Early Start's new website
Latest on shakeup at The Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation
Huffington Post’s Laura Bassett broke the story back in February and has new details on the major shakeups headed towards Susan G. Komen for the Cure, America’s largest breast cancer foundation.
Komen’s president, Liz Thompson, will resign next month and founder Nancy Brinker will leave her CEO role to focus on fundraising.
The changes come after a controversial decision by Komen earlier this year to stop funding Planned Parenthood – a policy that was eventually reversed.
17-year-old Austin Wierschke wins U.S. texting competition
If you have not heard of the texting king before, meet 17-year-old Austin Wierschke. Wierschke won the U.S. National Texting Championship held in Times Square yesterday, after out-texting his competitiors for a second year in a row. In addition, Wierschke won $50,000 and will go on to compete in the upcoming global texting championship.
The "Domain Awareness System" takes NYPD high-tech crime fighting to new levels
The New York City police department has teamed up with Microsoft to build a new high-tech surveillance system called the "Domain Awareness System".
The new system allows police officers to access more than 3,000 closed-circuit cameras, as well as license plate scanners and radiation detectors across the city. The "Domain Awareness System” runs from a single command center in lower Manhattan, where Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the collaboration.
This new technology will not only profit the police but New York as well, since it will receive 30% of the revenue as Microsoft sells the technology to other police forces across the country.
Retired Nassau County police officer and director of the Elite Intelligence and Protection Agency Lou Palumbo gives some more insight on the new technology. Palumbo says, "Basically its just a very high-tech sophisticated, most recent generation surveillance system that enhances the city's ability to monitor activity on various levels. Even to the extent to the detection of radiation which is critical."
What's trending on August 9, 2012
17-year-old Austin Wierschke won the U.S. National Texting Championship held in Times Square yesterday, after out-texting his competitiors for a second year in a row. In addition, Wierschke won $50,000 and will go on to compete in the upcoming global texting championship.
Also – a $145.49 hot dog hits Sacramento, California and makes it in the Guinness Book of World Records for most expensive hot dog ever. The 18-inch beef frank is topped with Swedish moose cheese, Italian white truffle butter, french mustard, garlic-herb mayonnaise, smoked maple bacon from New Hampshire and local balsamic vinaigrette.
Refinery Fire Could Boost Rising Gas Prices – Ed Lavandera reports
A massive fire ravaged over Richmond, California on Monday. The toxic blaze partially shut down Chevron’s oil refinery, one of the region’s largest gas suppliers, raising concerns over rising gasoline prices. Analysts say that while prices are expected to level off in the fall season, for now, the prices are going to get higher and higher.
Residents of the Richmond area are more concerned about their health. Fumes from the fire sent hundreds to area hospitals. During Tuesday’s Richmond town hall meeting, furious residents addressed Chevron’s executives. “You’re putting this poison out here. It’s killing us.” “Do I have to look forward to having cancer?”
– Ed Lavandera reports
Jackie Joyner-Kersee weighs in on today's track and field events at the Olympics
It was both a good and bad day for American track and field athletes at the Olympics yesterday. Runner Leo Manzano came from behind to win a silver medal in the men's 1500 meter final, but Lolo Jones faced disappointment when she missed a bronze medal in the 100-meter hurdles by one tenth of a second.
More track and field events are coming up today at the Games, including a shot for the American women to medal in long jump, an event that hasn't been won by an American since 1988.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee was the last American to win gold in the event and she joins Early Start this morning to weigh in on the various competitions on the agenda today.
Tucson shooting victim says he 'feels a sense of relief' with Loughner plea, stresses need for gun control
Jared Lee Loughner, the man who shot sitting U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and killed six people in Tucson last year, changed his plea from "not guilty" to "guilty" on nineteen different charges at a court hearing yesterday.
While the plea deal spares Loughner the death penalty, he will be sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for parole.
Retired Army Colonel Bill Badger was one of the thirteen people wounded in the shooting that day and he sits down with Zoraida Sambolin on Early Start today to explain how he reacted to Loughner's plea.
"It puts the whole episode behind me and we can now move on," Col. Badger explains. "I think we will start to heal now. And I've talked to all of the other victims and that's pretty well the consensus of opinion, that we're glad that we don't have to go to a trial. We think it would have been a long trial and so we feel a sense of relief right now and we're satisfied with the decision that was made for him to plead guilty and get life in prison."
Col. Badger also stresses his support for gun control, saying "We would really like to see the plan from President Obama or Governor Romney, on what they plan to do if they are elected president for the next term and - as far as gun control. All we're getting so far is rhetoric and we would like to see some action"
MYB: Hack attack exposes major security loophole with Amazon and Apple
(CNNMoney) - The recent hacking of Mat Honan was doubly shocking: he's a writer for tech Bible Wired, and hackers were able to crack his account with non-technical ease.
Here's the scariest part: Anyone with both an Amazon account and an Apple ID is potentially vulnerable to the same attack.
The two companies say they're working to close the security gaps exposed by Honan's hack, but they were tight-lipped on Tuesday about the details of what changes they're making.
Poppy Harlow explains Honan's situation on Early Start this morning and discusses the security concerns the incident has raised.
What's trending on August 8, 2012
A passenger on an Alaska Airlines flight looked out the window of a plane and saw what looked like a damaged area on the wing with a handwritten note saying, "We know about this."
The story sparked a huge backlash on Twitter and American Airlines apologized, explaining that a maintenance technician wrote the note to let the flight crew know that it was an approved "trim repair" to the wing.
The airline has stressed that the plane was safe and there was nothing to worry about, but conceded that the note was "not appropriate and did not follow company procedures."
Also trending this morning, video of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton caught on camera dancing during her trip to Johannesburg, South Africa.
Over sixty percent of the U.S. suffering through drought – Alexandra Steele reports
The White House announced $30 million in new drought aid for individuals and businesses yesterday but President Obama doesn't think that will be enough.
The president is pleading with Congress to step up relief for U.S. farmers suffering through the historic drought by passing a $500 billion farm bill.
Experts are now saying that this drought could bring the smallest corn crop in six years, driving up food prices for people all over the world as a result.
CNN's Alexandra Steele explains how long the drought is expected to persist and discusses the effect the conditions are having on farmers and ranchers on Early Start this morning.
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