... And today was his first and last day on the job!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Affleck In Congo
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Ben Affleck: How the United States can help secure Congo
By Ben Affleck
Posted: November 30th, 2010 -- 02:15 PM ET
Add a comment [to AC360º blog]
Ask many Americans to name the bloodiest war since World War II and chances are that most would not know the answer. If you told them it was in Africa, they might guess Rwanda or the ongoing conflict in Sudan. They'd be wrong.
The actor spent time in the country and saw signs of ongoing atrocities but also signs of hope.
By far, the deadliest conflict was in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1998 to 2003. Eight African nations participated in the fighting on Congolese soil, many hoping to seize control of its vast mineral wealth. Some 4 million Congolese died during the conflict and nearly another 1 million have died in the lawless aftermath from starvation, conflict and preventable disease. Tens of thousands of children were forced to become soldiers, and as many as two out of three women were victimized by rape and other forms of sexual violence.
This is still happening today.
Perhaps the lack of attention toward these atrocities explains the disconnect in Washington between the compassion felt for the people of eastern Congo and the nominal advancement of specific policies to bring sustainable change to the region. Fortunately, that began to change this summer with passage of the Dodd-Frank Act, which required reporting the origin of potential conflict minerals from Congo. I hope that the incoming Congress will continue the bipartisan movement for sustainable peace and prosperity in that region.
Much remains to be done to help the Congolese people secure their region for the long term. In a defiant response to circumstances beyond their control, the resourceful and resilient Congolese people have flourished and begun to rebuild the foundation for effective government. This potential was evident in the national elections held four years ago and in the relative stability that has followed.
The potential can also be seen through local organizations such as Synergy of Women for Sexual Violence Victims in North Kivu. I am amazed how Synergy - despite regular threats - works to end gender-based violence and to provide survivors with critical support. This is just one of the many effective community-based solutions that bring about substantive change.
Through extensive time spent in Congo and my work with the Eastern Congo Initiative, I can attest to the authenticity of progress. But I can also speak to its fragility. Supporting Congolese efforts to move beyond their nation's violent past and ultimately stabilize civil society requires strong leadership and a more holistic approach from the United States.
To secure the peace, we must continue to support local leaders and trust their ability to manage their own destiny. At the same time, we cannot refuse to recognize that the reinforcing cycle of poverty and corruption still rules and that many crimes are still committed with impunity. We need to also acknowledge that achieving stability within Congo's borders requires understanding the dynamics outside those borders and throughout the Great Lakes region.
This isn't just altruism. The United States has security, economic and diplomatic interests in a peaceful and stable Congo. That is why the Eastern Congo Initiative has developed a set of recommendations for U.S. policymakers that can lead to a mutually beneficial improvement in the lives of the Congolese people. The four most significant recommendations happen to be the easiest to implement, with several already mandated by existing legislation.
First, it is imperative that the United States maintain the State Department office of special adviser for the Great Lakes region with a new appointment and open a renewed political dialogue.
Second, Washington must effectively implement the provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act designed to strengthen enforcement sanctions related to conflict minerals. Only in an equitable and transparent business environment can Congo's mineral wealth pay for Congo's future.
Third, the United States and the international community must continue to provide technical assistance and ensure the appropriate environment for the elections scheduled for 2011. Fair national, regional and local elections, in which the outcomes are accepted by the people, are vital for reestablishing confidence in civic institutions.
Finally, we must support Congo's efforts to deploy administrative and judicial reforms to root out political interference, stop corruption and foster the rule of law. Sealing the security vacuum with something other than militias will place the Congolese people in control of their destiny.
Following bipartisan leadership in the United States, the world can ensure that Congo never again experiences the violence and exploitation that defined much of its past two decades.
Synergy's creator, Justine Masika Bihamba, began helping women after rebels broke into her house and sexually assaulted her daughter. Her family is under constant threat because of her efforts. When asked why she stays, she says, "I have to do my work."
For the same reason, to help realize a vibrant Congo with abundant opportunities for economic and social development, we can't leave either.
The writer, an actor and director, first visited Congo in 2008 and founded the Eastern Congo Initiative early this year.
Ben Affleck: How the United States can help secure Congo
By Ben Affleck
Posted: November 30th, 2010 -- 02:15 PM ET
Add a comment [to AC360º blog]
Ask many Americans to name the bloodiest war since World War II and chances are that most would not know the answer. If you told them it was in Africa, they might guess Rwanda or the ongoing conflict in Sudan. They'd be wrong.
By far, the deadliest conflict was in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1998 to 2003. Eight African nations participated in the fighting on Congolese soil, many hoping to seize control of its vast mineral wealth. Some 4 million Congolese died during the conflict and nearly another 1 million have died in the lawless aftermath from starvation, conflict and preventable disease. Tens of thousands of children were forced to become soldiers, and as many as two out of three women were victimized by rape and other forms of sexual violence.
This is still happening today.
Perhaps the lack of attention toward these atrocities explains the disconnect in Washington between the compassion felt for the people of eastern Congo and the nominal advancement of specific policies to bring sustainable change to the region. Fortunately, that began to change this summer with passage of the Dodd-Frank Act, which required reporting the origin of potential conflict minerals from Congo. I hope that the incoming Congress will continue the bipartisan movement for sustainable peace and prosperity in that region.
Much remains to be done to help the Congolese people secure their region for the long term. In a defiant response to circumstances beyond their control, the resourceful and resilient Congolese people have flourished and begun to rebuild the foundation for effective government. This potential was evident in the national elections held four years ago and in the relative stability that has followed.
The potential can also be seen through local organizations such as Synergy of Women for Sexual Violence Victims in North Kivu. I am amazed how Synergy - despite regular threats - works to end gender-based violence and to provide survivors with critical support. This is just one of the many effective community-based solutions that bring about substantive change.
Through extensive time spent in Congo and my work with the Eastern Congo Initiative, I can attest to the authenticity of progress. But I can also speak to its fragility. Supporting Congolese efforts to move beyond their nation's violent past and ultimately stabilize civil society requires strong leadership and a more holistic approach from the United States.
To secure the peace, we must continue to support local leaders and trust their ability to manage their own destiny. At the same time, we cannot refuse to recognize that the reinforcing cycle of poverty and corruption still rules and that many crimes are still committed with impunity. We need to also acknowledge that achieving stability within Congo's borders requires understanding the dynamics outside those borders and throughout the Great Lakes region.
