The Shot: Jesus cat
A pet owner claims the image of Jesus can be seen in the fur of a cat.
Live Blog from the Anchor Desk 7/30/08
For what’s in the program take a look at tonight’s Evening Buzz.
Anderson is in South Africa working on Planet In Peril: Battle Lines. Campbell Brown will be filling in for him. Be sure to check her out on our live web camera from the 360° studio. We’ll turn the camera on at 945p ET and turn it off at 11p ET. LINK TO THE BLOG CAMERA
We’ll start posting comments to this blog at 10p ET and stop at 11p ET.
Evening Buzz: Going Negative
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/POLITICS/07/30/campaign.poll/art.split.gi.jpg%5D
Maureen Miller
360° Writer
It's getting nasty on the campaign trail. John McCain has a new ad that will run in 12 states that claims Obama is "the biggest celebrity in the world." And, goes on to ask, "But is he ready to lead?". The video shows Obama in Germany last week before a crowd of 200,000 people.
The ads also has video of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, who are better known for their wild antics that the paparazzi never seems to miss. Barack Obama, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears? OK. Maybe this is more comical than nasty? What do you think? We've got the raw politics tonight on 360°.
Plus, what about Hillary and the so-called "dream ticket?"
Tomorrow Buzz
Lisa Ort
AC360° Producer
Here’s a look at some of the stories on our radar for tomorrow:
RAW POLITICS: Sen. McCain will be at a town hall meeting in Racine, WI while Sen. Obama attends one in Cedar Rapids, IA. President Bush is scheduled to make a statement on Iraq in the morning.
TED STEVENS: Indicted Sen. Ted Stevens will make his first court appearance Thursday afternoon in Federal District Court in Washington. The Alaska Republican was indicted Tuesday on charges of lying about receiving gifts from an Alaska-based energy company on whose behalf he intervened in Washington. Stevens has denied the charges.
MILITARY SEXUAL ASSAULTS HEARING: The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee holds a hearing on "Sexual Assault in the Military."
11-YEAR-OLD COMPETENCY HEARING: Scheduled date of hearing for Semaj Booker. In early 2007, 9-year-old Booker led police on a high speed chase in a stolen car. Days later, he talked his way onto a flight from Seattle to San Antonio. He was caught when he tried to board a flight to Dallas. He was arrested in July 2008 on suspicion of burglary.
SIMPSON HEARING: Scheduled date of court hearing for O.J. Simpson, currently awaiting trial on robbery charges in connection to an incident at a Las Vegas hotel in 2007.
Obama samples slice of heartland
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/30/art.obama.diner.jpg caption="Sen. Barack Obama chats with diners at Bell Restaurant in Lebanon,Missouri."]
Editor's note: This pool report was filed by Michael Powell on the Obama campaign trail in Lebanon, Missouri.
Never let it be said that Barack Obama is a slow learner. Team Obama pulled into the Bell Restaurant (a diner, as defined by this New Yorker but who am I to argue with a Mizzou-an), which advertises itself as offering B.B.Q., Steak and Seafood.
The candidate, who is sparing in consumption of almost everything, and has taken grief in the press for not letting his waist expand as the campaign season progresses, wanders in and immediately and loudly announces:
"Well, I've had lunch but I'm thinking maybe there is some pie."
Then he drops that thought and sets to the business of chatting up waitresses, signing napkins and shaking hands with the 11 paying customers. These are mostly retired men in NASCAR and camouflage caps nursing their fifth or sixth cups of coffee. They are not a verbose lot.
How you guys doin'?" the candidate asks a table of four.
"Pretty good," one answers.
"What sort of work you do?" the candidate asks.
"Retired," says one. "Not much," says another.
Okay.
The candidate moves toward the kitchen, trailed by a beaming waitress or two. The food question hangs there.
"Well, I should order something," he says, adding a caveat: "Now, I've had lunch."
