Morning Buzz: The high cost of obesity

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Eliza Browning
AC360°

Tonight we continue our series on the high cost of health care in America. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is anchoring this week and tonight he reports on the high cost of obesity. Two-thirds of American adults are either overweight or obese, according to government health figures. Carrying around extra pounds has been linked to problems such as certain kinds of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. So how much is America’s rising obesity rate costing us? A recent government report says America is set to spend $344 billion dollars on obesity-related health care costs by 2018. What does this say about our society?

All eyes are on Capitol Hill today where top representatives from Wall Street’s most powerful firm, Goldman Sachs, are scheduled to appear before a Congressional committee. They are expected to endure a harsh line of questioning from lawmakers about the role they played in the financial crisis.

The Senate panel hearing their testimony alleges that Goldman used a strategy that allowed it to profit from the housing meltdown and reap billions at the expense of clients. What type of argument will Lloyd Blankfein, the CEO of the firm, and other executives make? How damaging are newly released emails about Goldman's strategy likely to be for the firm? Do you have questions about Goldman's role? Who else is to blame? Let us know, we’re keeping them honest tonight.

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats don’t have the votes to bring up financial regulatory reform for debate, at least not yet. Republicans blocked the measure’s advance yesterday, demanding more time to negotiate a compromise. We’ll have the latest developments on a potential new policy for regulating Wall Street tonight.

The controversy surrounding Arizona’s new law cracking down on illegal immigrants grew yesterday. Opponents used refried beans to smear swastikas on the state Capitol and civil rights leaders demanded a boycott of the state. In San Francisco, a resolution calling for the city to end all contracts with Arizona-based companies and to stop doing business with the state will go before the board of supervisors. Activists are planning to challenge the immigration legislation. They hope to block the law from taking effect by arguing that it encroaches on the federal government’s authority to regulate immigration and violates people’s constitutional rights by giving police too much power. Do you have feelings on the issue?

And Manuel Noriega, the former Panamanian dictator, arrived this morning in France, where he was extradited to stand trial on charges he laundered drug money. Noriega spent more than 20 years in a U.S. federal prison. U.S. forces removed him from office in 1989 years ago during an invasion of Panama and he eventually surrendered in 1990. What kind of trial will he face in France?

What else are you following today? Let us know and see you tonight at 10 p.m. ET.