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December 11, 2008
Morning Buzz: Sharks, Oil Militants, and Corruption
Posted: 07:01 AM ET
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Penny Manis
AC360 Senior Producer

Tonight is the night we’ve been waiting for all year (insert drum roll): the second installment of award-winning Planet in Peril. It’s a 2-hour documentary (airs 9-11pet) that looks at how the world is becoming more dangerous as natural resources are compromised.

Anderson, Sanjay Gupta and Lisa Ling spent the year traveling every corner of the earth, swimming with sharks in Africa, visiting oil battlefields in Nigeria, and traversing through freezing arctic climates to bring you this special. We can’t wait for you to watch!

Anderson has been working double time all week preparing, in fact he just walked by and it’s pretty early because he did a stint for American Morning promoting the special tonight (ps: why does he always look so bright eyed and bushy tailed no matter what time he gets off air at night and what time he gets up in the morning? I’m going to look through his office and see if there’s a Fountain of Youth in there, but I digress…)

This means that our live news show airs 11pET tonight so once you learn the most pressing environmental issues from your fave anchor, we’ll then bring you the news of day.

Highlights: P-E Obama holds a news conference to discuss health care, and he'll announce Fmr. Senator Tom Daschle as nominee for Secretary of Health and Human services. He will also tap physicist Steven Chu as Energy Secretary. We do not expect he will bring up the Governor Blagojevich situation, but you can bet your life savings he will be asked these q’s by the press.

P-E Obama called for the Governor to resign. Meanwhile, the last thing Congressional Dems want is the Governor to name P-E Obama’s replacement in the Senate while he is embroiled in this muck, and 50 members have signed a draft letter calling on him to resign.

There are new q's over who was willing to play ball with the governor in the Pay to Play deals particularly involving P-E Obama’s Senate seat. Jesse Jackson Jr. denied he did anything wrong after the Fed identified him as one of the candidates for the Senate seat.

But Illinois, don't feel so bad about the dirty state of politics: an analysis shows that Louisiana and Alaska are worse in terms of corruption and topping the list as Most Corrupt State is apparently North Dakota. Illinois ranks 18th on this list. This, according to a USA today analysis of Dept of Justice stats.

The automaker bailout has passed the House, but it will have a tougher ride in the Senate because Republicans are raising questions and threatening to block it, calling the deal a taxpayer-funded travesty. This is such an important issue and let’s see if Congress steps on the gas (pun intended) with regard to this bill as this painful drama is drawn out.

See u tonight!

7 Comments
More about: Penny Manis •  The Buzz
7 Comments
Cindy   December 11th, 2008 8:54 am ET

I'm looking forward to seeing PIP2 tonight. I've loved seeing the little snippets of it from all three of them. I really liked Lisa's elephant one and Coop's shark one so I can't wait to see the whole thing.

As far as Anderson being all bright eyed and bushy tailed...well you may need to check and see if he has a battery in him like the energizer bunny. You know he keeps going, and going, and going! LOL And the poor thing never gets rest and still looks as young as can be! LOL Plus he wears those cool shades.

Glad to see that we will get a live show tonight! I was wondering about that but then Anderson said he'd see us tonight last night so I thought that we would!

Cindy...Ga.

Fran   December 11th, 2008 8:57 am ET

When in this country is it alright for a criminal in a government job to go right on with this duties. What about security, etc. I realize he wasnt convicted yet.....but doesn't he have any sense of shame. No wonder our youth have so little respect.

Annie Kate   December 11th, 2008 9:13 am ET

I can hardly wait to see PIP tonight. I have read good reviews from the screening and I am excited that its finally the day for the rest of us to get to see it!! I hope PIP will be an annual event; while we may get all involved with politics, the economy, our energy policy, etc. the most important issue of the day is our planet and its environment. I'm glad CNN and 360 are on the cutting edge of the coverage of this story with Anderson at the helm.

So Alaska ranks higher on the list of corruption in government than Illinois? I wonder how Sarah Palin figures in that one especially with her per diem charges for staying at her own house. I frankly am surprised the IRS hasn't slapped her hand on that one. At any rate I would love to hear about the states on the list and how they are so corrupt.

Annie Kate
Alabama

Brandi - bottom of the boot   December 11th, 2008 9:14 am ET

Perhaps you should add that it is snowing in South Louisiana to the list. lol

Its quite odd. :)

Michelle   December 11th, 2008 9:24 am ET

I am looking forward to PIP2. It sounds a little scary, but that is
the world we live in. With those job claims numbers , lets hope
the Senate does the right thing.I think 360 should also point out
that Toyota, Nissan and others are not selling cars at this time so
GM, Ford and Chrysler are in good company. The only people
who seem to care about Blago is the press. The people get that
this guy is an idiot. They only people trying to make this a problem
for PE Obama is the clueless press. People get the real story is
about Blago's personal behavior not Obama. Americans elected
Obama to solve this country's problems.

Michelle D. Fonthill,Ont   December 11th, 2008 11:28 am ET

I am so looking forward to seeing Planet in Peril 2 ! The clips of Anderson diving with sharks is scary i love the intersting infromation on this global crisis i. was wondering about the show being on live tonight beacuse of this special thanks for being there for Anderson the coolest news czar around and the bravest !
Thanks for the buzz
see you later at 11
Michelle D.

Eugenia-San Francisco, Ca   December 11th, 2008 4:04 pm ET

I thought the article about the drought would be here. Water is our most precious asset, if we run out of oil we don't die. Some countries are already using reverse osmosis to filter water from the ocean. Believe me in time water will be more valuable than oil, gold, diamonds combined!

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