorm room without his knowledge and then streamed his sexual encounter online, according to the Middlesex County, New Jersey, prosecutor's office.

"Our entire campus is very upset about what happened," said Greg Blimling, Rutgers' Vice President of Student Affairs. "The entire campus is in mourning. And we feel very deeply for what happened to the family. This is a terrible tragedy."

Students and other members of the university community, some wearing pins that read "Pride," stood silently as they lit and held white candles. FULL STORY

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.


Filed under: American Morning • LIVE Blog • Top Stories
October 3rd, 2010
10:41 PM ET

The Teaser for Monday, October 4, 2010

"The Teaser” is a preview of the guests we have lined up for the next day – so you know when to tune in (and when to set your alarm!). Guests and times are always subject to change.

6:24AM Max Kellerman, CNN Contributor, on Michael Vick’s injury, Donovan McNabb’s return to Philly and the latest on Tiger Woods.

6:40AM Evan Tracey , President & Founder, Campaign Media Analysis Group and Political Media Analyst, on how one Supreme Court decision is impacting the politcial ads you’ll be seeing this season.

7:10AM Joan Biskupic, Supreme Court Reporter, USA Today, on hot-button cases before the Supreme court, and  Justice Elena Kagan’s inability to rule on half the cases because of her previous role as solicitor general.

7:40AM Paul Cruickshank, Terrorism Analyst and Alumni Fellow NYU Center on Law and Security New York, on the latest terror threat facing Americans in Europe.

8:40AM Lee Hirsch, Director and Producer, “The Bully Project”, on his upcoming film documenting kids who were bullied and parents who lost their children to suicide.

Have questions for any of our guests?

Tweet 'em at Twitter.com/amFIX or post them below and we'll try to use 'em!

Have an idea for a story? Or more questions about something you saw or read on our amFIX blog, Facebook or Twitter?

E-mail your story ideas and questions to am@CNN.com.


Filed under: American Morning • Bullying • Politics • Supreme Court • Terrorism
October 1st, 2010
11:20 AM ET
October 1st, 2010
05:59 AM ET

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 $#&*) 6) Stay relevant to the topic.

Obama's chief of staff to depart White House Friday, sources say

Chicago, Illinois (CNN)
- White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel will step down Friday to run for mayor of Chicago, two sources told CNN Thursday.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters that President Obama will make "a personnel announcement" Friday morning, but refused to confirm it would relate to Emanuel's expected departure.

Gibbs said he would "bet on having two announcements" Friday morning - a possible reference to Emanuel's successor.

The move was expected, after Chicago Mayor Richard Daley recently decided not to run for re-election.

Candidates for the Chicago mayoral race must gather 12,500 signatures by November 22. The city's February 22 Democratic primary could be very difficult to win given the number of prospective candidates from various factions of the party lining up to run.

Gibbs heaped praise on the famously tough chief of staff, saying that he has an "incredible amount of energy every day" and has "been the leader" since Obama took office.

He "helped us accomplish so much in helping our economy recovery, in passing landmark Wall Street reform, health care reform, credit card reform [and] student loan reform," Gibbs said. FULL STORY

Prosecutor: Bias charges may come in webcast of sexual encounter

New York (CNN) - New Jersey prosecutors said Thursday they are determining whether additional charges, including bias, may be brought against two Rutgers University students accused of invading the privacy of fellow student Tyler Clementi, who committed suicide after his sexual encounter with another man was streamed online.

"The initial focus of this investigation has been to determine who was responsible for remotely activating the camera in the dormitory room of the student and then transmitting the encounter on the Internet," Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce J Kaplan said.

"Now that two individuals have been charged with invasion of privacy, we will be making every effort to assess whether bias played a role in the incident, and, if so, we will bring appropriate charges," Kaplan said in a statement.

Under New Jersey law, a person is guilty of bias intimidation if he or she commits a crime with the purpose of intimidating someone because of race, color, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin or ethnicity; or if the victim or victim's property was selected as a target because of the same factors.

On the evening of September 19, Rutgers student Dharun Ravi is believed to have sent a message by Twitter about his roommate, Clementi. FULL STORY

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.


Filed under: American Morning • LIVE Blog • Top Stories
October 1st, 2010
02:53 AM ET

The Teaser for Friday, October 1, 2010

"The Teaser” is a preview of the guests we have lined up for the next day – so you know when to tune in (and when to set your alarm!). Guests and times are always subject to change.

6:40AM Parry Aftab, Ex. Dir., WiredSafety.org and Sela Gaglia, Director of training, Challenge Day, on the recent suicide of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi, who authorities believe jumped off the George Washington Bridge after his roommate posted a video stream of Clementi's sexual encounter with another boy. Aftab and Gaglia discuss the wider issue of cyber-bullying amongst young Americans.

7:20AM Patricia Sellers, Editor-at-Large, Fortune, on her exclusive interview with and cover story on Oprah, inside info about the troubled launch of OWN (the Oprah Winfrey Network), and what's next for the media icon.

7:40AM Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss claim Mark Zuckerberg stole the idea for Facebook from them. They join American Morning to discuss the new film "The Social Network," the real legal battle the film portrays, and Facebook's effect on social fabric of the country.

8:10AM Andy Card, Former White House Chief of Staff and Candy Crowley, Host, "State of the Union", on Rahm Emanuel's expected resignation from his position as White House Chief of Staff to run for Mayor of Chicago.

8:40AM Derrick Pitts, Chief Astronomer, Franklin Institute Science Museum, on the discovery of a rocky planet in a nearby solar system with the most basic and essential conditions needed to support extraterrestrial life – the first of its kind ever detected.

Have questions for any of our guests?

Tweet 'em at Twitter.com/amFIX or post them below and we'll try to use 'em!

Have an idea for a story? Or more questions about something you saw or read on our amFIX blog, Facebook or Twitter?

E-mail your story ideas and questions to am@CNN.com.

September 30th, 2010
11:51 AM ET
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