American Morning
Perkins: RNC 'tone deaf' to supporters
(CNN) – The Republican National Committee has come under fire in the past for its lavish spending on limousines and private jets, and more recently for picking up a nearly $2,000 tab for an outing at a strip club near Los Angeles.
Tony Perkins, a prominent conservative and president of the Family Research Council, is now urging people not to donate to the RNC. He writes, in part:
"...the RNC is completely tone-deaf to the values and concerns of a large number of people from whom they seek financial support. ... If you want to put money into the political process ... give directly to candidates who you know reflect your values."
Perkins joined us on Thursday's American Morning to explain more about why he is urging people to stop giving money to the RNC.
Read more: Conservative leader tells donors to stop giving to RNC
Do 'mean girls' make 'mean women'?
(CNN) – The movie "Mean Girls" explored the cliques and conflicts that come with high school, but as we've seen in too many real-life cases – most recently in western Massachusetts – teen bullying can have tragic results. And it often involves girls hurting other girls.
Erika Holiday and Joan Rosenberg wrote the book "Mean Girls, Meaner Women." They joined us on Thursday's American Morning.
Study: Soda tax isn't curbing obesity in kids
(CNN) – A new study says the soda tax isn't doing its job and the solution may be to make us pay even more for junk food.
Higher and higher taxes on cigarettes seemed to help curb smoking, so why isn't the soda tax working the same way? Our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta joined us on Thursday's American Morning to break it down.
Recovery from Rhode Island flooding could take months
From Shelby Lin Erdman, CNN
(CNN) - Flood-weary residents in Rhode Island surveyed the damage as waters started receding, with officials saying Thursday the long-term recovery could take months.
"The Pawtuxet River, which impacts our community, crested," said Fire Battalion Chief Joseph Greenwell. "But at this point, there's widespread damage throughout the city from the river, which overflowed its banks."
The Northeast, particularly Rhode Island, battled flooded roads and basements for most of the week. Many of the schools in the region remained closed Thursday.
"We haven't had anything that's physically washed away yet, but the impact of the floodwaters rushing over the bridges and eroding the foundations of the bridges," Greenwell said. "The water is still too high to determine exactly what the damage is going to be once the floodwaters recede."
A rainstorm formed earlier in the week and soaked the Northeast on Tuesday, exacerbating the remaining effects of another major storm from two weeks ago. Rhode Island appeared to fare the worst. FULL STORY
LIVE Blog: Chat with us during the show
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[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/CRIME/03/30/massachusetts.bullying.suicide/story.phoebe.prince.cnn.jpg caption="Phoebe Prince, 15, who had recently moved from Ireland, committed suicide in January in Massachusetts."]
Do mean girls turn into mean women?
(CNN) – A principal is under fire as parents demand to know why something wasn't done sooner to save Phoebe Prince, a 15-year-old girl who prosecutors say was bullied to death by fellow students at her Massachusetts high school.
Our Alina Cho tracks down the principal and asks the tough questions this morning.
The movie "Mean Girls" explored the cliques and conflicts that come with high school. As we've seen in too many real-life cases, most recently in western Massachusetts, teen bullying can have tragic results. And it often involves girls hurting other girls.
Erika Holiday and Joan Rosenberg wrote the book "Mean Girls, Meaner Women." They'll join us this morning from Los Angeles to discuss teen bullying and the Phoebe Prince case.
Sound off: We want to hear from you about the bullying story. This morning we're asking do mean girls turn into mean women? What do you think? Add your comments to the LIVE blog below and we'll read some of them on the show.
The Teaser
"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.
6:10AM Rhode Island rivers crested Wednesday morning at 20.79 feet – more than 11 feet above flood stage. How bad were homes and businesses hit? Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian joins us with an update.
6:30AM Are we seeing more "girl bullies" now than ever? We'll ask Erika Holiday, Psy.D. & Joan Rosenberg, Ph.D., Co-Authors of "Mean Girls, Meaner Women".
7:30AM The health care mandate – is it constitutional? Jonathan Turley, Law Professor at George Washington University will break down the legal challenges the new bill might face.
8:10AM Outcry against the RNC: Tony Perkins on why he's not giving money to the committee.
8:30AM How to prevent another Phoebe Prince: Aaron Hansen, Principle of a Middle School in Ely Nevada, on his anti-bullying policy.
Got questions for any of our guests?
Tweet 'em at Twitter.com/amFIX or post them below and we'll try to use 'em!
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