Defense contractor weighs in on military budget cuts
CNN Erin Burnett tackles looming budget cuts to the U.S. military. Burnett takes on whether the claims of national security disaster add up when it comes to sequestration?
We asked Wes Bush, CEO of U.S. defense contractor of Northrop Grumman.
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Aimee Copeland's father on her recovery: 'She's determined to not be handicapped'
Aimee Copeland, the 24-year-old who lost a leg, a foot and both of her hands to a flesh-eating bacterial infection that almost killed her is defying the odds in her recovery.
Her grueling physical therapy sessions are now geared toward the basics, like getting in and out of a chair. She's also learning to work with new hand and leg prosthetics.
OutFront tonight, Aimee's father, Andy Copeland, who has been giving us regular updates on Aimee's progress.
Mayor Bloomberg takes on baby formula; encouraging women to breastfeed in NYC hospitals
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is taking on baby formula. Starting in September, Bloomberg will implement his "Latch on NYC" initiative.
Under this plan, most city hospitals will keep formula out of plain sight to encourage new moms to breastfeed. Moms who still want to bottle-feed still can, but nurses would have to sign out the baby formula.
Is this a step too far for the mayor?
Outfront tonight: Rene Syler, CEO and founder of goodenoughmother.com and Kristen Howerton, a blogger for rageagainsttheminivan.com.
Romney says no to more tax returns, despite being audited in the past
CNN's Erin Burnett discusses why Mitt Romney won't release additional personal income tax returns despite saying Monday he was audited in the past.
"From time to time I've been audited as happens I think too other citizens as well and the accounting firm which prepares my taxes has done a very thorough and complete job [paying] taxes as legally due," said Romney.
OutFront tonight: CNN Contributor Roland Martin and Republican Strategist Alice Stewart.
Congress fears mandatory military budget cuts: How bad are the cuts?
There are just four days left until Congress takes a month-long recess, leaving the fiscal cliff hanging.
Dire consequences of the looming fiscal cliff include:
- Tax cuts automatically expiring for everyone
- Payroll taxes going up
- Emergency unemployment benefits ending
- $1.2 trillion in sequestration cuts, with about half of that sum coming from defense
“The obligation of the commander-in-chief is to act like the commander-in-chief and that would be to prevent these cuts, which, in the words of his own secretary of defense would devastate our national security,” said Senator John McCain at a recent town hall meeting in Virginia.
However, CNN's Erin Burnett points out that previous commanders in chief have done a lot more than President Barack Obama may be about to do. A chart from the Center for American Progress and the Department of Defense outlines how the country has been in this dilemma before:
- Ronald Reagan cut defense spending by about 10%
- George H.W. Bush continued those cuts at about 18%
- Bill Clinton did start to increase defense spending, but it still ended lower than where it was when he took office with a cut of 5%
Overall, defense spending is higher now than it was during the Cold War and during Vietnam. So, asks Burnett, “Do the claims of national security disaster add up when it comes to the sequestration?”
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