American Morning
Obama making Mideast peace a top priority
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/05/28/intv.miller.art.jpg caption="Aaron David Miller tells CNN the Middle East peace process is going to be like a thousand days of root canals."]
President Obama is back in Washington today after a west coast tour. He is sitting down with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, trying to move forward with his Middle East peace plan.
Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to endorse a two-state solution during his visit to Washington. So is this part of the president's plan or is it dead in the water?
Aaron David Miller is a former Middle East negotiator and the author of "The Much Too Promised Land." He spoke to Rob Marciano on CNN’s “American Morning” Thurs
Rob Marciano: Give us the Palestinian and Israel cliff notes here. A 101 version of where the U.S. stands in their policy with that part of the Middle East.
Aaron David Miller: I think the reality is the Obama administration has decided to make this a top priority. I wasn't sure at first but there’s no question about it now. Governing is about choosing. It’s about trying to decide what’s important and what isn't. And the Obama administration has taken some important steps – appointing George Mitchell, changing their tone, early visits to Washington, the president's speech in Cairo. There’s no question they are going to seriously test the possibility that within the first or maybe second term, the administration can…help the Israeli and Palestinians reach an agreement.
Marciano: Arguably, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn't have the power he once had and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas may be in a similar situation. What does the president hope to accomplish with this meeting this week?
Miller: Well, he is going to sit down with a very pleasing, but largely powerless Palestinian president, really representing a kind of Palestinian “Humpy Dumpty.” Abbas, who represents Fatah, has the incentive to make peace with the Israelis but not the power. Hamas, on the other hand, has plenty of power but they lack the incentive. And this conundrum, this real problem is the one that the Obama administration is going to confront.
In today's meeting there will be three people in the room. There will be the president and there will be the Palestinian president and there is also going to be Benjamin Netanyahu. He won't be there in body but he'll be there in spirit. Because almost everything turns now, I suspect, on whether the administration can induce the Israelis to do things. And there's a sort of cruel asymmetry here. Very little will be expected from Mahmoud Abbas, because he's not capable of giving much. Much will be expected of the Israelis and you really are going to end up, I suspect, with a test of wills sooner rather than later.
Florida's 'pilot factory'
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/05/28/chernoff.pilot.school.art.jpg caption="CNN's Allan Chernoff investigates the air school that trained pilots of three fatal crashes."]
By Allan Chernoff and Laura Dolan
(Ft. Lauderdale, FL) – A recent plane crash in Buffalo New York that killed some 50 people led to questions about the training of those in the cockpit. Those questions led CNN to The Gulfstream Training Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The Academy promises to train amateur pilots who aspire to fly for a commercial airline in just three months. Students pay $30,000 in tuition and in return, the Academy provides cheap, co-pilots-in-training for Gulfstream International Airlines as they work to increase their hours of flying time.
Gulfstream promotes this part of their training on its website saying, "Gulfstream Training Academy's First Officer Program offers airline-bound aviation professionals training and experience at an actual airline flying real flights for Gulfstream International Airlines."
After 12 weeks of training, students serve as First Officers, also known as co-pilots, on Continental Connection flights in Florida and the Bahamas that are operated by Gulfstream International. They get 250 hours of paid on-the-job-training, in addition to the 300 hours they need to qualify for the program.
That's a red flag for veteran pilots like Pat Moore who find the training tactic questionable. "I don't know how they can market that as training for these co-pilots while at the same time providing revenue service for paying passengers."
Most major airlines require co-pilots to have a minimum of 1,500 hours of flight time. That's three to five times the amount of some students entering Gulfstream's First Officer program.
"I really don't want somebody in the right seat that's just learning, that's gaining experience, said Moore. "I want an experienced crew. When I buy an airplane ticket, that's what I'm paying for." He compares it to going to a medical student for healthcare instead of a doctor.
Continental Airlines told CNN, "We expect our partners to adhere to the highest safety standards."
What's on tap – Thursday, May 28, 2009
Good morning everyone. We have breaking news this morning: A serious jolt to the caribbean. A powerful 7.1 earthquake hit off the coast of Honduras within the past two hours. A tsunami watch was issued for Honduras, Belize and Guatemala. That watch has since been cancelled. So far there have been no reports of any damage or injuries.
