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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In the midst of a frantic week in September filled with auditions and deadlines , New York casting director Michael Cassara had zero down time . So one day , when he felt a sore throat coming on , Cassara had his doctor beamed into his office . Michael Cassara was too busy to visit his doctor 's office , so he had his doctor come to him -- virtually . Cassara did n't use lasers ; he used his laptop . Logging into his account at hellohealth.com , Cassara clicked on the link for video chats and made an appointment , and an hour later , Dr. Sean Khozin popped up on his screen . Based on how Cassara was feeling and his propensity to get strep throat , Khozin diagnosed a strep infection , `` and five minutes later I had a prescription phoned in to a nearby pharmacy , '' Cassara says . The typical visit to the doctor -- call for an appointment , go to the doctor 's office , wait in the waiting room -- has remained unchanged for a very long time , notes Meredith Abreu Ressi , vice president of research for Manhattan Research , a health care marketing research firm . But she says you should expect that to start to change in 2009 . Watch more on the future of eHealth '' `` Because of the Internet , we bank differently than we used to , and we plan our trips differently , and we buy real estate differently , '' she says . `` But we still see our doctor the same way our grandparents did . I think we 're about to see big changes in this area . '' Ressi says to expect to see more doctors close their traditional practices and open `` telehealth '' practices , where they deliver all or part of their services , in one form or another , over the Internet . This means chatting with a doctor online via video , e-mailing your doctor with a question or perhaps going to a Web site where , for a small fee , a doctor will answer your medical questions instantly . Here are five big changes to the classic doctor 's visit to look for in 2009 . The changes are n't necessarily for the better or for the worse , and we 're not recommending you take part in them ; they 're just part of the trend towards more `` eHealth . '' 1 . Online house calls . Such services are very limited at the moment , but expect to see more as time goes on . Today , Hellohealth offers patients video chats , texting , instant messaging and e-mails between doctors and patients . There 's a $ 35 monthly fee , and each chat , IM session or phone session costs $ 50 to $ 100 . Quick e-mails are free , and longer ones cost $ 150 an hour . Regular in-person office visits cost $ 150 to $ 200 , and house calls cost $ 150 to $ 200 . Here are the two catches : Hellohealth does n't accept insurance , and you can use its service only if you live in certain parts of Brooklyn , New York . It plans to expand to other parts of New York and to Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . American Well , another leader in this field , opens its doors January 15 in Hawaii , where patients can communicate online , via phone , text or IM with doctors 24 hours a day at a cost of $ 10 for five minutes for Blue Cross/Blue Shield members and $ 45 for non-members . American Well plans to expand to other areas in 2009 . 2 . Virtual clinics . Some Houston , Texas-area residents can visit clinics in various Wal-Marts , where patients speak via videolink to a physician who works in a central office . The doctor can see a patient 's throat and ears via a camera at the end of medical instruments . Emergency medical technicians at the clinics operate the instruments and do hands-on tasks such as taking blood pressure and temperature . A basic office visit costs $ 59 . Last month , I had them do a physical on me . Click here to see the story . 3 . Ask-a-doc Web sites . What 's the normal temperature for an infant when taken under the arm ? If you forgot to take your medicine today , should you double up on your dose tomorrow ? If you 've got a quick question , you can try to get an answer from sites that say they have various specialists on hand to give quick answers . Two examples : justanswer.com and askadoctor.com , which charges $ 15.95 for an answer . 4 . Getting your test results online . More and more health systems are putting test results online , so patients can have direct access . This also means you can double-check your doctor . For example , Doug Smith , a patient at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville , Tennessee , found his own cancer in a CT scan report -- a cancer his doctor had missed . Read his story here . 5 . Twittering doctors . You and your friends are n't the only ones using Twitter . Doctors are starting to use the social networking site to get answers on tough cases , says Jane Sarasohn-Kahn , a health economist and blogger at Health Populi . `` When confronted with a strange set of symptoms , some doctors are going on Twitter and asking other doctors , ` Hey , I 've got a conundrum . Can any of you help me out ? ' '' As for Cassara , video chatting with his doctor has n't replaced seeing him in person . He still goes into the office and also arranges for house calls . `` There are far more things they can do in the actual room than they can do online , '' he says . CNN 's Jennifer Pifer-Bixler and Sabriya Rice contributed to this report .
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Expert : We bank , make travel plans and buy houses differently ; medicine is next . Ask-a-doc Web sites and virtual clinics are growing in popularity ; so using Twitter . Neither eHealth nor telemedicine will replace seeing a doctor in person .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Dr. Danielle Ofri first read the headlines , she was horrified : Doctors were prescribing placebos to their patients instead of real medicine . How awful , she thought . How deceptive . Study : Doctors are prescribing placebos , such as vitamins , antibiotics , pain-killers and sedatives to patients . But then , as Ofri read on , she thought , `` Wait a second . By the definitions of this study , I 've prescribed placebos . '' Ofri , an assistant professor of medicine at New York University Medical School , says when patients complain about being tired , for example , she 'll sometimes suggest they take a multivitamin , even though there 's no proof they work against fatigue . `` First , I 'll do the million-dollar workup on the patient , '' Ofri says . `` I check them out for anemia , diabetes , cancer , asthma , depression , and other sorts of other things . When I ca n't find anything wrong , I 'll explain vitamins have worked for some of my patients , and there 's no downside . I do n't think that 's being deceptive . '' Last week 's study on placebos published in the British Medical Journal has sparked debate : What precisely is a placebo , and might you , the patient , actually in some cases benefit from one ? Watch more about doctors prescribing placebos '' Placebos , it turns out , are in the eye of the beholder . Dr. Ezekiel Emmanuel , one of the study authors and director of the department of bioethics at the National Institutes of Health , says it 's unethical for a doctor to suggest a medication that has n't been proven to work . Other doctors say it 's OK -- and sometimes beneficial -- to prescribe something that has n't been shown to work in studies , as long as it 's not harmful . Perhaps , they reason , the treatment -- say a vitamin , or an aspirin -- could have a physiological effect not yet found in studies . Or maybe a treatment will have `` a placebo effect , '' meaning it will make you feel better just because you have confidence it will make you feel better . So how would you even know if your doctor 's prescribing you a placebo ? And should you take it ? `` Not all placebos are created equal , '' says Dr. Christiane Northrup . Below are four placebos that the NIH study found are commonly prescribed , with advice on questions to ask about each of them . Vitamins . Vitamins have several proven purposes . `` If you 're a young woman about to become pregnant , it 's important you take folate . And Vitamin B12 is necessary to prevent certain medical conditions like anemia , '' Emanuel says . Beyond a few solid examples like these , some doctors think vitamins might help for certain conditions , such as fatigue , while others think they do n't . The solution : Ask your doctor if the vitamin has been proven to help your problem . If it has n't , ask her if she has any reason to think it will work -LRB- perhaps , as with Ofri , she 's had anecdotal success among her patients -RRB- . Finally , ask if there 's any downside to taking the vitamin , then make your decision . Over-the-counter painkillers . You 've heard of the saying `` take two aspirin and call me in the morning '' ? The most commonly prescribed placebo in Emanuel 's study was over-the-counter analgesics , such as aspirin . In Emanuel 's view , these doctors were prescribing aspirin without any reason other than that that it might elicit the `` placebo effect . '' But Northrup disagrees . `` Why would an over-the-counter analgesic be a placebo ? Aspirin 's a powerful anti-inflammatory , and inflammation is an important part of many diseases . '' The advice here is similar to the advice with vitamins . If your doctor suggests you take aspirin for what ails you , ask if there 's any proof the aspirin will work . Even if there is proof , ask if the pain reliever could harm you in any way . Antibiotics . Everyone agrees there are cases where doctors prescribe antibiotics when they should n't , often because the patient insists on them . In the NIH study , 13 percent of doctors reported using antibiotics as placebos . `` Antibiotics for a viral illness may be dangerous , and it 's not a good idea , '' Emanuel says . `` If your doctor prescribes an antibiotic , ask if you actually have a bacterial infection . '' Ofri adds there 's not always a clear answer to that question . `` If I had a patient who 's had bronchitis for two weeks , it 's probably because of a virus . But it 's not out of the realm of reasonableness that it could be bacterial , '' She says it can tough to detect bacterial infections when someone has bronchitis , so sometimes she 'll prescribe an antibiotic . Sedatives . In the study , 13 percent of doctors also said they 'd prescribed a sedative as a placebo . This is the only `` placebo '' our doctors agreed on : Sedatives can be addictive , and you want to take them only if you have a condition , such as an anxiety disorder , where they 're clearly indicated . `` If your doctor prescribes you a sedative , ask them why , and ask if there 's some other treatment , something that 's not addictive , that you could do instead , '' Northrup says .
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Study in British Medical Journal sparks debate about placebos . Author says it 's unethical for doctors to suggest medication not proven to work . Doctors often prescribe vitamins , antibiotics , aspirin or sedatives .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hope Murray thought her prayers had been answered . Hope Murray , left , was desperate to find affordable health care for her daughter Meredith . Her daughter , Meredith , desperately needed to see a doctor after suffering a brain injury in a car accident , but health insurance companies would n't sell her a policy because of her pre-existing condition . So Murray was relieved to find Direct Medical Network Solutions Inc. while surfing the Internet . It was n't insurance but a program that advertised deep discounts at doctors ' offices and hospitals . Murray immediately signed up for the program , which she says advertised $ 30 doctor visits and $ 50 visits to specialists . `` It was pretty phenomenal , '' Murray said . `` They promised me everything was included , '' including doctor visits , vision , dental and hospital stays . `` They even mentioned the Mayo Clinic . '' Murray paid $ 314 for the card up front and then $ 179 each month after that . Her daughter made an appointment to see Dr. Robert Epsten , a San Diego , California , gastroenterologist , to get treatment for her Crohn 's disease . Epsten was listed on Direct Med 's Web site as being part of its network , but when Meredith arrived at Epsten 's office , his staff said they did n't accept the Direct Med card . In fact , they said they 'd never even heard of Direct Med , Hope Murray says . According to Murray , this same scene played out with several other doctors and hospitals . `` I have never been more angry , more furious about anything in my life , '' Murray said . `` It is a bogus scam that hurts people . It should be a crime for people to do that . '' The Federal Trade Commission and at least eight states have taken action against more than two dozen health cards for offering discounts services that do n't exist . `` Medical discount cards are spreading like kudzu , '' said Jim Quiggle , a spokesman for the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud . `` There 's a tremendous amount of fraud and deception in these plans because they 're not well regulated . '' `` Medical discount cards are awful , '' said Nancy Metcalf , senior program editor with Consumer Reports . `` They 're absolute ripoffs . I would stay away from them completely . '' Two to 4 million people have purchased health care discount cards like the one Murray bought , according to the Consumer Health Alliance , a trade group representing companies that sell the cards . The group acknowledges that there are some dishonest companies out there but says they do not reflect the majority of the industry . On its Web site , Consumer Health Alliance has set up a consumer guide for shopping for a discount health care program . The cards are attractive to people like Murray who do n't have health insurance from their jobs and ca n't buy it on their own . `` Members stay in these programs because they see the savings , '' said Allen Erenbaum , a lawyer for the Consumer Health Alliance . `` Discount health care programs are n't the answer to this country 's health care crisis , but for people without any access to insurance , saving money with these programs is better than nothing . '' Hope Murray canceled her daughter 's card in March , three months after signing up . Meredith , who recently received a master 's degree in rehabilitative counseling , is now looking for a job with health benefits . Repeated phone calls and e-mails seeking comment from Direct Med have gone unanswered . Epsten is still listed on Direct Med 's Web site as an in-network doctor , but when CNN called his office , his staff said they did n't accept the card . The National Association of Insurance Commissioners says that although some discount cards are fraudulent , others are legitimate . Here are some tips to know a good company from a bad one . Consumer advocates say you should suspect a scam if : . 1 . You learn of the discount card from a blast fax or Internet popup ad . The National Association of Insurance Commissioners considers this a red flag that you 're about to be scammed . You can read the rest of the warnings on its Web site . 2 . They promise a certain percentage savings . `` A 30 percent discount means nothing . Thirty percent off of what ? '' Metcalf asked . 3 . They use the term `` guaranteed coverage . '' This makes the card sound like insurance , which it 's not , says the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud . The coalition also lists other scam alerts on its Web site . 4 . They wo n't give you a list of providers until you sign up . The discount card company should tell you the providers up front . If they wo n't , hang up the phone . If they do , call the providers and verify that they take the card . 5 . It sounds too good to be true . `` If you 've looked into getting regular insurance and gotten a price , and then you find something way cheaper , that 's a huge red flag , '' Metcalf said . `` It 's cheaper for a reason . '' CNN 's Jennifer Pifer Bixler and Sabriya Rice contributed to this report .
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Between 2 and 4 million people have purchased health care discount cards . Cards promise discounts at hospitals and doctors ' offices . Some card companies scam consumers : discounts do n't exist . FTC , eight states have taken action against health card scams .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Over the past week , I 've been inundated with questions about swine flu , via Facebook , Twitter , CNN blogs and e-mail . So this week I 'm empowering people with information about swine flu : how to protect yourself , what all the numbers mean and why you should n't freak out . The most recnt advice from the CDC is that non-essential travel to Mexico should be avoided . 1 . Has n't swine flu been around for a while ? Yes . Swine flu was first identified in 1930 when researchers isolated the virus in a pig . In 1976 , more than 200 soldiers at Fort Dix , New Jersey , got swine flu . From 1976 until 2005 , the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received approximately one report every year or two of humans with swine flu . From December 2005 until January 2009 , there were 12 cases of swine flu reported . 2 . The folks who have it now , did they get it from pigs or people ? It appears that no one in the United States with swine flu had any contact with pigs . Dr. Richard Besser , the acting director of the CDC , said in a news conference Friday that among the first seven cases , no one had contact with pigs . In another press conference Monday , he added that investigators have looked to see whether any of the infected people had contact with pigs , and `` we 're not finding that linkage here . '' 3 . Swine flu is transmitted from animals to humans . Does that happen a lot ? Yes . More than 200 `` zoonotic diseases '' are transmitted from animals to humans , including illnesses caused by bacteria , viruses and parasites . Rabies and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease -LRB- better known as `` mad cow disease '' -RRB- are two well-known examples . 4 . Should I cancel my trip to Mexico ? Yes , you should , unless it 's essential . That 's the advice from a recent CDC travel warning . Watch Elizabeth Cohen answer your questions '' 5 . Should I be freaking out ? A new virus spreading quickly around the world . Young , healthy people struck dead in Mexico . Should we all be panicking ? `` Absolutely not , '' said Dr. William Schaffner , chairman of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine . Swine flu , he said , `` is not spreading all that rapidly . Take the St. Francis School in New York . There 's been very little transmission from the schoolchildren to family members , and it certainly has n't spread throughout Queens . '' iReport.com : Share your thoughts , concerns about swine flu . But , Schaffner added , this does n't mean we should n't pay attention to swine flu . `` We should be alert , keep up with the information coming out daily , and take control by being attentive to your hygiene . Wash your hands very , very frequently and avoid people who are coughing and sneezing . '' 6 . How close do you have to be to a sick person to get swine flu ? `` You can acquire this infection if you 're within the ` breathing zone ' of a sick person , which is about three to six feet , '' Schaffner said . `` And we usually mean being this close to someone in a confined space . We 're not talking about fleeting contact . We 're not talking about walking past someone in the street . You need sustained contact . '' If you think you might have sustained contact with someone who 's ill , read this guidance from the CDC 's Web site . 7 . Yikes ! Every day I 'm that close to countless people -- at work , on the bus , at church , in a movie theater . Could I get swine flu from them ? Yes . `` If you 're standing next to someone on a bus , or sitting next to someone or in front of someone in a theater , you could acquire the infection in that fashion , '' Schaffner said . That 's why people with the symptoms of any kind of flu -- fever , diarrhea , body aches , vomiting , etc. -- are urged to stay home and away from groups of people . 8 . Was n't there a vaccine at one time ? Is there one now ? Yes , a swine flu vaccine was given to 45 million people in 1976 . There is no vaccine now , although researchers are working on one . The 1976 vaccine would n't be helpful anyway , according to Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute for Allergy & Infectious Diseases . `` That was a completely different virus than the virus we are dealing with right now , completely different in the sense that the genes are different , and it does n't have any relationship , '' said Fauci . `` The designation of each one was called the swine flu , but from a viral standpoint and spreading it is quite , quite different . '' Here are two scientific articles about the swine flu outbreak and vaccination program in 1976 : . • Reflections on the 1976 Swine Flu Vaccination Program . • Swine Influenza A Outbreak , Fort Dix , New Jersey , 1976 . 9 . Many young , healthy people have become sick in the United States . Many of the dead in Mexico have been young and healthy . What 's going on ? Usually we think of flu as affecting the very young and the very old . This sometimes happens with new viruses . For example , in 1918 when a new flu virus emerged , many of those stricken were young and healthy . One theory is that young people , who have strong immune systems , mount a particularly vigorous response to new viruses . But there 's a potential side effect to the response : the body releases dangerous levels of signaling proteins , called cytokines , which can damage the lungs . Scientists believe these `` cytokine storms '' can be fatal . Here is a scientific article about the proposed mechanism of cytokine storms . 10 . Why are large numbers of people dying in Mexico , but not in other countries ? This is the big mystery doctors are trying to solve right now . Many infectious disease experts say it 's most likely a matter of numbers : with more illnesses in Mexico , there are also more deaths . Other explanations : that in Mexico people have , in addition to swine flu , other viruses that make for a more deadly combination than swine flu alone . It 's also possible that the virus infecting the rest of the world is a weaker version than the one in Mexico . Among the swine flu mysteries : Why only deaths in Mexico ? 11 . Could this new swine flu virus have been manufactured by bioterrorists ? That 's the theory on some conspiracy theorists ' Web sites . But experts do n't believe it . `` If you were a bioterrorist you 'd want to create something that 's a lot more deadly than this , '' said Dr. Gerald Evans , an associate professor of microbiology at Queen 's University in Canada . `` The problem with influenza is that the second you put it into people , it replicates and mutates very quickly . Even if you created the perfect bioweapon , within a few generations of transmissions , it would n't do what you planned for it to do . '' 12 . I get a flu shot every fall . Will that help protect me against swine flu ? `` The short answer is that the CDC says it 's very unlikely , '' Schaffner said . But he said it might be possible . `` I think it 's a bit of an open question whether repeated flu shots over years would provide a measure of protection . '' 13 . I was in Mexico two weeks ago . Could I have contracted swine flu , and the symptoms just have n't shown up yet ? No . The incubation period of the swine flu is one to seven days . `` If you just traveled to Mexico and you 're home and feeling well you should get on with your daily life and not worry about it , '' Evans said . 14 . Can the swine flu virus live on inanimate objects ? If someone with swine flu touches a doorknob , then I touch it , could I get swine flu ? Flu viruses can live on inanimate surfaces . So theoretically , you could get swine flu from touching a doorknob that was just touched by an infected person . However , that 's pretty unlikely , according to Dr. Arthur Reingold , head of epidemiology in the School of Public Health at the University of California , Berkeley . `` I personally would not have a major fear of environmental contamination , '' he said . `` Virtually all influenza is transmitted from sneezing and coughing . '' Schaffner agrees , adding that flu viruses do n't survive in large numbers on surfaces . `` A doorknob is n't a warm , nourishing environment for a virus , '' he said . 15 . What should I do if I develop symptoms of swine flu ? Call your doctor -- do n't just drive on over , Schaffner advised . `` Follow the instructions of your doctor . He might not want you in the waiting room spreading germs to others , '' he said . CNN Medical Producer John Bonifield contributed to this report .
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The emergence of the swine flu has raised many questions ; here are some answers . Swine flu was first identified in 1930 when researchers isolated the virus in a pig . Why people are dying in Mexico but not in other places is still a mystery . While the virus can live on surfaces , transmission is unlikely .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- With mostly mild cases of swine flu in the United States , swine flu fears are lessening . But viruses have a way of re-appearing . While nobody has a crystal ball , here are some thoughts about what the 2009 H1N1 virus might do in the months to come . Do n't pack your face masks just yet . Public health officials expect the 2009 H1N1 virus to linger a while . 1 . Is the swine flu outbreak in the United States winding down ? Not yet . Health officials expect to see more cases . However , there are two reasons to think the 2009 H1N1 outbreak will wind down in the coming weeks . First , cases of influenza tend to dwindle when the weather gets warmer . Second , the 2009 H1N1 virus outbreak in Mexico has reached its peak , and numbers there are going down . It is expected that same pattern could happen in the United States . For the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , click here . Look at a map of swine flu cases '' 2 . So does this mean 2009 H1N1 will be gone for good ? No . Andrew Pekosz , associate professor of immunology and microbiology at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health , says it 's important to keep in mind that the 2009 H1N1 virus is new , which means no one has immunity to it . He points out that the three outbreaks in the last century that were caused by new viruses -- in 1918 , 1957 and 1968 -- started with a mild wave followed by more severe waves months later . Scientists dig for lessons from past pandemics . 3 . If swine flu comes back , when would it return ? `` H1N1 flu could die down soon and return later again this fall when the flu season enters back in full swing , '' says Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano . `` This is always a concern with a new strain of a flu virus . '' Watch more answers to your swine flu questions '' Napolitano adds that public health officials will be keeping a close eye on the Southern Hemisphere , where flu season starts soon . `` We 'll be working very closely with the international community to understand what happens to this virus over the next few months as flu season begins in the Southern Hemisphere , '' she says . `` That will tell us a lot about whether the virus is changing , whether it 's becoming more severe and what measures we might want to take in the fall . '' For the latest comments from Napolitano , click here . 4 . In the fall , could we have a pandemic like we had in 1918 ? At a press briefing last week , World Health Organization spokesman Gregory Hartl brought up the specter of the 1918 pandemic , which killed more than half a million people in the United States . `` In 1918 , that pandemic started out as a very mild case of disease in the spring of 1918 . ... Cases of the disease almost completely disappeared over the summer , only to reappear in the autumn of 1918 with the vengeance which we all know , '' he said . `` So even though we might be only seeing mild cases now , we can not say what will happen in the future . '' Learn more about the swine flu '' But many experts believe it 's highly unlikely there would be an outbreak anything like 1918 . First of all , scientists have a much better understanding of infectious diseases , and health care has improved greatly since 1918 . Secondly , the 2009 H1N1 lacks a gene that is present in highly virulent flu viruses , such as the one in 1918 . `` I do n't think this virus has what it takes to become a major problem , '' says Peter Palese , chairman of the department of microbiology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York . Johns Hopkins ' Pekosz adds that people remember the horrific 1918 flu season , but often forget that the two other flu outbreaks caused by new viruses , the ones in 1957 and 1968 , were far more mild . 5 . Will there be a vaccine for swine flu ? Scientists are already working on a vaccine for 2009 H1N1 . Making a new vaccine takes five to six months , according to the World Health Organization . The first step is for government scientists to grow `` seed stock '' of the virus to send to pharmaceutical companies , who would turn that stock into a vaccine . Pilot lots of the vaccine would then be tested on people . The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases alerted its eight vaccine testing centers to be ready to test a 2009 H1N1 vaccine . 6 . Will the vaccine be a separate shot , or will it be put in the regular seasonal flu shot ? The Centers for Disease Control has said either is possible . Pekosz says there are concerns the seasonal flu shot might not work well if it includes the 2009 H1N1 vaccine , and so the decision might be made to make a separate shot . 7 . If a vaccine is available in the fall , who will get it ? Public health officials have emphasized that even if a vaccine is available by fall , it does n't mean everyone will be encouraged to get it . `` I imagine that the choice of vaccination strategy will be a subject of intense discussion and study over the next several months , '' says Dr. Ted Cohen , an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health . Cohen adds that if the vaccine is available only in limited quantities , priority might be given to health care workers and to those at high risk of complications from the flu , such as the elderly , the very young and those with certain chronic diseases . CNN 's Jennifer Pifer Bixler and Shahreen Abedin contributed to this report .
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Swine flu cases may have peaked , but the 2009 H1N1 virus will probably return . Public health officials to watch Southern Hemisphere to see what 2009 H1N1 does . Scientists are working on a vaccine against 2009 H1N1 ; wo n't be ready for 6 months . 2009 H1N1 lacks a gene that is present in very virulent flu viruses , like 1918 strain .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For the past several months , Amy Wolf has been glued to the television , intently watching for information on how best to prepare for H1N1 flu . Eight months pregnant , Amy Wolf -LRB- shown with her husband and son -RRB- signed up for an H1N1 vaccine trial . She usually does not worry about the flu , but this year is different : Wolf is eight months into her second pregnancy . `` I watch the news like crazy , and it seems like every time I would watch or read something , there was a picture of a pregnant woman , '' Wolf says . She 's right to be concerned . According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , pregnancy puts Wolf at higher risk of complications for flu in general , and so far that also holds true for the novel 2009 H1N1 virus . The most recent data show that from April 15 to May 18 , 2009 , thirty-four percent of the pregnant women infected with the H1N1 virus were hospitalized , and by June , six pregnant women had died . `` I 've never heard of something affecting pregnant women more than anyone else , '' says Wolf . More worrisome -- the virus is already widespread in Tennessee , where she lives . Wolf says a neighbor 's son was recently hospitalized . '' -LSB- H1N1 -RSB- just seems more real to me than a lot of the other health concerns . '' Track the H1N1 flu '' A perusal through our Empowered Patient inbox found swine flu is a hot topic among pregnant women . We took the questions we received to experts for answers . Is the H1N1 vaccine safe for pregnant women ? According to a guide for pregnant women released by the CDC , the H1N1 vaccine `` will be made using the same processes and facilities used to make seasonal influenza vaccines , '' which are already proven to be safe , and are currently recommended for pregnant women . `` We anticipate the safety to be similar to the seasonal flu vaccine , which has been given to millions of pregnant women and has not been shown to have any adverse events in pregnant women or their children , '' says Dr. Naomi Tepper , an obstetrician for the CDC 's H1N1 vaccine task force . However , recognizing that pregnant women in particular may be hesitant , Dr. Jesse Goodman , chief scientist for the Food and Drug Administration , says `` out of an abundance of caution '' researchers are conducting studies on pregnant women and other high-risk groups . `` It 's always good to have more information , '' Goodman says . The FDA approves and licenses the vaccine . Quiz : Test your H1N1 knowledge . About 120 expecting mothers are participating in clinical trials across the country . Health officials anticipate the results of these studies will be available in the coming weeks . Watch more on the vaccine trials '' Should I get the H1N1 vaccine , a regular seasonal flu shot -LRB- or both -RRB- while I am pregnant ? The CDC encourages pregnant women to get the seasonal flu shot now because it 's available , and to also get the H1N1 vaccine as soon as it becomes available . `` A pregnant woman who gets any type of flu is at risk for serious complications and hospitalization , '' the CDC says in its guide for pregnant women . Tepper also says this is important no matter which trimester you are in . `` It should not be delayed until beyond the first trimester because even pregnant women in the first trimester have become very ill , '' she wrote in an e-mail . As a woman advances in her pregnancy , her immune system becomes more compromised , which is one of the reasons both the CDC and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend women who will be pregnant during the flu season get flu shots . If I get the vaccine while pregnant , will this also protect the baby when he/she is born ? `` One of the things the body does very well is give antibodies to the babies , '' says Dr. Buddy Creech , a researcher conducting clinical trials on pregnant women at Vanderbilt University . `` It 's one of the greatest reasons we vaccinate pregnant women . '' Creech says past flu studies have found that when women get flu shots before giving birth , they help build immunity for their child that is particularly helpful during the infant 's first few months of life . Watch more on pregnancy and H1N1 '' `` If we 're going to protect those children , it 'll be with vaccines rather than drugs , '' Creech says . Is it safe to get vaccinated while breastfeeding ? Should my newborn also be vaccinated ? According to the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices , the H1N1 vaccine will be recommended for children ages six months and older . Newborns and infants younger than 6 months can not receive the vaccine . Health officials say breastfeeding is one way a mother might be able to help protect her baby . `` The vaccine is safe if she breastfeeds , and she may even pass along some immunity to her infant , '' says Tepper of the CDC . `` It will also reduce the chance that -LSB- the mom -RSB- will get the flu and pass it to her infant . '' What 's the difference between the seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 vaccine ? The seasonal flu vaccine is updated each year to protect against the predominant flu strains expected to circulate during the flu season . Health officials say the process and formulation of the H1N1 vaccine is identical to that of the seasonal flu shot . The main difference is that the novel 2009 H1N1 strain was first seen in April 2009 , after the seasonal vaccine had been developed . Will the H1N1 vaccine be free of thimerosal ? According to the CDC , versions of the H1N1 vaccine will be ordered with and without the preservative thimerosal . Preservatives are sometimes used in vaccines to help prevent the growth of fungi and bacteria that find their way into the vaccine vials . Read what the CDC says about Thimerosal in H1N1 vaccines . The FDA has approved applications from four manufacturers to begin producing the novel 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine . In all , some 40 million to 50 million doses are expected to be produced . Amy Wolf is not as worried anymore : On September 15 , she became one of the first pregnant women in the United States to receive the vaccine . She participated in the clinical trial at Vanderbilt University , where she is employed . `` I thought If I could do something now to protect both myself and my baby , then it just seems stupid not to . '' Wolf signed up only after speaking with the researchers at the university and her OB-GYN , and asking a ton of questions . She says , for her , the benefits of participating outweighed the risks . `` I really do n't feel like a guinea pig , '' Wolf says . `` I have n't had a single medical professional tell me I should n't do it . And that made me feel really confident . '' CNN 's Elizabeth Cohen and Miriam Falco contributed to this report .
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Pregnant women at higher risk of complications from influenza . Clinical trials on pregnant women still under way . 34 percent of women infected with novel H1N1 virus were hospitalized .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At the beginning of the school year , a couple of hundred parents , myself included , gathered in the middle school lounge for the principal 's back-to-school speech . The chatting hushed as the principal walked from the back of the room to the podium . As she proceeded down the aisle , parting the crowd of parents , she carried with her the biggest bottle of hand sanitizer I 've ever seen . Expert : Washing hands works well to prevent many diseases , but it 's not very helpful agains the flu virus . When she arrived at the front of the room , the principal , all 5 feet and 100 pounds of her , used every bit of her strength to hoist the giant jug onto the lectern . `` Welcome back to school , '' she said . `` Swine flu stops here . '' The principal explained that between each and every class , the teachers would supervise the children while they sanitized their hands . In addition , students would be washing and sanitizing their hands at other times , such as before lunch and snack . My eldest daughter confirmed that they really were cleaning their hands at least every 45 minutes , but exactly eight days later , the e-mails started to arrive : a case of suspected H1N1 flu in the seventh grade , another in kindergarten , and then another and another . At one point at my daughters ' school , they were sending home a dozen students a day sick with symptoms of H1N1 flu . A sneeze in the theater versus a germy handshake . What happened here ? How come with all that hand washing so many children still became ill ? According to some experts , you can wash your hands all you want , and it wo n't do much to stop the spread of influenza , including the H1N1 variety . `` Washing hands really is wonderful for preventing many diseases , such as the common cold , but it 's not very helpful to prevent influenza , '' said Arthur Reingold , professor of epidemiology at the University of California-Berkeley . I gave Reingold two scenarios . The first : I 'm sitting in a movie theater next to -- but not touching -- someone with H1N1 , and he sneezes and does n't cover his mouth . The second : Someone with H1N1 rubs his nose , shakes my hand , and then I rub my nose . In which situation am I more likely to catch the flu ? That 's easy , said Reingold , an infectious disease specialist who advises on vaccine policy for the World Health Organization . The theater incident is much more likely -- much , much more likely , he said -- to give me the flu , since inhaling particles results in a bigger dose of the virus . A spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agrees there is n't strong evidence that hand washing fights H1N1 . `` We do n't have solid data on the effect that hand washing has on the transmission of H1N1 , '' CDC spokesman Tom Skinner wrote in an e-mail . But he said there 's still reason to be vigilant about hand washing . `` There are studies that show hand washing was effective in reducing transmission of other respiratory diseases , '' he said . Dr. Peter Palese , a professor of medicine and infectious diseases at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City , said hand washing is n't all that helpful against the flu because the flu is n't like other respiratory diseases . `` The flu virus is n't very stable on the hand , '' he said . `` The virus has a lipid membrane that flattens out when it 's on your hand , and it gets inactivated . '' The rhinovirus , on the other hand , which causes the common cold , can live quite nicely on someone 's hand . `` It has a different architecture than a flu virus , '' he said . `` It 's much more stable . '' The flu virus thrives in droplets of water , such as the kind that come out of your mouth when you sneeze or cough . `` The lipid membrane stays intact when it 's surrounded by a droplet of water that 's ten times bigger than the virus itself , '' Palese says . Infectious disease experts and the CDC agree the flu is more likely to be transmitted through airborne particles than through hand contact . However , they disagreed on the extent to which flu is caused by hand contact compared with inhalation of particles . Mark Nicas , an adjunct professor at the University of California-Berkeley School of Public Health , thinks a significant number of flu cases do indeed spread from hands touching one another . `` I think that hand contact accounts for maybe one-third of influenza infections , '' he said . Hand washing : A false sense of security from H1N1 ? Some infectious disease experts said they 're concerned messages from the CDC to wash hands to prevent H1N1 have given people too much faith in hand washing . `` Everyone 's eager to promote hand washing , and certainly it wo n't do any harm , but to rely on a hand washing as a way to prevent influenza is a serious mistake , '' said Reingold . `` Do n't kid yourself that you 're going to protect yourself from the flu completely by washing your hands , '' said Arnold Monto , a professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health . The CDC has emphasized other prevention techniques , such as vaccination , as well , Skinner said . `` CDC has communicated from the get-go that hand washing is only one tool in the toolbox used to prevent the transmission of influenza , '' he said . This brings me back to my experience at my daughters ' school . The e-mails from the principal said some of the sick children reported to the school nurse that they 'd woken up ill , but their parents sent them to school anyway . What 's up with that ? If your child is sick , keep her at home . If you 're sick , do n't go to work . Using that particular tool in the toolbox will go a long way toward stemming the spread of H1N1 flu -- probably more than washing your hands . CNN 's Sharisse Scineaux and Jennifer Pifer-Bixler contributed to this report .
