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New Delhi , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Caste and religion are potential headings on matrimonial columns of Sunday newspapers . At times , matchmaking classifieds profile mystical birth-chart defects of the candidates . In India , marriages are solemnized as a well-guarded union . But the country has now moved to at least unshackle divorce . Officials Friday announced measures to stem delays in seeking an early end to failed alliances . India 's federal cabinet approved `` irretrievable breakdown of marriage '' as a ground for couples to part ways , information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni told reporters . Under original Hindu marriage laws , both estranged partners have to appear at court proceedings for settlement of their lawsuit for divorce by consent . But it 's not uncommon for a petitioner to skip tribunal dates deliberately in order to keep the case dragging in India 's notoriously sluggish legal system , authorities acknowledge . `` This has been causing considerable hardship to the party in dire need of divorce , '' Soni said . Officials believe the new legislation , now due for clearance by parliament , will eliminate harassment of either party in the case and abuse of the existing law on dissolving marriages . There was no official data on divorces immediately available , but matchmakers say four in 100 marriages fail in India . With the country transforming into a modern economic powerhouse , divorce is increasingly seen as an acceptable way out of unsatisfying relationships . `` Divorce does n't seem to be biased any more . It 's uniform among all castes , cities and income groups , '' said Vivek Pahwa , the head of SecondShaadi.com , a marriage bureau for second-timers . Pahwa 's portal aims at India 's internet-using divorcees , widows and widowers . More than one-fourth of his clients , he says , are women , especially in jobs . `` It 's reflection of financial independence , '' he said . He was referring to a growing number of Indian women joining the workforce who he says refuse to remain trapped in unwanted marriages . Indian laws allow limited one-sided separation . Cruelty and desertion can serve as a premise for seeking divorce without consent . Separately , the country has harsh laws to protect women , such as in cases of physical torture over dowries . But data shows a surge in crimes against women . Police across India registered 195,856 crimes against women in 2008 , up from 140,601 in 2003 , according to the National Crime Records Bureau .
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India seeks to speed divorces . Previous law required divorce by consent except for cruelty and desertion . New law adds `` irretrievable breakdown ''
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[[2130, 2212]]
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VERACRUZ , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- With Hurricane Dean hours away from a second dangerous encounter with Mexico , government officials warned residents of Veracruz and other coastal towns to prepare for its arrival . A resident tries to make his way through a flooded street in Chetumal , Mexico , Tuesday . Not only is the area particularly prone to flooding , a nuclear plant near the city supplies power to much of northern Mexico . While the facility itself is safe , high winds could affect some pylons carrying electricity away from the plant , CNN 's Karl Penhaul reported . Winds were picking up and waves were growing higher as evening fell in Veracruz , he said , even though Dean 's predicted landfall was 12 to 18 hours away . After raking Mexico 's Yucatan Peninsula earlier , making landfall as a Category 5 storm -- the most extreme level on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity -- Dean was back to Category 1 as it entered the Bay of Campeche later Tuesday . It was forecast to build back up to Category 2 intensity before its second landfall . At 11 p.m. ET , Dean 's maximum sustained winds remained near 80 mph as the storm moved west-northwest at near 18 mph , according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami , Florida . `` On this forecast track , Dean is expected to be very near the coast of central Mexico during the day Wednesday , '' according to the center . See the storm 's projected path '' Authorities set up temporary shelters around Tuxpan , Mexico , with the capacity to hold thousands , according to Ramon Rodriguez , municipal president of the city . The evacuation of 5,000 people in the urban areas and 4,500 people in the rural areas was under way , he said . Residents of unstable areas were being urged to go to temporary shelters as soon as possible . On the Yucatan , Mexico 's tourist areas dodged a bullet , but President Felipe Calderon expressed concern for some of the peninsula 's poor Mayan communities that may have borne the brunt of the storm . Watch Dean batter Mexico '' `` We still have to know what happened in the more isolated communities , '' Calderon said , speaking at a summit in Quebec , Canada , with President Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper . The Mexican leader left the summit early , saying he would head to the Yucatan to `` supervise the rescue missions '' which will concentrate on the poorer indigenous communities . `` I have a great deal of concern for the housing and the lack of services in that general area for the indigenous people there and that will be the main area of concern for us , '' he said . Calderon said the government suspended oil production near the city of Campeche , Mexico 's main oil production center , as Dean passed -- cutting off about 2.5 million barrels of oil per day -- and evacuated nearly 20,000 workers from oil platforms in the area . Downed power lines and damaged buildings were reported in Mexico and northern Belize . But even in the hardest-hit area , Red Cross officials said , no deaths were reported and there was only one minor injury , CNN 's Gary Tuchman said . See CNN correspondents track Dean through Mexico '' Streets were flooded in Chetumal , just south of where Dean 's center made landfall around 4:30 a.m. -LRB- 5:30 a.m. ET -RRB- with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph -LRB- 266 kph -RRB- , according to the hurricane center . Power was out in the coastal city , where most of the 130,000 residents appeared to have heeded government warnings to seek shelter or evacuate . But overall , there was no major damage in Chetumal and the sense was that `` this could have been a lot worse , '' CNN 's Harris Whitbeck reported . Watch CNN coverage as Dean made landfall . The storm 's eye passed just south of the resort areas of Cozumel and Cancun , Mexico , striking a rural and sparsely populated area . Watch as Dean sweeps through Playa del Carmen . Some of those Mayan communities Calderon spoke of were evacuated several days ago , Whitbeck said . About 3,500 Mayan Indians fled from a nature preserve where they live . But many other isolated communities must still be checked out . Ancient Mayan ruins in the town of Tulum , south of Cancun , held up well , resident Enrique Perez told CNN . But the town itself was battered . Local officials say about a third of the hotels and beach cabins in Tulum were damaged , Reuters reported . Meanwhile , in Jamaica , residents cleaned up fallen trees and debris Monday as the island nation started to recover from its brush with Dean on Sunday . See I-Reports of what Dean has done across the Caribbean '' Dean is being blamed for at least nine deaths in its march across the Caribbean , including two in Jamaica , two in Haiti , two in Martinique , two in Dominica and one in St. Lucia . Mexico 's Yucatan resort region was devastated in 2005 by Wilma , a Category 3 hurricane . But lessons learned from the fierce storm helped the Yucatan area better prepare for Dean , Quintana Roo Tourism Secretary Gabriella Rodriguez told CNN . `` This was a piece of cake compared to Wilma , '' she said . The U.S. military 's Southern Command , said it had deployed a 25-person damage assessment team to Belize . Ahead of the storm , the Mexican government deployed 4,000 troops to the area , and a state of emergency was declared in the inland state of Campeche , where residents were bracing for as much as 20 inches of rain in some places . Forecasters do not believe Dean presents a threat to the United States , although officials in Texas continued to make storm preparations just in case Dean 's path takes an unexpected turn . A hurricane warning remains in effect along Mexico 's Gulf Coast from the tip of the Yucatan 's Gulf Coast near the town of Progreso , northward to Tampico , where `` preparations ... should be rushed to completion , '' the NHC said . E-mail to a friend . CNN 's Susan Candiotti , Rob Marciano , Gary Tuchman and Harris Whitbeck contributed to this report . Reuters contributed to this report .
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Hurricane may strengthen to Category 2 before its second landfall in Mexico . Dean is expected to hit central Mexico on Wednesday . Mexico 's president cuts short a meeting in Canada to return home . Downed power lines , damaged buildings in Mexico , northern Belize .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Facebook 's privacy problems have been in the news ... again . Although complaints may have started deep in the blogosphere , even Time Magazine has made them its cover story . In response , Facebook announced a new privacy model to address complaints that it 's too darn hard to actually navigate privacy settings on Facebook . -LRB- Well , duh . -RRB- . It 's not yet clear whether Facebook 's changes will satiate the Facebook citizenry -LRB- let alone the rabid critics -RRB- , but the conversations about privacy settings tend to emphasize only a fraction of the core concerns . Facebook rightfully believes that it 's important to give users control over their settings , to empower them to make decisions about what 's accessible . But Facebook can also be condescending , suggesting that they know what 's best for their users because they have so much data about them -LRB- which they do -RRB- . Unfortunately , Facebook 's data tells them a lot about what people do but little about why they do it . They know that people are n't quitting Facebook , but that does n't mean that users are n't frustrated or concerned -LRB- or would be if they understood what was happening -RRB- . Do n't get me wrong -- the privacy settings are confounding even for the most experienced digerati and I 'm very glad that they 're addressing this fundamental issue . But in doing so , I hope that they realize that the main reason for so much public outrage goes beyond privacy settings . The issue is fundamentally about trust and informed consent . When people share information with Facebook , they become vulnerable to Facebook . They trust Facebook to respect their interests . Facebook has the power to expose people in ways that make their lives really miserable . Because of that power , it 's crucial that they stop telling users what 's best for them and start engaging in a more meaningful dialogue . Changing things and then forcing users to opt out is manipulative . Instead , they should be seeking informed consent -- actively working with users to help make sure that they understand what 's at stake in their choices . It is unacceptable for a company like Facebook to trick people into `` consenting '' to make their data more visible than they might think that it is . People should be able to understand Facebook 's changes and have choices available that allow them to make appropriate decisions . When Facebook changed its privacy settings in December , far too many people clicked on through without realizing that a few mouse clicks meant that they were exposing their status updates to the world . Many people may know exactly how not-private their Facebook profile or updates are . But do they ? I recommend using ReclaimPrivacy to scan your privacy settings . Keep in mind that `` Everybody '' is more than the people searching for you on Facebook -- this includes every company or individual who wants to use your information for any purpose . In many ways , it 's more accessible than simply posting something on a public website and waiting for Google to find it . And keep in mind that `` Friends-of-Friends '' means more than the people that you 'd invite to a birthday party . I talked with a young woman who vowed that she 'd never friend her mother ; she did n't realize that if she friended her aunt and her aunt friended her mother than `` Friends-of-Friends '' included her mother . Do people really know who is included in their `` Friends-of-Friends ? '' Facebook does n't just need to fix its privacy settings . It needs to fix its attitude and repair its relationship with its users . Facebook is n't just a space for users to share ; it is built on the backs of people and profits off of the data people entrust to them . An abusive relationship is simply unacceptable . Facebook must go beyond paternalism and start empowering users to help guide the future of the service . It starts with committing to an opt-in approach to changes and developing features that allow users to have complete transparency as to how their data is exposed to , and used by , third parties . It then requires innovating ways to actively engage participants . Facebook built a platform for mass sharing , but if it wants to change the world , it must also develop mechanisms for informed participation . With great power comes great responsibility .
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Facebook 's data says what people do but little about why they do it . When people share info with Facebook , they become vulnerable to Facebook . Do people really know who is included in their `` Friends-of-Friends ? ''
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lionel Messi scored his 33rd and 34th goals of the season as Barcelona crushed Valladolid 4-0 to retain their Spanish Primera Liga title by three points from Real Madrid , who were held 1-1 at Malaga on Sunday . The 22-year-old Messi put the icing on the cake of a memorable campaign for him personally , helping Barca finish the season on 99 points , the most points gained in Spanish league history . With arch-rivals Madrid breathing down their necks , just a point separated the two sides going into the final match of the season , Pep Guardiola 's side knew that only a victory would guarantee their fourth league title in six seasons . And they were handed the perfect start when visiting defender Luis Prieto managed to slice Pedro 's 27th-minute cross into his own net . Pedro was instrumental in Barca 's second goal four minutes later , sliding the ball through the goalkeeper 's legs after latching onto Messi 's pass . Argentine maestro Messi then took over . He netted his first -- and Barca 's third -- on the hour mark when tapping home after Yaya Toure 's powerful run had split the Valladolid defence . The scoring was completed with 15 minutes remaining when Messi fired home after against being set-up by Toure . Speaking to reporters after the match , Barca captain Carlos Puyol said : `` Real Madrid had a great season and made life tough for us but we fought hard to win this title with a huge points tally . `` It is really nice to celebrate this title in front of our fans . We have had some difficult moments and they really helped us get through them . '' The victory also meant Real 's result became redundant , although their failure to win now increases the pressure even further on coach Manuel Pellegrini . Pellegrini 's side fell behind on nine minutes when Sergio Duda finished fired Malaga ahead , although Dutchman Rafael van der Vaart earned the visitors a point with a superb turn and strike . The final day results mean that Valencia -LRB- third -RRB- and Sevilla -LRB- fourth -RRB- join Barca and Real Madrid in next year 's Champions League . Meanwhile , Valladolid 's defeat means they join Xerez and Tenerife in being relegated to the second division -- while Malaga and Racing Santander both survive the drop .
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Barcelona crush Valladolid 4-0 to retain their Spanish Primera Liga title . Lionel Messi scores 33rd and 34th goals of the season as Barca finish on 99 points . Real Madrid finish three points behind in second place after a 1-1 draw at Malaga .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A divided Supreme Court has ruled the government has the power to criminalize `` material support '' of a foreign terrorist organization . The 6-3 decision Monday preserves a key provision of the 2001 Patriot Act , amid claims it threatens the free-speech rights of Americans who would assist non-violent activities of certain militant and terror groups . At issue was the portion of the federal law that allows prosecution of those who provide `` any service , training , expert advice or assistance '' to a foreign terrorist organization , as designated by the U.S. government . `` Providing foreign terrorist groups with material support in any form , '' wrote Chief Justice John Roberts , `` furthers terrorism by straining the United State 's relationship with its allies and undermines cooperative efforts between nations to prevent terrorist attacks . '' Justice Stephen Breyer authored a powerful dissent , fearing the law could be interpreted too broadly by the government in the name of protecting Americans . `` Precisely how does application of the statute to the protected activities help achieve that important security-related end , '' he asked . Since the September 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks against the United States , federal prosecutors have pursued `` material support '' cases against at least 125 individuals or organizations , winning convictions in about half of those cases . Nearly every domestic terrorism-related prosecution has included the charge as part of the indictment . Groups listed as `` foreign terrorist organizations '' by the State Department include al Qaeda , Hamas and Hezbollah . A federal appeals court in San Francisco , California , struck down several parts of the legislation , finding them too vague to satisfy the Constitution . The government then asked the high court to intervene and uphold the law . The key plaintiff in the appeal is the Humanitarian Law Project , a Los Angeles , California-based non-profit that says its mission is to advocate `` for the peaceful resolution of armed conflicts and for worldwide compliance with humanitarian law and human rights law . '' It sought interaction with the Kurdistan Workers ' Party , a group active in Turkey . Known as PKK , the party has been labeled a terror organization by the United States and the European Union . Its leaders have called for militancy to create a separate Kurdish state in the parts of Turkey , Iraq , Syria and Iran where Kurds are a majority . In its appeal to the high court , the government noted that `` since its inception , the organization has waged a violent insurgency that has claimed over 22,000 lives . '' Humanitarian Law Project claimed it wanted to advocate on behalf of the PKK before the U.N. Commission on Human Rights , and conduct other advisory sessions and public awareness campaigns . Breyer , in an unusual step , read a portion of his dissent from the bench . He said the majority wrongly read the law `` to forbid the teaching of any subject where national security concerns conflict with the First Amendment . The Constitution does not allow all such conflicts to be decided in the government 's favor . '' Breyer was supported by justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor . The court 's majority opinion was not a complete victory for the government and came with an important caveat . The activity in question can be banned only if `` coordinated with , or controlled by foreign terrorist groups . '' The justices gave no specific guidance on how that distinction should be made . The court also said the law does not extend the ban on material support to domestic groups . `` The government is wrong that the only thing actually at issue in this litigation is conduct , '' said Roberts . `` Plaintiffs want to speak to -LSB- certain foreign designated groups -RSB- and whether they may do so under -LSB- the federal law -RSB- depends on what they say . If plaintiffs ' speech to those groups imparts a ` specific skill ' or communicates advice derived from ` specialized knowledge ' -- for example , training on the use of international law or advice on petitioning the United Nations -- then it is barred . On the other hand , plaintiffs ' speech is not barred if it imparts only general or unspecialized knowledge . '' Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan had argued the administration 's case as solicitor general , back in February . That was before she was tapped by President Barack Obama . `` Hezbollah builds bombs , '' she said of the Palestinian militancy group . `` Hezbollah also builds homes . What Congress decided was when you help Hezbollah build homes , you are also helping Hezbollah build bombs . That 's the entire theory behind this statute , and it 's a reasonable theory . '' Ralph Fertig , a 79-year-old civil rights lawyer who founded Humanitarian Law Project 25 years ago , told CNN he feared being arrested if he continued his international outreach efforts with groups designated as terrorists . `` My mission would be to work with these groups , to try and convince them to use peaceful means to resolve these ongoing conflicts , '' he said after the arguments . He filed the lawsuit against the government . There was no immediate reaction from his group or the government . But human rights groups criticized the ruling . `` The Supreme Court has ruled that human rights advocates , providing training and assistance in the nonviolent resolution of disputes , can be prosecuted as terrorists , '' said David Cole of the Center for Constitutional Rights . `` In the name of fighting terrorism , the court has said that the First Amendment permits Congress to make human rights advocacy and peacemaking a crime . That is wrong . '' The Patriot Act was passed six weeks after the 9/11 terrorism attacks . It included amending a previous anti-terror law to strengthen the `` expert advice and assistance '' provision , making it a crime punishable by a 10-to-15 year prison sentence . The case is Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project -LRB- 08-1498 -RRB- .
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NEW : Applies only to activities coordinated or controlled by foreign terrorist groups . 6-3 ruling upholds provisions of the 2001 Patriot Act . Providing support in any form `` furthers terrorism , '' chief justice writes . Dissenting justice says First Amendment should sometimes prevail .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The problem of planes hitting birds comes down to a key fact : `` We 're competing for airspace , '' says Richard Dolbeer , a biologist who spent 20 years studying the problem at the U.S. Department of Agriculture . Richard Dolbeer says `` bird strikes that would disable both engines on an aircraft is fortunately a rare event . '' Populations of large birds have increased dramatically since the 1970s , when environmental regulations were instituted in the United States . Birds have become more accustomed to living in urban environments near airports and the number of airline flights has risen sharply , according to Dolbeer . Dolbeer , who retired in September 2008 and is now a consultant on the issue , spoke with CNN hours after a US Airways plane crash-landed in the Hudson River in New York after an apparent bird strike . He retired as National Coordinator for the Airport Wildlife Hazards Program and was chairperson of Bird Strike Committee-USA from 1997-2008 . CNN : How big a problem are bird strikes ? Dolbeer : Every year , approximately 7,000 to 8,000 bird strikes are reported to the Federal Aviation Administration primarily by commercial airlines nationwide . The reporting is a voluntary system . It 's not mandatory , so we know that not all of the bird strikes are being reported . We estimate that as much as 80 percent of the strikes are not reported . It 's a fairly common occurrence to have bird strikes , but to have bird strikes that would disable both engines on an aircraft is fortunately a rare event . CNN : What are some of the most serious instances of bird strikes ? Dolbeer : In 1995 , at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska , a Boeing 707 , a wide-bodied jet adapted to military use as a surveillance plane , ingested Canada geese into two of four engines . It crashed a mile away and killed 24 airmen . In Rome , Italy , in November , a Boeing 737 , which is very similar to the Airbus 320 , flew through a flock of starlings and both engines were disabled . The pilot was able to land the plane on the runway , but it collapsed the landing gear and did extensive damage to the aircraft . There were a few injuries , but no one was killed . Last March in Oklahoma City , a business jet was taking off and it struck a flock of white pelicans , which is another species which is increasing . It crashed into a wood lot and killed all five businesspeople aboard . The root of the problem right now is that because of the very successful wildlife conservation programs in North America since the 1970s , we 've seen a tremendous resurgence of many wildlife species , particularly large bird species -- species that weigh over 4 pounds , including Canada geese , snow geese , bald eagles , great blue herons , double-crested cormorants , turkey vultures and black vultures . In fact , of the 36 species of birds in North America that weigh over 4 pounds , 24 of those have shown population increases , nine have shown stable populations and only one has shown a decline in the last 30 years . The Canada goose population in the United States -- the resident Canada geese , not the migrant birds from Canada -- has increased from 1 million birds in 1990 to about 3.9 million in 2008 . In addition to these populations increasing , they 've also adapted to urban environments . They 're not afraid to associate with people . Traffic does n't bother them , aircraft do n't bother them . So they 're more likely to be seen near airports . Another important factor is modern turbofan aircraft like the Airbus 320 . Their engines are much quieter than older aircraft . And almost all the noise comes out of the back of the engine . Birds are less able to hear or see modern aircraft . There are more airplanes in the sky , more birds in the sky and this is where the conflict comes in . The number of strikes being reported is definitely increasing . In 1990 , the FAA had approximately 1,750 strikes reported . And in 2007 , the last year we have data , we had 7,600 . Some of that may be due to a little better reporting , but there are also more aircraft flying today . CNN : What can be done to prevent these strikes ? Dolbeer : There are three basic things that airports can do and many airports are doing . One is habitat management at the airport to make it as sterile as possible for birds -- by eliminating standing water , keeping grass where you do n't have weeds producing seeds which attract birds , reducing perching areas for the birds , posts and things birds can perch on , covering up garbage , not allowing landfills close to an airport , making an airport as sanitary as possible . That would also include rodent control -- eliminating small mammals that owls and hawks might be attracted to -- and insect controls . Habitat management is the No. 1 defense . The second is dispersal of birds by a trained bird control crew that goes out and uses pyrotechnics and other means to scare the birds away when they do come onto the airport . Some airports use trained dogs . A few airports train falcons . The idea is to scare the birds , harass the birds . The third area is removal of birds when the habitat management and dispersal do not work . Sometimes Canada geese become accustomed to the harassment and they 're not scared by it anymore . Airports get permits to remove some Canada geese by using a shotgun to demonstrate to the other birds that this is not a place to be . These are very selective lethal controls . Now , with regard to aircraft , there is research under way looking at can you enhance the visibility of aircraft to birds , using UV reflective paint since birds can see in the UV-range and using flashing lights . Are there things which can be mounted on aircraft to make them more visible to birds ? This is just in an experimental stage . One final area of research is the use of bird-detecting radar to help air traffic control and pilots to detect the birds and help drive planes around concentrations of birds . This is not operational , it 's in a developmental stage . None of these things are going to be silver bullets . No one technique or procedure is going to solve the problem . CNN : Are enough resources being applied to solve this problem ? Dolbeer : It 's an area that needs more attention . Airports have bird control programs to varying degrees . It has not been a high-profile area of work . We need to devote more resources to this problem , particularly given the increasing number of birds we have . We 're competing for airspace . It 's a complex issue . This incident will perhaps really focus peoples ' attention to do a better job of solving the problem .
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Richard Dolbeer : Planes are contending with an increasing number of birds . Environmental rules have led to large jump in numbers of big birds like geese . Dolbeer says airports are taking steps to reduce risk of bird strikes . He says more attention should be paid to solving the problem .
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Hartford , Connecticut -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- I knew every last American had been touched by the World Cup when my father-in-law told me how much he enjoyed `` the first few innings '' of the Brazil-Ivory Coast match . Needless to say , he 's just discovering soccer . He still thinks a red card is what communists keep in their wallets . And yet , like so many of his countrymen , he 's suddenly been laid low by World Cup fever , whose symptoms include a dull headache and a stiff neck , the result -- in my case -- of practicing headers in the driveway . -LRB- `` Practicing them for what ? '' my wife inquired . But you never know when that call-up will come for the U-50 national team . -RRB- . At long last , soccer ignorami in this country are becoming part of the international community . For most of this past week , I -LRB- an American citizen -RRB- felt schadenfreude -LRB- a German word for `` joy in the misery of others '' -RRB- at the spectacular implosion of Les Bleus -LRB- the French national team , which mutinied against its own coach while crapping out of the tournament -RRB- . That 's three countries in a single emotion , the kind of geopolitical awakening most of us only get in America when walking into an International House of Pancakes . And so I ca n't stop singing that song from Nike 's ubiquitous World Cup commercial , in which Italian lounge singer Bobby Solo serenades Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro with a chorus -- `` Che Cannavaro , Che Capitano '' -- that is as insidiously unshakeable as the World Cup itself . I interviewed Cannavaro in Milan a dozen years ago and have followed and occasionally covered international soccer for two decades . In America , I sometimes act like one of those bores who saw the Beatles in Hamburg before they made it big : that guy who feels smugly superior to the mass of fans who later fill the bandwagon . This kind of smugness has its advantages . A fellow school parent asked me yesterday : `` What 's the name of that guy who coaches Argentina ? '' When I said , `` Diego Maradona , '' she replied : `` How do you know all this stuff ? '' Maradona is only the greatest soccer player of all time and one of Earth 's most famous inhabitants , but I kept those secrets to myself , letting her think I 'm a soccer sophisticate and repository of the game 's most obscure trivia . I 'm just happy that more people care , that the next time my father-in-law hears the name Donovan , he 'll think of the American whose 91st-minute goal sent the U.S. to the knockout stages of the 2010 World Cup , not the Englishman whose song `` Mellow Yellow '' went to No. 2 in the charts in 1966 . Someday , when my father-in-law thinks of 1966 as the year that England last won the World Cup , the tournament will have finally realized its manifest destiny . It will truly have conquered the world . It 's almost there now . More and more Americans are succumbing . You may have noticed your fellow cubicle jockeys sounding like one of those English soccer announcers currently on loan to ESPN : decrying `` cynical '' tackles , praising `` beautifully weighted '' passes and pronouncing themselves , at the water cooler , too `` knackered '' to work . iReport : Do you have World Cup mania ? Last Sunday , I saw a brand-new Manchester United license plate frame on a car in our church parking lot . The next day , an 8-year-old saw my toddler in an English soccer jersey at the park and yelled , correctly : `` He 's got an Arsenal shirt on ! '' These are hopeful signs . In much of America , in the month it is named for , the June bug abruptly appears , reaches maturity in July and then quickly dies off . Typically , the World Cup does the same . But this time , I think soccer , as grass-dwelling pests go , will be harder to eradicate . I know the game will be eating my lawn for years to come . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Steve Rushin .
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Steve Rushin is thrilled that more people are caring about soccer . He says more and more Americans are succumbing to Cup fever . The game will be difficult to eradicate , Rushin writes .
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MADRID , Spain -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Spain is reeling from its most severe drought in 70 years with the nation 's reservoirs on average just half full , the Environment Ministry reports . The tower of a former church , underwater before the drought , reappears in the Mediano reservoir . Rainfall has been less than half of what 's considered normal for the last six months and reservoir levels were already low after two years in which normal rain levels failed to rebound from the driest 12 months on record -- October 1 , 2004 to September 30 , 2005 . The worst-hit areas are the Catalonia region -- whose capital , Barcelona , is the nation 's second-largest city -- and central Spain in the Castilla-La Mancha region near Madrid , according to Antonio Mestre , a climate specialist at the State Meteorological Agency in Madrid . The Baells reservoir near Barcelona is about 20 percent full , and in some places it appears to be bone dry . A little row boat could this week be seen resting on the sandy dirt bottom of the reservoir . In a nearby village , Gelida , trucks already bring drinking water every week because the town 's three wells are too dry . It 's become a political headache for Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero , who is just starting his second term . `` Despite the difficult drought years , '' Zapatero said in the investiture debate in parliament , `` there 's been no shortage of drinking water anywhere in the country . '' But Barcelona might run out by October . The government has decided to quickly build a water pipeline for 60 kilometers -LRB- 37 miles -RRB- along the major AP-7 highway , to pump water in to Barcelona , if necessary by the autumn and depending on reservoir levels at that time . The project would cost 180 million euros -LRB- $ 280 million -RRB- . The water would come from the Ebro river and that has sparked protests from the regional governments of Valencia and Murcia , down the Mediterranean coast from Barcelona , that the central government is favoring Barcelona . Valencia and Murcia leaders this week threatened to take the case to the Constitutional Court , the highest in Spain . Barcelona-area officials already have restricted the use of water for home gardens and parks and public fountains . They have also considered bringing drinking water in by boat . To tackle chronic water shortages , Spain in recent years has also invested heavily in desalination plants , which take the salt of sea water to make it drinkable -- but several are not yet finished , including one that would serve Barcelona . The latest drought hits Spain just after tens of thousands of new vacation homes have sprung up en masse along the coast in recent years , along with dozens of new golf courses thirsting to stay green . `` The amount of water resources depend not only on precipitation , but also on consumption , '' Mestre said . `` The water demand in Spain has increased a lot in the last 10 or 15 years . '' Despite recent showers , the past six months are the driest period in Spain in 70 years , when record-keeping began , Mestre said . Farmers also compete for the water , to irrigate their fields , which are suffering in the latest drought . Some critics say that successive Spanish governments have repeatedly taken short term measures during droughts , rather than making long-term water-use plans . One old fisherman at the Riosequillo reservoir - an hour north of Madrid and just a third full despite the recent rains - said he 'd never seen it so bad . `` We 'd have so much progress , '' said Gregorio Consentini , the 78-year-old fisherman , `` but we 're doing badly . '' To make matters worse , he did n't catch any fish that day -- which he also blamed on the drought . E-mail to a friend .
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Spanish reservoirs on average half full after six dry months . Past six months are driest in Spain in 70 years , when record-keeping began . Worst-hit areas are Catalonia and central Spain . Government building 60km pipeline to supply Barcelona .
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ALBANY , New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nick , 16 , says ecstasy is rampant in his high school , with kids often mixing the drug with meth and other substances . More than half of all ecstasy seized in the United States last year was laced with meth , authorities say . `` You just have to know the right person . It 's about as easy as any other drug . You just got ta ask for it , '' says Nick , who asked that his last name not be used . `` It 's easy to get . '' Law enforcement officials say stories like these highlight a disturbing trend they 're seeing across the country . Most alarming , they say , is not only is ecstasy back after years of decline , but most of the time it 's laced with meth . More than 55 percent of the ecstasy samples seized in the United States last year contained meth , according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy , compared with 44.5 percent the previous year . And the drugs are coming in at rapid pace from Canada . Watch ecstasy 's pipeline into U.S. '' Almost 5.5 million pills of ecstasy were seized in the states bordering Canada in 2006 -LRB- the most recent year for which full statistics are available -RRB- -- an almost tenfold increase since 2003 , top drug enforcement officials say . `` They drive them in . They bring them in by boat . They bring them in by plane . They bring them across by people just carrying them across their back much like the southwest border , '' says Ed Duffy , an assistant special agent in charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration 's northern region . Because meth is less expensive than ecstasy , mixing the two saves producers money , but it also makes it more dangerous , officials say . Ecstasy can cause sharp increases in body temperature and can result in liver , kidney or heart damage . When laced with meth , officials say , the combination can cause more severe harm because meth can damage brain functions , as well as lead to an increase in breathing , irregular heartbeats and increased blood pressure . The National Institute on Drug Abuse says meth -- or methamphetamine -- is a `` very addictive stimulant drug . '' Law enforcement officials say European countries cracked down on ecstasy production in the early 2000s and manufacturing moved to Canada . And now , Asian gangs in Canada have been smuggling the chemicals needed to make ecstasy from China and India , officials with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police tell CNN . Finished pills are then pushed in vast quantities into the United States , a flow that 's difficult to stop because of the vast , largely unpoliced border , officials say . Those on the front lines in Canada and the United States say they are working closely and sharing intelligence to try to stem the flow . Canadian officials also say they have a good relationship with Chinese law enforcement . The Mounties have created teams across Canada focused on identifying the criminal organizations producing ecstasy and meth and say they have shut down 17 labs in the past year . `` The labs that we 're finding now are what you refer to in the United States as super labs . We call them economic-based labs , '' says Raf Souccar , assistant commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police . Each lab produces more than 10 pounds of ecstasy in one batch , he says . `` It 's not your mom and pop operation . It tells me that it is criminal organizations that are , yes , more sophisticated and producing it for profit as opposed to producing it to fuel their habit . '' It 's then finding its way into schools , like Nick 's in Albany , New York . `` I have been seeing an increase in pill use among the teens in general , '' says Greg Reid , a counselor at Equinox Community Services Agency , which sponsors drug counseling and other activities for youth in Albany . `` They do something called ` pharming ' where they throw a bunch of pills into a bowl and kind of choose or take out the pills they want . '' Ecstasy pills are often among the drugs of choice in the bowl . `` I have seen that increase in the past two years , '' Reid says . `` Ecstasy ... can be very dangerous , especially if you do n't know what it is getting mixed with . '' E-mail to a friend .
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More than half of all ecstasy seized in U.S. in 2007 was laced with meth . Teen in Albany , New York , says , `` It 's easy to get '' Ecstasy is coming in at rapid pace from Canada , law enforcement officials say . Canadian officials say gangs with ties to China and India are behind the smuggling .
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Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lindsay Lohan 's father will `` pursue any and all appropriate legal action '' to prevent his daughter from becoming `` another Hollywood statistic '' because of alcohol and substance abuse , Michael Lohan 's lawyer said Monday . The much-publicized dispute between the actress-singer and her father boiled over last week when Michael Lohan persuaded a sheriff 's deputy to help him enter her Hollywood home to check on the welfare of her 16-year-old sister . Lindsay Lohan 's lawyer said it was `` nothing more than a publicity stunt . '' Michael Lohan 's lawyer , Lisa Bloom , said in a written statement Monday he was reacting to `` a problem millions of Americans have : What can a parent do when an adult child appears to have a serious alcohol or drug problem ? What can a parent do when that adult child 's life appears to be spiraling out of control ? `` He has watched along with the rest of us over the past few months as Lindsay has been photographed partying and clubbing night after night , appearing as though she is under the influence of alcohol or substances , '' Bloom said . `` He is heartbroken about her current condition . With his own two eyes , just last week , he has seen her looking worse than ever . '' Lindsay Lohan was arrested twice in 2007 on charges of driving under the influence . In the second incident , she also was charged with cocaine possession . She is on probation for a 2007 drunken driving conviction and is participating in a required alcohol counseling program . She told the British newspaper The Sun earlier this year that she feared for her life while abusing substances to deal with family problems in 2007 . She said she has since learned to embrace life instead of drugs . Her father said he flew to Los Angeles last week because of reports he was getting from friends about his 23-year-old daughter 's behavior . `` Michael is not going to stand idly by and watch his daughter become another Hollywood statistic , '' Bloom said . `` He intends to do everything in his power to prevent Lindsay from becoming another Marilyn Monroe , Anna Nicole Smith , Michael Jackson , Heath Ledger or Corey Haim . '' Bloom said she was hired `` to pursue any and all appropriate legal action to save and protect his daughter . '' `` The law affords a parent who believes his adult child is not in control of her health and welfare a number of legal options , '' she said . `` As of now , all options are open . '' Michael Lohan is trying to sit down with his daughter and her lawyer `` to come up with an appropriate treatment plan that will allow her to get her life back on course , '' Bloom said . `` If , however , that does not happen , Michael is prepared to pursue other legal action towards his one and only goal : to save and protect his daughter . '' Lindsay Lohan reacted loudly Thursday when her father walked into her home . `` I have no choice but to make this public , due to my sister 's safety , as well as my own , '' she said in a Twitter posting Thursday afternoon . '' ` My ex-dad ' just WALKED INTO MY APT like the devil 's advocate with officers . '' `` When will it ever end , '' she tweeted . `` It 's been going on my whole life with him -- has n't he caused enough pain ? '' After the surprise visit to his daughter 's home , Michael Lohan then drove to TMZ 's Hollywood newsroom , where he appeared in a live webcast to talk about why he did it . He said he flew to Los Angeles when a friend told him his 16-year-old daughter , Ali , was partying with her older sister . The friend also said he saw them driving 115 mph on a freeway , he said . `` That was the straw that broke the camel 's back , '' Lohan told TMZ 's Harvey Levin . Lohan 's acting career , which started at age 10 on the now-defunct soap opera `` Another World , '' took off on the big screen a year later when she played identical twins in Disney 's `` The Parent Trap . '' Since then , she has starred in at least a dozen movies , including `` Georgia Rule '' with Jane Fonda in 2007 . Her pop music recording career , boosted by her movie roles , has faded recently . Her last album was released in 2005 . CNN 's Marc Balinsky contributed to this report .
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Michael Lohan 's lawyer says dad is worried about alcohol , substance abuse . Lawyer : Father is ready to take `` all appropriate legal action '' to prevent a tragedy . Michael Lohan persuaded a deputy to help him enter her Hollywood home last week . Lindsay Lohan 's 16-year-old sister has been staying with the actress .
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Anchorage , Alaska -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's 3 degrees and snowing outside the Alaska Volcano Observatory in Anchorage , but inside the operations center , things are heating up . Geologist Michelle Coombs monitors the Redoubt volcano from the Alaska Volcano Observatory . `` This is kind of the nerve center , if you will , '' says geologist Michelle Coombs , who is at the helm of a bank of video monitors showing readouts from sensors on Mount Redoubt , a volcano about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage . The sensors measure seismic activity on the volcano 's summit . Scientists at the observatory combine that information with data gathered from daily airplane flights to the volcano to measure gases and try to figure out if and when Redoubt is going to blow . `` We 're seeing lots of little earthquakes right now , '' says Coombs . `` As that magma rises , it breaks rock as it gets to the surface , and it also it gives off gases , and that leads to the seismic activities were seeing now . '' When the magma , or molten rock , makes it to the surface , the volcano will erupt . A siren goes off , and one of the video monitors goes haywire . Is the mountain erupting ? Learn more about Mount Redoubt '' `` That 's just a little alarm . There was just a little bit of increased seismic activity , '' Coombs says reassuringly . `` It 's a special kind of earthquake particular to volcanoes called a long-period earthquake . It has more to do with fluid and gases than with breaking rock . '' Watch Coombs keeping an eye on Redoubt '' Since the monitors first showed increased activity on January 23 , the observatory has been staffed 24 hours a day . Scientists here are calling in reinforcements ; several geologists from the Lower 48 have been making their way north to help . Coombs thinks Redoubt will erupt within days or weeks . No one lives near the mountain , which sits on the Cook Inlet and is largely surrounded by glacier ice . That means there is no direct danger from lava flows , but huge clouds of ash could spread throughout Alaska . When Redoubt last erupted in 1989 , it spread ash across Alaska for five months . `` Geologists like to use the past as a key to the future , and previous historical eruptions of Redoubt have produced ash clouds of up to 40,000 feet above sea level , '' says Coombs . She notes that at current weather conditions , `` it would take about three hours for that ash to leave the volcano and arrive in Anchorage . '' The ash is composed largely of silica , which is similar to tiny fragments of glass . Down on the ground , the ash can be dangerous to breath in and can damage cars as their engines draw the ash into their engines . But it is usually a nuisance . However , in the sky , the ash clouds can create very dangerous flying conditions for jets . `` For jet aviation , it 's a very severe hazard because jet engines run at a very high temperature . And once that silica-rich ash gets ingested into the engine , it can remelt and coat the insides of the engines and freeze up those engines , '' says Coombs . `` That 's really the major thing we are trying to avoid here . '' The day after the 1989 eruption of Redoubt , a 747 flew into an ash cloud near Anchorage and all four engines stalled . The pilot was able to get two of the engines restarted , and the plane landed safely . Coombs says airspace around the volcano and Anchorage may be closed if Redoubt erupts . When the alarms are n't blaring , Coombs sends out the official Twitter feeds from the observatory and tries to stay warm . She is eight months ' pregnant . `` People have been joking , ` Are you going to name him redoubt ? ' '' she says with a laugh , then shakes her head and gets back to her monitors .