There are several other big stories we'll be breaking down in the next 15 minutes. Including, a big thumbs-up for the U.S. economy. President Obama declaring the country is back from the brink of economic disaster... and Americans are calmer and more confident about the future. We'll break down what the economic booster shot could mean for your money and your future.
And this morning, an exclusive report into the questions that run through our minds when we fly. How competent is the crew? Are they trained to deal with an emergency? This morning we uncover so-called "pilot mills" and how getting "a quick ticket to the cockpit" is putting your safety at risk.
We're also following developing news overseas. U.S. and South Korean militaries are on heightened alert this morning. U.S. officials telling CNN the North appears to be preparing to restart generators at a nuclear plant used to make bomb-grade plutonium. All this playing out as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton uses strong language to warn the communist regime it will face consequence
We Listen!
Wednesday’s American Morning audience was highly skeptical about the positive economic news about the recession, asking “what planet” CNN was living on and noting that six million people are still out of work.
- Sharrion: Please tell me what planet you are living on! I am the owner of a large hair salon in Long Beach, California. Every day my clients are losing their homes, retirement and jobs. Maybe your jobs are secure but that's not true for the rest of us. Strip malls are losing their small business each day. Many people have lost 1/2 their retirement! People in the car industry are losing their jobs which trickles down to everyone. The housing problem has created major job loss. I was talking to and employee yesterday. Her husband is in construction they cannot pay their house payment. Hello! I watch your station every morning and disappointed in your recent comments. I cannot believe a news station is so out of touch! The fear you talk about has turned into reality! Maybe not yours but the rest of us are living it daily. As far as recovering in 2009 and the fear is gone. Tell it to the people that have lost their businesses, jobs, homes, retirement etc. It will take years to undo what has happen and many people will never recover.
- Don: I cannot believe what I just heard about the economic outlook. Where do they interview, I want to be there to see who these people really are. Did anyone speak to the 6million or so that are currently out of work, or had to take jobs that are part time because there are no full time jobs around? Yes, things will be getting better, but I happen to think that we are a long way from that. If this was supposed to be a "make the masses feel good story," it did not work for me.
- R: We may be gaining "consumer confidence" right now but watch the economy tank again if Exxon-Mobil and friends continue their upward spiral in prices. I know their profits were off a bit last quarter but you know what? So was one huge segment of Americans as they adjusted from paycheck to unemployment checks.
- Chris: The oil companies at it again, gas prices just went up in north central Ohio by $ .26 per gallon. That puts us at $2.65 a gallon for regular gas. When is the president going to focus on the gouging of the american people by the oil companies. I can remember when a barrel of oil was at $60 and we were paying less then $1.50 a gallon for gas. What is up with this??
How do you feel about the economic news that the recession will subside by year-end? What positive changes have you noticed in the area where you live?
Critics Blast “Tobacco Lollipops”
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/05/27/costello.camel.snus.art.jpg caption="CNN's Carol Costello reports on new smokeless tobacco products that critics say are geared toward children."]
From CNN's Bob Ruff
Cigarettes and Washington have never been a good mix.
For decades the federal government has battled with the tobacco industry. The government says cigarettes kill people and “Big Tobacco” says smoking is a matter of choice.
Today cigarette advertising remains banned from radio and television.
Those warning labels on the sides of cigarette packages have gotten stronger over the years. And the Surgeon General says that smoking “causes diseases in nearly every organ of the body.”
Even the tobacco industry has finally agreed that there can be health risks to smoking. R.J. Reynolds Vice President Tommy Payne told CNN’s Carol Costello Tuesday that “when you’re inhaling the smoke, that is the primary cause for the chronic diseases associated with the 400,000 premature deaths, whether it be lung cancer (or) emphysema...”
So has Big Tobacco thrown in the towel? Hardly.
A new product from R.J. Reynolds is being test marketed in Portland, Oregon; Indianapolis and Columbus. It’s called "Camel Strips," a small pellet of finely milled tobacco that dissolves in the mouth. It puts nicotine directly into the body, but there’s no smoke as in traditional cigarettes. Later in the year the company will test market in those same three cities two other dissolvable products: the "Camel Stick," which is about the size of a toothpick, and "Camel Strips," which resemble those breath strips that are so popular with consumers.
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