Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer
On this Veterans Day, and every day, we honor the men and women who have served in the U.S. military. What we don't celebrate are military impostors. These fake heroes who say they’ve been to war, but who have never seen a single day of combat.
Tonight on 360°, Randi Kaye has the story of one man accused of stolen valor. The FBI says 39-year-old Steven Burton is a fraud, not a Marine.
According to investigators, Burton is actually a California bank employee who masqueraded as a war veteran, even wearing several medals – bogus medals. Though, not just any medals but some the highest military honors – a Purple Heart, given to those wounded or killed in action and the Navy Cross, the highest medal the U.S. Navy can award.
Tonight Randi will tell you who turned Burton into the FBI. It's a remarkable story.
We're also tracking breaking developments on the war in Afghanistan. A former top general is warning the Pres. Obama to think twice about sending more troops into the war zone. The commander-in-chief met with his security team again today to talk over options in Afghanistan. We'll have the latest.
Do you think the U.S. should send more troops to Afghanistan? Sound off below.
Join us for these stories and much more starting at 10 p.m. ET. See you then!
Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer
Investigators in the Fort Hood shooting spree are looking at the possibility that the alleged gunman, Maj. Nidal Hasan, was a lone wolf with no terror connections.
Tonight on 360°, Drew Griffin will look at that angle of the story.
Terrorism experts have told Drew that if Hasan was a jihadist following orders to kill U.S. troops he would never have been seen at a convenience store near Fort Hood many mornings in traditional Muslim clothing or praying at a local mosque day after day.
Federal sources familiar with the investigation have told Drew that had Maj. Hasan been a classic terrorist, like the 9/11 hijackers or the London subway bombers, he would have hidden his religion and blended in – guidance that's part of the al Qaeda terrorist handbook.
Do you think Hasan is a terrorist? Share your thoughts below.
Pres. Obama traveled to Fort Hood today for a memorial service for the victims of Thursday's attack.
"It may be hard to comprehend the twisted logic that led to this tragedy. But this much we do know – no faith justifies these murderous and craven acts; no just and loving God looks upon them with favor. And for what he has done, we know that the killer will be met with justice – in this world, and the next," Pres. Obama said.
Also on our radar is the scheduled execution at 9 p.m. ET of D.C. sniper John Allen Muhammad. This afternoon, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine denied a last-minute clemency request for Muhammad. The attorney for the convicted killer has said his client will die with dignity and with no regrets.
Muhammad and his teenage accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, were convicted of the October 2002 killing spree that left 10 people dead and terrorized residents of the nation's capital and surrounding suburbs.
CNN's Jeanne Meserve will join Anderson tonight to talk about her one hour face-to-face meeting with Muhammad in January 2004 after he was convicted of the killings. We'll also look back on the 3-week shooting spree and hear from survivors and first responders.
Tonight we also have incredible video from Boston where a drunk woman survived falling into the path of a subway train. The train driver is being hailed a "hero." On 360°, she recalls the terrifying moments she was able to stop the train, within inches of the drunk woman.
Join us for these stories and much more starting at 10 p.m. ET. See you then!
Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer
We have new developments in the Fort Hood massacre. Tonight on 360° you'll get new insight on the alleged gunman, Maj. Nidal Hasan.
We've learned Hasan may have first heard radical anti-American views at a Washington suburban mosque.
It's the same mosque where a former imam, Anwar al-Awlaki, was the subject of several federal investigations going back to the late 1990s, but he was never charged.
al-Awlaki was also mentioned in the 9/11 Commission Report for having close ties to two of the 9/11 hijackers. The report shows it's unclear if al-Awlaki knew the two were terrorists.
al-Awlaki now lives in Yemen, where he's praising the Fort Hood attacks on his web site. He writes of Hasan:
"He is a man of conscience who could not bear living the contradiction of being a Muslim and serving in an Army that is fighting against his own people."
Today the current imam at the mosque talked with CNN and denied any possible connections between al-Awlaki, the 9/11 hijackers and Maj. Nidal Hasan. The current imam is also shocked about the Fort Hood shootings.
"I couldn't believe he (Nidal Hasan) could have done this," Sheikh Shaker Elsayed of Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center said.
We're also tracking developments in the investigation in Texas. We've learned that's where authorities are trying to track down the six people Nidal Hasan had dinner with the night before the shootings.
Tonight we also take you back to the terror that gripped the Washington area in October 2002. You'll hear new interviews with the first responders in the DC-area sniper case. The convicted mastermind of the attacks, John Allen Muhammed, is scheduled to die by lethal injection tomorrow night in Virginia. Today the Supreme Court refused to block the execution. A little more than seven years ago, Muhammed and his teenage accomplice, John Lee Malvo, murdered ten random people and left millions living in fear that they would also be targeted.