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Hand washing can reduce risk of catching a cold ; not as helpful against H1N1 . H1N1 virus not stable on hand ; instead it thrives in droplets of water . Inhaling airborne particles , from cough or sneeze , results in a bigger dose of virus . Regardless , washing hands `` really is wonderful '' for preventing many diseases .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A world record was set recently in Houston , Texas . It was n't the world 's fastest quarter-mile run , the world 's largest pumpkin or even the world 's heaviest man . It was , however , as stunning to witness : the world 's largest senior citizen Wii bowling tournament , as confirmed by Guinness World Records . The largest senior citizen Wii bowling tournament also included a health fair and immunization clinic . The event , put on by TexanPlus -- the Houston area 's largest Medicare HMO -- drew more than 1,500 supporters and 600 senior bowlers to break a record but also to have fun and dish out a little bit of Texas-style competition and a side helping of health information . `` I 'm in it to win it , '' one man said as he rolled his walker up to the foul line . One booty-shakin ' grandma even showed off her victory dance after she Wii-bowled a strike . Aside from a seniors-gone-wild moment , this event served a very important purpose : to encourage seniors to get stronger and fitter , possibly saving them from life-altering injuries . According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , falls are the leading cause of injury-related death in seniors . A fall -- or , worse , a broken bone that limits a senior 's mobility -- can be the start of a downward spiral that ends up taking a life , says Dr. Sheldon Zinberg , founder of a senior fitness center called Nifty After Fifty . `` Those , for example , who have hip fractures are likely not to be alive two years from now , '' Zinberg said . `` Fifty percent of them never get out of a nursing home . '' Falls are among many concerns for seniors . To help address other life-threatening conditions , such as influenza , high blood pressure , high cholesterol and senior abuse , the event also included a health fair , an immunization clinic and demonstrations on `` cane-fu fighting , '' a method of self-defense that makes use of seniors ' canes to ward off attackers . Watch more on the record-breaking bowling tournament '' If you 're a senior and Wii bowling is n't up your alley , there are plenty of other steps you can take to prevent falls . According to the American Association of Family Physicians , seniors can reduce their likelihood of falling by making changes in three key areas . Make sure your home is safe . Remove objects that may get in your way as you walk , install night lights and handrails in bathrooms , and call friends or family members to take care of small projects that require the use of step-stools or ladders . Talk with your doctor . Have your eyes checked for vision changes that may impair your depth perception , ask your doctor about medications that may make you dizzy or disoriented , and use a walking aid , such as a cane or a walker , if your physician recommends it . Get your body in shape . Commit to regular exercise , even something as simple as a daily walk around the block . Exercise can help keep you mobile and flexible ; upper-body exercise in particular can help strengthen your breathing muscles . Also , limit your alcohol intake to less than two drinks a day , and if you smoke , quit . As for the Wii bowlers , all the participants -- winners and runners-up -- reported that they were happy they came . `` We were all good , '' participant Sarah Pilgreen said . `` I think its very important for us as we get older to stay in sports and whatever we can do . ''
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World 's largest senior citizen Wii bowling tournament held in Houston , Texas . Event , for fun and fitness , also had health fair and immunization clinic . Sports like Wii bowling can help seniors develop or maintain balance , strength . Falls are leading cause of injury-related death in seniors .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When 48-year-old Erin Peiffer , of Eldersburg , Maryland , learned that she had high cholesterol in her 20s , she never thought it would pose a problem . When she was 39 , Erin Peiffer , now 48 , had open-heart surgery to unblock her left main artery . Although her overall cholesterol number lingered in the low to mid-200s , she figured her medication would keep it under control . But she figured wrong , and heart disease slowly started clogging her arteries . Dr. Elizabeth Nabel , director of the National Heart , Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda , Maryland , says that over the years , it 's become clear to most American women that heart disease is nothing to ignore . It 's the leading cause of death of women in the United States , says Nabel , a prominent advocate for women 's heart health . But Nabel says many women still do n't know all the risk factors for heart disease , especially when it comes to cholesterol . `` For middle-aged women , 40 to 60 , high cholesterol is the single most important risk factor for heart disease and heart attacks , '' she said . The Heart Truth : How to lower your risk for heart disease . Peiffer did n't think much about her cholesterol until nine years ago , when , at age 39 , she began to feel ill during a water aerobics class . `` I started coughing , '' she recalled . `` I was coughing a lot ! '' It got so bad she decided to drive home . The cough , she says , grew worse . `` The coughing continued , but then I was coughing up this pink , frothy stuff , and I knew that was n't right . '' Alarmed , Peiffer left her kids with her husband and drove herself to the hospital . But because of her age , doctors never considered that she might be having heart problems ; they figured she had a virus and sent her home . But later tests showed that she had something wrong with her heart . After performing an angiogram , her doctors told her the bad news . Watch more on women and high cholesterol '' `` They told me I had a 99 percent blockage in my left main artery , '' she said . `` I needed open-heart surgery . '' Millions of Americans get a diagnosis of high cholesterol every year . Cholesterol comes from two sources : your body and your food . Your liver -LRB- and to a smaller degree , your cells -RRB- makes about 75 percent of blood cholesterol . The remaining 25 percent comes from the foods you eat . Cholesterol is divided into two main types . HDL , or high-density lipoprotein , is the `` good '' cholesterol because it helps to clear excess fats from the arteries . LDL , or low-density lipoprotein , is the bad cholesterol because it clogs the arteries , increasing a person 's risk for heart attack and stroke . The American Heart Association says that in premenopausal women , estrogen tends to raise HDL -LRB- good -RRB- cholesterol . But as estrogen drops during menopause , HDL levels drop too , and LDL levels rise . That 's why women need to know their numbers . For years , physicians believed that hormone-replacement therapy was a good way to protect a woman 's heart . However , the heart association recommends that hormone replacement not be used for cardiovascular protection , because recent studies have shown that postmenopausal women using it received no real heart benefit . In some people , improving diet and adding exercise can lower the overall number , but when lifestyle changes do n't work and for people who have a genetic predisposition for high cholesterol , medication is usually prescribed . But cardiologists say many people think that because they are taking medication , they 're protected and do n't need to worry about their numbers . That 's just not the case . So what are good cholesterol levels ? Your overall cholesterol number should be under 200 . If you have other risk factors -- like smoking , high blood pressure or a family history of heart disease -- your doctor may want it lower . A good HDL level of 60 mg or greater is considered protective . LDL should be under 100 mg for those with no risk factors for heart disease and 70 mg for those at higher risk . But again , depending on your health and family history , your doctor may want different readings . The first step in fighting high cholesterol is simple : `` Get a blood test , '' Nabel said . The National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines recommend that everyone age 20 and older get a fasting `` lipoprotein profile '' every five years . It gives your doctor information about total cholesterol , LDL , HDL and triglycerides , which are the main type of fat in blood . If your numbers are unhealthy , your doctor can advise you on treatment . If you want to avoid medication and try to achieve healthy cholesterol numbers naturally , the American Heart Association has these recommendations : . • Keep your weight down , and cut down on calories , especially from saturated and trans fats , carbohydrates and alcohol . Even small amounts of alcohol can lead to large changes in triglyceride levels -LRB- although red wine may slightly bump up good cholesterol -RRB- . • Eat plenty of fruits , vegetables and nonfat or low-fat dairy products . And add fish to your diet . Fish oil helps reduce cholesterol . • Get off the couch and get active . Even 30 minutes of moderate exercise , five days a week or more , can make a difference . After her surgery , Peiffer had her family members ' cholesterol levels checked . She found that two of her three children had high numbers , and they are now on medication . Today , Peiffer too takes her medication , eats right and exercises to keep her heart healthy . And most important , she knows her numbers : Her cholesterol is well below 200 . She said , `` I tell anyone , anyone who will listen -- my family , friends -- ` Know your cholesterol numbers . ' It could save your life . ''
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Heart disease is leading cause of death of women in the United States . Expert : For middle-aged women , high cholesterol is the most important risk factor . Millions of Americans get a diagnosis of high cholesterol every year . Cholesterol comes from two sources : your body and your food .
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WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- There will be more than enough doses of the H1N1 vaccine to go around in the United States , Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Thursday . According to a CNN/Opinion Corp. poll in August , 66 percent of Americans plan to get H1N1 vaccine . She said that at least 6 million doses of the vaccine will be available in the United States during the first week of October . `` The notion that because target groups are supposed to get it first , that there wo n't be enough , that we 're leaving people behind , needs to be corrected , '' Sebelius said at a White House briefing . There `` will be plenty of vaccine for everyone who wants it , '' she said . She said 250 million doses have been purchased , and `` that will be plenty . '' Most of the initial doses available in October will be FluMist nasal spray . It is approved only for healthy individuals between the ages of 2 and 49 . Pregnant women are not allowed to get this type of vaccine because it contains a live virus . Ten to 20 million doses of the vaccine will be available each week after the first week in October , Sebelius said . Sebelius aimed to dispel another myth : that the vaccine will be too expensive . `` The vaccine is paid for by the federal government , '' she said . `` The vaccine itself will be free , although some providers may charge an administrative fee . We 're asking people not to do that , and private health plans say they wo n't charge a fee , and a lot of providers are saying they wo n't charge . They understand charging a fee would be a barrier , and they say they want to lower the barriers . '' The federal government has asked the states to determine the best way to distribute the vaccine , and the government will get the vaccine to various locations . `` We will drive the vaccine to that site , '' Sebelius said , adding that 90,000 sites have been identified . Both Sebelius and Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged pregnant women to get a vaccine shot . According to a CNN/Opinion Corp. poll released in late August , 66 percent of Americans plan to be vaccinated against H1N1 flu . Also Thursday , the World Health Organization said manufacturers would be able to produce 3 billion doses of H1N1 vaccine over the course of a year . The WHO said early data from clinical trials suggest that a single dose of the vaccine will be sufficient for healthy adults and older children . However , the WHO said on its Web site that `` these supplies will still be inadequate to cover a world population of 6.8 billion people in which virtually everyone is susceptible to infection by a new and readily contagious virus . '' Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny , director of the WHO 's Initiative for Vaccine Research , said that nine countries , including the United States , have offered to donate vaccines for use in developing countries and that the WHO will be coordinating the distribution . She said Thursday that distribution was expected to begin by the end of October . The WHO recommends that health workers be vaccinated first , she said . CNN 's Elizabeth Cohen and Val Willingham contributed to this report .
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Sebelius : There will be plenty of H1N1 vaccine for everyone who wants it . 250 million doses have been purchased , and `` that will be plenty '' Most of the initial doses available in October will be FluMist nasal spray . Ten to 20 million doses will be available each week after first week in October .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Bridget and Scott Bear were expecting their first child , they wanted to know what it would cost so they could set aside enough money in their health savings account . Knowing in advance what the price tag would be for the birth of their son gave the Bears `` peace of mind . '' The Omaha , Nebraska , couple went to Alegent Health 's Web site and found the My Cost function , entered their insurance information and learned the hospital charges would be around $ 2,500 , Bridget Bear said . When Bridget Bear gave birth to their son , Lawson , on April 2 at Lakeside Hospital -- a healthy 8-pound , 8-ounce baby -- the couple were ready for the bill , she said . Alegent is one of a growing number of hospitals , Web sites , even states , helping patients comparison shop on the Internet before undergoing a medical procedure or test . Hospitals say they 're responding to a growing demand from patients who are paying for more of their health care out of pocket , thanks to rising deductibles and the advent of high deductible , consumer-driven plans like the Bears have . In the early 2000s , Bellin Health System in Green Bay , Wisconsin , began receiving more calls from patients wanting to know what a particular procedure would cost , said Jeff Hampton , director of revenue cycle management . `` As sad as it sounds , we had to say we did n't know , '' Hampton said . That 's because something like knee replacement is n't one expense but many . There are the surgeon 's fee , the operating room charge , equipment and supplies , the hospital bed during recovery , and other costs . Five years ago , Bellin put the information together so would-be patients could get an accurate picture of the final bill . On its Compare Care Line , a Bellin financial adviser provides an average cost from the previous six months for a given procedure and the price range over that time period . `` People are shopping around more , '' Hampton said . `` If consumers want to know what the cost of something is going to be , we should be able to give them an answer . '' Alegent , with nine hospitals in Nebraska and southwest Iowa , started My Cost in January 2007 , posting the price of more than 500 tests and procedures along with data on quality of care . Integris Health , a 14-hospital system in Oklahoma City , has a Consumer Price Line number that allows patients to learn what the out-of-pocket costs will be for their procedures . The service started in July 2007 after CEO Stanley Hupfeld had some `` secret shoppers '' try to get pricing information , said Nicole White , Integris spokesperson . Consumer Price Line receives between 800 and 1,000 calls a month , she said . Sixteen state hospital associations operate Web sites that allow comparison shopping for such inpatient procedures as appendectomies , maternity stays and knee or hip replacements : Georgia , Iowa , Montana , Nebraska , Nevada , New Hampshire , New Mexico , Oklahoma , Oregon , Rhode Island , South Dakota , Texas , Utah , Virginia , Washington , Wisconsin . Other states have their own systems . Minnesota health care providers collaborated on the HealthScores Web site , which allows price comparisons between 110 providers for 103 common medical procedures . The Web site tells what insurance companies pay , on average , for procedures ranging from Caesarean delivery to a colonoscopy . Pennsylvania has detailed price information on cardiac and joint replacement surgeries on its Health Care Cost Containment Council Web site , but the data are several years old . Still , it underscores the enormous differences in prices . For example , knee replacement costs ranged from $ 11,243 to $ 97,031 at the state 's hospitals . Even individual hopsitals are striving to offer more transparency . Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon , New Hampshire , posts very detailed information about prices on the hospital 's Web site . Spokesperson Jason Aldous said it 's part of the medical center 's mission to provide transparency about cost , outcomes and patient satisfaction . The information is only a starting point , though , Aldous said . `` We want that to drive you to a more informed conversation '' with a doctor , he said . `` A bilateral knee replacement is not like buying a car on the lot . '' But Brad Myers , co-founder of New Choice Health , said health care and car buying are a lot more similar than many people think . The eight-month-old site was created to do for health care what automobile pricing guides did for new car buying 20 years ago , Myers said . New Choice Health , which does not charge for its service , lists the average cost insurance companies pay for 400 different procedures at different facilities across the country . Want to know the cost of a colonoscopy in Cleveland ? New Choice Health gives you more than 50 facilities , with prices ranging from $ 550 to $ 1,200 . How about a PET scan in Portland ? The site offers more than 20 facilities with a price range of $ 1,600 to $ 2,100 . The site is designed for people who are uninsured , individually insured or with a high deductible plan , Myers said . Patients who are not covered in a group plan generally get bills three times as high , he said . He advocates bargaining . `` Just picking up the phone will get you 20 percent off . Nine times out of 10 , if you want to haggle , it 's more like 50 percent off , '' Myers says . New Choice Health , which went live in January , now gets 40,000 to 50,000 users a month , Myers says . Paul Fronstin , a senior research associate with the Employee Benefit Research Institute , said cost sites such as New Choice Health are crude tools because they do n't tell people with traditional plans what they 'll pay out of pocket . A lot depends on how much of their deductible they 've already spent . Also , people with expensive chronic diseases such as diabetes usually reach their deductible early in the year and are less concerned about price after that , Fronstin said . Childbirth is a perfect procedure to price ahead of time , according to Kathleen Stoll at Families USA . Others are not as clear cut . With knee surgery , for example , patients may not know the exact procedure they need or what complications could arise , she said . Bridget Bear said knowing what hospital fees would be in advance gave her and her husband peace of mind : `` We were able to enjoy the anticipation of Lawson a little bit more instead of having to worry about the financial piece of it . '' CNN 's Sabriya Rice contributed to this report .
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More Web sites help future patients comparison-shop for health care . Sixteen state hospital associations operate Web sites that allow comparisons . New Choice Health hopes to do for health care what pricing guides did for car buying . Price information is only a starting point , said one expert .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ken Gehle first noticed something was wrong about a year ago : He 'd sit down to dinner and the first bite of food seemed to get stuck in his throat . The social networking site CaringBridge helped cancer survivor Ken Gehle stay positive during treatment . `` As soon as I would swallow or take a big swig of liquid and swallow , I 'd be fine , '' explained Gehle . A few months later he started hiccuping at mealtimes . When antacids did n't bring relief , his doctor decided to take a closer look . `` They scoped me , did a biopsy and there it was , '' said Gehle . At age 45 , the father of two learned he had esophageal cancer . He had surgery to remove a tumor and began chemotherapy and radiation . While Gehle was getting medical attention , he felt the need for emotional support as well , plus he wanted a way to communicate with his large extended family . So he and his wife , Tamara , got on the Internet and signed up for an online community called CaringBridge . `` The ability to communicate what 's going on , as well as for those who are watching and concerned to communicate back -- it 's just simple , but brilliant , '' said Gehle . Health Minute : Watch more on social networking during illness '' It was n't hard to get started . The Gehles , like others who use CaringBridge , set up what is essentially their own personal Web site . There 's a journal area where the patient or a loved one can enter background information as well as updates on the patient 's condition . And there 's a guestbook area where friends and family members can leave messages of comfort and support . Guests can choose to be alerted via e-mail if there 's a new journal entry . Tamara Gehle invited about 200 friends , family and co-workers to visit the site . In the months that followed , the Gehles got about 15,000 visits . `` When I was really in the dumps ... to get up every morning and read what people wrote overnight was one of the key things that got me through my day . It ... helped me say ` OK , let 's keep moving forward , ' '' said Ken Gehle . Helping people like the Gehles cope with a medical crisis or a life-changing event was part of Sona Mehring 's inspiration for the creation of CaringBridge . Twelve years ago , a friend of Mehring 's gave birth to a very premature baby and needed help communicating with her family and friends . Instead of making dozens and dozens of phone calls on behalf of her friend , Mehring created CaringBridge . `` It was one of the first blogs . ... It was one of the first social networks , '' says Mehring . Now over 145,000 CaringBridge sites have been created , and in the last 12 months , over 30 million users and visitors have logged on . Other popular sites include CarePages , Planet Cancer for young adults , and Group Loop , where teens with cancer can chat with other teens . The American Cancer Society 's Cancer Survivors Network also offers plenty of support . Researchers say that social support systems can make a difference to people battling illnesses like cancer . `` The jury is still out a little bit on whether social support helps you survive -- but it definitely helps you live better , '' said Dr. Charles Raison , an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University School of Medicine and CNNhealth.com 's mental health expert . He noted that while some studies show a survival benefit and others do n't , almost all show an improvement in quality of life . `` When people provide each other with support and encouragement -- that can make the difference in a person 's life between ... surrendering to hopelessness and ... finding the gumption to keep going , '' he said . Support networks can also be good for family members , who are at higher risk for depression during a crisis . `` They help take the burden off the family , '' said Raison . `` When you are deeply connected with a loved one who is going through something that is very difficult , it puts tremendous psychological stress on family members . ... So anything that helps a patient come to a more positive , hopeful place is almost certainly going to be good for the mental health of the family members that are also struggling with the illness . '' Getting that support , via CaringBridge , has made all the difference to the Gehles . Ken Gehle is now in remission and will continue to get scoped and scanned every six months for the next five years . `` I think ... people expressing how they felt about what I was going through or how they felt about me , helped with keeping the positive going , '' said Gehle .
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During health crisis , social support can help a person live better , maybe longer . Support via CaringBridge helped Ken Gehle get through cancer treatment . CaringBridge lets patients create Web site , post updates and receive messages .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pat Folsom , 54 , knows the importance of preventive medicine . As a health care worker , she goes for scheduled checkups . So when she went in for a routine dental exam last year , she did n't expect more than a cleaning , maybe a filling . But her dentist found something more serious . `` She told me I had a lesion on my cheek and that it needed to be checked , '' Folsom said . `` After a lot of tests , they found it was oral cancer . '' Folsom was surprised . `` I thought surely this was a mistake . I never smoked , I never drank heavily , and I never had a family history of this . How could this be ? '' she asked . About 34,000 new U.S. cases of oral cancer are diagnosed each year , and the numbers are rising , according to the Oral Cancer Foundation . Although oral cancer has primarily been a man 's illness , affecting six men for every woman , the foundation says that over the past 10 years , that ratio has become two men to each woman . The foundation attributes the rise to the increase in the number of women who smoke and drink excessively , because both tobacco and alcohol trigger oral cancer . But there is another factor . In some cases , women are being found to have oral cancer caused by HPV , or the human papillomavirus -LRB- version 16 -RRB- . Different versions of HPV are present in most cases of cervical cancer . Like cervical cancer , in oral cancer cases , the virus is transferred through sexual activity . Watch more on the HPV-oral cancer link . Based on recent data , the Oral Cancer Foundation believes in people under the age of 50 , HPV may even be replacing tobacco as the primary cause of the spread of oral cancer . Folsom was shocked when she heard her cancer contained HPV cells . `` I said , ` What ? How is that possible ? ' '' she exclaimed . `` But doctors told me that it might have been caused by something I did , years and years ago . It could actually show up later and cause the cancer . '' MayoClinic.com : Mouth cancer . HPV causes irregular cells to multiply , The virus thrives in a moist , dark environment , said Dr. Youssef Obeid , a prosthodontist and director of Obeid Dental in Bethesda , Maryland . Prosthodontists specialize in tooth replacement , jaw restructuring , disease and injuries to the mouth . `` The mouth is a perfect place for it to grow . '' By transferring the virus during oral sex , it stays in the mouth and causes lesions . Many eventually turn cancerous . `` It 's something we are very much aware of and look for , especially in women , '' he said . Folsom was lucky . Her dentist caught the cancer before it spread , a fact that Folsom attributes to her biannual checkups . When found early , oral cancer patients have an 80 to 90 percent survival rate . A good dentist will look for possible signs of oral cancer by checking the cheeks , the tongue , the tonsils and the larynx for possible lesions , says the American Dental Association . `` That 's why we ask the patients simple things , to move your tongue , move it sideways , stick your tongue out , say ahhh , '' Obeid said . ' `` We want to get a good view of the mouth . '' MayoClinic.com : HPV infection . Since Folsom 's cancer was diagnosed in March 2008 , she 's undergone surgery and has had about four months of radiation . She is still in rehabilitation to help her chew and open her mouth wider . She uses a mouth exerciser that helps her stretch the muscles that were affected by her operation . She also went through rehab when she broke her collarbone after her radiation treatments , because her bones had become so brittle . `` It just snapped one day , '' she said with a shrug . `` That 's part of the side effects from the radiation . It affects your bones . '' Her other side effects are minor . She constantly has dry mouth and carries water with her everywhere . She avoids anything spicy or acidic , because it can sting the area where the cancer was removed . She lost almost 50 pounds after the surgery because she could n't eat . In some ways she considers the weight loss a good thing because it also reduced her high blood pressure and she was able to drop that medication . `` For everything , there is a blessing , '' she said . Although Folsom is cancer free now , she said she is considering enrolling in a trial that uses a form of the HPV vaccine to prevent patient 's oral cancer from recurring . MayoClinic.com : Chewing tobacco : Not a safe alternative to cigarettes . `` It 's been a long road to recovery . But I am very fortunate . I 've had great treatment and great care , '' she said . `` But the most important thing is I want women to be aware of oral cancer and make sure they do n't ignore a sore in their mouth , or pain . It could be something , '' Folsom said . `` And it needs to be checked out . That checkup can save your life . ''
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About 34,000 new U.S. cases of oral cancer diagnosed annually ; numbers are rising . Chief factors are excessive smoking and drinking . Human papillomavirus also sometimes a cause . When found early , oral cancer patients have an 80 to 90 percent survival rate .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Less than an hour before her mastectomy was scheduled to begin , Eve Wallinga 's surgeon gave her the bad news : Because of unforeseen complications , doctors would n't be able to reconstruct a new breast for her immediately after removing her cancerous breast as planned . She was told she 'd have to wait another day for the plastic surgery . According to one expert , the median time from breast cancer diagnosis to surgery is two weeks : `` way too fast . '' Wallinga wept openly ; she 'd dreaded waking up from surgery without a breast , and now she had no choice . `` I was devastated , '' says the 53-year-old writer from St. Cloud , Minnesota , whose breast cancer was diagnosed three years ago . `` I felt like the rug had been pulled out from under me . '' Today Wallinga considers that delay one of the luckiest moments of her life . She says it gave her the time to investigate other procedures to reconstruct her breast besides the two her surgeon had recommended . With that time , she ultimately made a very different decision . Wallinga 's experience highlights an emerging issue in breast cancer care : With so many choices to make -- Mastectomy or lumpectomy ? What type of reconstruction ? To get chemotherapy or not ? -- there 's concern women are n't being properly informed about all the treatment options available to them . `` People are typically presented with ` Here 's how it 's going to go , ' '' says Nancy Nixon , director of the Contact Center at the Breast Cancer Network of Strength , which receives more than 45,000 calls a year from people with breast cancer and their families and friends . `` Once we explain to them there are other options , the callers say , ` Oh , I did n't even know that was available . ' '' According to a recent report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons , 70 percent of breast cancer patients who are eligible for breast reconstruction procedures were not informed of the reconstructive options available to them . Nixon says sometimes doctors ' hectic schedules prevent them from laying out all the options . Other times , she thinks a doctor might fail to mention or discourage a procedure if he or she does n't have the training to perform it . Wallinga 's surgeon recommended two reconstruction techniques , both of which she says could have possibly harmed healthy tissue and muscle . Disappointed , but thinking she had no other choice , she agreed to one of them . Then the delay that had initially so upset Wallinga provided her the chance to look into other options . `` It gave me the extra time to seek out objective information with a clearer head , '' she says . `` I read books and surfed the Internet and looked at studies and before and after photos and researched surgeons ' credentials . '' Three months after her mastectomy , Wallinga chose a relatively new procedure she says had been discouraged by her original surgeon , but one that she feels was less invasive , less painful and a better choice for her . Now she counsels women on Internet breast cancer chat boards to investigate all options on their own . `` I hear over and over again from women who are not told the whole story , '' she says . `` It really angers me . '' To get the whole story about your options , breast cancer experts recommend that first of all , you try to slow down the process . Watch more on breast cancer and treatment options '' The median time from breast cancer diagnosis to surgery is two weeks , according to Dr. Steven Katz , professor in the departments of medicine and health management and policy at the University of Michigan Health System . `` That 's way too fast , '' he says . `` Breast cancer is not a medical emergency . You have a period of time , certainly weeks , to make decisions . '' Katz tells patients to weigh all options and get second opinions . `` Make no decisions in the first visit to the doctor . Let me repeat : Make no decisions in the first visit , '' he says . The sometimes hasty journey from diagnosis to surgery is often initiated by the patients themselves , says Dr. Jennifer Griggs , a breast oncologist at the University of Michigan . `` Many women have the reaction , ` Get this cancer out before it kills me ! ' They do n't realize it 's been there for years , '' she says . Sometimes even doctors make this mistake , says Griggs , who is also director of the university 's Breast Cancer Survivorship Program . `` I had two patients who were physicians and they jumped the queue and had their mastectomies very quickly , '' she remembers . `` They did n't wait for all the tests to come back , and when they did , the tests showed these women could have kept their breasts , but they had that operating room booked . '' Griggs also recommends going beyond your surgeon , who is often the first person a patient consults , for advice . For example , she says too many times women will take a surgeon 's advice not to have chemotherapy , without meeting with a medical oncologist , who specializes in chemotherapy . `` You really need a multidisciplinary team . Big academic centers have them , but if your hospital does n't , create one of your own , '' she advises . CNN 's Sharisse Scineaux contributed to this report .
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Women are n't getting all breast cancer treatment options , some advocates say . Expert : Weigh all options ; get second opinion ; make no decisions in the first visit . There 's time to explore options : `` Breast cancer is not a medical emergency '' Organizations like Breast Cancer Network of Strength can help educate patients .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Walk into Lisa Nasser 's kitchen most evenings and you 're greeted by rich aromas that indicate an exceptional cook is at work on a delicious creation . Colleen Doyle , editor of the `` What to Eat During Cancer Treatment '' cookbook , prepares tuna-bean salad . Cooking is Nasser 's passion , but she left the kitchen and the cooking to others for six months in 2006 when she , like her mother before her , learned she had breast cancer . Numerous rounds of chemotherapy left her spent . `` I did n't have the energy to go shopping , bring in the food , prepare the food . I needed to rest , to sleep , '' she recalls . Nasser 's experience is n't unique . According to the American Cancer Society , more than a million Americans will undergo cancer treatment this year . For cancer patients , nutrition is especially important , but many find that they are too tired to cook , or the food tastes bad , or they are too nauseated to eat , or they have painful mouth sores -- or all of the above . To coincide with National Breast Cancer Awareness month in October , the American Cancer Society has released a cookbook called `` What to Eat During Cancer Treatment . '' Colleen Doyle , registered dietitian and editor of the cookbook , says the book is full of recipes and eating strategies that patients with all types of cancer can adopt to help deal with the unpleasant side effects of treatment . Chemotherapy , radiation and drug therapies often leave patients with nausea , diarrhea , constipation , mouth sores , taste alterations and unintentional weight loss . `` One of the things we did was organize recipes by the symptoms that they might be experiencing , '' Doyle says . `` A lot of cancer patients going through chemo -- no surprise -- feel nauseous around those times when they are getting chemo . And so we talk to them about eating foods that are kind of bland ; think about avoiding really spicy foods , any kind of Mexican foods , things with lots of flavors , things with lots of herbs and spices . '' See recipe samples from the cookbook '' That certainly was the case with Nasser . `` I wanted pasta or rice dishes , anything that was bland , '' she says . Doyle says it 's also helpful to eat small frequent meals when battling nausea and to recognize that for some , the odor of cooking foods can be unsettling for the stomach . `` If you have somebody who cooks meals for you , it might be helpful for you to be in a totally different part of the house when they 're cooking if you 're going through a period where the smell of food really bothers you , '' says Doyle . Nasser was fortunate enough to have friends and neighbors deliver meals to her house . Once her nausea started to subside she was able to be more adventurous in what she ate . `` I remember calling a friend saying I wanted grape leaves . I remember wanting that tart lemony flavor and only hers were going to do it , '' she recalls . Watch Doyle cook in the kitchen '' It turns out that tart , strong flavors help with another nagging symptom of cancer therapy : altered taste perception . Like Nasser , some patients experience a metallic taste that will not go away . For others , food might seem tasteless , as if the taste buds have stopped working . For those problems , the cookbook offers recipes like tuna-bean salad that help wake up the taste buds and mask the metallic taste . `` This dish is full of lots of different flavors : strong flavors in the red peppers , the onion , the celery and the tuna itself . ... It also has a real tangy vinaigrette that can help kind of -LSB- push -RSB- that flavor quotient up a bit , '' says Doyle . Doyle also suggests marinating meats in Italian salad dressings , or mustard or barbecue sauce , and trying strongly flavored foods such as cranberries , sauerkraut or pickled vegetables . Cooking with glass pans instead of metallic cookware and using plastic utensils instead of silverware might also make a difference . Patients undergoing cancer treatment can also suffer bouts of constipation or diarrhea . One of the best strategies to ease constipation -- a common side effect of chemotherapy , anti-nausea and pain medications -- is to eat foods high in fiber , such as vegetables , fruits -LRB- including dried fruit like prunes , raisins or apricots -RRB- , beans and nuts . What if diarrhea is a problem ? `` There 's a real concern about becoming dehydrated . So be sure you 're drinking plenty of fluids and that those fluids do n't have caffeine , '' says Doyle . Broths , diluted juices , sports drinks -- even Popsicles or gelatin -- can help get some liquid into the system . Foods such as applesauce , rice and bananas can help slow down the digestive tract , as can oatmeal and canned peaches or pears . Avoid greasy , fried or very sugary foods because they can be irritants . Thanksgiving marks four years since Nasser 's days of chemotherapy drips and intravenous needles . Her health today is excellent and neighbors are once again making excuses to stop by during dinnertime in order to bask in the inviting aromas and sample the rich sauces bubbling up from deep pots on her stove top . Nasser , who did n't have the benefit of the cookbook when she was sick , hopes to use her copy only as inspiration and not as a tool for providing relief from the side effects of cancer treatment . `` Hopefully I wo n't need it for that . And if I do , I 'll now know what to do , '' she says .
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For cancer patients , nutrition is important , but many have a hard time eating . American Cancer Society has new cookbook : `` What to Eat During Cancer Treatment '' Cookbook contains recipes to help with treatment side effects . Recipes aim to combat metallic taste , nausea , constipation , diarrhea , mouth sores .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Actor Patrick Swayze 's achievements include several feature films such as `` Dirty Dancing '' and `` Ghost , '' as well as living with advanced pancreatic cancer for longer than most patients . Patrick Swayze died at age 57 of pancreatic cancer . He fought the disease for nearly two years . That Swayze , who died Monday at age 57 , survived nearly two years with the condition is `` quite an accomplishment , '' Dr. George Fisher , an oncologist who treated the star at Stanford Hospitals and Clinics , told CNN 's Larry King on Tuesday . Fisher revealed in early March 2008 that the actor was fighting pancreatic cancer . Swayze participated in a clinical trial at Stanford and took an experimental drug there , Fisher said . Fewer than one in four patients who have the disease that has spread outside the pancreas , as Swayze did , are alive a year later , he said . Watch Fisher talk to King about Swayze 's case '' `` Patients can survive two years -- even longer , even with standard treatment , '' Fisher said . `` It 's just sad that not as many do . '' Pancreatic cancer has affected several other prominent figures , including National Collegiate Athletic Association President Myles Brand , who died of the disease Wednesday . Apple Inc. 's Steve Jobs and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg have also undergone treatment for the disease . The American Cancer Society puts pancreatic cancer as the fourth most common cause of death from cancer in the United States . Lung , colon and breast cancer are the first three . Experts say that about 95 percent of those with pancreatic cancer die from the disease . Symptoms such as abdominal pain , jaundice or sudden weight loss may lead doctors to look for pancreatic cancer , said Dr. Steven Cohen , acting chief for gastrointestinal medical oncology at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . Cohen was not involved in Swayze 's care . Doctors say early detection carries a better chance of curing the cancer , but often a patient 's disease is diagnosed after it has spread . CAT scans may detect the disease early , but that does not mean everyone should have a scan with their physical , Fisher said . `` We 're developing algorithms for trying to identify people at risk , and then less invasive ... tests to try to figure out who 's got it and who does n't , '' he said . Despite his illness , Swayze went forward with plans to star in A&E network 's `` The Beast . '' After the actor responded well to cancer treatment , the network agreed to shoot an entire season of the show . Working on the show while undergoing treatment was `` a great idea , '' Fisher said on `` Larry King Live . '' `` I had my doubts as to whether he could actually do it or not , and we had many conversations around that fact , '' Fisher said . Swayze understood `` how difficult the treatment could be , and he understood how difficult the disease could be . But it 's just like Patrick to just say he 's going to do it and damn it , nobody should get in his way . '' `` The Beast '' was canceled in June because of Swayze 's illness , after doctors told him the cancer had spread to his liver . For pancreatic cancer patients , doctors are not as concerned with what happens with the pancreas as they are with how the disease spreads elsewhere , often to the liver or abdominal cavity , Cohen said . Failure of other organs that the cancer affects may ultimately cause death . Swayze 's participation in the Stanford clinical trial is an important take-away point , Cohen said . Only about 5 percent of cancer patients participate in clinical trials , he said . `` Particularly for a disease like pancreatic cancer , where the standard treatments help some patients but not the majority , the ability to look at new treatments that are promising in the context and controlled setting of clinical trials , I think , is really important , '' he said . Dozens of drugs are in development or being tested in trials for pancreatic cancer , Cohen said . One such medication is paclitaxel , which is currently only approved for breast cancer but has shown promise experimentally in pancreatic tumors , he said . Cohen said he and his colleagues encourage patients to continue their daily activities and live their lives normally as best they can while undergoing treatment . A chemotherapy drug commonly used in patients , called gemcitabine , does not have the harsh symptoms of nausea , vomiting and hair loss seen in other cancer drugs . But sometimes , patients are too ill from their underlying cancer to do much , he said . `` Toward the end , they can get increasing abdominal pain , nausea , loss of appetite , very low energy , sort of a wasting syndrome , and there , a lot of patients just do n't feel up to do anything , '' he said .
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Patrick Swayze battled pancreatic cancer for nearly two years . About 95 percent of those with pancreatic cancer die from it , experts say . Dozens of drugs are in development or being tested in trials for the disease . Doctors encourage patients to try to live their lives normally while in treatment .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Josephine Hathcock of Newark , Delaware , went in for gallbladder surgery , she never dreamed she 'd wake up an ovarian cancer patient . Neither did her doctors , who found the cancer accidentally while she was on the operating table . To make matters worse , the cancer was stage 3 , aggressive and had spread to her abdomen . Ovarian cancer survivor Josephine Hathcock attended a Super Luncheon to raise awareness of the disease . `` I had no idea I had it , '' says Hathcock . `` I just thought my gallbladder was having problems . '' Since that surgery in 2003 , Hathcock has undergone numerous treatments , including more surgery and various rounds of chemotherapy . She 's made it beyond the five-year mark and is still going strong . `` To be honest , '' she says , '' I did n't think I would be here -- but here I am , and that 's good . '' Earlier this month , Hathcock was asked to be a guest at a luncheon to raise awareness about ovarian cancer hosted by the first lady of Delaware , Carla Markell . The gathering was part of the Super Luncheon campaign , sponsored by the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund and held throughout September , which is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month . The campaign 's goal is to raise funds for research into early detection methods , as well as to find a cure . The effort is also designed to raise awareness . `` A lot of people know about breast cancer and the treatments and its symptoms because breast cancer has a strong awareness campaign , '' says Santo D'Asaro , who serves on the fund 's junior board . `` We felt it was time to make women aware that there are other diseases , other cancers that can affect them that are just as important . '' Watch more on the Super Luncheons '' The format of the campaign is to have governors or first ladies , such as Markell , host luncheons for the public in order to raise the profile of ovarian cancer . Markell , who is a breast cancer survivor , says it 's about time women learn more about a disease nicknamed `` the silent killer . '' Paging Dr. Gupta blog : When words fail you . `` One of the most important things we can do is alert people to what the signs and symptoms are , '' says Markell . `` That way , women have a better chance of discovering it earlier . '' Doctors say discovering ovarian cancer early is the key to survival . According to the National Cancer Institute , each year , more than 21,000 American women are given a diagnosis of ovarian cancer , and more than 14,000 women die from it . Ovarian cancer is called the silent killer because 75 percent of the time , the cancer is already considered advanced -- stages 3 and 4 -- when first found and has spread to other parts of the body . Doctors say early stage ovarian cancer symptoms are barely noticeable ; many women do n't know they have the disease until it 's too late . Dr. James Larson , a Delaware gynecologist-oncologist and a guest speaker at the luncheon , says the symptoms of ovarian cancer are fairly common and could be caused by other less-threatening illnesses , so women brush them off . `` Women can have abominable pain , discomfort , pelvic pain , or they can get full easy , have a loss of appetite , bloating , lower back pain and an urgency to urinate , '' says Larson . `` But these symptoms can also be caused by other ailments we all have every day , such as muscle pain , back issues , even arthritis , or just be part of the natural aging process . '' Furthermore , Larson says ovarian cancer is difficult to detect . According to the National Institutes of Health , there is no single effective screening test for ovarian cancer , `` which is the reason we need more money for research , '' says Larson . `` Until we find a screening method or a cure , women will continue to die from this form of cancer . '' Larson also stresses that women need to know more about the disease itself . `` I ca n't tell you how many patients of mine think a Pap test detects ovarian cancer , '' he says , shaking his head . `` I tell them it 's for cervical cancer . There is no definitive test for ovarian cancer . '' Although there is a blood test called CA-125 that can detect a protein produced by some ovarian cancers , doctors says it 's not a good screening tool for two reasons : Some ovarian tumors do n't produce enough of this protein to be detected , and the protein can also be produced by benign conditions such as endometriosis , fibroids , even pregnancy . Researchers are now working on new imaging techniques that could be used to screen women every so often , much like getting a colonoscopy for colon cancer . Arizona scientists have formed a team to design and build two versions of an ovarian cancer imaging and screening tool that would use new , sophisticated techniques to detect the disease . But these remain in the experimental stages . Progress is also being made on other fronts . The FDA last week approved a new blood test that can help determine whether an existing pelvic mass is likely to be ovarian cancer or not , before a woman has surgery . According to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund , education and money for research are the best ways to fight the illness for now . Carla Markell and Delaware Gov. Jack Markell , along with their state Legislature , hope to raise money to fight ovarian cancer by allowing residents to voluntarily donate to the Delaware Ovarian Cancer Foundation Fund on their tax forms . The first lady says it 's a step her state is making to help women conquer this silent killer . `` Something needs to be done , '' Markell says . `` And we do n't have time to waste , because women are dying . ''
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Super Luncheons hosted by governors , first ladies raise ovarian cancer awareness . Ovarian cancer called `` silent killer '' because symptoms of early disease are vague . More than 21,000 U.S. women develop it each year ; more than 14,000 die .