This isn't just altruism. The United States has security, economic and diplomatic interests in a peaceful and stable Congo. That is why the Eastern Congo Initiative has developed a set of recommendations for U.S. policymakers that can lead to a mutually beneficial improvement in the lives of the Congolese people. The four most significant recommendations happen to be the easiest to implement, with several already mandated by existing legislation.
First, it is imperative that the United States maintain the State Department office of special adviser for the Great Lakes region with a new appointment and open a renewed political dialogue.
Second, Washington must effectively implement the provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act designed to strengthen enforcement sanctions related to conflict minerals. Only in an equitable and transparent business environment can Congo's mineral wealth pay for Congo's future.
Third, the United States and the international community must continue to provide technical assistance and ensure the appropriate environment for the elections scheduled for 2011. Fair national, regional and local elections, in which the outcomes are accepted by the people, are vital for reestablishing confidence in civic institutions.
Finally, we must support Congo's efforts to deploy administrative and judicial reforms to root out political interference, stop corruption and foster the rule of law. Sealing the security vacuum with something other than militias will place the Congolese people in control of their destiny.
Following bipartisan leadership in the United States, the world can ensure that Congo never again experiences the violence and exploitation that defined much of its past two decades.
Synergy's creator, Justine Masika Bihamba, began helping women after rebels broke into her house and sexually assaulted her daughter. Her family is under constant threat because of her efforts. When asked why she stays, she says, "I have to do my work."
For the same reason, to help realize a vibrant Congo with abundant opportunities for economic and social development, we can't leave either.
The writer, an actor and director, first visited Congo in 2008 and founded the Eastern Congo Initiative early this year.
Anderson, the Good Griller!
.
TPMMuckraker
Anderson Cooper Shellacks Texas Birther With Torrent Of Facts (VIDEO)
Jillian Rayfield | November 30, 2010, 1:19PM
CNN's Anderson Cooper took Texas birther and state Rep. Leo Berman (R) down a whole bunch of pegs last night over Berman's birther bill. "You're basing legislation on stuff that's just rumors and stuff that's been proven to be false," Cooper told him.
Earlier this month, Berman introduced a bill in the Texas House that would "require any candidate for president or vice president of the United States to show his or her birth certificate to the Texas secretary of state," because, as Berman put it, "we have a president whom the American people don't know whether he was born in Kenya or some other place."
Berman, who has also called President Obama "God's punishment on us today," went on AC360 to talk about his bill, but ended up fumbling through his notes when Cooper hit him with, you know, facts.
One representative exchange came after Berman asked why no one has access to any of the President's school records. "Why don't we know anything about a president who has such a radical agenda?" he said.
Cooper asked him: "Have you seen George W. Bush's transcripts from college?"
Berman replied: "I can see anything I want from George W. Bush."
"Actually sir, you couldn't," Cooper fired back. "Under federal law the schools cant release that information."
Berman, unable to respond to this, soon moved on: "Where are the president's passports and his travel records that got him to Pakistan in the early 90s, when no U.S. citizen could get to Pakistan at all?"
Cooper replied: "What you just said is factually incorrect," adding that Obama traveled to Pakistan in 1981 when Americans could still go there. "That's just an internet rumor that you're spreading," Cooper said.
Here's the full segment. It's about 12 minutes, but well worth watching for those who love a good birther smack down:
TPMMuckraker
Anderson Cooper Shellacks Texas Birther With Torrent Of Facts (VIDEO)
Jillian Rayfield | November 30, 2010, 1:19PM
CNN's Anderson Cooper took Texas birther and state Rep. Leo Berman (R) down a whole bunch of pegs last night over Berman's birther bill. "You're basing legislation on stuff that's just rumors and stuff that's been proven to be false," Cooper told him.Earlier this month, Berman introduced a bill in the Texas House that would "require any candidate for president or vice president of the United States to show his or her birth certificate to the Texas secretary of state," because, as Berman put it, "we have a president whom the American people don't know whether he was born in Kenya or some other place."
Berman, who has also called President Obama "God's punishment on us today," went on AC360 to talk about his bill, but ended up fumbling through his notes when Cooper hit him with, you know, facts.
One representative exchange came after Berman asked why no one has access to any of the President's school records. "Why don't we know anything about a president who has such a radical agenda?" he said.
Cooper asked him: "Have you seen George W. Bush's transcripts from college?"
Berman replied: "I can see anything I want from George W. Bush."
"Actually sir, you couldn't," Cooper fired back. "Under federal law the schools cant release that information."
Berman, unable to respond to this, soon moved on: "Where are the president's passports and his travel records that got him to Pakistan in the early 90s, when no U.S. citizen could get to Pakistan at all?"
Cooper replied: "What you just said is factually incorrect," adding that Obama traveled to Pakistan in 1981 when Americans could still go there. "That's just an internet rumor that you're spreading," Cooper said.
Here's the full segment. It's about 12 minutes, but well worth watching for those who love a good birther smack down:
"It Gets Better"
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Anderson will -- or if he doesn't, he should, talk to Dan Savage about his project "It Gets Better" about bullying and what to do about it.
Dan Savage On The Colbert Report
(06:38 min.)
From: SuchIsLifeVideos
Added: November 29, 2010
Description: Dan talks about the "It Gets Better Project".
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_kaawoKB7U
Anderson will -- or if he doesn't, he should, talk to Dan Savage about his project "It Gets Better" about bullying and what to do about it.
(06:38 min.)
From: SuchIsLifeVideos
Added: November 29, 2010
Description: Dan talks about the "It Gets Better Project".
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_kaawoKB7U
A Fake "Shot"
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AC360 Re-Edit - Willie Nelson High On Larry King
(02:08 min.)
From: SuchIsLifeVideos
Added: November 29, 2010
Description: Anderson Cooper re-edits Willie Nelson's appearance on Larry King to make them appear high!
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqN_A_UURms
(02:08 min.)
From: SuchIsLifeVideos
Added: November 29, 2010
Description: Anderson Cooper re-edits Willie Nelson's appearance on Larry King to make them appear high!
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqN_A_UURms
"Calmly Destroys Birther"
.
CNN’s Anderson Cooper calmly destroys birther logic
By David Edwards
Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 -- 11:56 am
CNN's Anderson Cooper came prepared Monday to an interview with a Republican Texas state representative who questions President Barack Obama's citizenship.
Rep. Leo Berman has introduced a bill that would require any candidate for president or vice president of the United States to provide his or her birth certificate to the Texas secretary of state.
"This bill is necessary because we have a president whom the American people don't know whether he was born in Kenya or some other place," Leo Berman, who has represented the 6th District of Texas since 1999, told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
"I don't know anything about President Obama," Berman told Cooper Monday.