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In the cold Alaskan winter , geologist keeps watch on Mount Redoubt . Michelle Coombs thinks the volcano will erupt within days or weeks . The biggest danger could be ash getting in a jetliner 's engines . At Alaska Volcano Observatory , they 're getting extra help , monitoring 24/7 .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` Planet in Peril : Battle Lines '' traveled to a place off the coast of South Africa known as `` shark alley , '' one of the best places in the world to see great white sharks . CNN traveled to `` shark alley '' off the coast of South Africa , one of the best places in the world to see great whites . Shark tourism has become big business , bringing in more than $ 30 million every year to South Africa . The experience is a major draw for tourists , but it 's controversial . Local surfers and swimmers say it is changing shark behavior and may be causing more attacks . Anderson Cooper swam with these great white sharks -- without a cage -- as part of his report for `` Planet in Peril : Battle Lines . '' He talked about the experience Thursday morning with `` American Morning '' anchors John Roberts and Kiran Chetry . Anderson Cooper : We went diving with great white sharks . There is a big controversy over whether or not these cage tour operators are actually changing sharks ' behavior . They chum the water to attract the sharks , tourists get in the water , and so we had the opportunity to go cage diving and also to go free diving with the sharks , which is a pretty rare thing . There 's not many people on the planet who actually do it , probably for very smart reasons . You 'll see that tonight on `` Planet in Peril . '' Actually , swimming with great white sharks without a cage , which is among the most remarkable experiences of my life , I 've got to say . Anderson dives with great whites '' Kiran Chetry : What do they call that , a free dive with sharks ? Cooper : Yeah , we went free diving with the sharks . The water is chummed with blood , so it 's bloody water , and I was just about to get in , and I turned to the guy and said , `` Do you have any recommendations ? ' '' And he said , `` Project confidence . '' See how great white sharks are lured to the surface '' Chetry : There you go . Thanks . John Roberts : He also told you not to breathe , right , because they do n't like the noise of the bubbles ? Cooper : Right , they do n't like air bubbles . Roberts : So , meantime you 're down there hyperventilating . Cooper : It 's all well and good to say `` OK , do n't take a breath , '' but your heart is beating so fast when a huge great white shark is close to you , that you ca n't hold your breath . So I was actually breathing more and causing more air bubbles . And the sharks open up their mouths and extend their jaws when they 're nervous , and that makes me very nervous . Roberts : You 're reminded of when Roy Scheider -LSB- in the movie `` Jaws '' -RSB- said , `` We 're gon na need a bigger boat . '' Cooper : For me , I think it was , `` I need to get back in the boat . ''
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Anderson Cooper went free diving with great white sharks in South Africa . Before entering bloody water , guide advised Cooper to `` project confidence '' Cooper : Shark dive was `` among the most remarkable experiences of my life ''
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PORT HARCOURT , Nigeria -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Trash litters its cities . Electricity is sporadic at best . There is no clean water . Medical and educational services are limited . Basic infrastructure is severely lacking . `` Planet in Peril '' met in a secret location with members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta . These are not conditions that should plague one of the richest oil states in the world . Hundreds of billions of dollars has been made from the Niger Delta 's oil reserves and many people have gotten very rich . Conversely , the average Nigerian has suffered as a result of the country 's oil prosperity . The United States Agency for International Development says more than 70 percent of the country lives on less than a dollar a day -- the population is among the 20 poorest in the world . Oil companies are only part of the equation . The other is the Nigerian government . Transparency International , a global organization intent on stamping out corruption , has consistently rated Nigeria 's government one of the most corrupt in the world . Nigeria 's federal government and oil companies split oil profits roughly 60-40 . The money is then supposed to make its way down to the local governments to fund various projects . Somehow , little money actually reaches its intended destination . Nigeria 's own corruption agency estimates between $ 300 billion to $ 400 billion has been stolen or wasted over the last 50 years . Lisa Ling travels to secret location to meet notorious Nigerian militant group '' Gov. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers state , one of the largest oil producers of Nigeria 's 36 states , acknowledges past problems with corruption , but thinks progress is being made . `` There 's a lot of improvement , '' Amaechi said . `` The work being done by the corruption agency and the federal government has somehow been able to control the level of corruption in government . '' Over the last few years , a culture of militancy and violence has arisen in the absence of jobs and services . Kidnappings for ransom , robberies and even murder happen with regularity . The biggest and most powerful armed group is the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta , or MEND . They say they are at war against the Nigerian military and the oil companies operating there . MEND , formed in 2005 , said it has more than 30 camps throughout Nigeria . Members are armed with high-tech weaponry they said was obtained from `` foreign sources . '' Hundreds of people have been killed on both sides and countless oil workers have been kidnapped . Over the years , MEND 's attacks on oil pipelines have halted oil production and , therefore , raised the price of oil around the world . They demand oil profits be distributed to average Nigerians of the Niger Delta and said they will not stop their attacks until their objectives have been fulfilled . See environmental battle lines for `` Planet in Peril '' '' The battle is over oil -- one of the world 's most valuable resources . But to most Nigerians -- oil is a curse . It has provoked an environmental disaster of monstrous proportions . Since the 1970s , the United Nations estimates there have been more than 6,000 oil spills in the Niger Delta -- that is equal to more than 10 times the amount spilled from the Exxon Valdez in 1989 . Yet , there is no international outcry and rarely are the spills reported , even to most Nigerians . They are still happening and the consequences are nothing short of devastating . Communities along the Niger Delta have lived off subsistence fishing and agriculture for decades . Collecting food becomes impossible when a spill happens , like one that occurred in August . The waterways and mangroves are blanketed in thick brown oil sludge that goes on for miles . Toxicity overpowers the air and a sense of lifelessness pervades the landscape . Many say it will take 10-15 years for the area to be free of contamination -- if the cleanup effort commences in a timely manner . The August spill was a result of a leak from an old pipeline that had corroded . It took the oil company three months to clamp the leak , but the company said it was n't reported for a full month after it began . Once the leak was reported , the company said it was denied access to the site by the community . Leaders of the village deny that , and the finger-pointing between the two sides is nothing new -- there is no love lost here . Who is telling the truth ? Who knows ? Either way , the creeks are blackened . This is life in the Niger Delta .
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Nigeria is one of world 's richest oil states ; people are among poorest in world . Nigerian agency : $ 300 billion to $ 400 billion in oil profits squandered , stolen . Militant group MEND attacks oil pipelines , demands profits given to Nigerian people . UN : Niger Delta has had more than 6,000 spills ; 10 times more than Exxon Valdez .
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PINEDALE , Wyoming -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Call it modern horse-trading . Balancing the nation 's energy needs with its interests in protecting wildlife and habitats . An antelope grazes near a gas well in Jonah Field , one of the hot spots for natural gas in Wyoming . The practice is playing out in Wyoming , where energy companies pumped 2.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas from the ground last year -- produced in 20 of the state 's 23 counties . That 's enough gas to heat every home in Michigan for seven years . And good-paying jobs , public works projects and money for higher education have benefited Wyoming . But there 's a trade-off : Wildlife populations are taking a hit . Populations of the West 's iconic mule deer are down where drilling is prevalent ; the sage grouse , a bird which conservationists consider a harbinger of how other wildlife are faring , has seen adult populations plunge near gas rig sites . If grouse are n't surviving , biologists say , that means bad news for animals like antelope , bighorn sheep and pygmy rabbits . Five years ago , there were about 10,000 wells spread across Wyoming . By the end of 2007 , the federal Bureau of Land Management estimates that 30,000 wells will be pumping natural gas . Watch a bird 's eye view of a natural gas field '' Companies such as Shell , EnCana , BP and Questar operate the rigs . `` The West is the last unexploited frontier for gas reserves in the U.S. , '' said Fadel Gheit , an Oppenheimer and Co. senior energy analyst . `` Market prices are skyrocketing . We 've drilled the Gulf of Mexico down to Swiss cheese . '' But Gheit concedes , `` It 's not good for the environment , no question . '' On a June morning , standing in the middle of one of Wyoming 's largest gas fields , Brian Rutledge , a wildlife biologist and the executive director of the Audubon Society of Wyoming , surveys acres of endless sage brush and rigs in the distance . `` These lands are some of the last vestiges of the American West we have , home to hundreds of species who wo n't survive if their habitat is fragmented by rigs , '' he said . `` Once it 's gone , it 's gone . A boom goes bust eventually . '' `` We have to ask ourselves , ` Is getting cheaper gas now worth the future cost to the land ? ' '' Recent studies have shown the sage grouse and mule deer are in jeopardy , their habitat hurt by gas drilling , biologists say . Power lines are convenient places for raptors and other grouse predators to perch . Rigs sit on sagebrush , the grouse 's primary food source . And loud activity disrupts the grouse 's mating rituals . Mule deer are down by 42 percent in areas where drilling is prevalent , according to a 2006 study conducted by independent ecologists and biologists and paid for by gas corporation Questar . Gas corporations are required to perform wildlife analysis of lands where they intend to drill . Between 2001 and 2005 , University of Montana biologist David Naugle attached radio collars to birds in and outside gas fields in northeast Wyoming . He found as much as an 80 percent reduction in adult birds inside the Powder River Basin , a hot spot of gas production . Matt Holloran performed his doctoral thesis at the University of Wyoming on the effect of gas drilling on the grouse on the Pinedale Anticline . `` It 's getting worse over time , '' said Holloran , now a senior ecologist with a private conservation firm . The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opted not to classify the bird as endangered in 2005 . But a representative said the recent numbers are alarming and the agency may move to reassess the decision . See a sample of endangered species around the country '' So concerned by the grouse 's dwindling numbers , Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal called a summit on the bird last month , drawing hundreds of conservationists , scientists and gas industry executives . `` We have a bull 's - eye on our back , '' Freudenthal said . `` I see it as an imbalance . The BLM has one objective and that is drilling . It was n't always this way . There used to be some concern for habitat preservation , and I 'm worried that 's gone out the door . '' Freudenthal 's comments were echoed in more than 90,000 letters the public submitted to the BLM in June objecting to the agency 's plan to allow 8,000 more gas wells on 1.6 million acres in a field near Pinedale . But BLM spokeswoman Cindy Wertz said biologists are performing thorough wildlife and habitat assessments before drilling commences and gas companies are required to repair the land when drilling ends . And gas companies are spending money to repair the damage they do , like replanting sage brush , which is food for animals . `` We are drilling more , yes , and the sage grouse numbers are challenging . But our wildlife protections are the same as they 've always been , '' Wertz said . That , however , is not what a 2006 internal BLM document stated . It said the agency failed for six years to monitor air pollution caused by drilling on public land in the West . The BLM provides `` no evaluation , analysis or compiling '' of data tracking drilling affects on the environment , it reads . BLM 's lead biologist in Pinedale between 2004 and 2006 , Steve Belinda , quit because he says the agency values gas development over wildlife protection . `` The habitat used to be treated as a valuable resource , '' he said . `` Now the BLM biologist acts as a support person to get permits processed , period . '' The majority of the wells in Wyoming are on two fields in Pinedale , a town with one grocery store and a weekly newspaper . Folks here talk about a popular bumper sticker : `` Lord , thank you for the boom , may it not go bust . '' Lauren McKeever , an assistant to Pinedale 's mayor , has watched the town 's classrooms double , filled with children of gas employees who have moved here . Many of those children enjoy the town 's new multimillion-dollar aquatic center , bought with gas industry revenue . See how gas drilling has changed Pinedale '' `` I think the vast majority of folks here understand that our country is in dire need for energy resources , '' she said . `` But , at the same time , I do n't think many of us are willing to destroy priceless values in the process of obtaining the natural gas . '' Recently , the state Legislature approved giving $ 2 billion from gas revenue to public schools over the next two years and taxes on groceries have been eliminated . Last year , an endowment created by gas industry taxes grew to $ 500 million , enabling every Wyoming high school student with above-average grades to attend college in the state . Around the corner from the aquatic center , Levi Licking has just returned home from his job operating a front-end driver for Questar gas . The 30-year-old father of two makes $ 20 an hour , more money than Licking believes he could earn at any business within 80 miles . `` The gas industry is the best thing that ever happened to Pinedale , '' he said . `` This is the same place it was before -- only with more money . '' E-mail to a friend .
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In 2006 , Wyoming provided enough natural gas to heat 27 million homes . Biologists say the increased pace of drilling is hurting wildlife , habitat . Studies show sage grouse down by 80 percent ; mule deer down by 42 percent . Communities say they want balance between drilling and habitat protection .
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Grozny , Chechnya -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It has been ten years since my last visit to Chechnya . I knew the place had changed . I did n't realize how much . For a decade , Chechnya was the most violent , hopeless , war-torn corner of Russia . Russia 's impoverished , conscript army had been locked in an ugly struggle with Chechen insurgents that left the region 's capital , Grozny , a smoking ruin . Much of the civilian population was either homeless or had fled . Meanwhile , even the most courageous reporters and human rights activists thought twice about sneaking into the republic . By the end of the 1990s , Chechen gangs made a lucrative business out of kidnapping and ransom . The kidnappers became quite adept at chopping off hostage body parts on camera , to provide gruesome video incentive for swift payment . Imagine my surprise , then , when Russian government minders pick us up at Chechnya 's newly-constructed airport , and then send a busload of foreign journalists to sparkling downtown Grozny without any armed escort . A decade ago , the only illumination in Grozny would have come from tracer bullets and the campfires of traumatized residents whose homes had been destroyed . Today , a giant , Turkish-built mosque glows at the center of a park rigged with rows of retro-style street lamps . Families wander around on sidewalks in the balmy air . There is not a single gunman or soldier in sight . For the next two days of this Kremlin-supervised junket , I strain to find signs of the bullet-holes and shrapnel scars that once seemed to pock-mark every piece of concrete in Chechnya . Instead , in Chechnya 's second largest city of Gudermes , I find armies of workers -- including migrant laborers from East Asia -- busily constructing high-rises and roads . Downtown Gudermes is getting an architectural face-lift . Ten years ago , when I wandered off from a Russian military `` embed '' trip to Gudermes , Chechen locals joked openly about how much I would be worth if they kidnapped me , prompting me to hustle back to my army escort . Today , residents sing a very different tune . `` We thought it would take 50 years to rebuild this town , '' one Chechen man wearing in a wide-brimmed black hat tells me . `` It 's a miracle how quickly this has happened here ! '' The Kremlin clearly spent untold billions of rubles rebuilding the most unruly of Russian republics . It also struck a deal several years ago with a brash former rebel fighter named Ramzan Kadyrov . His Chechen security forces began taking the lead in operations against the insurgents . Today , Kadyrov is the president of the Chechen republic . This fiercely loyal supporter of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has adopted the bizarre habits one comes to expect from a Middle Eastern despot . Kadyrov races around his fiefdom driving his own black SUV , dressed in shiny track suits and baseball caps . His mansion , a half hour 's drive out of Grozny , has its own horse race track , a show room full of antique guns and sabers , the Cyrillic initials `` RK '' carved into the building 's façade and a private zoo full of lions , tigers and other big , endangered wildcats . The roars of one of these animals echoes throughout the compound as we wait until well after midnight for a press conference with the Chechen strongman . When Kadyrov finally arrives , he makes an announcement of victory . `` We are in the final stages of our struggle , '' he says , and then goes on to claim there are only 187 fighters left in Chechnya 's insurgent movement . Most of them , he adds , are foreigners . But peace in Chechnya has come at a disturbing price . For some reason , critics of Kadyrov and his security forces keep getting killed . Last July , Natalia Estemirova , an activist with the human rights group Memorial , was kidnapped in broad daylight in downtown Grozny and later found dead with two bullets to the head . `` This crime could n't have been committed without the participation of some law enforcement agencies , '' says Dokka Itslaev , the Chechen man who has assumed Estemirova 's former position at Memorial . `` Certain forces in Chechnya reserve the right to kidnap , kill or torture whoever they want . '' More recently , police in Austria linked one of Kadyrov 's top aides to the January 2009 shooting death in Vienna of Umar Israilov . The former Chechen rebel served in Kadyrov 's security forces and later testified against Kadyrov before the European Court of Human Rights . Moments after his murder , Austrian police said one of the suspects called a cell phone in Chechnya believed to belong to one of Kadyrov 's right-hand men , Shaa Turlayev . Turlayev visited Vienna and met with the suspect a few months before the murder . Kadyrov denied any links to the murder , while delivering a lengthy monologue . `` I knew this guy -LSB- Umar Israilov -RSB- personally , '' he said during the midnight press conference . `` It would have been so stupid and so obvious to kill people in broad daylight . Why would I do this ? Did he kill any of my people ? If he did , maybe then I would have considered it . '' The Kremlin now relies on Kadyrov , along with the many potentially explosive skeletons in his closet , to guarantee peace and stability in Chechnya . But while Chechnya has stabilized , the neighboring Russian regions of Dagestan and Ingushetia have grown more violent then ever , with frequent car bombs and assassinations . Caucasus experts say the Chechen nationalist movement that once challenged Moscow has morphed into a broader Islamist rebel movement that threatens to engulf the Russian North Caucasus . That violence seems worlds ' away from the brand-new ice skating rink that we visit in Grozny one night . Dance music throbs as young Chechen men on ice skates crash into each other , laughing ; some of them hug the sideboards to avoid collapsing on the ice . It is a silly , wonderful sight to see in a city that had endured so many years of war and hopelessness . But how long can Kadyrov 's huge public works projects and scary security forces ensure stability , with so much trouble brewing nextdoor and unemployment still sky high within Chechnya ? The cliché that Chechnya is `` skating on thin ice , '' springs to mind -- especially after I notice that one of the Chechen men , teetering comically on the ice , is skating with a pistol strapped to his belt .
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Chechnya has seen construction surge in formerly war-torn areas . Chechan president was rebel fighter . Activist : critics of president have ended up dead . Neighboring Russian regions have grown more violent .
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WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved the nomination of federal Judge Sonia Sotomayor to become the nation 's first Hispanic Supreme Court justice , setting up a final confirmation vote by the Senate . With Republican senators ' support , Sonia Sotomayor 's confirmation by the full Senate is a virtual certainty . The 13-6 committee vote was mostly on partisan lines , with one Republican joining the panel 's Democrats in sending the nomination to the full Senate . At least five Republican senators have announced their intention to support Sotomayor , making confirmation by the Democratic-controlled Senate a virtual certainty . Sotomayor , 55 , is President Obama 's first nominee to the nation 's highest court . She would be 111th person to sit on the Supreme Court , and the third female justice . The Judiciary Committee held a four-day confirmation hearing earlier this month that foreshadowed Tuesday 's vote , with Democrats praising Sotomayor 's 17-year record as a federal judge and her made-in-America story as a minority woman who rose to success through hard work and opportunity . Republicans questioned her judicial neutrality , complaining about speeches in which she made controversial statements , including her hope that a `` wise Latina woman , with the richness of her experiences '' would reach a better conclusion than a white man `` who has n't lived that life . '' Conservative Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina , the lone Republican to back Sotomayor , said Tuesday that he still has concerns about her impartiality . Some of her speeches `` bugged the hell out of me , '' Graham said , but he added that some of his own speeches probably `` bugged the hell out of people on the other side '' of the political divide . Graham praised Sotomayor 's competence and qualifications , and he joked that she was unlikely to be worse than the justice she was chosen to replace , David Souter , a liberal . `` She can be no worse than Souter from our point of view , '' he said to fellow Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa , who opposed Sotomayor . See how Sotomayor compares with Supreme Court justices '' Graham also noted that Sotomayor is a unique historical figure . `` This is the first Latina woman in the history of the U.S. to be nominated to the Supreme Court . That is a big deal , '' he said , although he said it was neither a reason to vote for or against her . It was the first time that any of the Republican opponents had voted against a Supreme Court nominee put forward by either a Democratic or Republican president . Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah said Tuesday that he `` genuinely wrestled with this decision , '' but that in studying Sotomayor 's speeches , articles and cases , he found a `` troubling approach to judging '' that the judge 's testimony before the committee did not resolve . He said he believes she gave short shrift to constitutional rights and used inappropriate legal standards in deciding cases . Democrats on the panel praised the judge , with Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California saying : `` I see her as a most impressive person on a number of different levels . '' Referring to Sotomayor 's judicial record , Feinstein said she found `` no example of infidelity to the law . '' Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania , a former Republican and the longest-serving member of the panel , said Sotomayor was the best nominee of the 11 he has reviewed over the years . Specter also praised the `` wise Latina '' comment , saying : `` If a woman did n't stand up for women , I would n't think much of her . '' Obama 's Democratic Party holds a 58-40 edge in the full Senate , with two independents considered part of the Democratic caucus . CNN 's Terry Frieden contributed to this report .
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13-6 vote sets up final confirmation vote by full Senate . Panel voted mostly on partisan lines ; 1 Republican joined Democrats . At least 5 GOP senators back Sotomayor , making Senate confirmation almost sure .
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WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two key Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee announced their opposition to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor on Friday , a further sign the party 's conservative base is uniting against President Obama 's first high court pick . Sonia Sotomayor 's Supreme Court nomination is to be put to a vote in the Judiciary Committee next week . Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch , the former chairman of the committee , and Texas Sen. John Cornyn , head of the party 's Senate campaign committee , announced on the Senate floor their intention to vote against the 55-year-old federal appeals court judge . Hatch 's decision came as something of a surprise . The veteran Republican has voted for every high court nominee in his 32-year Senate career , including President Clinton 's two liberal choices , Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer . Hatch had praised Sotomayor 's `` credentials and experience '' and the fact that she would be the first Hispanic justice . But despite the nominee 's compelling life story , Hatch said that controversial off-the-bench comments by Sotomayor troubled him . `` I reluctantly , and with a heavy heart , have found that I can not support her nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court , '' Hatch said in a written statement . `` In truth , I wish President Obama had chosen a Hispanic nominee that all senators could support . I believe it would have done a great deal for our great country . Although Judge Sotomayor has a compelling life story and dedication to public service , her statements and record were too much at odds with the principles about the judiciary in which I deeply believe . '' Cornyn candidly admitted that his opposition to Sotomayor could carry political risks in his home state , where one-third of the electorate is Hispanic . `` Voting to confirm a judge -- this judge or any judge -- despite doubts would certainly be the politically expedient thing to do , but I do n't believe it would be the right thing to do , '' he said on the Senate floor . `` Many of her public statements reflected a surprisingly radical view of the law , '' he said . He argued that the `` stakes are simply too high for me to confirm someone who could address all these issues from a liberal , activist perspective . '' Seven other Republicans have said they would vote against Sotomayor . Five mostly moderate GOP lawmakers announced their intention to back her . A vote is scheduled for Tuesday in the Judiciary Committee , followed by an expected final floor vote a week later . There is little doubt about the outcome , and Republican Party leaders have said no filibuster is planned . Conservative groups have been pushing Republican senators to rally hard against Sotomayor . The National Rifle Association stressed the intensity of its opposition to her nomination Thursday , warning senators that their votes will be considered in its future candidate evaluations . Among those supporting Sotomayor is conservative Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-South Carolina , whose folksy questioning of the nominee during last week 's confirmation hearings attracted wide attention . His decision brought a rebuke from the conservative Judicial Confirmation Network , which slammed Graham 's support `` based upon his apparent willful blindness to her record , both on the bench and off , of indulging her own ethnic and gender biases , personal political views , and liberal agenda in the name of ` law . ' '' The network 's counsel , Wendy Long , dismissed Graham 's `` cynical , pandering comments during the Judiciary Committee hearings , which were clearly aimed at drawing attention to himself rather than illuminating the role of the court in our constitutional republic . '' Some Republican moderates have privately expressed concern that attacking Sotomayor could hurt the party 's efforts to attract more Hispanics and women , especially since her confirmation seems assured . Sotomayor 's `` wise Latina '' comments were cited by Cornyn and others as reason for opposing her . The Texas Republican said Sotomayor was less than forthcoming when explaining her remarks in a 2001 speech . Sotomayor told a group of Hispanic law students that `` I would hope that a wise Latina woman , with the richness of her experience , would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who has n't lived that life . '' She has echoed the sentiment in related talks she has given over the years . Cornyn said the remarks contrasted sharply with her pledge during her confirmation hearings to rule on cases without personal bias . `` Who is the real Judge Sonia Sotomayor ? '' he asked .
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Sen. Orrin Hatch says nominee 's off-the-bench comments are troubling . Sen. John Cornyn cites `` surprisingly radical view of the law '' Vote on nomination to come soon , with approval expected . Conservative groups have been pushing senators to oppose .
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Editor 's note : Anthony S. Barkow prosecuted federal and local crime for 12 years in the U.S. attorney 's offices for the Southern District of New York and for the District of Columbia and is now the executive director of the Center on the Administration of Criminal Law at New York University School of Law . Anthony Barkow says Sonia Sotomayor would provide the perspective of a former prosecutor on the high court . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Many have noted Judge Sonia Sotomayor 's personal story -- from being raised by a single mother in a public housing project in the Bronx to top honors at Princeton and Yale and now , potentially the Supreme Court -- will give her a perspective that other justices lack . But commentators typically miss another life experience of Sotomayor 's that will bring diversity to the court . If she is confirmed , she would be the only justice with experience as a local prosecutor . For five years , Sotomayor was an assistant district attorney in Manhattan . In that position , she interacted with some of the poorest , most troubled residents of New York and handled matters ranging from shoplifting , prostitution and petty drug offenses to robberies , child abuse and murders . Sotomayor 's experience on the front lines in a big city 's fight against crime will bring a much-needed perspective to the court . Only Justice Samuel Alito has any real background at all in criminal law . He was an assistant U.S. attorney and was later U.S. attorney in New Jersey . It 's quite likely that , as a result , Alito may have disproportionate influence on his colleagues in criminal cases because he can refer to that experience . But Alito was never a local prosecutor and has deep exposure only to federal criminal law . Federal criminal cases make up only about 6 percent of all criminal cases , and they typically involve complex white-collar crimes and large-scale narcotics trafficking . Federal prosecutors do not typically see the day-to-day carnage in neighborhoods from murders , rapes , burglaries , robberies and assault , or interact with the victims of those crimes . Nor do they see low-level vice crimes such as prostitution , small-time drug deals or gambling . The other justices are even further removed from the realities of street crime . The only other justice who has even a modicum of criminal justice experience is Justice Breyer , whose exposure to criminal law as an architect of the federal sentencing guidelines was not to victims and criminals but to data and number crunchers . The other justices ' professional experiences are even more insulated from life on the streets . They spent their time in lofty government appellate or legal counsel positions , working in the halls of Congress , devising litigation strategies at top law firms or public interest organizations , or pondering legal questions as academics . Even the justices ' experiences on the bench isolated them from the real world of criminal law . Not a single member of the current Supreme Court served on a state court -- the courts that handle about 94 percent of criminal cases . For that matter , no one on the Supreme Court served on a federal district court , the trial courts in the federal system that see federal criminal cases up close . Here , too , Sotomayor fills a critical gap . In addition to her time in the DA 's office , she was also a federal district court judge for six years . Sotomayor would bring a much-needed dose of reality when it comes to criminal law issues . It is all too easy for someone who has not spent time working on these issues to caricature them . For conservatives , the risk is assuming all crimes are a failure of personal responsibility that lead to serious breaches of public order and demand incarceration and a tough response . For liberals , the risk is seeing every defendant as a victim of poverty or society 's failures . The reality , as Sotomayor knows well , is far more complicated . She has seen the human condition up close and personal . She knows the pain of victims and has looked into the eyes of defendants who have committed unspeakable acts with no remorse and are unredeemable . She has also seen defendants who need treatment and jobs , not prison . Many of these individuals may have committed petty crimes , such as shoplifting or drug possession , to feed an addiction . This interaction with the criminal justice system also showed Sotomayor on a daily basis just how powerful the state is and the tragedy that is every single criminal case . In no other area is government more intrusive . This is the power to lock someone in a cell , or even to take away life . Sotomayor 's experience shows her that this government power is sometimes necessary -- and sometimes is n't . She also knows that , in every criminal case , people suffer , and not just victims and defendants . Family members , children and entire communities pay the price when we send away too many people for too long or fail to pay attention and do n't provide neighborhoods enough protection . One never knows how personal experience will translate to life on the bench . But Sotomayor 's experience in a big-city prosecution office would likely to make a difference on a bench that deals with crime every day but has very little real-world exposure to it . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Anthony S. Barkow .
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Anthony Barkow : Sonia Sotomayor 's experience would set her apart on top court . He says her time as a local prosecutor gave her invaluable experience . Barkow says that background would be of great value to Supreme Court .
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WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Days before the start of Sonia Sotomayor 's confirmation hearings , a new national poll indicates that by a narrow margin , Americans would like the Senate to confirm her as the next Supreme Court justice . Critics warn confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor could turn into a partisan battle . In a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Friday , 47 percent of people questioned would like to see the Senate vote in favor of Sotomayor 's confirmation , with 40 percent opposed and 13 percent unsure . Sotomayor , a New York federal appeals court judge , was nominated by President Obama in May to succeed retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter . The poll suggests a partisan divide , with nearly seven in 10 Democrats supporting Sotomayor 's confirmation , Independents split , and nearly two out of three Republicans opposing Senate confirmation . Read the poll -LRB- pdf -RRB- . `` Republican opposition to Sotomayor 's confirmation is a higher level of opposition from the party out of power than any Supreme Court nominee has faced in the past two decades , '' said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland . Only 32 percent of Republicans opposed Ruth Ginsburg 's 1993 nomination by President Bill Clinton to the high court , Holland said . `` In 2005 , when it was the GOP 's turn to appoint justices , only 35 percent of Democrats opposed John Roberts , and 46 percent of Democrats opposed Samuel Alito the following year , '' Holland said . `` And even when Bush nominated Harriet Miers , opposition among Democrats to her confirmation hit only 53 percent . '' The poll also indicates that Americans are split over whether senators are justified in voting against Sotomayor , based solely on her stand on the issues . Americans seem to agree that the confirmation hearings in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee , which begin Monday , could turn into a partisan battle . Six out of 10 said a major fight between Democrats and Republicans will occur , with 38 percent saying that the hearings will be a relatively easy process with bipartisan agreement . The percentage of those who would like to see Sotomayor confirmed in the CNN poll is lower than in other national surveys released in the past few weeks . `` One possible reason why the CNN poll shows less support for Sotomayor than other recent polls is a difference in the question wording , '' Holland said . `` Polls by other organizations have described Sotomayor as Barack Obama 's choice for the Supreme Court . But in order to make historical comparisons , the CNN poll used a question dating back to 1987 that does not mention the president 's name . '' Americans can be swayed by a familiar name , in this case Obama , when questioned about someone who has not been in the public eye , Holland said . `` Some of Obama 's popularity may have rubbed off onto Sotomayor in polls conducted by other organizations , '' Holland said . `` Ultimately , however , Supreme Court nominees rise or fall on their own merits . '' The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey was conducted from June 26 to 28 , with 1,026 adult Americans questioned by telephone . The survey 's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points .
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Almost half of Americans favor Sonia Sotomayor as Supreme Court justice , poll says . Most Democrats support her while most Republicans oppose , according to poll . Sotomayor would succeed retiring Justice David Souter . Confirmation hearings set to start Monday .
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Editor 's note : Laura Gómez is professor of law and American studies at the University of New Mexico . Gómez , who has a Ph.D. in sociology and a law degree from Stanford University , is the author of `` Manifest Destinies : The Making of the Mexican American Race . '' Laura Gómez says Sonia Sotomayor 's `` wise Latina '' comment has been taken out of context . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It is likely that Judge Sotomayor will face some questions from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee this week about her 2001 `` wise Latina '' remark . In a speech at a Berkeley conference on Hispanic judges , Sotomayor said , `` I would hope that a wise Latina woman , with the richness of her experiences , would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who has n't lived that life . '' Her comment has been lampooned on the cover of the National Review , where cartoonists apparently could not quite fathom a wise Latina judge , choosing to portray Sotomayor as a Buddha with Asian features . It has caused Rush Limbaugh and others to label her a `` racist , '' and it has caused even liberals to bristle . I was a speaker at the conference Sotomayor 's speech kicked off , and I would like to put her comment in context . Entitled `` Raising the Bar : Latino and Latina Presence in the Judiciary and the Struggle for Representation , '' the conference brought together -- for the first time , to my knowledge -- judges , lawyers , scholars and law students to consider the state of Latinos in the judiciary . By 2050 , Hispanics will be 30 percent of the U.S. population , and yet the number of Latino judges remains tiny . The number of female Hispanic judges is even smaller ; Sotomayor is one of two Hispanic women among federal appellate judges , and there are not much more than that among the hundreds of federal district judges . Part of the impetus for the conference was to signal the potential crisis for our courts in the 21st century if we do not get more Latino lawyers interested in becoming judges and more appointed to the bench . In this context , I did not find Sotomayor 's comment controversial . As I look at the speech eight years later , I 'm struck by how measured and careful she was in making the claim . First , the sentence I have quoted here followed Sotomayor 's acknowledgement that there is no universal definition of `` wise . '' Second , she presented the statement as aspirational by using the phrase `` I would hope '' ; she was talking as much about the ideal of diversity as its reality . Third , she specified that she was talking not about all Latinas and all white men but about ideal types ; she invoked a `` wise '' Hispanic woman who has had a particular set of life experiences and white male judges who have not `` lived that life '' -LRB- suggesting that some white males could , in fact , bring a similar empathy and/or life experience to the bench -RRB- . Fourth , she went out of her way to say that she thought this would be the case `` more often than not , '' rather than all the time . Finally , in the next sentence of her speech , Sotomayor went on to specify that she was addressing the dynamics of an appellate court with multiple judges -LRB- such as the three-judge and en banc panels on which she sits as an appeals court judge and the Supreme Court -RRB- , rather than talking about a trial court context in which a single judge presides . She was referencing the group dynamics on a U.S. Supreme Court of nine justices who converse publicly during oral arguments and privately during conferences over cases . In these settings , who a judge is , in all the ways that matter , undoubtedly affects his or her own thinking about cases as well as that of the other justices . Does anyone that doubt that Justice Thurgood Marshall 's identity as an African-American male or his experience as a civil rights lawyer shaped his judicial philosophy and influence his fellow justices some of the time ? Most watchers of the Supreme Court have similarly concluded that Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg have had a great impact on their colleagues in cases of particular interest to women , such as abortion and sex discrimination . Ultimately , whether , holding other things constant , women of color make `` better '' judges than white men is an empirical question that we are unable to answer definitively any time soon , given the small numbers of minority judges . That inquiry itself begs the question of quality explicit in Judge Sotomayor 's comment : What makes one judge better than another ? Better for whom ? Some political scientists have argued that the appropriate measure is essentially political : Is the judge better for those who elected the president who nominated the Supreme Court justice ? At the end of the day , a judge 's race and gender may have less impact on how she decides a particular case than how the larger public perceives the court on which she sits . In a society in which African-Americans and Hispanics , in particular , report high rates of dissatisfaction and lack of faith in the courts and other criminal justice institutions , the racial and gender makeup of the judiciary has greater relevance . Of 111 Supreme Court justices , all but four have been white men . It 's past time the nation 's highest court looked more like the nation . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Laura Gómez .
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Laura Gómez : Critics of Sotomayor take her remarks out of context . She says judge carefully hedged comment about `` wise Latina '' judge . Gómez : Key merit of diversity on court is public view of judges ' legitimacy .
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WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has been given the American Bar Association 's highest rating for `` professional qualification , '' a political boost less than a week before her confirmation hearings begin in the Senate . Confirmation hearings for Sonia Sotomayor 's Supreme Court nomination are set to begin next week . An ABA committee that reviewed her record concluded unanimously Tuesday that she is `` well qualified '' to sit on the high court . The nation 's largest association of attorneys has been evaluating nominees to the federal bench for five decades . Sotomayor was last evaluated by the ABA in 1998 when she was nominated for the appeals court seat she now occupies . She was also rated `` well qualified , '' but the vote then was not unanimous . Her confirmation hearings for the high court begin Monday , and Judiciary Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy , D-Vermont , applauded the ABA evaluation , saying it `` should eliminate the doubts of naysayers who have questioned Judge Sotomayor 's disposition on the bench . '' The 55-year-old judge from the New York-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit would replace the retired Justice David Souter . The peer-review process by the ABA focuses only on a nominee 's `` professional qualifications and does not consider a nominee 's philosophy or ideology , '' according to the group . It says its `` impartial evaluations '' focus on integrity , professional competence and judicial temperament . Past administrations have quietly worked with the ABA to provide the identity of potential nominees before they were publicly nominated . No other group has such advance access , but the ABA 's role is unofficial . The George W. Bush administration refused to consider or accept the ABA evaluations , saying the organization had given lower ratings for some conservative nominees , and that the ABA had publicly held liberal positions on social and political matters . Officials in the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush made the same complaint . The ABA 's Standing Committee continued to rate Bush judicial nominees , but only after the president had made the choices public . Justice Clarence Thomas was rated `` qualified '' -- the middle of three possible ratings -- when he was being considered for the Supreme Court in 1991 . `` Not qualified '' is the lowest rating possible . George W. Bush 's nominees -- Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito -- received unanimous `` well qualified '' ratings . Harriet Miers withdrew her 2005 high court nomination before the ABA could release its evaluation . A letter from White House Counsel Greg Craig to Leahy on Tuesday indicated the ABA had again gained its privileged access to the administration 's nominee for evaluation . Republicans stepped up their attacks on Sotomayor 's qualifications to sit on the Supreme Court . Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell , R-Kentucky , questioned her judicial temperament in a Tuesday floor speech . `` As we consider her nomination to the Supreme Court , my colleagues should ask themselves this important question : Is she allowing her personal or political agenda to cloud her judgment and favor one group of individuals over another , irrespective of what the law says ? '' In particular , McConnell was critical of Sotomayor 's views in a highly watched workplace bias claim decided last week by the Supreme Court . The justices ruled in favor of white firefighters in New Haven , Connecticut , who alleged reverse discrimination , claiming they were denied promotion because of their race . As a federal appeals judge , Sotomayor had ruled for the city , saying officials had the discretion to withdraw promotion tests when too few minorities would have qualified for advancement . The high court majority ultimately rejected her conclusions . McConnell repeated concerns raised by some conservatives that Sotomayor might favor certain groups over others because of her personal views . `` It 's a troubling philosophy for any judge -- let alone one nominated to our highest court -- to convert 'em pathy ' into favoritism for particular groups , '' he said .
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American Bar Association unanimously gives Sonia Sotomayor its highest rating . ABA rates nominees on professional qualifications ; it says ideology not considered . Sotomayor 's confirmation hearings for Supreme Court seat start Monday . Republicans step up attacks on Sotomayor 's qualifications for high court .