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Men with prostate cancer who were previously infected with the sexually transmitted germ Trichomonas vaginalis are more likely to have an aggressive form of the cancer , compared with men who never had the STD , a new study says . Researchers say trichomonas , an STD , is most common in men ages 25 to 39 . The germ , a type of parasite , can infect the prostate and may cause inflammation that spurs the growth of prostate cancer later in life , says senior author Lorelei Mucci , Ph.D. , an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health . `` Our underlying hypothesis is around inflammation and , in particular , we believe that inflammation from a variety of sources is leading to prostate cancer progression , '' she says . In the study , Mucci and colleagues compared 673 prostate cancer patients to 673 men without prostate cancer , and tested their blood for signs of a past infection with trichomonas . All the men were enrolled in the Physician 's Health Study , according to the report published this week in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute . They found that roughly one in five men had been infected with trichomonas at some point in his life . Men infected with trichomonas were no more likely to develop prostate cancer in general . But those with a past trichomonas infection were two to three times more likely to develop an aggressive and potentially life-threatening form of prostate cancer . Trichomonas affects 174 million people around the world each year , and , at any given time , about 3 percent of younger men are infected with trichomonas ; it is most common in men ages 25 to 39 . However , trichomonas is an STD that 's probably on more women 's radars than men 's because women are more likely to get symptoms such as discharge and itching . Health.com : How to protect yourself from HPV . Only one out of four men with trichomonas develops symptoms , and , with time , the infection often goes away on its own . -LRB- The STD can be cured quickly with antibiotics . -RRB- . `` I think the only time men really seek any medical intervention is if their partner has been diagnosed and then they may go and get treated as well , '' says Mucci . `` I think the general feeling has been that this is an acute infection , it will eventually clear itself , and it does n't seem to be doing any real harm ; but in this case it may actually be doing harm -- you 're just not seeing the harm until 20 years in the future . '' Infections are just one factor that researchers are examining as potential players in the growth of prostate cancer , and others -- such as dietary choices -- are thought to influence prostate cancer risk as well . Health.com : 10 questions to ask a new partner . `` We are pretty confident that diet has an impact , '' says Dr. Peter C. Albertsen , of the University of Connecticut Health Center , in Farmington . Prostate cancer is rare in Asian countries but relatively common in Western nations , and researchers feel it 's probably due to some component of the Western diet , says Albertsen , who wrote an editorial accompanying the study . `` What this study explores and similar studies are exploring is whether there are potentially infectious causes that result in prostate cancer going from a relatively dormant disease to one that 's clinically significant , '' says Albertsen . `` This study raises the issue that a common bug , Trichomonas vaginalis , could be such an agent . '' While the link to prostate cancer may sound surprising , there are other cancers caused by STDs . For example , cervical cancer in women is caused by the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus -LRB- HPV -RRB- . -LRB- However , HPV is a common infection and many women who are infected with the virus never develop cancer , which is relatively rare . -RRB- Health.com : How HPV causes cervical cancer and abnormal pap smears . '' -LSB- Although -RSB- there is some evidence that suggests that the number of partners that a man has had over his lifetime is associated with increased risk of developing prostate cancer , '' says Mucci , the relationship is not as clear-cut for prostate cancer as it is for cervical cancer . There is no strong indicator that an STD causes prostate cancer , and researchers suspect that trichomonas is just one inflammation-causing factor that may contribute to the cancer or make it grow faster . `` We think that inflammation is what 's important , '' she says . `` This inflammation may result from trichomonas , a dietary factor , or it could result from oxidative stress from something like smoking or other factors . '' Health.com : Dating dilemmas -- 8 tips for telling your partner a health secret . Either way , it 's too soon to make any changes in the testing or treatment of either prostate cancer or trichomonas , both experts say . `` What needs to happen is a few more researchers need to tackle this issue to either nail this down as a true relationship or dispense with it , '' says Albertsen . Health.com : Who 's most at risk for STDs ? However , it 's an important issue to consider , he says . `` Right now if you asked if the average urologist or internist , ` Does Trichomonas vaginalis lead to prostate cancer ? ' , the answer would be no , and in fact this study does n't prove a cause-and-effect relationship , '' he says . `` But if we begin to see that infections in general can be associated with prostate cancer , we might begin to take a new view on this disease and the appropriate treatment leading up to it . '' Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright Health Magazine 2009 .
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Study : Men with trichomonas vaginalis more likely to have aggressive prostate cancer . The germ is a type of parasite that can infect the prostate . Trichomonas affects 174 million people around the world each year .
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Pancreatic cancer patients who are obese may be 12 times more likely to have cancer that 's already spread to their lymph nodes at the time of surgery than similar cancer patients who weigh less , according to a study released Monday in the Archives of Surgery . In the study , 95 percent of patients with a BMI over 35 had a recurrence compared with 61 percent of other patients . `` What we are seeing suggests there is a difference in the way the cancer grows in obese patients versus those who are not , '' says study author Jason B. Fleming , M.D. , of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston . `` That is an area , from a biology standpoint , that has not really been explored . '' Overall , pancreatic cancer patients with a body mass index -LRB- BMI -RRB- greater than 35 -LRB- 223 pounds or more for someone who 's 5 ' 6 '' -RRB- were nearly twice as likely to have cancer recur or to die after surgery , as those who weighed less . Health.com : Are you afraid to go to the doctor because you 're fat ? Obese patients tended to have slightly larger tumors and were less likely to get chemotherapy or radiation before surgery than other patients . However , the survival rate did not seem to be due to the delivery of cancer care or surgical complications related to excess weight , says Fleming . `` People often wonder if obese patients have a worse outcome because they are more inherently at risk for complications , and we did not find that , '' he says . Health.com : How to achieve your feel-great weight . Fleming says gastrointestinal hormones , insulin levels , and the physiology of lymphatic flow in obese patients may contribute to the spread of the tumor cells . `` There is evidence that certain hormones , or growth factors such as insulin , act to stimulate cancer cell growth , '' he says . `` What I am suggesting is that it 's not just the tumor that is different , it 's the environment the tumor grows in . '' In the study , Fleming and colleagues monitored 285 cancer patients who had surgery to remove some or all of the pancreas . They specifically looked at a subset of 20 patients with a body mass index over 35 . Health.com : What you should eat to shed pounds . The patients with a BMI greater than 35 survived a median of 13.2 months compared with 27.4 months in patients with a BMI less than 23 -LRB- 136 pounds or less , for someone who 's 5 ' 6 '' -RRB- . At the last follow-up , 75 percent of the obese patients had died , compared with 52 percent of patients with a BMI less than 35 . Ninety-five percent of patients with a BMI greater than 35 had a cancer recurrence compared with 61 percent of all other patients . People who are obese are at greater risk of getting pancreatic cancer in the first place , according to Fleming . Other risk factors include smoking , long-term diabetes , hereditary disorders , and chronic pancreatitis . The pancreas is an organ located near the stomach ; it releases enzymes to help digest food and produces insulin to control blood sugar . Pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer-related death in both men and women , according to the National Cancer Institute . Even if the cancer is caught early , the prognosis is usually poor because the cancer spreads rapidly , and symptoms -LRB- jaundice , depression , weight loss , and upper abdominal pain -RRB- may not surface until the advanced stage . Obesity is associated with worse outcomes in other types of tumors too , including breast cancer , according to Fleming . `` This is n't the first time that connection has been made , '' he says . Health.com : Fiber , starch , fats , and serving sizes : Eat right advice for your diet . Tae-Hwa Chun , M.D. , an assistant professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor , Michigan , says `` there is good evidence '' that obesity increases the risk for certain types of cancer such as postmenopausal breast cancer , and cancers of the colon , endometrium -LRB- the lining of the uterus -RRB- , kidney , and esophagus . About two-thirds of U.S. adults are considered overweight , and one-third are considered obese , which is a BMI of 30 or higher , according to the Weight-Control Information Network , a service provided by the National Institutes of Health . Simple lifestyle changes , such as daily physical activity , will help spur weight loss and may help ward off some cancers , according to Chun . Not all pancreatic cancer patients are obese or overweight . Recently , Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had surgery for pancreatic cancer . Last year , actor Patrick Swayze was found to have stage 4 pancreatic cancer , which he attributes to smoking . Swayze has been reportedly undergoing chemotherapy . Other procedures , including surgery and radiation , can be used to treat the disease . Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright Health Magazine 2009 .
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Obese pancreatic cancer patients twice as likely to have recurrence or die . Median survival is half as long for patients with BMI over 35 than for BMI under 23 . Researcher : `` It 's not just the tumor that is different , it 's the environment ... '' Obesity is associated with worse outcomes in other types of tumors too .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Gilles Frydman was n't ready to see his friend Dr. Doreen Kossove in her condition : tethered to an oxygen tank , hardly able to speak , living with only one lung , her tiny , frail body ravaged by cancer and barely visible under her blankets . Empowered Patient extraordinaire : Doreen Kossove with her daughter Natasha de Lange . But as he approached the hospital bed in her tiny Berkeley , California , apartment , he saw that she was typing furiously on a laptop computer . Kossove , he learned , did n't let cancer -- in her lungs , chest and brain , and on her spinal cord and her vocal cord nerves -- get in the way of helping others . '' -LSB- I have -RSB- about 2,000 rare-cancer patients under my gimlet stare , '' Kossove wrote about the patients she communicated with on the Association of Cancer Online Resources , a Web site Frydman founded . `` I have had three deaths and another person dying in the last month among the people whom I advise . The last two current ones are breaking my heart . '' Many of these patients say Kossove is the reason they 're alive today . A Brooklyn , New York-born pediatrician who practiced in the United States and South Africa , she was found to have leiomyosarcoma , a rare and aggressive cancer , in 2001 . She corresponded online with her fellow patients nearly every day -- sometimes all day -- until she died February 6 . She was 65 . `` I owe her my life , '' cancer patient Erica Gero wrote in tribute to Kossove on the ACOR Web site . Gero explained that Kossove convinced her to see a doctor who specialized in sarcomas , a move Gero said got her the treatment she needed . `` Doreen gritted her teeth and would not let go of me until I went to the right kind of doctor . She was polite , but snarky at the same time . And of course , she was right . '' Read more tributes to Kossove . `` She was the most powerful patient advocate I 've ever known , '' Frydman added . `` The world is missing a hero , '' wrote Chaim Kurz , whose wife , Adina , for eight years has been battling synovial sarcoma , a rare type of soft tissue cancer . Kurz writes under the alias ` Bruce Katz . ' `` I remember at one time there was a question as to whether the tumors had spread into my wife 's spinal cord or brain . We had nowhere to turn . Doreen was herself starting a new chemotherapy treatment and was extremely tired , but sent me a three-page e-mail explaining in detail what options we had , '' Kurz wrote on the ACOR site . `` She never candy-coated anything , but we knew that she loved everybody who ever asked her a question . '' With a mother-hen style , Kossove pushed the cancer patients under her `` gimlet stare '' to hire the right doctor , fire the wrong doctor and find the latest treatments , which can be very difficult for rare cancers . She urged them to question doctors who told them there were no options left ; she 'd been told the same thing when her cancer was first diagnosed . `` When she joined the ACOR list in 2001 , she was told she had one month to live , '' Frydman remembers . `` Her ability to be up on the latest research and to impart the knowledge was uncanny , '' wrote Susan Lowenbraun , nursing director of the Sarcoma Center at Cedars-Sinai Cancer Center in Los Angeles , California , who worked with Kossove to help patients on the ACOR site . `` Even when she felt ill herself , she did research and communicated tirelessly with other patients . '' Sometimes Kossove showed impatience for others in her leiomyosarcoma group . If she felt someone was n't moving quickly enough to fight LMS , which can spread at lightning speed , she let them know in very blunt terms . `` I get very exasperated , very bitter and very worried about the people on this list , '' she wrote to one woman . '' -LSB- Some of them -RSB- put their heads in the sand . ... If one has high-grade LMS , one has to hit the road running . '' Kurz paid tribute to her forcefulness on the ACOR site . `` If she was in the U.S. Army or Navy , there would be peace in the world now -- that is how strong she was , '' he wrote . But she also showed great compassion , inspiring others on ACOR to keep searching for the newest treatment . `` Together we are more , and more effective , than we are separately , '' she often told her fellow cancer patients . Signing off on one message , she wrote , `` Celebrate being alive . Warmly , Doreen . '' CNN 's Sabriya Rice contributed to this report .
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Dr. Doreen Kossove tirelessly helped cancer patients despite being sick herself . She insisted patients find appropriate doctors , was a clearinghouse for information . Kossove succumbed to a rare and deadly cancer in early February ; she was 65 .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When she was about 8 , Frida Sepulveda developed dark folds of skin around her neck . It 's a well-known warning sign of type 2 diabetes . Frida 's mother , Blanca Sepulveda , who has watched other family members struggle with diabetes and obesity , was `` devastated '' to see her daughter experience similar health problems . Now at age 11 , Frida is about 5 feet , 6 inches tall and weighs around 180 pounds , her mother said . Despite a high body weight for her age and height , Frida does not seem to have additional symptoms of diabetes -- or any other major health concerns -- but her parents are trying to reverse the weight problem Frida has had since infancy . The San Diego , California , family is among a disproportionately high number of Latino-American families with overweight and obese children . According to the 2007 National Survey of Children 's Health , 16.6 percent of Latino high school students were obese and 18.1 percent were overweight . The corresponding national averages for high school students were 13.3 percent obese and 15.8 percent overweight . It 's an epidemic that shocked and saddened Lorena Garcia , a chef who appears on Univision and Telemundo . `` I travel all over the country to the major Hispanic festivals and I realized that 90 to 95 percent of the kids that I saw at the festivals were overweight , '' said Garcia , who established the Big Chef Little Chef program to teach Latino youth healthy cooking and eating habits . Watch Garcia interact with her fans '' The problem is caused by a wide range of cultural , social , economic , environmental and possibly genetic factors . Experts agree it is an uphill battle to solve . `` You ca n't just try to change someone 's behavior necessarily without trying to change their environment , '' said Dr. Michael Goran , director of the University of Southern California 's Childhood Obesity Research Center . How can childhood obesity be reduced ? Blanca Sepulveda , 38 , believes her own upbringing in Mexico before coming to the United States in junior high school ultimately contributed to her daughter 's weight problem . `` The way I was raised ... you do n't -LSB- leave -RSB- the dinner table until you 're done with all your food . That 's instilled in you , '' Sepulveda said . Back in Mexico , she said , the food was healthier and fresher , and she did n't drink soda . But she still applied that mentality to her own children , who were born and raised in the United States , where sugar-laden and fattening foods are widely available . The Sepulveda family 's story is similar to that of other immigrants who are healthier than their American-born children : Those born outside the United States are less likely to be obese than native-born children , said Luisa Franzini , Ph.D. , of the University of Texas School of Public Health . Despite the trends , more study is necessary to determine whether American acculturation is entirely to blame for poor diets among Latinos , an expert says . Rafael Pérez-Escamilla , a nutrition and public health professor with the University of Connecticut , wrote in the June 2009 issue of Journal of the American Diabetic Association that adaptation to U.S. society may explain , to some degree , `` deterioration of dietary quality '' and the risks of diabetes and other chronic diseases . However , he wrote , it 's still not completely clear . Healthy food harder to come by . Economic factors play a major role for many Latinos in their weight struggles . Angelica Delgado is trying to overcome the obstacle with the Healthy Latino Families initiative , a culturally tailored nutrition and exercise program in Milwaukee , Wisconsin . As the Community Research Supervisor for the United Community Center , Delgado is trying to get healthy school lunches in the Bruce-Guadalupe Community School , with which she 's working on Healthy Latino Families . About 80 percent of Bruce Guadalupe 's student body , which is 97 percent Latino , come from low-income households and therefore are eligible for reduced-price or free lunch . Without money coming in to support the lunch program , it 's difficult to fund better quality food and equipment to ensure that it 's freshly cooked , Delgado said . For now , she hopes the fun , bilingual setting of Healthy Latino Families will teach children to make smart food choices . The lack of availability of inexpensive , fresh , healthy food is a common for low-income populations in general , Franzini said . Research suggests that more affluent neighborhoods have a higher availability of healthy food , she said , adding that the cost of healthy food is lower in more advantaged communities . The community factor . Exercise also poses tricky problems for Latino children struggling with weight , as many live in disadvantaged areas may make it tough for them to play outside or walk to school . From a physical point of view -- in terms of sidewalks and litter -- those areas tend to be in worse shape than an average neighborhood , Franzini said . But her research also suggests that the social component of a neighborhood affects children 's physical activity levels . `` It 's not sufficient to just clean up the neighborhood -- pick up the trash and build sidewalks , '' said Franzini , whose study on the impact of neighborhoods ' social characteristics was published earlier this year in the American Journal of Public Health . `` It also needs to be a neighborhood where people feel safe and they feel that they can go out and walk and run and exercise and do whatever they want to do . '' To that end , Franzini 's research indicates that those Latinos living in tight-knit communities often get more exercise than those in more mixed neighborhoods . `` Having a neighborhood which is more connected , where people feel safe -- I think it 's all a matter of feeling empowered in a way . And so those who feel that they have this stronger neighborhood from a social point of view , they are also more likely to be physically active , '' Franzini said . Finding solutions . Researchers and community advocates are attempting to combat the Latino youth obesity problem . But the multitude of factors makes the issue a moving target and results of interventions are mixed . For example , about a year after a previous phase of Healthy Latino Families in Milwaukee wrapped up , children reportedly ate better and watched less television per day . Delgado said they are awaiting results from the current program , but she has seen some success already . USC 's Goran worked with Latino teenagers over 16 weeks to improve their diets , promoting fiber-rich tortillas and altering recipes of aqua fresca so it would have less sugar . But at the end of the four months , he saw `` no significant improvement in the outcomes . '' `` We have to do those studies over longer time periods than we have previously done to kind of give these things a chance to work and kick in , '' Goran said . `` We 're ... taking it one step at a time . '' And Frida 's mom , Blanca Sepulveda , said she is focusing on modifying her own behavior to help her entire family . `` It 's a retraining of the mind , '' Sepulveda said . `` It gets hard because you have to be an example . ''
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A disproportionately high number of Latino-American families struggle with obesity . Programs designed specifically for Latino children have had mixed results . Economic factors play a major role for many Latinos in their weight struggles . Exercise , and whether or not children feel safe to play , is another factor .
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BALTIMORE , Maryland -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A few weeks ago , 22-year-old Tatiana Gulenkina felt bad . Tired with a headache and high fever , Gulenkina knew she was coming down with something . Yet she was n't sure with what . Besides getting vaccinated , there are other ways to boost your immune system to ward off being sick . `` My symptoms were apparently the same as for regular flu : coughs , sneezes , high temperature , sore throat and headache . '' she says . But when her boyfriend took her to the doctor , her diagnosis was a little little bit of a shock . `` I had the swine flu ! '' Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stopped counting the number of reported H1N1 virus incidents in this country , the American Medical Association says many of its members are starting to see more cases of the illness , along with early bouts of seasonal flu and colds . It 's just that time of year when a lot of nasty bugs are out there . So the question is , what 's the best way to protect yourself ? Health experts will tell you the most effective way to fight the flu , including the H1N1 virus , is to get vaccinated , which causes your own body to make antibodies that target specific illnesses . After immunization , it takes up to 10 days for the vaccines to take effect . But there are other ways to boost your immune system to ward off being sick during the winter . Why boost your immune system ? It 's what protects you from diseases . It 's designed to defend the body against millions of toxins , parasites , bacteria and microbes that would love to invade the body and make it their home . But in order to protect you , your immune system has to be healthy . If it begins to break down , then germs can attack and cause you to become ill . That 's why taking care of your immune system , especially this time of year , is a must . And the best way to start is with good nutrition . You need to eat the right foods . `` Your nutrition profoundly affects your ability to fight these diseases , '' notes Katherine Tallmadge , national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association . That means fill up your plate with lean protein , including chicken , fish and fat-free dairy products . Why protein ? `` The molecules that fight disease are made of protein , '' Tallmadge says . Watch more on how to rev up your immune system '' And think fats . Good fats . Certain fats improve cellular function and the ability to fight disease . For instance , when people eat more liquid oils , as opposed to hard , saturated fats , the fats end up in their cell walls . With liquid oils predominantly in the diet , cells are more flexible , communicate better and are more able to fight disease . `` More olive oil , canola oil and nuts . These are healthy fats , '' says Tallmadge . Tallmadge also reminds us to include fruits , vegetables and whole grains in our diet . These contain important antioxidants that keep your blood levels of vitamin C , beta-carotene , zinc and B-vitamins high . Which also means think vitamin supplements . But not too many . Nutritionists like Tallmadge warn that you can ingest too much of one particular vitamin or supplement and throw off the nutritional balance of your body , which can affect the immune system . `` Get nutrients naturally through the foods you eat , '' Tallmadge says . As for vitamin pills , she recommends `` just taking a multivitamin with minerals so that all your bases are covered . '' If you think you need more of one particular supplement , talk to your doctor , she says . Although good nutrition is key for a healthy immune system , exercise is equally important . Studies have shown that moderate , regular exercise can boost the immune system . But doctors warn do n't overdo it . Too much high-intensity activity , such as a marathon or triathlon , can make a person more susceptible to illness for as long as three days after the workout . Says Dr. David Johnson , an orthopedic surgeon at Washington Hospital Center in Washington , D.C. , and avid swimmer : `` Exercise gets the blood pumping , which helps our heart , our circulation system , all our muscles and organs work better . But if you do too much , in too little time , it can hurt the body . '' A daily 30-minute walk can do the trick . And do n't forget to rest . A few studies point to shut-eye as a way to boost the immune system , and the National Sleep Foundation says getting the right amount of sleep is part of the `` staying well '' puzzle . Though the exact ways sleep works and how it rejuvenates the body 's immune system are still a mystery , sleep experts agree that adequate rest is necessary to keep a healthy body . `` Research shows that everyone needs sleep , and that it 's a critical factor in your health , weight and energy level , '' says Dr. Marc Schlosberg , a neurologist who works with the sleep lab at the National Rehabilitation Hospital , also in Washington , D.C. `` Plus , it cuts down on stress . '' Scientists and doctors have known for years that long-term , chronic stress can create negative changes at the cellular level of the body , which can severely hurt the immune system . So if you can , try to chill out . Take a break , do some yoga . Walk your dog . Pet the cat . Anything to calm the soul . As for Tatiana Gulenkina , she thinks she might have caught H1N1 flu on her campus , but she 's not sure . As a student at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore , stress is just part of a her busy life . But after a week of rest , fluids and ibuprofen , Gulenkina is feeling much better and hopes to get through the rest of the winter without other illnesses .
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Most effective way to fight flu , including H1N1 virus , is to get vaccinated . Eat lean protein , fat-free dairy products and good fats to boost immune system . Moderate , regular exercise and adequate rest are necessary to keep healthy .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A single gene , called MYH9 , may be responsible for many cases of kidney disease among African-Americans , researchers say . Dr. Barry Freedman , right , speaks with a colleague in a dialysis center at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center . Although doctors have blamed hypertension for causing common forms of kidney disease in African-Americans , new research shows that high blood pressure may not be the chief cause . `` The MYH9 gene association in African-American kidney disease is the most powerful genetic cause of a common disease yet discovered , '' said Dr. Barry Freedman , professor of internal medicine and nephrology at Wake Forest University , who led a team of researchers in isolating the gene . About 70 percent of African-Americans with non-diabetic forms kidney disease have the MYH9 gene , and many of them end up on dialysis , he said . The gene predisposes African-Americans to the kidney disease that was thought to stem from high blood pressure . It also gives them a higher risk of kidney disease associated with HIV . `` This genetic finding will forever change the way that we categorize the causes of kidney disease . It has the potential to lead to new treatment options to prevent this devastating disease , '' Freedman said . Kidney disease is a serious health issue among African-Americans , who have a fourfold higher risk of developing all common forms of it than whites in the United States . Dr. Bryan Becker , president of the National Kidney Foundation , called the research `` seminal work '' in identifying a gene associated with common kidney diseases . Still , the gene has not been shown to be the sole cause of kidney damage , Becker said . Diabetes and hypertension remain the most common causes of chronic kidney disease in the United States , he said . There is no reason to screen all African-Americans for the risk variant of this gene , or even all African-Americans with high blood pressure , because it is common among all African-Americans , Freedman said . Genetic screening would be most useful for people who have close relatives on dialysis , meaning they are at high risk , or individuals who want to donate kidneys , he said . There have not been studies on who should be screened , he said . Freedman conducted the research along with colleagues at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes Study . The team discovered that the gene accounts for nearly half of kidney failure among African-Americans , including diabetic-related and non-diabetic-related kidney disease . Researchers are now exploring what kinds of environmental triggers might cause the gene to promote kidney failure . HIV seems to trigger the gene and cause kidney failure , he said . Many kidney doctors had theorized that African-Americans developed kidney disease more often than whites because they might not get to see their doctors as often , had more severe high blood pressure and faced other environmental stressors , Freedman said . But research shows that the risk variant of the MYH9 gene is more prevalent in among African-American populations than white populations and seems to explain much of the excess risk for non-diabetic kidney disease in African-Americans , he said . It is still important for people to treat hypertension , which can speed up the weakening of kidneys in people with kidney disease , Freedman said . Untreated high blood pressure also leads to heart attack and stroke , he said . Dr. Michael Roizen , chief wellness officer at the Cleveland Clinic and author of `` RealAge : Are You as Young as You Can Be ? '' said the question still remains whether the gene initiates hypertension and kidney disease , and to what extent hypertension causes kidney disease . `` Most physicians would say that the reason blood pressure is so important is that higher levels of blood pressure cause kidney disease , and kidney disease cause higher levels blood pressure , and there 's a vicious circle , '' he said . Becker also noted that researchers will have to sort out the interactions between the MYH9 gene and hypertension , as well as the gene and diabetes . No one knows why African-Americans tend to have a higher risk for hypertension . One controversial hypothesis , known as the Middle Passage theory , is that black people who survived the harrowing trip across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa in the holds of ships did so because their bodies were better able to preserve salt , allowing them to avoid death by dehydration . Therefore , the theory goes , some African-Americans have a higher prevalence of `` salt-sensitive hypertension '' : Their blood pressure increases by unusually high amounts in response to salt . This theory has not been proved , or even widely studied , but the idea continues to permeate popular culture and generate discussion . The isolation of the MYH9 gene does not necessarily refute the theory , Roizen said . `` To survive , they had to retain salt , and they had to have a gene to help them do that , '' he said .
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Study : Gene predisposes African-Americans to common kidney disease . Interactions between the MYH9 gene and hypertension are still unknown . It is still important for people to treat hypertension , experts say .
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ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ordinarily , walking on a treadmill is no big deal for Carol Elam -- except when she 's dressed in a hospital gown and attached to a heart monitor . Carol Elam 54 , started to worry about her heart health after turning 50 ; her own mother died at age 64 . Elam , 54 , recently underwent a routine stress test at the Piedmont Heart Institute in Atlanta , Georgia . `` I decided I ca n't control too many things in my life , but if I can control something , I 'm going to do as much as I can to control my health , '' she remarked . Elam is among a growing number of middle-aged Americans who are n't waiting until they feel the first warning signs of a heart attack to see a doctor . Dr. Winston Gandy , a cardiologist at Piedmont and Elam 's physician , noted the trend not just in his own practice but in talking with colleagues across the country . `` Ten years ago , 60 percent of the people we took care of were people we had seen before , '' he said , referring to patients who were returning for post-treatment follow-ups . With the advent of medical therapies and technology that can help with early detection , he says , now 60 percent of patients are new to his practice . Watch more on the new prevention trend '' And , like Elam , he said , many do n't have any symptoms of heart disease . Dr. Timothy Gardner , president of the American Heart Association , also noted the positive trend . `` What Dr. Gandy said is true . It is encouraging to see the number of people who are getting the message . '' Gandy credited nationwide awareness programs , such as Go Red for Women day February 6 , with helping spread the word about heart disease detection and prevention . He reminds his patients that cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer in the United States . More than 80 million American adults suffer from some sort of cardiovascular disease ; it 's responsible for more than 864,000 deaths a year -- that 's one death every 37 seconds . Diagnosing heart disease often starts with a routine visit to a primary care physician . Elam started worrying about her heart health shortly after she turned 50 . `` My grandfather died at the age of 54 . My mother passed at 64 . ... I guess I had a wake-up call with my mother because of her high blood pressure , '' Elam explained . She also learned that three of her siblings and a nephew were being treated with medication for high blood pressure . Given her family history , Elam decided to undergo a baseline screening in 2005 with a treadmill stress test . At the end of the 20-minute exam , Gandy informed her that she had a leaky heart valve and would need to be checked annually . Today , her condition is routinely monitored using a treadmill stress test ; she was not put on medication . Under her doctor 's guidance , Elam stepped up her exercise regimen , running up to 20 miles a week . She also sticks to a low-fat diet . `` I 'm going to be honest : There are days where I do n't really feel like running ; I want to eat that fried chicken , but then I think that in the long run , that it 's a lifestyle that I do n't want to chose , '' Elam admitted . After her latest stress test , Gandy gave Elam some good news . `` Overall , she did well . I would put her in the top 1 percent , '' he said . He cautioned that this was just a screening test . If she felt any chest discomfort , he would want to see her again immediately . When it comes to heart disease , `` if we find it before it finds you , the chances of something bad happening are less than 1 percent , '' he said . `` But if it finds you , the chances are upwards of 75 percent that you will die . '' The sobering message is n't lost on Elam . Her four children range in age from 12 to 23 . `` I have to be here as long as I can to take care of my children , '' she said . `` I also have to set an example for my children . ''
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Heart disease affects 80 million Americans , kills more than 864,000 a year . More people getting message that preventing heart disease is ideal . Visiting your doctor , exercising and eating right are all key to prevention .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Retirement has n't been full of lazy days , rounds of golf and luxury vacations for Gary Terry . When this former telecommunications executive called it quits after a 32-year career , he took up an equally time-consuming volunteer job as chairman of the American Heart Association 's Texas chapter . Gary Terry says his being saved by a public defibrillator he 'd pressed for was `` divine intervention . '' `` I believe the Lord chose me to lead that group , '' said Terry , who lives in Hurst , Texas . But his `` sign from the Lord '' came , not in the form of a dream or a mysterious figure in his morning toast . Instead , it came in the form of a cardiac arrest by the security checkpoint at the Austin airport . `` I was trying to get back to the metroplex because I had a meeting the next morning . I reached down to pick up my briefcase , and I kept going . '' Here 's where the story takes an ironic twist : Gary Terry collapsed just 18 feet from an automated external defibrillator AED that he and his group -- the American Heart Association -- helped to install just eight months earlier . `` A lot of people say there 's a lot of circumstances in your situation that really are unique , '' said Terry , `` and I say no , they 're not unique circumstances -- they 're divine intervention . And I truly believe that . '' But the circumstances of Terry 's experience are unique , because there was a defibrillator nearby , and somebody knew how to use it . Watch more on the heart official saved by a defibrillator he pushed for '' `` When somebody stops breathing and they hit the ground , for all intents and purposes , they 're dead , '' says Dr. Art Kellermann , noted defibrillator advocate and professor of emergency medicine at Emory University . `` There are a few minutes where you can reach through the door and pull them back from death if you act decisively . '' And acting decisively , says Kellermann , means following the four links in the `` chain of survival . '' Visit CNNhealth , your connection for better living . The first link , according to the American Heart Association , is to recognize there 's a problem , and call 911 . Next , begin doing CPR , employ the use of a defibrillator and get the victim into the hands of capable medical professionals like the paramedics . `` Research has shown time and time again that you win or lose in a cardiac arrest on the scene , '' says Dr. Kellermann . `` If you do n't get -LSB- the victim -RSB- started before you start transport , the likelihood they 'll survive to leave the hospital is less than one-half of 1 percent . '' And statistics also show that if the chain of survival is initiated within 4 minutes , the chances of survival can be as high as 60 percent . The good news is , CPR is easy to learn -LRB- local classes can be found here -RRB- and the automated external defibrillator is remarkably simple to use , even without significant training . According to several device manufacturers , you simply place the pads on a victim 's chest , and turn the unit on . Complex algorithms inside the unit 's computer determine whether a shock from the machine will help restart a victim 's heart . Once the machine determines that a shock should in fact be delivered , it tells the user to clear their hands from the patient 's body , and press the `` shock '' button . It 's far less complicated than your average VCR , and almost impossible to screw up . It 's for these reasons , and the relatively low cost of a defibrillator that Gary Terry continues his crusade . `` I think this is part of the plan , and I think he wants me to keep telling people what a great piece of equipment the AED is . '' And Terry says he wo n't stop until the defibrillator is as ubiquitous in public places as a sprinkler system . `` I 'm gon na try to put AEDs in every building and in every house , and then I 'm gon na hang them on trees . ''
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Heart association official suffered cardiac arrest in a Texas airport . His life was saved by an automated external defibrillator . His group pressed to have the AEDs place in the airport months earlier .
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ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Doctors do n't have to tell 18-year-old `` Rose '' -LRB- who does n't want to reveal her real name -RRB- the importance of using a condom every time she has sex . STDs can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease , which can result in infertility , said Dr. Yolanda Wimberly , left . `` There really is a limit to how much you can trust somebody , '' the young woman said . At 14 , Rose contracted two sexually transmitted diseases : gonorrhea and chlamydia . She said she got the STDs from her first boyfriend . `` We used condoms at first . Then , me being naïve , we stopped , '' Rose recalled . `` I thought he was only having sex with me . '' The STDs went untreated and eventually developed into pelvic inflammatory disease , or PID , a condition that can lead to infertility . Dr. John Douglas , director of the Centers for Disease Control 's Division of STD Prevention , called infertility a `` down-the-road concern '' for many teens . He and other doctors worry about sexually active teenagers and young adults who may be unaware that some STDs may doom their chances of having a baby later in life . He said it is a growing reality for nearly 2 million women in the United States who are infertile . `` We do n't know how many are affected by STDs , but they can cause PID . A woman -LSB- with PID -RSB- has a 10 to 20 percent chance of being left infertile , '' Douglas said . Dr. Yolanda Wimberly , an adolescent medicine specialist with Grady Health Systems in Atlanta , Georgia , explained that PID can damage the reproductive organs by creating scarring and inflammation in the fallopian tubes . Health Minute : Watch more on teens and the infertility risk of STDs '' `` It can happen to anyone . It does not discriminate , '' Wimberly said , referring to both the chances of contracting an STD and the potential for infertility . Three days a week , she meets with teens and young adults at a health clinic just west of downtown Atlanta . Many of them have one thing in common : a lack of awareness about the dangers of STDs . `` You have the same story coming in over and over again , '' she said . `` It 's sad . The names and faces change , but the stories pretty much remain the same . '' Visit CNNhealth.com , your connection for better living . Wimberly first met Rose when the girl was hospitalized four years ago during her bout with PID . `` It had become a severe infection . ... She was having difficulty keeping anything down , '' the doctor recalled . `` It hurt so bad . It felt like somebody kept stabbing me in my stomach . I could n't walk or anything , '' Rose said . Doctors treated her with intravenous antibiotics . Both the STDs and PID cleared up . Then , a year later , when she was 15 , Rose was diagnosed with another type of STD called human papillomavirus , the leading cause of cervical cancer . Doctors removed some abnormal cells from her cervix , which could lead to pregnancy complications in the future . Rose recovered , and she said she has n't had any problems in three years , but questions remain about her future ability to have a child . `` I cry sometimes thinking about it , because I want it , but I 'm not positive if it can happen , '' said Rose , who dreams of becoming a mother . Wimberly tried to reassure Rose by telling her having PID does not automatically lead to infertility . `` But it can decrease your chances of becoming pregnant in the future , '' Wimberly told her . Wimberly is reluctant to put young , at-risk women through intensive and expensive fertility testing . Rather , she recommends that when they are older and the time is right , they first attempt to conceive a child on their own . In the meantime , Wimberly said , she walks a fine line as she deals with her patients ' immediate needs , be they birth control , disease prevention or sex education . Wimberly cautions couples to always protect themselves during sex by using a condom every time . She also tells young men and women to get checked by a doctor for STDs every six months or every time they change sexual partners . Finally , Wimberly urges parents to get involved in the discussion and not to be afraid to talk to their teens about the dangers of unprotected sex and the possibility of becoming infertile . Rose conceded that she learned the hard way . `` I want people to learn from my mistakes so they wo n't have to go through the same things I went through , '' she said . She recently graduated from high school and , prompted by her own health scare , hopes to become a nurse . Rose also has a new boyfriend and says they `` always use protection , no matter what . '' `` You might be in love and trust someone ... but be smart , think ` what if . ' Think for yourself , '' she said .
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Some STDs may doom teens ' chances of having a baby later in life . Doctor advises using a condom for every sexual encounter . She says parents should talk to kids about unprotected sex .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` Sometimes you can forget about the preciousness of life , '' hospital spokesman Allen Poston thumbed onto his Blackberry after peering into an operating room where a team of 15 doctors and medical staff separated conjoined twins in six hours in surgery . Two-month-old twins Preslee and Kylee Wells required surgical separation . `` I 'm standing here in the operating room looking at the exposed beating heart of Preslee Wells , '' he wrote as he walked the halls at the Children 's Hospital of Oklahoma University Medical Center . On Monday afternoon , 2-month-old Preslee and her conjoined sister , Kylee , rolled onto their own backs for the first time , he said . Poston , who updated friends and relatives on the surgery with constant posts from his hospital blog , snapped photos of each girl and showed them to friends and family who had been in the hospital waiting room since early Monday . The news of the operation 's success prompted a gush of emotion , breaking the silence that had once filled the room , Poston said . After two months of waiting , the two girls were surgically separated . `` We waited because we wanted the organs to get a little bigger , a little stronger , '' Poston had told CNN over the phone earlier Monday . `` The primary concern was cardiac connection . '' After cardiac imaging , doctors determined there was `` very little -LSB- cardiac -RSB- connection , '' but they remained concerned about a `` liver bridge '' connecting the twins . That bridge , Poston said , posed the greatest operational risk because of its dual use by the twins . Born October 25 in Oklahoma City , Oklahoma , to Stevie Stewart and Kylie Wells , the twins are being monitored in the hospital 's neonatal intensive care unit . They are listed in critical condition . `` Today , they leave the OR in two different cribs , one following the other , still close in proximity , but might as well have been a mile apart , '' Poston wrote . `` And that is exactly what everybody was hoping for . ''
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2-month-old Preslee and her conjoined sister , Kylee , were in surgery for 6 hours . They rolled onto their own backs for the first time Monday , spokesman said . Twins are currently being monitored in a hospital 's neonatal intensive care unit .
