CNN 2009-05-07

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From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Nicole Lapin. Here's a look on what's happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

Maine's governor has just signed the bill making same-sex marriage legal in the state. The governor's decision came shortly after the state of Maine in the Senate passed the bill. Three other states, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa currently permit same-sex marriages. Vermont also passed a law permitting same-sex marriage. That law goes into effect in September.

Meanwhile a preliminary Justice Department report apparently¹ does not recommend prosecution² of Bush administration lawyers who approved those harsh interrogation tactics. Two government sources say a draft of the report has been submitted to the Attorney General Eric Holder³. The source of the report says that it is sharply critical of two former government lawyers. The sources say that the report does discuss the possibility of disciplinary action.

Well for the first time, a death of a U.S resident is now linked to swine flu. Health officials in Texas confirm a school teacher has passed away with the virus in the system They don't say though that it necessarily caused her death and her family does not wanna an autopsy⁴. The 33-year-old woman had chronic⁵ pre-existing health problem though.

She was just a beautiful person warm at heart. She worked with disabled children as a teacher. I just wish everybody those who knew her, you know, would always remember her.

Now you are finally seeing a woman who had that first face-transplant in the United States. Connie Culp now has a new nose and can enjoy food again. The 22-hour surgery was done in December. Here is the before and after shot. In 2004 a gunshot blasted away her nose, her cheeks and her upper jaw⁶. Doctors say she's going to continue to heal.

Connie's progression over the last few months has proved to all of us, to all of us in the surgical⁷ team that even though that face transplant was the surgical procedure of the last resort, it does work and successfully we restored to her much of her function and we are continuing to see further function improve in the next couple of months to a year.

And two little girls are now honorary new New York fire chiefs. They got their titles yesterday saving their grandmother from a burning house. The fire broke out in Staten Island last week. The girls who are nine and seven managed to get grandma out. Good for them.

Those are the headlines at this hour. For more on those stories and other news of the day, CNN is always your source on line, on TV and on your cell phone.