Live Blog from the Anchor Desk 12/15/09
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Tonight on 360°, the new twists in the fight over health care reform. We'll look at why it seems Sen. Joe Lieberman seems to be the most powerful and hated man right now on Capitol Hill. Plus, the health dangers of CT scans and more.
Want to know what else we're covering? Read EVENING BUZZ
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A few of the 5,000 earmarks in the spending bill
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The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste today urged President Barack Obama to veto the $446.8 billion omnibus spending bill. The bill, H.R. 3288, passed the House of Representatives on December 10, 2009 and the Senate on December 13, 2009. The omnibus is an amalgamation of six of the seven remaining fiscal year (FY) 2010 spending bills: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development; Commerce, Justice, Science; Labor/Health and Human Services, and Education; State and Foreign Operations; Financial Services and General Government, and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs. The omnibus appropriations bill contains thousands of earmarks worth billions of dollars and an average 12% increase in the departments and agencies funded in the six appropriations bills.
Here are some of the earmarks in the bill:
TRANSPORTATION-EDI (Economic Development Initiative)
• $1,000,000 by Senate appropriator Judd Gregg for repairs, restoration
and modernization of a theatre and construction of an additional space at the Portsmouth Music Hall
• $400,000 by House appropriator Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) for restoration
and renovation of the historic Ritz Theatre
• $400,000 by Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) for construction and renovation
for safety improvements at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden
• $350,000 by House appropriator Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.) and Rep. Robert
Brady (D-Pa.) for renovation of the Uptown Theatre
• $250,000 by Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) for construction of the Monroe
County Farmer’s Market
• $250,000 by Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio) for building renovation of the
Murphy Theatre
• $194,000 by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) for completion of the
historic restoration project at the Historic Slater Mill
• $150,000 by House appropriator Jose Serrano for Safe Harbors of the
Hudson, Inc., for renovation and buildout of the Pregones Theatre
• $100,000 by Rep. House appropriator Calvert (R-Calif.) for construction
on the Santa Ana River Trail
Video: The cast of 'Nine' with Larry King
Programming note: Tune in at 9pm EST tonight to see the full interview with the cast of 'Nine' on Larry King Live, then don't miss Anderson's interview with Larry at 10pm EST when he reveals what went on behind the scenes.
Evening Buzz: CT Scan Cancer Risk
Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer
Are you one of the millions of Americans who has gotten a CT scan? Two new studies raise concerns over the test used to get a look at everything from hearts to the pelvis.
Researchers say the radiation doses from the scans are higher than previously thought and may led to 29,000 cancers.
360 M.D. Sanjay Gupta has the medical facts you need to know tonight on the program.
Plus, we're following the new power plays over health care reform. Sen. Joe Lieberman is possibly the the most powerful and hated man on Capitol Hill right now. He says he's prepared to back a Senate plan if it excludes both a public option and a provision allowing Americans over the age of 55 to buy into Medicare.
CNN's Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash spoke with Lieberman today. She'll bring you the raw politics.
And, we're tracking how your tax dollars are being spent on Capitol Hill. The Senate approved a $447 billion spending bill that is headed to the Oval Office for Pres. Obama's signature. The bill is loaded with 5,000 earmarks worth almost $4 billion. This is the type of spending the Obama administration vowed to stop, but lawmakers are still at it. Joe Johns will share with you what earmarks are in the bill. We're keeping them honest
Join us for these stories and much more starting at 10 p.m ET. See you then!
Radiation and CT Scans explained
Program note: Tonight, Dr. Gupta and Anderson discuss the recent studies linking overuse of CT Scans to cancer. Tune in at 10pm EST to get the latest.
What is computed tomography?
Computed tomography (CT) is a diagnostic procedure that uses special x-ray equipment to obtain cross-sectional pictures of the body. The CT computer displays these pictures as detailed images of organs, bones, and other tissues. This procedure is also called CT scanning, computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography (CAT).
What can a person expect during the CT procedure?
During a CT scan, the person lies very still on a table. The table slowly passes through the center of a large x-ray machine. The person might hear whirring sounds during the procedure. People may be asked to hold their breath at times, to prevent blurring of the pictures.
Often, a contrast agent, or “dye,” may be given by mouth, injected into a vein, given by enema, or given in all three ways before the CT scan is done. The contrast dye can highlight specific areas inside the body, resulting in a clearer picture.
The length of the procedure depends on the size of the area being x-rayed; CT scans take from 15 minutes to 1 hour to complete.
Beat 360° 12/15/09
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:
US President Barack Obama arrives to deliver a speech on economic impact of energy saving home retrofits at a Home Depot in Alexandria, Virginia, on December 15, 2009 .
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.
Staff:
Joey Gardner
"Can I get some help here? I think Joe Lieberman has a screw loose."
Viewer:
Sean, Dallas
"I just ran into Joe the Plumber on Aisle 12!"
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Survey: 15 percent of teens get sexual text messages
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John D. Sutter
CNN
Nearly one-sixth of teens who own cell phones have received nude or nearly nude images via text message from someone they know, according to a new survey on "sexting" from the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
The national telephone survey confirms parent and teacher worries that young people are using cell phones to send out and receive sexually explicit images of themselves and of romantic partners.
The 800-person survey, released Tuesday by the nonprofit research group, found 15 percent of cell-phone-owning teens ages 12 to 17 had received nude or nearly nude photos by phone. Four percent of the teens said they had sent out sexually explicit photos or videos of themselves.
Older teens were more likely to send sexual images through text messages than younger teens. Four percent of 12-year-olds reported sending sexually suggestive images by text message, while 8 percent of 17-year-olds reported texting nude or partially nude photos.
Financial Dispatch: Cash For Caulkers
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Gene Bloch
CNN New York Managing Editor
President Obama continues his economic focus with a trip to Home Depot in Alexandria, Virginia. The topic: the economic impact of energy efficiency for homes in its so-called Cash for Caulkers program. While there, he'll also meet with business leaders and get ideas from them. In his remarks he'll talk about energy saving ideas and retro-fitting homes.
We’ll drill down on the President’s plan for energy efficiency in American homes (likely offering up to $12,000 in incentives for homeowners to retrofit houses and make them more energy efficient), we’ll look back at a similar program CNNMoney covered in Babylon, NY earlier this year that has now expanded to 8 neighboring towns on Long Island and has been a boon for the local economy. Will a national program have the same impact?
Those better than expected signs on the economy keep trickling in, though they don’t mean much until the economy begins adding jobs. FULL POST
'Up in the Air' leads Golden Globe nominations
CNN
Despite an industry dominated by young Hollywood, older actresses ruled the Golden Globe nominations on Tuesday morning. But "Up in the Air" was the critical darling with six nominations.
Meryl Streep earned two nominations in the best actress category, one for her portrayal of Julia Child in this summer's hit, "Julie and Julia," and another for her role in the romantic comedy "It's Complicated," in theaters December 25.
Sandra Bullock got two nominations, one for best actress in a comedic motion picture for "The Proposal," and the other for best actress in a dramatic motion picture for her role in the sneak box-office success "The Blind Side."
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