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One in four American girls ages 13 to 17 have been given at least one shot of Gardasil , the human papillomavirus vaccine that is heavily marketed as a way to prevent cervical cancer . Critics say Gardasil 's makers minimized the sexual transmission of HPV and provided unbalanced info . Now , a new study says that Gardasil is safe and no riskier than other vaccines , although there is a small chance of fainting or developing a blood clot after getting the shots , according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association . Still , many adolescent health specialists and epidemiologists continue to question the benefit of vaccinating all girls against HPV , a sexually transmitted disease that causes genital warts and some cases of cervical cancer . A related study in the same journal looks at how the vaccine was marketed . Sheila M. Rothman , Ph.D. , and David J. Rothman , Ph.D. , both of the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City , say the vaccine manufacturer , Merck & Co. , may have swayed the debate by providing educational grants , ready-made slides , and other materials to professional medical associations such as the Society for Gynecologic Oncology and the American College Health Association . `` Much of the material did not address the full complexity of the issues surrounding the vaccine and did not provide balanced recommendations on its risks and benefits , '' they wrote . `` By making this vaccine 's target disease cervical cancer , the sexual transmission of HPV was minimized , -LSB- and -RSB- the threat of cervical cancer to all adolescents was maximized . '' Health.com : How to protect yourself from HPV . In June 2006 , the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Gardasil for girls and women ages 9 to 26 . The vaccine protects against four HPV strains , which cause many , but not all , cases of cervical cancer and genital warts . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added Gardasil to its routine childhood vaccine schedule the following year . Gardasil , which is given in three doses , is recommended for all girls ages 11 and 12 and even for those as young as 9 , with catch-up doses for girls and women ages 13 to 26 who have not been vaccinated earlier . Health.com : Top myths about safe sex and sexual health . In 2008 , the vaccine had worldwide sales of $ 1.4 billion . In the new study , the researchers looked at problems reported to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System in the 2.5 years since Gardasil was licensed . Of 23 million doses given during this time , there were 12,424 voluntary accounts of adverse events . In all , 94 percent were not considered serious . `` This continues to be a safe vaccine , '' says lead researcher Dr. Barbara A. Slade , a medical officer at the CDC . `` It does protect against the four main types of HPV that are responsible for cervical cancer , and it does prevent the early cervical lesions that could turn into cancer . This suggests it should decrease risk of full-blown cervical cancer . '' Health.com : 10 questions to ask a new sex partner . Still , the HPV vaccine is not a cure-all . Women and sexually active girls still need to get regular Pap tests to find abnormal cells in the cervix that may lead to cancer . The vaccine does not protect against all types of HPV , and if a girl has already been infected with HPV prior to receiving the vaccine , it wo n't help her . The vaccine has been criticized for its cost , which is about $ 360 for all three shots . Overall , 6.2 percent of the reported problems were considered serious . This included 32 deaths among women who received the vaccine . -LRB- However , these types of reports can not determine whether adverse events were caused by the vaccine or just a coincidence -RRB- . There were 8.2 reports of fainting per 100,000 doses and 0.2 blood clots per 100,000 doses , the study shows . Other problems included nausea , headache , a skin reaction at the injection site , an allergic or hypersensitive reaction , skin rash , and autoimmune reactions such as Guillain-Barré syndrome , a potentially life-threatening condition in which the body 's immune system attacks part of the nervous system . There was a greater risk of fainting or developing a blood clot with Gardasil than there is with other vaccines , the study shows . '' -LSB- Exposing these risks -RSB- should open the dialogue that people need to have with their physician about whether they need to get the vaccine , '' Slade said . However , advertisements for the vaccine heavily promote its ability to prevent cervical cancer . Dr. Charlotte Haug , the editor in chief of the Journal of the Norwegian Medical Association , noted in an editorial that HPV is not always harmful and that most women with healthy immune systems can and will clear it on their own . `` In a few women , infection persisted and some women may develop precancerous cervical lesions and eventually cervical cancer , '' she wrote . `` It is currently impossible to predict in which women this will occur and why . Likewise , it is impossible to predict exactly what effect the vaccination of young girls and women will have on the incidence of cervical cancer 20 to 40 years from now . '' The bottom line , according to Dr. Haug ? `` Even if persistently infected with HPV , a woman most likely will not develop cancer if she is regularly screened . So rationally she should be willing to accept only a small risk of harmful effects from the vaccine , '' she said in the editorial . Health.com : How to deal with 7 of the most common birth control side effects . Abby Lippman , a professor of epidemiology at McGill University , in Montreal , has publically questioned whether Canada is rushing too quickly to recommend the vaccine for all girls and young women . `` If we want to get rid of cervical cancer , let 's know what we are doing before we start launching a vaccine , '' said Lippman , who is also the past chair of the Canadian Women 's Health Network . She said she would rather see campaigns aimed at improving access to Pap tests in at-risk populations . `` I am not alarmed about the safety , but we have to ask hard questions about the real benefits , '' she said . `` We do n't know how long protection will last , and we wo n't know if the vaccine protects against cancer for a while . Doctors need to talk to parents and not say , ` Sign here on the dotted line , ' '' she says . Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright Health Magazine 2009 .
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Study says Gardasil is safe , although chances of fainting or getting blood clot exist . Critics say Gardasil 's maker Merck did n't address complexity of vaccine . Vaccine does not protect against all types of HPV .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Raffi Darrow brought in her two daughters , Wendy and Alice , for their annual back-to-school checkups this week , for the first time in her career as a mom , Darrow decided to be a rebel . Raffi Darrow decided not to get the HPV vaccine for daughters Wendy , left , 11 , and Alice , 12 . Even though every federal health authority says her girls , ages 11 and 12 , should get Gardasil , the vaccine that helps protect against cervical cancer and genital warts caused by the human papillomavirus , Darrow instructed the pediatrician not to give it to them . `` Up until now my children have had every vaccine doctors have recommended , '' says Darrow , a graphic designer in St. Petersburg , Florida . `` But most friends , like me , fear the safety of something new . '' Even though Gardasil is on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 's vaccine schedule for 11 - and 12-year-old girls , and is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics , many parents interviewed by CNN say they 're not getting it right now for their daughters out of concern for side effects . `` I 'm not saying I 'll never do it . I just do n't want to do it when they 're 11 or 12 , '' says Darrow , who debated for a year about whether to get the shots for her daughters . Liz Schlegel , on the other hand , did n't hesitate to get Gardasil for her 15-year-old daughter . `` My older sister was diagnosed with -LRB- and beat ! -RRB- cervical cancer two years ago , and her doctors traced it to HPV , '' says the manager of a small design firm from Waterbury , Vermont . `` I would hate to think that normal sexual experimentation -- the kind that my sister and I and many of our friends and peers `` tried on '' in college -- could result in a life-threatening illness 30 years later . '' A survey of 1,122 physicians in Texas showed that about half do n't always recommend Gardasil to parents of 11 - and 12-year-old girls , even though the CDC recommends it . The survey was published earlier this month in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention , a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research . In an unscientific QuickVote poll , respondents were split on whether they 'd get the vaccine for their daughters , with 43 percent saying absolutely they would , 40 percent saying no way , and the rest saying they were n't sure . As of Wednesday , more than 5,000 people participated in the informal survey . To cast your vote go to CNNhealth.com . Unlike most other vaccinations , Gardasil is not required for a child to attend school . As of 2007 , the latest year for which statistics are available , 25 percent of 13 - to 17-year-olds had received a dose of Gardasil , according to the CDC . Read what parents and pediatricians have to say about Gardasil '' `` Although the numbers are low , we are optimistic this percentage will increase over time , '' says Arleen Porcell-Pharr , a spokeswoman for the federal agency . `` We would like to see 100 percent adherence to the CDC schedule , -LSB- but -RSB- from previous experience , we know that it takes years for a new vaccine to gain acceptance into the market . '' Darrow and other parents say they 're worried about neurological problems , blood clots and deaths that have been reported to the CDC after a woman or girl has been vaccinated with Gardasil . The vaccine is given in a series of three injections . Read a discussion on TwitterMoms about Gardasil . According to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System run by the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration , as of May 1 , there were 13,758 reports of adverse events occurring after women and girls received Gardasil , out of the more than 24 million doses that had been given to girls and women up until that time . On its Web site , the CDC notes that these events `` may or may not have been caused by the vaccine . '' Most of the problems -- 93 percent -- were considered to be mild , such as headache , nausea and fever . But 7 percent involved a hospitalization , permanent disability , life-threatening illness or death . In the data , 39 deaths were reported after vaccination with Gardasil , with 26 confirmed by the agency , six under investigation , and seven unconfirmed . `` There was no unusual pattern or clustering to the deaths that would suggest that they were caused by the vaccine , '' according to the CDC 's Web site . Gardasil , which prevents four types of human papillomavirus that cause 70 percent of all cervical cancers and more than 90 percent of genital warts , was heralded as a breakthrough when it was introduced more than three years ago by the pharmaceutical company Merck . Since the reports , Merck has added several adverse reactions to the labeling , stating that some people after receiving Gardasil have developed autoimmune diseases , musculoskeletal disorders , paralysis and seizures . `` It 's not possible to reliably estimate the frequency -LSB- of these adverse events -RSB- or to establish a causal relationship to vaccine exposure , '' the label states . Dr. Rick Haupt , the pediatrician who leads Merck 's research on Gardasil , says the vaccine is safe and effective for 11 - and 12-year-old girls . `` We have good evidence that the vaccine is appropriate to use at this age , '' he says . He added that many countries , including the United States , recommend the shot at age 11 or 12 in hopes of getting girls vaccinated before they become sexually active , because HPV is transmitted sexually . Also , he says it 's beneficial to vaccinate children this age because their `` immune response is very robust . '' Doctors and Gardasil . When her children were younger , Darrow 's pediatrician urged her to get all the vaccines on the CDC schedule . She noticed , however , that when she told the pediatrician she did n't want Gardasil for Wendy and Alice , the doctor did n't push her to reconsider . `` There was no argument , no trying to persuade me , no ` Here 's a pamphlet about Gardasil , ' nothing , '' Darrow says . Several pediatricians interviewed by CNN said they do n't push the HPV vaccine if parents do n't want it . `` I consider this to be an optional vaccine , '' says Dr. Arthur Lavin , associate clinical professor of pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine . `` I tell parents it 's fine with me if you wait , and it 's also fine with me if you want that extra added level of protection and we proceed today . '' He said about 15 percent of his patients are getting Gardasil for their 11 - and 12-year-old girls . Parents researching on the Internet . Before her daughters ' checkups this week , Darrow spent several hours doing research on the Internet in order to make her decision about Gardasil . She said what tipped the scales for her were statements made in the media by Dr. Diane Harper , an obstetrician and gynecologist at the University of Missouri who helped Merck do clinical trials on Gardasil , at one point serving on the company 's advisory board for the vaccine . Harper told CNN she has concerns about the safety of the HPV vaccine for pre-adolescents , noting that a small number of girls have died or suffered neurological damage after receiving the shot . `` Gardasil is not without risks . It 's not a freebie , '' Harper says . Harper says she worries that not enough young girls were included in Merck 's clinical trials to warrant giving the shot to all young girls . Merck has given the vaccine to 1,121 girls between 9 and 15 years old in clinical trials without serious side effects , according to Haupt , the Merck pediatrician . He says the company will try to continue to follow these girls for 10 years . In addition to safety concerns , Harper said she wonders whether the vaccine will still be effective for an 11 - or 12-year-old after she 's become sexually active . Gardasil is `` 100 percent '' effective against HPV five years after vaccination , according to Haupt , and Merck is studying whether its efficacy lasts longer than that . Darrow says this is one reason she decided not to get the shots for Wendy and Alice . `` Even if the shot lasts for 10 years , it would run out just when they 're at their riskiest time , '' she says . `` If I give it to my 11 year old right now , she 'd need a booster at age 21 . '' She added that she has n't rejected the idea of getting Gardasil for her daughters , considering that it would give them some protection against cervical cancer . `` I 'm going to revisit this again when they 're 14 or 15 , '' she said . CNN 's Sabriya Rice and Jennifer Pifer Bixler contributed to this report .
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Many parents are debating whether to vaccinate their daughters against HPV . Some are concerned about side effects , the vaccine 's long-term effectiveness . Others parents think not vaccinating is a missed opportunity to protect the child . The CDC has Gardasil listed on its vaccination schedule .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Before middle-aged men started singing `` Viva Viagra '' in TV ads , before former Sen. Bob Dole appeared in its commercials in the '90s , before the blue pill with a funny name entered the public lexicon , impotence was hush-hush . Viagra entered the market 10 years ago , bringing once taboo subjects like erectile dysfunction out in the open . Now there 's no getting away from it . In-boxes are clogged daily with spam mail promising cheap and instant manliness delivered fast and in bulk . Couples exchange amorous , come-hither looks followed by a lengthy recitation of side effects on TV ads . The pill helped more than 25 million men get their groove back and blasted the topic of erectile dysfunction into the open . `` It 's like the nuclear explosion , '' said Dr. Irwin Goldstein , director of Sexual Medicine at Alvarado Hospital in San Diego , California . `` It created sexual medicine . It allowed the taboo to be broken . '' Since the diamond-shaped blue pill debuted 10 years ago , it has become embedded in the public psyche , late-night television jokes and urologists ' offices . `` It is one of the revolutionary steps in sexual health , '' said Dr. Ira Sharlip , spokesman for the American Urological Association . `` It ranks with the changes in cultural attitudes about sexuality that were started by -LSB- Sigmund -RSB- Freud , continued by -LSB- William -RSB- Masters and -LSB- Virginia -RSB- Johnson , the two researchers in the '60s , and the work that -LSB- Alfred -RSB- Kinsey did in the '40s . `` These were the huge steps in the development of our understanding of human sexuality and cultural attitudes of sex . '' Men seldom talked about their bedroom troubles before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Viagra as the first oral medication for erectile dysfunction in 1998 . `` We lamented the fact that the men had so much shame about erectile dysfunction , how rarely anyone came for medical attention , '' said Dr. Abraham Morgentaler , an associate clinical professor of urology at Harvard Medical School . Penis injections and vacuum pumps were available , but these treatments were n't appealing . Men with medical conditions such as diabetes , prostate cancer , hyper cholesterol , endocrinological and cardiovascular problems were n't able to enjoy sex , Goldstein said . `` People who could n't enjoy intimacy before have been given a second life ... '' he said . `` We have had a better life because of it . '' Viagra increases blood flow to the penis , enabling a man to have an erection . The drug does not induce desire and works when the man is sexually aroused , according to Pfizer , the makers of Viagra . Urologists heard from patients who had tried the pill that Viagra made them feel as if they were 20-year-olds again . Anti-impotence drugs Levitra and Cialis have come along since . `` Along with the birth control pill in the '60s , this pill really changed people , society and medicine , '' Goldstein said . `` It changed the patient-physician relationship . You can walk in and ask about sexual functions . It was a major taboo at some point . '' Dr. Gerald Melchiode , a Texas psychiatrist , agreed that the pill has helped men open up about their sexual health , but finds the commercials a bit much . `` I 've never run across men singing about their impotency , '' he said . Since Viagra 's appearance on the market , the dialogue about sexual dysfunctions has helped doctors identify other health problems in their patients , doctors say . `` You always hear someone drops dead , `` said Dr. Chris Steidle , a urologist who wrote the book `` Sex and the Heart . '' `` It 's not sudden death if you could n't get an erection . It 's a symptom of a heart condition . You would n't ignore a stroke , but you would ignore erectile dysfunction -- it 's a significant symptom . '' The man 's penis is like `` the tip of the iceberg '' or `` the canary in the mines , '' which serve as an indicator of overall health , Morgentaler said . `` There 's now good evidence that shows that men with ED who have no other symptoms of anything are at increased risk for heart attacks and strokes , '' he said . Thousands of studies have been conducted on Viagra . `` The pill that thrills '' is also being studied to see whether it gives athletes an edge in competition . It 's been studied to see whether it helps women with their sexual health . Despite the deluge of attention , Viagra does n't work for about 25 percent to 35 percent of men with erectile dysfunction . For others , it has revitalized and strained marriages . Experts say Viagra gave a window into the psyche of men and women . Some complain that sex should be spontaneous and that popping a pill ruins the romance . Eating food decreases the potency of Viagra , and some say the pill forces them to go on a schedule . Another complaint : Having to use Viagra makes a spouse or partner feel undesirable . `` Sometimes their spouse personalizes it , '' said Melchiode . `` Why does he have to take this pill ? Are n't I attractive enough ? Are n't I sexy enough for him ? That 's not unusual for the partner . '' Even when Viagra is effective , some men realize that it 's not the magic bullet that solves their problems with intimacy , doctors said . Only about half refill their prescription . `` One has to think beyond just giving a pill to cure sexual problems , '' Melchiode said . `` A typical example is a couple where there 's been problems over the years and they ca n't deal with the problems on a verbal level , so they start withdrawing from one another . They build up a resentment and anger , they have trouble being close to one another and having sex with each other . Just giving them a pill is n't going to touch on all the problems of the resentment and anger . '' Sex , it turns out , is part of a bigger web of relationship issues . Morgentaler , author of `` The Viagra Myth , '' said : `` It 's unrealistic that there 's a pill that fixes all of these things . ''
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Viagra helped 25 million men with erectile dysfunction and bring awareness . Blue pill considered a huge step in understanding human sexuality , cultural attitudes . ED indicates other health issues and that blood vessels are n't working well . Viagra is n't a cure-all , some sex problems are indicative of relationship problems .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- To look at her , you 'd never know Jessica Ordona , 25 , has a problem with her jeans . `` I do n't like the fact that when you sit down , your stomach comes over them , '' she says . Jessica Ordona -LRB- in white -RRB- disliked the fit of her jeans , so she signed up for a class she says addressed the issue . A retail specialist with a commercial real estate firm in Bethesda , Maryland , Ordona knows image is part of success . That 's why she has been diligent about hitting the gym four to five times a week . But even with all her crunches and lifting , she sometimes experienced denim frustration . Unhappy with her former gym , Ordona decided to join a national health club chain in her neighborhood . Much to her surprise , she found a class called Skinny Jeans Workout , specifically designed to get rid of those annoying little bulges and bumps . `` It 's different than your typical workout class , '' she says . `` It 's not high-impact cardio , but you 're sweating the whole time because you 're working every muscle group . '' The Skinny Jeans Workout concentrates on core muscles , balance and posture . A cross between ballet , butt-burning stretches and light weight lifting , the workout involves the entire body . Lisa Grimmer , a group fitness instructor , teaches the class . `` What I love about Skinny Jeans is it takes everything from Pilates -- the core workout , which would be the tightening around of your abdominal muscles , your lower back . People think of that as `` the core . '' But there 's also the shoulder girdle , which we work out a lot in Skinny Jeans , too , '' says Grimmer . `` So really we 're thinking about anything that would be postural or placed into your jeans , so you 've got your abdominals , of course , and we work the inner and outer thighs that go into the jeans . '' The hourlong class is taught twice a week . Regulars swear they 've dropped a jeans size or two since the class began four months ago . They say it not only tightens the tush , but the workout also helps develop the flexibility and strength to hold the back straight . Tracy Cherpeski Bannister , another class instructor , believes posture is key to fitting into tight pants . `` In addition to sort of holding it in , we 're also lifting and lengthening and , as we do that , we sort of set our shoulders into place , '' Bannister says . `` I probably said it in class -- we ` tuck our shoulder blades into our back pockets ' -- so we 're opening the chest as well . '' Listen to Jessica talk about the class '' Bannister says so many of us spend portions of our day stressed , at our computer or rounded forward while driving . `` So this is a good way to kind of set the body back up . ... It makes everything more efficient , '' she says . The class is usually taught in bare feet , for maximum balance . It forces `` our bodies to be smarter , '' says Bannister . She reasons that by freeing up your feet , you have to use your brain as well . `` You have to think and feel what 's happening . If you do n't -LSB- go barefoot -RSB- , then it 's not a waste of time , but you do n't get as much out of it as maybe you should . '' Watch Skinny Jeans class participants in action '' But like any exercise program , it 's important to take it slowly . `` Any time you begin a new workout , you need to avoid doing too much , too soon . You do n't want to go from zero to 60 in 10 seconds , '' says Dr. David Johnson , an orthopedic surgeon at Washington Hospital Center in Washington , D.C. `` One of the worst things a person can do is start exercising , overdo it , get hurt and become discouraged . You should look to your instructor for guidance and make sure that person is keyed in to your fitness level . '' Johnson likes the concept of the workout . `` Exercises that develop the core muscles are important , '' he says . `` Not only does core strength decrease waist size , it increases your energy and endurance , which make it easier to engage in other physical activities such as golf , tennis -- even shopping for another pair of skinny jeans . '' The Skinny Jeans Workout and other programs similar to it can be found at health clubs across the country . While the specifics of the workouts may vary , depending on the health club , the goal is pretty much the same : It 's all about zipping yourself up into the smallest jeans in your closet . `` You do it right , you do it a few times , and then you 're set , '' Grimmer says . `` My clients love it . ... They all come to the class , and they 've seen such great results . I 've had people go down sizes in jeans ; I 've had people tighten up . ... They 're standing up a little bit taller , and everything 's straighter and very proud . ''
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Skinny Jeans Workout tones core muscles so gym-goers can zip their skinny jeans . Balance , posture also addressed , as are flexibility and strength to hold back straight . Expert : Like any exercise program , it 's important to start slowly , not get injured .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At an auction at a gallery in New York recently , a piece of artwork sold for a higher price than had been anticipated by the auctioneers : $ 4,080 . It was n't a very big piece of art -- just 8-by-10 inches . Technically , it was n't even art . It was a glossy black-and-white photograph . It had a slight imperfection : there were staple holes in the upper left-hand corner . Someone had written all over the front of the photograph . The person who had scrawled on it was , in fact , the subject of the photograph . He had written : . `` To Patricia Keating , with very best wishes , John Kennedy '' That is what made the photo so valuable to someone : Kennedy had held it in his hands , had run his pen over it . The owners of Swann Galleries , where the signed photo was auctioned , believe that Kennedy had autographed the picture in 1956 , when he was a United States senator . The picture itself was n't worth much ; but his signature , personalized to Patricia Keating . ... `` As far as we know , she was n't anyone famous , '' Rebecca Weiss , a Swann Galleries employee , told me on the day after the auction . `` There 's no particular significance to her name . '' Then why would someone pay more than $ 4,000 for the photo ? Weiss told me that the identities of the buyers and sellers at Swann auctions are kept confidential , so she could not disclose who had consigned the photo for sale , or who had purchased it . But she said there is a pretty safe rule of thumb about the sale of autographs of renowned men and women : . `` What people are buying is the mystique . They are taking home the autograph knowing that this person once actually touched this item , this person once actually left this imprint , this signature . '' She clearly knows what she is talking about ; just this weekend , it was announced that another auctioneer had sold what is purported to be perhaps the last autograph Kennedy ever signed : a copy of the Dallas Morning News that he reportedly signed for a woman upon his arrival in that city on November 22 , 1963 . A man in California purchased it for $ 39,000 . In our digital age , in which images and data are transferred from person to person with the tap of a key , it would seem to be an anachronism : the idea of placing enormous monetary value on pieces of paper upon which prominent individuals once wrote their names . But that personal touch seems to have remained precious ; Weiss said that many , if not most , purchasers of autographed items display them as if they were rare paintings : framed and mounted in places of honor . She did n't have to convince me . I have only two pieces of art hanging in my home , and neither would qualify as art in the conventional sense . But I would n't trade them for Picassos or Van Goghs . The first is an original theater lobby poster for the greatest movie about newspapers ever made : 1952 's `` Deadline -- U.S.A. '' , starring Humphrey Bogart . The other piece of art is an autograph -- actually , an entire -LRB- if brief -RRB- handwritten letter . It is a thank-you note . A thank-you note written to a laundry . At the top of the piece of paper , embossed in the italics/script font style of 1950s suburban-housewife stationery , are the words : . `` From the home of ... Elvis Presley '' And beneath it , in blue ballpoint pen : . `` I should like to commend your Laundry for doing a fantastic job on my clothes , you show esceptional care . Sincerely E.P. '' That 's just how , while living in a house on Audubon Drive in Memphis , Tennessee , in the years before he moved to Graceland , he wrote it . `` Laundry '' capitalized in the middle of the sentence ; a comma instead of a period after `` clothes '' ; `` esceptional '' instead of `` exceptional . '' I ca n't imagine a more wonderful or telling artifact from Presley 's life . Who writes thank-you notes to their laundries ? The young Elvis , that 's who . There 's such an essential sweetness to it -- to the very fact of the letter , to the formality of his introduction -LRB- `` I should like to commend ... '' -RRB- , to the adjective he chose -LRB- `` a fantastic job on my clothes '' -RRB- . I purchased the letter from a gallery two decades ago -LRB- for a price that made me bite the inside of my mouth -RRB- , and I would rather own it than the Mona Lisa . I was about to say that I would never part with it , but in fact I once did , for several months . An exhibit called `` American Originals : Treasures from the National Archives '' was touring the country , and was scheduled to make a long stop at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences . Included in the exhibit were the original Louisiana Purchase Treaty , Thomas Edison 's 1879 patent application for the electric lamp and the instrument of surrender of the German High Command during World War II . I thought Elvis belonged there , and persuaded the curators of the museum to accept his thank-you letter on loan . The National Archives said they would not object , so long as Elvis ' note was not in the same room with the more austere documents . It worked out fine ; I thought Elvis would like it that way . He always was proud to be an outsider . In the hallway adjacent to the entrance to the main exhibit -- visitors saw it right as they walked in -- was Elvis ' handwritten letter , in a display case , with a plaque that read : . `` This note , written by Elvis Presley when he was on the verge of becoming a star , provides an example of how seemingly trivial documents can increase in value and cultural significance as a result of historic events . It also shows that despite his growing fame in the early 1950s , Presley cared about the feelings of others . '' Brings a tear to your eye , does n't it ? I can fully understand why someone in New York the other day would purchase the photograph that John Kennedy once signed for Patricia Keating , whoever she may have been . You do n't have to be Patricia Keating to comprehend the value of that picture , just as you do n't have to be Elvis ' laundry to comprehend the value of that thank-you note . Great art , like great beauty , is where you find it . It is , as they say , in the eye -- or the laundry bag -- of the beholder . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene .
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Photo signed by JFK recently sold for $ 4,080 , Greene notes . In the digital age , the idea of valuing names on paper seems odd , he says . But autographs allow an admirer to make a connection to a hero , he says . That makes some autographs more precious than fine art , he says .
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-LRB- The Frisky -RRB- -- Does your television take up a high percentage of your living room ? Have you ever bailed out on plans to cook dinner to watch an episode of `` Lost '' ? Do you run into situations where your DVR gets overloaded because there are too many shows you want to record ? No , I am not here to chastise you for being a couch potato or to tell you that so much TV-watching is actively decreasing your brain cells . I am here to congratulate you for being a TV head ! For us TV heads , the third week in May rivals the week between Christmas and New Year 's Eve for everyone else . It 's `` upfronts '' week ! This week in New York City , the major networks are holding grand events -- think big presentations and musical numbers -- to unveil their fall and winter lineups . NBC and Fox upfronts are Monday . ABC presents on Tuesday . CBS is Wednesday . And The CW takes their turn on Thursday . For advertisers , this is how they decide when and where they would like to run commercials . For the press , it 's time to get the lowdown on what 's coming down the boob-tube pipeline . And for TV heads , it 's a big old tease since most people wo n't be able to actually watch any new shows until September . But who cares ? It is like being able to see into the television future ! Here are five recently revealed greenlit shows that we are especially looking forward to . The Frisky : George Huguely , UVA lacrosse player , had a history of violence . The Show : `` Love Bites '' For : Former `` Ugly Betty '' fans The Deets : NBC , Thursdays , 10 p.m. -LRB- EST -RRB- . We were sad when `` Ugly Betty '' got canceled . Luckily , our favorite part of the show -- the hilarious Becki Newton -- is getting her own series . In `` Love Bites , '' she plays the virginal half of a best friend duo . And while the preview makes me think it retreads well-worn single gal territory , it 's written by Cindy Chupack of `` Sex and The City , '' so we are still expecting it to be genius . The Show : `` Undercovers '' For : Former `` Alias '' fans The Deets : NBC , Wednesdays , 8 p.m. -LRB- EST -RRB- . J.J. Abrams is the dude behind two of my favorite 10 shows ever -- `` Alias '' and `` Lost '' -- so I 'm pretty sure everything he touches turns to TV gold . His latest sounds like a spin on `` Mr. and Mrs. Smith '' -- it is about a couple who run a catering company but are really retired spies . When a friend goes missing , they snap back into action . The husband of this duo is the ultra hot Boris Kodjoe and the wife is Gubu Mbatha-Raw of `` Doctor Who . '' Enough to make us say Angelina and Brad , who ? The Frisky : Heidi Montag and 9 stars who 've had nasty fights with Mom . The Show : `` Running Wilde '' For : Former `` Arrested Development '' fans The Deets : Fox , Tuesdays , 9:30 p.m. -LRB- EST -RRB- . Oh , how we miss `` Arrested Development . '' Luckily , its creator has this series in the works , starring two of our faves -- Keri Russell of `` Felicity '' fame and `` AD '' alum Will Arnett . The concept ? Arnett is a nasty oil company big wig . His childhood sweetheart , Keri , is a tree-hugging activist . When they try to make it happen again , well , I du n no what happens . But that 's what the series is about . The Frisky : 8 celebs who played nerds but landed hotties . The Show : `` Friends With Benefits '' For : Former `` Friends '' or `` HIMYM '' fans The Deets : NBC , more info to come . Back in April , there was an epic three-way battle for the title `` Friends With Benefits '' -LRB- with Justin Timberlake and Ashton Kutcher attached to two different film projects with the same name as this anticipated TV show -RRB- . Well , here is television 's official entry to the race . It centers on a pair of best friends who , while playing the dating game , have taken to sleeping together . What makes us so excited about this show ? It 's written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber of `` 500 Days of Summer '' quirky love story film fame . Oh , and we 're always looking for the next `` Friends '' or `` How I Met Your Mother . '' The Show : `` Franklin and Bash '' For : Former `` Saved by the Bell '' Zack Morris fanatics The Deets : TNT , more info to come . What if we told you that Mark-Paul Gosselaar -- who we 're still rooting for 15 years after `` Saved by the Bell '' -- and Breckin Meyer , aka the cute stoner from `` Clueless , '' were teaming up for a comedy about two friends who join a mega law firm ? Now , what if we told you that the pilot featured multiple shots of Mark-Paul 's posterior ? Yes , it 's an easy sell . TM & © 2010 TMV , Inc. | All Rights Reserved .
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`` Ugly Betty 's '' Becki Newton is getting her own series , `` Love Bites '' Keri Russell of `` Felicity '' and `` AD '' alum Will Arnett will star in `` Running Wilde '' J.J. Abrams 's `` Undercovers '' sounds like a spin on `` Mr. and Mrs. Smith ''
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-LRB- The Frisky -RRB- -- It 's not easy being a mother , caring so much about these delicate little dumplings that hold half of your DNA and keep putting themselves in danger . Which is why it 's important to not just acknowledge the worst TV moms , but also the best . My personal favorite is Kitty Foreman -LRB- Debra Jo Rupp -RRB- from `` That '70s Show . '' She did n't just raise Eric ; she mothered the whole neighborhood of delinquent teenagers while working full-time as a nurse and dealing with a grumpy husband . And she managed to do all that while maintaining her sense of humor , with a little help from her dear friend Kahlúa . The Frisky : 10 worst TV moms . Another fantastic mom was Jean Weir -LRB- Becky Ann Baker -RRB- from `` Freaks and Geeks . '' Because no matter how broody her daughter Lindsay got , she was always upbeat and supportive . I definitely cried a bunch during the Halloween episode when she 's excited to give out candy with her daughter , but Lindsay ditches her for James Franco and Jason Segel . Not that anyone can blame her . All the parents on `` Modern Family '' are pretty great , but I love Gloria -LRB- Sofia Vergara -RRB- because she 's raised the most precocious little boy , Manny . And she honestly loves Jay way more than his last wife Peggy , from `` Married With Children . '' She 's also terribly good-looking and tirelessly cheers on her family . My favorite character from `` The Golden Girls '' was Sophia Petrillo -LRB- Estelle Getty -RRB- because she said the most amazing things ever . And even as a 90-year-old , she was still raising Dorothy -- even though she was younger than Bea Arthur in real life . The Frisky : `` Playboy '' rejects TV mom Kate Gosselin and 7 other celebs . Sure , Marge Simpson sometimes forgot about Maggie 's existence and Bart turned out to be a brat , but you ca n't argue that she did a good job with Lisa ! And since `` The Simpsons '' has been on longer than any other show , she 's been raising those un-aging kids for 21 seasons . And on top of that , Homer is a bigger baby than any of the kids . But Marge still gets up every morning , does her fro , and loves the hell out of her family . If Rayanne 's mom was one of the worst TV moms , then Angela 's mom , Patty Chase -LRB- Bess Armstrong -RRB- , from `` My So-Called Life '' was one of the best . Her daughter was one of the emo-est teenagers ever and with a bad boy boyfriend like Jordan Catalano , she should have been pulling out her hair . But she managed to be a working mom and give Angela the space to be independent and make some mistakes . When things got dangerous , she stepped in and came to the rescue . `` The Cosby Show '' was an enviable home environment and Clair Huxtable -LRB- Phylicia Rashad -RRB- managed to have a successful career as an attorney while raising five kids . She was such a beautiful , confident woman and she doled out the lessons like no other . Plus , she was always dancing and wearing really amazing '80s fashions . The Frisky : 10 worst boyfriends and husbands of 2009 . I secretly loved `` The Lizzie McGuire Show '' and Lizzie 's mom , Jo McGuire -LRB- Hallie Todd -RRB- , was so sweet . She reminds me of my mom , always trying to be Lizzie 's best friend and getting super emotional when Lizzie went away on trips . She did often mess up Lizzie 's life when attempting to solve her problems , but Lizzie and Jo had one of the most tender mother-daughter relationships ever . Marion Cunningham -LRB- Marion Ross -RRB- from `` Happy Days '' was similar to Kitty from `` That '70s Show , '' but much less of a lush . She was the only one allowed to call Fonz his real name , `` Arthur , '' and she was always doting on her grumpy husband , Howard . She also raised two pretty good kids and was a fantastic cook . The Frisky : Six celebs with reality shows in the works . One of the best mother-daughter-friend relationships is between Rory and Lorelai Gilmore -LRB- Lauren Graham -RRB- on `` Gilmore Girls . '' She had a rough start -- what with the getting pregnant before graduating from high school , while out of wedlock , and with estranged parents -- but she gave absolutely everything for her daughter . Who does n't want to be part of their fast-talking , smart-aleck brood ? They love and respect each other . And enjoy witty repartee on top of that . TM & © 2010 TMV , Inc. | All Rights Reserved .