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Editor 's Note : This is the last in a five-part series exploring Judge Sonia Sotomayor 's background and life with those who know her , revealing the experiences that might shape her views as a Supreme Court justice . Sotomayor was nominated to U.S. district court in 1991 and federal appeals court in 1997 . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sonia Sotomayor had been a federal appeals court judge for about four months when Ellen Chapnick got a phone call in 1998 . The Columbia Law School lecturer 's students had worked and studied with Sotomayor as part of a program at the school , but Chapnick figured the partnership had come to an end with the judge 's new job . `` She called me up and said , ` You know , I really miss your students . Is n't there something we can do about that ? ' '' recalled Chapnick , now Dean of the Social Justice Program at the school . `` And , of course , a judge rarely asks a question when she does n't know the answer . '' That call , and the partnership that would continue another six years , captures the essence of the woman who has spent years on the federal bench , friends and colleagues said . They remember a tireless worker spending late hours in her chambers or on projects like the college course : A tough decision-maker who would pick apart any lawyer foolish enough to come to court unprepared ; a thoughtful jurist whose years as an aggressive prosecutor endeared her to law enforcement even as she developed a reputation as a social liberal ; and a child of the Bronx who maintained a heart for people from all walks of life as she ascended to the legal world 's loftiest positions . `` Her hobby is people , '' said Chapnick , who became friends with the woman now going through Senate confirmation hearings on her nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court . `` I 've been in situations with her when everybody else around the table is a lot ` less important ' -- if you define importance by positions of power and prestige -- and she 's asking them questions . '' Watch Chapnick on how Sotomayor put students ` through the wringer ' '' In 1984 , Sotomayor , now 55 , worked at Pavia & Harcourt , a `` boutique '' law firm in New York that focuses on international business issues . Her job included representing Fendi , the Italian luxury goods company that wanted to crack down on imposters selling knockoffs of its high-end handbags . Steven Skulnik , a colleague at the firm , remembered tagging along with Sotomayor on a police raid of a counterfeit operation in Harlem . He waited in the van . Sotomayor charged out alongside the officers . `` She had no fear , '' said Skulnik , now with the New York firm Squire Sanders . `` That 's just her personality . She 's the first one in . '' He and others also recall her working long hours with a laser-like focus as she prepared for a case . '' -LSB- Co-workers -RSB- would walk by in the morning , and she 'd be reading something or writing something , '' he said . `` You 'd say , ` Hi , Sonia , ' and she would n't even look up . She did n't notice . `` She would really bore in and make sure there was nothing about the case that she did n't understand . '' That dedication hit her private life , Sotomayor has admitted . She told ABC 's `` Good Morning America '' in 1986 that her workload `` was a contributing factor '' in the divorce three years earlier from Kevin Noonan . Work also made it difficult to date then , she said : `` A man who calls you three times and all three times you answer , ` I 've got to work late . ' ... After the third time he begins thinking , ` Gee , maybe she 's not interested . ' '' She left the law firm to take up President George H.W. Bush 's nomination in 1991 and served as a U.S. District Court judge from 1992 to 1998 . President Bill Clinton nominated her for a seat on the 2nd District U.S. Appeals Court in 1997 , and she was confirmed more than a year later by the Senate to the position she still holds . See Sotomayor 's life in pictures '' Sotomayor 's most high-profile moment on the bench -- and the one that probably brought her as close as a judge ever comes to winning fans -- came in 1995 , when , with a stroke of the pen , she ended the Major League Baseball strike . The 1994 playoffs and World Series had been scrubbed because of the strike and the following season was threatened . Sotomayor , a lifelong Yankees fan , ruled in New York district court in favor of the players against the owners who she said were trying to undermine the league 's labor system . She told lawyers she did n't need to hear witnesses or see more documents after their arguments . See some of Sotomayor 's high-profile decisions '' Chapnick said Sotomayor later talked about the case with a touch of irritation about some of the attention that came with it . Sotomayor remembered critics saying it was `` outrageous '' that a woman was deciding a case about baseball , Chapnick said . `` She said , ` Why do n't they ask me ? I 'd tell them I had a mitt growing up , ' '' Chapnick recalled Sotomayor saying . In her attorney and judgeship years , Sotomayor has made a good living , but not an extravagant one . She earned about $ 230,000 in her last year at Pavia & Harcourt and not much more as a judge , according to a questionnaire filed with the Senate . Of about $ 1.1 million in assets , nearly $ 1 million is the home she owns in Manhattan -- nice , but not exorbitant by the borough 's standards . At Blue Ribbon Bakery , nearby her Greenwich Village home , workers say Sotomayor , who was diagnosed with diabetes as a child , stops in almost daily for sturgeon toast or breadsticks and a cup of decaf . She 's thought of as just another neighbor and customer , Sasha Acosta-Cohen said . At work , Sotomayor the judge is described as straightforward , direct and no-nonsense . See how Sotomayor might fit in with the Supreme Court justices '' A former clerk said she can be `` prickly from the bench '' but is friendly away from it . `` When she 's in oral arguments , and when attorneys show up and they 're either unprepared or are maybe raising a weak argument , she 's very quick , and she 's very exacting and intellectually demanding , '' Robin Car said . Away from the bench `` she 's really just a warm , extremely kind and caring person . '' Car recalled a 2001 conference at Hofstra University at which Sotomayor introduced Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia , one of the court 's most conservative members . `` I think he was a little bit unsure what she was going to say or what she was going to do , '' Car said . `` She went , and she did the introduction , and he responded , ` Wow , that was the most thoughtful introduction I 've ever received . ' '' `` Thoughtful '' is a word Chapnick also used to describe Sotomayor . She remembers a letter from a former student telling her how , as a Hispanic woman from a poor background , she 'd been inspired by Sotomayor during the course the two taught together . In reviews of the course , students wrote `` not just how it shaped their view of the law but how it shaped their view of themselves , '' Chapnick said . She said the last time she saw Sotomayor , the prospective Supreme Court justice joked with her about their course , saying a possible move to Washington was no reason to quit . At least , Chapnick said , she thinks it was a joke .
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Colleagues recall Sotomayor as tireless , focused worker . `` Her hobby is people , '' says friend , former Columbia University colleague . Critics call her `` prickly '' ; former aide says tough talk is saved for the bench . Lifelong Yankees fan 's most high-profile case ended baseball strike .
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WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. Supreme Court justice nominee Sonia Sotomayor has quit her membership in a women 's club , the New York-based Belizean Grove . Judge Sonia Sotomayor says the club does not discriminate . `` I believe that the Belizean Grove does not practice invidious discrimination and my membership did not violate the Judicial Code of Ethics , but I do not want questions about this to distract anyone from my qualifications and record , '' the 54-year-old New York federal appeals judge wrote . The American Bar Association 's judicial code says that a judge 's extrajudicial activities `` must not be conducted in connection or affiliation with an organization that practices invidious discrimination . '' It adds , `` An organization is generally said to discriminate invidiously if it arbitrarily excludes from membership on the basis of race , sex , gender , religion , national origin , ethnicity , or sexual orientation persons who would otherwise be eligible for admission . '' According to the group 's Web site , `` The Belizean Grove is a constellation of influential women who are key decision makers in the profit , nonprofit and social sectors ; who build long-term mutually beneficial relationships in order to both take charge of their own destinies and help others to do the same . '' A woman who answered the phone at the club , located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan , said no one was immediately available to comment . Sotomayor announced her decision to withdraw from the club effective Friday , in a letter to Sen. Patrick J. Leahy , chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee , and Sen. Jeff Sessions , the committee 's ranking member . Her confirmation hearings begin July 13 . Sotomayor met Tuesday with six senators , courtesy visits with the lawmakers who will decide whether she will become the nation 's 111th justice . She has provided thousands of pages of material to the committee , but some Republican senators had asked for more information , including about her participation in the club . About 115 women are in the group , according to its Web site . Its leaders said it was created as a counterpart to the all-male social club the Bohemian Grove , which also has an influential network of leaders . Sotomayor told senators her group is not purposely exclusive . `` To the best of my knowledge , a man has never asked to be considered for membership . It is also my understanding that all interested individuals are duly considered by the membership committee , '' she wrote in her letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee . She added that men participate in the group 's activities , including trips , hosting events and talks . Sources indicated Sotomayor was recommended to the Belizean Grove by Mari Carmen Aponte , a corporate director and former top official at the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration in Washington . The only female member of the high court , Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , belongs to the International Women 's Forum , which has an exclusive membership . Former justice Sandra Day O'Connor also participated in similar women-only groups , an issue that was raised during her 1981 confirmation hearings . Among the Belizean Grove 's members are Marion Blakely , former chairwoman of the Federal Aviation Administration ; and Edie Weiner , leading futurist consultant and best-selling author .
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Supreme Court justice nominee resigns from Belizean Grove . Sotomayor says her membership did not violate Judicial Code of Ethics . But she says she does n't want issue to distract from her record .
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WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- While most sitting Supreme Court justices refuse to comment about current and future nominees to that bench , one member says she ca n't wait to welcome Judge Sonia Sotomayor to that exclusive club . Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg her views occasionally are ignored by the male justices . Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , the only women on the nine-member court , told a group of lawyers and judges this weekend she was `` cheered '' at the nomination of Sotomayor . Ginsburg said the 54-year-old federal appeals court judge brings `` a wealth of experience in the law and in life . I am glad to no longer be the lone woman on the court , and look forward to a new colleague well-equipped to handle the challenges our work presents . '' Her remarks were made at a semi-private conference in Upstate New York . The justice has made no secret of her desire to see greater gender diversity on her court . She has lamented the departure of her friend and colleague Sandra Day O'Connor in 2006 . She told USA Today just weeks before Justice David Souter announced his retirement that more women should join her . `` Women belong in all places where decision are being made , '' she said . `` I do n't say -LSB- the split -RSB- should be 50-50 . It could be 60 percent men , 40 percent women , or the other way around . It should n't be that women are the exception . '' Sotomayor has drawn controversy with her remarks at a 2001 speech : `` I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who has n't lived that life . '' She has echoed the sentiment in related talks she has given over the years . Ginsburg spoke weeks before Sotomayor was tapped for the high court about observations she and O'Connor had made in the past that were similar to Sotomayor 's . `` You know the line that Sandra and I keep repeating ... that ` at the end of the day , a wise old man and a wise old woman reach the same judgment ' ? '' she told USA Today . `` But there are perceptions that we have because we are women . It 's a subtle influence . We can be sensitive to things that are said in draft opinions that -LSB- male justices -RSB- are not aware can be offensive . '' Ginsburg used the word `` same '' to describe the outcome , Sotomayor used the word `` better , '' a wording she has told senators privately she now regrets . Ginsburg noted gender differences are `` seldom in the outcome . '' But then , she said , `` it is sometimes in the outcome . '' Ginsburg expressed frustration in that interview with how her male colleagues view her role , and how they view certain cases . She said in closed door conferences where all the justices gather to decide cases and pending appeals , her views occasionally are ignored . `` When I will say something -- and I do n't think I 'm a confused speaker -- and it is n't until somebody else says it that everyone will focus on the point . '' The same thing can happen in the public setting of oral arguments , the 76-year-old justice said . A case from April dealt with whether school officials abused their discretion by conducting a strip search on a 13-year-old female student who was suspected of carrying ibuprofen medicine , in violation of the school 's anti-drug policy . In arguments , she asked a lawyer for the school , `` After Redding -LSB- the student -RSB- was searched and nothing was found , she was put in a chair outside the vice principal 's office for over two hours , and her mother was n't called . What was the reason for ... putting her in that humiliating situation ? '' Her colleague Justice Stephen Breyer had noted , `` I 'm trying to work out why is this a major thing to , say , strip down to your underclothes , which children do when they change for gym , '' Breyer said . `` How bad is this , underclothes ? That 's what I 'm trying to get at . I 'm asking because I do n't know . '' Ginsburg countered that the girl was told by female staffers `` to shake -LSB- her -RSB- bra out , to shake , shake , stretch the top of -LSB- her -RSB- pants . '' In another case this term , the court ruled time off given women decades ago for pregnancy leave can not be counted when deciding pension eligibility . Ginsburg dissented strongly , noting , `` Certain attitudes about pregnancy and childbirth throughout human history have sustained pervasive , often law-sanctioned , restrictions on a woman 's place among paid workers and active citizens . '' The appeal had parallels to a similar workplace discrimination claim involving Lily Ledbetter . The former tire company manager alleged she was paid less than her male counterparts for equal work for about two decades , but did not find out about the discrimination until she was about to retire . The high court in 2007 ruled against her , saying existing federal law did not allow such lawsuits to be filed so late . Most workers had 180 days to file a claim after the first discriminatory pay decision . But President Obama , in the first bill he signed when taking office in January , made law the Lily Ledbetter Act . It nullified the high court decision and said every new paycheck received over the years based on a discriminatory act -- regardless of when the first discrimination occurred -- would extend the statute of limitations 180 days . Ginsburg told reporter Joan Biskupic that oral arguments in the 2009 pregnancy case were , `` just for me , Ledbetter repeated . '' Ginsburg is still recovering from surgery and post-operation chemotherapy after an early diagnosis in January for pancreatic cancer . Ginsburg has had no outward signs of complications , and has kept up with her busy schedule , both on and off the bench . She has told friends and colleagues privately she is doing well , and plans to be back on the bench for the start of the fall term . Sotomayor 's Senate confirmation hearings will begin July 13 .
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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg happy about possibility of female colleague . Ginsburg : `` Women belong in all places where decision are being made '' She says Sotomayor `` well-equipped to handle the challenges our work presents ''
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WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Senate Judiciary Committee will begin Judge Sonia Sotomayor 's confirmation hearings for the U.S. Supreme Court on July 13 , the committee 's chairman , Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont , said Tuesday . Judge Sonia Sotomayor makes her way around Capitol Hill on Monday on crutches after breaking her ankle . And a leading Republican , Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida , on Tuesday predicted the Senate will confirm Sotomayor . Speaking on the Senate floor , Leahy said the July hearing date favored by President Obama would provide sufficient time for thorough examination of the federal appellate judge 's record . `` It 's going to allow several more weeks for committee members to prepare for the hearing ... and there 's no reason to unduly delay consideration of this well-qualified nominee , '' Leahy said . Watch more on Sotomayor on a fast track '' Republican leaders have called for confirmation hearings in September . Sotomayor is expected to win easy confirmation as the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice and the third woman to sit on the nation 's highest court . After a one-on-one meeting with Sotomayor , Martinez said , `` I would expect that she would be confirmed with pretty good numbers . '' Martinez stopped short of endorsing her nomination , saying he wants to wait until after her confirmation hearings are held . But he had positive things to say about her personal and judicial background and said she would `` fit in '' well on the Supreme Court . Martinez , the only Hispanic Republican senator , said he is not concerned about Sotomayor 's `` wise Latina '' comments that sparked controversy because he said there is no evidence that sentiment has influenced her judicial decisions . iReport.com : Is Sotomayor right for the Court ? `` For someone who is of Latin background , personally , I understand what she is trying to say . Which is , the richness of her experience forms who she is . It forms who I am , '' Martinez said . CNN 's Ted Barrett contributed to this report .
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`` There 's no reason to unduly delay consideration , '' Sen. Patrick Leahy says . Republican leaders have called for confirmation hearings in September . Sonia Sotomayor would be first Hispanic Supreme Court justice if confirmed . GOP Sen. Mel Martinez predicts Senate will confirm Sotomayor .
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Editor 's note : Abigail Thernstrom is the author of `` Voting Rights -- and Wrongs : The Elusive Quest for Racially Fair Elections , '' published this month by the AEI Press . She is the vice-chairwoman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and an adjunct scholar at the American Enterprise Institute . Her writing can be found at http://www.thernstrom.com/ . Abigail Thernstrom says ethnic and racial politics have n't faded away with the election of Barack Obama . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Some of us thought the election of Barack Obama as president might signal a fading away of the old identity politics . The assumption that fundamental lines of division in politics are set by race and ethnicity would seem to be a bit passé when 43 percent of white voters cast their ballots for a proudly `` post-racial '' African-American . But the president himself has made identity politics front-page news with his selection of Judge Sonia Sotomayor as his Supreme Court nominee . She played an important role in the New Haven firefighters ' case -LRB- Ricci v. DeStefano -RRB- now awaiting decision by the Supreme Court . Sotomayor and two colleagues simply brushed aside the important constitutional and statutory questions raised by the city 's decision to discard the results of a race-neutral test given to applicants for promotions within the department . Too many men of the `` wrong '' color had passed it -- that is , all of those who scored highest were white except for one Hispanic . Those firefighters had worked hard to get the test results they did ; the lead plaintiff , Frank Ricci , is dyslexic , but he had been on the force for 11 years and was determined to become a lieutenant , so he paid an acquaintance more than $ 1,000 to read textbooks onto audiotapes and make flash cards . Ricci gave up his second job in order to study long hours -- and aced the test . President Obama , in his famous Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , race speech during the campaign , said that when whites hear `` that an African-American is getting an advantage in landing a good job or a spot in a good college because of an injustice that they themselves never committed ... resentment builds over time . '' Yes . And when firefighters are denied promotions they earned simply because they are white , resentment builds . Discarding that test has struck many as an instance of racial preferences run amok . Will the real Barack Obama please stand up ? Did he mean to imply in that Philadelphia speech that the `` empathy '' he claims to celebrate extends not only to minority victims of injustice , but also to whites ? And is he a man who remains eager to move beyond identity politics , as he suggested numerous times in the course of his campaign -- or not ? Questions abound . He has tried to downplay Sotomayor 's now infamous declaration that `` I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who has n't lived that life , '' suggesting that it was nothing more than a poor choice of words . But in the same speech , Sotomayor wondered `` whether by ignoring our differences as women or men of color we do a disservice both to the law and society . '' And , most remarkably , she stated : `` Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences ... our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging . '' `` Inherent physiological or cultural differences '' ? Can the president possibly believe that Latina women -- and indeed minority women in general -- are born to see questions of law in a different and better light than white men or even men of color ? It 's in their physiological and cultural makeup . A fact of nature . If indeed the president believes in such disturbing racial determinism , weep for our nation . Either the president is a man of many parts , untroubled by his own conflicting views , or he is an immensely skilled and coldly calculating politician who is eager to court the Latino vote and knows that few senators are likely to vote against a `` first . '' Identity politics is on the line in Ricci and also in another forthcoming Supreme Court decision , a key case involving minority voting rights . Later this month , the Supreme Court will decide whether in 2009 , black candidates for public office can win running in majority-white settings . At issue in `` Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District No. 1 v. Holder '' is the constitutionality of a key , temporary provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that was renewed for the fourth time in 2006 on the theory that voting discrimination had just become `` more subtle '' than it was four decades earlier . The renewal meant that the Justice Department could continue to insist on districting maps that were carefully racially gerrymandered to elect black and Hispanic candidates . Legislative quotas have been the remedy for persistent racial exclusion -- seats reserved for candidates who are the choice of minority voters . But is America still a nation steeped in the muck of old-fashioned racism -- the results of the 2008 election notwithstanding ? Are we condemned to identity politics in choosing firefighters for promotion , in drawing districting maps for legislative bodies -LRB- from school boards all the way up to congressional delegations -RRB- , and in a multitude of other spheres into the indefinite future ? Sonia Sotomayor 's nomination suggests that the answer will be yes . A sad thought . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Abigail Thernstrom .
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Abigail Thernstrom : There were hopes ethnic politics would fade after Obama 's win . She says nomination of Sonia Sotomayor rekindled racial and ethnic debate . Thernstrom : Two pending Supreme Court cases also raise identity politics issues .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As summer winds to an end , beach umbrellas are coming down and pools are closing , but that does n't mean the fun is finished . From the National Buffalo Wing Festival crowning the next ` wing king ' to the country 's best folk artists coming together in Pennsylvania , festivals across the country have fun for everyone . CNN has compiled a list of five festivals from across the country for your last-gasp summer adventure . Philadelphia Folk Festival , Schwenksville , Pennsylvania , August 14-16 . Fans take in the sights and sounds at last year 's San Francisco 's Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival . If the latest Lady Gaga song is n't your thing , head to the Philadelphia Folk Festival and detoxify your musical system . Located on the Old Pool Farm , an hour outside of the city , the 48th annual festival brings in big names ranging from The Decemberists to Jill Sobule . The festival also has a large craft area with artists selling everything from jewelry to unique blown glass items . Check the Philadelphia Folk Festival Web site for schedule and ticket information . Admission : 3-day ticket $ 131 -LRB- one day tickets from $ 54 -RRB- . Chicago Air and Water Show , Chicago , Illinois , August 15-16 . Your neck might be sore from all the fun after watching planes zoom over the Chicago skyline and parachutists dazzle spectators with their flips at the Chicago Air and Water Show . The two day event wows the over 2 million visitors yearly with performances by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flying at speeds of 1,500 miles per hour or U.S. Army 's Golden Knight Parachute Team jumping from 12,500 feet . Lake Michigan sparkles with an hour-long jet skiing and water boarding show if lake conditions permit . Mary May , an event spokesperson , said families return year after year , many from out-of-state . Check the Chicago Air and Water Show Web site for schedule . Admission : Free . Atlanta Underground Film Festival , Atlanta , Georgia , August 26-30 . The late summer heat , especially in Atlanta , can be brutal , so sneak inside and enjoy independent movies at the Atlanta Underground Film Festival . Located at various theaters across Atlanta , independent movies produced by fledgling filmmakers vie for awards like `` Best Comedy Feature '' and the prized `` AUFF the Wall '' award . In addition , the five day event showcases animated films , documentaries , and horror movies . The festival , which started in 2002 , is produced by a group of musicians and filmmakers called the `` Festival League '' that was created to highlight work of fledgling artists . Check the Atlanta Underground Film Festival Web site for movie lineup . Admission : All access pass $ 40 . San Francisco 's Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival , San Francisco , California , August 28-30 . A concert with Tom Jones and Tenacious D on one bill , is going to be a unique event and that 's exactly what the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival is . The three day event takes place in the picturesque Golden Gate Park and includes much more than the music industry 's top stars . On top of performances from Dave Matthews Band and M.I.A , the festival features food from the city 's top restaurants , wines from 25 local wineries and performances from local cabarets . Check San Francisco 's Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival for band lineup and ticket information . Admission : Advance 3-day ticket $ 225.50 -LRB- one day ticket from $ 89.50 -RRB- . National Buffalo Wing Festival , Buffalo , New York , September 5-6 . Add spice to your summers end festivities and head to Buffalo , New York , for the seventh annual National Buffalo Wing Festival where you can try 100 different types of wings and sauces . The rise in antacid sales can be attributed to event founder Drew Cerza who noticed , thanks in part to Bill Murray 's character in `` Osmosis Jones '' who wanted to compete in a junk food competition , that Buffalo did n't have a festival dedicated to America 's favorite appetizer . Started in 2002 , restaurants from around the nation exhibit their wings and competitive eaters vie to eat the most Buffalo wings in 12 minutes . Amateurs can also enter the `` Buffalo Blue Cheese Bowl '' where contestants have their hands tied behind their backs and bob for wings drenched in blue cheese dressing in a kiddy pool . Cerza said last year 's festival brought in 80,000 attendees and over 500,000 wings were eaten and expects this year 's festival to be larger . Check the Buffalo Wing Festival Web site for competing restaurants and location . Admission : $ 5 + food tickets .
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For music , try the `` Philadelphia Folk Festival '' or the `` Outside Lands Music Festival '' Watch planes zip through the sky at the `` Chicago Air and Water Show '' Enjoy independent movies at the `` Atlanta Underground Film Festival '' If buffalo wings are your thing , head to the `` National Buffalo Wing Festival ''
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's about that time of year , when dyed green rivers and Guinness beers flow , the shamrock sunglasses and leprechaun T-shirts come out , and corned beef and cabbage enters the mainstream menu . Harvey Losh felt and showed his Irish spirit as he marched in a Seattle St. Patrick 's Day parade . With St. Patrick 's Day one week away , the Irish across America -- and those who just want to be Irish for a day -- are preparing to celebrate , if they have n't started already . When it comes to St. Paddy 's , many people think of the annual parades . The American invention originated in New York , which still has the largest , but the green season is about so much more . For hundreds of years in Ireland , people have observed the feast of St. Patrick , a fifth-century missionary credited with saving pagans on the Emerald Isle . On the feast day of March 17 , which falls during the Lent season , the Irish can cut loose : sing , dance and enjoy meat , even on a Friday , when it would otherwise be prohibited . Irish Americans , who account for more than 12 percent of the U.S. population according to the U.S. Census Bureau , mark St. Paddy 's Day and celebrate their heritage in numerous ways that may go unnoticed to the casual observer or outsider . Here are glimpses into how some of them do it . Political wit a hit in Boston , Massachusetts . The link to Ireland could n't be stronger than it is in Massachusetts , where a quarter of the population claims Irish heritage . And while the state capital is awash in green cheer at this time of year , a tradition of exchanging political barbs has kicked off each morning of the St. Patrick 's Day parade , dating back about 60 years . The March 15 breakfast , including song and dance amid the playful ribbing , was an outgrowth of the community 's involvement in politics , which runs as deep as Irish humor . `` It allows people to see their elected officials -LSB- local , state and national -RSB- in a role they do n't normally see them in , '' explained state Sen. Jack Hart -LRB- or , as he says it , `` Haht '' -RRB- of south Boston , who 's hosting the political roast for the eighth year . The televised event draws about 4 million viewers and `` beats the Sunday morning talk shows . '' Neither Sen. Ted Kennedy nor Sen. John Kerry is expected this year , but getting a call from the nation 's highest office is n't unheard of . Vice President Joe Biden has attended , and Hart said they 're working on getting the attention of President Obama . Or is that O'Bama ? Honoring their ancestors in Savannah , Georgia . They may not match the Irish population numbers of Boston , New York or Chicago , but several Southern cities , including Savannah , Georgia , have deep green roots . The city 's annual parade , which dates back 185 years , draws about 400,000 and is reportedly the second largest in the country , according to the parade committee Web site . Behind the public fanfare , however , there 's a lower-key event that John Forbes , the parade committee chairman , touts as more important to the southern city 's Irish Catholics : the Celtic Cross Mass and ceremony . The Sunday event , on March 15 this year , starts at 11:45 a.m. in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist , where members of all the Irish societies come together to pray before walking in procession to the Celtic Cross -LRB- made of stone from Ireland -RRB- in Emmet Park . `` That 's just a big day for us , '' Forbes said . Away from all the commercialism , `` to us , it 's in honor of our ancestors . '' Kicking up their feet in Chicago , Illinois . The night before Chicagoans see their river turn an emerald green , an annual dyeing practice that dates back 40 years , the Irish community and other observers will gather for one of its newer traditions : Irish Dance Chicago . Drawing 400 to 500 participants ages 4 to 17 , the 3-year-old event showcases the Irish step dancing skills learned in six area schools that are dedicated to passing along this piece of culture . It begins at 7 p.m. March 13 . Step dancing , a tradition popularized by 1994 's `` Riverdance '' show , involves rapid foot work while keeping the upper body stiff . It 's also a platform for traditional Irish music and costumes . For parents who usually spend time carting their children around , the event offers them a chance to `` finally get to see their kids perform ... showcasing the styles they have , '' said Kathy O'Neill , a spokeswoman for the Irish American Heritage Center , which hosts the weekend 's kickoff event . `` It 's important to carry on heritage , '' she said . A taste of tradition in Seattle , Washington . During Irish Week in Seattle , which features everything from a genealogy conference and run to street painting and the passing of a shillelagh -LRB- an Irish walking stick -RRB- , one particular event rose to our attention . The decades-old Irish soda bread baking contest , which happened Saturday , attracts more than 100 competitors each year . The bread dates back to about 1840 , traditionally features a cross on top `` to ward off evil '' and uses bicarbonate of soda -- instead of yeast -- for rising , said Mike McQuaid , a spokesman for Seattle 's Irish Heritage Club . `` It was simple to make , the ingredients were easy to find , and it was very filling , '' said Mary Shriane , who oversees the contest and grew up on her mom 's soda bread . It was a staple in Irish homes `` up until 40 years ago , '' she continued . `` And it 's a tradition we like to keep alive . '' Green grows in the desert of Phoenix , Arizona . When Mary Moriarty and her husband , a retired New York police officer , moved to the `` valley of the sun , '' she was n't sure what to expect . Looking around during their first St. Paddy 's Day parade in the Southwest , she said , `` I remembered thinking , ` This is it ? ' '' But 14 years later , the chairwoman of the St. Patrick 's Day Faire and operations manager for the Irish Cultural Center knows that the desert connection to the lush green Emerald Isle is as real as anywhere else . This year 's parade starts at 10 a.m. Saturday and is followed by festivities in the park adjacent to the cultural center . `` We will naturally have liquid libations , '' Moriarty said . `` You ca n't have an Irish party without liquid libations . '' But it 's not all about drunken revelry . Their center 's groundbreaking in 1999 began by dedicating a memorial to the `` Great Hunger , '' or the mid-19th century potato famine that led to death , disease and mass emigration , Moriarty said . And the center , today , is a place where the estimated 400,000 Phoenix-area residents with Irish heritage can learn about their culture , including traditional foods , music and dance . `` The United States is made up of immigrants from all over the world ... and it 's very important for all the different groups to celebrate what they brought with them , '' she said . `` Yes , you are American , but you still have to realize where your ancestors came from . ''
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Irish Americans , who make up 12 percent of U.S. population , prepare to celebrate . A political-roast host hopes for a call from President Obama . Emerald Isle ancestors are remembered coast to coast , even in the desert . Traditional step dancing hits Chicago before the river turns green .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- They were there for Michael Jackson . Crowds rushed into the memorial service before it started and walked slowly out when it ended . They were celebrities . Motown founder Berry Gordy came . So did singer and songwriter Smokey Robinson . Diana Ross sent her wishes , as did Nelson Mandela . They were fans -- two girls from Canada who were given their tickets by a complete stranger . A pair of men who wanted to fulfill a Mexican tradition by distributing memorial ribbons . A woman who wore a dress laden with Jackson buttons . They cheered as his golden casket was wheeled out to a brightly lit spot below center stage . They cried as Lionel Richie sang `` Jesus Is Love . '' And when Gordy called him `` the greatest entertainer who ever lived , '' they rose for a standing ovation . Photos : Stars honor Michael Jackson '' The people came to say goodbye to Michael Jackson . At Los Angeles ' Staples Center on Tuesday , fans gathered by the thousands for the memorial service . Some had received one of the 17,000 `` golden tickets , '' the free passes given away after an online lottery for which 1.6 million people registered . Go inside the memorial service '' Others came ticketless , simply to be a part of the tribute to the `` King of Pop , '' who died June 25 just before a planned series of concerts titled `` This Is It . '' The atmosphere was peaceful , almost festive . Police had ringed a perimeter around the center and adjacent Nokia Theatre with barricades , but crowds were lighter than expected -- perhaps because authorities appealed to people to watch the event on TV at home . The mood was buoyant among groups of eager mourners who gathered around cell phones to watch mobile video of the event . One ticketless fan , Deonerae Minter , said he showed up to get a glimpse of the funeral procession and to be a part of the event `` instead of just watching it on TV . '' Chu Nguyen and Eriko Nakayama both came dressed in black in honor of the occasion . `` It 's for him , just to be respectful , '' said Nguyen of his black suit and tie . `` We feel like it 's a real privilege for us to be here , '' Nakayama said . A young girl , clearly born long after Jackson 's 1980s `` Thriller '' album , sported the singer 's trademark sequined glove , sunglasses and a gray hat . Inside the Staples Center , the audience responded to the memorial service 's rich , spiritual atmosphere . One man raised his hand during Richie 's performance of `` Jesus Is Love , '' as if he were in church . A woman , who said she had traveled from France , shouted , `` Michael , j' taime '' -- `` Michael , I love you . '' Another person yelled , `` long live the king . '' Some raised their voices : Crowds outside the Staples Center yelled `` Michael Jackson ! Michael Jackson ! '' Some hushed them : Many gasped in heartbreak when Usher , after performing the Jackson song `` Gone Too Soon , '' knelt to pay his respects to Katherine Jackson , the entertainer 's mother , and the family . Some let their music do the talking -- Stevie Wonder performed `` Never Dreamed You 'd Leave in Summer , '' while John Mayer did an alternately gentle , alternately soaring `` Human Nature . '' Others offered humble stretches of silence as Jackson 's picture was shown on a giant screen above the stage . Just before the event 's conclusion , Kenny Ortega , director of Jackson 's `` This Is It '' concerts , said it was only fitting to have the service at the Staples Center , where Jackson had been rehearsing for the London shows . `` We knew we had to invite the world to join us here in Michael 's house , '' he said . And the world was there . CNN 's Jacque Wilson , Paul Chase and Thom Patterson contributed to this report .
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Fans came out by thousands to pay tribute to Michael Jackson . Stevie Wonder , John Mayer give emotional performances . Director Kenny Ortega : `` We had to invite the world to join us here in Michael 's house '' One fan : `` I started crying . It was really good ''
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- American billionaire tycoon Donald Trump could never be accused of underselling himself and his myriad of business projects so it came as no surprise when he said wanted to build the `` world 's best golf course '' in Scotland . Trump is visiting the site at Menie , just north of Aberdeen , where he has been given permission to start the ambitious development , and CNN 's Living Golf has been granted exclusive access . Love him our loath him , Trump is certainly a man who courts strong opinions and now you can get the chance to put your questions about this project and other golf-related matters . It 's a simple process , just add your question to the bottom of this page . You may want to ask him about his love of the sport , he describes himself as an `` avid golfer '' and on why he believes his signature course , one of two planned for the project , can one day host the British Open . The plans have also met with considerable local opposition and it needed a decision by the Scottish Government to give it the go-ahead , so does Trump believe he can eventually win over residents and allay the fears of environmentalists who want to preserve nearby ancient sand dunes at the seaside location ? Bullish Trump presses ahead with Scottish course . Trump 's golf course portfolio currently boasts 10 courses , 11 if his Aberdeen project comes to fruition . But across the world , other similar developments have run into trouble due to the worldwide recession and the move away from traditional golf course membership . In these times of financial uncertainty , are they good investments and will all flourish ? Trump , who is a regular competitor in prestigious Pro-Am tournaments on the PGA Tour , has rubbed shoulders with the golfing elite , so who in his opinion is the best player in the world at the moment ? The 63-year-old has also been a tournament host to a top event on the LPGA circuit . Does he believe the women 's golf circuit will continue to flourish after the retirement of Annika Sorenstam and more recently Lorena Ochoa ? And what really makes him tick and does he still have the same hunger to succeed as when he started out in business over 40 years ago ? CNN 's question and answer session with Trump will take place on Thursday May 27 . We will do our best to put as many of your questions as possible to him and publish his replies .
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You get the chance to quiz American business tycoon Donald Trump . Trump is hoping to build the ` world 's best golf course ' in Scotland . CNN interviews Trump on Thursday May 27 -- just add your question below .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cowering in a school restroom stall , young Charles D'Angelo would eat his lunch alone to escape classmates bullying him about his weight . A woman at his Catholic school 's rectory let him watch the news with her during his break instead of playing outside . After losing 160 pounds , Charles D'Angelo got a shirtless picture of himself shown in Cosmopolitan . During high school , he got a doctor 's note to excuse him from physical education . After years of overeating and under-exercising , he ballooned to around 360 pounds and felt depressed . But before-and-after photos he posted on iReport.com show how the St. Louis , Missouri , resident transformed himself from overweight teen to muscular man . Now a fitness coach , his mission in life is to make exercise fun so that kids will want to stay healthy . `` I 'm not saying ` poor me , ' but I went through a lot of pain and terrible days , '' D'Angelo said . `` I do believe that if my story can help others , then I 'll do what it takes . '' The need for better health habits seems greater than ever . More than 17 percent of youths ages 12 to 19 were estimated to be obese after a 2003-2006 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study . That number was just 5 percent in the late 1970s . When D'Angelo was 17 , he decided to get in shape . He initially focused on weightlifting and gym workouts to build up his muscles , calling the iPod one of the best products ever invented for those seeking to get fit . Growing up in an Italian family had taught him that food and emotions go together , whether at weddings or funerals . He used to munch on junk food during recess , but as he got older , he forced himself to eat planned , healthy meals . iReport.com : Shedding pounds , becoming a fitness coach . At 23 years old and a muscular 204 pounds , he has kept his excess weight off for five years and sports a rippling six-pack . He says he even got a shirtless photo of himself showcased in Cosmopolitan magazine . He hopes his success will make him a role model for obese kids , and he tries to come up with fun and supportive ways of exercising . Watch iReporters ` dancasize ' and show off fun workouts '' `` I was just scared to death of being tested or compared . I do n't think we should measure people based on how many push-ups can you do , how many sit-ups can you do . '' Keeping exercise fun and personally fulfilling is key to helping him stay with his workouts for the long haul . He enjoys watching TV while he works out . Boot camps and other group activities provide the camaraderie he craves . One of his clients owns a local gym that `` looks like an arcade , '' which he points to as an example of another way of giving exercise a better image . Wii Fit and Dance Dance Revolution stations are available . D'Angelo also said he feels he would have benefited from more-structured eating habits and routines as a child . Anything that gets the body moving can be good exercise , said Janet Fulton , a CDC epidemiologist . The government recommends the equivalent of 150 minutes of brisk walking or other moderate exercise per week . The time spent can change based on the intensity of the exercise . Fulton said regular workouts help ward off disease and keep weight stable over time . In combination with properly balanced nutrition and caloric intake , increased physical activity can help with weight loss . Whether exercise or nutrition are more responsible for increases in obesity over the last 30 years is unclear , Fulton said , but people seeking to lose weight should focus on both areas and pay attention to what they eat . She suggested doing an enjoyable exercise in the company of others . iReport.com : What 's your fun exercise ? `` Find a buddy , even if you 're walking your dog . You can not only do that , but do it with your family . Be a member of the team and get your social support that way . '' Over time , D'Angelo developed confidence , and he says he wants to help others do the same . Dating seemed to be out of the question when he was heavier , but he now has a girlfriend . He says losing the weight and building his confidence have gone hand in hand . Many other iReporters said they also felt bad about exercise as kids and posted their own ideas for pleasurable alternatives that could help beat obesity . Staci Lambert-Westcott of Stephens City , Virginia , took up exercise and fitness to help manage the diabetes she was developing . Getting married and having children made maintaining her weight a challenge . When she got up to 247 pounds and at age 29 , she decided to get fit . Now 37 , she recalls getting an ego boost after losing a significant amount under the cover of winter clothing . When spring came , a neighbor thought Lambert-Westcott 's husband had a new woman in his life . Throughout her personal weight-loss journey , she learned to get over her childhood dislike of exercise . As she lost pounds , she grew more comfortable exercising in public . Lambert-Westcott got to know the owner of her gym and eventually bought the business from him . She had always dreaded going to physical education class , so she tried to offer fun options for women when she was in charge . iReport.com : Bought the gym , lost 135 pounds . `` The classes were extremely popular because they were fun , and mom and daughter could come together . While mom was working out , daughter was working with a coach in the back . '' Though she eventually sold the gym to go back to school , she continues to work out and maintain her healthy weight . Keeping the pressure off workouts is key , said fellow iReporter Jonathan Lund , 35 , of Duluth , Minnesota . As a fitness trainer at a hospital , he works with everyone from elite athletes to patients at the facility . His experiences as an overweight teen helped show him how to help others be healthy . `` I have to remind myself , it took a lot of work to get these people out of the house and into this club , '' he said . He grew up self-conscious about excess weight and felt like he could n't keep up with the other kids . Individual activities such as running helped him take off the weight . `` I never thought I could play sports or do anything like that . I always felt really intimidated by that . I also did n't like the aspect of team sports because it was n't much of a workout because usually , you 'd be sitting on the sidelines and you 'd play for five minutes . '' iReport.com : Lund stops to post an iReport at a marathon . He now runs marathons but got his start walking and increasing intensity little by little . He describes the long-distance events as `` addictive . '' Along the way , Lund has battled a lot of negative thinking about himself . Despite the dozen or so marathons he 's completed , including the Chicago Marathon on Sunday in Illinois and the recent Twin Cities Marathon in Minneapolis , Minnesota , Lund 's insecurities have stuck with him into adulthood . He pushes forward anyway . `` I still feel like a fat kid , even though I 'm not anymore , '' he said . `` I feel like I have to keep running in order to keep up . But at the same time , it 's the best therapy that there is . All that negative stuff gets worked out in your mind . ''
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Readers overcame childhood obesity , dislike of exercise through fun fitness . Charles D'Angelo went from hiding out during recess to six-packed man . Staci Lambert-Westcott grew more comfortable with exercise , owned a gym . iReport.com : How do you make fitness fun for yourself ?
