Live Blog from the Anchor Desk 10/28/08
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On 360° tonight, a big rally on Wall Street. The Dow has its second best day ever. Is your 401K on the rebound? Plus, we're on the trail with just one week to go until the election. Senators McCain and Obama were both in Pennslyvania today, just 90 miles apart. We've got new poll numbers state-by-state. And, in our crime & punishment report, we'll have the latest on Jennifer Hudson's triple tragedy. Her nephew, mother and brother have all been found murdered in Chicago. Are investigators any closer to naming a suspect? Find out tonight on 360°.
Don't miss Erica Hill's webcast during the commercials. LINK TO WEBCAST
And take a look at Anderson and Erica 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
Wait. One more guideline: There's a time limit. We'll start posting comments at 10p ET and stop at 11p ET. Blog away. We want to hear from you!
Evening Buzz: One Week To Go
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Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer
There's just one week to go until election day. 7 days. 168 hours and counting.
Today both Senators McCain and Obama campaigned in Pennsylvania, just 90 miles apart.
"In the closing days of this campaign my opponent is trying to distance himself from President Bush despite the fact that he's faithfully supported him ninety percent of the time. He's supported four out of the five of the Bush budgets that have taken from surplus under the Clinton years to the largest deficit in history. John McCain's ridden shotgun as George Bush has driven our economy towards a cliff and now he wants to take the wheel and step on the gas," said Obama in Chester, Pa.
In Hersey, Pennsylvania, a town known for its chocolate, there were no sweet words from McCain about Obama.
"My opponent is working out the details with Speaker Pelosi and Sen. Reid of their plans to raise your taxes, increase spending and concede defeat in Iraq," McCain said.
Also tonight, 360's Gary Tuchman has the raw politics of early voting. In 31 states, there's not just one election day. There are several election days. Gary reports from Nevada where surprisingly there's a good chance you can vote for the leader of the free world at your local shopping mall. Yes, outside your favorite department store. But it's not that easy in other states where there are long lines and you can wait for hours.
All that and more tonight on 360° at 10pm ET.
The Shot: Synchronized debates
Did we really need three presidential debates? One website doesn't think so.
Clinton to New Hampshire: "Jobs, Baby, Jobs"
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Jennifer Donahue
Political Director, New Hampshire Institute of Politics
Senator Hillary Clinton spoke to a crowd today in Manchester that was more female than male, more above-forty than below. Many of the people there identified themselves as Clinton turned Obama supporters.
"I've got a slogan. It's 'Jobs, Baby, Jobs," Clinton shouted to a cheering crowd.
Clinton asked the crowd to work as hard for the "Obama-Biden ticket", and for Senate candidate Jeanne Shaheen, as they did for her. She focused also on the theme of Bush-Sununu-McCain economic policy.
"We've had eight years of a Democratic President and eight years of a Republican President," Clinton said, not referring to her husband by name, although she often did during the Primary campaign. Many of her lines were well received and familiar to the crowd.
"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me," Clinton said. "The question is not who are you for, but who is for you?"
"We love you, Hillary," said former Governor Jeanne Shaheen. "We love you, Jeanne," yelled a supporter. Shaheen is in a fierce race against Senator John Sununu, a re-match of 2002. With Obama perceived by many voters in both parties as being ahead of McCain, Palin still has a core of support among older female voters who are Republicans or undeclared voters.
While Obama and Shaheen both appear to have strong support from Democratic female voters, Clinton has the potential to help not only Jeanne Shaheen, but to bring working class female voters who may be independents to the table for both Shaheen and Obama. With over 40% of New Hampshire voters registered undeclared, both races are still in flux.
Beat 360° 10/28/08
Ready for today's Beat 360°?
Everyday we post a picture – and you provide the caption and our staff will join in too.
Tune in tonight at 10pm to see if you are our favorite!
Here is the 'Beat 360°’ pic:
Jay Jay, an Iams trained cat, demonstrates his computer skills during the 6th Annual CFA Iams Cat Championship at Madison Square Garden this month in New York City.
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.
UPDATE: Check out our Beat 360° Winners!
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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!
One woman killed, another in jail: justice?
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Alessio Vinci
CNN Rome Bureau Chief
It's a crime story with characters that could have been plucked from a best-selling international mystery. Meredith Kercher, a British student murdered in a small medieval town 2 hours north of Rome. And three suspects: Amanda Knox, an American student from Seattle, Raffaele Sollecito, an Italian who at the time of the murder was her two-week old boyfriend and Rudy Guede, an African born in the Ivory Coast but raised in Italy.