"There's a certificate of live birth, which is what the state of Hawaii sends out," Cooper explained. "Why isn't that good enough?"
"Well, because it's not an original birth certificate. It doesn't show the parents' place of birth. And, also, we know for certain that President Obama's father was born in Kenya. Since he was born in Kenya, in -- that was a British protectorate. President Obama was born in 1961. And with his father being a British citizen, at least, President Obama, we think, holds duel citizenship," Berman replied.
"Well, actually, technically that's not correct," Cooper said. "He may have been born with duel citizenship because of the technicality of his father being under the British -- a British subject, being from Kenya, but he automatically lost that in -- at the age of 23."
According to the British Nationality Act of 1948, a person loses his or her citizenship if it isn't claimed by the age of 23.
"And the Hawaii state health director has acknowledged that, back in 2008, she has -- and I quote -- 'personally seen and verified that the Hawaii State Department of Health has Senator Obama's original birth certificate -- certificate on record, in accordance with state policies and procedures,'" Cooper continued.
"The governor of Hawaii, who is a Republican, was quoted as saying: 'I had my health director, who is a physician by background, go personally view the birth certificate in the birth records at the Department of Health. We issued a news release at the time saying the president was, in fact, born at Kapi'olani Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii. And that is just a fact,'" he explained.
"Well, my question to you, then, Anderson, is, why -- did you see it? I would like to see it," Berman said.
"You can go and see it. The nonpartisan fact-checking organization FactCheck.org, they -- they looked at it. It has a raised seal. They say it's legit," Cooper noted.
In August 2008, FactCheck.org confirmed that it had examined and verified Obama's birth certificate.
Then Cooper wanted to know if Berman had applied the same test to Republican presidents.
"[H]ave you seen George W. Bush's transcripts from college?" Cooper asked.
"I could see anything I want from George W. Bush," Berman replied.
"Actually, sir, you couldn't... President Bush refused to release that information from Andover and from his time at Yale," Cooper said.
Ignoring that question, Berman repeated a debunked internet rumor that Obama traveled to Pakistan in 1981 during a ban on US citizens traveling there. "Where are the president's passports and his travel records which got him to Pakistan in the early '90s, when no U.S. citizen could get to Pakistan at all?"
"I respect you," Cooper interrupted. "And I respect, certainly, your service to this country, but where do you get your information? Because that -- that -- what you have just said is factually incorrect."
"Sir, he traveled to Pakistan in 1981, and -- when he was a student. And -- and, actually, Americans could travel to Pakistan then," Cooper added.
"In fact, I -- we have an article from The New York Times from 1981 from the travel section about the joys of traveling in Pakistan. You needed a -- American citizens, I think they needed a 30-day visa, but American citizens could go and travel in Pakistan. That's just an Internet rumor that you're spreading," he said.
"Sir, just, of the points you -- of the points you have raised, the factual points to -- I mean, you're basing legislation on stuff that's basically just rumors and stuff that's been proven to be false," Cooper noted.
Cooper has been praised for his calm and competent handling of Berman.
"Watching, it’s clear just how often exchanges like this don’t happen on cable television, which given it’s 24 hour cycle would suggest a luxury of time," wrote Mediaite's Mark Joyella "And beyond that, Cooper’s preparations–so clearly his own and not fed by earpiece–prove he’s somebody who sets himself apart from talking point parrots who populate most other shows on cable."
"This is a journalist doing his job, and doing it very, very well," he concluded.
For their part, birthers have resurged in the past few weeks. Berman filed his bill requiring presidential candidates to produce a birth certificate.
Former Republican Congressman John LeBoutillier released a fictional book that he says uses "real things" like Obama's grandmother once claimed she was present for his Kenyan birth.
Last week, Lou Dobbs, who has defended birthers in the past, announced he would be hosting a show on Fox Business News.
On Monday, the Supreme Court Justices rejected a lawsuit that claimed Obama was not a US citizen because his father was a citizen of the British crown.
This video is from CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, broadcast Nov. 29, 2010.
CNN’s Anderson Cooper calmly destroys birther logic
By David Edwards
Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 -- 11:56 am
CNN's Anderson Cooper came prepared Monday to an interview with a Republican Texas state representative who questions President Barack Obama's citizenship.Rep. Leo Berman has introduced a bill that would require any candidate for president or vice president of the United States to provide his or her birth certificate to the Texas secretary of state.
"This bill is necessary because we have a president whom the American people don't know whether he was born in Kenya or some other place," Leo Berman, who has represented the 6th District of Texas since 1999, told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
"I don't know anything about President Obama," Berman told Cooper Monday.
"There's a certificate of live birth, which is what the state of Hawaii sends out," Cooper explained. "Why isn't that good enough?"
"Well, because it's not an original birth certificate. It doesn't show the parents' place of birth. And, also, we know for certain that President Obama's father was born in Kenya. Since he was born in Kenya, in -- that was a British protectorate. President Obama was born in 1961. And with his father being a British citizen, at least, President Obama, we think, holds duel citizenship," Berman replied.
"Well, actually, technically that's not correct," Cooper said. "He may have been born with duel citizenship because of the technicality of his father being under the British -- a British subject, being from Kenya, but he automatically lost that in -- at the age of 23."
According to the British Nationality Act of 1948, a person loses his or her citizenship if it isn't claimed by the age of 23.
"And the Hawaii state health director has acknowledged that, back in 2008, she has -- and I quote -- 'personally seen and verified that the Hawaii State Department of Health has Senator Obama's original birth certificate -- certificate on record, in accordance with state policies and procedures,'" Cooper continued.
"The governor of Hawaii, who is a Republican, was quoted as saying: 'I had my health director, who is a physician by background, go personally view the birth certificate in the birth records at the Department of Health. We issued a news release at the time saying the president was, in fact, born at Kapi'olani Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii. And that is just a fact,'" he explained.
"Well, my question to you, then, Anderson, is, why -- did you see it? I would like to see it," Berman said.
"You can go and see it. The nonpartisan fact-checking organization FactCheck.org, they -- they looked at it. It has a raised seal. They say it's legit," Cooper noted.
In August 2008, FactCheck.org confirmed that it had examined and verified Obama's birth certificate.
Then Cooper wanted to know if Berman had applied the same test to Republican presidents.
"[H]ave you seen George W. Bush's transcripts from college?" Cooper asked.
"I could see anything I want from George W. Bush," Berman replied.
"Actually, sir, you couldn't... President Bush refused to release that information from Andover and from his time at Yale," Cooper said.