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- This week marks one of the most-exciting non-major events of the golf season -- the Players Championship at the famed TPC Sawgrass . With a deep field and a great course , you wo n't want to miss any of the action . Before the tournament tees off , we had a chance to catch up with TPC Sawgrass PGA Head Professional Matt Borocz , who provided some inside insight on the home of the PGA Tour . PGA.com : Thanks for joining us . This week presents one of the most exciting on the schedule with the Players Championship . What is it that makes the Players such a special event ? Borocz : It 's the Players Championship ... The Players is crown jewel of the PGA Tour . The world 's best golfers are on a course that demands the highest level of shot-making and offers an unbelievable fan experience . It 's also the highest purse in golf with the champion taking home $ 1.71 million at the end of the week . The Players Stadium Course was specifically built to host the Players Championship and offer our fans the best possible viewing . Everyone wants to see the action on the final three holes , especially the 17th . It 's the lure of the hole and watching the best players in the world challenge the island green . PGA.com : We ca n't talk about the Players without mentioning the world-famous , par-3 17th island green , which you just touched on . I recently heard a promo with a player saying , `` 51 weeks a year , No. 17 at TPC Sawgrass is the easiest hole in the world for Tour players . '' I do n't know if I would agree with that , but of course , that 52nd week is the Players . We know why it 's daunting , but it 's less than 150 yards . Is there any truth to what that Tour player said ? Borocz : A few stats on the 17thhole -- it plays 121 yards from the middle of the championship tee to the front of the green . To the back of the green it 's 146 yards . The 17th green is 3,912 square feet compared to the average of 4,500 square feet . The challenge of the 17th hole is its ability to taunt the mental toughness of a player . It 's a very calculating shot because you have to factor the wind , firmness of the green and avoid looking at the body of water surrounding the island green . During the Players , you add in the thousands of fans ! We give tours every day to visitors and the No. 1 comment of amazement is , `` The green looks so small compared to television . '' Making a par 3 on the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass will bring a smile to all players , whether they are a novice or the best players in the world . PGA.com : Henrik Stenson of Sweden is your defending champion . Through the years with the likes of Stenson , Sergio Garcia , Adam Scott , Stephen Ames , Steve Elkington , Greg Norman , Nick Price -- the list goes on -- the Players has had quite a list of international champions . What is it about the course that yields such diverse champions ? Borocz : In the 36-year history of the Players , 10 of the victories have been by international players . The Players Stadium Course does not favor any style of player . The goal of former Commissioner Deane Beman was to create a golf course that had balance in regards to distance , wind direction and shot-making . He wanted to create a goal course that was fair and would challenge every skill of the game . The goal at the end of week is to crown the greatest player in world . The diversity of the field allows the Players and PGA Tour to expand the scope of the tournament to a world-wide audience . PGA.com : In 1994 , Greg Norman won the Players with a remarkable 24-under 264 . That 's by far the best winning score in tournament history . Is there any chance someone could come within a sniff of that this year ? Borocz : In 1994 , when Greg Norman set the overall tournament record , the conditions started off perfect the first round with 76 players shooting under par . Norman started off on Thursday with a course-record round of 63 , followed by three rounds of 67 's to beat Fuzzy Zoeller by four shots . In 1994 , the Players was played in March . With the tournament now being played in May the course is much firmer and faster conditions . In March , we had a lot of inconsistency in weather . It could be in the high 70s and beautiful or in the 50s with rain . The temperatures have become much more consistent , but the golf course plays much differently . When played in March , the golf course was overseeded . It 's now Bermuda grass all year . The golf ball has more opportunity to run through the fairways and the greens . The forecast is shaping up to be a beautiful week . PGA.com : Final question . What 's the best part about working at TPC Sawgrass ? Borocz : Excellent question ... TPC Sawgrass is a very special place being that it 's the home of the Players and PGA Tour . It is a privilege to work around such a passionate and dedicated group of people . Everyone on our team is focused on creating a magical experience for the Tour players , members and guests . Every team member comes to the club with a positive `` can do '' attitude . We have a team that is extremely dedicated and passionate about their role at the club . One of the most special things about TPC Sawgrass is the interaction with all the people that travel from all over the world to visit . Many of them have personal stories and connections why TPC Sawgrass is their favorite course . There are definitely days that you have to pinch yourself . We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to work at such a beautiful place that is showcased to the world every year . As a club and being apart of the PGA Tour , we have a lot of involvement with local charitable organizations . Almost every month we have a charitable initiative that we are giving back to you . It 's an honor and a blessing to be a part of such a great team .
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The Players is `` crown jewel '' of the PGA Tour . Sawgrass synonymous with its par three , island green 17th hole . Greg Norman set the overall tournament record in 1994 .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- American golfer Anthony Kim hopes to be fit for the prestigious Ryder Cup teams event in October after deciding to have a thumb operation that will rule him out for up to three months . Kim , who is second on the U.S. Ryder Cup points list behind Phil Mickelson , pulled out of this week 's Players Championship at Sawgrass due to shoulder complications caused by the problem . The world No. 11 , who helped the United States beat Europe in 2008 to reclaim the trophy , had an operation in Maryland , Baltimore on Wednesday . `` While I had hoped to be able to continue to play through the injury , compensating for it was starting to cause other issues , including a sore shoulder . We had to get it fixed , '' the 24-year-old said in a statement . Kim claimed his first PGA Tour title in two years when he won the Houston Open last month despite being troubled by the torn thumb ligament , and then finished third at the Masters . However , he will now miss the second major tournament of the golf season , the U.S. Open in June , and possibly also the third -- the British Open in July . But he should have plenty of time to get fit for the Ryder Cup , which was first staged in 1927 , at the Celtic Manor club in Wales on October 1-3 . Kim tied for seventh at the Quail Hollow Championship last weekend , where he revealed how much he wanted to be ready to take on the Europeans again . `` I want to play in the Ryder Cup , and that 's a huge goal of mine , '' he told reporters . `` It was probably one of the greatest moments I 've had playing golf , or greatest weeks I 've had playing golf , playing for the U.S. , dreaming about being on that team . So I want to be healthy for that . I just want to time it right . '' Kim 's surgeon , Dr. Thomas Graham , said he was pleased with how the operation went . `` Anthony sustained a high-grade partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament of his left thumb several months ago , and over the course of the last several months of tournament play , the status of the ligament proved insufficient for Anthony to compete on Tour , '' the chief of the National Hand Center in Baltimore said . `` I was extremely pleased with how the repair of the ligament went and would anticipate that Anthony will be able to return to play in 10-12 weeks . ''
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Anthony Kim will be sidelined for 10-12 weeks after deciding to have thumb operation . American golfer hopes to be fit for Ryder Cup teams event in Britain in October . He won Houston Open last month and finished third at Masters despite his injury . Kim helped the U.S. reclaim the Ryder Cup from Europe with victory at home in 2008 .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A flurry of late birdies helped American Jason Bohn secure his second PGA Tour title at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans . The 37-year-old , who celebrated his birthday on Saturday , completed his third round at the rain-affected tournament on Sunday morning before carding a five-under 67 later in the day to secure the title . Bohn recorded birdies at three of the final four holes to finish on 18-under and stave off the challenge of second-placed Jeff Overton by two shots . He was inches away from an eagle on the last after a superb approach . `` This is life changing , '' he told the PGA Tour Web site . `` I 'm probably the only guy on the PGA Tour who has got tears when he 's putting out on the 18th hole . `` When I hit the shot on 15 and made the great putt on 16 , I knew if I stayed patient I had it . '' Bohn 's only other tour success came at the B.C. Open in 2005 and since then he has had a number of injuries , including surgery on his back . After his triumph he said he 'd told his caddie before the final round that he was planning on a quiet afternoon . `` I just said I probably would n't say much because I 'm capturing all of this , '' Bohn said . `` I want to take this one to the grave . I want to remember every little detail that I missed on my first one . '' Bohn fought off the challenge of fellow American Overton , who finished second ahead of Troy Merritt , on 16-under . Meanwhile , Ian Poulter and Padraig Harrington have confirmed they will play in the European Tour 's flagship PGA Championship at Wentworth , England . Both players had boycotted the event in the last two years due to the state of the greens but agreed to return after moderations to the course by South African golfer Ernie Els . Poulter told the UK Press Association : `` It is a great championship and I am looking forward to checking out the modifications to the West Course which Ernie has undertaken . I am sure the changes will be for the better . ''
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American Jason Bohn secures his second PGA Tour title in New Orleans . Bohn carded a final round of five-under to beat Jeff Overton by two shots . Ian Poulter and Padraig Harrington end boycott of PGA Championship in England .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Whoever said names will never hurt you was wrong , according to a new study . A new study suggests exposure to verbal put-downs from peers can make it harder for good students to achieve . The study from the University of Illinois suggests dealing with classmate put-downs can make it harder for good students to learn and make it more difficult for students who are behind to catch up . The first-of-its-kind study cited a national sample of data from the U.S. Department of Education on more than 10,000 high-school sophomores in more than 650 U.S. high schools . One in five respondents claimed they were often `` put down '' verbally by their peers in school . `` I think it 's sort of a wake-up call for a lot of us that this kind of verbal harassment is going on in schools , and it 's contributing to a learning environment that is quite disruptive for kids , '' said Christy Lleras , a University of Illinois assistant professor of human and community development , who worked on the study . See details about K-12 schools , teachers '' It 's not only an issue at public schools . Lleras said the research shows these put-downs are just as big a problem in private high schools as well . Referring to private schools , Lleras said , `` They were certainly doing a good job at making their kids feel safe , but they were not insulating them from emotional harm . '' Results of the study indicate boys are likely to experience these put-downs more often than girls , especially at private schools . The university 's study also measured the issue among racial and academic lines . African-American high school students who considered themselves very good students were shown to be more likely to be the victims of verbal abuse from their peers . Lleras believes the put-downs are a way of coping for students when they are struggling to do their classwork . Regardless of the reason , she thinks it 's time schools did something about it . `` A lot of time we 've been focusing on physical abuse -- bullying , '' said Lleras . `` However , if one in five kids -LRB- is -RRB- experiencing this ... this is something that 's become an everyday culture among our adolescents . I think knowing that , schools are going to have starting to address it . '' The study appears in the Journal of School Violence .
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University of Illinois study is first to study effects of classmate put-downs . Study suggests taunting can make it difficult for students who are behind to catch up . Professor on high level of verbal harassment : `` I think it 's sort of a wake-up call '' Study finds name-calling is a problem in public and private schools .
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Editor 's note : Rudy Ruiz founded RedBrownandBlue.com , a site featuring multicultural political commentary . He is host of a nationally syndicated Spanish-language radio show and wrote a guide to success for immigrants -LRB- '' ¡ Adelante ! '' published by Random House -RRB- . He is co-founder and president of Interlex , an advocacy marketing agency based in San Antonio , Texas . Rudy Ruiz says taxing fattening foods is a good way to combat the epidemic of obesity in America . SAN ANTONIO , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- I recently accompanied my family to one of the top-selling movies in America , `` Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs . '' All I could think of , aside from struggling ironically to keep my children from overindulging in junk food , was that members of Congress should watch the movie . It might inspire them to add an important dimension to health reform : smarter food policy . In the movie , a town nearly dooms itself via gluttony . As hamburgers , steaks and ice cream rain down , residents feast euphorically , oblivious to their expanding waistlines -- until a child succumbs to a food coma . The movie is a thinly veiled allegory for our nation 's obesity epidemic . It serves up -- in digestible terms -- the dysfunctional relationship between government , industry and parents in engineering and promoting a glut of food that keeps dollars in our pockets and smiles on our faces in the short term , while rendering us dangerously unhealthy in the long term . Beyond the movie magic , it 's a sobering reality that two-thirds of Americans are afflicted by the obesity epidemic . Our bulging waistline correlates to our ballooning health care budget , accounting for $ 147 billion a year in medical bills , according to a study funded by the CDC Foundation and published this summer in the health policy journal Health Affairs . Experts at Johns Hopkins call the trend `` a public health crisis , '' projecting that by 2015 , 75 percent of Americans will be overweight or obese . Shockingly , the Center for Children 's Health Innovation reports that by the time kids enter kindergarten , over 26 percent are already overweight or obese . As I surveyed the theater , those stats ceased to surprise . While my children drank water and nibbled on a negotiated ration of candy , their peers lurked beyond enormous buckets of popcorn and towering cups of soda balanced precariously on their laps . Fast forward to my point . In improving America 's health , are we missing a key plotline ? Would n't the best way to control escalating health costs be to become healthier to begin with ? Are rising costs driven not only by corporate greed , but also by self-destructive behavioral patterns ? If the government is serious about tackling our nation 's health problems , then it should address food 's role in the looming crisis . To Congress ' credit , proposed reforms emphasize increased prevention . But if socioeconomic incentives to consume harmful food persist , unhealthy patient behavior will prevail at monstrous cost to all of us . The affordability of unhealthy food is at the congested heart of the matter . According to TIME magazine , the largesse of taxpayers enables McDonald 's to offer a Big Mac , fries and a Coke for under $ 5 . Our tax dollars underwrite Agriculture Department subsidies to corn farmers . Cheap , abundant corn enables mass production of economical , aggressively marketed beef and pork . The corn syrup that sweetens soft drinks and candy oozes from the same source . That 's why it 's so cheap to be fat and -- comparatively -- so expensive to be thin . In response , a comprehensive preventive health strategy should : . • Shift subsidies away from corn toward the production of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as organic farming , so healthier , more natural foods become as accessible as Happy Meals . • Tax fast food , soft drinks , and packaged foods high in processed fats and sugars to decrease demand for unhealthy food . A study published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine recommends a tax on `` sugar-sweetened beverages , '' projecting that for every 10 percent rise in price , consumption of soft drinks would decline a corresponding 8 to 10 percent , leading to weight loss and reduced health risks . • Regulate youth nutrition marketing , preventing paradoxes like the teaming of `` Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs '' -- despite its well-intentioned message -- with Burger King for a promotion heavily advertised on children 's TV . While some will argue that more taxes and regulations are the last things we need and that the government has no place telling people what to consume , precedent exists for both . We already tax and regulate other harmful products -- like tobacco and alcohol -- because it 's common sense to dissuade individuals from nasty habits that cost our entire society . Plus , tax proceeds would help underwrite health reforms and preventive education . And since the government 's current subsidy system enabled our transformation into an obese nation in the first place , why should n't the government implement a corrective course of action encouraging families onto a healthier track ? I hate to spoil the movie , but in the end , the endangered town did n't solve its problems by building more hospitals and paying doctors and insurance companies to treat and cover those who overate or were flattened by mammoth meatballs . Instead , the townspeople simply destroyed the machine drowning them in supersized food . Likewise , Congress must rage against the machines not only of the health care industry tasked with healing us , but also of the food industry making us sick . Drawing inspiration at the movies , they might even find that in the dark sanctum of the theater , it 's easier to reach across the aisle , hold hands , and craft a happy ending that leaves America clamoring for a sequel . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Rudy Ruiz .
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Rudy Ruiz : America 's obesity epidemic costs the nation billions . He says taxing unhealthy food is one way to combat spread of obesity . He says government subsidies make unhealthy food more affordable . Ruiz : A study predicts 75 percent of Americans will be overweight by 2015 .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Australian Sam Stosur continued her giant-killing habit at the French Open by beating top seed Serena Williams to book a place in the final four . Stosur , who eased past four-time champion Justine Henin in the previous round , triumphed 6-2 6-7 8-6 in two hours and 24 minutes at Roland Garros . The seventh seed will play Jelena Jankovic in the semifinal after the Serb beat Yaroslava Shvedova , from Kazakhstan , 7-5 6-4 . It means there will be a brand new Grand Slam winner by the end of the week , with none of the final four yet to break their duck at the major championships . The match went with serve in the opening set until Stosur won five games in a row with some scintillating tennis , to clinch the first 6-2 . Stosur continued strongly in the second to go 5-3 up before Williams rallied and leveled at 5-5 . The top seed went on to take it on a tie-break . In a tense deciding set breaks were exchanged early on before Williams edged ahead to lead 5-4 . Stosur held her nerve to survive a match point and go on to take the game . With the match locked at 6-6 Stosur rediscovered her blistering form , and fired two winners past Williams to secure a crucial break of serve . Stosur needed no second invitation to wrap up the match on her serve and seal a place in the last four . SI.com : Most impressive women 's feat of year . `` It 's two great matches back-to-back for me , which is fantastic , '' Stosur told reporters . `` It 's not over yet . Now I 'm in the semis and I want to definitely try and keep going . I made it to this point last year . If I can try and go another set further , then that would be great . '' She will meet Jelena Jankovic after the Serb made light work of the unseeded Yaroslava Shvedova . The other semifinal sees Italian Francesca Schiavone face Elena Dementieva .
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Sam Stosur defeats top seed Serena Williams in the French Open quarterfinal . Stosur triumphs 6-2 6-7 8-6 in two hours and 24 minutes to reach semis . Australian will play Jelena Jankovic in last four . Jankovic beat Yaroslava Shvedova in straight sets .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rafael Nadal stepped up his bid for a fifth French Open crown with a straight sets win over former world number one Lleyton Hewitt in Paris on Saturday . Second seed Nadal was made to fight hard against a determined Hewitt , but wrapped up a 6-3 6-4 6-3 victory in two hours 28 minutes on the Philippe Chatrier court at Roland Garros . Nadal was often extended in cold and windy conditions but said he is running into his best form for the second week of the grand slam . `` I am playing better now and today was a good test against Lleyton and to win against him in three sets is very good news , '' he said in a courtside interview . Hewitt made an immediate break of service against Nadal , but the Spaniard immediately retrieved it and a further break saw him take the opener . It was Hewitt 's turn to hit back after the early loss of his service in the second but once again it was Nadal who pulled clear to take a two sets lead . The third set again followed the same pattern , with Hewitt having to hit back after an early loss of service before slipping to defeat on the third match point . Nadal will now play young Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci , who beats Croat veteran Ivan Lubicic 7-6 6-2 6-4 , in the fourth round . Earlier , sixth seed Andy Roddick made a third round exit to Russian qualifier Teimuraz Gabashvili to continue his dismal run at Roland Garros . The big-serving American has never got beyond the last 16 in the clay court grand slam and was roundly beaten 6-4 6-2 6-2 by world number 114 Gabashvili . `` I 've fought through a couple of matches that were a bit dicey but today I got outplayed from the first ball , '' Roddick told AFP . `` He played good tennis . Credit to him . He got the best of me and he was getting the best of me on 70 percent of the points . '' Gabashvili will now play Austrian Juergen Melzer , who shocked ninth seed David Ferrer , easing to a 6-4 6-0 7-6 win over the Spaniard , who had been favored to challenge in Paris . But 22nd seed Melzer was always on top and wrapped up victory in the third set tiebreak which he claimed seven points to one . Third seed Novak Djokovic booked his place in the second week with a relatively comfortable 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-2 win over Victor Hanescu , the 31st seed from Romania . The Serbian has a last 16 clash with American Robby Ginepri , who shocked Spanish 16th seed and 2003 champion Juan Carlos Ferrero , 7-5 6-3 3-6 2-6 6-4 . Russia 's Mikhail Youzhny , the 11th seed , will face French eighth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the fourth round after wrapping up a 2-6 7-6 6-2 6-3 win over Serbia 's Viktor Troicki in a match held over from Friday .
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Rafael Nadal eases into last 16 of French Open with straight sets win over Lleyton Hewitt . Third seed Novak Djokovic also through after win over Victor Hanescu . Andy Roddick and David Ferrer make third round exits in Paris .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Alicia Azzopardi was laid off just before Christmas . It could n't have happened at a better time . Trent Vondrasek , who went from the auto industry to an unpaid internship , poses with his children . `` I was so upset when I left my job , '' said Azzopardi . `` I was crying , and I just did n't know what to do . '' The same week that she got laid off , Michigan State University accepted her into its accelerated nursing program . Even better , she learned she qualified for a grant from the Michigan Nursing Corps . The state-funded initiative , which provides her with a $ 25,000 stipend , is addressing Michigan 's nursing shortage in part by rewarding workers who have been laid off . `` My tuition is pretty much 100 percent paid for , and I do n't take that lightly , '' said Azzopardi , 28 , who has a background in business and sales . While trying to survive in the state with the highest unemployment rate in the nation , Azzopardi and others are taking advantage of their job losses by pursuing careers they 've always wanted . Michigan 's 14.1 percent unemployment in May towers above the national average of 9.5 percent , according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics for June . `` It 's a really hard thing to change careers when you did n't want to , '' said Martha Mangelsdorf , author of `` Strategies for Successful Career Change . '' But starting over at an older age carries less of a stigma than it once did . `` It 's not like the 1950s where people started with one company and stayed there for the rest of their working career , '' Mangelsdorf said . The oldest intern . For Trent Vondrasek , 42 , chasing the dream translated to becoming the oldest intern at the Lansing , Michigan , mayor 's office , after he lost his job in October as a consultant for General Motors . But the father of three had found himself hobbled by a major career decision in his 20s that continues to plague him . He quit college to take a sales job for an auto supplier . `` One of the mitigating factors -LSB- potential employers -RSB- are looking for is , do you have a college degree ? And I do n't have one . Even though I 've got 18 years ' experience , I 'm not even considered , '' said Vondrasek . Now , Vondrasek is trying to break into politics , but has found that he has to make his way up the ladder . As an unpaid intern , his peers were about half his age . He also was older than some of his superiors . `` I learned a lot from them , and I think they learned some things from me also , '' Vondrasek said of the other interns . `` Because of my sales experience , I 'm used to dealing with people . '' Vondrasek highlighted one episode of his new career that he said brought him exceptional job satisfaction . He helped protect a woman from losing her electricity and from a mortgage company that was threatening to foreclose on her home . The woman had complained that agencies would not return her calls . Vondrasek used his influence and links to the mayor 's office to talk with the agencies . Vondrasek also studies political science at Lansing Community College . He 's paying tuition out of his own pocket , which is a challenge as his family tightens its belt . `` I fully realize that by going into public service , I 'm not going to be financially as sound as I was in the automotive industry , because I got paid extremely well for what I did , '' he said . `` But if I can get more self-satisfaction out of it and be prouder of what I 'm doing on a day-to-day basis , then for me , that 's a win . '' Still , Vondrasek said , he probably would not have taken this route if he had not been laid off . Volunteering and pursuing avenues where you excel , like Vondrasek did , can help career-changers make the best of the situation , said Mary Beth Sammons , author of `` Second Acts that Change Lives : Making a Difference in the World . '' `` This is an opportunity to look where your heart is and to follow your passions , '' she said . Sammons has her own story to tell . Based in Chicago , Illinois , with a journalism background , she began writing her book last fall after losing her job as vice president of a Web site for people facing health crises . `` I had already done the second act , taking my journalism skills and putting them in a place I thought was meaningful -- helping people that were sick and dying , '' said Sammons , 52 . `` I suddenly realized I had to create another act for myself . '' Her next personal chapter became writing about people who reinvented themselves . How to manage a successful career change . For those looking for a change in direction , here are several resources that might ease the transition : .
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Some people make the most of a job loss by pursuing careers they 've always wanted . A Michigan program helps fund a woman 's nursing education after job loss . Former GM employee becomes the oldest intern at a mayor 's office . Several government Web sites can help you change careers , fund education .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Usain Bolt completed his hat-trick of sprint titles at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin as he helped the all-conquering Jamaican side power to victory in the men 's 4x100m relay final . Bolt -LRB- second right -RRB- celebrates his third gold medal after helping Jamaica to victory in the 4x100m relay . Bolt ran the third leg , handing off to individual bronze medallist Asafa Powell , as Olympic champions Jamaica took gold in a new championship record of 37.31 seconds . Jamaica had rested Bolt and Powell in the heats and were always red-hot favorites to win . `` I was n't really thinking about getting three gold medals because I could be in better shape , '' Bolt , who broke his own world records in the 100 and 200m with times of 9.58 and 19.19 respectively , told trackside reporters . Trinidad , who chased Jamaica home in Beijing last year , again took silver with Great Britain claiming the bronze medal . The United States were disqualified on Friday for an illegal baton change despite winning their semifinal . Jamiaca 's victory , their seventh gold medal of the games , ensured the nation won both sprint relays after their women claimed gold in the women 's 4x100m relay earlier on Saturday . Individual 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser led the team to victory in a time of 42.06 seconds to take gold ahead of the Bahamas , while Germany pulled off a surprise to claim third place . Defending champions the United States failed to reach the final when Muna Lee struggled to get hold of the baton on the second handover from Alexandria Anderson and stumbled before pulling up with a hamstring injury . The U.S. relay performances in Berlin 's have been a carbon copy of last year 's Olympics where neither team reached the final or finished their heat . Elsewhere , Kenya 's Abel Kirui comfortably won the men 's marathon with a well-timed break in the last four miles of the race . Kirui produced a sustained burst to pull clear of team-mate Emmanuel Mutai and win gold in a championship record time of two hours six minutes and 54 seconds . Mutai finished 54 seconds behind in second position while Ethiopia 's Olympic bronze medallist Tsegaye Kebede again took third place . Kenya were celebrating again when Vivian Cheruiyot outsprinted defending champion Meseret Defar of Ethiopia to win the women 's 5,000 meters . Cheruiyot , a Sydney Olympic Games finalist at 16 , who won silver in the last worlds in Osaka in 2007 , had led for much of the race but was overtaken by Defar with 150 metres to go to the finish . It looked like Defar would be celebrating an Ethiopian gold in the absence of injured team-mate and Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba , but Cheruiyot produced a stunning fightback to cross first in 14 minutes 57.98 seconds . As Defar eased off in the knowledge that she had been beaten , Cheruiyot 's compatriot Sylvia Kibet stole in for silver in 14:58.33 , for the second one-two podium finish for Kenya following the men 's marathon . The result was a blow to Ethiopia , for whom Olympic champion and world recorder holder Dibaba was injured but would have been pre-race favorite if fit . In the field events , Olympic champion Steven Hooker of Australia added the men 's pole vault title to his Beijing crown by clearing 5.90 meters . The 27-year-old , whose personal best of 6.06 m makes him the second highest vaulter in history , showed his confidence by sitting out the early rounds and only came in at 5.85 m which he failed to clear . But he opted to raise the bar and nailed 5.90 m at his first attempt which was enough to give him the gold medal with Frenchmen Romain Mesnil and Renaud Lavillenie claiming silver and bronze . American Dwight Phillips regained his men 's long jump title to fulfill his dream of winning in the same stadium and same event where Jesse Owens triumphed at the 1936 Olympic Games . The 31-year-old , the 2004 Olympic champion and 2003 and 2005 world champion , won gold with 8.54 meters to beat South Africa 's Olympic silver medalist Godfrey Mokoena -LRB- 8.47 m -RRB- while Australia 's Mitchell Watt took bronze -LRB- 8.37 m -RRB- . Poland 's Anita Wlodarczyk won the women 's hammer with a new world record throw of 77.96 meters . The 24-year-old beat defending champion Betty Heidler of Germany , who took silver with a national record of 77.12 m , while Martina Hrasnova of Slovakia won the bronze with a throw of 74.79 m.
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Usain Bolt completes his hat-trick of gold medals at the World Championships . Bolt helps Olympic champions Jamaica to victory in men 's 4x100m relay final . It was Jamaica 's seventh gold after the women also claimed sprint relay victory .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao has dropped a shock hint that he might quit the ring -- because his mother does not want him to fight anymore . Pacquiao is widely expected to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a much-hyped showdown later this year , but the 31-year-old claims his place in boxing history is already assured following the successful defense of his WBO welterweight crown against Joshua Clottey last week . `` I reached my dream as a boxer without Floyd Mayweather in my career . I do not need him , they are the ones who need me , '' he told reporters as he returned home to his customary hero 's welcome in the Philippines on Monday . The fighter , known as `` Pacman '' by his fans , is now concentrating on his political career . He is standing for election in the Sarangani province on May 10 , on the platform of opposition senator Manuel Villar 's Nacionalista Party . Pacquiao 's personal Web site has carried media reports detailing how his mother Dionesia has implored him not to fight anymore , prompted by the ear injury he picked up in his battle against Miguel Cotto last year . `` She kneels down and cries every time -LSB- she asks me to quit -RSB- . That 's a heavy burden when it 's my mother doing that , '' he told reporters after meeting Filipino President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Malacanang on Monday morning . `` I have been boxing since I was 12 years old . Now I 'm 31 , so I 'm seriously thinking about it . I will discuss it with my family . `` I have been in boxing for a long time and I have given so many honors to my country . Even without the elections and the politics , my retirement will largely depend on my family 's decision . '' Villa , a millionaire property developer , met Pacquiao at the airport and the boxer was quick to sing his praises . `` What we need now is a man who rose from poverty , who understands the call of the poor like myself , '' Pacquiao said . Pacquiao has now won 12 straight fights and titles at seven different weights to establish himself , according to the rankings by respected boxing magazine Ring , as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world . A money-spinning fight against the undefeated Mayweather fell through earlier this year when the American insisted on Olympic-style drug testing , leading to a war of words and a stalemate in negotiations . Pacquiao opted to fight Ghana 's Clottey , whom he beat in 12 rounds , while Mayweather will take on fellow American Shane Mosley on May 1 . Any likely meeting between the two would probably be the richest in box office history and be staged at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas , although Pacquiao filled the home stadium of the Dallas Cowboys NFL team -- where the Mayweather fight was initially scheduled to be held -- for his bout with Clottey .
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Manny Pacquiao announces that he may retire from boxing due to his mother 's concerns . Filipino fighting legend says he does not need to fight against Floyd Mayweather . The 31-year-old says he has already fulfilled all the boxing dreams he ever had . He will now stand for office in local elections on May 10 .
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LAS VEGAS , Nevada -- LeBron James put on another shooting clinic in a 118-81 rout of Argentina as the United States locked up a tournament gold medal to go with an Olympic berth at the FIBA Americas Championship on Sunday . James and Chauncey Billups hoist the trophy after the U.S. won the FIBA Americas title to go with an Olympic berth . James , who had a perfect night against Uruguay earlier in the tournament by hitting all 11 of his field goals , led the heavily-favored Americans with four three pointers in the third quarter and capped his night with a game-high 31 points . `` LeBron 's performance was one of the best ever in an international game that a U.S. player has had , '' American coach Mike Krzyzewski said . Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard also looked unstoppable , springboarding the U.S. to a 25-point lead at the half at the Thomas and Mack Center arena . Anthony finished with 16 points and eight rebounds and Howard had 20 points and five rebounds . `` This Team USA is one of the best I have seen , '' Argentina head coach Sergio Hernandez said . `` Nobody will ever forget the first Dream Team with Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson , but I like this USA team very much with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James . They really know how to play together . '' The U.S. and defending Olympic champion Argentina were playing for FIBA Americas bragging rights as both countries had already clinched berths in the basketball tournament for next summer 's Beijing Games . Elias Ayuso scored 39 points and Carlos Arroyo had 30 and 10 assists as Puerto Rico beat Brazil 111-107 for the bronze medal earlier in the day . America and Argentina join host nation China , Spain -LRB- world champion -RRB- , Iran -LRB- Asia -RRB- , Australia -LRB- Oceania -RRB- , Angola -LRB- Africa -RRB- at the 2008 Olympic Games . Brazil , Puerto Rico , and Canada will get another chance to qualify at a 12-team 2008 FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament next July in which three more countries will punch their tickets to Beijing . The U.S. were never seriously challenged at this zone qualifying tournament and heading into the final their 39.2 average margin of victory is one of the highest in tournament history . `` The thing I enjoyed most about this team is that everybody put their egos aside , '' James said . `` Guys like Kobe who win scoring titles every year handed it over to Carmelo . We are all here for one reason and that is to win the gold medal . '' E-mail to a friend .
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LeBron James of U.S. gave another shooting clinic in 118-81 rout of Argentina . Result locked up a FIBA tournament gold medal to go with an Olympic berth . Argentina coach Sergio Hernandez rates U.S. one of best teams he has seen .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The promoter for Filipino world champion boxer Manny Pacquaio , Bob Arum , has confirmed the `` super fight '' with American Floyd Mayweather Jr. will not happen after mediation talks between the two parties failed . `` The fight is off , Floyd Mayweather walked away , '' Arum told the USA Today newspaper in a telephone interview on Wednesday . Pacquiao and Mayweather had asked retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein to help the two parties resolve a dispute , which had threatened to derail what was expected to be the most lucrative bout in the history of the sport . However , after two days of further negotiation , Arum said no agreement could be made with Mayweather , with the result that both fighters would now miss out on a potential purse of $ 40 million each . `` It 's not surprising . I always felt that he was n't going to do the fight . He knows Manny will beat him . Mayweather 's never stepped into the ring with a guy he had any question but that he was going to beat . Our guy was agreeable , Mayweather was n't , '' the Top Rank promoter said . `` That 's why there 's never been a -LRB- Shane -RRB- Mosley , there 's never been a -LRB- Antonio -RRB- Margarito , there never was a -LRB- Miguel -RRB- Cotto , and there 's no Pacquiao . `` Floyd Mayweather is a coward . He will never fight anyone that will remotely give him a tough fight . `` It would 've made millions and millions , and he walked away from it ... I 'm not disappointed in the sense that I always knew it was going to be this way . '' The welterweight title bout was thrown into doubt when Mayweather demanded that random drugs testing should be employed before the fight , a request that prompted Pacquiao to take legal action for defamation . Arum said Pacquiao will turn his attention to fighting undefeated Israeli WBA super welterweight champion Yuri Foreman on March 13 or March 20 . Filipino pugilist Pacquiao had been infuriated by the insistence of Mayweather and his team at Golden Boy Promotions that both fighters submit to Olympic-style blood testing in the buildup to their pay-per-view extravaganza . Pacquiao filed a lawsuit in a federal court in Las Vegas last week for defamation against Mayweather and others for allegedly claiming he had used performance-enhancing drugs . The bout at welterweight appeared to be virtually set after other issues around the cut of the purse for each fighter were settled , but then the drug-testing row erupted over the Christmas period . Pacquiao became a five-weight world champion after his WBO welterweight title win over Miguel Cotto in November , while the unbeaten Mayweather returned from a 21-month retirement to beat Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in September .
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Top Rank promoter Bob Arum , confirms the `` super fight '' with American Floyd Mayweather Jr. is off . The two camps failed to resolve a bitter dispute over the issue of drug-testing before their match-up . Retired judge Daniel Weinstein failed to secure agreement for what could have been the most lucrative fight in history . Pacquiao will now fight undefeated Israeli WBA super welterweight champion Yuri Foreman .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The music of Hugh Masekela is the sound of South Africa . In a career that has spanned more than 50 years his songs have expressed both joy and indignation , exploring themes of inequality and hardship , protest and hope . Hugh Masekela , still an inspiration . More than just an inspirational musician , Masekela was an inspirational campaigner against apartheid and is now helping to build a new South Africa . Masekela was born on 4 April 1939 , in Witbank , South Africa . He started playing the piano when he was six , but seeing Kirk Douglas play a jazz trumpeter in the movie `` Young Man with a Horn '' inspired him to switch instruments . When he was 14 , he was given his first trumpet by the chaplain at his school , renowned anti-apartheid campaigner Trevor Huddleston . Within six months Masekela got together with some school mates to form the Huddleston Jazz Band . He went on to join Alfred Herbert 's African Jazz Revue and the Jazz Epsitles , and played in the orchestra for the hugely successful South African musical `` King Kong , '' whose cast included his future wife , legendary singer Miriam Makeba . Watch Hugh Masekela take CNN on a tour of Johannesburg '' . But South Africa 's apartheid laws were making life increasingly difficult . After recording their first record Masekela and The Jazz Epistles were primed for a national tour , but after the Sharpeville Massacre of 1960 the government banned gatherings of more than 10 people , so the tour had to be abandoned . Masekela was determined to further his musical education and moved to London in 1960 , studying at the Guildhall School of Music , before leaving for New York , enrolling in the Manhattan School of Music and immersing himself in the city 's buzzing jazz scene . After finishing his studies Masekela planned to return to South Africa to teach music , but he found himself cut off from his homeland . `` When I was ready to come back , I could n't . The place -LSB- South Africa -RSB- was impenetrable , '' he told CNN . `` By then Mandela had been sentenced to life imprisonment . So I stayed 26 years longer than I planned to . '' Resigned to living in the U.S. , Masekela began making a name for himself as a musician , fusing jazz , Latin , African and pop influences in a style all of his own . In 1968 he recorded the breezy instrumental pop tune `` Grazin ' in the Grass , '' which gave him a surprise number one hit and became the best-known song of his career . In the 70s he began to divide his time between the U.S. and Africa , living in Guinea , Liberia and Ghana . Incorporating more African influences in his music , he went on to record classics such as `` Home is Where the Music is , '' `` Stimela '' and `` Soweto Blues . '' See Hugh 's career in photos . '' In Botswana he started a music school and set up a mobile recording studio . Nelson Mandela heard about the projects and sent Masekela a birthday message telling him to `` keep up the good work . '' Masekela was so moved that he immediately wrote `` Bring back Nelson Mandela , '' which became an anthem for the anti-apartheid movement . But his vocal opposition to apartheid made him a potential target for South African security forces and he was forced to leave Botswana for London . It was there that he co-wrote the music for hit Broadway musical `` Sarafina ! '' Masekela went on to play with Paul Simon on his Graceland tour , along with other South African artists including Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Miriam Makeba . It was n't until 1990 , following the release of Nelson Mandela , that Masekela was finally able to move back to his beloved South Africa . `` It was great , but it was also a tense time coming back to South Africa , '' he told CNN . `` It was a time of real turmoil . There were no-go places in the townships , there was sniping , there were major clashes and it was a time when civil war was threatening . '' Since moving back to Johannesburg , Masekela has continued to record platinum-selling albums and has toured all over the world , but he is also heavily involved in helping his homeland fulfill its potential . Having himself struggled with alcohol and drug abuse in his younger years , Masekela now supports drug-rehabilitation project the Musicians and Artists Assistance Program of South Africa . Another of his projects is to help black Africans own a stake in the country 's media outlets . He recently told Al Jazeera , `` TV , broadcasting , manufacturing , management and publishing should be owned by Africans . Until that happens we wo n't be able to project ourselves , we 'll always project from the perspective of those who have exploited us . '' The struggle against apartheid may be over but Masekela is still fighting inequality and hardship , and at 70 , he is still a source of inspiration and hope .
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Musician Hugh Masekela was an inspirational campaigner against apartheid . He left South Africa in 1960 to go to music school in London and New York . His hit songs included Grazin ' in the Grass '' and `` Bring back Nelson Mandela '' He returned to Jo ` burg in 1990 and continues to record and tour the world .
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Atlanta , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Candi Holyfield , the wife of former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield , has filed for a temporary protective order against her husband , according to court records . The case was filed last week in Fayette County , Georgia , Superior Court , according to the Web site for the court clerk 's office . The listing said the case involved family violence and an ex parte , or emergency , protective order , but provided no additional details . In court documents posted on the gossip site Radar Online , Candi Holyfield claims Evander Holyfield struck her February 1 after she asked him about the heat being cut off . She said her husband told her she needed to put God first and asked her whether she had been tithing , then struck her when she refused to show him check stubs of payments to the church . The couple was in bed , she said , and `` he got up and turned the light on and started looking at my face and told me he was sorry , that he knew he should n't have done that . '' But , she alleges , Evander Holyfield `` has hurt me before and ... been violent in the presence of children . '' Candi Holyfield says in the documents that the abuse began about six months into their marriage . In 2008 , she said , Holyfield choked her in front of the couple 's daughter and the housekeeper , and in 2009 he struck her in front of their children . The emergency protective order was granted , according to the documents posted on Radar Online , pending a hearing set for February 18 . Holyfield , 47 , is a four-time heavyweight boxing champion , and has estimated winnings of more than $ 200 million . During the summer , his $ 10 million home in Fayette County was under foreclosure , but was pulled from the auction block at the last minute .
