WASHINGTON (CNN) – The Obama family may be a couple months away from calling 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue their home, but dog advocates are already trying to capitalize on the soon-to-be first family's search for a four-legged friend to join them in the White House.
The American Humane Association, in conjunction with 20th Century Fox's upcoming comedy "Marley & Me," kicked off an animal adoption campaign Wednesday in the nation's capital to raise awareness about the seven million animals that AHA says end up in the shelter system each year.
"We're really hoping to change people's perception of where they need to go to get a dog - especially if they want a pure bred dog - and go to a shelter and rescue a dog that doesn't have a home," said AHA animal safety representative Sandi Buck.
Organizers placed dozens of dogs from local rescue organizations near the White House. The dogs sported bright orange "Adopt Me" jackets as part of the campaign. The tour will hit 16 cities, ending in Los Angeles on December 25 for the opening of "Marley & Me." The movie's title character, Marley, is himself an adopted dog.
MIAMI (CNN) - Florida Gov. Charlie Crist today announced the final terms of a deal with the U.S. Sugar Corporation that would give the state control of more than 180,000 acres of the Florida Everglades, and allow the company to remain in business.
Crist’s announcement of an $1.34 billion agreement to purchase of almost 300 square miles of land, which comes after months of negotiations, is billed as one of the largest environmental acquisitions in U.S. history.
The original terms of the deal would have resulted in the eventual closure of U.S. Sugar, but the new agreement — which lets the company retain much of its infrastructure, and continue to operate on its current land for several more years - may allow it to transition to new industries and preserve some local jobs.
Critics of the deal note that this purchase comes at a time that the state of Florida faces a budget shortfall, its already-precarious economic situation worsened by the nation’s financial crisis, which may limit its ability to raise the money to pay for the deal. If U.S. Sugar is not able to effectively re-focus its core business, the loss of the sugar industry could affect thousands of Florida workers. And the logistical challenge of restoring the Everglades remains a daunting one.
But the Everglades purchase has drawn praise from environmentalists – the same environmentalists who criticized Crist’s decision to support lifting the federal moratorium on drilling for oil off of the Florida coast. Scientists have called the land some of the most valuable in the Everglades, which they estimate has shrunk by half over the past hundred years.
Crist’s announcement comes as GOP governors gather in Miami to discuss how to rebuild the Republican Party.
Watch McCain on Jay Leno Tuesday night.
(CNN) - Sen. John McCain said Tuesday he "couldn't be happier" with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, despite polls suggesting she was a drag on the Republican ticket.
In his first television interview since the election, the Arizona senator said he was proud to have had Palin as his presidential running mate and grateful that she agreed to run.
"She inspired people. She still does. And look, I'm - I couldn't be happier with Sarah Palin. And she's going back to be a great governor, and I think she will play a big role in the future of this country," he told Jay Leno on The Tonight Show.
A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released the weekend before the election indicated that Palin's unfavorable ratings had doubled since McCain picked her, and 57 percent of Americans believed she didn't have the personal qualities a president needed.
As for the future, the poll indicated that only four in 10 voters would support Palin if she chooses to run for president in 2012. Among Republicans, however, 77 percent said they would support a Palin candidacy in four years.
McCain said Tuesday night that his party "has a lot of work to do," and he predicted that new leaders like Palin would help carry the party into the future.
"I really believe that Sarah Palin is amongst some, like Tim Pawlenty and Bobby Jindal, the governor of Louisiana, there's a group of young Republican governors and - mainly governors, but also some in the Senate - that I think are the next generation of leadership of our party," he said.
Asked if he'd be up for another presidential run, the 72-year-old senator seemed doubtful.
"I wouldn't think so, my friend," he said. "It's been a great experience, and, you know, we're going to have another generation of leaders come along, and I'll hope that I can continue to contribute."
This was McCain's 14th appearance on "The Tonight Show." The former Navy aviator's appearance was scheduled to coincide with Veterans Day.
Today Alaska Governor Palin sits down for a one on one interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. The interview will appear on the Situation Room starting at 4pm ET. Palin will also appear tonight on Larry King Live at 9 p.m. ET.
WASHINGTON (CNN) - John Edwards took the stage at Indiana University on Tuesday night for a discussion on the 2008 presidential election, but members of the audience may have had something else on their minds entirely.
After all, this is the former North Carolina senator's first public appearance since his admission of an extramarital affair sent shockwaves through the political world more than three months ago.
Edwards talked about politics, poverty and his hopes for America and the world, according to The Associated Press. Afterward, he answered only written questions that had been submitted before his speech. The affair wasn't mentioned, AP reported.
The revelation, confirming a months-long investigation by the National Enquirer, was a political bombshell for the former candidate, who espoused moral values during his White House bid and whose wife is fighting a public battle with breast cancer.
CNN: Americans OK with Democrats in charge, poll suggests
Sen. John McCain railed against Democratic control of Washington during his closing argument of his presidential campaign.
CNN: In poll, African-Americans say election a 'dream come true'
For most African-Americans, the election of Barack Obama as president was a dream come true that they didn't think they would see in their lifetime, a national poll released Tuesday suggests.
CNN: Bush: 'I regret saying some things I shouldn't have said'
As his presidency nears its end, a reflective President Bush suggested Tuesday that he regrets some of his more blunt statements on the war on terrorism over the last eight years and said he wishes he had not spoken in front of a "Mission Accomplished" banner only a month after U.S. troops in Iraq were deployed.
CNN: Potential grows for lame-duck session of Congress
A rapidly deteriorating situation in the U.S. auto industry may serve as the backdrop for a classic contest of political wills between the outgoing Bush administration on one hand and both President-elect Obama and the newly strengthened Democratic congressional majority on the other.
CNN: Can John Edwards make a comeback?
John Edwards took the stage at Indiana University on Tuesday night for a discussion on the 2008 presidential election, but members of the audience may have had something else on their minds entirely.
Washington Post: Top Two Officials In U.S. Intelligence Expect to Lose Jobs
The nation's top two intelligence officers expect to be replaced by President-elect Barack Obama early in his administration, according to senior intelligence officials.
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