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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 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.
Igor continues lashing Bermuda as hurricane moves away
(CNN) – Fierce winds continued to whip across Bermuda Monday morning, even as Hurricane Igor spun away from the island.
As of 1 a.m. ET, Igor's center was about 80 miles (125 kilometers) north-northwest of Bermuda and packed maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. Igor was moving north-northeast at about 16 mph (26 kph).
Igor is considered a very large hurricane, forecasters said - hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 90 miles (150 kilometers) from the center, and tropical storm-force winds spread outward up to 345 miles (555 kilometers).
The center of Igor reached its closest point to Bermuda - about 40 miles (65 km) west of the island - late Sunday night. FULL STORY
Utah wildfire forces evacuation of more than 1,000 homes
(CNN) – A wildfire apparently sparked by guardsmen practicing with a machine gun has forced the evacuation of more than 1,000 homes in Utah, authorities say.
More than 100 firefighters battled the fire in the Salt Lake County city of Herriman, Utah, late Sunday night, Herriman spokeswoman Nicole Martin said.
The fire broke out at the Utah National Guard base at Camp Williams about 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Capt. Brad Taylor of the Unified Fire Authority in Salt Lake City, Utah, said.
Taylor told CNN affiliate KSTU that no injuries had been reported. 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.
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.
Delaware Senate candidates set the stage for November
(CNN) – Delaware voters were treated to a markedly different tone Thursday night as they watched their two Senate candidates together for the first time since the primaries.
During a candidate's forum, Republican Christine O'Donnell and Democrat Chris Coons displayed little of the animosity that came to define O'Donnell's bitter primary battle with Rep. Mike Castle.
Rather, the night was marked by polite discourse and even agreement as the two candidates sought to lay out their position on many key issues.
Their messages did diverge, however, as the two sought to define their political narratives. FULL STORY
BP completes relief well in Gulf of Mexico
(CNN) – BP has completed work on a relief well that will allow the oil giant to permanently seal the well at the heart of the Gulf oil disaster, the government's commander in charge of overseeing response to the spill said.
"Through a combination of sensors embedded in the drilling equipment and sophisticated instrumentation ... BP engineers and the federal science team have concluded that the Development Driller III relief well has intersected the Macondo well," said Thad Allen, the appointed national incident commander, in a statement released late Thursday.
The relief well was started about 100 feet from the original well and intersects with it about 18,000 feet under the surface of the Gulf. FULL STORY
Crews clean up damage from fatal NYC storm
(CNN) – Crews in New York worked early Friday to clean up damage left behind by a fast-moving storm that killed one person when it ripped through the city.
"There have been reports of damage to school buildings. We do expect all schools to be open tomorrow, but we'll just, as the night goes on, we'll make sure that everything is safe," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said late Thursday.
The storm's strong winds and torrential rains toppled trees and left more than 20,000 customers without power Thursday. 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.
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.
Senate to end debate, vote on small-business aid bill
(CNN) – The Senate is scheduled to vote Thursday on ending a debate on a bill that it says will aid small businesses and result in the creation of 500,000 jobs.
Lawmakers will then vote on its final approval, said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada.
According to a summary of the Senate bill, the measure would also authorize the creation of a $30 billion fund run by the Treasury Department that would deliver ultra-cheap capital to banks with less than $10 billion in assets.
The idea is that community banks do the lion's share of lending to small businesses, and pumping capital into them will get money in the hands of Main Street businesses.
On Wednesday, President Obama slammed GOP congressional leaders for trying to block the bill. Full Story
Craigslist says no plans to resume sex ads in the United States
(CNN) – Craigslist has "no plans" to resume running adult services ads that contribute to child sex trafficking in the United States, an official with the online advertising site told a House panel Wednesday.
However, the erotic services ads remain available to Americans on the company's foreign sites, including its Canadian site, acknowledged William "Clint" Powell, the director of customer service and law enforcement relations at Craigslist.
Powell's remarks to a House Judiciary subcommittee responded to testimony that the internet has greatly expanded child prostitution and child sex trafficking. In particular, witnesses cited online advertising sites such as Craigslist and backpage.com as facilitating the ability of people to hire child prostitutes.
In late August, attorneys general in 17 U.S. states banded together to urge Craigslist to discontinue its adult services. 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.
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.
Tea Party favorites win GOP primaries in Delaware, New York
(CNN) – Tea Party favorites won two primary elections over more mainstream Republicans on Tuesday, demonstrating again the clout of the conservative political movement on the political right.
Now the question is whether the right-wing candidates can also defeat Democratic rivals in November's congressional elections, when the stakes are higher and the full electorate is deciding.
The results in Delaware and New York highlighted the last major day of primary voting before the upcoming election in just under seven weeks.
Voting in seven states and the District of Columbia included embattled veteran U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel's victory in his New York Democratic primary despite allegations of ethics violations, and D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty's bid to hold off a major primary challenger.
In addition, former Gov. Robert Ehrlich won the Republican gubernatorial primary in Maryland to set up a rematch against Martin O'Malley, the Democrat who ousted him in 2006.
