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What's trending for May 25, 2012
Earlier this week, the interesting choices for Maxim's "Hot 100 list" were trending on the web, but today it’s AARP’s "21 Sexiest Men Alive Over 50" list that’s making headlines. Why? Because former Utah governor and GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman came in at #20 on AARP's list, just behind George Clooney.
Also trending, another bear video has gone viral this morning. In Steamboat Springs, Co., wildlife officials were called in to get a sleeping black bear out of a neighborhood tree. An officer shot the bear with a tranquilizer gun and then gave him a nudge, sending the massive animal tumbling out of the tree. Thankfully, the bear was perfectly fine after his fall and the bear was taken out of the city and into the wild.
MYB: Mortgage rates at record lows
In today’s Minding Your Business segment, Christine Romans has very good news: the housing market may finally be healing.
Interest rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages are down to 3.78 percent, almost a full point below where it was just a year ago. Romans explains that this is a significant difference, with the potential to save tens of thousands of dollars in lower interest payments over the lifetime of a loan.
The spring selling season is also finally showing a pulse, with home sales up 10 percent.
Romans' "one thing you need to know" about your money today? Morgan Stanley is reviewing every single trade that was made on Facebook's IPO. So if you paid too much because of the NASDAQ’s technical problems, you may be getting some money back.
Is Romney's promise to reduce the unemployment rate to 6% realistic? Christine Romans explains
In an interview with Time magazine yesterday, Mitt Romney pledged to get the unemployment rate down to 6% after his first term if he's elected.
Acknowledging that the Congressional Budget Office has already predicted that unemployment will be down to 5.3% by the end of 2017 regardless of who's in office, Christine Romans says that Romney's goal is doable on Early Start today.
Growing concern over al Qaeda's presence in Syria- Barbara Starr reports live from Jordan
Al Qaeda is taking advantage of the unrest in Syria and a senior Jordanian official tells CNN's Barbara Starr that there are nearly 1,500 al Qaeda members and sympathizers in the country.
As a result, Jordan is pumping up its security on the Syrian border with the help of U.S. forces. Barbara Starr reports live from Jordan this morning about this growing security concern.
MYB: Facebook fiasco continues to grow
The New York Stock Exchange is courting Facebook, hoping to convince the social network to leave NASDAQ after a rocky public start.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the NYSE has been emailing with Facebook saying that they are better for trading because they use people, not computers.
The social network is also dealing with investor outrage, with at least three people are suing Facebook and its underwriters and accusing them of withholding information before the IPO launch.
In today's Minding Your Business, Mary Snow explains why the technical issues with NASDAQ are only the start of Facebook’s problems.
Are Americans hoping for a superhero candidate that may not exist? Dean Obeidallah weighs in
In an interview with Time magazine, Mitt Romney attacked President Obama's record, saying that the president hasn't exactly been the superhero America was hoping for.
However, in his new column on CNN.com, political comedian Dean Obeidallah argues that Romney may not be America's economic avenger either.
While Obeidallah thought that President Obama could be America's superhero, he contends that the president's slogan has gone from "yes we can" to "it could be worse." As for Romney, Obeidallah is not impressed with the GOP candidate's record at Bain Capital and as Massachusetts governor.
On Early Start this morning, Obeidallah discusses his column and argues that Americans only have "mere mortals" to choose from for president.
IBM bans 'Siri' app because of privacy concerns – Christine Romans reports
"Siri," Apple's revolutionary voice-controlled iPhone app, is still in it's beta-testing phase, but it's already proven to be a game changer for smart phone technology.
Despite it's popularity, tech giant IBM has recently raised security and privacy issues over the app, choosing to ban "Siri" from its corporate networks. Christine Romans explains the decision on Early Start this morning.
What's trending for May 24, 2012
Two jaw dropping videos have gone viral this morning and they're trending all over the web.
The first video shows a massive 18 foot great white shark biting the head off of a blue shark that was was on a fisherman's line off the coast of Bondi beach in Australia.
The second captures daredevil Gary Connery pulling an unprecedented stunt by jumping 2,400 feet from a helicopter without a parachute.
High school seniors suspended for bike ride to school
Sixty-four Kenowa Hills high school seniors were suspended Tuesday just before their graduation after they organized a 3-mile bike ride through town in lieu of a "senior prank."
Their school's principal Katie Pennginton was not happy about the bike parade, saying that it caused major traffic problems and that students could’ve been hurt.
Besides being suspended, the students were also banned from the school’s traditional senior walk, when graduating students say goodbye to their teachers and classmates.
Suspended seniors Cody Nicks and Trevor Galandt, and Cody’s mom Rachel, join Early Start this morning to talk about the suspension and to explain why they think that the punishment was unmerited.
What's trending for May 23, 2012
Maxim made some interesting choices for its "Hot 100" list this year, which includes accused killer Amanda Knox, cartoon Lois Griffin and funnyman Stephen Colbert.
In the world of comics, Marvel announced that gay X-Man Northstar is marrying his boyfriend Kyle. The news comes one day after DC Comics' announcement that one of its superheroes is coming out as gay.
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