A national soda tax would be...

Helpful

Harmful

Can't decide

or see results

There are federal taxes on alcohol and tobacco, and there seems to be a growing call for a national tax on sodas and sugary drinks.  Congress isn't debating a specific law on this now, but if it were to pass one, it would mean that you'd have to pay more for pop.

Many people blame sugary drinks for obesity, saying they add calories that consumers don't burn off.  Supporters of a tax say it would both discourage people from drinking excessive sodas and bring in billions of dollars for the government.  Critics of the idea say that sodas are harmless in moderation and that people should be free to drink them without any added costs.  Also, raising prices on anything during a recession is an extremely unpopular idea.

Weigh in on which argument you side with.

Carl Azuz, Anchor

My guess is that a lot of you will side with Dustin Reader, who loves the Cincinnati Bengals so much that he had their logo shaved into his hair.  But the thing is, his school had warned him about his hair before.  So there's a good chance that Dustin knew it could've been against the code of conduct when he got his Bengals haircut.

Well, it landed him in in-school, but he's definitely gotten people talking.  His father believes the haircut is an example of freedom of expression, but that freedom (as you already know) is sometimes limited when you're in school.  So it's a question of whether the haircut is worth the hassle.  It seems to be for Dustin.  Would it be for you?

Carl Azuz, Anchor

We've covered a variety of stories this week about heroes - and different kinds of them.  On Tuesday, you learned about a teenager who founded a great cause after losing part of his legs.  On Veterans Day, we paid tribute to all of America's heroes who've served in the Armed Forces.  And on Thursday, you hear about a Pakistani custodian who reportedly sacrificed his life to protect students from a suicide bomber.

To me, all of these stories feature heroes.  How would you define a hero?

Carl Azuz, Anchor

When I first read Friday's story about Marcus Jordan's Nikes causing contract problems for the University of Central Florida, I wondered what the big deal was.  Can't a student player wear whatever shoes he wants on the court?  Then, I found out that Adidas gave his school uniforms, equipment and shoes - as long as UCF players wore Adidas apparel.  So when Marcus chose to play with UCF, he was probably expected, like the other UCF players, to lace up in Adidas.

It was an unusual choice for him to have:  whether to wear his father's namesake Air Jordans or to wear his school's Adidas-sponsored sneakers.  What choice would you have made?

Carl Azuz, Anchor

What would you do?

Return the ring

Keep the ring

Not sure

or see results

Let's say you've just rung every doorbell in the neighborhood, gotten enough candy to fill a dump truck, and stumbled home to eat it.  You spill out chocolates and mints and gum and candy corn on the kitchen table, and something shiny catches your eye:  Gleaming among all the brightly colored wrappers is a three-diamond, anniversary ring.  It's as surprising to see as it is beautiful to look at.  Maybe you even try it on to see how it fits.

Then, the next day on the news, you hear about a woman who thinks the ring accidentally slipped off her finger while she was handing out candy.  She's in good spirits, but the ring holds both sentimental and monetary value, and the woman is hoping and praying she gets it back.

Now it's on you:  You know you've got it, and you know it's worth something, and you know who lost it.  What do you do?

Carl Azuz, Anchor

Consider this entry a kind of free-for-all on Tuesday's show.  There was a lot we thought would get your attention, and I didn't want to narrow it to just one topic.

So tell us what you thought of the story about the Louisiana judge who refused to marry an interracial couple.  Or discuss whether you've been affected by budget cuts that impacted school bus routes.  Know anyone who's been a victim of cyber fraud?

Give us an idea of what got your attention the most on Tuesday!

Carl Azuz, Anchor

If I want to blog, all I have to do is log in, write down my thoughts, click spell check, and publish.  And you're free to read this entry and countless others across the Internet.

But it's a different story in Cuba.  Access to Yoani Sanchez's blog is blocked there, and even though she has a journalism prize waiting for her in the U.S., Cuba's Communist government will not allow her to travel here to accept it.

This story reminds me of a string of freedoms we have that Cuba's residents don't:  freedom of speech, freedom of the press...  Which freedoms do you think we take for granted the most?

Carl Azuz, Anchor

"What about my insurance?"  "What about a growing government?"  "What if health care reform doesn't actually do what it's intended to do?"  These are some of the questions Americans are asking about the health care issue, and you hear them explained on Thursday's show.  What we'd like to find out is what questions you have about health care - whether it's how the system works, what reform means, etc.  What are your questions about this top story?

Carl Azuz, Anchor

The Mojave Desert doesn't sound like a setting for national controversy, but a cross that's been there for 75 years is now being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court.  In the report you see on Tuesday, those who say the monument is a religious symbol argue that it shouldn't be allowed on government property, while those who say it's a historic memorial argue that it should stay right where it is.

What do you say?

Carl Azuz, Anchor

It was a hard story to watch, especially when you hear from the grandfather of Derrion Albert.  The 16-year-old honor student was described as an "innocent bystander" when an off-campus fight broke out between two groups from his Chicago high school.  Albert was killed in the fight.

I wanted to use this post to give you a place to talk about this story and the issue of teen violence.  And if you're willing to share your thoughts on why it happens - and what can be done to stop it - we welcome your comments.

Carl Azuz, Anchor