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Protective order filed against boxer Evander Holyfield , according to court records . Documents allege Holyfield struck wife , hit her with water bottle . Holyfield 's $ 10 million home went into foreclosure in 2009 .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Olympic cycling champion Bradley Wiggins has left American outfit Team Garmin-Transitions to join his native Britain 's first professional elite-level line-up . The 29-year-old , who has won the last two Olympic individual pursuit titles and finished fourth at last year 's Tour De France , has signed a four-year contract with Team Sky . He had been with Garmin for only one season , and needed to win a release from his contract for 2010 to join up with Sky , backed by broadcasting giant BSkyB . `` Although we understand his strong desire to be a part of the UK 's first-ever Pro Tour team , we would have loved to continue with him through 2010 . His departure is not the outcome we hoped for , '' Garmin said in a statement on Thursday . Team Sky officials were delighted to add Wiggins to a roster that already features Geraint Thomas , Ian Stannard , Russell Downing , Peter Kennaugh , Chris Froome and Steve Cummings . `` Brad will be at home in Team Sky . It is the perfect fit and he will be a marquee rider for us , '' said team principal Dave Brailsford , who is also British Cycling 's performance director . `` He is an exceptional athlete -- a great performer at a great age . And he will get better still . `` At Team Sky he can continue to develop , surrounded by some of the coaches and performance experts who have worked with him for years as part of the British Cycling set-up . `` With his experience he will help us to develop our great young talents too . '' Team Sky 's first major race will be the Tour Down Under in January . Wiggins is hoping to build on his 2009 season with another strong showing in cycling 's premier event , the Tour de France , after joining his sixth professional team since starting out with the Linda McCartney outfit in 2001 . `` It has been an amazing year for me and my ride at the Tour has given me the drive to aim even higher , '' he told reporters . `` I know I can continue to develop and Team Sky is the perfect place to make that happen . `` Team Sky has huge ambitions , not just for the team but for cycling and inspiring the public to ride . It 's an amazing project and the next four years will be very exciting . `` Obviously it was always going to be a difficult situation to leave Garmin . I was surrounded by friends , had close relationships with the riders and some of the staff . `` But there was was only ever going to be one team I would leave that team for , and that was of course to come home to Team Sky and pretty much everyone who has helped me to my Olympic success . ''
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Olympic cycling champion Bradley Wiggins leaves American outfit Team Garmin . The 29-year-old joins his native Britain 's first professional elite-level line-up , Team Sky . He signs a four-year contract after being released from final year of his deal at Garmin . Wiggins will work under British Cycling 's performance director , Dave Brailsford .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Spain 's World Cup campaign finally burst into life as they beat ten-man Chile to finish top of Group H and avoid a last 16 clash with tournament favorites Brazil . David Villa and Andres Iniesta scored the goals as the European champions leapfrogged their opponents into top spot courtesy of a 2-1 win . Switzerland failed to take advantage of Chile 's defeat and grab the last qualification spot , as their game with Honduras finished 0-0 . Spain will now face Portugal in the second round while Chile will play Brazil . Spain 2-1 Chile . Spain headed into the game knowing that a win would be good enough to take them into the second round as group winners . Liverpool striker Fernando Torres had an early chance to put them in front but he headed over from Xavi 's cross . Chile 's first chance came in the tenth minute when Jean Beausejour crossed for Mark Gonzalez but the winger could n't direct his effort on target . In the 24th minute Barcelona striker David Villa broke the deadlock . As Fernando Torres raced to latch onto a long pass , Chile ` keeper Claudio Bravo rushed out of his goal to clear , but Villa latched onto the loose ball to stroke it into the net . Defender Gerard Pique should have made it 2-0 when he put a free header over the bar from ten yards out , but he had to be alert seconds later to deny Beausejour an equalizer . Then came the decisive passage of the game as Villa squared for Andres Iniesta to place a shot into the corner . In the build up to the goal Chilean defender Marco Estrada tripped Torres and was sent off after being shown a second yellow card . Chile 's ten men did hit back within minutes of the restart as substitute Rodrigo Millar 's shot deflected off Pique and into the net but they failed to create any chances after that . There was a worry for Spain as striker Torres was substituted on 55 minutes . The 26-year-old was injured at the end of the Premier League season with Liverpool and began Spain 's opening game on the bench . Chile pushed forward in search of an equalizer late on but Spain made their extra man count to retain possession , kill off the game and secure top spot . Switzerland 0-0 Honduras . Switzerland knew they had to beat Honduras to have a realistic chance of going through through but it was Honduras who enjoyed the majority of possession in the early stages . Midfielder Gokhan Inler squandered Switzerland 's first opportunity , shooting wide form the edge of the penalty area . Striker Eren Derdiyok then headed wide from six yards out after meeting Stéphane Grichting 's right wing cross but the teams went in level at the break . With Chile trailing to Spain , Switzerland poured forward in search of the goals that would have lifted them into second spot and meant qualification for the last 16 . But it was Honduras who had a glorious chance to take the lead just after half-time when Edgar Alvarez 's cross found David Suazo unmarked six yards from goal but the striker somehow managed to put his header wide . Then only a brilliant reaction save from Switzerland ` keeper Diego Benaglio prevented Edgar Alvarez from scoring as Honduras broke quickly . Switzerland 's Alexander Frei was next to go close as he met Hakan Yakin 's free-kick at the far post but he could n't direct his effort on target . Both teams threw players forward to try and find a winner but it ended 0-0 .
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Spain beat Chile 2-1 to go into last 16 as winners of Group H . Spain will now face Portugal in the second round . Chile go through as runners up and will play Brazil in next round . Switzerland draw 0-0 with Honduras and finish third in group .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Brazil and Portugal played out a disappointing draw as Group G reached its climax but both cruised into the last 16 of the World Cup . Striker Nilmar came the closest to breaking the deadlock for Brazil , as his shot was diverted onto the crossbar by Portugal goalkeeper Eduardo . Brazil finish as group winners and will face either Spain , Chile or Switzerland in the second round . Portugal go through as runners up and will face either Spain or Chile . Ivory Coast comfortably beat North Korea 3-0 in the group 's other match but it was n't enough to give them hope of qualifying in place of Portugal . Brazil 0-0 Portugal . During a cagey opening in Durban , neither side created any chances of note in the opening 20 minutes of the game , that was dominated by a series of niggly fouls . Brazil defender Juan was lucky not to see a red card as he hand balled a long pass that would have released Cristiano Ronaldo . The first real chance came on the half hour mark as Nilmar met striker Luis Fabiano 's cross but Portugal goalkeeper Eduardo turned his effort onto the crossbar . Fabiano then headed narrowly wide of the target as he met Maicon 's cross from the right flank . Ronaldo registered Portugal 's first effort on target five minutes before the break but his powerful shot was easily gathered by Brazil goalkeeper Cesar . A series of fouls disrupted the flow of the game , as the referee produced seven yellow cards before half-time arrived -- including one to Tiago for diving . Fabiano forced Eduardo into another save with a looping header before Simao tested Cesar at the other end but his shot was right at the ` keeper . A powerful run from Ronaldo created a chance for Raul Meireles but his flick towards goal brushed the side-netting via a touch from Cesar . Substitute Ramires brought a superb save out of Eduardo near the end as his shot was deflected towards the top corner but both sides were content to hold out for a point . Ivory Coast 3-0 North Korea . Ivory Coast knew they needed to rack up as many goals as possible against North Korea to have any chance of qualifying and they opened the scoring within 15 minutes . Yaya Toure collected Arthur Boka 's cross before stroking the ball into the far corner . Just a minute later , full-back Romaric hit the post . In the 20th minute striker Didier Drogba smashed a shot against the crossbar before Romaric nodded the rebound into the net . Gervinho nearly made it 3-0 seven minutes before half-time but his shot from an angle flicked off the outside of the post . Drogba came close to adding a third after the break but his diving header flew over the crossbar before substitute Salomon Kalou smashed a shot over the bar from close range . With ten minutes remaining Kalou met Boka 's cross to fire into the net and despite having two goals disallowed for offside , the Ivory Coast could n't add to their tally .
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Brazil and Portugal draw 0-0 in Durban . Brazil go through as group winners , Portugal as runners-up . Ivory Coast beat North Korea 3-0 but fail to qualify .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Reaction in French media to the national team crashing out of the World Cup has been unstintingly scathing on the players and embattled coach Raymond Domenech . Among the worst critic was Le Parisien newspaper , which described the team as : `` Pitiful , ridiculous , shameful . '' `` It 's hard to find the words to describe the French team in this World Cup , '' a leader in the paper said . It added there was a long list of people responsible for the `` fiasco , '' but coach Raymond Domenech topped the list . Henry to meet Sarkozy over unrest . `` Raymond Domenech ... with his incoherent selections , inability to mould a group and publicity skills that make him one of the most unpopular men in the country ... Laurent Blanc will arrive in a few days on to a field of ruins . What a waste , '' the paper wrote . Pedro Pinto : Heads should roll for French farce . For L'Equipe , the end came as a relief : `` That 's it . The French team turned a page Tuesday night , and truth be told , we were rather in a hurry to open another chapter , '' France leading sport 's newspaper said . `` Domenech 's era ended on a field of ruins , topped off with another humiliation , this time , a defeat by a team classed 83rd in the world by FIFA . By their own fault , the French team , has not only exited the World Cup by the back door , but it has become the laughing stock of the world , '' L'Equipe added . French football ends in a field of ruins screamed the headline on evening newspaper Le France Soir . `` We thought they had reached the very depths , but we were wrong , '' the paper said . `` Swept away by Bafana , Bafana , the Blues did n't even have the spurt of pride hoped for . '' `` Quick . Go away , '' the paper urged the team .
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French newspapers react to team crashing out of World Cup . Pitiful , ridiculous , shameful , '' screamed the headline on Le Parisien . Most of the papers hold coach Raymond Domenech responsible for exit .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ivory Coast coach Sven-Goran Eriksson is set to play his injured captain Didier Drogba from the start of their crucial World Cup Group G clash against Brazil on Sunday . Drogba fractured his arm during a pre-World Cup warm-up match against Japan but still managed 25 minutes during Ivory Coast 's 0-0 draw against Portugal in their opener on Tuesday . The Chelsea star wore a cast to protect his injury and came close to making the breakthrough after coming off the bench . Former England boss Eriksson was clearly satisfied with what he saw and his performances in training . `` It would n't be surprising if Drogba plays from the start against Brazil . He came on for 25 minutes against Portugal and it went well , '' Eriksson told AFP . Brazil opened their campaign with a 2-1 win over North Korea but face stiffer tests against the Ivorians and Portugal in the so-called `` Group of Death . '' Drogba 's goals powered Chelsea to the English league and FA Cup double and is clearly vital to the Ivory Coast cause despite still recovering from the surgery to his arm on June 5 . Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz was unhappy that Drogba had been allowed to play , suggesting he was receiving special treatment for world governing body FIFA . Meanwhile , Fabio Capello , coach of Eriksson 's former charges , said he would not change his policy of not revealing his team to his squad until two hours before kick off . `` Always -LRB- on -RRB- the day of the game , not the day before , '' he replied to reporters who wanted to know if he was standing by goalkeeper Robert Green , whose astonishing blunder gifted the USA their equaliser in their Group C opener . Capello would also not be drawn on rumors that striker Emile Heskey would be replaced for Friday 's crucial game against Algeria in Cape Town .
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Sven-Goran Eriksson says he could start with Didier Drogba against Brazil . Ivory Coast captain Drogba fractured his arm in a pre-World Cup friendly . Drogba played 25 minutes of his side 's 0-0 opening draw against Portugal . Fabio Capello will not say if he is to play goalkeeper Robert Green against Algeria .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- American striker Clint Dempsey says the U.S. team has drawn confidence from impressive performances against Brazil , Spain and England but says Friday 's World Cup clash with Slovenia is a match his side can not afford to lose . Dempsey struck the lucky shot which slipped through England goalkeeper Robert Green 's hands to earn a 1-1 draw for the U.S. in its opening game of the World Cup last Saturday in South Africa . But the Americans played well to avoid defeat against one of the World Cup 's most highly fancied teams and Dempsey said the experience of reaching last year 's Confederations Cup final had given the American players the confidence to compete with the competition 's best sides . The U.S. team beat European champions Spain 2-0 in the semifinals of that tournament and led Brazil by two goals in the final before going down 3-2 to a late winner . `` Before the game -LRB- against England -RRB- , we knew that if we played our best , we would get a result out of the game and we did that at the Confederations Cup playing against the top teams , '' Dempsey told CNN . Midfielder Michael Bradley also said the U.S. team had become `` battle hardened . '' `` We 've had three or four years of playing against the best teams in the world . We 've gotten to the point where when we 've stepped onto the field against a team like England , there 's a sense of we 've been here before , '' Bradley told CNN . `` We know what the game is going to be like and we know what we need to do to be successful . That mentality is going to take us where we want to go . '' With the top two in the group advancing to the knockout stages , the U.S. and England are favorites to progress ahead of Slovenia and Algeria . But with Slovenia beating Algeria in their opening game , Dempsey said the U.S. could not afford to slip up against a team representing the smallest country to qualify for the finals . `` If we lose this game , potentially we 'll be out of the tournament , so we have to go out there and make sure that , yeah , we do take chances going forward but calculated risks , '' said Dempsey . `` You ca n't just say ` everybody go because we 've got to post a win ' and be countered and get scored on . '' Bradley , the son of U.S. coach Bob Bradley , said the American players would treat Slovenia with the same respect they showed England . `` The term favorites or underdogs ... these words , you guys use them but they 're not words that we use , '' Bradley said . `` We had a lot of respect for England , we knew it was going to be a difficult game , and I can tell you we have a lot of respect for Slovenia and we know that will be a difficult game too . ''
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Michael Bradley says U.S. team is battle hardened after Confederations Cup . U.S. earned 1-1 draw with England in opening World Cup match . Clint Dempsey says U.S. ca n't afford to lose Friday 's game with Slovenia . Dempsey : `` If we lose this game , potentially we 'll be out of the tournament ''
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Unfancied Switzerland inflicted the first big shock of the World Cup by consigning European champions Spain to a surprise 1-0 defeat in Durban . It is a nightmare start for Spain , which arrived in South Africa ranked as the second best team in the world . It will surely now have to win its next two group games to avoid an embarrassing exit before the knockout stages . Gelson Fernandes ' 52nd minute strike for the Swiss came completely against the run of play , and will hardly be remembered as one of the tournament 's finest , but despite pouring forward in the game 's dying stages Spain could not salvage a point . The Swiss now share top spot in the group with Chile , which produced an impressive display to beat Honduras 1-0 in Wednesday 's early kickoff . Jean Beausejour grabbed the only goal of the game , bundling home a cross from Mauricio Isla , but Chile could and should have scored more after squandering a host of chances . Switzerland 1-0 Spain . A spirited rearguard action earned Switzerland one of its most famous victories at the World Cup as it held on for a 1-0 win over Spain . Coach Vicente del Bosque will have plenty of soul searching to do after Spain dominated possession but struggled to create any clear cut chances . In a labored opening half , it was Spain defender Gerard Pique who forced the first save of the match as he twisted free in the penalty area before having his shot smothered by Switzerland goalkeeper Diego Benaglio . Barcelona striker David Villa was next to get a sight of goal as he drew Benaglio before curling a chip wide of the post but the Swiss negotiated their way to the break without conceding . With the second half seven minutes old Switzerland shocked Spain by scoring with its first attack of note . Blaise N'Kufo released Eren Derdiyok who took a tumble over the onrushing Iker Casillas , but as the ball squirmed loose Gelson Fernandes prodded it into an empty net . Spain responded by introducing Liverpool striker Fernando Torres but it was Villa who had the next chance , racing onto a through ball from Andres Iniesta only to be thwarted by Benaglio . Then as Villa turned on the edge of the area the ball ran free to Iniesta , who struck the ball narrowly wide of the far post . Torres then blazed wide from just inside the area before Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso crashed a venomous shot against the bar from 20 yards out . As the Spanish launched numbers forward they left gaps at the back and Derdiyok nearly put the game beyond their reach as he wriggled past Carles Puyol in the box before prodding a shot against the foot of the post . Torres blasted a volley over the bar in the closing stages but Switzerland duly held on to claim three points and register its first ever win over Spain . Spain 's defeat means it now has no margin for error in the next two games against Honduras and Chile . After the game Del Bosque told AFP : `` We tried to play . They played very far back and tried to counter-attack . They defended very well . We were playing to win and this victory has escaped us . We may not have shown our true personality as a team . `` It 's not a good sign to start off in this way but we have an obligation to cope with that and face the next two games trying to win . That 'll be our goal for the next two matches . `` Of course , you can lose in football , but I feel we 'll try to get even . We must really give everything . It 's pointless standing there with our heads hanging low . The next matches will be good . '' Chile 1-0 Honduras . Chile kicked off its first World Cup campaign in 12 years with a comfortable 1-0 victory against unfancied Honduras on Wednesday , but needed a fortuitous first-half goal to triumph in South Africa . The South Americans , who qualified second from their region behind Brazil , dominated the Group H opener in Nelspruit against a 38th-ranked team who scraped the final place in the CONCACAF zone . But for all its silky skills and intricate passing , coach Marcelo Bielsa was left frustrated on the sidelines as Chile could not translate its possession into goals as Honduras -- playing at soccer 's showpiece event for the first time since 1982 -- defended stubbornly . The breakthrough came in the 34th minute when Jean Beausejour bundled the ball into the net after a low right-wing cross by Mauricio Isla . The forward claimed just his second international goal in 28 appearances , though television replays suggested the ball went in illegally off his arm after deflecting off a sliding Honduras defender . The Central Americans had another slice of poor luck in the first minute after halftime when Gary Medel was brought down by Edgard Alvarez on the edge of the penalty area -- but the referee ruled it was not a foul despite the Hondurans ' appeals for a spot-kick . Chile playmaker Alexis Sanchez should have made it 2-0 just after an hour , but screwed his shot wide after a superb burst through the defense had put him clear on goal . Waldo Ponce then inexplicably stooped to head the ball straight at Honduras goalkeeper Noel Valladreas from close range when it seemed easier to score , having been set up by a well-worked free-kick . Chile had the ball in the net again with 15 minutes to play , but Jorge Valdivia was ruled offside after teammate Sanchez clearly used his hand to set him up -- for which he should have been booked by referee Eddy Maillet of the Seychelles . On Tuesday , Honduras became the first nation to select three brothers in a World Cup squad , with striker Jerry Palacios called up to replace the injured Julio Cesar de Leon . He was an unused substitute against Chile along with the younger of the trio , Johnny , while midfielder Wilson started the game and was booked shortly before the only goal .
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Switzerland inflict a shock defeat on one of the World Cup favorites Spain . Gelson Fernandes grabs the only goal in a match Spain dominated . Spain is now facing an uphill task to qualify from Group H . Jean Beausejour scores only goal as Chile beat Honduras 1-0 in Group H opener .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Italy have admitted they do not know when star goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon will be able to return to action at the 2010 World Cup . Buffon , who helped Italy win the tournament in Germany four years ago , had to be substituted at half-time during his team 's 1-1 draw with Paraguay on Monday because of a sciatic nerve problem . The Juventus stopper initially said he hoped `` to recover in two days '' but an official Italy team statement was less optimistic . '' -LSB- He -RSB- has a strong sciatic problem , '' it read . `` It 's impossible to estimate when he might return . '' Italy 's next match is against New Zealand on Sunday June 20 , with a contest against Slovakia four days later . The Azzurri had to come back from a goal behind against Paraguay and will need to improve dramatically if they are to win the tournament and match Brazil 's record haul of five World Cups . Meanwhile , Dutch winger Arjen Robben is still eight days away from full fitness , according to Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk . Robben was back in training on Tuesday following the hamstring injury which ruled him out of their 2-0 victory over Denmark , but is likely to miss the June 19 clash with Japan . Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta is fit for Spain 's opening World Cup match against Switzerland on June 16 after overcoming a thigh injury . And England duo Ashley Cole and Wayne Rooney returned to full training on Tuesday having rested on Monday to recover from the 1-1 draw with the United States .
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Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is out indefinitely with a back injury . Italy face New Zealand on June 20 after 1-1 draw with Paraguay in opener . Dutch star Arjen Robben is still eight days from full fitness , Netherlands coach says . Influential Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta fit to face Switzerland on June 16 .
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Johannesburg , South Africa -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than 100 security guards have been protesting outside some of the World Cup stadiums this week in South Africa , calling on soccer 's world governing body FIFA to upgrade their pay . Along with dealing with security , the guards handle tickets -- so a strike delayed the start of Monday 's match between world champions Italy and Paraguay in Cape Town . Local police had to be brought in to the stadium to handle security . Protesters were out again Tuesday outside of Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban . Protesters sang and dance , some holding placards that read : `` We want our money and then we will feel it . '' The strikes have been frowned upon by tournament organizers , but FIFA did not immediately respond for a request for comment . `` Although we have respect for workers ' rights , we find it unacceptable for them to disrupt match-day proceedings and will not hesitate to take action in such instances , '' Danny Jordaan , the CEO of South Africa 's World Cup organizing committee told South Africa 's news agency News 24 . CNN 's Robyn Curnow contributed to this report .
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Security guards are protesting their pay outside some World Cup stadiums . Guards handle tickets , slowed down start of Italy-Paraguay match . Local police brought in stadium in Cape Town to handle security . World Cup organizers say it is wrong for workers to disrupt match-day proceedings .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Netherlands made a winning start to their World Cup campaign as a moment of defensive madness cost Denmark dearly in Johannesburg , while Japan defeated a disappointing Cameroon 1-0 in Monday 's other Group E match . The Dutch failed to live up to their pre-tournament billing as one of the favorites , needing an own-goal less than a minute into the second half to settle their nerves and pave the way for an eventually comfortable 2-0 victory . Dirk Kuyt sealed the win with five minutes left , then defender Simon Poulsen -- earlier at fault for the opening goal -- made a spectacular clearance from under his own crossbar to prevent an even more damaging defeat . Keisuke Honda was the hero for Japan in Bloemfontein as his first half goal proved enough to beat 1990 quarterfinalists Cameroon and give the Asian side their first World Cup win on foreign soil . Netherlands 2-0 Denmark . The Netherlands started the match in at Soccer City with star forward Arjen Robben on the substitutes ' bench still resting his injured hamstring , but still boasted attacking potency in Robin Van Persie and Kuyt plus the midfield presence of Mark van Bommel and Rafael van der Vaart . But Denmark slightly edged the first half as striker Nicklas Bendtner -- who made a surprise recovery from injury to start the match -- headed wide , and then set up Thomas Kahlenburg for a shot that was well saved by Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg . But the game turned some 40-odd seconds after the halftime restart when Poulsen , who plays for Dutch club AZ Alkmaar , inexplicably headed Van Persie 's cross onto the back of his helpless teammate Daniel Agger and into the net . The unlucky Agger was later credited with the own-goal by world governing body FIFA . With Bendtner going off after an hour , the Danes lost all attacking impetus despite the introduction of 18-year-old forward Christian Eriksen , the youngest player to appear so far at this year 's tournament . It became only a matter of time before the Dutch extended their lead , with Wesley Sneijder 's deflected shot looping onto the top of Thomas Sorensen 's crossbar . Kuyt wrapped it up soon after with a simple chance , following up as Eljero Elia broke free down the left and beat Sorensen with his low shot but hit the post . Poulsen then made some amends for his earlier error as he got back to clear with Sorensen again beaten in the 88th minute . `` The players were a little tense and frustrated in the first-half , we wanted to play beautiful football , but we lost the ball too often , '' Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk told AFP . `` Things got better after the first goal , then you saw what we are capable of doing , we could have won by more . It was a huge relief when the second goal went in . '' Japan 1-0 Cameroon . Both Japan and Cameroon came into the World Cup on a poor run of form , with the Asian team having lost four of the previous five games and the Africans winless in seven . After a dull opening , Japan started to press forward and deservedly took the lead seven minutes before the break . Daisuke Matsui swung over a deep cross from the right which eluded the entire Cameroon defense before landing at the feet of Honda , who calmly passed the ball into the net . Cameroon captain Samuel Eto'o , who appeared isolated on the right wing in the first half , carved his side 's first real opportunity early in the second . Cutting in between three defenders , the Inter Milan forward cut the ball back from the byline and teed up Eric Choupo-Moting , whose curled shot went narrowly wide . Japan , who reached the last 16 on home soil in 2002 , were organized and disciplined throughout and could have extended their lead when Makoto Hasebe 's long-range strike drew a flying save from Hamidou Souleymanou . Shinji Okazaki fired the rebound against a post , only to be flagged offside . Moments later , the woodwork was shaking again at the other end of the pitch as Stephane Mbia 's fierce shot from outside the area smashed against the crossbar . Cameroon , the highest-ranked African side at the tournament , laid siege to the Japan goal in stoppage-time but could not find a way past the impressive Eiji Kawashima .
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Own-goal from Denmark defender puts Netherlands on the way to 2-0 Group E victory . Poulsen heads cross off teammate Daniel Agger and into net for first goal after halftime . Dutch seal victory with 85th-minute goal from Dirk Kuyt after Eljero Elias hits post . Keisuke Honda scores only goal as Japan beat 1990 quarterfinalists Cameroon 1-0 .
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Johannesburg , South Africa -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The hosting of the 2010 World Cup by South Africa was always going to be an occasion for celebration among football lovers around the world , but for former soccer greats who call the continent home , the event has a significance beyond mere fandom . Having moved from a period where only four African sides qualified for the World Cup in 44 years since the first event in 1930 , the continent now boasts some of the greatest stars in global soccer . Superstars like Didier Drogba -LRB- Ivory Coast -RRB- , Michael Essien -LRB- Ghana -RRB- and Samuel Eto'o -LRB- Cameroon -RRB- may have global fame and great riches thanks to their talent , but for every modern legend from Africa there are just as many pioneers who helped break down the barriers to allow such opportunity . Former players such as Kalusha Bwalya -LRB- Zambia -RRB- , Abedi Pele -LRB- Ghana -RRB- and Salif Keita -LRB- Mali -RRB- may not be household names that roll off the tongue , but they all played a crucial role in breaking down the prejudice that existed , and hampered , the abilities of players from Africa . One such pioneer was Nigerian great Jay-Jay Okocha -- a skilful attacker who help guide the Super Eagles to Olympic gold glory in 1996 -- told CNN he believes that the World Cup proves African football has finally come of age . `` I think we have contributed a lot to world football and we are glad that FIFA have finally recognized and believe that we belong , '' said the 36-year-old , who played in the top leagues in Germany , France , England and Turkey before retiring in 2008 . `` It 's not just a game for us , it 's like a religion , it 's like a tradition . We bring a lot of colors , we bring a lot of emotion and we bring a lot of enthusiasm to the game . '' 2010 World Cup : A catalyst for a new South Africa ? Another great who did much to break down the barriers holding back footballers from Africa was Jomo Sono . The South African former striker played during the apartheid era and significantly was one of the first black players to take part in the previously illegal activity of cross-color matches in the 1970s . Sono was South Africa 's youngest-ever professional and easily one of the country 's greatest football talents . But despite playing for the Orlando Pirates and the New York Cosmos alongside Franz Beckenbauer and Pele , he was unable to play in world competition due to the international ban that existed on the racist South African government . For Sono , hosting the World Cup is bitter sweet : `` It 's difficult to describe , it 's difficult being an ex-player who never got to play . I feel like I could turn the clock back and play now . But everything happens for a reason , '' he told CNN . Sono controversially sacrificed a lucrative career in America to return to apartheid South Africa in an attempt to help the country to change . `` They needed role models , they needed people who made it in spite of the regime , so -LRB- they -RRB- knew they could do it too . Was it a sacrifice ? Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison . That 's sacrifice . Me , I played football , '' Sono said in an interview for Ian Hawkey 's `` Feet of the Chameleon '' book . No African side has ever progressed past the quarterfinals of the World Cup , so many hopes rests on hosts `` Bafana Bafana '' to perform well . As a former technical director for the side Sono had some words of advise for his former students : `` I know how the players are feeling . I 'll be speaking to them the day before the games . They will call me at night and I 'll say go out there and enjoy yourselves and do n't put pressure on yourselves , '' he told CNN . Amos Adamu , a member of the executive committees of football 's world governing body FIFA and the Confederation of African Football -LRB- CAF -RRB- , said whatever the progress of South Africa , new standards are being set . `` African football has reached the stage where it 's compared favorably with football in any part if the world , '' he told CNN . `` If you look at African players , they are all around the world and they are very outstanding players . I 'm very proud that African football has got to that level . '' Adamu also attacked critics who have said that the cost of South Africa hosting the World Cup is too high , and instead claimed the tournament will leave a lasting legacy for the country . `` People complain that it 's a waste of money , but it 's important that the organizers and the countries know that the benefits are very enormous , '' he said . `` No country hosts the World Cup and remains the same . Hosting these games brings a lot of financial social and economic benefits to the nation . ''
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Legends of African football gathered at a pre-World Cup gala dinner in Johannesburg . Former Nigeria star Jay Jay Okocha believes African football has finally come of age . FIFA and CAF official Amos Adamu thinks African football is as good as it ever has been . Former South African footballer Jomo Sono will be offering advice to Bafana Bafana .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Slovenia edged out 10-man Algeria 1-0 in Sunday 's World Cup Group C match at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane . A strike from Slovenian captain Robert Koren in the 79th minute found the net after the Algerian goalkeeper Faouzi Chaouchi made a clumsy attempt at parrying the ball away . The result put Slovenia top of Group C with three points , ahead of England and the U.S. who shared a point on Saturday . Algeria are bottom . Who 's creating a World Cup Twitter Buzz ? Algeria were forced to play the last 20 minutes with 10 men after substitute Abdelkader Ghezzal was sent off for a second bookable offence on 72 minutes . Ghezzal , a striker , had replaced Rafik Djebbour after 59 minutes and almost immediately received his first booking for tugging on Slovenian defender Marco Suler 's shirt . Follow the World Cup on CNNArabic . Barely 10 minutes later , Ghezzal deliberately hand-balled trying to reach a ball knocked forward from midfield , leaving the referee no option but to show him a red card . Until Ghezzal 's sending-off , Algeria looked the better of the two teams , showing more initiative going forward than the more defensively-minded Slovenian team . The first half produced little quality and even fewer chances as both teams struggled to make an impact . Algeria came close in the 36th minute when defender Rafik Halliche narrowly headed wide from a corner . CNN 's World Sport blog . Slovenia 's only chance of the half came moments before interval when midfielder Valter Bisra fired a fierce shot on target , but it was easily tipped over by Chaouchi . Slovenia 's next match is against the United States on Friday in Ellis Park , Johannesburg , while Algeria will face England the same day at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town .
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Slovenia go top of Group C after 1-0 victory against Algeria . Captain Robert Koren scores winner thanks to Algerian goalkeeper mistake . Algeria reduced to 10 men when substitute Abdelkader Ghezzal sent off for two bookings .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A late penalty by Asamoah Gyan handed Ghana a deserved 1-0 victory against Serbia in the opening Group D match played in Pretoria on Sunday . The striker , who plays for French club Rennes , emphatically converted from the spot past Vladimir Stojkovic in the 84th minute to the obvious delight of the partisan crowd . The victory was the first by an African team at this year 's World Cup . Ghana were awarded their penalty after Serbia substitute Zdravko Kuzmanovic needlessly hand-balled a cross which looked to be drifting harmlessly out of his team 's penalty area . Amid delirious celebrations of the African supporters in the Loftus Versfeld Stadium , Serbia struggled to find an equalizer and it was Ghana , the four-time African champions , who should have made it 2-0 before the final whistle . Who 's creating a World Cup Twitter Buzz ? Ghana -- popularly known as the Black Stars -- started the match at a high tempo and created chances throughout the match , never allowing the Serbian defense to settle . This attacking pattern was set early on when Rosenborg midfielder Anthony Annan volleyed the ball wide after two minutes and Ghana 's captain John Mensah headed a free kick wide of the far post in the 19th minute . Ghana continued to press forward in the second half and came closest to scoring when Gyan rose high above the Serbian defense meeting a long throw from John Pantsil , only to head the ball just wide of Stojkovic 's left post . Serbia created fewer chances than their opponents but probably had the better opportunities to score . CNN 's World Sport blog . The giant Serbia striker Nikola Zigic should have given his country the lead in the 58th minute when he met Dejan Stankovic 's cross at the far post but his control let him down and the ball dribbled away to safety . And later , when Serbia had been reduced to 10 men after Aleksandar Lukovic received his second yellow card in the 73rd minute , Serbia squandered a fantastic opportunity to break the deadlock . Striker , Danko Lazovic broke away from Fulham 's John Pantsil on the left goal-line and managed to cut the ball back into the middle of the area which Milos Krasic then struck fiercely at goalkeeper Richard Kingson , who parried the ball to safety . The resulting corner saw Manchester United 's Nemanja Vidic narrowly head over the crossbar . Serbia meet Germany next Friday in Port Elizabeth , while Ghana play Australia in Rustenburg on Saturday .
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Late Ghana penalty sinks Serbia in first Group D match in Pretoria . Asamoah Gyan scores from the spot to give Ghana and Africa first 2010 World Cup win . Serbia reduced to 10 men after defender Aleksandar Lukovic given marching orders .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dr. Phil McGraw , better known simply as Dr. Phil , brought his fiery brand of advocacy to Capitol Hill Thursday on the topic of student cyber-security , and specifically online bullying . As part of a panel at a House Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee hearing , McGraw compared the World Wide Web to the Wild , Wild West of older times . `` The gunslingers are keyboard bullies . They are these people that with anonymity attack other students in a way that can completely destroy their reputations , '' he said . McGraw described it as a pervasive problem . `` With MySpace and Facebook , email , chat rooms , there are so many of these things with so much power that they constitute weapons of mass destruction when it comes to communications with these kids , '' he said . A recent Pew study found that 73 percent of American teenagers who are online use social networking sites . McGraw said he has received tens of thousands of letters from kids asking for help with bullying . The subcommittee was looking at the topic of cyber-bullying as they are considering the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act , more commonly known as the No Child Left Behind Act .
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Dr. Phil participates in panel at Capitol Hill . He spoke about cyber-bullying among students . A recent study shows 73 percent of teenagers used social networking sites .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- European champions Inter Milan have confirmed the appointment of Rafael Benitez as their new coach . The Spaniard left English Premier League side Liverpool last month and has been in negotiations with the Italian club for nearly a week . He takes over from Jose Mourinho , who left for Real Madrid just weeks after he led Inter to their first Champions League success for 45 years . A statement on Inter 's official Web site read : `` Inter welcomes Rafael Benitez . The Spanish coach signed a two-year contract this morning that will run until 30 June 2012 . `` Benitez will be unveiled to the media in a press conference on Tuesday 15 June . '' Benitez spent six years at Liverpool , winning the Champions League in his first full season , but the Premier League title eluded him . Before that , Benitez spent three years at Valencia , leading the club to their first La Liga title in 31 years .
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Inter confirm Rafael Benitez as their new coach . Benitez has signed a two-year deal with the European champions . The Spaniard left Liverpool last month .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Matthew Sanchez had rarely seen his father cry . But when Rudjard Hayes looked at the X-rays of his son 's spine after a high school football accident , he held his wife close and broke down , not knowing that his son could see him . Matthew Sanchez , now 20 , relearned how to walk at Shepherd Center using the parallel bars . Hayes was used to watching Sanchez get knocked to the ground during games and then get back up , but that game in 2004 was different : After getting knocked down , Sanchez , then 15 , could not move . `` I knew it was serious , but it did n't really sink in until I saw the X-rays for myself , '' said Hayes , who lived with his family in Sharpsburg , Georgia , at the time . Sanchez 's C5 vertebra -LRB- in his neck -RRB- was fractured . `` I knew the chances of him recovering were basically zero . But I hoped and prayed 24-7 , '' Hayes said . `` We are a very faith-based family and believe that you trust the people that are there for you , and things are going to be OK . God will see you through it . '' Doctors at Shepherd Center in Atlanta , Georgia , operated on Sanchez 's neck , putting in a plate , screws , cables and a piece of bone from his leg . According to Dr. Donald Peck Leslie , medical director of Shepherd Center , less than 1 percent of people with this type of spinal cord injury regain full physical abilities . But Matthew Sanchez was destined and determined to be in that elite group . Days later -- and much sooner than anyone thought possible -- Sanchez started regaining some movement . Watch part one of Matthew Sanchez 's odyssey '' Moving on . Five weeks later , after intensive therapy , Sanchez walked out of Shepherd Center . After six more months of therapy , his sense of normalcy returned . Two years later , he could be a competitive athlete again . `` I just think some people are a little bit more motivated . Matt was an athlete , so he knew how to work hard , '' Cathi Dugger , Sanchez 's physical therapist , told Dr. Sanjay Gupta , CNN 's chief medical correspondent . Today , five years after his injury , Sanchez has seven triathlons under his belt . Twist of fate . Sanchez 's extraordinary recovery was made possible by an unlikely stranger . When the teen was knocked to the ground , the doctor for the opposing team , Dr. John Henderson , rushed to his aid . Knee-deep in mud , Henderson held Sanchez 's head in traction for 45 minutes , preventing anyone from moving him . Henderson also insisted Sanchez be transported by helicopter instead of ambulance . Sanchez 's mother credits Henderson , in part , for the favorable outcome . `` Our family believes that Dr. Henderson was our angel that night . Our high school did not have a team physician , and I feel certain Matthew could have been moved had Dr. Henderson not prevented anyone from touching him until he could be properly transferred , '' Lorraine Sanchez Hayes said in an e-mail to CNN . Had he been moved , his mother believes , his injury would have been made worse . Watch part two of Matthew Sanchez 's odyssey '' One year after the accident , the family learned that Henderson 's son , Army Ranger John Henderson Jr. , had been killed in Afghanistan . `` This man had been instrumental in saving our son 's life , only to have his own -LSB- son 's life -RSB- taken , '' Sanchez Hayes wrote . Giving back . While most college students spend their summers relaxing , taking extra classes or working to earn money , Sanchez , now 20 , chose to spend the past 2 1/2 months giving back to the doctors who put him back together in the best way he knew how : a 4,350-mile fundraising bike ride . See photos from the bike ride '' In part to memorialize Henderson 's son , and in part to raise money for Shepherd Center , Sanchez and three friends -- Anthony Orig , Marina Fleming and Jonny Cromwell -- set out in May on a cross-country expedition to benefit the SHARE initiative , as the We Ride For Shepherd team . Shepherd Center is home to SHARE -- a partnership between the military health care benefits program , philanthropist Bernie Marcus and private donations . Through SHARE , veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with brain injuries , spinal cord injuries and chronic pain can get specialized , cutting-edge treatment at Shepherd Center , and receive housing assistance for themselves and their families . `` Our goal is to educate the VA about what we have available , '' said Dr. Darryl Kaelin , the Shepherd Center physician who oversees the SHARE initiative . He said that many of the smaller Veterans Affairs hospitals might not be aware of the resources available at Shepherd Center . Kaelin said one of Shepherd Center 's main focuses is to help people move on with their lives after a catastrophic injury and regain their independence . That 's what brought U.S. Army Spc. Dillon Cannon to Shepherd Center as a SHARE patient . Cannon had been in Iraq for about a month when he was shot by a sniper in 2006 . He admires Sanchez 's fundraising effort . `` Why military personnel ? Out of the kindness of his -LSB- Sanchez 's -RSB- heart . It shows that people like that go above what they have to do . I mean he could be working -- making money for himself -- but he 's trying to help out people like me , '' Cannon said . Moving forward . Hayes said that he is proud of his son for completing the cross-country journey , but he 's even prouder that Sanchez wants to give something back . Sanchez said he could n't think of a better way to show his appreciation . `` These men and women are over there ... risking their lives every day , and we feel like they deserve the best treatment possible , '' he said after completing his 78-day bike trek .
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Matthew Sanchez fractured his C5 vertebra while playing football . After surgery and intensive therapy , the teen was able to resume competitive sports . Sanchez and three friends rode bikes to raise money for Shepherd Center . The center has a program that helps veterans get cutting-edge care .
