American Morning
Poll: Gingrich leading GOP pack in Iowa
With a month to go until Iowans select a candidate for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has extended his lead in the state. A new poll from the Des Moines Register finds 25% of likely Republican voters in Iowa backing Gingrich.
Texas Rep. Ron Paul stands in second place with 18% and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney comes in third with 16% of the vote. The latest poll marks a dramatic rise for Gingrich, who just a month ago was polling in fourth place in the Hawkeye State.
Alina Cho talks with CNN contributor John Avlon about why Gingrich is surging in the Iowa polls – and what Romney has to do to thwart his opponents' momentum.
GOP presidential hopefuls court Cain supporters
Dogged in recent weeks by allegations of sexual harassment and an affair, Herman Cain announced Saturday that he is suspending his campaign. While he will still be able to raise and spend campaign funds because he did not officially drop out, Cain's White House bid is effectively over.
The other GOP candidates are eager to draw in Cain's supporters, and the Georgia businessman said that he will endorse one of the Republican presidential hopefuls soon.
Christine Romans talks with Karen Hanretty, Republican strategist, and Jim Geraghty, National Review Online columnist, about what's next for Cain and which GOP candidate is likely to get his endorsement.
AM Minding Your Business for Dec. 5, 2011
Today on American Morning, Christine Romans reports on the morning business news headlines.
This morning, we're watching:
*European Markets are up overnight after Italy's new prime minister Mario Monti unveiled new austerity measures. Italian borrowing costs are falling this morning – a sign of confidence from investors that the country is moving in the right direction to balance its budget.
*Brent crude prices are above $110 dollars a barrel this morning. Brent crude is the type of oil that most use in Europe. It would take a big hit if the region decides to slap Iran with oil sanctions because of the country's nuclear aspirations.
*Gas prices are down nine cents in the past two weeks, despite an increase in crude oil prices. The weekly Lundberg Survey says the drop is because of lower demand due to hard economic conditions. The average price for regular gas is currently $3.29 per gallon.
*The latest Twilight movie -Breaking Dawn, Part I – had another big weekend at the box office. After topping sales for the third weekend in a row, the vampire movie has now brought in more than $247 million dollars so far in the U.S.
Tune in to American Morning at 6am Eastern every day for the latest in business news.
Unemployment rate falls to 8.6% – Sheila Bair on what this means for the economy
Employers added 120,000 jobs in November, the Labor Department reported Friday, marking a pick-up in hiring from October. The unemployment rate fell to 8.6% – the lowest its been since March 2009. Those numbers are better than many economists were expecting.
Today on American Morning, former FDIC chairman Sheila Bair tells Christine Romans that this is definitely good news, but "there's still a lot of work ahead."
Anna Post on avoiding awkward social interactions during the holidays
'Tis the season for giving. But given the state of the economy, many Americans might not be able to give as much as they have in the past – which can potentially make for some awkward social interactions.
Today on American Morning, Alina Cho and Christine Romans talk with etiquette expert Anna Post about how to handle these dilemmas.
Study: Foster children prescribed more psychotropic drugs
Foster children are being prescribed psychotropic drugs at a rate that's two to four times higher than non-foster care children, a new GAO report finds. And in many cases, the study found that the drugs being used aren't even approved for use in young children. The report looked at prescriptions being given to kids on Medicaid in five states.
Alina Cho and Christine Romans talk with CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen to discuss why so many foster children are being prescribed these drugs.
About this Show
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.
On Twitter