Ignoring that question, Berman repeated a debunked internet rumor that Obama traveled to Pakistan in 1981 during a ban on US citizens traveling there. "Where are the president's passports and his travel records which got him to Pakistan in the early '90s, when no U.S. citizen could get to Pakistan at all?"
"I respect you," Cooper interrupted. "And I respect, certainly, your service to this country, but where do you get your information? Because that -- that -- what you have just said is factually incorrect."
"Sir, he traveled to Pakistan in 1981, and -- when he was a student. And -- and, actually, Americans could travel to Pakistan then," Cooper added.
"In fact, I -- we have an article from The New York Times from 1981 from the travel section about the joys of traveling in Pakistan. You needed a -- American citizens, I think they needed a 30-day visa, but American citizens could go and travel in Pakistan. That's just an Internet rumor that you're spreading," he said.
"Sir, just, of the points you -- of the points you have raised, the factual points to -- I mean, you're basing legislation on stuff that's basically just rumors and stuff that's been proven to be false," Cooper noted.
Cooper has been praised for his calm and competent handling of Berman.
"Watching, it’s clear just how often exchanges like this don’t happen on cable television, which given it’s 24 hour cycle would suggest a luxury of time," wrote Mediaite's Mark Joyella "And beyond that, Cooper’s preparations–so clearly his own and not fed by earpiece–prove he’s somebody who sets himself apart from talking point parrots who populate most other shows on cable."
"This is a journalist doing his job, and doing it very, very well," he concluded.
For their part, birthers have resurged in the past few weeks. Berman filed his bill requiring presidential candidates to produce a birth certificate.
Former Republican Congressman John LeBoutillier released a fictional book that he says uses "real things" like Obama's grandmother once claimed she was present for his Kenyan birth.
Last week, Lou Dobbs, who has defended birthers in the past, announced he would be hosting a show on Fox Business News.
On Monday, the Supreme Court Justices rejected a lawsuit that claimed Obama was not a US citizen because his father was a citizen of the British crown.
This video is from CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, broadcast Nov. 29, 2010.
"Brilliant, Heated Exchange"
.
Anderson Cooper Takes On Birther In Brilliant, Heated Exchange
by Mark Joyella | 9:08 am, November 30th, 2010
There is a simple brilliance–so seemingly lost in modern cable news–in just doing your homework, and then doing an interview. Monday night on AC360, Anderson Cooper showed off the reporter’s chops he’s known for in the field in an extended–and often heated–exchange with a Texas state representative who questions President Obama’s citizenship.
Why is the simple act of doing journalism suddenly newsworthy? Because so few news “talents” really get the basics of journalism: researching an issue before you begin an interview, and staying on topic, rather than drifting into the far easier–and to some, more entertaining–area of argument and gotcha attacks. For Cooper, no disrespect at any point, other than to point out gently but firmly that his guest had his facts wrong.
As Thomas Friedman recently observed, this kind of no-time-pressure segment–the interview ran fully fifteen minutes at the very top of the 10 p.m. hour, an eternity compared to some shows–shows how informative and entertaining a talent like Cooper can be: at his best he wasn’t argumentative at all–just deeply informed and ready with facts. At times, Cooper’s ready knowledge of the issue (from the rules and regulations of Hawaiian birth certificates to the protocols for U.S. citizens’ travel to Pakistan in the early 1980s) seemed to catch his guest off guard.
Watching, it’s clear just how often exchanges like this don’t happen on cable television, which given it’s 24 hour cycle would suggest a luxury of time. And beyond that, Cooper’s preparations–so clearly his own and not fed by earpiece–prove he’s somebody who sets himself apart from talking point parrots who populate most other shows on cable.
Watch the interview, from CNN, and put the politics of it all aside. This is a journalist doing his job, and doing it very, very well.
Anderson Cooper Takes On Birther In Brilliant, Heated Exchange
by Mark Joyella | 9:08 am, November 30th, 2010
There is a simple brilliance–so seemingly lost in modern cable news–in just doing your homework, and then doing an interview. Monday night on AC360, Anderson Cooper showed off the reporter’s chops he’s known for in the field in an extended–and often heated–exchange with a Texas state representative who questions President Obama’s citizenship.Why is the simple act of doing journalism suddenly newsworthy? Because so few news “talents” really get the basics of journalism: researching an issue before you begin an interview, and staying on topic, rather than drifting into the far easier–and to some, more entertaining–area of argument and gotcha attacks. For Cooper, no disrespect at any point, other than to point out gently but firmly that his guest had his facts wrong.
As Thomas Friedman recently observed, this kind of no-time-pressure segment–the interview ran fully fifteen minutes at the very top of the 10 p.m. hour, an eternity compared to some shows–shows how informative and entertaining a talent like Cooper can be: at his best he wasn’t argumentative at all–just deeply informed and ready with facts. At times, Cooper’s ready knowledge of the issue (from the rules and regulations of Hawaiian birth certificates to the protocols for U.S. citizens’ travel to Pakistan in the early 1980s) seemed to catch his guest off guard.
Watching, it’s clear just how often exchanges like this don’t happen on cable television, which given it’s 24 hour cycle would suggest a luxury of time. And beyond that, Cooper’s preparations–so clearly his own and not fed by earpiece–prove he’s somebody who sets himself apart from talking point parrots who populate most other shows on cable.
Watch the interview, from CNN, and put the politics of it all aside. This is a journalist doing his job, and doing it very, very well.
Bastard Portland Bomber
.
Video: Alleged Portland bomber busted by FBI
Posted: November 30th, 2010 -- 10:30 AM ET
Add a comment [to AC360º blog]
Randi Kaye reports
Video: Alleged Portland bomber busted by FBI
Posted: November 30th, 2010 -- 10:30 AM ET
Add a comment [to AC360º blog]
Randi Kaye reports
How Do You Say Tunnel In Spanish? Marijuana!
.
Tonite, Anderson Cooper 360º from the border!
'Sophisticated' border tunnel leads to seizure of tons of pot
Posted: November 30th, 2010 -- 11:19 AM ET
Add a comment [to AC360º blog]
Greg Morrison
CNN
(CNN) -- The discovery of a "sophisticated" tunnel between a Mexican eat-in kitchen and two Southern California warehouses led authorities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border to arrest at least nine suspects and seize between 20 and 30 tons of marijuana.
The Thanksgiving Day find followed an eight-month investigation and came about three weeks after authorities discovered a similar drug tunnel in another warehouse in the Otay Mesa area of San Diego.