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About 1 in 7 , or 13.5 percent of adults who encountered intense dust clouds after the collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11 were later found to have asthma , compared with just 8.4 percent who had no dust cloud exposure , researchers in Atlanta and New York City reported on Tuesday . Among rescue workers , the asthma risk was highest for those who worked on the pile on September 11 . Likewise , among various groups of people connected to the Twin Tower collapse , rescue and recovery workers were more likely to have a diagnosis of asthma -LRB- 12.2 percent -RRB- than passers-by -LRB- 8.4 percent -RRB- . The results are from a survey , conducted from November 2006 through December 2007 , to assess the health status of more than 46,000 adults five to six years after the disaster . Health.com : Bad air day ? Here 's how to survive . That such a horrific event left lasting physical and emotional scars is , perhaps , no great surprise . Among adults with no prior diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder -LRB- PTSD -RRB- , 23.8 percent have reported symptoms after September 11 , and the prevalence of symptoms has increased over time , researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association . The mental health effects , which can be debilitating and often chronic , `` seem to be the largest health problem coming out of 9/11 '' says Lorna Thorpe , Ph.D. , the deputy commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Division of Epidemiology and one of the coauthors of the study . `` But immediately after the 9/11 event , I do n't think there was a clear understanding of what the physical impacts would be . '' Health.com : Is your child 's asthma under control ? Take this test . People in the vicinity of the collapse had `` the potential to inhale huge amounts of particulate matter , '' observes Joan Reibman , M.D. , an associate professor of medicine and environmental medicine at the New York University School of Medicine and the director of the school 's Bellevue Asthma Center , who was not involved in the study . `` We think that could act as a real irritant to the airways . '' Some 23 million Americans have asthma , a lung condition that causes airway swelling and inflammation . People with asthma may experience repeated bouts of coughing , wheezing , shortness of breath , and tightness in the chest . Anthony M. Szema , M.D. , an assistant professor of medicine and surgery and the head of the allergy diagnostic unit at SUNY Stony Brook School of Medicine , has studied the effects of the World Trade Center collapse on children living in Manhattan 's Chinatown . His team 's most recent study , accepted for publication in Allergy & Asthma Proceedings , will show that the rate of asthma at the closest elementary school to the World Trade Center -LRB- 29 percent -RRB- is high compared with the rate of asthma in children in the general population . According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -LRB- CDC -RRB- , 9.3 percent of U.S. children have asthma . '' -LSB- The new study -RSB- is entirely congruous with our findings , '' he says . Health.com : As a new mom , I struggled with my daughter 's chronic cough . The CDC 's Robert M. Brackbill , Ph.D. , M.P.H. , led the team of New York City and Columbia University researchers whose study examined the longer-term health impact of exposure to Ground Zero and its varying effect across groups of people . The analysis is based on data from the World Trade Center Health Registry , described as the largest post-disaster-exposure registry in U.S. history . More than 71,000 rescue and recovery workers , lower Manhattan office workers , nearby residents , and passers-by enrolled in the registry . Participants were interviewed from September 2003 through November 2004 to record their exposure to the disaster and document their pre - and post-event health status , and again in 2006-2007 . Health.com : Diabetes plus stress can equal high blood sugar . For each group followed , intense exposure to the dust plume was associated with new asthma diagnoses . Among rescue and recovery workers , for example , the asthma risk was highest for those who worked on the pile on September 11 . The risk diminished with later start dates . However , even downtown office workers and lower Manhattan residents were affected . Among these people , the risk of asthma was highest if there was a heavy coating of dust in their home or office , compared with no such damage . `` It shows that people who had heavy dust exposure in the initial period , that this was a risk to developing asthma but not the only risk , '' says Reibman , who also serves as the director of New York City 's World Trade Center Environmental Health Center , one of three centers dedicated to treating September 11-related conditions . Reibman says the new study is important because , in addition to corroborating previous studies , it should help people with September 11-related asthma realize that their symptoms are real . Health.com : Managing the highs and lows of manic depression . `` I think it helps us understand that there 's a cause for many of these symptoms , '' she says . She encourages people to recognize their symptoms and seek a proper diagnosis and treatment . Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright Health Magazine 2009 .
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Health survey looked at 46,000 adults five to six years after 9/11 attacks . Adults who were expose to intense dust clouds developed asthma at higher rates . 23 million Americans have asthma , which causes airway swelling and inflammation .
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Editor 's note : Claudia Wallis , a former Time editor at large , completed a yearlong Spencer Fellowship at Columbia 's Graduate School of Journalism in which her reporting focused on the treatment and education of children with autism . To see more of her autism project , visit her Web site . P.S. 176X principal Rima Ritholtz and senior Vicki Martinez celebrate graduation . NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- All parents have hopes and dreams for their children . Parents of kids with serious disabilities are no different . But in their moments of wildest imagination , the parents of Vicki Martinez , Chase Ferguson and Travis Cardona could not have envisioned high school graduation -- certainly not in the dark days when they first learned their children had autism . But last month , in a spacious high school auditorium in the Bronx , New York , Vicki , Chase and Travis marched down the aisle to `` Pomp and Circumstance , '' resplendent in their caps and gowns , along with 15 classmates at P.S. 176X , a New York City public school with 560 students ranging in age from 3 to 21 , all of whom have autism . `` When I came here , I could n't talk . I talked gibberish , '' the now-voluble Vicki recalls . `` I did n't do my class work ; I 'd go like this , '' and she proceeds to flap her hands -- a common symptom of autism known as stereotypy or , self-stimulation . On graduation day , Vicki beamed from the high school stage as she collected three awards along with a special education diploma , and wowed the hundreds in the audience by singing `` Besame Mucho '' with the school 's Latin band . P.S. 176X is the largest school for children with autism in New York City and very likely the largest in the country , if not the world . Because it is so big , explains principal Rima Ritholtz , it can offer an extraordinary range of services : chorus , band , arts , life skills and cooking classes , vocational training at school and in the community , as well as a wide range of academic programs aligned to the wide-ranging abilities and disabilities of the students . The school operates within five school buildings : three elementary schools , a middle school and high school . P.S. 176X students have full-spectrum autism , not milder forms . About 10 percent of the students attend regular classes at those schools , with an aide to help them , but 90 percent are in special classes , with student-teacher ratios as small as 1-to-1 and as large as eight students with two aides and one teacher . Nationally , there is much debate over how best to educate the nation 's rapidly growing and diverse population of youngsters with autism , the prevalence of which has increased tenfold over the past 25 years . The quality of services offered by public schools varies enormously from place to place . Some parents relocate to school districts that offer good autism services . Some persuade or even sue their district to pay for private school placement , which can cost $ 70,000 a year or more . Video : see Vicki sing and other highlights from the graduation ceremony '' The right to seek private school placement for kids with disabilities was strengthened in June by a Supreme Court ruling in a closely watched case from Oregon . Under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act , children with autism and other disabilities are guaranteed the right to a `` a free appropriate public education '' in the `` least restrictive environment . '' `` People have preconceived notions about public school ; they think private is better , '' says Ritholtz , who 's wrapping up her 12th year as principal of P.S. 176X and is , herself , the daughter of a special education principal . But Ritholtz would happily match her program with almost any of the high-priced private schools . `` I say , let me see their chorus , '' she jokes . While the school can not necessarily serve children who have multiple handicaps in addition to autism , she allows , `` We will walk a mile before we say we ca n't accommodate a kid . '' The school offers a mix of educational approaches . Some classrooms follow a fairly strict applied behavioral analysis methodology , which tends to put a strong emphasis on one-on-one instruction , using rewards and punishments to spur learning and measuring incremental progress . Other classes use a variety of methods . The school will weigh parental preferences along with what they feel will work best for the child . `` Half the battle is winning the trust of the parents , '' says Ritholtz . `` We understand they are up against a very baffling disability . '' While the school does a lot of testing and evaluation , the staff never seems to lose sight of larger questions about the quality of life for its students . Says Ritholtz , `` My father told me not everything that is important can be measured , and not everything you can measure is important . '' After watching her son Chase graduate , Teresa Ferguson ticked off the many things he learned at P.S. 176X . `` They taught him so many things I never thought would be possible , '' she says . `` He learned how to make friends , joke , socialize . He learned how to sit still in the classroom . He learned how to read , write , sing , play a musical instrument , stand on a stage and say a speech . These are things I never knew would be possible when he was a toddler . '' Planning for graduation and the transition out of school begins when a student is 14 , seven years before he or she must , by law , leave the public school system . Terri Giampapa , the transition coordinator and job developer , works closely with families to help them find job placements , adult day programs , sports and recreational activities that will suit the graduate . As part of that preparation , students visit work sites , spend time learning vocational skills and get used to being in larger groups . Some learn to travel and navigate public transportation . Surprisingly , it can be harder to place the more capable graduates who seek job opportunities than those who are more severely disabled and directed to adult `` day hab '' programs . `` Employment is extremely challenging , '' says Giampapa , and it 's been made even harder by the recession . Only two of this year 's 18 graduates -- Vicki and Chase -- appear to be headed for work . They plan to go to `` supported employment '' situations , meaning that they will be closely trained and supervised . Often such jobs are just 20 hours a week , so the school helps families plan ways to flesh out the week . For those who swim , there may be weekly visits to the YMCA or , in the case of one graduate , weekly appointments at a nail salon for a manicure and a dose of salon community . The goal is to construct a full and satisfying life , explains Rosemary Petrovich , a former assistant principal who still works at the school a few day a week : `` Where are the places to go , people to see , things to do ? '' The family of 176X graduate Travis Cardona could n't be more pleased with his post-graduation plans . Travis , who can read and write but does n't speak and relies on an electronic communicator , is headed for a day hab program called Quality Services for Autistic Citizens . `` They had no space , and then they made space for him , '' says Travis ' aunt and guardian , Ivette Ithier . Ithier says she wept with joy watching her nephew graduate . `` It was unbelievable . A big accomplishment . ''
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P.S. 176X could be world 's largest largest school for kids with autism . 560 students range in age from 3 to 21 . Size allows an extraordinary range of services : chorus , band , arts , job internships . Best way to educate growing , diverse population of kids with autism is debate topic .
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WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two popular anti-smoking drugs will now carry warnings about the risk of severe mental health problems , the Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday . `` Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease , disability and death , '' an FDA official said . The FDA said Chantix and Zyban will carry the warnings to alert consumers to the risks of depression and suicidal thoughts when using the drugs . The drugs also have been reported to cause changes in behavior , hostility and agitation in users , whether users had a history of psychiatric illness or not . In many cases , side effects started shortly after use began and ended when the medication was stopped . The FDA does not know what is causing the changes and said people taking these products should be monitored by their doctor . `` The risk of serious adverse events while taking these products must be weighed against the significant health benefits of quitting smoking , '' said Dr. Janet Woodcock , director of the FDA 's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research . `` Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease , disability and death in the United States , and we know these products are effective aids in helping people quit . '' The agency also is requiring Pfizer Inc. , which makes Chantix , and GlaxoSmithKline , maker of Zyban , to conduct a study looking at how often these serious symptoms occur . Pfizer says it updated its label in 2007 to include information of neuropsychiatric symptoms and has revised the label again to reflect Wednesday 's warning . `` The labeling update underscores the important role of health care providers in treating smokers attempting to quit and provides specific information about Chantix and instructions that physicians and patients should follow closely , '' said Dr. Briggs W. Morrison , senior vice president of the primary care development group at Pfizer . `` Quitting smoking is one of the best things people can do for their health , but the quitting process is both difficult and complex . '' The FDA says that since Chantix was approved in 2006 , the agency has had reports of 98 suicides and 188 attempted suicides . Zyban has had reports of 14 suicides and 17 attempts . Zyban contains the same active ingredient as the antidepressant Wellbutrin and already carried a box warning about the increased risk of suicidal thinking and behavior . Neither Chantix nor Zyban contains nicotine , and the FDA said some symptoms could be the result of nicotine withdrawal . Still , the agency said , people using these drugs experienced some of these symptoms while they were still smoking . In a review of side effects in patients using the nicotine patch , the agency said it did n't find a clear link between those products and suicidal events .
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FDA : Chantix and Zyban will carry warnings about mental health risks . Risks include depression and suicidal thoughts when using the drugs . Drug makers must conduct study how often these serious symptoms occur . Some symptoms could be the result of nicotine withdrawal .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- He did n't look like much when I first saw him strolling up to me at a campsite in Harriman State Park , New York , exactly two years ago . His hair was stringy and unkempt , his thin face unshaven . A smudged shirt and dirt-covered pants hung from his wiry , 50-year-old frame . I was leaving the communal bathroom , having just plugged my drained cell phone into the outlet by the sink , when I saw him . He nodded warmly as we passed and I found myself suddenly wondering if I had just seen the last of my phone ... When he saw me again , he said with incredible glee , `` Is n't this the most beautiful morning ? '' I nodded and then went back into the bathroom to find my cell phone right where I left it . Needless to say , I felt more than a little guilty about being so judgmental . And that 's how I met Ralph Benitez , the man who would eventually become the heart of my fatherhood documentary , `` The Evolution of Dad . '' A short time later , I was washing some silverware at the campground sink when Ralph appeared with his own dishes . As we scrubbed , he told me how his sons had brought him camping trip and how lucky he felt to be with them . `` You know , fatherhood saved my life . It did . I would n't be alive now if I had n't become a dad , '' he confessed , explaining that before his three sons and one daughter were born , his life had been all about `` sex , drugs and rock - ` n-roll . '' As we finished the dishes , Ralph talked about his kids . He said one of his sons was gay and how , despite his cultural background , he accepted his son unconditionally . He told me about his 4-year-old granddaughter , for whom he was now a surrogate dad . I was startled and a little chastened . Here was this guy , who , minutes earlier , I had worried would steal my phone , and who I now realized completely personified everything that was noble about fatherhood . He lived in the Bronx with his family , did n't have a computer and sometimes he did n't even have phone service . There was a great divide between this man from an inner city Latino community and me , a white Jewish guy from the affluent suburbs . But the differences in our backgrounds dissolved as we quickly forged a friendship . I visited Ralph and his family several times that summer , filming as much as I could of this dad who spoke for so many fathers . Witnessing Ralph with his granddaughter , Kayla , as he lovingly took her to the park or for a stroll to the corner deli , was inspiring . Kayla 's biological father was n't in the picture and Ralph had dutifully stepped into the role . And then there were the kids in the neighborhood who all looked up to him , many lacking dads of their own . Ralph called his two-bedroom apartment `` the safe house '' because , in this particularly tough area of the Bronx , it was a place that friends and family and neighborhood kids could come and always feel secure . For Ralph , the world was a horn of plenty . `` You see ? '' he would often say to his wife , `` If you have faith , God will provide . '' His wife Vilma , always the anchor to his exuberance , would roll her eyes with a `` Yeah , yeah , yeah , '' and although they occasionally squabbled , the love they shared with each other and everyone else in this safe haven was always tangible . If wealth could be only measured in love , then Bill Gates would 've had nothing on Ralph . Sadly , there was a sense of urgency to film Ralph as quickly as possible because his health was rapidly deteriorating -- Ralph had full-blown AIDS . Miraculously , he had managed to survive for more than 10 years with the virus because he had volunteered himself as a test subject for any of the experimental drugs that Sloan Kettering was trying . He was even among the first to take `` the cocktail . '' As we sat together in his driveway one day , he told me that the doctors had recently told him that his medicine was becoming increasingly less effective and there was nothing more to do . Still , we continued to spend time together and Ralph remained upbeat and hopeful . One of my best memories of Ralph occurred while taking a break from shooting , sitting with him in his driveway . In the heat radiating from the pavement , we ate plantains that Vilma had graciously cooked for us and talked about what was going on in the world , about our families , about anything . It was like we had known each other our whole lives . As the summer slid away , so did Ralph 's health . His family became less interested in being filmed , and Ralph explained that they were having a hard time coping with the fact that he would n't be around much longer . Ralph Benitez passed away one snowy day in December 2008 . Even though his passing was n't a shock , it took a while for me to get over it . I 'd never had a film subject die before , let alone a friend . Ralph agreed to be in the film because he wanted to be remembered and because of how important he understood fatherhood to be in the lives of our kids . I wish he could 've seen the finished film . But even though he did n't , I think he felt lucky to know that a part of him would live on in this way . For me , I just felt incredibly blessed to have met such an astonishingly wonderful man and a remarkable dad .
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Filmmaker Dana Glazer feared Ralph Benitez would steal his phone when they first met . Benitez 's stature grew as Glazer learned more about his role as a father . The Latino dad opened his home as a safe haven to neighbor kids . Benitez was part of a documentary of fatherhood . He died in 2008 .
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Arlington , Virginia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It may surprise the casual visitor at Arlington National Cemetery to see a rubber duck on a headstone or an old football helmet lying in the manicured grass of a fallen soldier 's grave . After all , America 's most hallowed ground is the final resting place for war heroes , astronauts , even a U.S. president . But it happens all the time , especially in Section 60 , where many of those killed in the current wars are buried . Leaving a flower arrangement is still common . And many graves have tiny American flags placed on them . But this new generation of warriors are frequently remembered with mementos like cans of beer , teddy bears and even tiny bottles of hot sauce . The message in the mementos is unknown but likely very personal . `` I have seen everything from report cards to an Alabama football ticket stub , '' said Roderick Gainer , a curator with the Center of Military History . `` Obviously , these deceased service person was a Crimson Tide fan . Letters , hotel keys . I 've seen jewelry , lots of things . '' Gainer is part of a new effort by the Army to make sure these items do n't end up in the trash . For the first time the Army , which runs Arlington National Cemetery , is collecting many of the items left on the graves , cataloging them according to what grave they were left on and storing them for posterity . Before this effort began late last summer , most of the items were thrown away . Some cemetery employees tried to gather some special mementos , but no record was kept about what graves those items came from . Now , curators from the Center of Military History are making sure a thorough record is kept . `` We are going by , grave to grave , on a weekly basis recovering items that have been left and then we basically put these items into a database and photograph the grave , '' Gainer said . Read about the demanding work of Arlington 's burial crews . Then the mementos are put into plastic bags with a note card with the date of collection , the fallen service member 's name and the grave number . Not everything is saved . Perishable items like food or flowers are left on the grave . But if a note is attached , it 's collected and saved . A plain pebble on top of a headstone will be left alone , but if someone has written or painted something personal on the stone , it will be saved . They even save some of the empty beer and liquor bottles that often turn up next to the headstones . And on some graves , like that of Pfc. Kenneth Zeigler , nothing is disturbed . Zeigler 's mother asked the Army not to collect anything off his grave and the curators gladly respect her wishes . There was a case where some items were collected from a grave , but the family did n't want the items moved , so the center returned the materials to the family . The curators also pay attention to when the materials are left . If they are birthday cards and a birthday is approaching , they will usually leave them . But if the birthday has passed , they will collect them . While Gainer does this job every week , some things still get to him . Like a poem left on Cmdr. Phil Murphy-Sweet 's grave that reads : . `` In Arlington , a small white stone there , . a small white stone , three little pebbles , . an inscription , and a patch of green grass . That 's where he 'll stay . He should be home laughing with kids or still serving his country . But instead , he stays there . '' The poem is signed `` Jeanne and Lelila Musgates . '' But it 's unclear why it was left on Murphy-Sweet 's grave . Were they relatives , friends or just patriotic Americans who wanted to remember a fallen soldier ? Once the poem and all other mementos have been collected , catalogued and saved , the Army secretary will decide what will be done with them . They may become part of a museum exhibit . Or maybe , someday , a historian will go through them to teach about the two wars .
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Most fallen soldiers of current wars are buried in Section 60 . People leave personal mementos , including cans of beer and hot sauce . Army making effort to ensure the mementos do n't end up in trash .
|
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Arlington , Virginia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It may surprise the casual visitor at Arlington National Cemetery to see a rubber duck on a headstone or an old football helmet lying in the manicured grass of a fallen soldier 's grave . After all , America 's most hallowed ground is the final resting place for war heroes , astronauts , even two U.S. presidents . But it happens all the time , especially in Section 60 , where many of those killed in the current wars are buried . Leaving a flower arrangement is still common . And many graves have tiny American flags placed on them . But this new generation of warriors are frequently remembered with mementos like cans of beer , teddy bears and even tiny bottles of hot sauce . The message in the mementos is unknown but likely very personal . `` I have seen everything from report cards to an Alabama football ticket stub , '' said Roderick Gainer , a curator with the Center of Military History . `` Obviously , the deceased service person was a Crimson Tide fan . Letters , hotel keys . I 've seen jewelry , lots of things . '' Gainer is part of a new effort by the Army to make sure these items do n't end up in the trash . For the first time the Army , which runs Arlington National Cemetery , is collecting many of the items left on the graves , cataloging them according to what grave they were left on and storing them for posterity . Before this effort began late last summer , most of the items were thrown away . Some cemetery employees tried to gather some special mementos , but no record was kept about what graves those items came from . Now , curators from the Center of Military History are making sure a thorough record is kept . `` We are going by , grave to grave , on a weekly basis recovering items that have been left and then we basically put these items into a database and photograph the grave , '' Gainer said . Read about the demanding work of Arlington 's burial crews . Then the mementos are put into plastic bags with a note card with the date of collection , the fallen service member 's name and the grave number . Not everything is saved . Perishable items like food or flowers are left on the grave . But if a note is attached , it 's collected and saved . A plain pebble on top of a headstone will be left alone , but if someone has written or painted something personal on the stone , it will be saved . They even save some of the empty beer and liquor bottles that often turn up next to the headstones . And on some graves , like that of Pfc. Kenneth Zeigler , nothing is disturbed . Zeigler 's mother asked the Army not to collect anything off his grave and the curators gladly respect her wishes . There was a case where some items were collected from a grave , but the family did n't want the items moved , so the center returned the materials to the family . The curators also pay attention to when the materials are left . If they are birthday cards and a birthday is approaching , they will usually leave them . But if the birthday has passed , they will collect them . While Gainer does this job every week , some things still get to him . Like a poem left on Cmdr. Phil Murphy-Sweet 's grave that reads : . `` In Arlington , a small white stone there , . a small white stone , three little pebbles , . an inscription , and a patch of green grass . That 's where he 'll stay . He should be home laughing with kids or still serving his country . But instead , he stays there . '' The poem is signed `` Jeanne and Lelila Musgates . '' But it 's unclear why it was left on Murphy-Sweet 's grave . Were they relatives , friends or just patriotic Americans who wanted to remember a fallen soldier ? Once the poem and all other mementos have been collected , catalogued and saved , the Army secretary will decide what will be done with them . They may become part of a museum exhibit . Or maybe , someday , a historian will go through them to teach about the two wars .
|
Most fallen soldiers of current wars are buried in Section 60 . People leave personal mementos , including cans of beer and hot sauce . Army making effort to ensure the mementos do n't end up in trash .
|
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|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- There is good reason to hope that Israel has been paying attention to Central America in the past year . In the event that it has not , it might fall on the U.S. to give Israel a crash course . Israel is not the only small , open country whose recent actions have alienated much of the world . Last June , the Honduran military expelled Honduran President Manuel Zelaya at gunpoint , unleashing a tragic series of events including human rights abuses , economic contraction and international isolation . Late last month , Israeli commandos killed nine activists seeking to breach the Gaza maritime blockade with a humanitarian aid shipment , and the international community reacted with horror . After both events , officials in power in Israel and Honduras resorted to similar narratives : The world misunderstood them and underestimated the threats they faced . These government accounts expanded the distance between each country and the world , demonstrating that real change will not come while the leaders promoting these narratives remain in power . In Honduras , the coup prompted an unprecedented international rejection ; in Israel , international reproach has mounted over time , with the flotilla attack providing the most recent justification for anti-Israel rhetoric . In both countries , the sitting governments explained that the world did not fully grasp the perilous , external threat they face -- in Honduras , chavismo -LRB- the left-wing ideology associated with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez 's government -RRB- ; in Israel , the existential threat of Hamas and Iran . Both countries , despite increasing international criticism , remain heavily dependent on U.S. recognition and support . Rejection from other countries hurts , but they can withstand it so long as they have backing from the United States . After last year 's coup , the Honduran political establishment closed ranks , widely supporting Zelaya 's illegal expulsion as a defense of the rule of law and the defeat of chavismo . Then-de facto President Roberto Micheletti bristled at the international community 's condemnation , at one point declaring the secretary general of the Organization of American States unwelcome in Honduras as anything but a tourist and feeding pro-Micheletti demonstrators anti-OAS chants . To rally his supporters , Micheletti consistently painted Honduras as the victim and refused to cede ground . The first signs of a similar reaction after the flotilla raid appeared quickly in Israeli political discourse . The Israeli government 's media office circulated a spoof video of flotilla activists singing `` We Con the World , '' for which they later apologized . Now , Israel has rejected calls for an international inquiry into the raid , instead unilaterally appointing a panel that could focus attention on the activists ' bellicosity rather than Israeli soldiers ' use of lethal force . But the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu 's government can hardly be described as gaffes or mere blindness to world opinion . Rather , they reflect a deliberate effort to drum up domestic support . Such propaganda plays to the Israeli suspicion that the entire world is , more or less secretly , anti-Semitic , making it impossible for the Jewish state to receive a fair hearing . By playing to these primal fears , rooted at the core of Zionist historical consciousness , Netanyahu is able to rally much of the nation behind him , while making himself virtually impervious to domestic criticism . Micheletti has not paid the price for his misdeeds , and neither will Netanyahu , but Honduras has and Israel will . While Micheletti received amnesty and a lifetime congressional salary , even a new election and the creation of a truth commission has not enabled Micheletti 's successor , Porfirio Lobo , to re-establish ties with most of Latin America . As Lobo 's recent exclusion from international summits in Madrid and Lima illustrates , Honduras continues to suffer the economic and political effects of isolation . Similarly , in Israel , the flotilla incident may have heralded the demise of Israel 's only healthy relationship in the Middle East . Reacting only hours after the incident , Turkey 's prime minister , Recep Tayyip Erdogan , said that Israel 's actions were `` totally contrary to the principles of international law , '' branding them as `` state terrorism . '' Ankara also immediately rejected Israel 's commission , threatening to review its Israel policy if Israel does not accept an international investigation . Like Micheletti , Netanyahu can likely withstand the current crisis by turning his back on the storm of international criticism and celebrating Israel 's avowed defense of its sovereignty against Islamist extremists . Netanyahu knows that Israel 's backers in the U.S. are much stronger than those of a country like Honduras , where Obama 's administration could be more assertive without provoking as much domestic backlash . Right before a midterm U.S. election , Netanyahu is banking on the Obama administration not reacting strongly against Israel . In fact , the United States predictably shielded Israel from harsher United Nations Security Council condemnation and has expressed preliminary support for Israel 's internal inquiry . The United States ultimately played a similarly unhelpful role in Honduras , removing pressure at a critical moment for Zelaya 's reinstatement as a condition for recognizing the November elections . This act paved the way for the Honduran Congress 's landslide rejection of Zelaya 's restitution . Much as last year 's crisis in Honduras could not end with Micheletti in the presidential palace , it is hard to imagine peace coming to Israel with Netanyahu in power . But the more important lesson for Israel that Netanyahu should learn from the Honduran crisis may be that unjustified state violence , and government defenses of these actions , prevents even a renewal in leadership from compensating for these errors . In short , Israel will pay a longer-term price for its government 's deplorable reaction to the flotilla attack . But , even if Netanyahu fails to take note of the lessons issuing from Central America , President Obama should not . The United States should change its tack , reject Israel 's recent actions and remind it that a special relationship with the U.S. is not carte blanche for human rights violations . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Daniel Altschuler and Fredrik Meiton .
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Daniel Altschuler , Fredrik Meiton see similarities in Honduran coup , Israeli flotilla attack . After each , they say , both governments said world did n't appreciate threats they faced . Such defenses expanded distance between each country and the world , pair says . They say Israel will pay price for its flotilla attack reaction , U.S. should reject recent actions .
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LA PAZ , Bolivia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Heads of South American nations lent support Monday night to President Evo Morales of Bolivia , who says opposition leaders are trying to overthrow his government . Indigenous people from El Alto , Bolivia , take part in an anti-U.S. demonstration in La Paz on Monday . Confronting their first crisis , members of the four-month-old Union of South American Countries voted to create a commission to support Morales ' democratically elected government , said President Michelle Bachelet of Chile . She read a nine-point statement on Chilean TV that calls for the support of human rights and democracy and the preservation of Bolivia 's territorial integrity . The statement condemns any attempts to overthrow the government . It also said the new commission would investigate a reported massacre in the Bolivian state of Pando , where violent clashes killed 30 people last week . Those clashes pitted supporters of eastern governors who want autonomy against the central government . The South American leaders also urged dialogue to address disputes in Bolivia . Morales attended the emergency meeting of the union , which is modeled on the European Union and aims to politically and economically integrate South American countries . The president is poised to approve the start of negotiations between his leftist government and opposition leaders of five provinces who demand greater autonomy and the cancellation of a constitutional referendum that would give the president more power . The opposition also is angry over tax money that Morales is diverting from the provinces to fund elderly programs . Morales said the opposition leaders are trying to overthrow the government . `` This is a coup in the past few days by the leaders of some provinces , with the takeover of some institutions , the sacking and robbery of some government institutions and attempts to assault the national police and the armed forces , '' Morales said . Opposition leaders say they merely want their demands met . Police kept order Monday during a march by about 2,000 pro-government groups opposed to the violence in the provinces . The demonstrators marched past the U.S. Embassy in La Paz . Morales expelled the U.S. ambassador to Bolivia last week , blaming the American government for inciting the violence . The United States called the accusations `` false and baseless '' and said Bolivia was making a `` grave mistake . '' Most of South America 's leaders attended Monday 's emergency summit , with the exception of President Alan Garcia of Peru . Protest leaders asked to attend the summit in Santiago , Chile , but it was limited to heads of state . The protests started 21 days ago in Pando , Beni , Santa Cruz , Tarija and Chuquisaca provinces . The opposition groups have blockaded major roads and threaten to disrupt the nation 's natural gas shipments , particularly to Brazil and Argentina . Anti-government protesters also have clashed with police and taken over offices and buildings in the five provinces . Watch some of the violent demonstrations across Bolivia '' Much of the violence has taken place in Pando -- Morales declared martial law there Friday . On Monday , supporters of Morales , or his so-called militias , were gathering in Santa Cruz , and threatening to encircle the city , stoking fears that blood could be shed there . In Pando , it was reported that arbitrary arrests were taking place as the military took to the streets . Houses had been broken into and shot up , and civic leaders were fleeing to Brazil . It was uncertain , meanwhile , whether the Bolivian military remained solely behind Morales . Some signs of divisions had been seen within the military . Opposition leaders say they will not negotiate if there are any more deaths . Vice President Alvaro Garcia said the government will not negotiate about the dead citizens but will rigorously pursue those responsible for the killings . There are conflicting reports over who killed the 30 peasants . Opposition leaders say the peasants were ambushed by local forces . The government says the peasants were armed and initiated the firefight . The opposition has offered to lift the blockades as a goodwill gesture , but the government demanded that the protesters also relinquish the buildings and other property they have seized . Morales , Bolivia 's first indigenous president , was elected in December 2005 . CNN 's Ione Molinares and Journalist Martin Arostegui contributed to this report .
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NEW : Bolivian president to return home to approve negotiations with provinces . South American nation have met to discuss violence in Bolivia . At least 30 people killed during past week of protests . Violence is centered in the eastern province of Pando .
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QINGDAO , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Another round of toasts and exclamations of `` hajiu '' sounded out around me . I took a sip and set down my small glass of Tsingtao beer as my new friends downed theirs and refilled . Our seafood dinner , perched on the single cluttered table of a tiny antique shop , was punctuated regularly by such moments . A worker operates the giant fermentation units at the Qingdao Brewery plant in Qingdao . I joined in happily , although somewhat bemused , at each increasingly beery celebration of our host , the worldly Captain Jau . My company , a gathering from four regions of China , was engaging me in Chinese drinking etiquette , in the city of Qingdao . A few drinks in the People 's Republic of China led me to discover European delights and other unexpected finds in this modest city . You 'd be forgiven for not knowing where Qingdao -LRB- pronounced Chingdao -RRB- is . The Chinese city in Shandong province does n't roll off the tongue as easily as Beijing , Shanghai , or even Xi'an . The 2008 Olympics gave it a place on the map as China 's sailing hub ; no longer a secret that holiday-making officials could keep for themselves . But my American spell-check does n't recognize it -LRB- which says more about my spell-check -RRB- , and you can still find pre-Cultural Revolution manhole covers . So what is it about this city that seduces the unassuming traveler ? Nestled on the coast of Shandong province , almost exactly halfway between its big sisters , Beijing and Shanghai , Qingdao features as a handy pit-stop on East coast itineraries . It boasts great infrastructure , a charming climate , alfresco eateries , good coffee , sandy beaches , German history , international hotels , a brand new airport and even a famous brewery . Qingdao could pass itself off as a miniature Seattle if it were n't for the fact that pretty much no one outside of the five-star hotels speaks English , and that communism still articulates itself through the tourist beaches , stoically named Number One to Number Six . `` In mainland China , Qingdao 's history is uniquely international ; in fact , more of the city 's cultural identity is wrapped up in its German colonial past than even its prominent role in the emergence of Daoism '' said Eric Blocher , editor of the English-language magazine Red Star . `` The local culture bureau once joked to us that Qingdao is a ` cultural desert ' , because it does n't have the dynastic lineage of Nanjing or Xi'an , or opera for that matter , '' Blocher said . `` But that 's not what makes a city livable , or even fun -- if your office is in downtown , you 're never more than five minutes from a protected beach ; there 's always excellent seafood close at hand ; you can buy China 's best beer fresh , for 10 cents a pound , and walk around drinking it out of a plastic bag . '' Following this key advice , I visited Qingdao during the International Beer Festival in late August , an event aimed largely at a domestic Chinese market . The West knows beer . China does not . The annual Beer Festival aims to change this . While the bright lights and myriad beers flowed , one thing was obvious : this was for the tourists . True Qingdaonese people are fiercely proud of Tsingtao beer , produced just down the road on Beer Street , and little else is drunk here in homes or bars . Pijiu , beer in Mandarin , is hajiu in Qingdaonese , the regional dialect . When in doubt , this does as well for a toast as anything else . Indeed , there is no better way of celebrating an occasion than by toasting the guest of honor with a bag of fresh beer . If I was the guest of honor at Captain Jau 's table , I certainly was n't living up to expectations . Particularly not for my self-appointed etiquette guardian and `` pure Qingdao boy , '' Loukas . As I raised my glass for a sip and Loukas jumped to toast the good weather for the nth time , it all became clear . In Qingdao , a beer glass is never raised without a toast . This serves three -LRB- frankly ingenious -RRB- purposes ; beer is drunk in unison ; beer is n't consumed too rapidly , since constant toasting would ruin conversation ; and everyone finds ways to honor each other for the purposes of toasting . Captain Jau was particularly in favor of the latter as our eccentric host was made subject of most cheers , likewise teaching us the salutations he had learned from the many foreign guests he had cooked for . From the French `` salut ! '' to the German `` prost ! '' to the Turkish `` serefe ! '' Most popular of all was homegrown `` hajiu ! '' Alcohol is enjoyed throughout China . Microbreweries are yet to catch on here like they have in Japan and Singapore . For now Tsingtao holds the monopoly , and Qingdao 's people are n't complaining . The Tsingtao Brewery , founded in 1903 by German settlers , confiscated by the Japanese in 1915 , turned over to state ownership in 1949 and finally privatized in the early 1990s , has witnessed a colorful history . The largest stakeholder , Anheuser-Busch , recently sold majority ownership to Japanese Asahi Breweries . Residents are the first to introduce you to their biggest export . Outside every shop is a barrel or two of Tsingtao , with a ream of clean plastic bags ready to be filled with cheap 3.5 percent beer . Tsingtao beer tastes crisp and sweet -LRB- most likely from rice mixed in to cut down on the cost of barley . It is bought by the pound and weighed to prevent gaseous volume manipulation . A pint , when sold in this method , costs around 1.5 renminbi , or 22 U.S. cents . Beer is a way of life here and has been ever since the Germans arrived and erected tree-lined avenues , red-roofed houses and a brewery . The Germans are gone but the beer stayed . And with it , three hajiu-loving generations tell you about their happy memories . `` When I was little , buying beer was one special job I did for my dad every summer day , '' explained Irene Cheung over a fresh bag of beer . `` I was the little girl proudly and carefully carrying the plastic bag home . '' It is easier to identify Qingdao by what it is not -- smoggy , crowded Beijing , or nightlife hub Shanghai -- than what it is or hopes to be . This may be the very reason why Qingdao remains largely unvisited by the West . And while there may not be much more than good weather , food and beer to keep you content , that may just be enough to hop on the three-hour flight from Hong Kong , or the one hour 20 minute-journey from Beijing or Shanghai . Following Olympic-based investment , more than 3,000 factories have sprung up in the airport suburbs . You can source anything from shoes to jewels to Durex condoms among the largely Korean-owned industries . If these things are n't up your street , head elsewhere ; like functionally named Beer Street , Bar Street , or my personal favorite , Coffee and Tea Craft Street . `` We used to have to put on parties so that there would be material to justify an English-oriented lifestyle magazine , '' editor Blocher said . `` Now we have trouble keeping track ! '' Check out English-language newspaper Red Star , for informative listings and an insight into the growing English-speaking population that has stumbled upon and stayed in Qingdao .
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Qingdao is located in northeast China , north of Shanghai . The city hosts a beer festival and is home to distinctive European architecture . The Tsingtao Brewery was founded in 1903 by German settlers .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Six-year-old Falcon Heene was cowering inside the attic above his family 's garage . Falcon Heene , to the left of his father Richard , said he was yelled at earlier in day for playing in balloon . He had gotten in trouble several hours earlier for playing inside the family 's homemade helium balloon and told his 10-year-old brother Bradford that he planned to sneak inside . Richard Heene , the boys ' father , had walked away for just a minute when the tether became undone , causing the balloon to begin floating miles above the house , he told CNN 's Wolf Blitzer as he sat next to his family on Thursday 's broadcast of `` Larry King Live . '' It shocked the couple , who began arguing and screaming , trying to figure out what happened . The balloon -- a family experiment for the couple 's anniversary -- was not supposed to go higher than 20 feet above the ground , Mayumi Heene said . The eventual goal , her husband said , was for the balloon to hover over the ground and help ease commutes . But as the balloon continued to drift higher and further out of sight , the family 's worries grew . Watch the family describe how balloon ordeal unfolded '' As police , the National Guard and the media scrambled to figure out what happened , Falcon ran into the attic above the garage . `` The reason why I went up there -- my dad yelled at me , '' Falcon Heene said . `` He did n't want me to play in the flying saucer . '' His parents , meanwhile , frantically searched anywhere they could think of . `` We searched any place , even small drawers , '' Mayumi Heene said . `` We searched his friends ' houses . ... We went through any possible place . '' Falcon , meanwhile , was playing inside a box in the attic . His parents shouted his name as they ran through the house . `` Uh-huh , '' the boy said , when asked whether he heard them . His parents both appeared surprised and asked why he did n't come out . `` You guys said we did this for the show , '' the boy said . When his father was pressed about what his son meant , he became uncomfortable , finally saying he was `` appalled '' by the question . He added Falcon was likely referring to all the media coverage . Authorities say they believe the case was genuine . Watch Richard Heene react to son 's comment '' Richard Heene said his family grew even more frantic after they could n't find him in the house . They thought he was inside the balloon or had fallen out at one point . Then , as millions worldwide watched , the balloon touched down . `` They said he was n't in there , '' Richard Heene said as he began to tear up . `` You know , I just kind of lost it at that point . '' They knew he was n't aboard the balloon , but speculation grew that Falcon may have been inside a separate basket that was attached at the bottom . Fearful , the family gathered in house , trying to gain their composure . `` We were sitting on the couch , -LSB- and -RSB- some of the folks were in the room trying to help us calm our nerves , '' Richard Heene said . `` And my wife , I heard her scream . Falcon came around the corner . I dropped to my knees . I screamed , you know , here he is . He is safe . And he 's alive . It was a great moment . '' Richard Heene said his son Falcon has done things like this before -- just not on such a grand scale . `` Whenever we tell him things like , you know , it 's a bad thing to do , he does go and hide , '' he said . He said that he normally knows his kid 's hiding spots , but not this time . `` He scared the daylights out of us , '' Richard Heene said . After a couple of hours of time to cool down , he sat down and talked with his son . `` I just asked him to please never do that again . ''
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Falcon Heene said he went in attic because he had gotten in trouble earlier . Dad said he `` lost it '' when he saw balloon land without his son inside . Family searched small drawers , friends ' houses in case he was hiding . `` I dropped to my knees , '' father said when boy emerged from attic .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Education Secretary Arne Duncan has spent the past couple days backpedaling from comments he made Sunday suggesting that Hurricane Katrina was good for New Orleans ' failing schools . But , while he 's apologizing for poor word choice , his comments echo a truth spoken by many in New Orleans . `` It was a dumb thing to say , and I apologize , '' Duncan said Tuesday . In a Sunday broadcast of TV One 's `` Washington Watch with Roland Martin , '' Duncan was asked about the progress New Orleans schools have made since Katrina hit in 2005 . He replied : `` This is a tough thing to say , but let me be really honest . I think the best thing that happened to the education system in New Orleans was Hurricane Katrina . That education system was a disaster , and it took Hurricane Katrina to wake up the community to say that ` We have to do better . ' '' Excerpts of the interview were released by the show Friday . Shortly afterward , numerous networks and newspapers picked them up , sparking the controversy that continued once the remarks were broadcast . Friday evening , Duncan called New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin to explain what he meant , his office said . Duncan said Tuesday that he regrets what he said but insisted that the storm motivated the city to reinvest in its children like never before . `` I said it poorly . And my point was very simple . Hurricane Katrina was a devastating , devastating tragedy . The progress we 've seen subsequent to that has been absolutely remarkable . The teachers , the principals there are working so incredibly hard , '' Duncan said . `` Almost all the students missed three months , four months , six months . I talked to students who missed more than a year off school , and yet they came back . And in a short amount of time , four years , they came back , subsequent to the devastating tragedy . Amazing progress . And I just tip my hat to the hard work there . I was simply trying to point out how impressed I am , the remarkable commitment and the sense of urgency . '' Several Louisiana officials defended Duncan 's remarks . The state 's superintendent of education , Paul Pastorek , said , `` I know it 's a strong statement , but it 's actually quite accurate . It was a pathetic system before the storm . '' Paul Vallas , superintendent of the Louisiana Recovery School District -- a special program administered by the state with the aim of boosting underperforming schools -- noted that `` local people have said that time and time again . '' Duncan said in the TV One interview that New Orleans in the past `` was not serious about its education '' but called the school system 's reform since Katrina `` unbelievable . '' Duncan has made several trips to New Orleans since becoming education secretary one year ago . His most recent was October 15 . Regarding that city , Duncan said , `` What this is about was this huge sense of urgency . And folks understood you had to literally build from the ground up . ... I just want to do whatever I can to continue to support the remarkable , remarkable progress . '' Education is a priority in the Obama administration , as evidenced by the president 's proposed 2011 budget , released Monday , which would increase federal education spending by 7.5 percent , or $ 4 billion . Duncan is using federal dollars to promote reform in state and local school systems . He also is overhauling former President George W. Bush 's Elementary and Secondary Education Act , better known as the No Child Left Behind Act . But Tuesday , he said , `` We talk about the growth of No Child Left Behind , and New Orleans is a prime example . Is it where it needs to be ? No . Still , clearly , it 's a long journey , a long ways to go . But the progress has been amazing . ''
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Arne Duncan said hurricane was best thing to happen to city 's failing schools . He apologizes for word choice but stands by sentiment . `` The progress we 've seen ... has been absolutely remarkable , '' he says . Many Louisiana education officials echo his thoughts .
