Thursday, June 28, 2012

SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS HEALTH CARE REFORM LAW
Read more HERE

AIR QUALITY ALERT
You may find yourself coughing a little more today because of our poisoned air. There's an air quality alert in effect today for high levels of ground level Ozone. READ ABOUT OZONE
Ozone is toxic and corrosive, and can irritate your throat and lungs, make your bronchitis, asthma or emphysema worse, and reduce your body's ability to fight respiratory infections. Ozone is made worse by car and gas engine emissions. You're supposed to stay indoors as much as you can today, especially between 2 and 7 this afternoon, when the Ozone level is at its highest.

WALDO CANYON FIRE LATEST
People in Colorado are choking on smoke and ash in the air today as the Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado Springs continues to burn out of control. Yesterday's high winds and dry conditions pushed the nearly 16-thousand-acre blaze faster than firefighters could handle, forcing crews to fall back. People all over Facebook are posting prayers and telling stories about their loved ones losing homes there.

FLORIDA FLOODING
And many families in Florida are still trying to recover from extensive flooding. We know what that's like here in Nashville.

FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA IN NASHVILLE THURSDAY
Welcome to Nashville, first lady Michelle Obama! She's here to speak to leaders of the AME Church as they meet at the  Gaylord Opryland Hotel this morning. The African Methodist Episcopal church is the oldest African-American church denomination in America. They founded in 1787 and have more than 3 million members worldwide.

JOB FAIR THURSDAY IN WILSON COUNTY
At least 18 local businesses in Wilson County are hiring. They're holding a job fair today... from 10 to 2... at Winfree Bryant Middle School on Leeville Pike in Lebanon. You can find out what to bring and what to wear. Or for more information you can call Ron Hammontree at (615) 741-8892

KEEP THIS LINK TO CHECK ON JOB FAIRS THROUGH THE YEAR! http://www.tn.gov/labor-wfd/JobFairs/

HASLAM SAYS TN ON TRACK IF HEALTH CARE UPHELD
Governor Bill Haslam says Tennessee is ready to implement requirements of the federal health care overhaul ... if the Supreme Court upholds the law championed by President Barack Obama. The nation's highest court is expected to rule this morning, on a challenge to the health care law. The U.S. Census shows about 15% of Tennesseans didn't have health insurance in 2010. (READ MORE ABOUT IT )

FAMILY DOG SAVES BOY FROM DROWNING
A family dog has saved the life of a little boy. Patricia Drauch says she thought her 14 month old son had followed her to the garage, but instead found him in the swimming pool. The family dog, a labrador retriever named Bear... had gotten underneath the unconscious baby, lifted the toddler on his back ... and was holding him above the water line when she found them. The little boy was taken to the hospital, and later released. He's okay, thanks to Bear.

EARLY MENOPAUSE LINKED TO DOUBLED HEART ATTACK RISK
Women who go through early menopause could suffer a doubled risk for heart attack or stroke. Early being starting menopause before age 46. The average age is 51. (Researchers say none of the women involved in the study had suffered from any form of cardiovascular disease before menopause hit.  The study appears in the journal "Menopause.")

NEW DIET DRUG APPROVED BY FDA
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the new anti-obesity drug Lorcaserin. With it, dieters lost 5% more body weight than with a placebo. Health officials remind you that this is the first new anti-obesity drug the FDA has okayed in more than a decade... and to keep that in mind when you see so-called new miracle drugs advertised.

GOOD SAMARITAN STOPS SHOPLIFTER AT COOL SPRINGS MALL
Franklin police caught a shoplifter at Cool Springs Galleria this week. 18-year-old Jalen Dotson apparently stole a shirt, then hit the security guard who tried to stop him. A witness saw the incident and stopped the teen, holding him till cops got there. and took him into custody. He is charged with shoplifting and two counts of assault. Dotson remains jailed on a $7,500 bond.

PAULA DEEN DETAILS HOW SHE LOST 30 LB. IN SIX MONTHS
Known for her high-calorie creations, Paula Deen was widely criticized earlier this year when she revealed that she has type 2 diabetes - and had been diagnosed with the disease three years earlier. Around the same time the Southern chef went public with her health crisis, she also landed an endorsement deal for a diabetes drug, so there was backlash about her motivation for speaking out in the first place. Six months later, Deen - who completely overhauled her diet - has dropped 30 pounds and is talking about how she lost the weight.  "I was surprised by the depth of hate," Deen, 65, said about the backlash to People. "This is not something I chose. I had been given lemons and I had to try to make lemonade - without sugar!" Since January, the 5-foot-6 foodie has lost more than 30 pounds and has gone from a size 18 to a 10. "The architecture of my plate has changed," said Deen, who has daily injections to regulate her blood sugar. "I double up on greens - whether it's salad or vegetables - and my carbs are just a spoonful." Her shopping cart is now overflowing with broccoli, sweet potatoes, and fruit instead of regular potatoes (her weakness) and bread. Where she used to skip breakfast, she now has a smoothie. And a typical dessert for Deen is "a bowl of sugar-free ice cream with strawberries and blueberries on top."   Although she's changed her diet for the better, the Food Network host - who once instructed her viewers on how to make a burger topped with bacon and a fried egg on two doughnuts - still indulges. Once a week she allows herself to eat whatever she wants (think: a cheeseburger in a wrap). She also hasn't completely given up fried chicken; now she has it monthly instead of weekly. Deen says incorporating exercise into her routine has been another factor in her weight loss. She walks 30 minutes a day but doesn't love it. "I heard that exercise is addictive," she said to People. "So far, it's not like cigarettes." Speaking of cigarettes, she still smokes but says quitting will be her next challenge.  Although her goal is to lose an additional 15 pounds, Deen already feels like a million bucks. "I feel a thousand times better," Deen told the magazine. "I have more energy. I sleep better. The weight loss has made my health issues better."