He settles on fried chicken; in his telling, he's become a junk food dog. "The healthy people, we'll give them the breasts," he tells he waitress. "I'll eat the wings.
Word now is out that a presidential candidate is in. People crowd by, cell phones held aloft. FULL POST
Major airlines, major increases, major pains
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/30/art.baggage.jpg caption="Hundreds of bags wait to be checked at New York's Kennedy Airport Wednesday. The baggage system was not functioning, delaying some flights and others to take off without baggage."]
Gary Tuchman
AC360° correspondent
The major airlines (with the notable and commendable exception of Southwest) are in a feeding frenzy to not only implement, but continue raising the price of checked luggage. Fuel prices are high, but they've gone up in dramatic fashion before in the age of air travel, so trotting that out as the reason for these fees doesn't inspire one to feel pity for the industry.
What is apparent is that the airlines are sticking together. If one of the majors decided to make 2 checked bags free again, there would be pressure on the others to re-adjust.
Either way, here is something to think about. If your luggage doesn't arrive on your flight, and instead ends up late or lost, shouldn't you be entitled to a refund?
Remarkably, there are no provisions for that. If you pay 125 dollars for a third checked bag and it gets lost, you are still responsible for the 125 dollars! With that logic, no wonder the industry is in so much trouble.
Beat 360° 07/30/08
Hello 360° bloggers! Be excited, because today is "The Incredible Beat 360°" (keep reading!)
Everyday we post a picture – and you provide the caption and our staff will join in too.
Tune in every night at 10p ET to see if you are our favorite!
Here is 'The Incredible Beat 360°’ pic of the day:
Senator Ted Stevens with 'The Hulk' during a party at the U.S. Capitol hosted by Stevens, Marvel Enterprises and Universal Studios, in tribute to the release of Universal Studio's release of the film, 'The Hulk.' in 2003.
Have fun with it. We're looking forward to your captions!
Make sure to include your name, city, state (or country) so we can post your comment.
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But wait!… There’s more!
When you win ‘Beat 360°’ not only do you get on-air prime-time name recognition (complete with bragging rights over all your friends, family, and jealous competitors), but you get a “I Won the Beat 360° Challenge” T-shirt!
Good luck to all!
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UPDATE: Check out our Beat 360° Winners!
Americans favor offshore drilling
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/30/art.oilwell.jpg width=292 height=320]
Ben Rooney
CNNMoney.com writer
As the nation struggles to meet its energy needs, a majority of Americans think drilling for oil and natural gas in offshore waters is a good idea, according to according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Wednesday.
The poll, which surveyed more than 1,000 adult Americans by phone in July, found that 69% of respondents support the idea of offshore drilling, while 30% opposed it. In June, 73% were in favor of offshore drilling.
But the poll also found that Americans are divided over whether or not offshore drilling will have an immediate impact on high gas prices.
Looking at AIDS in the US
By Dr. Sanjay Gupta | Bio
CNN Chief Medical Correspondent
I have logged hundreds of thousands of miles, looking at the burden of AIDS around the world. I have been with the Partners in Health teams in Rwanda and the Clinton Foundation in Kenya. I have seen the work being done in Haiti, to name a few. Today, I would like to draw some comparison with what is happening right here at home.
Yesterday the Black AIDS Institute reported that if African-Americans with HIV/AIDS were their own country, they would make up more HIV/AIDS cases than seven of the countries currently receiving emergency funding for… AIDS. Think about that. There are almost 600,000 African-Americans living with HIV, and there are still 30,000 newly infected cases every year. As things stand now, AIDS remains the leading cause of death among African-American women between the ages of 25 and 34, and the second-leading cause of death among African-American men between 35 and 44 years of age.
As Jesse Milan, board chair of the institute, said, “When the world wasn’t looking, the AIDS epidemic refused to go away.” AIDS has always been a disparate African-American problem. Even at the beginning of this epidemic in the United States, when there were only a few thousand cases, more than a quarter of them were among African-Americans.
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