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Rome , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- About a dozen Italian women have posted an open letter to the pope on the internet in which they claim to have had intimate relationships with priests and urge the church to abolish celibacy for Catholic clergy . The letter was posted on an Italian online forum in March but was not picked up in the media until Global Post , an international news website , reported on it this week . `` The priest , like every human being , needs to live with his kindred , to experience feelings , to love and be loved , and also to conform deeply with another , something which he is hardly willing to do for fear of exposing himself to danger , '' the letter says . The group calls celibacy a man-made law that needs revisiting and adapting to the times . `` We wonder if , like all man-made laws , at a certain time , in a certain historic time , it is not the case to discuss it again and change it or even , as we hope , completely abolish it . '' Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi had no comment on the matter Friday . The letter was endorsed by about a dozen women , only three of whom signed their names . One of them is Stefania Salomone , 42 , a single office manager who lives in Rome and said she had a close relationship with a priest for five years . The relationship was not sexual but platonic , Salomone told CNN Friday . The two were in love , she said , but when the priest admitted his love , he ended their relationship . Salomone said she was aware of the limits of the relationship when it began , but it was very painful to be `` cast aside because of a sense of shame '' felt by the priest . She said she knows of about 40 women who were or are in special relationships with priests . Some are lovers , others `` special friends , '' she said . There are many more throughout Italy , Salomone said . Of those 40 , about a dozen of them endorsed the idea of the letter , and some even helped her write it , Salomone said . But only three were willing to have their names associated with it , she said . Another one of the signatories to the letter is Antonella Carisio , who Salomone said had a sexual relationship with a Brazilian priest . In another posting on the website on which the letter appears , Carisio talked about her affair with the priest , saying they spent a lot of time together and slept together at her house . The women decided to write the letter after hearing the pope restate the church 's position on celibacy in March , she said . `` We decided that it was -LRB- time -RRB- to make our reality known , '' Salomone told CNN . `` We wanted to tell everybody that we exist and that we are no longer willing to always be silent about it . '' The issue of priestly celibacy is not much debated in Italy , she said , but she said that 's precisely the problem . A priest is `` just a man like everyone else . This is a good thing . And he should not be deprived of his right to a relationship . '' Salomone said she has not heard from the Vatican about the letter and does n't expect to . `` I do n't really care , to be honest . They are so preoccupied with other things at the moment . The important thing is to call attention to this problem . '' CNN 's Hada Messia contributed to this report .
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Women post open letter to pope urging abolition of celibacy . Authors claim to have had intimate relations with clergy . Women call celibacy a man-made law that needs revisiting . Vatican has no comment .
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Hoh Indian Reservation , Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For the Hoh , life centers on the silver waters just off their reservation . Throughout the tiny Native American tribe 's history they have lived and fished on the westernmost point of Washington state where the river that shares their name meets the Pacific Ocean . According to the tribe 's legends , the Hoh were created on the river by K'wati or the `` Changer '' in what the tribe refers to as the `` Time of the Beginnings . '' In Hoh lore the tribe were `` upside down people , '' who walked on their hands and struggled to throw fishing nets with their feet . K'wati , the legend goes , righted them and taught the tribe to live from fishing the river and ocean . Those same waters now threaten the tribe 's future . For tribe member and treasurer Amy Benally , the danger can be seen on the doorstep of her family 's home that has stood at the mouth of the river for nearly a century . Benally grew up there with 12 members of her family . Now the home is a gutted wreck from repeated flooding . At first the waters took out the garage and the small building Benally 's grandfather used to smoke fish . Then the family had to flee upstairs . `` We 'd see the waves and the logs coming , '' Benally said standing in the musty ruin of the home . `` We 'd stand out here on the porch , and my grandfather would get mad at us and tell us to come back into the house . It was pretty scary . '' Although the lowlands where her family lived were always prone to flooding , Benally said the water rises more often now . `` It never used to be this bad , '' she said . `` The river 's changed . '' Ernest Penn , the tribe 's fish and wildlife officer , is a constant presence on the river and sees the difference too . Cruising up the river in his boat , Penn showed where heavy rains caused a landslide , where erosion changed the river 's bank and where , pointing to a stretch of water , a `` big pasture used to be . '' The flooding is no small problem for a tribe of just under 300 people who occupy a reservation only one square mile in size . Several homes have been abandoned , other homes and the tribe 's community center wear permanent necklaces of sandbags to keep away floodwaters . There is little room for new buildings and even where there is it 's unlikely they could be put up -- more than 90 percent of the reservation is in the flood plain , according to tribal leadership . There are no clear culprits for the tribe 's woes . According to Spencer Reeder , the Washington Department of Ecology 's lead strategist for climate change policy , the increased flooding could be due to a combination of factors including global warming , logging upriver and cyclical weather patterns that have brought heavy rains . According to a department study , the coast where the Hoh live could see an additional rise from climate change in sea levels of as much as 3 feet over the next century . Already , when the reservation floods , the water comes up with terrifying speed . Baseball games have been interrupted , said Penn. `` We 'll be waist deep on the ball field . '' Last year , Penn decided to move away from the reservation . `` I got two little kids , what if the river came up around them ? '' To rescue the tribe 's future the Hoh leadership decided to move most of the reservation to higher ground and purchased new land for the expansion . Before they begin building homes though , the Hoh are waiting for Congress to pass a bill that places 37 acres of national park land in a trust for the tribe . The tribe would not be able to develop that land , but the grant would mean that tribe members will continue to live on one piece of land and help the Hoh obtain funding for new housing . According to a spokesman for Rep. Norm Dicks , the Washington state Democrat who sponsored the bill , Congress is expected to vote on the measure by the end of the year . For Tribal Chairperson Maria Lopez , the move away from the water wo n't come soon enough . `` We are ready to move , we are ready grow , '' Lopez said looking out at the coastline where a major fault line sits . Tribal lore talks of an earthquake and giant wave that devastated the Pacific Northwest coastline 400 years ago . `` What would happen , '' Lopez asked , `` if a tsunami comes while we are here ? ''
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Hoh tribe of Washington state weary of constant flooding . Several homes have been abandoned , other structures have permanent sandbags . Tribe will move most of reservation to higher ground , new land has been purchased .
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Rome , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Visitors to a popular tourist destination in Rome should soon get their first look at a once-formidable world that has been hidden from public view for nearly 2,000 years . For the first time , the Colosseum plans to let visitors explore an underground corridor that has previously been off limits . It 's a place where gladiators once prepared for battle and lions and tigers were caged before entertaining a bloodthirsty public , architect Barbara Nazzaro of the office of the Rome Archaeology Superintendent told CNN . The Colosseum plans to open the underground section in August . In the underground maze of tunnels , the Romans kept `` every type of exotic animal that they were able to bring here , '' including rhinos and snakes , Nazzaro said . Elephants and other animals could walk freely without scraping their head on the ceiling -- with plenty of room to spare . Completed in 80 A.D. , the Colosseum once held 50,000 to 60,000 people and reached an impressive 130 feet in height . It was constructed with enough stone to build a 15-story building , though less than half of the structure now remains , said Nazzaro . For more than 400 years , wealthy and poor alike attended ultra-violent spectacles in the Colosseum , including executions which often concluded with fights between Roman warriors . There were four floors , each dedicated to a specific class , according to colosseum.net , a website dedicated to amphitheaters and coliseums around the world . The upper floors were for the lower classes and women , while the lowest was for the most prominent citizens , sitting just above the underground passageways . The more gore and blood , the happier and more involved people became , Nazzaro said . `` It is difficult to understand nowadays . '' Listed as one of the seven wonders of the world , the Colosseum requires the equivalent of more than $ 860,000 a year -LRB- 700,000 euros -RRB- to maintain , according to the archaeology superintendent 's office . Opening the underground corridor for the public will coincide with an extensive restoration of the Colosseum , the office said . It will cost an estimated $ 2.5 million -LRB- 2 million euros -RRB- to open the new attraction to tourists . Yet restoration plans do n't stop there . Efforts to find sponsors to help fully restore the entire Colosseum , including more of the underground section , are underway . That could cost the equivalent of another $ 40 million -LRB- 32 million euros -RRB- , officials said . The Colosseum attracts an estimated 4 million tourists a year and generates roughly $ 38 million -LRB- about 30.5 million euros -RRB- in revenue from such things as ticket sales and souvenirs , according to the archaeology superintendent 's office .
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Colosseum plans to open underground corridor in August . Gladiators once prepared for battle in passageways . Animals also kept in underground section .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Having trouble pronouncing an Italian word ? If you sit on the Supreme Court , consult an expert . On Monday , Justice Sonia Sotomayor was announcing the court 's opinion in Krupski v. Costa Crociere SpA -LRB- 09-337 -RRB- , a lesser-known appeal dealing with the scope of the right to file an amended lawsuit to correct a mistake in a party 's identity . The newest justice was having trouble pronouncing the name of the cruise ship company at the center of the case . Costa Cruises is a British and American-owned firm based in Genoa , Italy , where it is registered as Costa Crociere SpA . The appeal involved passenger Wanda Krupksi , who tripped over a cable and fractured her leg in 2007 aboard the Costa Magica . At issue was whether Krupski should have sued Costa Cruises or Costa Crociere SpA in federal court . The justice writing the majority ruling typically announces the decision from the bench in a public session , with a brief oral summary that supplements the official written opinion . That 's where the fun began . Sotomayor needed help and knew exactly where to turn . `` Costa Cruises responded that she should have sued a related company called Costa ... I 'm going to ask my colleague Justice Scalia to say it right , '' Sotomayor said . `` Kroo-chee-ER-ay , '' said Scalia , who is of Sicilian descent and has written a book on how lawyers can shine verbally when presenting their appeals before judges . `` Kroo-chee-ER-ay , '' the first Hispanic justice slowly but correctly repeated . `` I want to put the Spanish accent on it . '' Sotomayor has privately told friends that she was pleasantly surprised when joining the court at how friendly and collegial her benchmates have been , welcoming her to their exclusive club . Scalia is among the most verbally adept justices , peppering his bench remarks with humor and well-reasoned legal conclusions . His father was a professor of Romance languages in Queens , New York . Sotomayor , meanwhile , was honored over the weekend in the Bronx , where she grew up . She visited her grade school and then attended a ceremony at the Bronxdale Houses public housing project . It has now been renamed the Justice Sonia Sotomayor Houses and Community Center . She was visibly moved when talking about growing up there and meeting the late Robert F. Kennedy , who had come there in 1958 to tour the projects . The justice , who turns 56 this month , also gave the commencement address at Hostos Community College , where her mother graduated with a nursing degree in 1974 . It has primarily served the Spanish-speaking community in New York . By the way , in the Crociere case , the high court ruled unanimously for Krupski . `` Costa Crociere should have known that Krupski 's failure to name it as a defendant in her original complaint was due to a mistake concerning the proper party 's identity , '' Sotomayor said , with admirable pronunciation .
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Newest high court justice gives oral summary of cruise ship case . She turned to fellow justice for pronunciation of Italian company . Sotomayor was also honored over the weekend in New York .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A police officer in Tucson , Arizona , asks that local law enforcement be exempt from enforcing the state 's new immigration law in a lawsuit filed in federal court on Thursday . Officer Martin H. Escobar claims in the suit that the law will `` seriously impede law enforcement investigations and facilitate the successful commission of crimes . '' He also says there are no `` race-neutral criteria or basis to suspect or identify who is lawfully in the United States , '' including a person 's proximity to the Mexican border , linguistic characteristics and capabilities , skin color , clothing worn or the type of vehicle driven . The law , signed by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer on April 23 , allows police to ask anyone for proof of legal U.S. residency . Brewer and others who support the law have said it does not involve racial profiling or any other illegal acts . `` Racial profiling is illegal , '' Brewer said after signing the bill . `` It is illegal in America , and it 's certainly illegal in Arizona . '' Read the complaint -LRB- PDF -RRB- . But Escobar 's suit says the law `` is the product of racial bias aimed specifically at Hispanics '' and places every Hispanic within the state at risk of losing his or her constitutional rights . Brewer , Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard , the city of Tucson and Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall are named in the suit . Escobar asks that local law enforcement be exempt `` from engaging any immigration stops , questioning , detention , citing or any law enforcement activity reserved to the federal government . '' Escobar , 45 , is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Mexico and immigrated with his parents when he was 5 years old , attorney Richard M. Martinez said . Tucson Police Department spokesman Sgt. Fabian Pacheco declined to comment on the case because city policies prevent employees from discussing pending litigation . But he said Escobar has worked for the department since 1995 and patrols Tucson 's south side . Martinez said his client has spent years working to break down barriers between the Police Department and the predominantly Hispanic community . `` All this law does is put the barrier back up . ... It takes away trust and the rapport and relationships , '' he said Thursday . Spokespeople for Brewer and Goddard did not return requests for comment .
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Law allows police to ask anyone for proof of legal U.S. residency . Lawsuit says law will `` seriously impede law enforcement investigations '' Suit says there are no `` race-neutral criteria '' to determine who in the U.S. lawfully . Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer says law does not involve racial profiling .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Granddaughter of Thor Heyerdahl , Josian will join the Plastiki during the voyage . The 26-year-old scientist thinks she will miss a hot shower while aboard but is thrilled by the prospect of the unknown on the adventure . Read her answers to our questionnaire , below . CNN : What did you want to be when you were young ? Heyerdahl : Biologist and theatre costume designer . CNN : What 's the one characteristic that has led you to where you are today ? Heyerdahl : Curiosity . CNN : Who inspires you ? Heyerdahl : Sylvia Earle , my grandfather Thor Heyerdahl and grandmother Liv Rockefeller . CNN : What 's the most important lesson you 've learned about yourself from the Plastiki project ? Heyerdahl : Believe in dreams . CNN : What 's your biggest hope for the expedition ? Heyerdahl : To have exciting sightings of the marine life that I hope to be a part of saving . CNN : At what point would you define the Plastiki a success ? Heyerdahl : The Plastiki is a journey of exploration and storytelling . The continual spread of the Plastiki 's message about using waste as a resource and the problem of plastic ocean pollution will be its success . CNN : What is your favorite sea creature ? Heyerdahl : Sea dragon and manta ray . CNN : When is the last time you personally used a plastic bottle ? Heyerdahl : I ca n't remember . CNN : What do you most value about nature ? Heyerdahl : Symbiotic relationships , speciation and adaptation for survival . CNN : What 's the one creature comfort you 'll miss most when you 're at sea ? Heyerdahl : Hot , fresh water shower . CNN : Name three books you will bring with you on the expedition . Heyerdahl : Not sure yet , I will have to tell you just before I leave . CNN : If you had to choose a theme song for the expedition , what would it be ? Heyerdahl : `` Love like a Sunset '' by Phoenix . CNN : What 's your favorite adventure film / book ? Heyerdahl : Alice in Wonderland . CNN : What 's your green motto ? Heyerdahl : The planet 's resources are finite . CNN : What 's the main emotion you 're feeling right now days before the launch ? Heyerdahl : Excitement for the unknown . CNN : What 's your biggest fear for the expedition ? Heyerdahl : Getting caught in a storm and what that will be like . CNN : What 's the first thing you 'll do when you reach Sydney ? Heyerdahl : Kiss the ground and drink champagne !
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Josian Heyerdahl will join the Plastiki during the voyage . Apprehensive about sailing in stormy weather , but excited by the adventure . The 26-year-old is inspired by her grandfather , Thor Heyerdahl .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The oil spill on the Gulf Coast has states and visitors bureaus working hard to keep the public updated and reassure beach-bound travelers . Here are some of the latest updates from destinations affected by the oil disaster : . Northwest Florida . Oil has affected sections of Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key beaches , according to the Pensacola Bay Area Convention and Visitors Bureau . Photos from the area showed patches of dark , syrup-like oil on the white sand . Pensacola Beach is open , but the waters from the Park West recreation area to the area just west of Portofino are closed to all swimming and wading until further notice because of large quantities of emulsified oil in shore waters and along the shoreline , the bureau said . `` The shoreline and water along Santa Rosa Sound on the north side of the island is still clean , clear and open for swimming , '' according to the bureau 's website . iReport : Share your photos of affected beaches . The beaches in Fort Walton Beach , Destin and Okaloosa Island are open to the public , and the air quality is good , according to the Emerald Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau , which represents the three destinations . `` Depending on the wind direction , tar balls may float ashore in Destin or Ft. Walton Beach later in the week , but cleaning crews are standing by , '' the bureau 's website said . Pebble-sized tar balls have been washing ashore on some beaches of south Walton County . The local health department has also issued a health advisory for the area stretching from the Miramar Beach Access eastward to the end of Topsail Hill State Preserve . All beaches remain open , according to the Walton County Tourist Development Council 's website . Meanwhile , small scattered tar balls and oil patches have affected Panama City Beach , but the beaches are open and the swimming is still safe , the area 's visitors bureau website said . `` Our sugary white sand beaches are open for the enjoyment of our guests and , as of now , we are seeing only intermittent impact , '' according to the bureau . iReport : A slick trip to Perdido Key . Dime-size to 5-inch tar balls continue to wash up in widely scattered areas of northwest Florida , but all of the state 's beaches remain open , according to Visit Florida , the state 's tourism corporation . Gulf Islands National Seashore . All of the Gulf Islands National Seashore sites , which are in Florida and Mississippi , are open , the National Park Service 's website said . But several spots have been affected by the oil spill . A health advisory is in effect from Walkover 23 on Pensacola Beach , Florida , to the west tip of Santa Rosa Island including Fort Pickens . This advisory extends to the Perdido Key area , including Johnson Beach . `` Because of significant quantities of oil in the water and coming ashore signage and flags advise visitors to not wade or swim in the water , '' according to the park . Gulf Shores and Orange Beach , Alabama . Gulf Shores and Orange Beach have experienced significant oiling , according to the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau . `` The beaches are open and visitors are still welcome to sunbathe and walk the beach , but we strongly suggest they swim in a pool or enjoy our many off-beach activities , '' the site said . The Alabama Department of Public Health has issued an advisory against swimming in waters off Gulf Shores , Orange Beach and Fort Morgan , and in bay waters close to Fort Morgan , Bayou St. John , Terry Cove , Cotton Bayou and Old River . Grand Isle , Louisiana . The oil 's biggest impact in Louisiana is on the portion of the coast from the mouth of the Mississippi River extending east , according to a state emergency website . `` Most of the Louisiana Gulf Coast , 70 percent , is unaffected by the oil spill and remains open for commercial and recreational fishing , '' according to the Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau website . Grand Isle has closed its public beach , the site said .
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Oil affects sections of Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key beaches . Some waters closed to swimming because of emulsified oil along the shoreline . All of Florida 's beaches are still open , including tourist hot spots Panama City and Destin . Health officials have issued advisory against swimming in Alabama Gulf waters .
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LONDON , England -- Tottenham have completed the signing of Germany Under-21 midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng from Hertha Berlin for a fee in the region of # 5.4 million -LRB- $ 10.8 million -RRB- . Midfielder Boateng , 20 , was voted Germany 's best young player in 2006 . Boateng , 20 , was voted Germany 's best young player in 2006 and made 43 appearances for Bundesliga club Hertha . `` In Germany he is regarded as one of the biggest talents , we recognised this and went in for him , '' said Tottenham manager Martin Jol . `` You could compare him with the likes of Aaron Lennon and Tom Huddlestone in that he is an exciting player for now and the future . He is an attacking midfield player , very strong and that is one of his main assets . '' Spurs saw off competition from Sevilla to make Boateng their seventh summer signing . `` It has been my ambition to play in England , I am 20 now and am about to quickly realise my dream , '' said Boateng . `` I know that Tottenham are a team who like to play offensive football . The club want to climb higher next season and I want to be a part of it . `` I watched the Premier League regularly in Germany , it is the most famous league in the world and I have always enjoyed it . '' E-mail to a friend .
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Tottenham complete the signing of Hertha Berlin star Kevin-Prince Boateng . The 20-year-old Germany Under-21 international signs for a fee of $ 10.8 million . Midfielder Boateng was voted the best young player in Germany last year .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Boeing says it has notified all 767 aircraft operators about cracks found on two American Airlines 767-300 planes , and by mid-July will recommend more frequent maintenance checks . American Airlines found the cracks in large pylons that hold engines onto the wings of two of its 767-300 aircraft , which Boeing currently recommends inspecting every 1,500 takeoff and landing cycles . `` Boeing will recommend decreasing the number of flight cycles between inspections of the pylon mid spar fitting from every 1,500 flight cycles to possibly as low as every 400 flight cycles , '' the company said late Wednesday . About 260 planes constructed in the same manner as the damaged American Airlines aircraft could be affected by the recommendation , Boeing said . American Airlines spokesman Tim Wagner said the problem was first discovered on one of its 767-300s about two weeks ago during a maintenance check targeting other parts of the aircraft . The airline then found cracking on one more 767-300 after inspecting a total of 56 aircraft -- 767-300 and 767-200s -- a process American Airlines completed Monday night . `` We found these issues when it 's best to find them , which is early on , '' said Wagner . The airline has sent the first damaged pylon to a metallurgy lab to try to determine why it cracked . `` Until that metallurgy testing is completed no one knows what the cause is , '' said Wagner . The damaged planes were among American 's older aircraft , Wagner added . American flies Boeing 767-300s on international routes as well as long-haul domestic routes . The 767-200s fly primarily transcontinental routes . Airlines have previously found similar cracks at the holes where the pylon attaches to the wing , which led Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration five years ago to recommend checks every 1,500 cycles . At that time , when the FAA issued an airworthiness directive it said , `` We are issuing this -LRB- directive -RRB- to prevent fatigue cracking in the primary strut structure and reduced structural integrity of the strut , which could result in separation of the strut and engine . ''
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American Airlines found cracks on two 767-300 aircraft . Boeing says it will recommend more frequent checks of 767 aircraft . Cause of cracks is still unknown , testing is underway . About 260 planes could be affected by the recommendation .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- If you find yourself asking `` where 's the beef ? '' you may have a case of the Mondays . Meatless Monday is an increasingly popular movement in which carnivores cut out meat one day a week for health and environmental reasons . The campaign started in 2003 as a nonprofit public health initiative of The Monday Campaigns , in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future in Baltimore , Maryland . But aside from the alliteration , why meatless and why Monday ? `` Studies suggest we are more likely to maintain behaviors begun on Monday throughout the week , '' according to the Healthy Monday public health campaign . Research compiled by the initiative suggests going meatless conserves water , reduces carbon footprints and lowers intake of saturated fats . `` You certainly do n't need to eat meat to get protein . Meat is an important part of your diet , but you do n't need to eat it every day of the week , '' Ralph Logiscli , director of the Healthy Monday Project , told CNN . On April 12 , Johns Hopkins Hospital 's cafeteria began offering only vegetarian options in its Wellness Corner on Mondays . `` If you think chili needs meat , you do n't know beans , '' touts a promotional poster featuring the cafeteria 's chef , Shawn Fields . There are vocal critics . When Baltimore City Public Schools adopted Meatless Mondays last year as a way to cut costs , conservative commentator Glenn Beck deemed it an indoctrination of children to vegetarianism and veganism and decried it as an over-extension of governmental control . `` Americans love our steaks , we love our chops , we love our burgers , and you 'll throw me in jail , my last meal will be a giant steak , '' Beck said . J. Patrick Boyle , president and CEO of the American Meat Institute , wrote the movement was `` depriving children and their parents of the ability to determine what is appropriate for their diets and their own personal circumstances . '' The concept of Meatless Monday is not new . During World War I , the U.S. Food Administration called for `` Meatless Mondays '' and `` Wheatless Wednesdays '' to aid war effort . It told the public that `` Food Will Win the War '' though the effort to reserve food to be shipped to American servicemen abroad . The rise of the meatless movement during the past year is speculated to be part of the `` Oprah Effect '' and has drawn some major celebrity supporters . Food activist and author of `` The Omnivore 's Dilemma , '' Michael Pollan , announced on `` The Oprah Winfrey Show '' in April 2009 that he participates in the phenomenon and urged viewers to do so . `` To the extent we push meat a little bit to the side and move vegetables to the center of our diet , we 're also going to be a lot healthier , '' he said . Celebrity chef and cookbook author Katie Lee publicly participates in Meatless Mondays , often offering up her meat-free eats on her Twitter -LRB- @katieleekitchen -RRB- account . `` Delicious lunch on a meat-free Monday at Sant Ambroeus ... arugula salad w / shaved parmesan and spaghettino arrabiata , '' she wrote in a recent Tweet , and Gwyneth Paltrow 's GOOP newsletter shared vegetarian recipes from the perennially star-studded Mr. Chow restaurant . In June 2009 , even a Beatle got in on the `` all you need is vegetables '' action . Sir Paul McCartney and his daughters , Stella and Mary , launched Meat Free Monday in the United Kingdom to raise awareness about the climate-changing effects of meat production and consumption . `` Having one designated meat-free day a week is actually a meaningful change that everyone can make , that goes to the heart of several important political , environmental and ethical issues all at once , '' Paul McCartney , a long-outspoken vegetarian , said . `` For instance it not only addresses pollution , but better health , the ethical treatment of animals , global hunger and community and political activism . '' It 's not just the glitterati getting in on the action ; entire cities are promoting a weekly meat hiatus . San Francisco , the home of local food evangelists such as chef Alice Waters , became the first official Meatless Monday city in the United States on April 7 . The city 's Board of Supervisors approved a resolution pushing for more vegetarian offerings on Mondays , without requiring them . Whether Meatless Mondays prove in the long run to have any palpable effect on the environment or individual health as Earth Day celebrates its 40th anniversary , it 's certainly food for thought .
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A growing movement encourages people not to eat meat on Mondays . Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is associated with the project . Michael Pollan , Katie Lee and Paul McCartney are big supporters of Meatless Mondays .
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-LRB- Ars Technica -RRB- -- In an attempt to raise awareness of disaster preparedness , the American College of Emergency Physicians has teamed up with casual games publisher and developer Legacy Interactive to create `` Disaster Hero . The game , which is being funded by a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency -LRB- FEMA -RRB- , will aim to educate players on the different types of disasters and how to be prepared in the event that they happen . In the game , players will take on the role of the titular Disaster Hero as he visits different families , helping them prepare for various disasters including earthquakes , floods , hurricanes and tornadoes . The game itself will consist of a mish-mash of genres , covering everything from time management and puzzles to quizzes and hidden object scenes . Players will also get to experience `` simulation gameplay , '' which aims to teach them usable skills , such as applying pressure to stop bleeding . `` This project to develop an educational program for children using a game platform will be a unique approach to teaching kids to have an active role in home disaster planning , '' ACEP President Dr. Angela Gardner said . `` ACEP is pleased to partner with many other stakeholders representing teachers , schools , daycare centers and youth organizations in the development of this program . '' The Web-based game is expected to launch sometime next year . COPYRIGHT 2010 ARSTECHNICA.COM .
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The game will aim to educate players how to be prepared for different types of disasters . `` Disaster Hero '' is being funded by a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency . The Web-based game is expected to launch sometime next year .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Paraguay booked a place in the last eight of the World Cup for the very first time in their history at the expense of Japan but only after a dramatic penalty shoot out in Pretoria . Japan 's Yuichi Komano missed the crucial spot kick and Paraguay striker Oscar Cardozo was the man to seal the game with the winning penalty , as his side triumphed 5-3 . Neither side created many chances during 120 minutes of disappointing football , though Japan 's Daisuke Matsui hit the crossbar and Paraguay forced goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima into a couple of smart saves . In the end , Paraguay held its nerve from 12 yards to make it to the quarterfinals , where they will face the winners of Tuesday 's other last 16 clash between Spain and Portugal . After a quiet opening 20 minutes at Loftus Versfeld Stadium Paraguay fashioned the first opening when Lucas Barrios got into the area and forced Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima into a good low save . Seconds later , Daisuke Matsui struck the bar from 25 yards with a looping shot . Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz was the next to go close as he latched onto a loose ball in the area but he dragged his shot wide . Five minutes before halftime Japan created a chance for Keisuke Honda after Matsui squared the ball to him on the edge of the box . He elected to shoot , and sliced his shot wide , when Yoshito Okubo was unmarked to his left . Chances were few and far between for the rest of half as Japan sat deep and made themselves difficult to break down . After the break Nestor Ortigoza worked his way into the penalty area but failed to get a shot off before Cristian Riveros flashed a header right at Kawashima . Japan defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka went close with a header from a corner but both sides struggled to open each other up . As the end of 90 minutes loomed both sides retreated , more than happy to sit back rather than launch men forward , and the game duly went into extra time . Paraguay pressed forward after the restart and substitute Edgar Barreto tested Kawashima with a header , before the ` keeper had to dive at Nelson Valdez 's feet to prevent him scoring . Honda then forced Paraguay ` keeper Justo Villar into a save with a free-kick . In the second half of extra time Japan came close to a winner when Yuto Nagatomo 's cross was met by Honda but Villar saved , but the game went to penalties . The first six penalties were converted before Komano smashed his shot against the crossbar . Then Cardozo held his nerve to clinch the game .
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Paraguay beat Japan to book a place in the last eight of the World Cup . South American side won 5-3 on penalties after a goalless game . Japan 's Yuichi Komano missed the crucial penalty . Paraguay will now face either Spain or Portugal in quarterfinal .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A suspected Russian spy is missing after being arrested in Cyprus and released on bail , a police spokesman told CNN Wednesday . Authorities arrested Robert Christopher Metsos , 55 , in Larnaca after an Interpol `` red notice '' was served on him , Cypriot police said Tuesday . Police said he was released on bail pending further proceedings but was told not to leave the country and was ordered to check in nightly with police . He did not check in Wednesday and police are searching for him , a spokesman said . Metsos is among 11 suspects in an alleged Russian spy ring in the United States . At the time of his arrest , he was traveling on a Canadian passport and was about to board a flight to Budapest , Hungary . Metsos faces extradition to the United States . His disappearance came two days after the U.S. Justice Department announced the arrest of 10 people on charges of being Russian agents involved in a long-term mission in the United States . Five of the suspects appeared in a New York courtroom on Monday . Four of the five , including a longtime U.S.-based columnist for the Spanish-language El Diario newspaper , were advised of their rights and ordered held due to flight risk , with their next hearing scheduled for Thursday . The other defendant , identified in a court document as Anna Chapman , was denied bail . No additional hearings have been scheduled . The Russian Foreign Ministry said the suspects committed no actions directed against American intereststhe and the arrests are `` unfounded and have unseemly goals . '' `` We do not understand the reasons why the U.S. Department of Justice has made a public statement in the spirit of the Cold War , '' said a statement on the ministry 's website . `` Such incidents have occurred in the past , when our relations were on the rise . In any case it is regrettable that all these things are happening on the background of the ` reset ' in Russian-U.S. relations announced by the U.S. administration . '' Russia 's prime minister , Vladimir Putin , said American police were `` out of hand '' but expressed the hope that relations would not be harmed . `` I hope the positive developments that have been accumulated recently will not be damaged , '' Putin said . On Wednesday , Assistant Secretary of State P.J. Crowley said the State Department had no plans to expel any Russian diplomats over the matter . `` I 'm not projecting any diplomatic consequences other than the good will that we hope will be there going forward to continue to focus on the issues where we agree and work constructively on the areas on which we disagree , '' Crowley said , adding that officials throughout the State Department had been in touch with various levels of the Russian government to discuss the issue . `` As we 've made clear -- and as I think officials in Moscow have made clear -- we are going to work as hard as we can to move beyond this and continue to focus on the many issues with which we have common interest , '' Crowley said . `` Our focus is on the process going forward . '' The Justice Department said the suspects were supposed to have recruited intelligence agents , but were not directly involved in obtaining U.S. secrets themselves . They were charged with acting as agents of a foreign government , and nine also were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering . The charges include conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the U.S. attorney general , a crime that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison , the Justice Department said . Conspiracy to commit money laundering has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison . The case resulted from a multiyear investigation conducted by the FBI , the U.S. Attorney 's Office for the Southern District of New York and the Justice Department 's National Security Division , according to a Justice Department statement . The 11 suspects were charged in two separate criminal complaints . CNN 's Terry Frieden , Jill Dougherty , Michael Schwartz , Arkady Irshenko , Elise Labott and Carol Jordan contributed to this report .
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NEW : Suspect gone after missing Wednesday check-in with police . NEW : Suspect faces deportation to United States . NEW : State Department has no plans to expel Russian diplomats .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Yasuni National Park in Ecuador 's Amazon region is thought of as the most biologically diverse forest in the world . Covering around 1 million hectares of rainforest in eastern Ecuador 's Amazon region , it is home to an abundance of plant and animal life . Dr. Kelly Swing leads the Tiputini Biodiversity Research Center responsible for cataloging the area 's amazing array of flora and fauna . Swing has worked in the region for more than 30 years . One of the biggest problems his team faced was spotting the plant life and animals in the deep forests , home to more than 20 threatened or near threatened species . The answer came in 2005 with motion-detecting and heat-sensing cameras , which have captured 28,000 images of many rare animals included curassows , ocelots and pumas . While many species may be barely visible , the biggest unseen threat to the area 's survival is from the rich resources of oil buried deep beneath the forest floor . Nearly 1 billion barrels of crude oil are thought to be under the northwest section of Yasuni , worth an estimated $ 10 billion . In 2007 , the Ecuadorian government made an offer that the oil would not be extracted on the condition that developed nations compensated them half of the money that the country would have earned through extracting the oil . The money , it says , would go toward social services for the local and indigenous populations of the area as well as to research into renewable energy technology . `` It 's something that will set an example for other areas that have the same condition that we have . There are about 9 or 10 countries that could use this example , '' said Ivonne Baki , lead negotiator for Ecuador . Yet some believe that Ecuador is holding a priceless piece of the Amazon to ransom . Ecuador 's vice president , Lenin Moreno , believes otherwise . `` The Ecuadorian people are making the biggest sacrifice here because they are letting go of around $ 3.5 billion -- money which could be invested in the country 's development . ''
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Yasuni in Ecuador 's Amazon region is thought to be the world 's most biodiverse forest . Scientists in the area have used motion-sensing cameras to track rare animals . Threat to the area comes from huge oil reserves deep beneath the forest floor .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police in Norwalk , Ohio , are searching for a 17-year-old girl who has been missing since June 7 after trading text messages with her boyfriend that indicated the two were planning to run away together , police Sgt. Jim Fulton said Monday . Fulton said police believe Abbi Obermiller left her grandparents ' home on her own accord late on the night of June 6 , but said detectives are `` concerned '' that the situation may have changed and that there is a `` possibility she is in danger . '' He declined to elaborate on what information authorities have received that led them to believe her situation possibly changed . Investigators in the case have uncovered a series of text messages between Obermiller and her boyfriend , identified by police and by Obermiller 's parents as 20-year-old Robert Young of Norwalk , that appear to be coordinating when she would be picked up from her grandparents ' home in the early morning hours of June 7 , Fulton said . According to Fulton , Obermiller repeatedly sent messages to Young asking , `` How much longer ? '' At 12:45 a.m. June 7 , Young responded and told her to `` leave now , '' Fulton said . The last text message from Obermiller appeared to direct Young to her location , Fulton said . CNN could not immediately reach Young for comment Monday night . Young has denied knowledge of Obermiller 's whereabouts , according to police . Young has told police the messages were a week old and were sent over Memorial Day weekend while the couple coordinated a swimming date , Fulton said . However , other evidence indicates the couple were making plans to run away after Obermiller 's parents expressed disapproval of their relationship , Fulton said . Young was charged June 14 with obstruction of justice in the case for his failure to cooperate in the investigation , authorities said . A text message to one of Obermiller 's friends sent before her disappearance indicates Obermiller knew she would be going away . In it , she tells her `` bestest friend '' that she wo n't be able to talk for a while so `` do n't forget me , '' according to Fulton . And a note found in her grandparents ' home reads : `` I just could n't take any more of this drama , it 's not good for me . Love you all . Hope to see you soon . Love , Abbi , '' according to Fulton . Fulton also said one of Obermiller 's friends told police she saw Abbi wearing a wedding ring . `` We do believe that Bobby does know where she 's at , he just does n't want to tell us , '' Obermiller 's mother , Rose Obermiller , told HLN 's `` Prime News '' on Monday night . Rose Obermiller told `` Prime News '' that she initially approved of her daughter 's relationship with Young , but that Young 's behavior grew increasingly alarming . `` In the beginning he was a nice Christian boy , '' Obermiller said . `` He went to church , he was on the baseball team , he was on the basketball team -LRB- and -RRB- he really cared for Abbi . `` But as it went on , he was telling her , ` No I do n't want you to be class treasurer ; no , I do n't want you to go to New York with your choir ; no , I do n't want you to see these friends and relatives , '' Obermiller said . `` He was telling her what not to do . '' Fulton said Young has declined to take a polygraph test in the case .
