American Morning
Democrat stands by 'die quickly' remark
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Freshman U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson refused to back down Wednesday from remarks made on the House floor the night before, in which he said the Republican health care plan calls for sick people to "die quickly."
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/09/30/house.floor.controversy/art.grayson.housetv.jpg caption="Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Florida, made the "die quickly" remark on the House floor Tuesday night."]
In fact, Grayson, a Democrat who represents a central Florida swing district that includes Orlando, made another floor speech in which he apologized to the dead and their families for not acting sooner on health care reform. He then defended both speeches on CNN's "The Situation Room."
"What I mean is they have got no plan," Grayson told Wolf Blitzer. "It's been 24 hours since I said that. Where is the Republican plan? We're all waiting to see something that will take care of the pre-existing conditions, to take care of the 40 million Americans who have no coverage at all.
"That's what I meant when I said that the Republican plan is don't get sick. And if you do get sick, die quickly."
Republicans pounced on Grayson's late-night speech and demanded an apology.
Indonesia quake toll soars past 400
JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) - Another strong earthquake rocked Indonesia early Thursday as the Southeast Asian nation was reeling from an earlier jolt that killed more than 400 people and caused widespread destruction.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/10/01/indonesia.earthquake/art.mourn.afp.jpg caption="Family members mourn in front of a collapsed school in Padang on Thursday. "]
The 6.8 magnitude quake Thursday hit South Sumatra at 8:52 a.m. local time (9:52 p.m. Wednesday ET), about 89 miles (143 kilometers) from Bengkulu, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. The earlier quake Wednesday was 7.6 magnitude.
At least 464 people were dead and more than 500 were injured, said Tugiyo Bisri, spokesman for the Indonesian Social Affairs Ministry's Crisis Center said Thursday. The worst hit was the West Sumatra capital of Padang, where 376 people perished, he said.
Officials had little information on those who were missing and feared the death toll would climb into the thousands. Rustam Pakaya, the head of the Ministry of Health's crisis center said that thousands of people may be trapped by collapsed buildings and houses.
What’s on Tap – Thursday October 1, 2009
Here are the big stories on the agenda today:
- Iran wants respect and the world wants answers as historic nuclear talks get underway in Geneva this morning. The White House now says Iran faces drastic international sanctions if negotiations collapse. But does Iran care? Read more
- We are live on the ground in American Samoa, where a massive earthquake triggered a wall of water, a killer wave that level homes up to a mile inland. One of the first, first-hand accounts of the destruction, live this morning. Read more
- Pitchman in chief, President Obama joins the first lady in Denmark tomorrow to try and persuade the International Olympic Committee to hold the 2016 games in his hometown of Chicago. The president's taken some heat for making the trip. What if it fails? Our Ed Henry will be live from Copenhagen with the latest. We’re also talking to Scott Pippen, – the Chicago Bulls legend and a man who brought home a gold medal with the original “dream team” – about what this could mean for the city.
- The other bank charges you. Then your bank charges you for having the audacity to swipe your card somewhere else!! When will the madness end? Well this morning there's new proof that the cost of money is slowly, but surely killing us. A new survey says ATM fees have exploded, even in this recession. It now costs an average of more than $3.50 to use another bank's ATM. That's up 16 percent from 2004. Haven’t they got enough from us already?
Japan-Tennessee custody fight not so clear cut
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) - The case of a Tennessee man jailed in Japan for trying to snatch back his children from his estranged wife is not as clear-cut as it's been made out to be, authorities here said Wednesday.
The father, Christopher Savoie, apparently became a naturalized Japanese citizen four years ago, listing a permanent address in Tokyo, they said.
And while he and Noriko Savoie, a Japanese native, divorced in Tennessee, the two never annulled their marriage in Japan, Japanese officials said.
Christopher Savoie's current wife, Amy, spoke to Kiran Chetry on CNN's "American Morning" Wednesday.
Study: Driving while texting riskier than DUI
Some drivers call it fallout from life on the road in the digital age: Texting while driving
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/09/30/carroll.texting.art.jpg caption="A study by the University of Utah found a driver is eight times more likely to crash while text messaging."]
A graphic public service announcement produced in the UK on the subject and widely seen on the Web in the United States illustrated the deadly results.
This issue is now the subject of a distracted driving summit in Washington D.C., drawing safety experts and leaders from the across the country.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says organizers hope to develop recommendations for reducing the problem.
“I think what we are attempting to do is raise the public awareness about how unsafe it is to text and drive and then also talk with folks about the way forward in terms of some solutions…”
Groups like the Governor's Highway Safety Association (GHSA) plan to attend the summit. The group initially came out against laws banning texting while driving but then did an about-face after meeting with the group's members, who saw that violent PSA and some alarming studies.
Do kids need more time in classrooms?
Shorter summer breaks... 9-hour school days...
Kids may hate it, but President Obama argues American students are way behind compared to students in other countries. He says longer school days and a longer school year is a way to level the playing field. CNN's Alina Cho reports.
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