Between the two incidents, agents in the United States and Mexico seized roughly the equivalent of one marijuana cigarette for each of California's nearly 37 million residents, Drug Enforcement Administration special agent Ralph Partridge said Friday.
"This is obviously not a Mom and Pop operation," Miguel Unzueta, a San Diego-based agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said Friday. "This is a major, significant drug cartel working."
Unzueta described the nearly half-mile-long and, in spots, 90-foot-deep passageway as "very sophisticated," even more so than the one found earlier this month.
Its southern entry was in the kitchen of a stucco Tijuana, Mexico, home, which had a garage attached big enough for tractor-trailer trucks. After removing a 2-foot by 4-foot piece of flooring in that house, smugglers could head 80 feet down a cinder-block-lined stretch into the tunnel.
The passageway had lighting, ventilation, wood and cinder-block supports, wood floors and rail carts, U.S. law enforcement agents said. The tunnel split to lead into two separate warehouses in San Diego.
"Having been in several of these tunnels, this is one of the most sophisticated ... I've ever seen," Partridge said. "This is a tunnel where a lot of drugs were being pushed through."
The discovery came after San Diego Tunnel Task Force agents, on Thursday morning, spotted a tractor-trailer arriving at one of the warehouses, said Unzueta. After getting its load, the truck headed to a border patrol checkpoint in Temecula, California, about 60 miles north of San Diego.
There, authorities who had been tracking the shipment found the truck filled "top to bottom, front to back" with 27,000 600-pound packages of marijuana, Unzueta said.
Authorities initially could not get through the tunnel from the California side because it was blocked by huge packages of marijuana. Much of the drug was in a 10- by 20-foot room about 60 feet below the surface. U.S. agents and Mexican military personnel formed a human chain to lug out what amounted to 3 to 4 tons of marijuana, according to Unzueta.
In addition, U.S. law enforcement agencies tipped Mexican authorities about a ranch on that side of the border, where 3 to 4 more tons of the drug was captured.
Unzueta estimated that all the marijuana seized Thursday could have sold wholesale for $17 million to $20 million or -- as Partridge estimated -- been equal to 16 million to 17 million individual 1-gram joints.
The driver of the tractor-trailer truck was arrested and, if convicted on federal drug smuggling charges, could face between 10 years to life in prison, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Alana Robinson.
The driver of a box truck who accompanied the tractor-trailer to the San Diego warehouse also was arrested, Unzueta said. Although that truck didn't carry any drugs, the residence it went to had $13,500 in cash. Both trucks' drivers are U.S. citizens and are now in federal custody.
Mexican authorities have arrested at least another seven people, Unzueta said.
Earlier this month, agents made several arrests after seizing about 30 tons of marijuana related to the other San Diego tunnel discovery. John Morton, the head of the U.S. immigration and customs agency, said authorities "caught them in the act." And in October, Mexican authorities seized 105 tons of marijuana in Tijuana.
Law enforcement agents on both sides of the border have found at least 75 cross-border tunnels in the past four years, most of them in California and Arizona, according to Unzueta.
"Internal drug traffickers are using transborder tunnels to import tons of marijuana into the United States," Robinson said. "Clearly, these transborder tunnels pose a significant threat to our national security as well."
'Sophisticated' border tunnel leads to seizure of tons of pot
Posted: November 30th, 2010 -- 11:19 AM ET
Add a comment [to AC360º blog]
Greg Morrison
CNN
(CNN) -- The discovery of a "sophisticated" tunnel between a Mexican eat-in kitchen and two Southern California warehouses led authorities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border to arrest at least nine suspects and seize between 20 and 30 tons of marijuana.
The Thanksgiving Day find followed an eight-month investigation and came about three weeks after authorities discovered a similar drug tunnel in another warehouse in the Otay Mesa area of San Diego.
Between the two incidents, agents in the United States and Mexico seized roughly the equivalent of one marijuana cigarette for each of California's nearly 37 million residents, Drug Enforcement Administration special agent Ralph Partridge said Friday.
"This is obviously not a Mom and Pop operation," Miguel Unzueta, a San Diego-based agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said Friday. "This is a major, significant drug cartel working."
Unzueta described the nearly half-mile-long and, in spots, 90-foot-deep passageway as "very sophisticated," even more so than the one found earlier this month.
Its southern entry was in the kitchen of a stucco Tijuana, Mexico, home, which had a garage attached big enough for tractor-trailer trucks. After removing a 2-foot by 4-foot piece of flooring in that house, smugglers could head 80 feet down a cinder-block-lined stretch into the tunnel.
The passageway had lighting, ventilation, wood and cinder-block supports, wood floors and rail carts, U.S. law enforcement agents said. The tunnel split to lead into two separate warehouses in San Diego.
"Having been in several of these tunnels, this is one of the most sophisticated ... I've ever seen," Partridge said. "This is a tunnel where a lot of drugs were being pushed through."
The discovery came after San Diego Tunnel Task Force agents, on Thursday morning, spotted a tractor-trailer arriving at one of the warehouses, said Unzueta. After getting its load, the truck headed to a border patrol checkpoint in Temecula, California, about 60 miles north of San Diego.
There, authorities who had been tracking the shipment found the truck filled "top to bottom, front to back" with 27,000 600-pound packages of marijuana, Unzueta said.
Authorities initially could not get through the tunnel from the California side because it was blocked by huge packages of marijuana. Much of the drug was in a 10- by 20-foot room about 60 feet below the surface. U.S. agents and Mexican military personnel formed a human chain to lug out what amounted to 3 to 4 tons of marijuana, according to Unzueta.
In addition, U.S. law enforcement agencies tipped Mexican authorities about a ranch on that side of the border, where 3 to 4 more tons of the drug was captured.
Unzueta estimated that all the marijuana seized Thursday could have sold wholesale for $17 million to $20 million or -- as Partridge estimated -- been equal to 16 million to 17 million individual 1-gram joints.
The driver of the tractor-trailer truck was arrested and, if convicted on federal drug smuggling charges, could face between 10 years to life in prison, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Alana Robinson.
The driver of a box truck who accompanied the tractor-trailer to the San Diego warehouse also was arrested, Unzueta said. Although that truck didn't carry any drugs, the residence it went to had $13,500 in cash. Both trucks' drivers are U.S. citizens and are now in federal custody.
Mexican authorities have arrested at least another seven people, Unzueta said.
Earlier this month, agents made several arrests after seizing about 30 tons of marijuana related to the other San Diego tunnel discovery. John Morton, the head of the U.S. immigration and customs agency, said authorities "caught them in the act." And in October, Mexican authorities seized 105 tons of marijuana in Tijuana.