Investigators claim they killed Kercher when she refused to take part in a drug fueled sexual orgy. All three have denied the charges . But now Italian court has ruled there is enough evidence to send Knox and Sollecito to trial. Guede had opted for a fast track trial, and has now been convicted.
Kercher was murdered last November. The suspects have been in jail since then. It took investigators and judges almost a year to indict them.
It may seem inconceivable that a suspect can be kept in jail for a whole year before facing trial (judges turned down several requests to allow house arrests instead). But the Italian legal system is notoriously slow.
Of course time never goes by quickly when you sit in a prison cell. Italian media write that Knox has spent this past year learning Italian and Chinese. She reportedly hopes one day to walk the Pacific Crest Trail and to visit India.
In correspondence monitored by prison officials and leaked to the Italian media, Knox says she had to fend off sexual advances from other inmates. But she also writes that Kercher's parents "have suffered more than anybody else."
Rockin' out for our vets
Program Note: 3 out of 4 young people know someone who is currently serving or has served in Iraq or Afghanistan. Anderson helps MTV shine a light on issues facing young veterans... Check out MTV.com for how to get involved.
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Leslie Sanchez | Bio
CNN Political Contributor
Republican Strategist
Everyone says, nowadays, that they support the troops. It's a phrase that trips off the tongue with ease whether spoken by anti-war protesters or battle-hardened veterans of previous conflicts. In one sense, its part of the cure for 25-year long hangover America experienced after Vietnam, having overdone it on the Kool-Aid poured out by Massachusetts' John F. Kerry and other anti-war activists. Saying it makes you feel better.
But what does it really mean "to support the troops." Well, for recording artists Ludacris, 50 Cent, Hinder, O.A.R. and Saving Abel, it means sharing your talents to raise awareness so that veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan can have access to physical and mental health screening, medical care, job counseling and training, education and, for those that want it, a fresh start in a new life outside the embrace of the U.S. military.
At MTV's "A Night for Vets: An MTV Concert for the BRAVE," those artists performed live along with taped performances by some of the entertainment industry's most recognizable stars, including Kanye West, Kid Rock, Angels + Airwaves, Fall Out Boy, Juanes, Nelly, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Will Ferrell, Cameron Diaz, Common, Fat Joe, Seth Green, Elizabeth Banks, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, James Marsden and Wyclef Jean.
Over 950 veterans and their families attended, and they no doubt could feel the love. Austin Winkler, the vocalist for the band "Hinder" explained he was there because his dad was a Marine and that it was "definitely important to take care of our veterans." FULL POST
Jennifer Hudson's Triple Tragedy
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Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer
What family, friends and fans suspected has been confirmed. The Cook County medical examiner's office has ruled the death of actress Jennifer Hudson's nephew a homicide.
Authorities say 7 year old Julian King died of multiple gunshot wounds, but they're not saying where on his body. And, they haven't determined when he died.
The boy was found yesterday shot to death in the back seat of an abandoned Chevrolet Suburban on Chicago's West Side.
The discovery came three days after Hudson's mother and brother were found shot to death in their home in the city's South Side.
Jennifer Hudson had the grim task of helping identify all three family members at the medical examiner's office.
The boy's mother, Julia Hudson, wrote about the triple tragedy on her myspace page.
"Now because I chose to do what was natural to me and love someone, it cost me my beautiful family. It cost me my beautiful, loving, supporting mother Darnell, my true blue baby brother Jason – I love u big baby – and last but never least, my only son Julian, my innocent baby one that was sheltered from all the evil in the world because we loved him so much."
Julia Hudson goes on to thank all of those who have supported her family and concluded the post by writing,
FULL POST
Change is coming
Watch Jami Floyd's commentary on Sen. Ted Stevens' felony convictions. Should end his reelection bid?
You can also read this and other commentaries from Jami Floyd on the In Session blog.
"I’m Joe – not the plumber – Joe the Biden."
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Editor's Note: The following report comes to us from a pool reporter on the campaign trail with Sen. Joseph Biden. We share his latest dispatch:
John Broder
New York Times
Senator Biden stopped at a Kilwin's ice cream and candy shop in a shopping mall in The Villages, a huge residential complex near Lady Lake, Fla. Before he entered the shop, he stopped at gallery next door and signed the back of a painting of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson speaking with some of their aides. We couldn't hear any of his remarks.
Once inside the sweet shop, he ordered a single dip of chocolate chip on a sugar cone from Marilyn Fennell, who was working behind the counter. He then visited with a number of customers who crammed into the store.
It was difficult to make out much of the banter, but at one point he declared to someone, "I’m Joe – not the plumber – Joe the Biden." He asked one of the patrons, "Did ya vote already?" She replied that she had. "I love ya," he said and kissed her on the cheek.
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