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Fantastic mom was Jean Weir -LRB- Becky Ann Baker -RRB- from `` Freaks and Geeks '' We secretly loved `` The Lizzie McGuire Show '' and Lizzie 's mom , Jo McGuire . One of the best mother-daughter-friend relationships was on `` Gilmore Girls ''
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Dr. Joycelyn Elders served as the first African-American U.S. surgeon general during the Clinton administration . At a 1994 United Nations conference on AIDS , she was asked about promoting masturbation to prevent young people from engaging in riskier sexual activity . `` I think that it is part of human sexuality , '' Elders replied , `` And perhaps it should be taught . '' She was forced to resign . Elders , 75 , continues to address sexual health and education on the lecture circuit . ESSENCE.COM talked to the retired professor about her advice for President Obama 's nominee for surgeon general and the battle over health care reform . Dr. Joycelyn Elders appears at her confirmation hearings for the office of U.S. surgeon general in 1993 . -LRB- ESSENCE -RRB- -- ESSENCE.COM : When you were surgeon general , you were outspoken on controversial issues like distributing contraception in high schools and talking about drug legalization . What advice would you give to Dr. Regina Benjamin , if she is confirmed , about how to approach those kinds of issues ? DR. JOCELYN ELDERS : How to approach those issues and keep her job ? My advice to Dr. Benjamin is to decide on the issues that you want to go out and work and fight for . But also know that , if there are issues that you feel strongly about , you have every former surgeon general out there -- we organize and we talk -- who can address some of those issues for you . If she feels like it 's a really controversial thing , she does n't always have to take it on herself . She can let one of us take it on . Another thing that 's very important is to always use science-based data to speak out against things , even if they 're politically incorrect . That 's what the office has always stood for . When everything else drills down , people still believe in the surgeon general . ESSENCE.COM : Do you think the president is being forceful enough about getting Blue Dog Democrats and Republicans to keep a public option in the bill ? ELDERS : This is probably something I should n't say , but I 'm always saying that anyway , so one more time wo n't hurt . The president is really out there knocking his brains out trying to get this through , but I feel he is taking too much of the lead . He should allow other people in his administration to be out here running from place to place , doing town hall meetings and all of this other stuff . When it gets down to the final bill and shaping it into what you want it to be , then let the president come in to do the heavy lifting . We 've got the president out there doing heavy lifting before anyone else . Essence : Cambridge mayor on teaching a lesson on race . ESSENCE.COM : Regarding your comment about masturbation at the 1994 UN Conference on AIDS , if you could do it over would you do it differently ? ELDERS : No . That 's probably one of the best things I did for this country . I allowed us to talk about sexuality more openly and honestly . We are sexual beings , from birth to death , and we never feel that we can talk about sexual health . You ca n't be a healthy , well-adjusted human being without a healthy sexuality . ESSENCE.COM : When you were surgeon general , you also advocated for universal health care . How do you feel about the current debate on health insurance reform ? ELDERS : We debate health insurance reform every time we get a new president . Obviously this is something we should have done 50 or 60 years ago . We would n't be in the mess we 're in now had we done that . Watch Obama 's ex-doctor critical of health plan '' But we ca n't have a healthy nation with ignorant people . We 've got to educate our population on how to be healthy and make them understand that they can do more to improve their own health than all the doctors in the world . If we want to reduce the cost of healthcare , we 've got to prevent disease and do what we need to do to keep people healthy and well . Esssence : Sonia Sotomayor : A wise Latina . ESSENCE.COM : Do you see yourself as a trailblazer ? ELDERS : I do n't necessarily see myself as a trailblazer . I think I was saying things that many people thought but did n't say . AIDS was a political football for a long while , and now we are much more into prevention . But then , people are embarrassed to buy condoms and vaginal contraceptive films . Parents do n't talk about it . Society does n't talk about it . We ca n't talk about it on TV because the kids might learn about it . It just makes no sense what we do . I think that as we learn more , we will be less embarrassed about our own sexual health . And that should still be a big part of the agenda . Just think of how much teenage pregnancy costs . The most common cause of poverty in this country is unplanned pregnancy . People come up to me all the time and say , `` Dr. Elders , you were right . Too bad we did n't listen to you . '' ESSENCE.COM : At the time that you were asked to resign , with all the media attention , what was that like ? What were you feeling and thinking at the time ? ELDERS : It happened so very quickly . I really was n't expecting it . I was told at 8 or 9 in the morning that they wanted my resignation on -LSB- White House Chief of Staff -RSB- Mr. Panetta 's desk by 2 o'clock in the afternoon . I spoke to Bill Clinton , and I think he understood what I was talking about . I was his director at the Arkansas Department of Health for six years , and I had said nothing different or new . But there 's a difference between being a governor of a small state and being the president of the United States . Essence : Will new green jobs go to black people ? But the best thing that ever happened to me was getting fired . I 've been able to go across the country and meet a lot of people I would have never met otherwise . I went back to the University of Arkansas and was on the faculty , and I 've had fun since I left Washington . And I never worried about what I was going to say anyway .
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Essence.com talks with former surgeon general Dr. Joycelyn Elders . She offers to join other former surgeon generals to discuss controversial issues . Says nation ca n't be healthy with ignorant people -- more health education needed . Says people can do more things to improve their own health than all the doctors .
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Rev. Al Sharpton greets Michael Jackson 's mother Katherine Jackson , and daughter , Paris , at memorial . -LRB- ESSENCE -RRB- -- The Rev. Al Sharpton has been a pillar of support for the Jackson family since the moment the world found out Michael passed away . Sharpton is one of the few people to have a close relationship with the King of Pop and the man they both revered , James Brown , the Godfather of Soul . ESSENCE.com sat down with Sharpton to talk about his connection to these two incredible men , how the Jackson family is coping after participating in the most watched memorial service in recent history , and his thoughts about the naysayers who continue to mar Michael 's legacy . ESSENCE : You had the unique opportunity to be close to two musical icons : Michael Jackson and James Brown . Were they alike in any way ? REVEREND AL SHARPTON : They had some similarities , like both of them were very determined men . I can remember times when both of them faced challenges and responded to those challenges with pain from being disappointed by friends who they feel abandoned and betrayed them but neither one of them ever showed a lack of determination or conviction that they were born to do what they were meant to do . I never saw either of them at the point where they felt they had to give up . Essence : Suzanne de Passe remembers Michael Jackson . In fact , the more adversity , the more determined they became . They were very similar in that way . I remember when Michael was having the fight with Sony over his catalog . He talked to me about how some Hollywood big shots were n't in his corner anymore . These were people he had done so many things for but now they were n't returning his phone calls . He would just say , `` I 'm going to beat them , Rev. '' ESSENCE : What do you say to those people like Fox 's Bill O'Reilly or New York Congressman Peter King who have publically said that Michael Jackson does n't deserve the accolades he 's currently receiving ? SHARPTON : I debated Bill O'Reilly on his show last night and he , ironically , said that Michael Jackson was n't a pioneer like James Brown . I said , that 's funny because you attacked James Brown when he died too . Michael Jackson has sold more records than anyone else in history . This man made the VH1 's and the MTV 's of the world . He made the cover of Rolling Stone countless times . These are facts . These are not accolades that are debatable . Essence : Highlights of Jackson 's life . No one is saying Michael Jackson and James Brown did n't have their flaws . What we are saying is what they achieved allowed for barriers to be broken down on our behalf . To tell us that we should n't celebrate facts is to tell us that we must embrace this supremacist fantasy and I do n't think we should do that . ESSENCE : Do you think that Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee will get the resolution passed to memorialize Michael Jackson 's memory as an American legend , musical icon and world humanitarian ? She 's getting some flack from some politicians . SHARPTON : I think she will , because if she does n't get it passed on the first time , there will be so much political pressure that they will have to pass it . Look at the reaction ! Michael 's funeral ... more people watched it than the Pope 's funeral . That 's not just Black people . All the Bill O'Reillys and Peter Kings did not dampen the outpouring of love all over the world . It was unprecedented and that 's why I believe this will pass . Just like every network ended up covering his funeral as if he was a head of state , at the end of the day , the people have said that Michael Jackson deserves all of this . ESSENCE : How is the family doing now that the public memorial is completed ? SHARPTON : They are strong and standing together . This is certainly devastating but they are a closer knit family than people think and have gone through crisis before . They are helping each other through this . I admire their strength and their bond . They know that I 'm always there for moral support . We 've always had that type of relationship and we always will .
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The Rev. Al Sharpton says people are wrong to attack Michael Jackson 's legacy . Says singer was n't perfect , but used his talent to shatter racial barriers . Notes Jackson 's memorial was like that of a head of state , more viewed than pope 's . Sharpton : Jackson 's family is more close-knit than people think .
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-LRB- ESSENCE -RRB- -- ESSENCE.com correspondent Roland S. Martin talks with Marlon Jackson , brother of Michael Jackson and a member of the Jackson 5 , about the death of his younger brother , the `` King of Pop . '' Marlon Jackson smiles for photographers at the 8th Annual BMI Urban Awards in September 2008 . Roland S. Martin : Marlon , how did you find out about Michael 's death ? Marlon Jackson : I talked to Frank Dileo , Michael 's manager . Frank told me that Michael last night was complaining about not feeling well . Michael 's doctor went over to see him , and Frank said , `` Marlon , from last night to this morning , I do n't know what happened . '' When they got to him this morning , he was n't breathing . They rushed him to the hospital and could n't bring him around . That 's what happened . They do n't know what happened . Martin : When was the last time you saw Michael ? Jackson : It was May 14 at a family gathering . I had just gotten back from Africa . Michael looked great . He was looking well . He was getting ready to go into rehearsals for his tour . I do n't know what happened . Martin : There were some reports he was n't feeling well and was in a wheelchair . Jackson : He was n't in a wheelchair . He was walking around with his kids . When we saw him , he was n't in a wheelchair . We all talked . He was doing great . Martin : Was that the last time you spoke with him ? Jackson : May 14 was the last time I spoke with him . The last time I saw him . Martin : Have you talked to any of your other family members about his death ? Jackson : I 've been trying to get a hold of my mom . I talked to Jackie . I talked to Tito . They feel the same way . A piece of our heart -- a piece of us went with him . It was a shock to them , too . I talked to my brother Jackie and he said , `` Marlon , is it true ? '' I said , `` I 'm calling them right now to see if it 's true . '' That 's when I called Frank Dileo and I could n't get to my mom . I talked to him the first time and he was at the house and my mom was in the background crying , and she was just upset . Martin : Was Michael still at the house ? Jackson : Michael had passed . Frank told me , `` We lost him . '' Martin : And you said a doctor saw him last night , but he did n't see a need to take him to the hospital ? Jackson : He did n't take him to the hospital . This morning he was n't breathing and they rushed him to the hospital . He was going to be 51 in August . Gone too soon . Martin : Marlon , it 's amazing to look at the reaction from all over the world . People are at the hospital , at the Jackson family home in Gary , Indiana , at his star on the Walk of Fame . ESSENCE.com : Read Michael Jackson 's obit . Jackson : I never knew the effect the Jackson 5 had on people until I began traveling with a major broadcasting network , and people would say our songs were the reason for them getting married . Me and my brothers did what we did because we loved it . That 's the way we thought . I 'm happy that we did get a chance to just bring happiness to everybody , and Michael took it to another level to bring people happiness . He cared about people a lot . Michael was known all over the world , and that 's why people care , and it 's nice to see that people care . Not only did they grow up with my brother , but they grew up with the Jackson 5 . He 's definitely going to be missed . We are always going to remember him . We can not forget him . ESSENCE.com : Michael Jackson 's life in photos . Martin : I hear the comparisons to Elvis Presley and people looking to him a generation later . I know it 's very soon after the death of Michael , but should something like Graceland be established so the next generation is aware of Michael 's impact ? Jackson : He 's going to live on . He has left a legacy and it 's going to be forever , and I really feel that in my heart . I want people to concentrate on those things that he did for people . He did a lot of positive things . He 's going to live forever . I 'm going to miss him . The memories , all the great things he has done , and my family is going to miss him . It 's hard . It 's really hard for us right now . Martin : For the world he was the `` King of Pop . '' But for you , he was your younger brother . Jackson : And that 's the way we saw him , as a younger brother . It 's like when anyone else loses their family member . It hurts . It hurts right now . It really hurts .
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Marlon learned about brother 's death through Michael 's manager . He says responders found Michael not breathing , `` could n't bring him around '' Marlon has n't seen Michael in a month , says he `` looked good '' `` He has left a legacy and it 's going to be forever , '' he says .
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-LRB- ESSENCE -RRB- -- Anita Hill will always be linked to the Senate confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court . Anita Hill arrives at the United Nations in New York in May 2006 . In 1991 , her testimony during the confirmation of Clarence Thomas prompted a generation of women to stand up against sexual harassment . On the cusp of the Senate hearing for Sonia Sotomayor , Hill , today a professor of law at Brandeis University , talked to ESSENCE.com about Sotomayor , a former classmate of hers at Yale Law School , and the legacy of her Senate Judiciary Committee testimony all these years later . The following is an edited version of that interview : . ESSENCE : What do you think of Sonia Sotomayor as a Supreme Court nominee ? Anita Hill : I think it 's an excellent choice , just on the face of the selection . Here 's a person who has years of experience on the bench , and has distinguished herself in private practice as well , and has been a prosecutor . I think she 's got an incredible breadth of experience . Clearly she 's an exceptional mind , having done very well at her undergraduate school , Princeton , and law school at Yale . But that 's just the beginning . There are other things that I think make her a great choice . ESSENCE : Georgetown professor knows what 's next for Sotomayor . ESSENCE : Things like ... being a woman and a person of color ? Hill : Absolutely , that 's part of it . But I think she 's a great choice not simply because she 's a Latina . She has acknowledged that as part of her identity , in a way that I think is very responsible and wise . She has said , `` This is the perspective that I come from . '' But she has also said , `` I understand that perspective , but I try not to allow that to lend itself to bias . '' I like that kind of embracing of one 's own identity , but also self-reflection . It means she 's going to be aware of who she is and understand how that plays in her decision-making , but she is also going to be quite aware of the rule of law and have great respect for the rule of law , and be able to apply it . We are enriched in the judiciary by having both those concepts in one person , and so what some people have found troubling about her I actually find refreshingly candid and self-aware . ESSENCE : Do you know Judge Sotomayor ? Hill : She and I were in law school together ; she was in the class ahead of me . I know who she is and knew her in law school , but I have not followed her career closely and have n't been involved with her socially . At Yale , I had a very favorable impression of her . She was very friendly and genuine , but also very serious and dedicated to her work . The thing I admire about her in terms of her career is that she came into a situation where she took full advantage of all the opportunities she had in front of her . Not only did she excel in law school -- where she was an editor of the Law Review -- but after leaving law school , she was a prosecutor , she practiced in a law firm , she was nominated and served as a judge at the district court level , and moved on to the appellate court level . All of those things are to be admired and used as an example of what can happen when an individual is really given an opportunity and chooses to respond and accept the full breadth of responsibilities . ESSENCE : After Justice David Souter announced he was retiring , Vanity Fair and others raised the suggestion that President Obama should nominate you for the Supreme Court . What did you think of that idea ? Hill : I actually responded to the Vanity Fair piece . I think there are any number of people , including Sonia Sotomayor , who will be excellent choices . This is a president who has come in and really tried to promote healing between various factions . Nowhere is that more needed than in terms of how we have approached Senate Judiciary Committee hearings . ESSENCE : President Obama 's sentiments on Sotomayor . In those hearings , there needs to be a certain level of honesty , but there also needs to be civility and really sticking with the questions that matter about the nominee . I do n't think that there is much chance that that would happen if I were nominated , because of things that people would want to get into , that would n't be helpful to the process . It 's flattering anytime anyone suggests that , and I 've been asked more than once . But , in addition to that being kind of an awkward workplace situation -LRB- laughs -RRB- , I think the hearing process would really devolve into the kind of politics that would not be good for the court . ESSENCE : When you testified against Clarence Thomas during his Senate confirmation hearing , you took a lot of heat from African-Americans for publicly speaking against a black man . Was that surprising to you ? Hill : No , it was n't surprising . It also was not universal among African-Americans either . Some people understood exactly what I was trying to achieve by testifying , and other people said , no matter what happened , it was inappropriate for me to give the kind of testimony that I gave . The idea that I would be portrayed as trying to do damage to my race was painful . But , as I said , it was n't a universally held position . I certainly tried to understand it . I did n't agree with it , but I tried to understand it based on the pain that people have had inflicted on them by racism . ESSENCE : Dig up your roots . ESSENCE : Do you think Clarence Thomas would have been confirmed into the Supreme Court had you been a white woman ? Hill : I believe that different people would have reacted differently . Remember , Strom Thurmond was on the Senate Judiciary Committee . I ca n't imagine that he would have been so willing to embrace Judge Thomas if in fact I had been white . His attitude certainly would have been one that would have changed . And I think that might have been true of some of the other more conservative members of the Judiciary Committee . ESSENCE : My mother used the hearings as a teaching moment . She said if I was ever sexually harassed , I should stand up for myself like Anita Hill . I imagine your experience affected many other women in that way , in terms of empowerment . Hill : I think people had n't learned that they had a right to speak out , that this was not something that they needed to tolerate . I keep hearing these stories from women who were inspired by those hearings . That was n't why I did it . I did it because we were choosing somebody for the highest court in the land who was going to be appointed for a lifetime position , and I thought that the Senate ought to consider the information that I had in determining whether or not this nominee was fit for that position . Almost immediately after my testimony , the prevailing wisdom was that no woman would ever come forward after seeing what happened to me . And amazingly , just the opposite happened . ESSENCE : It 's been 17 years since you testified . Is life completely back to normal , or is it something that still comes up in your regular life ? Hill : It is just a new normal ; it is part of my life . It 's not something I 'm going to try to run away from , nor is it something I dwell on every day . But it is a part of my life , and it 's a part of how other people perceive me and what I 've done in my life . I 'm OK with that . People ask , `` Does it bother you that your name will always be associated with sexual harassment ? '' It will only bother me if my name is n't associated with bringing it to an end , or moving the end forward .
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Anita Hill testified during Clarence Thomas ' Supreme Court confirmation hearings . Hill says Sonia Sotomayor is an `` excellent '' choice for Supreme Court . Senate Judiciary Committee hearings need `` civility '' and `` honesty , '' Hill says . Hill hopes her name will be associated with bringing sexual harassment to an end .
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NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- She was just 16 years old , a beautiful girl , straight-A student , with her whole life ahead of her . She hoped to become a nurse . Chanel Petro-Nixon , 16 , disappeared in broad daylight and her body was found in a trash bag . Brooklyn teenager Chanel Petro-Nixon left her family home at 6:30 p.m. on Father 's Day 2006 , to walk to an Applebee 's restaurant a few blocks away . She 'd planned to meet friends there and fill out an application for a summer job at Applebee 's . Friends say she never showed up . No one ever saw her alive again . Four days later , her body was found in another area of Brooklyn , several miles from her home . She 'd been strangled and stuffed into a large garbage bag left to be collected with the morning trash on the sidewalk in front of a brownstone . Chanel went missing in broad daylight in an extremely busy area of Brooklyn . Family , police and community members are certain that someone must have seen something , but no witnesses have come forward . Watch how the teen 's body was put out with the trash '' Also troubling to police : The coroner says Chanel died within 24 hours of her body being found on June 22 . She went missing on June 18 . So , where was Chanel for the 48 hours she was alive but missing ? She was strangled , but not sexually assaulted , according to police . Robbery does not seem to be a motive . But Chanel 's cell phone and the tennis shoes she was wearing are missing . Chanel 's father , Garvin Nixon , insists that his daughter would not stay out after dark without calling home . `` When we called , she always answered her phone , or would call back immediately within a few minutes to tell us where she was , '' he said . Nixon tried calling his daughter to check on her within an hour after she 'd left the house . When he did n't get a return call and could n't reach her , he and Chanel 's mother began calling her friends . Her friends had not seen or heard from Chanel either , even though they 'd been calling her cell phone repeatedly and leaving urgent messages . Authorities speculate that perhaps she went with someone she knew and trusted , which could explain why no witnesses observed any struggle between Chanel and her abductor . Police have investigated Chanel 's MySpace page , searching for clues to whom she may have communicated with before leaving her home the day she disappeared . One theory is that her slaying is linked to that of another local teenager , Jennifer Moore . Like Chanel , she was strangled and her partially-clothed body was found in a garbage bag . But unlike Chanel , Jennifer Moore was raped . Jennifer Moore 's suspected killer , Draymond Coleman , was arrested and police have not ruled him out as a possible suspect in Chanel 's slaying . Police are asking anyone who finds Chanel 's cell phone or sneakers to call the anonymous tip line at 1-800-577-TIPS . The cell phone is a Silver Sanyo Sprint phone , model 8200 . The shoes are size 6 1/2 , white Nike Air Jordan retro sneakers with green trim and the number 14 on them . A reward of $ 34,000 is being offered for any information leading to the arrest of the person or people responsible for Chanel 's death .
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Chanel Petro-Nixon , 16 , disappeared during broad daylight in June 2006 . Her body was found four days later in front of a Brooklyn brownstone . She had been strangled and stuffed in a trash bag . Know something ? Call 1 - 800-577-TIPS . A $ 34,000 reward is offered .
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NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Molly Bish 's father has often said that it probably took only eight minutes for his 16-year-old daughter to be abducted . Molly Bish was 16 and working as a lifeguard when she disappeared . Her remains were found three years later . It took three years before a hunter found her body , five miles away . Her tattered bathing suit was found with her scattered bones . It has taken nearly nine years for investigators to come close to a break in the case . Molly Bish worked as a lifeguard at Comins Pond in Warren , Massachusetts . Her mother , Magi Bish , saw a man in a white car as she dropped Molly off on the morning of June 27 , 2000 . She waved goodbye as she drove off . It was the last time Magi Bish would see her daughter alive . Shortly after 10 a.m. , another mother arrived at the beach with her children in tow . She found Molly 's backpack , lifeguard chair and beach towel . Her first-aid kit was wide open on a bench . But Molly was nowhere to be seen . Molly 's worried boss called police a few hours later . They mounted the largest missing persons search in Massachusetts history . There was no sign of her . `` Molly would never have abandoned her job or her post of her own accord , '' said her sister , Heather Bish . John and Magi Bish slowly began to realize that Molly must have been abducted . Magi Bish could n't get the man in the white car out of her mind . He gave her an uneasy feeling when she dropped off Molly . She even waited until he drove away before she left herself . The worried mother gave police a detailed description . Investigators released composite sketches of a dark-haired man with salt-and-pepper hair in his late 40s . A man in custody for another case closely resembles the composite sketch , family members say . `` Over the years , there have been many persons of interest and leads , but nothing as promising as this one , '' Heather Bish said . Authorities have questioned this man . Massachusetts State Police and the Worcester County District Attorney 's office are n't ready to name him a suspect . But he is in jail , the prime suspect in his girlfriend 's slaying . `` We questioned -LRB- him -RRB- about the Bish case based on a tip . We get hundreds of tips and we investigate and follow up on all of them , '' said Timothy Connelly , spokesperson for the Worcester County District Attorney . Connelly would not comment on what the man told investigators . He grew up in the Warren area , his former wife said . She added that he lived neaby in Southbridge until shortly after Molly disappeared . Then he sold his house and moved to Florida with the girlfriend he 's now accused of stabbing and decapitating . The man often hunted and fished near Comins Pond , his family and friends said . His brother owned a white Chrysler similar to the car that Molly 's mother saw on the day she disappeared , said the man 's ex-wife . `` This is one of the first real leads we 've had in a long time that makes sense and I am very hopeful it 's the break we 've been looking for , '' said Tom Shamshak , a private investigator hired by the Bish family . Shamshak added that investigators have been trying to find the man 's brother , who owned the white car . Police urge anyone having any information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for Molly Bish 's death to please call their tip line at 508-832-9124 .
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Lifeguard Molly Bish , 16 , disappeared on June 27 , 2000 . Scattered bones , tattered swimsuit found three years later . Man sitting in parked white car at pond made her mother uneasy . Have information ? Please call 508-832-9124 .
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LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sales of the flu drug Relenza shot up 1,900 percent from a year ago as governments around the world stockpiled in preparation for a swine flu pandemic , drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline said Wednesday . Stocks of antiviral treatments are pictured at a warehouse in an undisclosed location in the UK . Relenza sales were # 60 million -LRB- $ 98.4 million -RRB- in the second quarter of this year , compared to # 3 million -LRB- $ 4.9 million -RRB- in the same quarter last year , the company said in announcing its Q2 results . Glaxo also said that by the end of the year , it expects to have an annual production capacity for Relenza of 190 million treatment courses , more than a threefold increase to its previously announced maximum capacity . The company will achieve it by increasing production of the Relenza Diskhaler inhaler and building new capacity to manufacture Relenza Rotacaps , Glaxo said . Watch as swine flu boosts drug profits '' Relenza is an antiviral medication similar to Tamiflu that treats symptoms of the flu and helps to prevent getting it . GlaxoSmithKline started production last month of a vaccine for swine flu , also known as the H1N1 virus , the company said . It is now on track to meet the orders placed by many governments and the World Health Organization for the vaccine , Glaxo said . `` To date we have contracts in place to supply 195 million doses of the vaccine , '' Chief Executive Andrew Witty said . `` We also have a variety of agreements in place with the U.S. government to supply pandemic products worth $ 250 million . Discussions with over 50 governments are ongoing , with many at advanced stages , and I therefore expect further significant orders . Shipments are expected in the second half of 2009 and early 2010 . '' In an interview with CNN 's Richard Quest , Witty said the new swine flu vaccine will likely be a boost to sales into 2010 . `` As we go forward , I think we 'll see -LRB- swine flu -RRB- become more material for the company , particularly as we move into -LRB- the fourth quarter -RRB- of this year and vaccine shipments begin , '' he said . However , he thinks any sales boost from the planned swine flu vaccine will last only as long as the threat . `` What we 're doing here is responding to government needs , where they 've said , ` Look , we do n't know how serious this is going to be but we want to be prepared ' , '' he said . The real challenge for pharmaceutical companies is coming up with new blockbuster drugs for chronic disease , not acute outbreaks like swine flu . `` I think what you see in our industry is relatively resistant to the economic downdrafts ... but we do need to constantly renew our portfolio -- that 's the challenge we face . '' Glaxo will donate supplies of both the swine flu vaccine and Relenza to the WHO for use in developing countries , he said . Australian company CSL announced this week it planned to start the first human trials of a swine flu vaccine in Australia . Watch vaccine being tested '' Participants will receive two shots three weeks apart and will undergo blood tests to determine if they are generating an appropriate immune response to the virus , the company said . Swine flu has spread so rapidly and extensively around the globe that the WHO said Monday it was changing tactics against the virus , including stopping a tally of cases and focusing on unusual patterns . WHO declared the virus a global pandemic on June 11 . More than 120 countries have reported cases of human infection , totaling more than 98,000 documented cases worldwide . More than 700 people have died of the virus , the organization said Tuesday . With 29 deaths and a huge rise in the number of cases , Britain has the worst swine flu figures in Europe . Cases of swine flu in Britain have , however , proven to be generally mild in most people , Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Wednesday . They have been severe only among a small minority , mostly where patients have had underlying health problems , he said . `` Robust plans are in place '' to deal with the pandemic , Brown said . By the end of the week , a new National Pandemic Flu Service will be operating in England to quickly diagnose people who have swine flu and allow them to get antiviral treatment directly from local providers , Brown said . Swine flu has spread so rapidly and extensively around the globe that the WHO is changing tactics against the H1N1 virus , including stopping a tally of cases and focusing on unusual patterns . `` At this point , further spread of the pandemic , within affected countries and to new countries , is considered inevitable , '' the WHO said . The counting of all cases is no longer essential because it is exhausting countries ' resources , the organization said . While most patients have reported mild symptoms , a rise in severe symptoms or respiratory ailments that require hospitalization should be cause for concern , it said . Governments should also pay attention to unusual patterns linked to fatal cases , the WHO said . Any changes in prevailing patterns should be flagged , including a rise in school and job absenteeism , and an increase in visits to the emergency room . An overwhelmed health system may mean there is a rise in severe cases , the organization said .
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NEW : CEO : Boost from swine flu vaccine will likely increase profits later this year . Sales of flu drug Relenza soar as governments stockpile in case of pandemic . Around the world there have been 98,000 cases of swine flu in 120 countries . With 29 deaths , Britain has the worst swine flu figures in Europe .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One look at her photo , and you ca n't help but ask : How could someone so young and vibrant die so quickly from an infection ? Brazilian model Mariana Bridi da Costa died from a sepsis infection . Brazilian model Mariana Bridi da Costa was a healthy 20-year-old when doctors told her she had a urinary tract infection , her family says . The infection spread , and after amputating her feet , doctors thought they had the situation under control , according to a blog run by a family friend . `` She 's alive , -LSB- she -RSB- will survive , '' Renato Lindgren wrote on the blog on January 20 , before da Costa also had to have her hands amputated , and part of her stomach and both kidneys extracted . `` She can eat well , visit the sea , swim , travel , talk with her friends and family , marry and have a baby . She has a full and beautiful life ahead . '' Four days later , da Costa was dead . Sepsis -- the body 's inflammatory response to an infection -- really can kill that quickly , according to Dr. Kevin Tracey , author of a book about sepsis called `` Fatal Sequence : The Killer Within . '' `` This is n't a one in a million case , '' says Tracey , chief executive officer of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset , New York . `` When an infection reaches a certain point , this can happen in a matter of hours . '' Sepsis usually starts out as an infection in just one part of the body , such as a skin wound or a urinary tract infection , Tracey says . For example , Muppets creator Jim Henson died in 1990 from a case of sepsis that started out as pneumonia , an inflammation of the lungs . He was 53 . Most of the time , simple , localized infections remain just that : easy to treat and in one part of the body . Why some infections rage out of control and shut down vital organs is a mystery , but experts say it rarely happens in young , healthy people , like da Costa . Watch more on avoiding septicemia '' `` You can ask , ` Why her ? ' but really no one knows why her , '' Tracey says . `` It might have something to do with her immune system . It might be about her genetics . '' The Mayo Clinic sees about 100 cases a year of young , healthy people who develop sepsis , says Dr. Priya Sampathkumar , an infectious disease specialist at Mayo . With treatment , which usually involves antibiotics and sometimes draining of the wound , about 75 percent survive . Sampathkumar says the key is to keep an eye on even such simple infections as a small skin wound . A fever , a dramatic shift in blood pressure , rapid breathing and extreme confusion are all signs that someone needs quick medical help , she says . `` You need to watch it , '' she says . Dr. Carl Flatley said he had no idea what to watch for when his 23-year-old daughter , Erin , developed sepsis in 2002 . He says she went into the hospital for a minor hemorrhoid procedure and five days later was dead from sepsis . `` It 's a horrible death , '' he says . Two years later , knowing the signs of sepsis saved his own life , says Flatley , a dentist in Dunedin , Florida . He fell ill , and an emergency room doctor said he had a urinary tract infection and sent him home . But Flatley said he suspected it was much more than a UTI . `` I felt very sick . My testicle was sore . I told him I was concerned I had sepsis and I refused to go home . He got very irritated with me , '' Flatley says . But in the end , Flatley was admitted to the hospital , where the infection had become so severe that doctors were forced to remove his right testicle . Flatley started The Sepsis Alliance to educate others about sepsis , where he tries to walk a fine line . `` You do n't want to panic people . We all get infections and , thank God , most of them heal , '' he says . `` So this is what I tell people : If you 're feeling bad all over and have a high temperature and either high or low blood pressure , those are all indications that your whole system has been infected . It could be sepsis . '' He advises getting medical help immediately , and to specifically mention that you 're concerned you might have sepsis . `` You do n't want to take any chances , '' he says . CNN 's Jennifer Pifer-Bixler and Sabriya Rice and CNN Español 's Cibele Lorenzoni contributed to this report .
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Brazilian model Mariana Bridi da Costa , 20 , died after sepsis infection spread . Sepsis starts as infection in one part of body , then rages out of control . Fever , big shift in blood pressure , rapid breathing , mental confusion are red flags .
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ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The doctors , nurses , pharmacists and technicians gathered around her son 's crib , their faces grim . Pamela Gorman knew what they were thinking : Her son , Christopher , was about to die . As a newborn , Christopher Gorman was given little chance of survival . His mom calls his recovery `` a miracle . '' Christopher was just a few days old and had a rare blood infection and fungal meningitis , a brain infection . `` I could tell in their eyes they had no hope for my son , '' Gorman said . `` They told me to prepare for his death . They told me he might not make it through the night . '' Gorman never believed the doctors . In fact , she did something she thinks annoyed these men and women of science : She prayed . She prayed all the time . `` They made me feel ridiculous for praying so much and so hard and leaving it up to God , '' said Gorman , who lives in Idaho Falls , Idaho . `` But I told them my son not surviving was not an option . '' When he was a month old , Christopher left the hospital . He 's been healthy ever since , she says . He turns 3 next month . `` It was a miracle , '' she said . `` There are just things doctors ca n't explain . Doctors are not in control of everything . There 's stuff that happens every day that they ca n't explain . '' Empowered Patient : Watch more on faith and medicine '' A new study finds that many Americans have that same kind of faith . In the study , 57 percent of randomly surveyed adults said God 's intervention could save a deathly ill family member even if physicians said treatment would be futile . However , just under 20 percent of doctors and other medical workers said God could reverse a helpless outcome . The study was published last month in Archives of Surgery and is one of many to show a `` faith gap '' between doctors and patients . `` Patients are scared to death to talk to their doctors about this issue , '' said Dr. Harold Koenig , co-director of the Center for Spirituality , Theology and Health at Duke University . Given this gap , how can you discuss God with your physician ? We asked advice from Koenig and two other physicians who study faith and medicine . 1 . It 's OK to ask for a doctor who also has strong religious convictions . Koenig suggests this approach when talking to a physician : `` I would say : ` My religious beliefs are very important to me and influence my medical decisions and the way I cope with illness , and I want a doctor who has those same convictions . If you do n't come from that perspective , do you know a doctor you can refer me to ? ' '' If you 're a Christian , you might find a like-minded doctor through the ZIP code search at the Christian Medical and Dental Associations . 2 . Do n't be surprised if you find No. 1 difficult to do . `` Religion is the last taboo in medicine , '' said Dr. Daniel Sulmasy , an internist , a Franciscan friar and director of ethics at St. Vincent 's Hospital and New York Medical College in New York . `` Doctors and patients talk about intimate details like sexual practices and drug use but still have this great reluctance to talk about religion . '' Sulmasy suggests not asking directly about the doctor 's own religious beliefs but instead focusing on your own religious needs . 3 . It 's OK to ask your doctor to pray with you . According to a 2006 study by the University of Chicago , 53 percent of doctors surveyed said it was appropriate to pray with patients when asked . This can work even when doctor and patient do n't share the same faith . For example , Koenig , who 's Christian , has prayed with Jewish patients . `` In most cases , a general prayer asking for God 's comfort , support and healing will be sufficient , '' he said . 4 . Be specific about your religious needs . `` If I 'm a Muslim and I come to the point of dying , the hospital might need to relax the visiting rules , because it 's important to have as many people as possible with me as I recite the Quran , '' Sulmasy said . `` If I 'm a Buddhist , it may be important to me to hear chant as I 'm dying , '' he added . `` If I 'm a Catholic , I may want to receive the Sacrament of the Sick . '' 5 . If you believe in miracles , say so . `` Get that out in the open , '' advised Dr. Robert Fine , an internist and head of clinical ethics and palliative care at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas , Texas . Confusion may ensue if you do n't , he explains . For example , sometimes doctors think families are against removing life support at the end of life because they do n't understand the medical facts , when they do understand but are waiting for a miracle . `` Once we know that , we can have a discussion about faith , '' Fine said . CNN 's Jennifer Pifer contributed to this report .
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Recent study found many Americans believe in divine intervention in a medical crisis . If faith is important to you , it 's OK to ask for a doctor with similar convictions . If you believe in miracles , make sure your health providers know it .
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JONESTOWN , Guyana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cyanide was being bought and shipped to the Rev. Jim Jones ' jungle compound in South America for at least two years before 909 Americans died there at the command of their cult leader , CNN has learned . Sources in Guyana said the Jonestown camp began obtaining shipments of cyanide -- about a quarter to a half-pound of the deadly poison each month -- as early as 1976 , well before most of Jones ' followers made the move there . CNN 's Soledad O'Brien tells the story of the last hours of Jonestown -- and the few who did survive out of desperation and daring -- as CNN Presents `` Escape from Jonestown . '' Jones led his followers to their death after his gunmen killed a visiting congressman , Rep. Leo Ryan , and four others , including an NBC News correspondent and his cameraman , on November 18 , 1978 . Jones told the members of his Peoples Temple church that the Guyanese Army would invade their settlement after the murders . He demanded that parents kill their children first , then take their own lives , rather than face the authorities because of what Jones had done . Of the 909 who died , 303 were children -- from teens to toddlers . Many were killed by Jones ' loyalists , who used syringes to squirt cyanide down their throats . Jones stockpiled cyanide '' CNN was told Jones obtained a jeweler 's license to buy cyanide . The chemical can be used to clean gold . But there was no jeweler 's operation in Jonestown . Six months before Ryan arrived on a one-man investigative mission , the settlement 's doctor wrote in a memo to Jones : . `` Cyanide is one of the most rapidly acting poisons . ... I would like to give about two grams to a large pig to see how effective our batch is . '' The purchases are `` strong evidence that the Rev. Jim Jones had been plotting the death of his followers long before that fateful day , '' O'Brien reports . Ryan , the only U.S. representative assassinated in office , was shot at a nearby airstrip as he tried to leave with 15 church members who told him Jones was holding people captive in the remote jungle encampment . `` That was literally a jungle prison , '' said Gerald Parks , whose wife , Patricia , was shot to death in the airport attack . How did he escape death ? '' Four other members of his family survived , including two young daughters who were lost in the jungle for three days after running away from the airstrip to hide from the killers . Woman returns to scene for first time '' `` It was a dictatorship , '' said Vernon Gosney , who was badly wounded in the airport shootings . `` It was supposed to be socialism , but it really was fascism . '' Jones was a phony faith healer who moved his Indiana church to northern California in the mid - '60s in search of a safe place to survive the possibility of nuclear warfare . In the mid - '70s , when a magazine raised questions about church beatings and financial abuses , Jones moved his flock to Guyana , in South America , to the jungle settlement he called his `` beautiful promised land . '' `` It was a slave camp run by a madman , '' said Leslie Wilson , a young mother then only 21 , who began walking away from Jonestown early on the day that ended in the suicides and murder . She and 10 others trudged almost 30 miles through the jungle to another town . Wilson carried her 3-year-old son on her back . `` It was a freedom walk , '' she said . `` It was a walk to freedom . '' Tim Carter , a Jones aide , stayed in the camp almost to the end and saw his wife and his 1-year-old son die before he was sent away on an errand . Authorities made him return two days later to help identify bodies . Carter saw Jones lying with a bullet hole in the side of his head . `` I remember thinking the son of a bitch did n't even die the way everybody else died , '' Carter said .
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In 1978 , 909 Americans were led to mass murder-suicide by the Rev. Jim Jones . One-third of the dead at Jonestown were children ; only 33 people survived . Jones led followers to their deaths after his gunmen killed congressman , others . Sources : Jonestown camp received monthly shipments of cyanide in 1976 .