Law enforcement agents on both sides of the border have found at least 75 cross-border tunnels in the past four years, most of them in California and Arizona, according to Unzueta.
"Internal drug traffickers are using transborder tunnels to import tons of marijuana into the United States," Robinson said. "Clearly, these transborder tunnels pose a significant threat to our national security as well."
Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Tell, Don't Ask...Huh?... Where Was I?
.
Added On November 30, 2010
CNN's Anderson Cooper reports on criticism leveled at Sen. John McCain's public statements on gays in the military.
Added On November 30, 2010
CNN's Anderson Cooper reports on criticism leveled at Sen. John McCain's public statements on gays in the military.
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The Birthers Are Coming! The Birthers Are Coming, Baaaaccck!!
.
CNN Birther Trial
(01:25 min.)
(11:31 min.)
From: rachelabombdotcom
Added: November 29, 2010
Description: I say "birther" because Anderson Cooper said "birther" about 50 times during the segment. It was really a desperate attempt to make the birthers go away.
The Congressman really should have done better. Indonesia never came up. Did CNN straighten it all out for you? LOL
Nov. 29, 2010
House Bill 295
Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeOuSwOAu-Y
My Comment to Ms. rachelabombdotcom:
PeterGay
16 minutes ago
Anderson straighten it all very well; it was Mr. Berman who kept changing the subject and never answering the direct questions Anderson asked him.
(01:25 min.)
(11:31 min.)
From: rachelabombdotcom
Added: November 29, 2010
Description: I say "birther" because Anderson Cooper said "birther" about 50 times during the segment. It was really a desperate attempt to make the birthers go away.
The Congressman really should have done better. Indonesia never came up. Did CNN straighten it all out for you? LOL
Nov. 29, 2010
House Bill 295
Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeOuSwOAu-Y
My Comment to Ms. rachelabombdotcom:
PeterGay
16 minutes ago
Anderson straighten it all very well; it was Mr. Berman who kept changing the subject and never answering the direct questions Anderson asked him.
Uneducated, Asshole Birthers
.
Added On November 30, 2010
Anderson Cooper goes head-to-head with Texas State Rep. Leo Berman, who has expressed doubt in Pres. Obama's birthplace.
Added On November 30, 2010
Despite overwhelming evidence, some still believe President Obama was born in Kenya. Anderson Cooper reports.
Added On November 30, 2010
Anderson Cooper goes head-to-head with Texas State Rep. Leo Berman, who has expressed doubt in Pres. Obama's birthplace.
Added On November 30, 2010
Despite overwhelming evidence, some still believe President Obama was born in Kenya. Anderson Cooper reports.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Leslie Nielsen
.
LESLIE NIELSEN
(February 11, 1926 – November 28, 2010)
Handsome, Talented, Funny, Versatile, Irreplaceable...
I Will Miss You...
I am sure Anderson will get a smile on his face at the memory of the silly roles Leslie Nielsen played and a tear in his eye at the knowledge that those moments will not be repeated any more.
(February 11, 1926 – November 28, 2010)
I am sure Anderson will get a smile on his face at the memory of the silly roles Leslie Nielsen played and a tear in his eye at the knowledge that those moments will not be repeated any more.
Candid cAndy
.
CBS, CNN
Anderson Cooper: Conducting ’60 Minutes’ Interviews ‘Very Different’ Than Interviews for CNN
By Alex Weprin on November 29, 2010 -- 10:29 AM
CNN anchor and CBS “60 Minutes” contributor Anderson Cooper is the subject of this week’s “Correspondent Candid” on 60MinutesOvertime.com.
Cooper is described as having the widest range of all the correspondents for the long-running program, able to juggle anything from stories about the “Afghan police to Lady Gaga.”
Cooper says, among other things, that conducting an interview for “60 Minutes” is very different than conducting interviews for his nightly CNN program.
“With a 60 minutes interview you are looking to create moments, particularly with a celebrity interview, you want to create authentic moments that are unpredicted and unpredictable and give a peek at what that person is really like.”
CBS, CNN
Anderson Cooper: Conducting ’60 Minutes’ Interviews ‘Very Different’ Than Interviews for CNN
By Alex Weprin on November 29, 2010 -- 10:29 AM
CNN anchor and CBS “60 Minutes” contributor Anderson Cooper is the subject of this week’s “Correspondent Candid” on 60MinutesOvertime.com.
Cooper is described as having the widest range of all the correspondents for the long-running program, able to juggle anything from stories about the “Afghan police to Lady Gaga.”
Cooper says, among other things, that conducting an interview for “60 Minutes” is very different than conducting interviews for his nightly CNN program.
“With a 60 minutes interview you are looking to create moments, particularly with a celebrity interview, you want to create authentic moments that are unpredicted and unpredictable and give a peek at what that person is really like.”
60 Minutes With Anderson Cooper
.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Afghanistan: Good Cop, Bad Cop
November 28, 2010 5:03 PM
The Afghan National Police force is more important to the security of the country than the army, but despite improvements, there are still big problems within its ranks. Anderson Cooper reports.
Afghanistan: Good Cop, Bad Cop
November 28, 2010 5:03 PM
The Afghan National Police force is more important to the security of the country than the army, but despite improvements, there are still big problems within its ranks. Anderson Cooper reports.
ON FOX!!!
.
CNN
Anderson Cooper Daytime Show to Air on FOX Stations
By Chris Ariens on November 29, 2010 12:31 PM
Anderson Cooper‘s syndicated daytime show has been sold in four of the nation’s top markets, B&C’s Paige Albiniak reports. FOX owned and operated stations in Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston will carry the program beginning next fall. In New York, Cooper will air on Tribune-owned WPIX.
In addition to his role as co-founder and Chairman of Fox News and Fox Business, Roger Ailes is also Chairman of the Fox Television Stations Group, which means he likely signed off on the purchase of Cooper’s show on the local FOX stations.
So what will Cooper’s show be?
“Nobody is doing the non-Ellen portion of Oprah and that’s an interesting place to be,” Ken Werner, president of Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution tells Albiniak.
Warner Bros.’ light-hearted Ellen is full of fun, wit and dancing, while CBS Television Distribution’s Oprah, which ends its storied run after this season, runs the gamut from fashion segments and celebrity chats to emotional interviews with crime victims and intellectual discussions with authors.
Posted: Mon., Nov. 29, 2010, 10:13am PT
Fox stations clear Anderson Cooper talker
Tribune also picks up new chat show in New York
By Michael Schneider
Anderson Cooper, meet your new boss: Roger Ailes.
