Today on CNN Newsroom
Bite marks the new hickey?
From CNN Intern Emily Landrieu:
So we are all familiar with the world wide Twilight phenomenon. It has spawned a complete obsession with all things vampire, from make up to clothing and even to biting. That’s right, biting. Since vampire mania took hold of the world a few years back, teens throughout the country have been showing affection through biting each other. Now with the third Twilight in theaters, True Blood back on the small screen and a slew of others in circulation – the trend in resurfacing. High schoolers say it’s a way to show someone you care about them and that you are chosen- just like in the movies. Bite marks have now even started to be a status symbol. Teens are sporting these bites and their arms, necks, and even faces.
What do you think about this trend? Is it a odd way to show someone you care?
FEMA Trailers from Hurricane Katrina Resurrected for Oil Disaster
After Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided 120,000 trailers to victims and relief workers.
Residents soon began complaining of sore throats, burning eyes and noses and trouble breathing.
The cause? High levels of formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde is an industrial chemical that is linked to nasal cancer, respiratory problems and even leukemia. Scientists believe that the fumes resulted from cheap wood and poor ventilation. Whatever the cause, the government banned the trailers from being used for long term housing. The fumes and health risks were too high.
But the trailers, which cost FEMA $130 million a year to maintain and store, recently found a new market. According to the New York Times, they are being bought by hundreds of contracting companies, dozens of which are in Louisiana, and by individuals in public auctions. Some buyers said they were unaware of the health risks.
UPDATE:
Yesterday, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, sent a letter to Attorney General Eric H. Holder, General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Martha N. Johnson and FEMA Administrator W. Craig Fugate concerning media reports that the banned FEMA trailers from Hurricane Katrina are being used again.
Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Charlie Melancon (D-La.) also wrote the GSA asking for answers on the banned trailers. Read their letter here.
If you're living in one of these trailers, we want to hear from you.
For everyone else, we want to know what you think about this story.
Post your comments here. Kyra will read some of them on the air during the 10am ET hour of the CNN Newsroom.
Veterans Exposed to HIV & Hepatitis
Being back on US soil doesn't mean these Missouri veterans are safe.
John Cochran VA Medical Center in St. Louis recently notified over 1,800 veterans that they may have been exposed to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV after visiting the medical center for dental work, said Rep. Russ Carnahan.
The association chief of staff at the hospital, Dr. Gina Michael, says some dental technicians broke protocol by hand washing dental tools before putting them into cleaning machines. The hand washing began back in February 2009 and may have caused the tools to become contaminated.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that there's been a major medical mistake at a V.A. hospital. There was dirty colonoscopy equipment in Florida, letters sent to veterans saying they had Lou Gehrig’s disease when they didn’t, and radiation errors for colonoscopy patients in Philadelphia.
Are you or one of your loved ones a veteran? We want to hear about your experiences- good or bad- with your local V.A. hospital.
Post your comments here. Kyra will read some of them on the air during the 10am ET hour of the CNN Newsroom.
Elementary school provides condoms to students
The controversial topic of schools giving out condoms to students is nothing new. However- one town in Massachusetts is taking that to a whole new level. Provincetown, Mass. elementary schools just approved a new condom distribution policy that sets no age limit for students to obtain condoms. On top of that, no parental consent is necessary. The policy says that students must speak to a school nurse or counselor before the condoms are given out. Although the policy clearly states the schools do not approve of sexual activity, they want all of their students to be prepared, even ones as young as first grade.
So do you think this new school policy goes too far? We’ll share some of your comments during the 10 o’clock hour of CNN Newsroom with Kyra Phillips.
THE MYSTERY BILL
A former Oregon National guard soldier, shot in Iraq, has a $3,000 bill from the military. Gary Pfleider is still not sure exactly what the bill is for. He said he originally thought the government was trying to make him pay for gear he left in Iraq after being shot. But now, he says the military is telling him it’s not about the missing equipment he left behind, but instead about being overpaid from his last few months in the military. Pfleider says a defense finance and accounting service spokesman told him he was overpaid from July, 2008 to September, 2008. Pfleider says he didn’t get any notices about being overpaid before the $3,000 bill arrived. The military says they can’t discuss the billing because of privacy issues. So we wanted to know, do you think this Iraq War veteran, who was disabled in the line of duty, should be forced to pay back this money?
Post your responses to this blog, and we’ll read some of them on CNN Newsroom at 10am ET.
Miranda Rights
Should terror suspects be given miranda rights?
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney. If you can't afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you."
Post your comments here and Kyra Phillips will read them on the air during the 10am ET hour of CNN Newsroom.
SC: Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer Controversial Comments on Poor Students
At a forum, the Lt. Governor spoke out in favor of finding ways to break the government’s cycle of handouts and dependency.
He even went on to compare poor students to animals.
Below is some of what he said during his speech:
…But the problem is, there are so many folks now that don’t have to do a thing. In government we continue to reward bad behavior. Any time we give somebody money, we’re telling them to keep doing what they’re doing.”
…My grandmother was not a highly educated woman but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed! You’re facilitating the problem. If you give an animal or person ample food supply they’ll reproduce. Especially one that don’t think too much further than that and so what you got to do is curtail that type of behavior. They don’t know any better.
Bauer says he stands by the message, but would probably use a different metaphor.
Post your comments and Kyra will read some of your responses on CNN Newsroom beginning at 10amet
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Post by: Filed under: Anchors • Kyra Phillips • What the...? |
Strippers & Divorce: What's The Link?*
*Besides the obvious, I mean!
Both were fodder for Tuesday's "What The...?" file:
Repent! (No, Seriously...)
There are some things you just don't do. Tug on Superman's cape, for instance, or spit into the wind.
Robbing a nun and ransacking a church seem to fit into this category, no?
(No) Se Habla Español
Kyra's back from her NYC stint tomorrow!
While there, she pulled together a few segments with our HLN friend Jane Velez-Mitchell. In case you missed it, here's one that got a big response.
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