CNN 2009-07-14（在线收听）

Hello, everyone, I am Catherine Callaway at the CNN center in Atlanta. Good Monday morning to you. Here is what's happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

The Supreme Court confirmation hearings for judge Sonia Sotomayor began this morning. 19 senators on the senate Judiciary Committee will give opening remarks and then Sotomayor will read the statement. Now the tough questions will actually start tomorrow. Legal analyst's expecting that she will likely be confirmed.

There is a furious debate going on this morning. Over the discovery of a CIA counterterrorism program that's been kept secret from Congress since 2001. Sources say that the order to keep the program under wraps came directly from former vice president Dick Cheney. Some Democrats calling for an investigation. Republicans firing back, accusing the left of plain politics. The former vice president hasn't commented.

Britain's war efforts in Afghanistan is under scrutiny after a sharp rise in UK combat death. The demonstration against the war, expected outside of Downing Street today. But government leaders are defending their Afghan strategy. The Defense Secretary is due to face some tough questions from members of Parliament today.

The US will spend another one billion dollars on a swine flu vaccine. The Health and human services' secretary will announce that today. She says that a vaccine defying H1N1 virus will likely be ready by October. There are some concerns that it could hit harder this fall. The CDC is saying that 211 people have died from this disease in the US.

NASA hoping that the third time would be the charm for the Shuttle Endeavour. It is scheduled to launch tonight at 6: 51 eastern time. Bad weather forced NASA to scrub 2 attempted launch, uh, 2 launch attempts rather over the weekend. Endeavor carrying seven astronauts and a piece of Japanese science lab to the International Space Station.

Those are the headlines for you this hour, stay with CNN for more on these stories and other news of the day.