And don't miss part two of Anderson's interview with Oprah Winfrey. Plus, we're taking your questions on health care reform. Text them to AC360 or 22360.
Join us for these stories and much more starting at 10 p.m. ET. See you then!
Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer
We're learning new, exclusive details on the massacre at Fort Hood.
Tonight, you'll hear from Sgt. Mark Todd, an Army civilian police officer who along with his partner, Sgt. Kimberly Munley, shot the alleged gunman – Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan.
Maj. Hasan, an Army medic survived his gunshot wounds. But 12 of his alleged victims died.
Sgt. Todd will tell you what happened at Fort Hood's Soldier Readiness Center yesterday when Maj. Hasan allegedly opened fire.
We also heard today from neighbors of Maj. Hasan, who said he cleanned out his apartment the morning of the shootings. Several neighbors said he gave them copies of the Quran.
The neighbors thought Maj. Hasan was moving out because the Army was shipping him overseas for war duty.
We also talked with a former classmate of Maj. Hasan's at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. He said they took an environmental health class together. The former classmate said Hasan wrote about his opposition to the war on terror, while other students in class focused on such topics as mold in homes and dry cleaning.
We're keeping them honest. Tonight, we'll look at how Hasan's alleged hate for the war on terror may have gone unnoticed by some Army officials. After all, according to reports, Hasan was promoted to the rank of Major in May. Though, investigators said Hasan received a poor performance review at Walter Reed Medical Center and was transferred to Fort Hood.
Join us for this story and much more starting at 10 p.m. ET.
Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer
Supporters of same-sex marriage are vowing to keep up their fight, after voters in Maine yesterday rejected a law allowing such unions.
Stunned and upset advocates of gay rights gathered on the steps of Portland's City Hall today for a news conference.
"It seems in the end Mainers are not ready to treat these families fairly," an emotional Betsy Smith, executive director of Maine Equality, told the crowd.
"Having the protections and the law, as well as the respect and dignity that comes only with marriage is a journey on which we will continue," Smith said.
With 87 percent of precincts reporting as of this morning, the campaign to overturn Maine's same-sex marriage law won with 53 percent of the vote versus 47 percent opposed to the ballot measure, according to unofficial results compiled by the Bangor Daily News.
"The institution of marriage has been preserved in Maine and across the nation," Frank Schubert, chief organizer for the winning side, Yes on 1/Stand for Marriage Maine said last night.
Maine now joins 30 other states where voters have rejected same-sex marriage.
Five states – Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Iowa – have legalized such unions. But all did so through the courts or legislation, not by popular vote.
What do you think of the vote in Maine and the future fight for same-sex marriage? Share your thoughts below.
Tonight on 360°, we'll look at what's next in the aftermath of the Maine vote.
We'll also look at the other election results. The GOP won the governorship in Virginia and New Jersey. Democrats were victorious in a bitter House race in upstate New York, taking a seat that had been in Republican-control since 1872, when Ulysses S. Grant was president. We'll look at why voters seemed to vote the way they did yesterday and what it says about politics in America.
Join us for these stories and much more starting at 10 p.m. Eastern. See you then!
Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer
Don't forget. Tomorrow is election day. Cast your votes. There’s plenty of buzz, but not quite as much as the 2008 presidential election. Though, here is one race of several we're following closely for you on Tuesday that could have an impact nationwide on politics:
A wild political move was made over the weekend in New York's 23rd Congressional District race. GOP candidate Dierdre Scozzafava suspended her campaign on Sunday and announced she's endorsing the Democrat in the race – not the Conservative Party candidate that's got the backing of fellow Republicans.
The move has led some to question whether moderate Republicans have a bleak future.
The race has attracted the attention of some big name politicians: Vice President Joe Biden, former Alaska president Sarah Palin and many others.
What do you think of the political battle? Sound off below.
We'll have the raw politics and whether this all could spell trouble for GOP moderates nationwide.
Tonight we're also looking at the gender gap at the office. Women now make up half of the U.S. workforce, yet still make only 77 cents for every dollar a man takes home. We'll talk it over with personal finance expert Suze Orman, former White House Press Secretary and author of "Why Women Should Rule the World", Dee Dee Myers, and Dr. Katrina Firlik, author of "Another Day in the Frontal Lobe" and world champion poker player Maria Ho.
Also on our radar is the money trouble for actor Nicolas Cage. He's one of Hollywood's highest paid actors, yet he owes $6.3 million dollars in back taxes. Cage has filed a lawsuit claiming his business manager sent him down a path of "financial ruin."
Join us for these stories and much more starting at 10 p.m ET.
Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer
Democracy is rough going in Afghanistan. Talks between Afghan president Hamid Karzai and his election opponent, Abdullah Abdullah, have broken down, a source close to the Afghan leadership told CNN's Christiane Amanpour. The source also said Abdullah is likely to announce this weekend that he will boycott the runoff presidential election on November 7.
The runoff came about after arm-twisting from the U.S. following charges from Abdullah and other that there was massive fraud in the original August 20 vote. At first, results gave Karzai the win, but a review by the U.N.-backed panel of election monitors threw out nearly one-third of Karzai's votes because of "clear and convincing evidence of fraud."
If the runoff is called off, how will it impact Pres. Obama's efforts in the country? We'll have the raw politics tonight.
We're also tracking swine flu across America. The numbers released today from the CDC are not encouraging. The virus caused at lease 19 more children's death. That's the largest one-week increase since the outbreak in April.
The virus is also more widespread than ever before, with 48 states now reporting flu activity. South Carolina and Hawaii are the only states left off the list.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta will join us live with a look at how hospitals are battling the virus and give you the facts to keep you and your children safe.
And my favorite story we're covering tonight is tied to some video we found online at Break.com. Don't miss a basketball shot to remember that happened with help from a baseball bat.
UPDATE: I don't think the basketball video will make it tonight. We're tight on time. CLICK HERE to see it for yourself.
Join us for these stories and much more starting at 10 p.m. ET. See you then!
Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer
New details are emerging on the attack at a guesthouse for U.N. workers in Kabul, Afghanistan from a U.S contractor who saved 24 lives in the fire fight, but refuses to be called a hero.
The chaos began around 6 a.m. local time Wednesday when Taliban gunman disguised as police officers shot their way inside the compound. The fire fight lasted more than an hour. When it was over five U.N. workers, including one American, were dead.
Tonight you'll hear from the Chris Turner, the U.S. contractor who used an AK-47 to fight the intruders and save lives. He shares what went down inside the guesthouse.
We also have startling new numbers on the H1N1 virus in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control confirmed today that as many as 5.7 million Americans were infected with the flu between April and late July of this year. The data provides the first picture of just how fast the virus can spread.
Meanwhile, the Dow had its best day in three months today thanks to a strong report on economic growth in the third quarter. The numbers helped boost investors confidence that the economic recovery is on track. But where are the jobs? We've got the raw data and the raw politics.
Join us for these stories and much more starting at 10pm ET. See you then!
Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer
When a tsunami hit American Samoa last month 34 people were killed and one victim is still missing. They were all struck by a killer wave with no warning. We decided to find out why there wasn't a warning system in place and what we uncovered is startling.
Records show U.S. taxpayers shelled out nearly $13 million in disaster preparedness grants to the tiny island in the south Pacific since 2003. Yet, there were no sirens, no warning system and 34 deaths when the tsunami hit.
U.S. Homeland Security investigators tracked the money. They say the cash was instead spent on leather furniture, plasma televisions and other luxuries.
Don't miss what else Drew Griffin uncovered in our exclusive 360° investigation tonight.
We're also following a shocking story outside San Francisco, where police say a girl was gang raped for two-and-a-half hours outside a high school homecoming dance. Investigators say as many as 15 people, all males, watched the assault and did nothing. They never called police. They never helped the victim.
The girl was discovered badly beaten after police got a call from someone who overheard people talking about the attack.
Educator Steve Perry will join us to talk about this disturbing case. He says if you haven's been to a school lately you should be afraid, very afraid. Perry warns there is a "twisted perception of what is acceptable behavior." He has some suggestions to change the environment. It is something everyone needs to hear.
Also on our radar tonight are the sweat lodge deaths in Arizona. We continue to stay on this story demanding answers.
How did three people die and nearly two dozen get sick from taking part in the ceremony? Tonight you'll hear from the family of Liz Neuman. She died of organ failure a week after participating in the new age ritual run by self-help guru James Arthur Ray.
Join us for these stories and much more starting at 10pm ET. See you then!
Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer
We, the taxpayers, paid tens of billions of dollars to save the banks during the economic meltdown. Now some of those banks are spending millions of dollars lobbying Congress to make sure any reform laws are to their liking. So, you may be wondering, are the banks using the bailout money to lobby the government? Don't miss our “Keeping them Honest” investigation tonight on 360°.
ESPN fired baseball analyst Steve Phillips has checked into rehab after an affair with a staffer. In a statement, a representative for Phillips says his client is going to "address his personal issues." The representative added whatever Phillips did wrong, it wasn't under his control. Do you agree? Sound off below. Tonight we'll look at the growing celebrity trend of hitting rehab after an ugly incident.
We're also following the strange story here in New York of a young woman who showed up in the city with no memory. She didn't know her name or where she came from. With help from authorities and a CNN viewer she now has her identity back. We'll have her story.
Join us for these stories and much more starting at 10pm ET. See you then!
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