American Morning
Louisiana officials debate oil protection plan
Oil pools in between booms in Barataria Bay June 19, 2010 near Grand Isle, Louisiana. (Getty Images)
(CNN) – A new fight is brewing over how to protect the Gulf's fragile wetlands from the oil gusher. Some Louisiana officials want to build rock barriers to block the oil. BP said it would pay for the project, but the Army Corps of Engineers says it's not going to happen. And it doesn't look like this fight is over yet. Deano Bonano is homeland security director for Jefferson Parish. He joined us on Thursday's American Morning to debate the issue, along with Denise Reed, wetlands specialist and director of the Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences. Watch 
Does unemployment money help or hurt?
(CNN) – By the time Congress returns to work next week, 2.1 million unemployed Americans will have lost their jobless benefits. That's because lawmakers failed to pass an extension before taking their summer break. That has a lot of Americans angry. But some economists insist unemployment extensions have to stop, claiming they add to the deficit and keep people out of work longer. Others call that perspective cruel, considering this economy. On Thursday's American Morning we were joined by two experts who squared off over the issue; Michael Tanner, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, and Lawrence Mishel, president of the Economic Policy Institute. Watch
Meet the iPhone fixer
(CNN) – There's at least one "doctor" left in New York City who still makes house calls, and a lot of people swear he's nothing short of a lifesaver. Brendan McElroy is not a real MD, but he has plenty of suffering patients...in the throes of smartphone withdrawal. Poppy Harlow visited with the "iPhone fixer" for this American Morning original report. Watch
Pentagon sends out 'don't ask, don't tell' survey
Lt. Dan Choi, a graduate of West Point, takes part in the 39th annual gay pride parade June 28, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Getty Images)
(CNN) – The Pentagon on Wednesday began sending out to troops a survey of more than 100 questions seeking their views on the impact of repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" restrictions prohibiting gays and lesbians from openly serving in the U.S. military. An administration official confirmed to CNN that the survey is being sent to 200,000 active duty troops and 200,000 reserve troops. The official declined to be identified because the survey has not officially been made public. Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr breaks it down for us. Watch
Northeast heat wave strains power grid
(CNN) – A blistering heat wave continues to grip much of the Northeast. There may be some relief today from scorching temperatures, but not much. Days of record-breaking, triple-digit heat is putting a strain on the power grid and water supply. Utilities up-and-down the East Coast are pleading with the public to conserve. Our Jason Carroll visited Con Edison's emergency response center in New York City to see how the power company is handling the demand. Watch
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/07/08/heat.wave/t1main.nypark.gi.jpg caption="An excessive heat watch will remain in effect through Thursday afternoon in parts of the Northeast."]
People in Northeast seek to beat triple-digit heat
(CNN) – An excessive heat watch will remain in effect through Thursday afternoon in parts of the Northeast.
The heat has claimed at least two lives - an elderly woman in Pennsylvania and a Maryland resident found inside a home with a temperature higher than 90 degrees.
For a second consecutive day Wednesday, temperatures approached or surpassed the 100-degree mark in many states.
And while temperatures may be lower on Thursday, the dew point temperatures will be higher Thursday, the National Weather Service said. That combination means heat indices will be close to 100 degrees again on Thursday.
As a result, an "excessive heat watch" will remain in effect through Thursday afternoon in parts of Delaware, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
A "heat advisory" remains in place for parts of Vermont as well. Heat index values are expected to hover between 100 and 104 degrees Thursday, so the advisory will not be lifted until Thursday evening.
But the weather service projects that a "heat advisory" in place for the New York metro area will lifted by mid-day Thursday. High temperatures are forecast to be about ten degrees cooler than they were Wednesday, as southeasterly winds come in off the Atlantic Ocean. Read more
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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.