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In our Behind the Scenes series , CNN correspondents share their experiences in covering news and analyze the stories behind the events . CNN 's Soledad O'Brien and her producers spent several weeks in New Orleans shadowing the foot soldiers charged with battling the violence and corruption that mars the city and keeps many residents from returning home three years after Hurricane Katrina . She reveals what they found in `` One Crime at a Time '' airing Saturday and Sunday , 8 and 11 p.m. ET . Ryan McClure , 23 , loved the outdoors . His mother is waiting for his killer or killers to be brought to justice . NEW ORLEANS , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` It 's not a success story , '' Rhonda McClure Collins told us . Her face is pale and worn , and she 's clearly working hard to contain her emotions . The 46-year-old was married this summer , following a long courtship , and this should be a joyous time for her . Instead , she is sitting in the shadows of a northwestern Louisiana hotel room , clutching a tissue and talking about the failure of the New Orleans District Attorney 's Office to prosecute the two men who , she believes , murdered her son . Collins told me that her son , Ryan McClure , was a very sociable young man with a big smile and a lot of friends . She said that he loved fishing and hunting and anything else to do with the outdoors . `` He lived on a four-wheeler , and the wetter and muddier it was , the more he liked it , '' she said , her face shining with memories of her only child . McClure was 23 when New Orleans police found his body in January , slumped behind a brick wall at a high school that had been abandoned since Hurricane Katrina . For four months , Collins waited . She spoke regularly with New Orleans Homicide Det. Anthony Pardo , who leads the search for her son 's killer , or killers . Detectives often work 24-hour shifts to solve murders '' Collins told me that this April , she awoke to her phone ringing . It was Pardo . He apologized for waking her and explained that earlier in the day , he had made an arrest in her son 's case . Pardo had discovered some car wheels that he believed belonged to McClure and that , along with some cell phone records and other evidence he wo n't discuss , led him to apply for a warrant to arrest 20-year-old John Broyard . See photos on the frontlines of New Orleans crime fight '' CNN cameras captured Pardo and the officers that very day in April as they rushed toward a car wash on Robert E. Lee Boulevard , where Broyard was cuffed and stuffed into a police car . He was later booked in connection with McClure 's death . `` What 's your confidence level that your case will end in conviction of that guy ? '' I asked Pardo while standing outside the car wash . `` I 'm always confident , always confident . You ca n't not be confident . You 've got to believe in what you do , '' Pardo said . Three days later , the veteran homicide detective watched with his partner , Det. Harold Wischan , as a heavily armed SWAT team rushed through a high gate and into a worn-down home to arrest 55-year-old Maxie Jones , Broyard 's uncle . `` Everyone thinks the arrest is the end , '' Pardo told me . `` Actually it 's the beginning . That 's when you start putting the case together ... and making an airtight case . '' It turns out it was the end . Broyard and Jones sat in jail for nearly 120 days , the maximum amount of time that murder suspects can be held before the New Orleans District Attorneys Office must charge or release them . A grand jury reviewed Pardo 's evidence and chose not to indict either man . Why this happened exactly is a mystery . The grand jury deliberations are behind closed doors , and the D.A. 's office wo n't comment on cases they might represent for charges . `` He 's a free man , '' Broyard 's attorney , Price Quentin told CNN . The lawyer has n't heard from his client and said , `` He 's under no obligation to contact us . '' Jones ' attorneys have n't heard from their client either . Paul Fleming Jr. and Lee Faulkner Jr. told CNN that Jones was n't involved in McClure 's killing . Both attorneys claim he has an alibi for the night of January 5 , the night police believe McClure was murdered outside John F. Kennedy High School . Pardo said he `` absolutely '' believes he arrested the right men , and ca n't explain why the grand jury did n't indict them . `` It 's a question I ca n't answer . We present the cases and it goes from there , '' Pardo said . According to the district attorney 's figures , four out of every 10 suspects arrested for homicide in New Orleans walk free without ever being charged . Of those cases that do go forward to prosecution , a significant portion are dismissed before ever going to trial . All of this happens in a city with the highest per capita murder rate in the country . `` All hope is not lost , '' Pardo said confidently , a few weeks after both Broyard and Jones were freed from the Orleans Parish Jail . Pardo and Wischan said they will continue to push on the McClure case . Hope and resilience is nearly everywhere you look here . We find it inside the temporary district attorney offices on Poydras Street -- the flood-damaged D.A. 's office still has n't been repaired . Assistant D.A.s hoping to repair tattered image '' `` I would n't give up being a happy homemaker , which is what I did for the last seven years , if I did n't believe in what I was doing , '' said Mary Glass , assistant district attorney . Glass has been prosecuting the city 's highest priority cases since returning to the office in July 2007 , and has won or gotten guilty pleas on every murder case she 's tried . Her partner Tanya Faia believes , `` If you love to prosecute , you want to prosecute for people who care . And people care right now . '' Faia believes that 's because people want to be in New Orleans enough to return despite the crime , the slow rebuilding and limited services . We first met Anthony Pardo , Harold Wischan , Mary Glass and Tanya Faia , along with their bosses , Police Chief Warren Riley and Interim District Attorney Keva Landrum Johnson , in April , when we traveled to New Orleans to see how crime and corruption might be slowing the city 's post-Katrina recovery effort . We found that around 30 percent of the population had yet to return , and the residents ' fear of crime and loathing of the city 's long history of corruption , were reasons why many had not moved back . After Katrina hit in August 2005 , thousands of accused felons in New Orleans walked out of jail because the D.A. 's office failed to charge them before their legally mandated release dates . This helped to make many witnesses to crimes in the city extremely hesitant to cooperate with the judicial process . `` For a time , some people felt that there was not justice in the criminal justice system and you know the D.A. 's office was not convicting people but I 'm here to tell you that that day is passed , '' Landrum Johnson told us in May . Indeed , when we arrived in the spring , there appeared to be a concentrated effort to focus on the violent crime and corruption that many believe fuel the city 's street crime . The local-boy-turned-U.S. attorney , Jim Letten , assured me that , `` this city is going to survive . But I will tell you right now , though , the struggle for this city 's recovery , its long-term survival as the New Orleans that we know , is being decided every day . '' `` Can you win ? '' I asked Letten . `` Yes . Yes , '' he answered , with no hesitation . Additionally , the city 's new Inspector General Bob Cerasoli , like Letten , passionately believes there is a link between white collar crime and street crime . Cerasoli came to the city from Boston to uncover fraud , corruption and misappropriations . Every day , he runs into roadblocks like missing computers , a lack of supplies and non-working phone lines that keep him from quickly forming his office and doing his job . `` When I wake up in the morning , I like to say that Jesus puts my clothes on , because some mornings I do n't know how I get up , '' Cerasoli told me in a thick Boston accent . `` As long as we achieve something , I think there 's hope . '' But it 's slow going for everyone , despite the hope . Hope ca n't make people admit to witnessing a crime ; hope ca n't get them to testify in court . Hope ca n't take the guns out of the hands of young , unsupervised , adults . And hope ca n't get Rhonda McClure Collins , and other mothers like her whom we meet during the course of our documentary , the justice she desires . But even Rhonda McClure Collins ca n't let go of all of her hope . We ask her , `` Do you have faith in the New Orleans justice system ? '' She told us she does n't , but said , `` I have faith in Detective Pardo . '' And that 's something .
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CNN 's Soledad O'Brien shadowed New Orleans crime fighters in April 2008 . Distraught mother waits for nearly a year for suspects in son 's death to be arrested . DA : Four of every 10 arrested for homicide in New Orleans walk free , uncharged . Authorities struggle with the corruption fueling the city 's street crime .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Bob `` Doctor '' Lee is known for his smooth soul and classic R&B during the overnight hours , but working while many of us are sleeping takes its toll . The Harlem radio DJ says he enjoys carrying his listeners through the night , but sometimes he finds himself dozing off . `` When you 're working these types of hours , sometimes you have to get some shut-eye when you can , '' Lee said . `` I go down to the gym to one of those mats , put your head back , next thing you know -LRB- laughs -RRB- you 've picked up a couple minutes of sleep . '' He is n't alone . In the next `` In Focus '' series from CNN 's award-winning photojournalists , we 're introduced to people who are awake and working the night shift while the rest of us are asleep . It 's a slice of life that many people do n't see -- and a different angle on news about jobs and the economy . The on-air and online project also looks at the effect night shift work has on lives , health and families . Lynette Slaton , a mother of three , has worked third shift for years as the night manager at Amy 's Bread in New York . The hours are hard on her and her family , but she is determined to provide a better life for them . Slaton stays up with her children during the day so she can have a hand in raising them . `` When I look at them I want them to have so much , but right now , with the way the economy is and everything , I just feel more secure being able to be with them and not having to put them in a day care setting so young , '' she said . Watch Slaton at work as a baker , and as a parent . The series also takes us behind the scenes of Atlanta , Georgia 's , Philips Arena , where workers race against the clock overnight to convert the professional sports arena from the home of the NHL 's Atlanta Thrashers to the NBA 's Atlanta Hawks when the teams have back-to-back games . See how the Philips team turns ice into wood . `` The games end at 9:30 at night , '' said Richard Manley , the arena 's assistant manager of conversion . `` We 're starting at 10 o'clock . We change this building over every night from hockey to basketball to hockey . '' `` This is what we call the third shift , the night shift , '' said Barry Henson , the arena 's vice president of building and event operations . `` When everybody else is asleep , this is when this building can change from one thing to the next . '' CNN 's Tom Foreman hosts this special series from a virtual environment designed by the graphics team at CNN 's Washington Bureau . Using green screen technology and a combination of 3-D and 2-D animation , Foreman takes us on a tour from coast to coast as we meet people who work the night shift . See more of the `` Nightshift In Focus '' series : . • Saving furry lives 24/7 . • Overnight ride with EMS . • Tough hours , great view . • Vegas lights through the night . • Health risks working nights . • Salesman : ` I 'm like a vampire '
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`` In Focus '' series looks at people who are awake and working the night shift . Overnight Harlem radio DJ sometimes finds himself dozing off . Mother of three works third shift as Manhattan bakery night manager . Atlanta crew converts arena from hockey to basketball and back again .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Americans know Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his belligerence toward the United States and Israel and for clashes with international regulators over Iran 's pursuit of nuclear technology . President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 's foreign policy has affected Iran 's domestic economy . The conservative Ahmadinejad , 52 , the former mayor of Tehran , was elected president in a landslide in June 2005 , defeating centrist Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani . A tighter race is expected in this Friday 's presidential contest , which pits Ahmadinejad against self-described reformist Mir Hossein Moussavi and two other candidates . Ahmadinejad is expected by many to be re-elected . `` He 's pretty charming . He 's a little bullheaded , but he 's definitely got his charms and charisma in a strange sort of way , '' said Hooman Majd , an Iranian-American writer who travels to Iran several times a year . Ahmadinejad and his wife , Parvin , have three children . Rumors that he was among the revolutionaries who held hostages at the American Embassy in Tehran from 1979 to 1981 have never been confirmed . `` He 's an interesting man , '' Majd said . `` He 's very smart . There 's no question about that . '' Watch the intensity of the campaign '' A few months after taking office , Ahmadinejad stated during a speech at the World Without Zionism conference in Tehran that `` Israel must be wiped off the map . '' In another speech two months later , he referred to the Holocaust as `` a myth '' started by Europeans . Last week at the site of the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany , President Obama did n't mention Ahmadinejad by name but denounced `` those who insist that the Holocaust never happened -- a denial of fact and truth that is baseless and ignorant and hateful . '' Ahmadinejad , the son of a blacksmith and holder of a doctorate in transportation engineering , enjoys strong support among the lower classes and in smaller cities , where he has liberally disbursed government money , said Mehdi Khalaji , a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy . He also appeals to poorly educated people who are most influenced by religious hard-liners , Khalaji said . `` Honestly , we 've never seen anyone as courageous as Ahmadinejad , '' one man said at a Tehran rally this week . `` He is a true son of the Revolution , '' said another . The president 's revolutionary fervor is genuine , Majd said , and it is his political bread and butter . `` There are people who support that , who like the idea of Iran maintaining that revolutionary zeal and being that revolutionary state , '' Majd said . However , even some of Ahmadinejad 's supporters acknowledge that voters may be looking for a change . `` Most of the people voting for Moussavi are doing it just to get rid of Ahmadinejad , '' one woman in Tehran said . Watch what some of the key issues are '' Many want Iran to have better relations with the West , relations that have been strained by Ahmadinejad 's remarks about Israel and his refusal to submit to inspections of nuclear facilities by the International Atomic Energy Agency . That stance has led to isolation from the West , hampering foreign investment and limiting Iran 's economic growth , a sore point with many voters . `` There 's a sort of overwhelming support now for an opening up of the country to the international community and some access to the free-market economy because , frankly , Iran 's own economy is on the verge of utter collapse , '' said Reza Aslan , an analyst for DailyBeast.com and author of the book `` No God But God , '' an analysis of Islam in politics and culture . Majd , who has translated for Ahmadinejad at the United Nations and who spent four of the last six weeks in Tehran , agreed . `` A less belligerent foreign policy , a slight , strategic alteration of the foreign policy , is going to bode well for Iran . That 's how a lot of voters are viewing it , '' he said . The success or failure of Obama 's diplomatic overtures toward Iran could hinge on Friday 's election , Aslan said . `` Let 's be frank . The Obama administration is going to open up to Iran regardless of who wins this election , '' Aslan said . `` But it would certainly be a lot easier , not to mention more politically palatable in the United States , if it were n't Ahmadinejad . '' CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour contributed to this report .
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Iran 's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad known for hostility toward U.S. , Israel . Incumbent in tight race to win second four-year term as president . Ahmadinejad has defied IAEA over inspections of nuclear facilities . Some voters think less belligerent foreign policy would help economy , writer says .
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-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- March 3 , 2010 . Download PDF maps related to today 's show : . • Chile • Iraq and Kuwait • China . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT . THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED . CARL AZUZ , CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR : The earthquake in Chile was so powerful , it might have affected time ! I 'm Carl Azuz . You 're tuned in to CNN Student News ! First Up : Chile Earthquake . AZUZ : Aftershocks , still rumbling across parts of Chile . At least a dozen were recorded from Monday to Tuesday . This quake left thousands of residents without food , without water , without electricity and other just basic services . Yesterday morning , the country 's president said that all emergency measures should be in place by the end of the day . Of course , the international community is pitching in , too . Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Chile Tuesday , bringing along some supplies and promising that more help is on the way . Secretary Clinton also praised Chile for how prepared it was to respond to this kind of disaster and for how well the nation has responded so far . So , what 's with that point we mentioned at the beginning of the show about the earthquake affecting time ? Well , according to one scientist , the quake was so powerful it 's possible that it affected the Earth 's rotation . Based on this scientist 's calculations , it should have shortened the length of a day by one-and-a-quarter microseconds . Of course , this is the second major quake to strike recently . Haiti suffered a 7.0-magnitude quake in January . And while that tremor was n't as powerful as the one in Chile , the devastation that it caused seems to have been significantly worse . Joe Johns examines some of the reasons why . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- . JOE JOHNS , CNN CORRESPONDENT : The quake in Haiti was a 7.0 , killing more than 200,000 people . The quake in Chile registered 8.8 , as much as 800 times stronger . The death toll less than a thousand so far . Why is that ? Geography , for one thing . The Port-au-Prince quake was in shallow earth , 15 miles from the city . The Chile quake was 30 miles off the coast , deep under water . History is another factor . No one alive remembers the series of earthquakes that hit Haiti in the 1700s . But Chile 's experience is much more recent ; more than 28 quakes in the 20th century , including the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in 1960 . All of which has led Chile to put in and adhere to strict building codes . Chile learned its lessons the hard way , making engineering the biggest factor of all that sets Chile and Haiti apart . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- . Iraq Appoints Ambassador . AZUZ : Moving to the Middle East now . Iraq has selected an ambassador to Kuwait for the first time in two decades . Here 's some background on this for you : Kuwait borders Iraq to the south . And in August of 1990 , Iraq invaded Kuwait . That led to `` Operation Desert Storm ; '' part of the Gulf War , when a U.S.-led coalition liberated Kuwait from Iraq in 1991 . Iraq was controlled by Saddam Hussein back then . And since he was removed from power in 2003 , Iraq and Kuwait have been building ties . This week 's announcement is the latest step in that process . I.D. Me . TOMEKA JONES , CNN STUDENT NEWS : See if you can I.D. Me ! I 'm a government agency that dates back to colonial times . I was first run by Benjamin Franklin . According to my unofficial motto , `` neither snow nor rain nor heat '' will keep my couriers from delivering the mail . I 'm the U.S. Postal Service , and my funding does n't come from tax dollars , only from the money my business makes . Postal Service Delivery . AZUZ : That business is n't doing so well . At the end of last September , the Postal Service was $ 10 billion in debt ! And the agency says it could lose more than $ 200 billion in the next 10 years unless it is allowed to make some changes . This is why we say `` allowed '' : The Post Office is an independent agency , but Congress controls how it does business . And lawmakers would have to approve some of the changes that the Post Office is considering . Among those , no more mail delivery on Saturdays . Plus , the service would look to close some branches and raise some of its prices . The postmaster general , the man who runs the Post Office , says that it 'll take a big effort to turn things around . JOHN POTTER , U.S. POSTMASTER GENERAL : If we make the changes that are necessary , we can continue to provide universal service for America for decades to come . But there are some very significant changes that are gon na have to be made to the service that we offer and to the way we conduct our business on a daily basis . GM Recalls . AZUZ : Recalls : We 've heard about a lot of those recently . Now , American carmaker General Motors , GM , is making a recall that affects 1.3 million vehicles in the U.S , Canada and Mexico . The problem : a potential failure in the cars ' power steering . GM started investigating this problem more than a year ago . The company says it develops over time , so it 's more likely to affect vehicles that have been driven 20,000 to 30,000 miles . GM says it 's working on a solution to all of this . In the meantime , a company spokesman says the recall is `` the right thing to do for our customers ' peace of mind . '' Shoutout . MATT CHERRY , CNN STUDENT NEWS : Today 's Shoutout goes out to Mr. O'Connell 's AP Human Geography classes at Penn High School in Mishawaka , Indiana ! In what country would you find the world 's fastest train ? Is it : A -RRB- China , B -RRB- France , C -RRB- Japan or D -RRB- United States ? You 've got three seconds -- GO ! The world 's fastest train zooms through China at well over 200 miles per hour . That 's your answer and that 's your Shoutout ! Railway Expansion . AZUZ : With the largest population in the world -- 1.3 billion people -- China is making a huge investment in helping those folks get around the country by rail . Now , trains might sound kind of old school ; you might think stagecoaches or something like that . But modern railways pollute less than planes ; they 're far faster than cars . Building them takes money , though . And in China 's case , we 're talking about stimulus money . Emily Chang reports from the railways . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- . EMILY CHANG , CNN CORRESPONDENT , BEIJING : Beijing 's newest train station looks like a modern airport , and a ride on its bullet train is nearly as fast as taking a plane . China 's high-speed trains have come a long way from the steam engines that once chugged into the capital before economic reforms in the 1980s transformed long-distance transportation . This is how the majority of people travel across China . Old trains like this go as slow as 55 kilometers per hour . When it 's crowded , it 's standing room only and the journey can take days . But that 's no longer the only option . China is now home to the world 's fastest train , hurtling from Wuhan to Guangzhou at more than 350 kilometers per hour . This train is so fast , it 's threatened airline ticket sales . China Southern Airlines is struggling to compete on this particular route as high-speed railways change the way Chinese people travel across this vast country . China is spinning a web of high-speed railways with faster connections than ever before . The government plans to extend 3,000 current kilometers of high-speed track to 12,000 by 2012 . Estimated cost : $ 360 billion U.S. , or 60 % of the stimulus package China enacted to combat the financial crisis . JOHN GONG , CHINA ECONOMICS EXPERT : If you 're investing in a high-speed railway system , you 're sending checks to two million workers that are involved in the railway industry . So , that 's a very easy call to make , politically . CHANG : China 's rail system is now arguably the most advanced in the world . U.S. company General Electric is collaborating with Beijing on technology to modernize America 's own aging rail network . While nowhere close to China 's investment , President Obama has committed $ 8 billion to high-speed rail . U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : Our nation has always been built to compete . There 's no reason Europe or China should have the fastest trains . CHANG : Just like interstate highways transformed the United States , faster trains in China will bring infrastructure , investment and passengers to destinations deep in the countryside . Critics counter China is overbuilding and that tickets on fast trains are too expensive for average citizens . But with living standards rising , more and more will be able and willing to pay to satisfy the need for speed . Emily Chang , CNN , Beijing . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- . Women 's History Month . AZUZ : March is Women 's History Month . And we 're helping students recognize the achievements of women with our free Women 's History Month materials . These Discussion Questions and Activities help students explore the roles of women in fields like science , government and sports . You can find the free resources in the Spotlight section -- you know where to go -- CNNStudentNews.com . Before We Go . AZUZ : And finally , we 're digging up some dirt on a man who lives in California . This is Wayne Daniels . And Wayne likes tulips ... a lot ! He plants 3,200 of them every year , and then sits back and watches his yard turn into a budding botanical garden . To most people , the retired teacher is simply known as `` the Tulip Man . '' Wayne spends hundreds of hours planning and planting every year . Some people might think it 's sort of a silly tradition . Goodbye . AZUZ : But you wo n't hear something like that from our two lips . CNN Student News returns tomorrow . We hope you will return and watch us again then . Bye now !
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Consider the difference in impact of earthquakes in Chile and Haiti . Find out why the U.S. Postal Service might be making some changes . Take a ride on China 's high-speed rail system , the fastest in the world . Use the Daily Discussion to help students understand today 's featured news stories .
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-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- March 1 , 2010 . Download PDF maps related to today 's show : . • Chile • Orlando , Florida • Indonesia . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT . THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED . CARL AZUZ , CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR : You 're at the beginning of a new month , a new week and a new day of commercial-free headlines from CNN Student News . I 'm Carl Azuz . First Up : Chile Earthquake . AZUZ : Safety and food : top priorities in Chile after the country was jolted by a massive earthquake over the weekend . It struck very early Saturday morning when most people were sleeping . It registered a magnitude of 8.8 ; very powerful . A scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey says it released about 500 times more energy than the quake that hit Haiti in January . More than 90 aftershocks have been recorded in Chile , many of those pretty powerful in their own right . The damage : tremendous . As of yesterday evening , the quake was being blamed for more than 700 deaths . It affected 2 million people , caused serious damage to around half a million homes . Chile 's president called it an `` unthinkable disaster . '' She declared a `` state of catastrophe '' in some regions that were hardest hit . State of catastrophe meaning that government aid is available ; it 's going to get to victims as fast as they can get it to them . However , the president also pointed out the recovery efforts will take quite a while . PRESIDENT MICHELLE BACHELET , CHILE -LRB- TRANSLATED -RRB- : We see the size and the dimension of this catastrophe is going to require a gigantic effort from the private and public sectors , not only now , but it 's going to take us a long time in the future . We are in front of an emergency that has no point of reference in the past of Chile , in Chile 's history . AZUZ : As you can see on this map coming up right here , Chile is a long country . It runs down the western side of South America , along the Pacific Ocean . It 's home to about 16 and a half million people . And the coastal region actually has a history of earthquakes . Since 1973 , there have been 13 quakes there with a magnitude of at least 7.0 . Because of that , experts say that newer buildings are built to help withstand the shocks . So , while the devastation caused by this quake is certainly severe , it 's part of the reason why it might not be as bad as what we saw in Haiti . However , the effects of this tremor were felt far away . In fact , the entire Pacific was under a tsunami warning ; large waves that form in the ocean . They can be triggered by earthquakes . The warning for the tsunami , later canceled for all countries . But listen to this : Hawaii , Australia and Japan , locations that are thousands of miles away from Chile , all experienced waves that were triggered by this quake . Northeast Snowstorm . AZUZ : Heavy snow was the big story in the northeastern U.S. over the weekend again . This is the third major storm to hit the area in a month . And over the course of February , New York City set a new , all-time record for snowfall . This storm knocked out power to about 700,000 homes and businesses around the Northeast . That includes almost 225,000 in New York alone . According to one meteorologist , another round of severe winter weather could be coming this week . Is this Legit ? PAUL CHAMBERS , CNN STUDENT NEWS : Is this legit ? A term in the U.S. House of Representatives lasts four years . Nope ! A House term is two years , which means all 435 voting members are up for election this year . Election Expectations . AZUZ : That election 's coming up this November ; campaign season has begun . Democrats currently control both the House and Senate . And here 's what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi predicted about her party 's election chances : . REP. NANCY PELOSI , -LRB- D -RRB- CALIFORNIA , HOUSE SPEAKER : The Democrats will retain the majority in the House of Representatives . I 'm not yielding one grain of sand . We 're fighting for every seat , but we are ready . AZUZ : Meantime , Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell talked about Republican chances : . SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL , -LRB- R -RRB- KENTUCKY , SENATE MINORITY LEADER : Obviously , we 're optimistic . But in the meantime , we need to be doing the people 's business and not trying to predict what the environment may be in November . If the election were today , we 'd have a very good day . AZUZ : And here 's what registered voters said in a recent CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll : 63 percent felt that most members of Congress do n't deserve to be re-elected ; 34 percent said they do . SeaWorld Show . AZUZ : SeaWorld shows with orca , or killer , whales are back on again . The shows were suspended for three days after an accident involving one of the animals at the Orlando SeaWorld . It claimed the life of a trainer , Dawn Brancheau . The theme park , as well as two government agencies , are looking into this accident . Meantime , SeaWorld is putting new policies in place with regard to how trainers interact with the whales . Hundreds of people attended the orca show in Orlando on Saturday , the first one since the accident . It began with a tribute to Brancheau and a standing ovation for her fellow trainers . Some of the visitors who were there for the show talked about the experience . UNIDENTIFIED MALE # 1 : I think it was great that they moved forward . I wished they would have said a little bit more , actually , about it , what had happened and what was going to happen . Because obviously everyone there was anxious and curious about what the future is . UNIDENTIFIED MALE # 2 : It was n't a happy atmosphere . We all stood up for the remembrance and we cheered the trainers . This Day in History . -LSB- GRAPHIC -RSB- Salem Witch Trials -- Incident involved accusations of witchcraft . First charges issued on March 1 , 1692 . In all , 150 people imprisoned ; 19 convicted and hanged . -LSB- GRAPHIC -RSB- Peace Corps -- Established by President John F. Kennedy March 1 , 1961 . Promotes world peace and friendship . Volunteers work in developing countries . Nearly 200,000 volunteers and trainees to date . Record Setting Medals . AZUZ : And some more history being made in Vancouver as the U.S. racks up the most medals ever by one country in a Winter Olympics . 37 total medals , when you add up gold , silver and bronze . This also marks the first time since 1932 that the U.S. has been first place in the overall medal count at a Winter Games . Adopt a Tiger ? AZUZ : All right , our next story today is about owning a cat ; it 's not so unusual . Some people might have a chance to adopt a rare breed , though , thanks to a plan being considered by Indonesia . The thing is , these cats weigh up to 500 pounds ! That 's 'cause they 're tigers ! And all you need to get one is a big chunk of money . As Arwa Damon explains , some people are concerned about the consequences of this . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- . ARWA DAMON , CNN CORRESPONDENT , JAKARTA : Ever dream of owning a tiger ? If you are in Indonesia , it just might be possible . These Sumatran tigers at the safari park outside of Jakarta could soon be up for adoption . It 's part of a conservation initiative the government is considering . For a $ 100,000 deposit , ordinary citizens would be allowed to care for a pair of these critically endangered wild cats in their own backyard , as long as it 's at least a tenth the size of a football field . DARORI , INDONESIAN DIRECTOR GENERAL , FOREST PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION -LSB- TRANSLATED -RSB- : We hope that this program will help to eradicate poaching , because in Indonesia or abroad , a lot of people want to have tigers as pets . But because it 's illegal , they go and buy dead tigers . DAMON : With this option , Darori says , the ones in the wild will be left alone . Illegal poaching and an 80 percent loss of tiger habitat in Sumatra has caused their numbers in the wild to dwindle down to a few hundred . These guys do look like they would make absolutely adorable pets right now . But they 're not going to stay this small or this cuddly for long . Officials are saying that they do believe that this program will be successful , because it 's based on a similar initiative that they launched earlier for the Balinese mynah bird that was on the verge of extinction . Problem is , caring for a bird the size of a pidgeon and caring for a tiger , not exactly the same thing . Now , they are very small . UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE TIGER KEEPER : Yes , very small . DAMON : In nine months , they will be this big . With big appetites . The keepers were all stunned to hear that their tigers could end up as household pets . The keepers here go through a rigorous training program , Arsyad explains . The government says it 's planning on assigning keepers to each pair that is adopted . Conservationists say animals like these belong in the wild , not as a backyard symbol of prestige . Arwa Damon , CNN , Bogor , Indonesia . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- . Blog Promo . AZUZ : Under consideration in Utah : an optional senior year ; letting high school students graduate as juniors . Not a popular idea with some students , but it would save the school money , something you are constantly hearing about in this recession . We want to hear what you 've seen in your school . Field trips canceled ? Bigger class sizes ? Tell us at CNNStudentNews.com . Before We Go . AZUZ : Before we go , you better watch your mouth ! Especially if you live in California . What the ... ?!? The State House has passed a resolution that would make the first week of March `` Cuss Free Week . '' A time to silence the swears . Police officers wo n't be washing out anybody 's mouth with soap . The idea is just to make things a little more polite , even if it 's only for a few days . This was actually inspired by a student . Goodbye . AZUZ : He started the no cussing idea in his school , but lawmakers swear it can work for the state . Okay , we can bleep today 's pun on air . But our transcript includes every word we say . So if you were to go to , say , CNNStudentNews.com , for example , no one could stop you from finding out what we said . Have a great day . For CNN Student News , I 'm Carl Azuz .
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Assess the impact of a massive earthquake that struck in Chile . Hear predictions from both parties about U.S. midterm elections . Consider an adoption program that could turn tigers into pets . Use the Daily Discussion to help students understand today 's featured news stories .
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-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- February 25 , 2010 . Download PDF maps related to today 's show : . • Northeastern U.S. • Littleton , Colorado • Portland , Oregon . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT . THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED . CARL AZUZ , CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR : I 'm Carl Azuz , and today , CNN Student News is taking you to school ! Middle school , high school , college : all of them in today 's show . First up , though , we 're heading to the hill . First Up : Toyota Hearings . AZUZ : Capitol Hill , where a House committee is holding hearings on Toyota recalls . Yesterday , the company 's president , Akio Toyoda , explained what he thinks is the reason for some of the company 's recent problems . AKIO TOYODA , TOYOTA PRESIDENT : Toyota has , for the past few years , been expanding its business rapidly . Quite frankly , I fear the pace at which we have grown may have been too quick . I would like to point out here that Toyota 's priority has traditionally been the following : first , safety ; second , quality ; third , volume . These priorities became confused , and we were not able to stop , think and make improvements as much as we were able to before . And our basic stance to listen to customers ' voices to make better products has weakened somewhat . AZUZ : Mr. Toyoda says he 's committed to restoring his company 's reputation . Some people have blamed the U.S. government for not acting sooner . But Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says that is not the case . RAY LAHOOD , U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY : We have n't been sitting around on our hands . When people complain , we investigate . When there needs to be a recall , we do it . Of the 100 investigations NHTSA opens in an average year , there are currently 44 open defect investigations , 5 of which involve Toyota . Every step of the way , NHTSA officials have pushed Toyota to take corrective action so that consumers would be safe . Economic Outlook . AZUZ : Meantime , a different committee was hearing Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke 's outlook on the country 's economy . Bernanke heads up the nation 's central bank . He says the U.S. economy is getting better , but he does n't expect it to grow too much this year ; only about 3 to 3.5 percent . He 's also worried about the job market . Bernanke says it 's still very weak . Unemployment is around 9.7 percent . He predicts that 'll drop to around 7 percent , but not until the end of 2012 . That statistic might get some help from a new jobs bill being considered by Congress . The Senate approved a $ 15 billion version yesterday . Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called it a `` small but important step '' in trying to pass a jobs bill . But some critics say the Senate 's proposal would n't do nearly enough . Word to the Wise . TOMEKA JONES , CNN STUDENT NEWS : A Word to the Wise ... nor'easter -LRB- noun -RRB- a type of storm with extremely strong winds , which can produce heavy rain and cause powerful waves . Nor'easter . AZUZ : A nor'easter is what 's on the radar for parts of the U.S. Experts think it could bring rain , snow , heavy winds . And these are areas that have already been hammered by severe winter weather . As you might guess , a nor'easter affects the northeast part of the country . But that 's not where the name comes from . Chad Myers has that answer . CHAD MYERS , CNN WEATHER ANCHOR : Carl , we 'll talk about nor'easter because of the way the wind comes in with the storm . The wind literally comes from the Northeast . We talk about winds ; we talk about a West wind . A West wind comes from the West . A Northeast wind comes from the Northeast . And that 's the storm , that 's the wind that picks up all the moisture and dumps it right here in the form of snow across New England , New York state and Pennsylvania . Some spots , before this all stops , with blizzard-like conditions , will have 24-36 inches of snow . Another big storm for the Northeast , and people digging out again , Carl . Hero Teacher . AZUZ : Thanks , Chad . David Benke is being hailed as a hero . He 's a math teacher who tackled a gunman who opened fire at a middle school on Tuesday . The suspect is in custody . Two students were wounded in the attack . They were both treated at a nearby hospital . All this happened at Deer Creek Middle School in Littleton , Colorado . That is the same town where , eleven years ago , two gunmen killed 12 students and a teacher at Columbine High School . After that incident , many schools across the nation , maybe even yours , started having emergency drills . Mr. Benke says that a promise he made during those led to his actions yesterday . DAVID BENKE , DEER CREEK MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH TEACHER : Whenever we had had these drills and whenever we had worked with students , I said basically , if something happens and there is something I can do about it , I want to try and do something about it . Webcam Spying ? AZUZ : Around the U.S. , technology is being used to help education . Some schools let you take laptops home . One Pennsylvania high school included a security measure to protect against the computers being stolen . But a student at the school says the way the technology was used was a violation of his privacy . Randy Kaye has the details on that . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- . RANDI KAYE , CNN CORRESPONDENT : This is high school sophomore Blake Robbins . His school issued him and more than 2,000 other students laptops for their studies . What the students and families did n't know was that school officials had installed software that could turn on the laptop 's camera without notice , without warning and watch them . Before Blake knew it , he found himself in the assistant principal 's office at Pennsylvania 's Harriton High School , accused , he says , of pushing drugs . BLAKE ROBBINS , HARRITON HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORE : I could n't say anything because she was accusing me of selling drugs . I could n't fight back , but I thought that this was terrible , how could they do this ? HOLLY ROBBINS , BLAKE 'S MOM : She said that she had pictures of Blake that were taken on his computer of him holding up little , what she thought were pills . KAYE : How could the school have seen what Blake was doing ? We set up a web camera in our office to show you how this all works . This is my laptop and it has a web camera built in to it . That tiny hole right there ? That 's the camera . So , all anyone has to do , whether they 're sitting a few feet away or maybe even hundreds of miles away , is click a button to record everything I 'm doing in front of this web camera . That 's exactly what Blake 's parents say the school district did . They say the school remotely accessed his computer without his knowledge and snapped a photo of him . Blake 's family is suing . H. ROBBINS : It was an invasion of privacy ; it was as if we had a Peeping Tom in our house . KAYE : The FBI is investigating to see if wiretap or computer intrusion laws were violated . The school district says in the last fourteen months , 42 laptops were reported missing or stolen , 18 of them recovered . A spokesman for the school district told CNN they would only remotely access the laptop if it had been reported stolen or missing so they could find out who was using it . But Blake 's parents say his computer had not been reported missing or stolen . If that 's true , why was anyone from the school accessing the camera ? The school district says these are just allegations , and `` the district never did and never would use such tactics as a basis for disciplinary action . '' In fact , it insists no school administrators could even access the cameras ; only two people in the technology department . A letter from the superintendent admits '' ... there was no explicit notification that the laptop contained the security software . This notice should have been given and we regret that was not done . '' Now , school officials say the web camera security feature has been completely disabled . As for Blake and those so-called `` pills '' he says the school thought he was holding on camera , his mom claims they were candy ! -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- . Tuition Soars . AZUZ : All right . We 've covered a story about a middle school about a high school ; it 's time for college . Getting there might take more money than ever before . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- . AZUZ : The cost of going to college is skyrocketing . The University of California expects to raise tuition by 30 percent for the 2010-2011 school year . Of course , it 's in a state that has a $ 20 billion budget deficit . But this increase in college costs is something that 's expected nationwide . From Washington state to Nevada to Florida , public universities are estimating hikes of between 10 and 15 percent . The reason : What else ? The recession . Public schools get some of their money from states . States have less money to give , since they 're already in debt . So , schools have to make up their deficits by charging students more . It 's still a lot less expensive to attend a public college , though . Average cost this school year for a public university : around $ 7,000 . For a private school : more than $ 26,000 . What 's interesting about all this is that there 's still more demand for education ; college enrollment continues to climb . For schools , that could be good news : They 'll be likely to get more of the money they need . For students , well , there 's always financial aid , student loans , and the value of a college degree . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- . Before We Go . AZUZ : Before we go , a story that might warm your heart , and your toes , and the toes of about 200 other people . It is the world 's longest blanket ! This thing just keeps on going . More than 450 feet long ! It 's on display in Oregon right now . That 's where it was made . Then , the behemoth blanket will weave its way around the country . And finally , it 'll either be sold or divvied up and donated to charity . Goodbye . AZUZ : We wish there was more to tell you , but that pretty much covers it . Back tomorrow . I 'm Carl Azuz .
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Hear Toyota 's president explain the cause of recent company problems . Consider a controversy that was sparked by a school laptop 's webcam . Find out how some colleges plan to make up for a drop in state funding . Use the Daily Discussion to help students understand today 's featured news stories .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Five people died when an air ambulance crashed in west Texas shortly after midnight Sunday , authorities said . A patient , the patient 's family member , two nurses and the pilot died when the Cessna 421 plane crashed and exploded around 12:18 a.m. CT -LRB- 1:18 a.m. ET -RRB- , the Texas Department of Public Safety said . The plane crashed just one mile south of Alpine , Texas , Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Cory said . It had taken off from Alpine and was headed for Midland , Texas , she said . The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash . The plane was registered to the O'Hara Flying Service out of Amarillo , the FAA said . The Texas Department of Public Safety said victims of the crash were : Ted Caffarel , 58 , of Beaumont , Texas ; Sharon Falkner , 49 , of Fort Davis , Texas ; Tracy Chambers , 42 , of Alpine , Texas ; Richard Folger , 78 , of Midland , Texas ; and Mary Folger , 59 , of Midland , Texas . CNN 's Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report .