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Abbi Obermiller last seen June 6 . Text messages indicate she was planning to run away with her boyfriend , police say . Boyfriend denies knowledge of her whereabouts . He has been charged with obstruction of justice for failure to cooperate in investigation .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After just two days of closed-door negotiations , the leaders who had gathered at the International Whaling Commission in Agadir , Morocco , announced no agreement was reached on the IWC chair 's proposal to improve whale conservation . Greenpeace did not support the proposal , but we had hoped governments would change it to become an agreement to end whaling , not a recipe for continuing it . It is particularly disappointing to me , because my professional commitment to end the whale hunt in my country of Japan -- which led to the exposure of an embezzlement scandal at the heart of the whaling industry -- has come at significant personal cost . The investigation I conducted with my colleague , Toru Suzuki , led to our arrests in front of banks of media outlets who had been told about it in advance . The homes of Greenpeace office and staff members were raided . Seventy-five police officers were deployed to handcuff two peaceful activists . We were held without charge for 23 days ; questioned for up to 10 hours a day while tied to chairs and without a lawyer present . We are now out on bail awaiting verdict and sentencing , expected in early September . If I can risk my future to bring the fraudulent Japanese hunt to an end , if whaling whistle-blowers are prepared to risk their lives to expose the corruption , how can it be that the IWC has yet again failed to take the political risk to pressure my government to end the scientific whaling sham ? Since the IWC 's moratorium on commercial whaling came into force in 1986 , Japan has continued to hunt whales under the guise of `` scientific research , '' making a mockery of the moratorium . By claiming that slaughtering thousands of whales , in waters designated a whale sanctuary no less , is a scientific experiment needed to understand whales , Japan has violated the spirit and intention of the moratorium as well as the Southern Ocean Whaling Sanctuary . Iceland and Norway have simply ignored the moratorium . Those two nations , together with Japan , have killed more than 30,000 whales since then . I have always opposed my country 's hunt , which is why I decided to join Greenpeace . While it may be an emotionally charged political issue outside Japan , domestically it barely causes a political ripple . In 2006 , Greenpeace decided to focus the bulk of its anti-whaling campaign in Japan to bring the issue home . Wholly funded by Japanese taxpayers , the whaling program has produced no peer-reviewed scientific research and has been repeatedly told by the IWC that the so-called research is not needed or wanted . All it has produced is a massive bill for the taxpayers and tons of surplus whale meat that the Japanese public does not want to eat . It has also produced endless rumors and allegations of corruption and mismanagement . Two years ago , following a tip from three former whalers turned whistle-blowers , my colleagues at Greenpeace Japan and I began a public interest investigation and discovered that indeed , corruption runs deep . All three whalers claimed that whale meat was routinely embezzled , with the full knowledge of government and whaling fleet operator officials . Greenpeace eventually intercepted one of nearly 100 suspicious boxes coming off the ships . Although its contents were labeled as cardboard , 23.5 kilograms of prime whale meat were inside , destined for a private address . On May 15 , 2008 , we handed over the box to the authorities , with additional evidence of the crime . Initially the Tokyo district prosecutor began to investigate . But we were eventually charged with trespass and theft of the whale meat , valued at nearly 60,000 yen -LRB- about $ 550 at the time -RRB- . We face from 18 months up to 10 years in jail for exposing the truth behind an industry that is financially , morally and scientifically bankrupt . The U.N. 's Human Rights Council on Arbitary Detention has ruled that our human rights have been breached and the prosecution is politically motivated . The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed her concern about our case . Amnesty International , Transparency International , two Nobel Peace Prize laureates , countless international legal experts , politicians and more than half a million individuals have raised their voices in opposition to the prosecution . We will be tried and sentenced in September , more than two years after we first exposed the corruption . But the scandal does not end there . Just last week , more allegations emerged that Japan engages in vote-buying and bribery to keep its whaling fleet in the water . And yet , the IWC continues to close its doors and ears to the reality of Japan 's commercial whaling . I came to Morocco in the hope that this , the International Year of Biodiversity , could mean an end to all commercial whaling , but I leave knowing that governments are only interested in taking strong public positions on whales but not in taking action to save them , not even behind closed doors . Mine and Toru 's political prosecution is a clear sign that Japan has no intention of easily letting go of its debt-ridden whaling program . There are too many vested interests inside the government . That is not surprising . What is more disappointing is that those vested interests have gone unchallenged by the IWC , the body set up to conserve whales . It may be surprising that in this day and age , and given the huge public interest in the issue , conversations about saving whales are held in secret . But the truth is that Japan 's whaling program relies on secrecy and corruption to stay afloat . After two years of negotiations , this year 's meeting could have been an opportunity for the IWC to actually move forward and end the status quo . But its collective failure means that 24 years after the establishment of the moratorium on commercial whaling , Japan , Iceland and Norway will continue again to hunt whales with impunity . I challenge the commission to throw open its doors and shine a spotlight on the corruption that is so evident , investigate all the allegations affecting the IWC that have been laid clearly before it on numerous occasions and realize that it is not only Japan 's international reputation that has been tainted by the failure in Agadir . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Junichi Sato .
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Junichi Sato , colleague face charges after finding corruption in Japan 's whaling industry . Sato : He and Toru Suzuki were held , questioned , often taped to chairs , for 23 days . Sato says Japan uses guise of `` scientific research '' to slaughter whales . Sato : As IWC does nothing , Iceland , Norway and Japan kill 30,000 whales .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Since assuming the role of executive director of the Black Coaches and Administrators -LRB- BCA -RRB- in 2001 , my most frequently asked question has been : `` What is the reason for the lack of black head football coaches in the NCAA ? '' My answers were always objective , not subjective . I focused on the facts . The numbers spoke the truth . Today , we 're immersed in the afterglow of a remarkable seven-day collegiate football hiring span . From Dec. 7 through 13 , three new head football coaches of color were appointed on the BCS -LRB- Bowl Championship Series -RRB- level : Turner Gill -LRB- Kansas -RRB- , Charlie Strong -LRB- Louisville -RRB- and Mike London -LRB- Virginia -RRB- . The earlier November selections of Larry Porter -LRB- Memphis -RRB- and Willie Taggart -LRB- Western Kentucky -RRB- elevated the number to five in the current 2009 FBS hiring cycle . We have 13 -LRB- 11 African-American -RRB- head football coaches of color among the 120 FBS -LRB- Football Bowl Subdivision/IA -RRB- schools . We are experiencing a watershed of success after a sordid history of disappointments . When the BCA released the initial report card in 2003 , the FBS had only three head football coaches of color . One year ago , only four African-Americans were head coaches in the FBS . It was the lowest total in 15 years . By the conclusion of the 2008/2009 hiring cycle , the number had risen to nine . BCA report cards revealed increases in the number of people of color brought in for official interviews , but , in reality , the hiring remained abysmal by any acceptable standard . Anyone desiring to become a head football coach on the FBS level had a lesser chance statistically than those seeking to become head coach in the NFL or in NCAA basketball or even a general in the U.S. Army . At the minimum , the number of minority head football coaches should be closer to 20 percent of the opportunities . My statement to college presidents , which accompanied the release of our most recent hiring report , called for the administrators to `` stand up for justice and not block its path . '' Finally , it appears the labors of those who have so painstakingly tended to the tree of opportunity for minority football coaches have finally produced the first significant harvest of delicious fruit . What happened to cause the change ? No single event or group is fully responsible ; it is a collaboration of voices and actions on the issue . I equate it to the steady and deliberate pounding on a huge rock that finally cracks . While the last blow finally splits the rock to the core , all the strokes that preceded it contributed to the break . I believe the BCA has played a significant role in the exposure of the collegiate football hiring issue dating back to the late 1980s . The production of the annual hiring report card and distribution of capable candidate lists has brought awareness , knowledge and accountability to the search and hire process . Dr. Richard Lapchick -LRB- DeVos Sports Business Program -RRB- has produced multiple reports and studies pertaining to the diversity and inclusiveness of all of collegiate sports and , specifically to football . His call for an `` Eddie Robinson '' rule on the collegiate level , similar to the National Football League 's Rooney rule , is heard . The Rooney rule requires that at least one minority candidate be interviewed when a new head coach is appointed . The executive office of the NCAA , led by the strong advocacy of its late president , Myles Brand , has been significant in voice and funding for this change . The vice president of diversity and inclusion , Charlotte Westerhaus , has provided successful professional development under the NCAA Expert Forum -LRB- Academy -RRB- for football . The five recent hires are alums of the Expert Forum programs . The strong voice of retired NFL head football coach Tony Dungy is being heard . When Tony speaks , the people listen . He has the resume and the platform to state the case for the equitable hiring issue . His expertise and credibility is unquestioned . Winning is always important . Coaches of color are experiencing success . For the first time in history , three current coaches of color will take FBS teams to a bowl game : Randy Shannon -LRB- Miami/Champs Sports Bowl -RRB- , Ken Niumatalolo -LRB- Navy/Texas Bowl -RRB- and Kevin Sumlin -LRB- Houston/Armed Forces Bowl -RRB- . Two of the past three Super Bowl champions have been coached by African-Americans African-Americans -LRB- Dungy and Tomlin -RRB- . The current success of the Indianapolis Colts with Jim Caldwell as head coach is further testament . The Division IA Athletic Directors , led by president Dutch Baughman , recently adopted an `` Acceptable Standards '' policy to create a prescribed and appropriate standard to administer the business of intercollegiate athletics . Specifically , the intention was to reaffirm a commitment to ethical procedures in the search and hiring process . The recent passage of the state of Oregon 's House Bill 3118 was very significant . Initially , this bill was spearheaded by the concerns of a private citizen , Sam Sachs , to the Oregon legislature . Oregon has adopted legislation similar to the NFL 's Rooney Rule for all state colleges as a guideline for hiring in athletics . It appears that up to eight additional states will strongly consider similar legislation . Finally , nothing is more significant than the positive effect of seeing the highest office in our country and , for that matter , the entire world occupied by an African-American . President Obama 's position and success as a national and world leader speaks volumes . Most of the messages from my office have criticized a process that has progressed slowly , if not begrudgingly , toward equity . Today , I can honestly say our college presidents and athletics directors are standing up for justice and not blocking its path . It 's important that we be able to continue to make this statement on a regular basis . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Floyd Keith .
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Floyd Keith says NCAA colleges are beginning to hire coaches of color . He says after years of failure , the advocates of diversity are succeeding . Keith says victories by teams coached by African-Americans have helped . Advocates have worked hard to set the groundwork for the changes , he says .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Finland has become the first country in the world to declare broadband Internet access a legal right . The move by Finland is aimed at bringing Web access to rural areas , where access has been limited . Starting in July , telecommunication companies in the northern European nation will be required to provide all 5.2 million citizens with Internet connection that runs at speeds of at least 1 megabit per second . The one-megabit mandate , however , is simply an intermediary step , said Laura Vilkkonen , the legislative counselor for the Ministry of Transport and Communications . The country is aiming for speeds that are 100 times faster -- 100 megabit per second -- for all by 2015 . `` We think it 's something you can not live without in modern society . Like banking services or water or electricity , you need Internet connection , '' Vilkkonen said . Finland is one of the most wired in the world ; about 95 percent of the population have some sort of Internet access , she said . But the law is designed to bring the Web to rural areas , where geographic challenges have limited access until now . `` Universal service is every citizen 's subjective right , '' Vilkkonen said . Should fast Internet access be everyone 's legal right ? It is a view shared by the United Nations , which is making a big push to deem Internet access a human right . In June , France 's highest court declared such access a human right . But Finland goes a step further by legally mandating speed . On the other hand , the United States is the only industrialized nation without a national policy to promote high-speed broadband , according to a study released in August by the Communications Workers of America , the country 's largest media union . Forty-six percent of rural households do not subscribe to broadband , and usage varies based on income , the study found . In February , the U.S. Federal Communications Commission is expected to submit a national plan to Congress . The FCC says that expanding service will require subsidies and investment of as much as $ 350 billion -- much higher than the $ 7.2 billion President Barack Obama 's economic stimulus package has set aside for the task .
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Providers will need to supply connection speeds of at least 1 megabit per second . But Finland is aiming for speeds that are 100 times faster . 95 percent of Finnish population have some sort of Internet access . The law is designed to bring the Web to rural areas .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A health care town hall meeting in Florida on Thursday dissolved into bouts of heckling and violent pushing and shoving among attendees . A Tampa , Florida , health care reform meeting sparks noisy exchanges between attendees . The meeting in Tampa , which featured Democratic Congresswoman Kathy Castor and Florida State Representative Betty Reed , was another example of the tense battle lines that have been created in the passionate health care debate . Hundreds showed for the meeting at the Children 's Board of Hillsborough County , some carrying signs railing against President Obama 's proposed health care reforms . Hundreds more were not able to get into the meeting room . As Castor first began to speak , scuffles broke out as people tried to get into the meeting room . Parts of the congresswoman 's speech was drowned out by chants of `` read the bill , read the bill '' and `` tyranny , '' video of the meeting showed . Watch protests erupt at meeting '' At one point , an event organizer told the crowd , `` If pushing and shoving continues , we will have to clear the room . The police will make the decision if it is still safe . '' At times outside the meeting , people tried to drown out pro-Obama chants of `` Yes we can '' with chants of `` Just say no . '' Democrats have complained about similar demonstrations recently with White House spokesman Robert Gibbs accusing Republican groups of `` manufacturing '' public anger . Watch controversy over ` orchestrated ' protests '' Liberal groups have also started sending supporters detailed instructions on strategies to counter what they call organized disruptions of congressional health care town hall meetings . Conservative groups critical of Democrats ' overhaul proposals have created their own plans , sending out information such as links to search engines ; lists that relayed the locations of upcoming town halls ; confrontational questions to ask members of Congress and chants and slogans to use in and around the venues . Obama met Thursday with a key group of Democrats and Republicans at the heart of Senate negotiations . The president huddled behind closed doors at the White House with the so-called `` Gang of Six , '' three Democrats and three Republicans working to find middle ground on the issue .
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Scuffles , shouting mar health care town hall meeting in Florida . Members of crowd shout `` tyranny '' during discussion of proposed health care reform . Some Democrats claim conservative groups are `` manufacturing '' public anger . Conservatives admit suggesting confrontational questions to ask lawmakers .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One of the men killed in Monday 's coal mine explosion in West Virginia knew of the danger but did n't let it bother him , his family said Tuesday . The blast at the Massey Energy Co. mine in Montcoal , West Virginia , killed at least 25 miners ; four others are unaccounted for , officials say . The cause of the explosion had not been determined as rescuers worked Tuesday to bore ventilation holes into the Upper Big Branch Mine . Benny Willingham , 61 , a deacon in his church and the patriarch in his family , was among those killed , relatives told CNN 's John Roberts . `` He was a good man . I know everyone thinks that about their loved ones , but Benny truly was a wonderful man , '' Willingham 's sister Jean told CNN . `` He loved the Lord , and in church the other day , he thanked the Lord for saving his soul , and he thanked him for watching over him in the mines for over 30 years , and he said , ` If he takes me tomorrow , I 've had a good life , ' '' she said . iReport : Are you there ? Share photos , video . Her brother kept his affairs in order because of the constant risk of death , she said . Still , the accident shocked the family . `` It 's scary . It 's just really , really scary , '' Willingham 's granddaughter Tiffany Ellis said . `` My stepdad also does this , and this is just a wake-up call to me . I 've seen it happen before , but I never imagined I 'd be here today , telling my story about it . '' She said her grandfather stepped in to help raise her after her father walked out on the family years ago . `` I did n't have a dad ; my grandfather filled them shoes for me , '' she said . `` He spoiled me . Anything I wanted , his little girl got it . `` He taught me everything , from learning how to tie my shoes to driving , to learning the game about boys . He was always there to listen to my problems , whenever I had them . '' The families of the victims are not limited to bloodlines , according to Willingham 's relatives and other local residents . `` It 's a good community -- tight , '' his daughter Michelle McKinney said . `` We look after each other . We support each other . '' `` If you 're from here , you 're part of a coal mining family , '' Grace Lafferty of Harper told the Charleston Gazette newspaper . `` You know a lot of people who work here . It takes your breath away , your heart drops and you have that empty feeling . '' `` Coal mining gets in your blood , '' Willingham 's brother-in-law Bobby said . `` The camaraderie is like a sports team . There 's no love like the love among workers in coal mines . '' After hearing news that miners may be trapped , former miner Randy Cox told the Register-Herald newspaper in Beckley , `` I just got down on my knees and started praying that they were OK . '' Cox , of Arnett , West Virginia , mined coal for 18 years and now is disabled , the newspaper reported . `` I never was in a situation like that , but I have seen roof falls , '' Cox said . `` I 'm praying for them , and I hope this turns out OK . May God be with them . '' CNN 's Jim Kavanagh contributed to this report .
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Benny Willingham , 61 , kept his affairs in order , relatives say . `` If -LSB- God -RSB- takes me tomorrow , I 've had a good life , '' he said , according to sister . Granddaughter mourns for miner who `` taught me everything '' Mining communities are close as family , local residents say .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Solicitor General Elena Kagan , President Obama 's pick for the Supreme Court , has gone out of her way to avoid controversy during her legal career , but she can be seen and heard letting down her guard at times in videos posted on the Senate Judiciary Committee 's website . Kagan 's appearances at seminars , graduations and alumni dinners were recorded on video by the Harvard Law School , where she was dean . Highlights from the Kagan hearings . At a 2005 Harvard alumni awards dinner for Obama , then a U.S. senator , Kagan gushes over the man who would become president as `` her hero . '' Recalling how she witnessed his speech to the 2004 Democratic National Convention , Kagan says , `` He said a few words and the place was mesmerized . You could have heard a pin drop and that 's all in part because of these rock star qualities . The eloquence , the magnetism , the great looks , the brilliance . '' At the law school in 2005 , Kagan led a panel discussion in which former Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers was criticized as a `` stealth candidate . '' `` Here 's the first thing . How do you pronounce her name ? '' Kagan asked to cackles in the audience . Miers , whom President Bush selected for the high court , withdrew her nomination following complaints she lacked legal heft . `` Honestly , the Republicans have a little bit of reason , you know , to , you know , want to know better who this person is too , '' Kagan added . Kagan shows funny side . Kagan , who is known among friends for having a wicked sense of humor , is seen on another video taking some digs at an event honoring Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia . She jokingly said Scalia 's Harvard law degree was , in her view , the best thing about him . The dean was injecting some humor into a 2008 panel discussion that featured CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin . `` Of course Jeff 's greatest claim to fame is that he is my classmate , the HLS class of ' 86 . He 's my section mate , my study group mate , all right ? Jeffrey taught me everything I know about law ! '' Kagan joked to the audience . But her comments can also be serious . At a 2007 graduation ceremony for Harvard Law School graduates , she sharply criticized key members of the Bush White House over the administration 's secret wiretapping program . Signaling out former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and ex-chief of staff Andy Card by name , Kagan blasted the program to secretly eavesdrop on phone conversations involving terror suspects . `` This is a story , to put it bluntly , of some lawyers who failed to respect the rule of law and of others ... who stood up for and vindicated it , '' Kagan said , praising former Justice Department official Jack Goldsmith who opposed portions of the wiretapping program .
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Solicitor General Elena Kagan lets down guard in videos . Videos of Supreme Court nominee posted on Senate Judiciary Committee 's website . Videos show Kagan 's humor as well as nominee 's serious side .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- David Villa was Spain 's hero yet again as his goal helped them past Portugal and into the last eight of the World Cup with a 1-0 second-round victory in Cape Town . The Barcelona striker registered his fourth goal of the competition just after the hour as he stabbed a shot past Portugal goalkeeper Eduardo , putting him level with Argentina 's Gonzalo Higuain and Slovakia striker Robert Vittek as the South African tournament 's top scorers . It was just reward for Spain 's endeavor against a largely defensive Portugal team , who struggled to get Cristiano Ronaldo into a game between the neighboring European nations . Villa 's strike should have been added to but Euro 2008 winners Spain squandered a clutch of clear-cut chances . Vicente Del Bosque 's side will now face Paraguay in the quarterfinals on Saturday , after the South American side beat Japan on penalties in Pretoria earlier on Tuesday . Liverpool striker Fernando Torres nearly opened his account at the World Cup inside the first minute as he forced Portugal keeper Eduardo into a smart save . Torres ' strike partner Villa was the next to test the keeper , who beat away his low shot . Just four minutes later Villa 's near-post effort tested Eduardo again . Portugal 's first opportunity came in the 20th minute as Spain keeper Iker Casillas parried Tiago 's shot into the air before punching clear when striker Hugo Almeida tried to turn the ball home . Ronaldo tested Casillas with a free-kick from distance and the keeper spilled his powerful shot , before Almeida should have scored when he rose to meet Fabio Coentrao 's cross from the left . Five minutes after the break , Almeida burst down the left and his cross took a deflection off Carles Puyol and looped just past the post with Casillas beaten . Torres was taken off for Fernando Llorente just before the hour mark and the Athletic Bilbao striker almost scored with his first touch , but his header from point-blank range was saved by Eduardo . In the 63rd minute Spain made the breakthrough , with a goal made in Barcelona . Andres Iniesta found Xavi , whose flick found the Spanish champions ' new signing Villa -- and though his first shot was saved , he tucked the rebound home off the underside of the bar . Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos nearly made it 2-0 soon after but his low shot was brilliantly turned behind by Eduardo . Danny had half a chance to equalize as the ball broke in the area , but Joan Capdevila made a superb block . Seconds later Ricardo Costa was sent off for an apparent elbow on Capdevila , and the red card signaled the end of Portugal 's World Cup hopes .
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Spain beat Portugal 1-0 to make the quarterfinals of the World Cup . Barcelona striker David Villa scored the only goal of the game on 63 minutes . Spain will now face Paraguay in the last eight in Johannesburg on Saturday . Portugal defender Ricardo Costa sent off in the dying minutes for an elbow .
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New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For the first time in almost a decade , the Nathan 's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island will go on without its most recognizable face . Takeru Kobayashi , who took home six consecutive titles from 2001 to 2006 , will not be participating in the challenge this year because of a dispute with Major League Eating -LRB- MLE -RRB- , the association 's president , Richard Shea , said in a statement Monday . The organization describes itself on its website as `` the world body that oversees all professional eating contests . '' `` Takeru Kobayashi is currently not scheduled to compete in the 2010 Nathan 's Famous July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest , '' the statement said . `` Major League Eating has sought to arrive at an agreement with Kobayashi , but contract negotiations have reached an impasse . '' Kobayashi says he loves the contest and he would love to participate , but the contract is too restrictive . Speaking through an interpreter , he said that all his income is earned through competitive eating . He said the new contract required by the competition would bar him from competing elsewhere in the United States or Canada for a year . Hailing from Japan and weighing in at 160 pounds , Kobayashi , 31 , rose to frank-feasting stardom in 2001 when he devoured 50 dogs , shattering the previously held record of 25 1/8 . But in 2007 , having entered the challenge with a jaw injury , Kobayashi met his match in Joey Chestnut . Chestnut , of San Jose , California , downed 66 dogs to Kobayashi 's 63 that year . Kobayashi has not won the competition since . `` We respect his place in the history of our sport , '' MLE Chairman George Shea told CNN . `` Everyone will always remember him for ushering in the modern era of eating . '' Chestnut , the reigning wiener warrior for the last three years , gobbled a record 68 hot dogs in 2009 . Chestnut , who weighs 230 pounds , is currently ranked No. 1 in competitive eating by the MLE . For a hot dog to be counted as finished , competitors must consume both the hot dog and the bun . Currently ranked third , Kobayashi still holds world records for eating cow brains -LRB- 17.7 pounds in 15 minutes -RRB- , lobster rolls -LRB- 41 in 15 minutes -RRB- and rice balls -LRB- 20 pounds in 30 minutes -RRB- .
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NEW : Kobayashi says contract is too restrictive . Hot dog eating legend wo n't compete in July 4 contest . Kobayashi won titles from 2001-2006 . Negotiations with Major League Eating are at `` impasse ''
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CNN -- Spanish champions Barcelona have announced that striker Thierry Henry and midfielder Yaya Toure will leave the club before the new season . France international Henry scored four goals in 15 starts last season for the Champions League semifinalists , as he fell down the pecking order following the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and , last month , Spain star David Villa . The 32-year-old recently returned from the World Cup in South Africa after France failed to win a single game and make it past the group stage of the tournament . `` Right now , he needs to take a step forward . This implies that this coming season , Barca will not have to pay his salary , '' Barcelona director general Joan Oliver said of Henry , who has a year left on his contract . A World Cup winner in 1998 and a losing finalist four years ago , this year he played a minor role as a substitute as his career continued the decline that began with his departure from English club Arsenal three years ago . While contributing to Barcelona 's unprecedented treble in 2008-09 , capped by a Champions League title , he struggled with injury at times and was even usurped by younger players at the Nou Camp such as winger Pedro . Toure has also been told he can leave the club , with English side Manchester City reportedly favorites to reunite the 27-year-old with his brother and Ivory Coast international teammate Kolo . `` Barcelona director general Joan Oliver has said that the club has agreed the exits of Yaya Toure and Thierry Henry , '' a statement on the club 's website said on Tuesday . `` But at the moment the final moves are in their hands . In case of Toure , Oliver has recognized an understanding between the club interested in the midfielder , Manchester City , and Barca , but the transfer can not be made official yet . '' Henry has been strongly linked with a move to American Major League Soccer team New York Red Bulls in the past . He is a big basketball fan and is often seen with close friend Tony Parker of NBA side San Antonio Spurs when visiting the U.S. . In 2001 , Henry flew out to Philadelphia to help cover the NBA finals for a French television channel .
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France international Thierry Henry has been told he can leave Barcelona this summer . The 32-year-old has been strongly linked with a move to MLS side New York Red Bulls . Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure is also expected to leave the Spanish side . The 27-year-old is set to join his brother Kolo at English club Manchester City .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Congress delved Wednesday into the politically explosive issue of unmanned drone attacks , questioning the legality of operations increasingly used to combat al Qaeda and Taliban militants in countries such as Pakistan . In the eight years of George W. Bush 's presidency , unmanned aircraft -- or drones -- attacked militant targets 45 times . Since President Obama took office , the numbers have risen sharply : 51 last year and 29 so far this year . Most attacks have targeted suspected militant hideouts in Pakistan . While the United States is the only country in the region known to have the ability to launch missiles from drones -- which are controlled remotely -- U.S. officials normally do not comment on suspected drone strikes . Based on a CNN count , all of the 29 drone strikes this year have hit locations in North Waziristan and South Waziristan , along the 1,500-mile porous border that Pakistan shares with Afghanistan . Several top U.S. law professors debated the legality of the attacks in a hearing before the House Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs , the second such hearing held by the subcommittee within the past two months . `` The United States is committed to following international legal standards , '' said Rep. John Tierney , D-Massachusetts , the subcommittee 's chairman . `` Our interpretation of how these standards apply to the use of unmanned weapons systems will set an example for other nations to follow . '' The four legal scholars invited to testify , however , offered sharply contrasting views of what constitutes an acceptable legal standard . The biggest controversy appeared to surround the legality of strikes conducted by CIA operatives , as opposed to strikes by the U.S. military . `` Only a combatant -- a lawful combatant -- may carry out the use of killing with combat drones , '' said Mary Ellen O'Connell , a professor from the University of Notre Dame law school . `` The CIA and civilian contractors have no right to do so . They do not wear uniforms , and they are not in the chain of command . And most importantly , they are not trained in the law of armed conflict . '' O'Connell also said that `` we know from empirical data ... that the use of major military force in counterterrorism operations has been counterproductive . '' The U.S. government , she said , should use force only `` when we can accomplish more good than harm , and that is not the case with the use of drones in places like Pakistan , Yemen and Somalia . '' David Glazier , a professor from Loyola law school in Los Angeles , California , defended the drone attacks on the grounds that there is `` no dispute that we are in an armed conflict with al Qaeda and with the Taliban . '' That fact `` allows the United States to call upon the full scope of authority which is provided by the law of war . '' Glazier said there is `` nothing within the law of war that prohibits the use of drones . In fact , the ability of the drones to engage in a higher level of precision and to discriminate more carefully between military and civilian targets than has existed in the past actually suggests that they 're preferable to many older weapons . '' He conceded , however , that there are legitimate concerns about the CIA 's use of drones . CIA personnel are `` clearly not lawful combatants , -LSB- and -RSB- if you are not a privileged combatant , you simply do n't have immunity from domestic law for participating in hostilities . '' Glazier warned that `` any CIA personnel who participate in this armed conflict run the risk of being prosecuted under the national laws of the places where -LSB- the combat actions -RSB- take place . '' CIA personnel , he said , could be guilty of war crimes . William Banks , the founding director of Syracuse University 's Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism , said the U.S. government has engaged in targeted killings of individual combatants dating at least back to a 1916 border war with Mexican bandits . Banks said the authors of the 1947 National Security Act , which traditionally gives the CIA much of its legal authority , probably did n't contemplate the targeted killings tied to drone attacks . But the statute , he said , was `` designed as dynamic authority to be shaped by practice and by necessity . '' `` The intelligence laws permit the president broad discretion to utilize the nation 's intelligence agencies to carry out national security operations , implicitly including targeted killing , '' he said . U.S. laws `` supply adequate -- albeit not well-articulated or understood -- legal authority for these drone strikes . '' The American Civil Liberties Union sent a public letter to Obama on Wednesday that said the drone attacks are part of an illegal program authorized by the administration allowing suspected terrorists -- including Americans -- to be targeted and killed by U.S. operatives . `` The program you have reportedly endorsed is not simply illegal but also unwise , because how our country responds to the threat of terrorism will in large measure determine the rules that govern every nation 's conduct in similar contexts , '' ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero said . `` If the United States claims the authority to use lethal force against suspected enemies of the U.S. anywhere in the world -- using unmanned drones or other means -- then other countries will regard that conduct as justified . The prospect of foreign governments hunting and killing their enemies within our borders or those of our allies is abhorrent . '' Peter Bergen , a fellow at the New America Foundation , a nonpartisan group , suggested that the increase in drone attacks during the Obama administration is , in part , revenge for the bombing of a CIA base in eastern Afghanistan that killed seven Americans on December 30 , 2009 . `` The people who died in this suicide attack were involved in targeting people on the other side of the border , '' he said earlier this year . Long War Journal , an online publication that charts data for U.S. airstrikes against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan , says the air campaign `` remains the cornerstone of the effort to root out and decapitate the senior leadership of al Qaeda , the Taliban , and other allied terror groups , and to disrupt both al Qaeda 's global and local operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan . '' Such attacks , which have taken a civilian toll in many cases , have frequently caused tension between Pakistan and the United States . CNN 's Alan Silverleib contributed to this report .
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NEW : ACLU calls drone attacks part of illegal program for U.S. to target , kill terror suspects . Since President Obama took office , number of drone attacks has risen . U.S. law professors debate legality of such attacks during a House subcommittee hearing . Biggest controversy : legality of strikes conducted by CIA , as opposed to U.S. military .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Alan Alda almost died in 2003 . He was in a remote area of Chile , doing an episode of `` Scientific American Frontiers , '' and he developed an intestinal obstruction that came within hours of killing him . It was his good fortune that he survived the whole ordeal . Alan Alda rummages through his life in his new book , `` Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself . '' Some time later , after he 'd returned to the United States and resumed his acting career , he started digging through his house for old speeches and memorabilia . Decades ago , the existentialist philosophers brooded about life 's meaninglessness ; Alda wanted to find some meaning . `` As a lot of people do who are given a second chance at life , I find myself thinking about things like this , '' he says in a phone interview from New York . `` I notice a lot of people who go through that have a few more questions than they had before about their lives . '' It 's not like his life had been bad before he almost died . He 'd earned lasting fame as Hawkeye Pierce on `` M * A * S * H , '' received a variety of awards and nominations -LRB- including Emmy wins and an Oscar nod -RRB- and established a long-lasting , happy marriage and family . But there 's nothing like escaping death to concentrate the mind wonderfully -LRB- to paraphrase Samuel Johnson -RRB- . So , in the spirit of the examined life , Alda has put his thoughts -- derived from commencement speeches , advice and life experiences -- into a book : `` Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself '' -LRB- Random House -RRB- . `` What is my life adding up to ? '' Alda asks rhetorically . `` I want to feel satisfied that I 'm spending the time well . '' Slide show : Alda on some influences '' It may seem like an odd pursuit for a man with so many honors , but Alda took the quest seriously . One theme that comes up over and over again is fear : `` It 's one of the ways I feel alive , '' Alda says . That 's true for both his public speaking engagements and his acting roles , he adds . `` When you escape near disaster you feel great , so I set these little disasters up for myself . '' There was the first time he played Hawkeye , for example . `` I was standing , waiting for the word ` action ' to come out of a building for the first shot of the show , '' he recalls . But he 'd been rehearsing for days and was no closer to getting a handle on the character . In the end , he trusted his instincts . `` I just took a leap into it . ... Sometimes those leaps are the most valuable way to do it . '' Alda does n't diminish the impact of others . He pays tribute to a number of people in the book , from his father -- a well-known stage actor -- to such figures as actor Ossie Davis , scientist Richard Feynman -LRB- whom Alda portrayed on stage -RRB- and manager Martin Bregman . One Alda story , about actor Bert Convy , is revealing in a number of ways . To many , Convy -- if remembered at all -- is thought of -LRB- often derisively -RRB- as a game show host -LRB- `` Tattletales '' -RRB- or '70s TV guest star . But Convy was also a fine stage actor -- he starred in the original `` Fiddler on the Roof '' on Broadway -- and , Alda remembers , showed courage during the violence of the 1968 Democratic convention in helping free some demonstrators . `` He was an unlikely hero of mine , because he really risked a lot one night in Chicago , '' Alda says . `` He saved some people from possibly getting badly hurt , getting them out of jail . '' And Convy , like some of Alda 's `` M * A * S * H '' colleagues , is also an illustration of how performers get pigeonholed , a subject Alda has considered deeply . `` That 's what usually happens when you get well-known in one part ... which is why it really is fair for actors to get paid a lot of money on television , because it could be the last time you 'll see them . That one job for five or six years could turn out to be what their whole career is . '' There are also the pitfalls of celebrity itself , the blurring of boundaries between public roles and private life . Alda 's been beseeched by troubled people , asked to give talks at medical schools and been stared at in restaurants . The attention , he admits , can be disconcerting . `` People were always curious about actors , '' he says . `` But now it 's much more true . ... I think that 's partly because the need to sell papers and keep profits up have devalued things a little bit . '' He tries to use his fame to his advantage . When talking to a group of budding doctors , he told them that just because he played a doctor on television did n't mean he knew something about medicine -- but he did know something about being a patient . And he 's used his interest in science to encourage others , primarily through hosting `` Scientific American Frontiers . '' He loves science 's give and take -- its determination to not take hypotheses at face value -- and scientists ' pursuit of facts . He says he hopes others are similarly inspired . `` All of us depend on people being pretty rigorous about the way they see reality , and if we knew a little bit more about the way -LSB- scientists -RSB- work , I think we 'd be able to support them in some of the things they do that will benefit us , '' he says . So , for all of his own rigor , did Alda come to any conclusions about the meaning of his life ? He pauses . `` I think I come to some odd conclusions that sort of bring me back to where I was in the beginning , '' he says . He believes there 's more to that existential interpretation : `` I think that what they were constantly saying was that life is meaningless , except for the meaning you bring to it by the choices you make and the things you do . '' With that , Alda wraps up the interview . He has an appointment , he says in passing : His granddaughter has some work on display in a photography exhibit , and he does n't want to miss it . And that , he does n't need to say , means the world . E-mail to a friend .
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Alan Alda had near-death experience in 2003 ; new book is search for meaning . Book celebrates colleagues , examples they set . Alda uses fear of certain challenges to motivate himself .
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Johannesburg , South Africa -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A British journalist has been arrested in connection with the incident a week ago in which a fan entered the England football team 's dressing room during the World Cup , South African authorities announced Tuesday . Simon Wright , 44 , was arrested in Cape Town on Monday evening , the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure -LRB- NATJOINTS -RRB- said . He appeared in Cape Town magistrates ' court -- the dedicated World Cup court -- late Monday and was released on bail of 3,000 rand -LRB- $ 393 -RRB- . Wright is a senior reporter for the British tabloid The Sunday Mirror , and had the first interview with the fan after the incident on June 18 . The fan , Pavlos Joseph , was arrested after he entered the England dressing room following their goalless draw with Algeria . In the exclusive interview with Wright two days later , Joseph claimed he got lost while looking for the bathroom and then decided to confront the England team about their poor performance . Joseph is out on bail , having surrendered his passport , while he awaits trial on charges of trespassing . Wright will face charges of attempting to defeat the ends of justice and a contravention of the Immigration Act , providing false information to a place of accommodation , NATJOINTS said in a statement . Under the conditions of his bail , Wright had to surrender his passport to police and must report once daily to Cape Town police , NATJOINTS said . In the interview published June 20 , Wright wrote , `` As South African police hunted high and low for Pavlos , unaware of his name and scouring CCTV -LRB- surveillance camera footage -RRB- for his face , the man at the centre of it all was calmly sitting down to breakfast with the Sunday Mirror . ''
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British journalist arrested over World Cup fan intrusion . Simon Wright is senior reporter for The Sunday Mirror . Wright had first interview with fan after incident . Fan broke into England dressing room after July 18 match .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Shortly after President Obama tapped Stanley McChrystal in June 2009 to be the top commander in Afghanistan , CNN reported that McChrystal would never let a reporter in the room during classified morning meetings he led among senior military officers . McChrystal was known in Washington for his discretion . He kept a low profile , briefly interrupted by two major news events . The general was criticized for the way he handled the circumstances of U.S. soldier Pat Tillman 's friendly fire death in Afghanistan in 2004 . In 2006 , McChrystal was lauded for the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi , the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq . The media spotlight on McChrystal this week , however , may be the hottest in the general 's storied military career . On Tuesday , McChrystal flew from Afghanistan to Washington . His boss , President Obama , has asked the general to explain in person the derisive comments he and his aides made to a Rolling Stone reporter . The magazine 's profile on McChrystal , due out Friday , depicts an angry , snarky and foulmouthed general lambasting how the war in Afghanistan is being conducted . McChrystal does not directly criticize Obama in the article , but reporter Michael Hastings writes that the general and Obama `` failed from the outset to connect '' after the president took office . Sources familiar with their first meeting said McChrystal thought Obama looked `` uncomfortable and intimidated '' by the room full of top military officials , according to the article . The journalist writes that an unnamed aide to McChrystal mocks Vice President Joe Biden . `` Are you asking about Vice President Biden ? ' '' McChrystal says with a laugh . `` Who 's that ? Biden ? '' suggests a top adviser . '' ` Did you say : Bite Me ? '' McChrystal has n't denied the article 's accuracy . In a statement , he called his comments `` a mistake '' and apologized for `` poor judgment . '' The general has also fired a press aide over the article , two Defense Department sources told CNN . McChrystal , a West Point graduate and former Green Beret , was a senior official on the staff of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen . Between 2003 and 2008 , he was the commander of the highly clandestine Joint Special Operations Command , which oversees the military 's most sensitive forces , including the Army 's Delta Force . In 2009 , Defense Secretary Robert Gates asked for the resignation of Gen. David D. McKiernan , the former U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan . McChrystal would have `` fresh eyes on the problem '' in Afghanistan , Gates said at the time . McChrystal has pushed a counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan intended to empower the civilian population so much that the insurgency will slowly be demoralized , fractured and defeated . Part of that plan means a prohibition in some areas on lethal air strikes and other attack methods so that civilian injuries and deaths can be avoided . Some U.S. service members have been critical of the move , arguing that the rules have left them vulnerable . In a July 2009 interview with Time , McChrystal explained his approach . `` First thing is , if you take a very small area , you have to try and figure out what is going on in that area . ... It 's like knowing what is going on in your neighborhood , '' he said . `` Not just the traffic on the road , but how money is made , who is running rule of law , who do they go to when they have dispute adjudication -- do they go to a Taliban shadow court , a government of Afghanistan official entity ? '' '' ... You have to get at the attitudes of the people . And that is why I say you have to immerse yourself in it and understand it before you can confidently assess it , '' he told Time . Just who the man is behind the strategy is tougher to assess . `` He 's lanky , smart , tough , a sneaky stealth soldier , '' Maj. Gen. William Nash , a retired officer , told The New York Times in May 2009 . `` He 's got all the Special Ops attributes , plus an intellect . '' The Times reported that McChrystal thrives on a few hours of sleep a night and often eats only one meal a day . He has for years been an avid distance runner . When he did a yearlong fellowship at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York , he reportedly ran 12 miles a day from his home in Brooklyn to Manhattan . McChrystal 's last public apology came during his Senate confirmation hearing for the top post in Afghanistan . He said he was sorry for his role in the way the Pentagon handled Pat Tillman 's death . Tillman gave up an NFL contract to join the Army and fight in Afghanistan . He was killed by friendly fire in 2004 . A Pentagon investigation found that McChrystal was notified that the soldier was a victim of fratricide . But Tillman 's family said they were led to believe he was killed by insurgents . Tillman 's mother said last year that McChrystal knew at her son 's memorial service that he had died of friendly fire , but did not tell the family . She said McChrystal was `` lying . '' Investigations by the Army 's Criminal Investigation Division and the Defense Department 's inspector general concluded that officers in Tillman 's chain of command knew almost immediately that he had been killed by fire from his own platoon . That information , however , was withheld from his family for more than a month , in violation of Army regulations . McChrystal told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he helped expedite the Silver Star award for Tillman before confirming that Tillman was killed by friendly fire . The Army did not take action against McChrystal .
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Stanley McChrystal known for keeping a low profile throughout most of his career . A West Point graduate and former Green Beret , he leads Afghanistan mission . Rolling Stone profile of McChrystal quotes him and his staff mocking administration .
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