In Delaware, conservative political commentator Christine O'Donnell easily defeated nine-time U.S. Rep. Mike Castle in the Republican U.S. Senate primary, giving the Tea Party movement another major victory over a candidate backed by the national GOP. Read the full story
Released American hiker arrives in Oman
Tehran, Iran (CNN) – A jubilant American Sarah Shourd reunited with her mother in Muscat, Oman, on Tuesday after Iranian authorities released her from a Tehran prison where she had been held for 14 months.
Shourd arrived in Oman - where her bail was posted - on a 2.5-hour, chartered flight from Tehran. Her bail was posted by Omani sources, a senior Obama administration official said.
"I've been waiting for this moment for a really long time, and I'm extremely grateful to be standing here," she told reporters upon her arrival at the airport. "I want to begin by giving my deepest thanks to the sultan of Oman, Sultan Qaboos."
Shourd thanked Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Ali Khamanei, Iran's supreme leader, and "everyone who has been a part of making this moment happen for me and for my family."
Shourd, 32, left behind fellow Americans Shane Bauer, 28, who is her fiance, and their friend, Josh Fattal, 28. Read the 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.
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.
Rangel faces five primary opponents amid ethics scandal
New York (CNN) - He's served in Congress for almost 40 years, but Tuesday's primary in New York will be unlike any other for Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel.
The 80-year-old Rangel is fighting five challengers and an ethics trial in the House later this month on 13 alleged violations.
In years past, his re-election has been a slam dunk. While he is expected to win again, Rangel's taking nothing for granted.
On the eve of the primary, robocalls using former President Bill Clinton's voice went out telling voters: "We need Charlie to go back to Washington, to work with President Obama to say, 'Yes.' "
In July, Obama called the allegations against Rangel troubling and said in a CBS interview that he hoped the embattled congressman could end his career in dignity.
Of Rangel's five opponents, Adam Clayton Powell IV has the biggest name recognition. He is the son of the late U.S. Rep. Adam Clayton Powell, who served from 1945 to 1971 and was defeated by Rangel after a scandal-plagued career.
Despite Powell's recognition, The New York Times editorial board said the assemblyman has done little in Albany and instead endorsed Joyce Johnson, a former business executive and educator who has run for state offices. Read more.
Tell us what you think:
What are Charlie Rangel's chances to win his primary? Does this affect what happens in November mid-term elections for the nation?
Obama to push kids to work hard in 'back-to-school' speech
(CNN) - President Obama will deliver his second "back-to-school" message to the nation's students Tuesday, but this year, no one's complaining.
The speech - to be delivered at Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - encourages students to make the most of their education opportunities.
"Nobody gets to write your destiny but you," Obama will say, according to a text of the speech released Monday night by the White House. "Your future is in your hands. Your life is what you make of it. And nothing - absolutely nothing - is beyond your reach. So long as you're willing to dream big. So long as you're willing to work hard. So long as you're willing to stay focused on your education."
Obama goes on to emphasize the importance of education in the text, saying it "never has been more important."
"I'm sure there will be times in the months ahead when you're staying up late cramming for a test, or dragging yourselves out of bed on a rainy morning, and wondering if it's all worth it," he will say, according to the prepared remarks. "Let me tell you, there is no question about it. Nothing will have as great an impact on your success in life as your education."
Last year, his first as president, Obama's plan to deliver a similar message prompted an unexpected backlash from conservatives who worried he would push students to support his political agenda. However, the speech Obama delivered at a Virginia school included no political references and was welcomed by conservatives. Read more.
Tell us what you think:
How is the president's speech different this year from the last? If you're a parent, what would you like to hear the president tell your children?
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.
Detained U.S. hiker could be freed as early as Monday
Tehran, Iran (CNN) - Sarah Shourd, one of three American hikers detained in Iran for more than a year, could be released as early as Monday once $500,000 is submitted to the Iranian judiciary.
"Everything is in place for the release," said lawyer Massoud Shafii, who got to see the hikers for the first time on Sunday. "It's up to the family when to deliver the money."
The official Islamic Republic News Agency reported earlier Sunday that Shourd will be released if bail worth about $500,000 for her is submitted to the Iranian judiciary.
"Naturally she was happy, but her wish is for all three to be released together," said the lawyer, who met the Americans at Tehran's Evin prison after the prosecutor for Tehran's Revolutionary Court announced the offer to release Shourd on bail.
"I saw them and spoke to them," Shafii told CNN. "They were doing well."
Shafii said he doesn't know when exactly the release would take place. Read more.
Hurricane Igor, Tropical Storm Julia churn the Atlantic
(CNN) - Hurricane Igor, which quickly intensified over the weekend, was poised on Monday to become a Category 5 storm - the most-powerful on the Saffir-Simpson scale that measures tropical weather.
The storm blossomed into a major Atlantic Ocean hurricane on Sunday with top winds of 150 mph (240 kph), but remained far from land, forecasters reported.
Igor, which started as tropical storm on Saturday, became a powerful Category 4 storm late Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Forecasters described it as "large and powerful."
As of 5 a.m. ET Monday, the storm was about 940 miles (1,515 kilometers) east of the northern Leeward Islands and was moving west at about 13 mph (20 kph), the center reported. Read more.
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