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Air ambulance crashes a mile from Alpine , Texas . Patient , family member , nurses and pilot killed . Officials are investigating the crash .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tar balls believed to be from the undersea gusher in the Gulf of Mexico have reached the shores of Louisiana 's Lake Pontchartrain , a foundation that monitors the watershed reported Monday . The area affected covers a stretch of up to five miles near the city of Slidell , northeast of New Orleans , said Anne Rheams , executive director of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation . She estimated the amount of oil that has reached the lake at less than 100 barrels , with no hydrocarbon smell . `` They are about the size of a silver dollar , maybe a little bigger , kind of dispersed in long intervals . It 's not as dense as it could be , so we 're thankful for that , '' Rheams said . Cleanup crews had collected more than a half-ton of the tar balls -- 1,020 pounds -- by Monday evening , and the oil will be tested to confirm it came from the undersea well that has been spewing into the Gulf since April , the Joint Information Center in Houma said Monday night . But Rheams told CNN , `` They 've got to be from the spill . '' Tar balls had previously been spotted in Rigolets Pass , which connects the lake with Mississippi Sound . Officials in Orleans and St. Tammany parishes have been using heavy booms , barges and skimmers to defend Pontchartrain since the early days of the disaster , but Rheams said high waves and strong easterly and southeasterly winds have complicated the effort . `` The main thing is that they are an indicator that it could be coming more so this way , '' she said . State officials have closed a swath of the southern part of the 630-square-mile lake to fishing following the discovery , but there was no sign of impact to wildlife as of Monday , Rheams said . The Coast Guard reported Sunday that a shift in weather patterns could send more oil toward sensitive shores in Mississippi and Louisiana , and bad weather over the past few days has significantly hampered cleanup efforts . Rheams said that pattern was expected to persist for at least three more days . Federal officials have estimated that between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels -LRB- 1.5 million to 2.5 million gallons -RRB- of oil have been spewing into the Gulf daily since April 20 , when the drilling rig Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank in about 40 miles off the Louisiana coast . Efforts to plug the gusher have so far failed , and oil from the spill has been reported as far east as the central Florida Panhandle .
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Dispersed , weathered oil reaches Lake Pontchartrain . Tar balls described as `` about the size of a silver dollar '' Part of Pontchartrain closed to fishing . High waves , southeast winds hinder containment .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Call David X. Cohen a nerd all you like , but never call him a geek . To the co-creator of `` Futurama , '' the term `` nerd '' is a compliment . `` I feel like with ` nerd culture , ' -LSB- it sounds like -RSB- the nerds have triumphed , '' he said . ` Geek ' has a negative connotation . I 'd rather be called a nerd . I love being called a nerd . '' Back in 2003 , this particular nerd could n't believe it was all over for `` Futurama . '' `` When we were canceled by Fox , we thought that was it , '' Cohen recalled . `` We really did n't have any expectations at the time . It was really emotional because we spent four years locked in a dark room working on the show . I went on with my life and wrote a couple of pilots . '' As the years went by , the network Adult Swim -LRB- a Time Warner property , along with CNN -RRB- started airing reruns of `` Futurama '' along with `` Family Guy . '' `` Family Guy 's '' ratings and DVD sales convinced Fox to give it a second chance , and the rest is history . `` Futurama 's '' ratings were similarly high , and once `` Family Guy '' started putting feature-length episodes on DVD , a light bulb went off in Cohen 's head . '' ` Family Guy ' blazed the trail with direct-to-DVD movies and got back on the air , '' he said . `` We called Fox and told them every six months that , hey , ` Futurama ' is even more fitting for direct-to-DVD . '' Finally , in 2007 , fans had their `` Futurama '' back , in not one , but four direct-to-DVD movies . As a result of those sales , Comedy Central is starting a new season of the show on Thursday night . The first order of business : wrapping up what happened at the end of the last movie , when Fry , Leela , Bender and the rest of the crew were sucked into a wormhole . `` Our first episode is ` Rebirth , ' which is metaphorical but a surprisingly literal term -- our crew members are going to suffer some serious physical harm , '' Cohen explained . `` Not for the squeamish , necessarily , but we will see the rebirth process as science has it in the year 3000 . '' The most exciting new thing about this season of `` Futurama , '' according to Cohen , is that it 's , well , new . `` I want to reassure our fans that this will be the real classic ` Futurama ' back to its original form . They supported us , and we want to repay them . '' For fans who are probably wondering what happened between Fry and Leela , last seen kissing before that climactic trip , Cohen said their questions will be answered , all in good time : `` We 're going to be dealing with the surprising sci-fi consequences of that relationship . '' Former Vice President Al Gore will also provide his voice , once again , just in time for the holidays . `` The holiday special 's going to focus on the future versions of Christmas , Kwanzaa and ` Robanukah , ' which Bender made up to get off of work . Gore will make his record-breaking fourth guest appearance , '' Cohen said . `` We will have the classic pairing of Gore and Coolio , making his third appearance , playing Kwanzaa-bot . '' `` Futurama '' also has a big milestone to celebrate , thanks to that Comedy Central pickup : `` We will have our 100th episode with Mark Mothersbaugh and Devo . Leela leads the mutant people who live under the sewers in an uprising against the surface people . '' iReporters love Futurama . So what kind of brain power does it take to write a show with so many jokes revolving around nerdy topics ? `` My master 's degree -LSB- in physics and theoretical computer science -RSB- puts me in the middle of the pack -- we have had three science PhDs in our writers room , so no one is impressed with my master 's degree , '' Cohen joked . `` We do sneak in a high-level math or physics equation , and we know few people get them , but they are hidden in the background , and we 'll reward a few viewers and hopefully make them lifelong ` Futurama ' fans . '' One example of such nerdy humor will actually come to the forefront in the near future . `` Our tenth episode of the new season is written by Dr. Ken Keeler , and it involves the characters switching minds , and it becomes very complicated due to the nature of this to work our way back to the original body , and requires solving a mathematical problem , '' Cohen explained . `` Ken actually proved a theorem critical to resolving the episode . We 're going to present a ` Futurama ' theorem . '' Cracking jokes and breaking new scientific ground at the same time ? Fans of `` Futurama , '' nerdy or otherwise , would n't want it any other way .
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Seven years after being canceled by Fox , `` Futurama '' is back -- on Comedy Central . Co-creator David X. Cohen : '' -LSB- Fans -RSB- supported us and we want to repay them '' Cliffhanger from the end of the direct-to-DVD movies will be resolved . Former Vice President Al Gore plays himself for the fourth time .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- South Korea 's prime minister has offered to resign , his communications office said Monday , after failure to win parliamentary approval to stop relocation of government offices out of the capital , Seoul . Prime Minister Chung Un-chan verbally offered to resign , but President Lee Myung-bak did not accept his offer , the office said . Chung offered to resign after failure to win the parliamentary approval , a major setback to Lee 's government and a sign that his party is losing clout . The president 's Grand National Party has taken a beating in local elections , which analysts see as a referendum on his handling of the Cheonan incident . The South Korean naval ship Cheonan sank March 26 in disputed waters . The loss of the ship and 46 sailors raised tensions on the Korean Peninsula . North Korea has vehemently denied charges it fired a torpedo that sank the Cheonan . CNN 's Roya Shadravan contributed to this report .
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South Korea 's prime minister offers to resign . President Lee Myung-bak declines to accept his offer . President 's Grand National Party has taken a beating in the polls .
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-LRB- CareerBuilder.com -RRB- -- Entry-level jobs are most workers ' first forays into the professional world . Few of us went from unemployed to high-ranking employee overnight . In fact , unless your family name is displayed on a skyscraper , an entry-level job is unavoidable . Although employers decide which positions in their organizations are entry-level , they usually define them as jobs requiring two years of experience or less . These positions can come with various education requirements , ranging from some schooling up to completion of a bachelor 's degree , depending on the industry . In their book `` 200 Best Jobs for College Graduates , 4th Edition , '' Laurence Shatkin and Michael Farr list some of the best entry-level jobs available . Shatkin and Farr looked for jobs with a high concentration of workers between 20 and 24 years old . They looked beyond what the starting salaries are and sought careers that have potential for growth and higher salaries in the future . Of course , entry-level jobs are n't merely for the early 20-somethings , so do n't think the list ca n't apply to you if you 're outside of that age range . For example , many workers are switching careers in this economy because their industry is n't thriving . Many veteran workers realize that they 've spent years in the wrong field , return to school , get a degree and find themselves starting over again . Some say companies discriminate against laid-off workers . For anyone looking for an entry-level position , we wanted to make your search a little easier . We took some of the best entry-level jobs , according to Shatkin and Farr , and determined where the best salaries are offered , according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics . Here are eight entry-level jobs with high earning potential , their average beginning salaries and the areas that offer the best long-term pay . Computer hardware engineers - $ 48,750 Missouri New York California Washington , D.C. Massachusetts . Actuaries - $ 48,750 New Mexico Pennsylvania Indiana Colorado Delaware . Sales agents , securities and commodities - $ 30,890 Connecticut New York Tennessee Massachusetts Washington , D.C. Network systems and data communications analysts - $ 40,100 New Jersey Virginia Minnesota Maryland Washington . Agents and business managers of artists , performers and athletes - $ 30,780 New York Massachusetts Tennessee California Nevada . Logisticians - $ 38,280 Washington , D.C. New Jersey Maryland Massachusetts Alabama . Chemists - $ 36,810 Washington , D.C. Maryland Delaware New Hampshire Massachusetts . Market research analysts - $ 33,310 Washington Delaware Massachusetts New Jersey California .
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Authors narrow down which cities offer best pay for the best entry-level jobs . Laurence Shatkin and Michael Farr have 4th edition of 200 Best Jobs for College Graduates . Network system analysts : New Jersey , Virginia , Minnesota , Maryland , Washington . Market research analysts : Washington , Delaware , Massachusetts , New Jersey , California .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The discussion of race is never a black and white issue , and recent `` AC360 ° '' and CNN.com reports about young children 's attitudes on race became one of the most discussed stories on the site , eliciting more than 4,500 comments . In the study , white children had an overwhelming bias toward white , and black children also had a bias toward white , but it was not nearly as strong as the bias shown by the white children . Many users of the site thought parenting was the issue behind the results , some thought the kids were too naive and others thought the testing method was flawed . Kids ' test answers on race brings mother to tears . Margaret Beale Spencer , a leading researcher in the field of child development , designed the pilot study for CNN 's `` AC360 . '' Beale Spencer used a team of three psychologists to implement it : two testers to execute the study and a statistician to help analyze the results . Her team tested 133 children from schools that met very specific economic and demographic requirements . In total , eight schools participated : four in the greater New York area and four in Georgia . Spencer 's test aimed to re-create the landmark doll test from the 1940s . Those tests , conducted by psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark , were designed to measure how segregation affected African-American children . Full doll study results . Many people who read the story commented that racism is a learned behavior . `` I do believe that parents must take an active role -LSB- regardless of race -RSB- to inform their children that they are no better or no worse than anyone because of race , '' Kejohn03 wrote . `` These lessons were taught to me and when I have children I will do the same . Once this happens , then there will be less misconceptions and negative perceptions regarding race . '' Another reader thought many people missed the point of the results of the study . No one says the children are racist , Trumpet01 wrote . `` The problem here is that if parents do not talk to their kid about race and how to perceive people that are ` different from them ' , they would simply form their opinions based on whatever -LSB- right or wrong -RSB- they gather from society . To suggest that anyone is labeling these innocent kids to be racist is merely unfortunate , '' the writer said . Watch the psychologist who devised the test talk about the role of parents . One person said they had done a mini-survey with a much smaller sample set -- their children -- and said the results showed the influence television has on our lives . Realjoe said the same questions were posed as were new ones . The writer said that where they live , there is a big Native American population . The children chose a brown figure as the one most likely to have a drinking problem , the white figure as the one that was gay and the black doll was picked for the sports questions , he wrote . `` I say , thank you media/TV , '' realjoe wrote . A few readers thought the study was flawed . Some thought more children should have been studied while others thought that 5-year-olds wo n't give answers that prove anything . `` For one thing , 5-year-old children do n't have a broad base of experience and are inclined to pick the familiar , '' andme2 wrote . `` If the child does n't have any brown or black friends , chances are he or she will gravitate toward white children because children of a different color are unknowns in his or her life . '' The reader thought it would have been better if the children were observed interacting with each other in different groups , but acknowledged that might have been an issue , too , `` because the children would realize something was expected of them and might behave accordingly . '' Others said children -- and adults -- were conditioned to think of light objects as good and dark as bad . It 's `` something human beings have been doing for thousands of years , '' reader timmy2136 said . But others said the study 's results were the most important thing and the discussion over the methodology drew attention away from the revelations of the tests . `` I think it 's interesting how many people want to fight the results , rather than conclude , ` Hey , maybe it is a good idea to teach our kids when they are really young that we should n't judge people by the way they look , ' '' FrustratedMI wrote . iReport : Where do we go from here ? Watch Anderson Cooper 360 ° weeknights 10pm ET . For the latest from AC360 ° click here .
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More than 4,500 CNN.com users comment on story on children and race . New study shows black and white children are biased toward lighter skin . One user says parents are the biggest influence . Some users suggest results should be questioned .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As I watched the split screen of the Petraeus hearings and the Kagan hearings this week , two views of what makes America great were clearly on display . I was transfixed by the visual image of four-star Gen. David Petraeus , sitting in dress uniform decorated with row upon row of ribbons and patches awarded in recognition for some difficult task or accomplishment . The general was given a deserved lovefest by the members of the Senate Armed Services Committee . The contrast was Elena Kagan , also called general -LRB- solicitor general -RRB- in her modest suit being put through a little more grueling questioning by the Senate Judiciary Committee . Petraeus is a hero and the most celebrated active general in our armed services . Kagan is a stranger to most of the country and barely known outside the legal and political fields before her nomination . But she will now be an important part of our government and our nation 's history . The most serious questioning she received was by the ranking Republican , Sen. Jeff Sessions , R-Alabama , who wanted to know why as dean of the Harvard Law School she had restricted military recruiters ' ability to contact students on campus because of the `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' policy barring openly gay soldiers from serving . She did n't have a good answer . The honest answer would have been that many in the academic world and many in the legal world do n't like our military . Assuming she is confirmed , Justice Kagan will conduct her battles behind the closed doors of the Supreme Court -- potentially for many decades -- and I assume she will be part of the liberal wing of the court . Her battles will be with words and opinions , not bullets . Petraeus ' battlefield will be more public and certainly more difficult . The Petraeus hearing was pro forma . The explanation to his wife about why he was going back to war and moving from Tampa , Florida , to Kabul , Afghanistan , probably took longer than it did for the Senate to confirm him . Petraeus is doing this because his president asked him to and because he is a soldier and a patriot . But there was a mixed message coming out of Petraeus ' hearing . The message was : We love you general , we hate your war . His message back was : Let me go fight it as best I know how and do n't handicap my fighters by artificial deadlines or restrictions . After nine years of battle , Americans are tired of war . Do n't think for a moment that our soldiers , from generals on down , are n't pretty tired of it , too . The generals and the soldiers did n't start these wars . It 's important that Americans remember who created the first battlefields and struck the first blows against us at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon itself . These were the first battlefields on our soil since the Civil War . One of the bravest of these generals , is Stanley McChrystal , who announced this week he will retire shortly from the Army . A little over a year ago , he also sat in a decorated uniform before that same Armed Services Committee . It 's notable that while this great man attracted wide public attention by the manner in which he 's leaving the Army after 34 years of service to his country , few will ever know what he did and the dangers he has encountered . Most of his military career has been in special operations , the clandestine fighting that is not reported . Much of his service and his accomplishments remain classified including his tour of duty from 2003 to 2008 as commander of the Joint Special Operations Command . This elite unit of Navy SEALs , Army Rangers , Green Berets and Delta forces was so covert that the Pentagon refused to acknowledge it existed . It was composed of a very few of the best fighting forces we had , and its mission was finding terrorists and eliminating them . I would think that , in a war with terrorists , that 's what you want your side to do . In the Rolling Stone article that finished this great warrior 's career , the freelance writer , Michael Hastings mockingly states , `` The general 's staff is a handpicked collection of killers , spies , geniuses , patriots , political operators and outright maniacs . '' In a war against ruthless terrorists , that sounds like the right team to me . Altar boys and freelance reporters need not apply . In combat with terrorists or any other group trying to kill you , the `` Marquis of Queensbury '' rules do not apply . Unfortunately , very few of our citizens and even fewer of our elected officials have ever served in the military . The all-volunteer military is the best fighting force in the world , though the public may not be fully aware of the crucial role it plays . Generals McChrystal and Petraeus are part of that very special military . Petraeus has put himself on the line again . Failure in Afghanistan is defined by the media , the Congress , the White House or whoever would taint his extraordinary record in Iraq . But it should n't , just as a few words to an overly ambitious reporter should n't damage the reputation , great history and service McChrystal has given his country . We should honor and thank McChrystal . Tellingly , he never talked to the media from the time he was a captain until he was a four-star general . The New York Times article reporting his promotion was headlined , `` A general steps from the shadows . '' As he retires and goes back into the shadows , every award , every recognition that he deserves should be given him . President Obama did the right thing this week by letting him retire as a four-star general . The Army and the Pentagon needs to do everything it can to recognize his service to our country . Duty , honor , country are the words each West Point cadet is to live by . Gen. McChrystal lived by them every day . On this Fourth of July weekend celebrating our independence as a nation , we need to be grateful to the men and women who over the last 234 years have served in our military to keep us free . Freedom did n't come easily and defending the American way of life has fallen on the shoulders of our fellow citizens who now voluntarily have taken on the burden of defending those liberties . They are not paid well , they are forced to serve in far-off places and spend much time away from their families . They do it because they love this country deeply and without reservation . We need to say thank you , and we need to never take their service for granted . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ed Rollins .
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Ed Rollins : Senators ' message to Petraeus was we love you , but not your war . He says Petraeus and Gen. Stanley McChrystal are heroes who deserve to be honored . After nine years of battle , U.S. public and military are tired of war . Rollins : We should n't forget U.S. did n't seek this war but responded when attacked .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Strikes fueled by higher prices for gasoline , diesel and kerosene spread across sections of India on Monday , disrupting rail and port traffic in some areas . Officials reported trains were largely empty in the Indian financial capital of Mumbai , where protests by Hindu nationalist opposition activists often bring the city to a halt . Indian railway spokesman Anil Saxena said the eastern parts of the country were the hardest hit . `` Obstructions -LRB- by strikers -RRB- are more pronounced on the eastern side , '' Saxena said . He was referring to communist-ruled West Bengal state and neighboring Orissa and Bihar . Truckers also joined the strike , parking their rigs and shutting down traffic that would normally carry goods in and out of the busy port . Opposition parties called for the strikes after the government began implementing a roll back in fuel subsides by lifting state controls on gasoline and other fuels . Demonstrations over fuel-price rises also took place in parts of New Delhi . Opposition protesters deflated tires of state-run buses in some neighborhoods . Private schools were closed Monday in the Indian capital . Television footage showed police using bamboo canes to break up a violent protest in the northern Indian city of Lucknow . Activists were also shown blocking a train in Patna in eastern India . For the average Indian , the changes are having a real impact . Usri Das Mahapatra 's kitchen budget has soared the past year . Now , she fears the worst is yet to come . The 46-year-old homemaker in Mumbai is bracing for a spike in her household expenses . An increase in fuel costs will create a ripple effect on the prices of food transported to her city from across India . Her son , an undergraduate student , too is likely to be paying more for his commute . Traveling costs in the family car or spent eating out are already higher , she says . Mahapatra , whose husband is an executive in a shipping company , is worried . `` High inflation is hitting our savings . In a year , my kitchen expenses have almost doubled . This -LRB- fuel price -RRB- hike is unjustified , '' she said . But planners say India 's subsidies are too much for a nation that is facing a consolidated fiscal deficit of 8.4 percent . As world leaders pledged fiscal tight-belting at the G-20 summit in Toronto , India said it has its plans in place to halve its deficit in three to four years . Ahead of the meeting , India removed subsidies that artificially kept cost of petrol lower than its market value -- as a result , the prices of gasoline and cooking fuel , like kerosene and kitchen gas , shot up . `` We have independently -LRB- prepared -RRB- , even prior to the G-20 coming to this understanding -LRB- on consolidation -RRB- , a roadmap which is designed to cut our fiscal deficit , Indian fiscal deficit , to half by 2013-14 , '' said Ashok Chawla , the country 's finance secretary . On his way back from Canada , Prime Minister Manmohan Singh identified what he called `` excessive populism '' as a key area to deal with in India 's financial management . Broadly , the South Asian nation spends heavily on subsidizing fertilizers , food and fuel . India has also launched a range of state-funded programs to help millions of its people still living in crippling poverty despite the country 's rise as an economic powerhouse . But officials are aware benefits reach target beneficiaries in a trickle because of rampant corruption and weak enforcement . `` A bottleneck and an impediment in bringing about the desired results , for which policies and schemes have been formulated and huge allocation of funds made , is weak implementation and corruption in the system , '' noted Indian President Pratibha Devisingh Patil in her national address on her country 's 61st Republic Day this year . India 's subsidy bill is about 10 percent of its overall annual spending and about 1.72 percent of its GDP , said M. Govinda Rao , member of Singh 's economic advisory council . `` When you ca n't expect revenues to rise very fast , it becomes important to reduce expenditure , '' said Rao , citing the country 's targets for fiscal consolidation . `` Our subsidy system is badly flawed . '' Nonetheless , Singh 's government , now in the second year of its second term in office , remains firm . '' -LRB- O -RRB- ur people are wise enough to understand that excessive populism should not be allowed to derail the progress our country is making , and for which it is winning kudos internationally as well , '' the prime minister told reporters last week as criticism at home mounted over cutting fuel subsidies . CNN 's Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report .
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Strikes fueled by higher prices for gasoline , diesel and kerosene . Trains largely empty in the Indian financial capital of Mumbai . Truckers join the strike , park their rigs and shut down traffic .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A British woman on death row in Texas , convicted of murdering a young mother , had her latest appeal set aside by the Supreme Court . State corrections officials can now proceed with setting an execution date , but there is no indication when that will happen . The justices without comment on Monday refused to review her case . Linda Carty , 52 , has made a public plea to British citizens , asking them and human rights groups to intervene and win her clemency . Carty , a grandmother and one-time teacher , is from the West Indies nation of St. Kitts , a former British colony . She moved to Texas when she was 23 . She was convicted of taking part in the May 2001 murder of Joana Rodriguez , a 25-year-old Houston-area woman . According to the trial record , Rodriguez and her 4-day-old son were abducted by men demanding drugs and cash . Two other people inside the home were beaten and tied up . The young mother was bound with duct tape , a bag was taped over her head and she was placed in the trunk of a car . Police said Rodriguez died from suffocation , while her son survived . Prosecutors convinced a jury that Carty had hired the three men to kidnap Rodriguez , so she could steal her baby because she was no longer able to get pregnant . Evidence was presented to show Carty tried to masquerade as a new mother in order to rebuild her relationship with a boyfriend . She was sentenced to death in February 2002 . She is one of 10 female prisoners on a special death row at the Mountain View prison in Gatesville , Texas . Carty asserts her innocence , and her appellate legal team claims her original trial was `` catastrophically flawed . '' Among the allegations filed in various appeals are that her court-appointed lawyer was incompetent and failed to meet Carty until immediately before the trial , failed to spot flaws and inconsistencies in the prosecution 's case , failed to interview witnesses and did not look at key mitigating evidence . Reprieve , a British human rights groups serving as her new legal team , also said she should have been given access upon arrest to the British consulate . The British Foreign Office has filed two amicus briefs in U.S. federal courts in Carty 's case , which complain that Britain was not notified of her original arrest , said a Foreign Office spokesman who declined to be named , in line with policy . The Foreign Office remains in close touch with Carty and her legal representatives , the spokesman said . `` We 're continuing to provide her with consular assistance , '' he said . `` We 've also made the U.S. aware of our stance -LRB- against -RRB- the death penalty . '' State and federal courts have rejected her various appeals . Last year , Carty recorded a seven-minute message pleading for her life . `` Please listen and tell everyone you know , '' Carty said on the tape . `` Please do n't let me die here . I 'm sorry if I sound like a desperate woman . I am desperate . The British people may be my last hope . '' Regarding her trial , Carty said , `` My lawyer told me he was too busy to work on my case . '' Human rights activists launched a three-month project in London , England , last summer , playing her recording on a daily basis , and urging passers-by to get involved . Standing atop one of Trafalgar Square 's large statue bases , or plinths , Brian Capaloff , one of those activists , held up placards with messages from Carty and stood in front of a life-size cardboard cutout of her . `` This is about someone 's life and there 's nothing more important than that , '' the Scottish man told CNN in September . `` It is an emotional thing . '' The case is Carty v. Thaler -LRB- 09-900 -RRB- . In other appeals before by the Supreme Court : . • The justices decided not to review whether the Boy Scouts could lease city parkland , after controversy over its policy banning atheists and homosexuals from being members or volunteers . An agnostic couple and their son , and a lesbian couple and their son challenged San Diego , California 's , granting of city leases to the Scouts , which for years has run a campground and aquatic center in Balboa and Mission Bay parks . Lawsuits were filed after the city had extended a 50-year-lease . The Supreme Court let stand a federal appeals court ruling saying that the scouts are a religious organization , making the lease improper , and that the families have constitutional `` standing '' to challenge the lease . Federal law bans discrimination based on sexual orientation by religious groups , as well as government `` endorsement '' or promotion of religion . The national scouting organization denies it is religious in nature , despite a policy that youngsters should `` do duty to God . '' The case is Boy Scouts of America v. Barnes-Wallace -LRB- 08-1222 -RRB- . • Delaware was denied the chance to broaden its state-run sports betting lottery beyond its current form involving professional football . The high court without comment let stand a lower court ruling limiting betting in the state to so-called `` parlay '' or multigame bets on National Football League games . The state wanted to offer single-game bets on a variety of professional and amateur sports and events in an effort to reduce its widening budget deficit . The NFL , the NCAA and Major League Baseball sued , saying the federal government had earlier banned that kind of sports betting . Delaware had been exempt from the 1992 law because it had earlier created a multiple-game wagering lottery similar to the current system . The case is Markell v. Office of Commissioner of Baseball -LRB- 09-914 -RRB- .
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British woman asserts her innocence ; her legal team calls her original trial flawed . Linda Carty made public plea to British citizens , asking them to intervene . State corrections officials can now proceed with setting an execution date .
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-LRB- Health.com -RRB- -- Parents who believe that playing video games is less harmful to their kids ' attention spans than watching TV may want to reconsider -- and unplug the Xbox . Video games can sap a child 's attention just as much as the tube , a new study suggests . Elementary school children who play video games more than two hours a day are 67 percent more likely than their peers who play less to have greater-than-average attention problems , according to the study , which appears in the journal Pediatrics . Playing video games and watching TV appear to have roughly the same link to attention problems , even though video games are considered a less passive activity , the researchers say . `` Video games are n't less likely than television to be related to attention problems , '' says the lead author of the study , Edward Swing , a doctoral candidate in the department of psychology at Iowa State University , in Ames . `` They were at least as strong as television at predicting attention problems . '' However , the study does n't prove that video games directly cause attention problems . It could be that kids who have short attention spans to begin with might be more likely to pick up a joystick than a book , for instance . Health.com : Quiz : Do you have adult ADHD ? The relationship between video games and attention is probably a two-way street , Swing says . `` It would n't surprise me if children who have attention problems are attracted to these media , and that these media increase the attention problems , '' he says . Swing and his colleagues followed more than 1,300 children in the third , fourth , and fifth grades for a little over a year . The researchers asked both the kids and their parents to estimate how many hours per week the kids spent watching TV and playing video games , and they assessed the children 's attention spans by surveying their schoolteachers . Previous studies have examined the effect of TV or video games on attention problems , but not both . By looking at video-game use as well as TV watching , Swing and his colleagues were able to show for the first time that the two activities have a similar relationship to attention problems . Health.com : Attention sappers : 5 reasons you ca n't concentrate . C. Shawn Green , Ph.D , a postdoctoral associate in the department of psychology at the University of Minnesota , in Minneapolis , points out that the study does n't distinguish between the type of attention required to excel at a video game and that required to excel in school . `` A child who is capable of playing a video game for hours on end obviously does not have a global problem with paying attention , '' says Green , who has researched video games but was not involved in the current study . `` The question , then , is why are they able to pay attention to a game but not in school ? What expectancies have the games set up that are n't being delivered in a school setting ? '' Experts have suggested that modern TV shows are so exciting and fast paced that they make reading and schoolwork seem dull by comparison , and the same may be true for video games , the study notes . Health.com : 10 kid-targeted junk foods . It 's unclear from this study whether that 's the case , however , because Swing and his colleagues did n't look at the specific games the kids were playing . `` We were n't able to break -LSB- the games -RSB- down by educational versus non-educational or nonviolent versus violent , '' says Swing , adding that the impact different types of games may have on attention is a ripe area for future research . The study also suggests that young kids are n't the only ones whose attention spans may be affected by video games . Health.com : Too much TV linked to earlier death . In addition to surveying the elementary school kids , the researchers asked 210 college students about their TV and video-game use and how they felt it affected their attention . The students who logged more than two hours of TV and video games a day were about twice as likely to have attention problems , the researchers found . These attention problems later in life may be the result of `` something cumulative that builds up over a lifetime '' or `` something that happens early in life at some critical period and then stays with you , '' Swing says . `` Either way , there are implications that would lead us to want to reduce television and video games in childhood . '' The American Academy of Pediatrics , the leading professional organization for pediatricians and the publisher of Pediatrics , recommends that parents limit all `` screen time '' -LRB- including video and computer games -RRB- to less than two hours per day . Health.com : The 10 habits of healthy families . For his part , Green says that how much time kids spend playing video games should be a matter of common sense and parental judgment . `` A hard boundary , such as two hours , is completely arbitrary , '' he says . `` Children are individuals , and what makes sense for one wo n't necessarily work for another . '' Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright Health Magazine 2010 .
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Video games were at least as strong as TV at predicting attention problems , study said . TV and video games have a similar relationship to attention problems . AAP recommends that parents limit `` screen time '' to less than two hours per day .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For two years in a row , I celebrated Independence Day in the oppressive heat of Iraq along with fellow soldiers . A few nonalcoholic beers and some locally grown watermelon were our replacement for hot dogs and potato salad . This year , as Americans across the nation celebrate July Fourth with barbecues and fireworks , those most responsible for defending our independence , the military , will continue to fight two wars . And it is a shame that we will let yet another July Fourth pass us by without making substantial progress toward ending our unnecessary dependence on oil , a dependence that is funding the bullets that our enemies fire at our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan . It is for that reason , and many more , that the fight for energy independence is being fought here at home , a struggle I hope more Americans will join in support of those who are fighting abroad . Oil poses a clear threat to America 's economic and national security . This spring we have watched as untold millions of gallons of oil flowed into the Gulf . But for years , we have watched as billions of dollars flowed to hostile nations to pay for oil . Every day , we send well over a billion dollars out of this country to pay for oil -- money that could and should be used to grow our economy and create jobs . The simple fact is that our dependence on oil from nations in the Middle East and other regions constrains our choices , hamstringing America 's flexibility and choices on the world stage . Too often , we are forced to consider the impact our foreign policy will have on our oil supply instead of whether a choice is in line with our values . Every day , we make a clear choice between living up to those values -LRB- and strengthening our security -RRB- and prolonging our weakness as a dirty-energy nation . Today , thousands of Americans are calling for a new freedom from oil -- a dangerous , dirty and vulnerable source of energy . This week , 10,000 American flags were planted on the National Mall , each representing Americans who have pledged to free our nation from a long and damaging cycle of dependence . As Americans look to rebuild our economy , we must consider the massive , alarming and unprecedented transfer of wealth to those who do not share our values . America 's ability to underwrite our national security always had , at its heart , the pumping arteries of a vibrant economy . Unless we act soon , we will be held hostage to the rest of the world , not just for oil , but for the clean-energy technology that will power the next century of growth and prosperity . Already dependent on oil , our country needs to act now lest we become dependent on China for solar panels . A more insidious impact of our dependence is clear in America 's foreign and military policy . Today we are forced to both pay and protect the nations that supply our oil , the very nations that fuel extremism around the world and turn a blind eye to terrorist funding within their own borders . That money , winding its way through shady front groups and so-called charities , ends up funding not just insurgents in Iraq , but also in Afghanistan and Pakistan . The tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico demonstrates , in clear and often painful terms , just how unreliable our energy sources have become . We are forced to drill to the deepest depths of the ocean , to despoil the richness of our God-given natural treasures , and to rely on dangerously uncontrollable technologies . It is time for us to stand on our own -- to take control of our energy -- with sources that will not threaten our security , fund our enemies or force us to ignore our values . The long struggle to live up to the challenge of our values has always been difficult , but today we stand at a clear crossroads between moving beyond oil or prolonging our dependence on it . Clean , American power is possible , but only if we commit ourselves to achieving that goal . In the spirit of the holiday and in light of the tragedy in the Gulf , let us dedicate the next two decades to winning a new battle for American independence -- from oil . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jonathan Powers .
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Jonathan Powers says U.S. thirst for oil threatens its economic and national security . He says America sends billions to hostile regimes which helps fuel terrorism , insurgency . Oil constrains American foreign policy choices , he says . Powers : U.S. should dedicate next two decades to developing alternatives to oil .
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New Orleans , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Initial results from test runs of a ship billed as the world 's largest oil skimming vessel could come back Monday after a weekend spent plowing the seas atop the undersea gusher in the Gulf of Mexico . The converted cargo ship A Whale spent the weekend attempting to separate crude oil from seawater in a 25-square-mile area north of the ruptured BP oil well at the heart of the disaster . If the test is successful , the massive vessel could play a key role in efforts to clean up the largest oil spill in U.S. history . Initial results from tests are expected Monday , Bob Grantham , spokesman for the company that owns the ship , said . The ship , which swallows water with oil then separates it , can skim about 21 million gallons of oil a day . That 's at least 250 times the amount that modified fishing vessels currently conducting skimming operations have been able to contain , according to Taiwanese company TMT shipping , which owns the vessel . A total of about 550 skimming vessels were out in the Gulf on Sunday , according to a spokeswoman for the Unified Command Joint Information Center in Houma , Louisiana . But with oil still pouring into the sea at a rate of tens of thousands of barrels a day , federal authorities closed a new section of the Gulf off Louisiana to fishing on Sunday . The latest order from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration adds nearly 1,100 square miles of federal waters off Louisiana 's Vermilion Bay to the off-limits zone . The new closure brings the portion of the Gulf closed to fishing due to the massive BP spill off Louisiana to 33.2 percent , NOAA reported . The Coast Guard reported earlier Sunday that a shift in weather patterns could send more oil toward sensitive shores in Mississippi and Louisiana , and bad weather over the past few days has significantly hampered cleanup efforts . `` The weather is one challenge you ca n't defeat , '' Coast Guard Adm. Paul Zunkunft said . Ribbons of oil stripe the water for miles , but waves Saturday were still too high for boats to skim oil off the water . `` At the Coast Guard , we do take it personally . It is portrayed as mission failure any time oil washes ashore , '' he said . Zunkunft said he will put the skimmers back to work as soon as the sea calms . Researchers have estimated that between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels -LRB- 1.5 million to 2.5 million gallons -RRB- of oil have been gushing into the Gulf daily since April 20 , when the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and sank off the coast of Louisiana . The A Whale arrived in the Gulf on Wednesday and has been awaiting approval to join in cleanup efforts . The skimmer works by `` taking in oily water through a series of vents , or jaws , on the side of the ship and then decanting the intake , '' Grantham said . `` In many ways , the ship collects water like an actual whale and pumps internally like a human heart . '' Zunkunft said he is also calling in reinforcements , including 300 new skimmers in the next two weeks . For the 12-hour period from midnight until noon Saturday , approximately 7,980 barrels -LRB- 335,160 gallons -RRB- of oil were collected and about 4,155 barrels -LRB- 174,510 gallons -RRB- of oil and 28.3 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared , BP said . The company said about 25,290 barrels -LRB- 1,062,180 gallons -RRB- of oil were recovered Friday . CNN 's Allan Chernoff contributed to this report .
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NEW : Fisheries closure extended down Louisiana coast . Initial results from A Whale tests likely Monday . Coast Guard worries winds shift could send more oil ashore . Cleanup plans include 300 new skimmers in the next two weeks .
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Beirut , Lebanon -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah , considered Hezbollah 's first spiritual leader , has died , his office told CNN Sunday . According to Hezbollah 's website , Fadlallah will be buried Tuesday after the noon prayer at Beirut 's al-Imamain al-Hassanein mosque in the capital 's Shiite-dominated southern neighborhood . Two days ago , a source in his office told CNN that Fadlallah had been hospitalized in Lebanon and was in `` critical condition . '' The hospitalization came after widespread rumors that the Shiite leader may not live much longer . Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri called Fadlallah a `` great national and spiritual scholar . '' `` He was at all times and circumstances the voice of moderation , calling for the unity of Lebanese in particular and the Muslims in general , rejecting -- and issuing religious edicts against -- strife , and calling for dialogue as a mean to resolve differences , '' Hariri said . `` He taught us to be a people of dialogue and to reject injustice and resist occupation , '' Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said in a statement Sunday . Fadlallah was born in 1935 in the Shiite holy city of Najaf , Iraq , and completed his Quranic studies there , according to his website . He has lived in Lebanon since the 1960s and became a spiritual leader of Hezbollah after it was founded in 1982 in response to an Israeli invasion . In recent years , however , Fadlallah had become distanced from Hezbollah 's Iran-influenced leadership . `` He stood with great courage and clarity supporting the resistance against the Zionist enemy and was a prominent advocate of Islamic unity fighting division and strife , '' Hezbollah said in a statement . His views on various topics , including the role of women , are laid out on his website and are considered liberal for a Shiite cleric . But he never swayed from his criticism of Israel . In a letter penned to President Barack Obama last year , Fadlallah said : `` The size of support and cover-up provided by your country for the Zionist entity has become known . This entity was established on the land whose people were uprooted by the power of iron and fire . The subsequent American policies have contributed to the loss of the Palestinian cause , despite the ratification of many Security Council resolutions . '' The United States considers Hezbollah , which has close ties to Iran and Syria , a terrorist organization . The Shiite group is a major provider of social services in Lebanon but also operates a militant wing . CNN 's Nada Husseini contributed to this report .