Cooper's new daytime yakker has been cleared by Fox-owned stations in three of the nation's top markets, including KTTV Los Angeles, WFLD Chicago and WFXT Boston. Show has also cleared on Tribune's WPIX-TV in New York.
Cooper, of course, hosts CNN's signature nightly newscast "Anderson Cooper 360." And the Fox TV Stations are run by Ailes, whose Fox News Channel regularly trounces CNN and Cooper.
When Warner Bros. Domestic TV Distribution first announced the new hour-long strip, set for a fall 2011 debut, most rivals expected a deal with the Fox stations to be a non-starter precisely because of that Fox News/CNN rivalry.
Even Warner Bros. Domestic TV Distribution at the time believed the Cooper show might have a shot with stations (including WABC New York) that decided to fill the Oprah Winfrey void with more local news.
But with the ABC stations holding firm with local news plans (or, in the case of KABC Los Angeles, with "Dr. Oz"), the distributor found a home at the Fox stations.
Telepictures is producing the show, which will be shot in New York. As part of Cooper's deal with Telepictures and Warner Bros. in September, the anchor also reupped with CNN to continue his primetime news program there.
Clearances for the daytime show were announced Monday by Warner Bros. Domestic TV Distribution prexy Ken Werner and sales chief Rick Meril.
"Although the marketplace for fall 2011 has been filled by many returning franchises and the expansion of news programs, there is still a big opportunity across stations," said Werner. "We are delighted that these major market stations have embraced the opportunity to bring one of America's finest storytellers to daytime and early fringe viewers."
Telepictures described the show as a female-driven strip that's a cross between Oprah Winfrey's newsier elements and Phil Donahue's old show.
"He will bring to viewers the biggest celebrity and newsmaker interviews, fascinating human interest stories and in-depth coverage of pop culture, social issues, trends and major events," said Telepictures prexy Hilary Estey McLoughlin. "He's got a proven skill set and the diverse experience to propel him to succeed in this format day in and day out. Anderson is an iconic talent whose intelligence, compassion, charisma, sense of humor and genuine appeal will enable him to stand out and create an emotional connection with women in daytime."
CNN
Anderson Cooper Daytime Show to Air on FOX Stations
By Chris Ariens on November 29, 2010 12:31 PM
Anderson Cooper‘s syndicated daytime show has been sold in four of the nation’s top markets, B&C’s Paige Albiniak reports. FOX owned and operated stations in Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston will carry the program beginning next fall. In New York, Cooper will air on Tribune-owned WPIX.
In addition to his role as co-founder and Chairman of Fox News and Fox Business, Roger Ailes is also Chairman of the Fox Television Stations Group, which means he likely signed off on the purchase of Cooper’s show on the local FOX stations.
So what will Cooper’s show be?
“Nobody is doing the non-Ellen portion of Oprah and that’s an interesting place to be,” Ken Werner, president of Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution tells Albiniak.
Warner Bros.’ light-hearted Ellen is full of fun, wit and dancing, while CBS Television Distribution’s Oprah, which ends its storied run after this season, runs the gamut from fashion segments and celebrity chats to emotional interviews with crime victims and intellectual discussions with authors.
Posted: Mon., Nov. 29, 2010, 10:13am PT
Fox stations clear Anderson Cooper talker
Tribune also picks up new chat show in New York
By Michael Schneider
Anderson Cooper, meet your new boss: Roger Ailes.
Cooper's new daytime yakker has been cleared by Fox-owned stations in three of the nation's top markets, including KTTV Los Angeles, WFLD Chicago and WFXT Boston. Show has also cleared on Tribune's WPIX-TV in New York.
Cooper, of course, hosts CNN's signature nightly newscast "Anderson Cooper 360." And the Fox TV Stations are run by Ailes, whose Fox News Channel regularly trounces CNN and Cooper.
When Warner Bros. Domestic TV Distribution first announced the new hour-long strip, set for a fall 2011 debut, most rivals expected a deal with the Fox stations to be a non-starter precisely because of that Fox News/CNN rivalry.
Even Warner Bros. Domestic TV Distribution at the time believed the Cooper show might have a shot with stations (including WABC New York) that decided to fill the Oprah Winfrey void with more local news.
But with the ABC stations holding firm with local news plans (or, in the case of KABC Los Angeles, with "Dr. Oz"), the distributor found a home at the Fox stations.
Telepictures is producing the show, which will be shot in New York. As part of Cooper's deal with Telepictures and Warner Bros. in September, the anchor also reupped with CNN to continue his primetime news program there.
Clearances for the daytime show were announced Monday by Warner Bros. Domestic TV Distribution prexy Ken Werner and sales chief Rick Meril.
"Although the marketplace for fall 2011 has been filled by many returning franchises and the expansion of news programs, there is still a big opportunity across stations," said Werner. "We are delighted that these major market stations have embraced the opportunity to bring one of America's finest storytellers to daytime and early fringe viewers."
Telepictures described the show as a female-driven strip that's a cross between Oprah Winfrey's newsier elements and Phil Donahue's old show.
"He will bring to viewers the biggest celebrity and newsmaker interviews, fascinating human interest stories and in-depth coverage of pop culture, social issues, trends and major events," said Telepictures prexy Hilary Estey McLoughlin. "He's got a proven skill set and the diverse experience to propel him to succeed in this format day in and day out. Anderson is an iconic talent whose intelligence, compassion, charisma, sense of humor and genuine appeal will enable him to stand out and create an emotional connection with women in daytime."
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Tonight
.
November 25th, 2010
11:00 AM ET
Dare to be inspired with 'CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute'
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I want to remind you to tune in to this amazing, celebrity-packed event tonight: “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute,” airing 8 p.m. ET on CNN. We’re honoring everyday people changing the world. The 2010 CNN Hero of the Year will be named and there are plenty of big surprises in store.
It all kicks off with our very special “CNN Heroes” pre-show, "Showbiz Tonight @ CNN Heroes,” at 7 p.m. ET on CNN and HLN. Join me and Brooke Anderson for a star-studded red carpet extravaganza! Jon Bon Jovi, LL Cool J, John Legend, Renee Zellweger and many more celebrities will share personal stories of their heroic efforts to help others.
You can check out special CNN Heroes messages from Jon Bon Jovi and Renee Zellweger, too.
The stars will also be on Facebook and Twitter all night long in our Social Suite, so be sure to follow @CNNHeroes on Twitter. You can join the conversation right now on Facebook – Facebook.com/CNNHeroes – where you can learn more about the incredible work the CNN Heroes are doing and donate to all of their amazing causes.
Have a happy, healthy and safe Thanksgiving and we’ll see you tonight on “Showbiz Tonight @ CNN Heroes”!
Tonite
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Pre-Show at 7 PM ET
on
Showbiz Tonight
CNN/HLN
CNN Heroes at
8:00 PM ET
on
CNN
November 25th, 2010
11:00 AM ET
Dare to be inspired with 'CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute'
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I want to remind you to tune in to this amazing, celebrity-packed event tonight: “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute,” airing 8 p.m. ET on CNN. We’re honoring everyday people changing the world. The 2010 CNN Hero of the Year will be named and there are plenty of big surprises in store.
It all kicks off with our very special “CNN Heroes” pre-show, "Showbiz Tonight @ CNN Heroes,” at 7 p.m. ET on CNN and HLN. Join me and Brooke Anderson for a star-studded red carpet extravaganza! Jon Bon Jovi, LL Cool J, John Legend, Renee Zellweger and many more celebrities will share personal stories of their heroic efforts to help others.
You can check out special CNN Heroes messages from Jon Bon Jovi and Renee Zellweger, too.
The stars will also be on Facebook and Twitter all night long in our Social Suite, so be sure to follow @CNNHeroes on Twitter. You can join the conversation right now on Facebook – Facebook.com/CNNHeroes – where you can learn more about the incredible work the CNN Heroes are doing and donate to all of their amazing causes.
Have a happy, healthy and safe Thanksgiving and we’ll see you tonight on “Showbiz Tonight @ CNN Heroes”!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Pre-Show at 7 PM ET
on
Showbiz Tonight
CNN/HLN
CNN Heroes at
8:00 PM ET
on
CNN
CNN Heroes Tonite
.
Celebrities add star power honoring do-gooders in annual 'CNN Heroes' with host Anderson Cooper
By Richard Huff
Daily News TV Editor
Thursday, November 25th 2010, 4:00 AM
Shearer/WireImage
All 33 of the Chilean miners shared the stage during the 2010 'CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute' celebration,
which honors international heroic acts throughout the year.
It's not exactly a bait-and-switch deal, but Kelly Flynn, executive producer of "CNN Heroes," realizes that to get people to watch, she's got to sell the glitter.
"We draw people in with the glitz and hit them with the substance," Flynn says. "Come watch this show that has a lot of the trappings of an awards show, but has this undercurrent of meaning."
"CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute" was recorded Saturday and will air Thursday at 8 p.m. CNN's Anderson Cooper is host.
The show features 10 heroes, selected by viewers, for the work they do around the world.
Among the top 10 are Texas home builder Dan Wallrath, who since 2005 has given injured veterans free homes.
During the show, Anuradha Koirala is named Hero of the Year for the work she's done with her group, Maiti Nepal, which has helped more than 12,000 victims of Nepal sex trafficking.
"In this show, we offer hope when we show these stories," Flynn says. "There is hope that one person can really effect change. That's what makes it digestible and interesting to our audiences."
Still, celebrities are on hand to draw casual viewers, who otherwise might not care about do-gooders.
Halle Berry, Kid Rock, Renee Zellweger, Jessica Alba, Marisa Tomei, Gerard Butler, Kiefer Sutherland, Aaron Eckhart and LL Cool J will be there. Likewise, Bon Jovi, Sugarland and John Legend, featuring Common & Melanie Fiona, all performed. Also on hand are all 33 of the rescued Chilean miners.
"What's always moving for this show is that the celebrities who come to present to these heroes always want to deflect to these folks," Flynn says. "These are people who have given their lives to make a change."
Yet, says Flynn, the celebrities are also there to balance the feel of the show. Rather than have a constant string of tough emotional stories, the celebrities and performers mix up the tone.
"I think we strike it right," she says.
Flynn takes pride in saying that all the heroes of past shows are still working hard in their fields. To that end, viewers can donate directly to their causes on facebook.com/cnnheroes.
Since Saturday, Flynn has been whittling down the show to get it ready to air.
She judges its success, she says, by how many times she cries - despite seeing the segments again and again.
"There are some lighthearted moments," she says. "We don't want to stick the knife in and twist it too hard. Just a little bit. But action comes from emotion."
Celebrities add star power honoring do-gooders in annual 'CNN Heroes' with host Anderson Cooper
By Richard Huff
Daily News TV Editor
Thursday, November 25th 2010, 4:00 AM
Shearer/WireImage
which honors international heroic acts throughout the year.
It's not exactly a bait-and-switch deal, but Kelly Flynn, executive producer of "CNN Heroes," realizes that to get people to watch, she's got to sell the glitter."We draw people in with the glitz and hit them with the substance," Flynn says. "Come watch this show that has a lot of the trappings of an awards show, but has this undercurrent of meaning."
"CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute" was recorded Saturday and will air Thursday at 8 p.m. CNN's Anderson Cooper is host.
The show features 10 heroes, selected by viewers, for the work they do around the world.
Among the top 10 are Texas home builder Dan Wallrath, who since 2005 has given injured veterans free homes.
During the show, Anuradha Koirala is named Hero of the Year for the work she's done with her group, Maiti Nepal, which has helped more than 12,000 victims of Nepal sex trafficking.
"In this show, we offer hope when we show these stories," Flynn says. "There is hope that one person can really effect change. That's what makes it digestible and interesting to our audiences."
Still, celebrities are on hand to draw casual viewers, who otherwise might not care about do-gooders.
Halle Berry, Kid Rock, Renee Zellweger, Jessica Alba, Marisa Tomei, Gerard Butler, Kiefer Sutherland, Aaron Eckhart and LL Cool J will be there. Likewise, Bon Jovi, Sugarland and John Legend, featuring Common & Melanie Fiona, all performed. Also on hand are all 33 of the rescued Chilean miners.
"What's always moving for this show is that the celebrities who come to present to these heroes always want to deflect to these folks," Flynn says. "These are people who have given their lives to make a change."
Yet, says Flynn, the celebrities are also there to balance the feel of the show. Rather than have a constant string of tough emotional stories, the celebrities and performers mix up the tone.
"I think we strike it right," she says.
Flynn takes pride in saying that all the heroes of past shows are still working hard in their fields. To that end, viewers can donate directly to their causes on facebook.com/cnnheroes.
Since Saturday, Flynn has been whittling down the show to get it ready to air.
She judges its success, she says, by how many times she cries - despite seeing the segments again and again.
"There are some lighthearted moments," she says. "We don't want to stick the knife in and twist it too hard. Just a little bit. But action comes from emotion."
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