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Ayatollah Fadlallah to be buried Tuesday . Lebanese PM : Fadlallah was `` a great national and spiritual scholar '' Hezbollah : He was a `` prominent advocate of Islamic unity '' He was closely associated with Hezbollah when it formed almost 30 years ago .
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-LRB- CareerBuilder.com -RRB- -- When it comes to employee/boss relationships , John Ewert -- vice president at DRIVEN Public Relations in Temecula , California -- believes he has a fantastic one . `` For starters , I think the most important thing that makes the relationship between me and my boss so great is respect , '' Ewert says . `` We are accountable for our actions , good or bad , and own up to our mistakes while offering credit where credit is due . We take great pride in agreeing to disagree , but not without discussing subjects in an open manner and exploring options to find solutions . I know it sounds cheesy , but respect and trust are the keys to any successful relationship . '' As experts , supervisors and satisfied workers will attest , Ewert 's `` cheesy '' advice is spot on . Here are some tips on how anybody can forge a better relationship with his or her boss . Communication counts . `` In many office environments , employees and management are so involved in daily job requirements that communication may be pushed aside . In the long term , lack of communication can damage an employee/supervisor relationship , '' states Marni Bobich , team manager from Administaff -LRB- a professional employer organization -RRB- . Daily e-mail exchanges are fast and oftentimes sufficient , yet Bobich suggests periodically requesting face-time . `` While you do n't want to become a nuisance , in-person communication can go a long way in displaying your desire to develop and maintain a positive working relationship . Determine the type of information that is best communicated face-to-face and discuss it during your meeting . '' Building trust . Experts agree that one instance where you should always go to your boss is when there is a potential problem . `` If a project is n't going well , do n't hide bad news from her for fear of looking bad , '' says Melinda Stephenson , cofounder of The Leadership Room , a unique development program for rising executives . `` Let her know if a problem is brewing or if you 're struggling with something . If your boss can trust you to give her a ` heads up ' and to bring solutions to problems , you 've built a solid relationship . '' `` And save your boss time ! '' says Anja Schuetz , a people management coach from The Netherlands . `` When going to him with a problem , tell him all the things you have already tried to solve it . Anticipate his questions , and bring documents and proof along so your boss can see things through your eyes and is able to rule things out quickly , rather than thinking the whole thing through from scratch . '' Other ways to develop trust include : . • Keeping confidential any sensitive information about your boss or the company . • Refraining from talking about your boss behind his back . • Pointing out his mistakes tactfully -LRB- and preferably in private -RRB- . Bosses are people too . It pays to remember that bosses like a pleasant atmosphere as much as any employee . While you need n't set out to make him your new best friend , developing a cordial relationship can strengthen ties . `` We always begin each conversation , whether it be by phone or e-mail , with a friendly greeting , such as ` Good Morning ! ' or ` How was your weekend ? ' '' says Kaitlynn Carter , who works for a wedding-planning company in Portsmouth , New Hampshire . `` It goes a long way when you show that you are considering the other person and that you are committed to having a friendly exchange ! '' Other ideas for building a personable , yet office-appropriate , relationship include : . • Giving a genuine compliment . -LRB- I like your new coat . -RRB- . • Talking about a common interest . -LRB- Did you see the baseball game last night ? -RRB- . • Expressing interest in a major life event . -LRB- How did your son 's graduation go ? -RRB- . • Showing gratitude . -LRB- Thanks for letting me leave early to attend my daughter 's recital . -RRB- . • Offering kudos . -LRB- Congratulations on landing that new account . -RRB- . An occasional lunch together also can help . If the two of you travel for business , use the time waiting for the plane or riding in a taxi to get to know one another as individuals . Remember you 're on the same side . Chances are that you and your boss want many of the same things : a paycheck , recognition , a strong company , career fulfillment . Looking at situations as cohorts can help both parties . `` The bottom line : positive effort equals positive results , '' Ewert says . `` Sometimes there are projects that we do n't want to do , sometimes we have issues outside of work that are out of our control , sometimes our clients move up deadlines or change the focus for a project , but instead of harping on an issue and running away , we adapt and overcome . We view our clients and employees as partners , and we have a lot of fun helping businesses and employees be successful . '' & copy CareerBuilder.com 2010 . All rights reserved . The information contained in this article may not be published , broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority .
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Marni Bobich , team manager from Administaff recommends periodically requesting face-time . Experts agree that you should always go to your boss is when there is a potential problem . Refrain from talking about your boss behind his back . Remember that bosses like a pleasant atmosphere as much as any employee .
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New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- You 'd think that Tori Spelling showing up three hours late to her own book release party was the ultimate snub . But do n't judge this tell-all by its cover . Spelling had spent the last four hours signing autographs at a local Borders store , and insisted on talking with every person in line and posing for snapshots . An entrepreneur , Spelling wears many -LRB- presumably stylish -RRB- hats . She and her husband , actor Dean McDermott -- along with the couple 's children Liam , 3 , and Stella , 2 -- star in their own reality TV show , `` Tori & Dean : Home Sweet Hollywood . '' Spelling also has her own jewelry line , designs children 's clothing , and is a working actress , spokeswoman and author . `` The great thing about what I do is I only take on work and businesses that are organic to me and I 'm passionate about . It 's kind of a blend of my life because at some point , my life became my business , and my business is my life ... which is a hard balance to strike , '' Spelling said . In her latest book , `` uncharted terriTORI , '' Spelling tackles eating disorder rumors -LRB- she says she had H1N1 -RRB- , the truth about her marriage , her friendships -LRB- or lack thereof -RRB- with her former `` Beverly Hills , 90210 '' co-stars , motherhood and the thawing of her icy relationship with her own mother . Spelling was eager to set the record straight about all talk of anorexia . `` I address all of my health issues in the book , '' she told CNN . `` And I think it 's really irresponsible to label someone with an eating disorder . I pride myself on being an inspiration to women out there , and I want them to have a healthy body image . I have a daughter of my own , so I think they should really do research and get their facts straight . '' Regarding her marriage , Spelling says , `` Dean and I have n't hid the fact that we 've had a rough year . '' She attributes what she refers to as the couple 's `` four-year crossroads '' to a communications breakdown , differing opinions on parenting and McDermott 's opposition to her own self-proclaimed `` workaholic tendencies . '' In her book , Spelling said she had come to terms with the fact that , like all couples , she and McDermott were in an `` ebb '' phase , and that things were n't always going to `` flow . '' She wrote : `` If someone says they 're in a perfect relationship -- they 're lying . And I was the girl who went into it wanting the perfect relationship . '' Although the internet is rampant with stories about Spelling receiving the silent treatment from the old `` 90210 '' gang , she was asked about the possibility of her character , Donna Martin , returning to the small screen on the new `` 90210 . '' `` You know what , '' Spelling told CNN . `` I totally would , but they have n't called me . For the fans , I would . '' Spelling , famous among her friends for throwing elaborate parties , is currently shooting a new reality show with the Oxygen network . `` We 're currently filming ` Tori & Dean : Weddings , ' '' she says , `` which is really amazing because everyone knows I love planning a party , and I specifically love planning a wedding and I 'm all about love . Dean and I have been working on our relationship this year and kind of getting back to us . And really , what 's better than love and a party ? So there you have the perfect wedding . And we have this great , unbelievable opportunity to plan people 's dream weddings and kind of navigate young couples through the process of getting married -- what their relationship is now and what they can look forward to and guide them through that . '' When asked about the return of `` Tori & Dean : Home Sweet Hollywood , '' which just wrapped up its fourth season , Spelling told CNN , `` No official pickup has been announced , but if the fans bring us back , I think there 's a very good chance . The fans are worried that this is a replacement , but we plan on doing both shows , so the great thing about that is they 'll get two sets of ` Tori & Dean ' two times a year instead of one set one time a year . '' Spelling 's next writing project is a children 's book , due in September . `` I am really excited about that , '' she told CNN . `` I love writing , it 's a passion of mine and I love my kids , and I really wanted to do a children 's book . I 'm working with my same publishers , Simon and Schuster , and when they told me they wanted to do a children 's book , and I was like , ` Yes ! I am so in ! ' So I dedicated this book to Liam and Stella -- it 's called ` Presenting ... Tallulah , ' and it 's about a little girl standing up for who she is and believing in herself . '' Spelling also shared an anecdote about Stella : `` Her new thing is she sings ` Single Ladies ' and she dances to it . No joke , she shakes her hips ! '' Spelling says the little girl did n't learn it from her . `` She watched ` Chipmunks : The Squeakquel ' . They do it in that ! ''
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Tori Spelling and her family star in reality TV show , `` Tori & Dean : Home Sweet Hollywood '' In her book , `` uncharted terriTORI , '' Spelling tackles eating disorder rumors . Spelling 's next writing project is a children 's book .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Could another deep water - or even shallow water - oil drilling disaster be looming ahead ? Experts warn it certainly could happen again . The Deepwater Horizon catastrophe , they say , highlights flaws in the drilling industry 's main defense against oil and gas explosions -- the blowout preventer , which is supposed to shut down an oil and gas well if something goes wrong . Oil companies have treated such devices as virtually fail-safe . `` They 're certainly not fail-safe because they did n't close this well , '' said Paul Bommer , a petroleum engineering professor at the University of Texas at Austin . `` If they had been 100 percent fail-safe they would have sealed , they would have closed. , '' There have been numerous rig blowouts , including a large gusher in the Timor Sea off the coast of Western Australia last year . And a growing number of blowouts in the past decade have caused offshore oil drilling to become sloppier . Seventy-two spills dumped 18,000 barrels of oil into U.S. federal waters from 2000-2009 , while only 15 spills put 2,000 barrels into the water during the prior decade , according to data compiled by the Minerals Management Service -LRB- MMS -RRB- of the Interior Department , which regulates energy exploration -LRB- The database excludes spills of less than 50 barrels -RRB- . Avoiding such spills depends upon the reliability of the blowout preventer , which is essentially a faucet on top of the oil well that keeps oil and gas from gushing to the surface . Rig workers use the preventer to keep a well under control , especially when oil and gas surge , or `` kick up , '' from a well . When its valves do n't do the job , the blowout preventer can choke off the drilling pipe -- like squeezing a straw while drinking . And , If that fails to work , a blowout preventer has yet another line of defense -- huge shear rams , like giant scissors that are supposed to be able to cut and seal the drilling pipe . But , a mile underwater , where the pressure is intense , drill pipes need to be thick , especially the joints between them . And those joints are very hard to cut . `` There are some parts of the pipe that the shears were never meant to cut , '' said Ford Brett , an expert in petroleum project management who is advising the Interior Department 's oil drilling safety review . `` No one 's equipment will shear the drill collar body . That 's a lot of metal . It 's not going to be possible to shear certain things , '' added Benton Baugh , another advisor to Interior 's review of the Deepwater incident and president of Radoil , which designs and manufactures oilfield and subsea drilling equipment . A 2002 study for the Minerals Management Service warned of such trouble in shearing drilling pipe deep underwater . Initial research painted `` a grim picture of the probability of success when utilizing this final tool in securing a well , '' wrote consultant West Engineering Services . West Engineering would not comment to CNN on its studies for the government . `` The blowout preventers had a probability of failing to crush that pipe that approaches 50 percent , '' said Robert Bea , engineering professor and expert in ocean engineering at the University of California at Berkeley , who is familiar with the study . `` It would be like getting on an airplane having a 50 percent chance of making it to your destination . '' Based on 55 years of engineering experience , including a stint as chief offshore engineer for Shell , Bea warned government investigators that blowout preventers are not reliable in the deep sea , and he worries they could fail in the Arctic , where the industry is pursuing energy resources . `` You can keep on pushing equipment to the point of where it breaks , and I think we broke it , '' he said . `` All of the drilling operations underway of this nature in the world today depend on these devices as the final line of defense . '' In the harshest of environments , a mile underwater or in the Arctic tundra , blowout preventers operate under great stress , increasing their potential vulnerability to wear and tear . `` It is a mechanical piece of equipment . It is utilized in harsh environments . Yes , it can wear out , '' said Steve Sears , chairman of the Department of Petroleum Engineering at Louisiana State University . In fact , BP told congressional investigators there were several leaks in the hydraulic system that was supposed to power the shear rams of the Deepwater Horizon 's blowout preventer . `` It was a coupling that had not been tightened down adequately . It was several turns loose , '' said a person with knowledge of the investigation . BP officials also discovered a dead battery . The final safety switch for a blowout preventer that has lost communication with its oil rig is the `` deadman '' system that 's supposed to trigger the blowout preventer to shut the well . It did not activate during BP 's April 20 rig explosion . Another study West Engineering Services prepared for the Minerals Management System in 2003 found flaws with the deadman system . `` The most serious drawback to this system ... is the mind set of the rig personnel . Many operator and contractor personnel refuse to arm the system from fear that it will either not operate when needed or activate inappropriately , causing downtime , '' the report said . Such downtime can be extremely costly . If the blowout preventer cuts through drilling pipe it can easily cost $ 10 million to replace that section of pipe and put the rig back into production , said Baugh . Given the multiple problems with blowout preventers , energy experts concede the oil industry must quickly raise its safety bar . `` We must improve the safety systems of blowout preventers . Obviously it 's time to take it to the next level , '' said Baugh . `` There are more strenuous conditions occurring and we must have more strenuous solutions for them . '' The Interior Department , facing the reality of energy drilling dangers , is working to toughen rules for offshore oil exploration . `` We must ensure that offshore drilling is conducted safely and in compliance with the law , '' said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar . Drilling operations not subject to the administration 's six-month deepwater drilling moratorium have until the end of the month to : . -- Provide independent third party verification of the safety and effectiveness of blowout preventers , . -- Install a secondary control system for subsea blowout preventers -LRB- current regulations do not require such a backup -RRB- , and . -- Adhere to new inspection and reporting requirements for blowout preventers . By September the Interior Department intends to require blowout preventers to have two sets of shear rams spaced at least four feet apart in case a drill pipe joint is in front of a shear during an emergency . The Interior Department says such steps will `` increase the safety in offshore oil and gas development , '' but concedes they `` represent only the beginning of the department 's work . ''
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Rig blowouts have been on the increase in recent decades . Blowout preventers have multiple safety functions : All failed on Deepwater Horizon . Expert : Equipment not designed to work in extreme conditions . Study found many personnel would not arm final failsafe to avoid possible downtime .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The July 2011 deadline to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan is unrealistic and unhelpful , Afghan Ambassador Said Tayeb Jawad told CNN 's `` State of the Union '' Sunday . `` First , if you over-emphasize a deadline that is not realistic , you are making the enemy a lot more bold , '' Jawad said . `` You are prolonging the war . That deadline should be realistic . The line should be based on the reality on the ground and we should give a clear message to the enemy , to the terrorists who are a threat to everyone , that the United States , NATO , Afghans are there to finish this job . '' He continued , `` If that 's not the feeling , we lost the support of the Afghan people , and also make the neighboring countries of interest a lot more bolder to interfere in Afghanistan . '' President Barack Obama and Gen. David Petraeus , who has replaced Gen. Stanley McChrystal as the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan , have said they would begin withdrawal in July 2011 depending on conditions on the ground . Appearing on ABC 's `` This Week , '' Sen. John McCain , R-Arizona , questioned the wisdom of a firm deadline to start withdrawing forces . `` I 'm all for dates for withdrawal , but that 's after the strategy succeeds , not before , '' said McCain , the Republican presidential candidate in 2008 who was in Afghanistan for the Fourth of July weekend . For now , McCain described the strategy as one that has n't gone as well as hoped . `` The president should state unequivocally that we will leave when we have succeeded , '' he said . `` If you tell the enemy that you 're leaving on a date certain , unequivocally , then that enemy will wait until you leave . '' McCain 's GOP colleague , Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina , echoed those thoughts in a separate interview from Afghanistan broadcast on the CBS program `` Face the Nation . '' `` If you send a signal to your enemy you 're going to leave at a certain date , they 'll wait you out , '' Graham said . However , he expressed optimism that the counterinsurgency strategy now being led by Petraeus can show progress in turning over security to Afghan forces in some areas by July 2011 . `` I do believe next summer we can have transition in certain parts of Afghanistan , '' Graham said . `` Other parts will still need fighting and a firm commitment . '' Overall , Graham said , he found morale on the ground `` pretty good '' as Petraeus assumed command of the mission . His trip coincides with the visit to Afghanistan by Vice President Joe Biden , and Graham said Biden had assured him that any withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country would be `` conditions-based '' instead of launched purely for the sake of getting out without consideration for the status of the mission . Graham joined McCain in urging Obama to clarify the conditions-based approach so that the nation 's allies and enemies understand the U.S. commitment to the war . Last week , some Democrats in Congress supported an amendment to a military spending bill that would have required Obama to give Congress a new intelligence report on Afghanistan by January and a plan for withdrawing troops by April . If Obama fails to carry out his pledge to start bringing troops home by July 2011 , Congress would need to approve additional funding for the war , the amendment said . The measure failed in a late-night vote after the White House threatened to veto the bill if it contained the amendment , but the language showed some restlessness among Democrats about the war strategy .
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NEW : Sen. Lindsey Graham : withdrawl should only begin when conditions warrant it . Afghan and U.S. critics say troops should stay until success is assured . Obama has said withdrawal would start in July 2011 . Withdrawal also depends on situation on ground , Obama says .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Barack Obama on Friday announced new government investments in 66 projects to expand broadband connections in rural and poor areas across the country . The $ 795 million in grants and loans funded by the 2009 economic stimulus act will create 5,000 construction and installation jobs , and generate $ 200 million in associated private investment , according to information provided by the White House . `` We 're moving forward '' in the creation of a twenty-first century economy , Obama said . `` Studies have shown '' that such an investment can eventually `` lead to hundreds of thousands of new jobs . '' It will also accelerate the country 's switch to a `` smarter , stronger , more secure electrical grid . '' Over 685,000 businesses , 900 health care facilities and 2,400 schools in all 50 states will benefit from the investment , according to a White House document . The money will bring broadband services to communities that `` currently have little or no access , to help them better compete and do business in the global marketplace , '' the document said . `` With new or increased broadband access , communities can compete on a level playing field to attract new businesses , schools can create distance learning opportunities , medical professionals can provide cost-efficient remote diagnoses and care , and business owners can expand the market for their products beyond their neighborhoods to better compete in the global economy , '' the document noted . In addition , the federal money also will fund public computing centers in libraries , community colleges and other public venues , according to the document .
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NEW : Obama announces investments in 66 broadband projects . $ 795 million in grants and loans funded by 2009 economic stimulus act . Money will bring broadband services to rural , poor communities . Federal money will also fund public computing centers .
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BALTIMORE , Maryland -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hollywood glitz may pay Dana Delany 's bills , but her `` most life-affirming role '' was a lot less glamorous . Luke Evnin heads the Scleroderma Research Foundation , and actress Dana Delany is a board member . In 1996 , the Emmy Award winner and `` Desperate Housewives '' actress played a patient dying of scleroderma in the ABC TV movie , `` For Hope . '' The film was based on the true story of actor/comedian Bob Saget 's sister , Gay , who died of the chronic , degenerative disease . `` When you 're playing someone who 's dying , all you want is life , '' Delany recalled . `` It really educated a lot of people about the disease , including me . '' The role led Delany to join the movement to find a cure for the illness . Today , with scleroderma patient Luke Evnin helping to lead the efforts , Delany said that people are increasingly aware of the disease and working toward a cure . Symptoms for scleroderma , Greek for `` hard skin , '' can include skin thickening or tightness . It has no known cause and in most serious cases , it can be life-threatening . Scleroderma can cause abnormal growth of connective tissue and potentially harm blood vessels and internal organs . More than 300,000 people suffer from scleroderma-related diseases , according to the National Institutes of Health . The disease disproportionately affects women of child-bearing age , but anyone can contract it , including children . `` So many people are disfigured , '' Delany said . `` They do n't want to go out in public and they do n't want to talk about it . '' In 1999 , Delany joined the board of the Scleroderma Research Foundation , a nonprofit corporation in San Francisco , California . When its founder , Delany 's friend Sharon Monsky , died from the disease in 2002 , Delany was introduced to Evnin , the new foundation chairman . The two became instant friends . Evnin -- a successful venture capitalist with a doctorate in microbiology -- was a `` perfect storm '' for the foundation and for scleroderma research , Delany said . `` It was almost a miracle , really , '' she said . `` Here was this handsome family man who did n't look sick at all , but his experience made him the perfect person to be running the board , on many levels . He understands the science . He understands the money that needs to be involved -LSB- and -RSB- how to invest it . He understands how to talk to the researchers . '' Diagnosed with scleroderma in 1998 , Evnin , 45 , considers himself lucky . `` I have a lot of hidden symptoms , but -LSB- they -RSB- are stable and I wo n't die from scleroderma . I 'm on the fortunate end of the spectrum , '' said Evnin . `` Scleroderma is being misdiagnosed all across the country and a misdiagnosis can be fatal . '' Evnin works full-time as general partner for a multi-billion dollar biotechnical and life sciences venture capital firm , while dedicating his `` spare time '' and resources to his volunteer job as the foundation 's chairman . He oversees 10 scleroderma research programs ; works with pharmaceutical companies , researchers and physicians on new medications and treatments ; and reviews proposals to determine which institutions and researchers will benefit from the foundation 's average annual dispersal of more than $ 1 million in research grants . `` The patients out there are counting on me . I want to deliver for them , '' Evnin said . Watch Delany talk about some effects of scleroderma and Evnin 's strides toward a cure '' Since Evnin joined the Scleroderma Research Foundation , more than $ 10 million has been raised for research and many world-renowned scientists and research programs are joining the search for a cure . `` We 've made inroads and there are new therapies and treatments for patients that can change their lives , '' said Evnin . Delany said Evnin gives much of his own money toward research , and she calls his efforts and accomplishments on behalf of the thousands of scleroderma patients `` nothing less than heroic . '' `` If anybody 's going to solve this problem , it 's going to be Luke . ''
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Dana Delany 's role in TV movie `` For Hope '' taught her the effects of scleroderma . The chronic , degenerative disease can cause skin thickening or tightness . Delany 's hero , Luke Evnin , is working to raise awareness , find a cure . `` If anybody 's going to solve this problem , it 's going to be Luke , '' she said .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As part of a campaign to fight AIDS , Swiss health officials are offering a new twist on safe sex : condoms delivered to your door . Switzerland 's Federal Office of Public Health began a new program Thursday giving people in Geneva , Bern and Zurich the chance to order condoms by phone . Young people should always carry condoms with them , the office said in a news release Friday , but now bike couriers will arrive -- in an hour or less -- to `` come to the aid of those who have forgotten . '' For 8 Swiss francs -LRB- about $ 7.50 U.S. -RRB- , messengers will deliver three condoms . The project , which lasts throughout July , is part of the country 's `` LOVE LIFE STOP AIDS '' campaign . `` The couriers are simply the perfect people to remind people in a pleasant way of our message that one should always have condoms available , '' campaign manager Norina Schwendener said . The Swiss AIDS Foundation is a co-sponsor of the campaign , which stresses that people should always use condoms during sexual intercourse , she said .
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Swiss program offers condom delivery in three cities . After phone order , bike couriers will deliver condoms within an hour . Program is part of country 's AIDS prevention campaign .
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[[119, 151], [152, 273], [405, 438], [442, 460]]
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Bucharest , Romania -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Romanian military plane crash near the Tuzla Romania Airport by the Black Sea has killed 11 people , including air force Col. Nicolae Jianu , and injured three more , the Ministry of Defense said Monday . Shortly after takeoff around 5:40 p.m. local time , the Antonov 2 plane with five air force crew members and nine navy paratroopers on board suddenly lost altitude and hit the ground , bursting into flames . The plane belonged to the Romanian air force application school Aurel Vlaicu in Boboc . Jianu was the commanding officer there and a flight instructor , the Defense Ministry said . The AN 2 took off from the Tuzla airfield for a regular training flight , the ministry said . The survivors , an airman and two sailors , have been recovered and taken to a hospital , a ministry spokesman said . The minister of national defense has appointed a commission to investigate the crash , and he and the chief of general staff have expressed their deepest sorrow for the loss of the troops and conveyed their condolences to the grieving families , according to a ministry statement . Jianu was married , with two children . Journalist Cosmin Stan contributed to this report from Romania .
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NEW : Air force Col. Nicolae Jianu among the dead . At least 11 people have been killed in a plane crash in southeastern Romania . The plane was being used for parachute training for the Romanian military . Romanian defense minister appoints commission to investigate crash .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- David Villa joined Lionel Messi at the top of the Spanish goalscoring charts , hitting his 13th and 14th goals of the season as Valencia moved three points behind second-placed Real Madrid after a 4-1 derby win over 10-man Villarreal . Argentine Ever Banega opened the scoring in the sixth minute and Villa converted a 28th-minute penalty which he had won . Villarreal 's center-back Francisco Kiko was sent off for conceding the spot-kick , giving Valencia a man extra for over an hour . David Silva , finding his best form after recovering from injury , made it 3-0 in the 56th minute before Villarreal 's Brazilian Nilmar pulled one back five minutes later . However , Spanish international Villa grabbed his second in stoppage time to join Barcelona 's Messi on 14 goals . It was a welcome tonic for Valencia following their Spanish Kings Cup defeat to Deportivo La Coruna on Wednesday and they are now just three adrift of Real who lost 1-0 at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday . In other matches , Atletico Madrid made it a perfect three league wins in 2010 with a 3-2 home win victory over Sporting Gijon at the Vicente Calderon as they continued their push towards the European places . Atletico had scored nine goals in their last two matches and the goals continued to flow with Diego Forlan , Paulo Assuncao and teenager Ibrahima Balde on target as a resurgent Atletico moved seven points off sixth-placed Sevilla . Earlier on Sunday , Real Mallorca moved up to fourth place , recording a ninth successive home win with a 2-0 victory over rivals Deportivo La Coruna . Julio Alvarez gave an early warning , hitting the post for Mallorca on 12 minutes and the goal duly arrived a minute after the interval through Mario Suarez , with Chori Castro adding a second eight minutes later . It capped a fine week for Mallorca who reached the quarterfinals of the Spanish Cup in midweek with a win over Rayo Vallecano and now sit in the Champions League places after leapfrogging Deportivo , now two points behind in fifth , as they maintained their flawless home record .
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David Villa goes joint top of the Spanish scoring charts with two goals against Villarreal . The double helps Valencia defeat their 10-man opponents 4-1 to close gap on second-placed Real Madrid . Real Mallorca moved up to fourth , recording a ninth successive home win with a 2-0 victory over Deportivo La Coruna .
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MADRID , Spain -- Raul Tamudo is back in Spain 's squad to travel to Denmark for a Euro 2008 Group F qualifier on Saturday . Raul Tamudo has not featured for Spain since 2005 . The Espanyol captain has been recalled by coach Luis Aragones to replace injured striker David Villa . He is preferred to Real Madrid captain Raul , who has been out of the national side for a year , but has played a key role in Real Madrid 's excellent start to their league campaign . The 29-year-old Tamudo has earned nine caps for the national side , but his last appearance came against Serbia and Montenegro in a World Cup qualifier more than two years ago . Villa injured his left ankle during Valencia 's 2-1 home loss against Espanyol at the weekend , and will be out of action for three weeks . Spain lead the group , three points ahead of Northern Ireland and Sweden . Denmark are fourth , five points back but with two games in hand on the Spaniards . Spain will also play a friendly against Finland on October 17 . Spain squad : . Goalkeepers : Iker Casillas -LRB- Real Madrid -RRB- , Jose Manuel Reina -LRB- Liverpool -RRB- . Defenders : Sergio Ramos -LRB- Real Madrid -RRB- , Raul Albiol , Carlos Marchena -LRB- Valencia -RRB- , Pablo , Mariano Pernia -LRB- Atletico Madrid -RRB- , Joan Capdevila -LRB- Villarreal -RRB- , Carles Puyol -LRB- Barcelona -RRB- . Midfielders : Francesc Fabregas -LRB- Arsenal -RRB- , Xavi Hernandez , Andres Iniesta -LRB- Barcelona -RRB- , David Silva , David Albelda , Joaquin Sanchez -LRB- Valencia -RRB- , Albert Riera -LRB- Espanyol -RRB- . Strikers : Raul Tamudo -LRB- Espanyol -RRB- , Miguel Angel Angulo -LRB- Valencia -RRB- , Fernando Torres -LRB- Liverpool -RRB- , Luis Garcia -LRB- Espanyol -RRB- . E-mail to a friend .
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Raul Tamudo is recalled to Spain 's squad to play Denmark on Saturday . He replaces injured David Villa for the Group F Euro 2008 qualifier . Spain lead the group by three points .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tracy Orr sat in the back of the room and prepared to watch her foreclosed home go up for auction this past Saturday . That 's when a pesky stranger sat down beside her and struck up a conversation . Tracy Orr faced losing her home to foreclosure when Marilyn Mock , a stranger , stepped in to buy it . `` Are you here to buy a house ? '' Marilyn Mock said . Orr could n't hold it in . The tears flowed . She pointed to the auction brochure at a home that did n't have a picture . `` That 's my house , '' she said . Within moments , the four-bedroom , two-bath home in Pottsboro , Texas , went up for sale . People up front began casting their bids . The home that Orr purchased in September 2004 was slipping away . She stood and moved toward the crowd . Behind her , Mock got into the action . `` She did n't know I was doing it , '' Mock says . `` I just kept asking her if -LSB- her home -RSB- was worth it , and she just kept crying . She probably thought I was crazy , ` Why does this woman keep asking me that ? ' '' Mock says she bought the home for about $ 30,000 . That 's when Mock did what most bidders at a foreclosure auction never do . Watch why a woman would buy back a stranger 's home '' `` She said , ' I did this for you . I 'm doing this for you , ' '' Orr says . `` When it was all done , I was just in shock . '' `` I thought maybe her and her husband do these types of things to buy them and turn them . She said , ` No , you just look like you needed a friend . ' '' `` All this happened within like 5 minutes . She never even asked me my name . She did n't ask me my financial situation . She had no idea what -LSB- the house -RSB- looked like . She just did it out of the graciousness of her heart , just a ` Good Samaritan , ' '' Orr says . `` It 's amazing . '' Orr says she had taken out a mortgage of $ 80,000 in 2004 when she first bought the home . At the time , she says she worked for the U.S. Postal Service . But she lost her job a month after taking out the loan when she says the Post Office fired her over a DWI while off-duty . She says a wrongful termination lawsuit is pending . Without a job , she fell behind on her home payments . She sold some property in 2006 for $ 12,000 and paid it to the mortgage company , thinking she had done enough to save herself from foreclosure -- but to no avail , she says . `` It 's just been a bad deal , '' says Orr , who now works at All Saints Camp and Conference Center , a Christian group with ties to the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas , Texas . With the foreclosure auction approaching , she planned to make the nearly 80-mile drive to Dallas this past Saturday with an investor friend . But she says he ditched her at the last-minute . She went to the auction with her family , and suddenly found herself in the back with Mock . `` I always talk to everyone around me , '' Mock says . `` I mean you can always find out all kinds of interesting things when you talk to people around you . So I just asked her , ` Are you here to buy a house ? ' '' Mock , who is known as the `` Rock Lady '' for her small business selling flagstone and other rocks in Rockwall , Texas , says she went to the auction with her 27-year-old son to help him buy his first home . He bought his home , and soon afterward Mock came across Orr . Mock says she 's using one of her business dump trucks as collateral for the $ 30,000 sale price . `` I ca n't afford to just give -LSB- the house -RSB- to her , '' she says . As for Orr 's payments , Mock says , `` We 'll just figure out however much she can pay on it . That way , she can have her house back . '' Why be so generous ? `` She was just so sad . You put yourself in their situation and you realize you just got to do something , '' says Mock , who says she has trouble walking by homeless people on the street and not helping them out . `` If it was you , you 'd want somebody to stop and help you . '' When she told her husband of 30 years that she 'd just bought a home for a stranger , she says his reaction was : `` Whatever . '' `` He 's used to it , '' she says with a booming laugh . Mock says she 's excited for another reason too . Orr 's house is located near a Texas fishing hot-spot . `` She says I can come up there and fish , and I love to fish ! '' Orr , who nearly lost her home , says her newfound friend has `` given me back faith and hope to keep going and hold my head up . '' `` Things happen for a reason , '' Orr says .
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Stranger buys foreclosed home for woman on hard times . `` If it was you , you 'd want somebody to stop and help you , '' says Marilyn Mock . Mock bought home for $ 30,000 ; says she 'll work out payment deal with Tracy Orr . Orr says Mock 's generosity has `` given me back faith and hope to keep going ''
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A jury Friday acquitted W.R. Grace & Company and three of its former executives of having knowingly exposed mine workers and residents of Libby , Montana , to asbestos . The W.R. Grace plant in Libby , Montana , in an undated photograph . `` We at Grace are gratified by today 's verdict and thank the men and women of the jury who were open to hearing the facts , '' said Fred Festa , chairman , president and CEO of the company in a written statement . `` We always believed that Grace and its former executives had acted properly and that a jury would come to the same conclusion when confronted with the evidence . '' Festa said that during the time Grace owned and operated a vermiculite mine in Libby , `` the company worked hard to keep the operations in compliance with the laws and standards of the day . '' The jury began deliberating Thursday and returned its verdict Friday morning . The Department of Justice 's response to the verdict , which came after a three-month trial , was measured . `` The jury has spoken , and we thank them for their service , '' said a written statement issued by the office of public affairs . `` We are refraining from further comment at this juncture because one individual awaits trial in connection with this case . '' Prosecutors plan to try another executive separately . Asked if the Justice Department plans to appeal , department spokesman Andrew Ames said , `` I would n't want to comment on that . '' Federal prosecutors had accused the mining company and its executives of exposing Libby 's 100,000 residents to asbestos for decades , resulting in more than 200 deaths and 1,000 illnesses . The product covered patches of grass , dusted the tops of cars and drifted through the air in a hazy smoke that became a part of residents ' daily lives . `` There 's never been a case where so many people were sickened or killed by environmental crime , '' said David Uhlmann in an April interview . He helped spearhead the case when he was the Justice Department 's top prosecutor of environmental crimes before stepping down in 2007 . During the trial , those who lost loved ones testified at the federal courthouse in Missoula , about 130 miles southeast of Libby , that residents had been kept in the dark about the dangers . Until 1990 , W.R. Grace & Company operated a mine in Libby that produced vermiculite , a substance used in all sorts of products , from insulation to fertilizers . The vermiculite was contaminated with tremolite asbestos -- linked to numerous illnesses including mesothelioma , a cancer that can attack the lining of the lungs , abdomen or heart . The government 's indictment alleged that W.R. Grace conspired to `` knowingly release '' the asbestos . It said the company tried to hide the dangers from employees and residents , leaving them `` in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury . '' `` It was a purpose of the conspiracy to conceal and misrepresent the hazardous nature of the tremolite asbestos contaminated vermiculite , thereby enriching defendants and others , '' the indictment read . The indictment also said W.R. Grace tried to `` defraud the United States and others by impairing , impeding , and frustrating '' the Environmental Protection Agency and other government agencies once they launched an investigation in 1999 . The 10-count indictment included charges of wire fraud and obstruction of justice . Had it been convicted , the company could have faced criminal fines of up to $ 280 million , which is twice the value of its profits from the mine . Grace executives , who were named as defendants , could have faced prison time . The company did not deny that asbestos emanated from its plant . Nor did it question that some people had been sickened and killed , though a definitive number of deaths linked to the vermiculite plant probably will never be known . But W.R. Grace denied any kind of conspiracy . In fact , the company said , it acted responsibly and took appropriate steps . It said it had voluntarily paid millions of dollars in medical bills for 900 Libby residents . In the courtroom , defense attorneys noted that the asbestos problem dates back to about 1920 , long before W.R. Grace took over the mine in 1963 . The attorneys said that , as information about the asbestos came to light , the company took numerous steps to mitigate the dangers and were open about it . Defense attorney David Bernick said he was not surprised by the verdict . `` The evidence showed that what was going on internally with the company was anything but conspiratorial , '' he told said . `` It was responsible . '' However , some townspeople did not share Bernick 's view . `` I do n't see how they could have gotten out of it , '' said Steven Schnetter , who worked at the mine for 17 years until it closed in 1990 . Shortly afterward , Schnetter was diagnosed with asbestosis , a lung disease caused by exposure to asbestos fibers . The 60-year-old retiree said he told his managers in the late 1980s that he was concerned to find that tremolite is a form of asbestos . `` They said , ` Oh , yeah , but it 's the short-fiber type that wo n't hurt you , ' '' he said . Schnetter settled with the company for a `` small amount , '' he told CNN Friday in a telephone interview . When asked about his frequent coughing , he said , `` I do that all the time . ... My lungs wo n't expand right . ''
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Jury acquits W.R. Grace , three former execs in asbestos exposure case . Chemical company accused of hiding asbestos dangers from employees , residents . Prosecutors claim pollution left 200 dead , more than 1,000 sick . W.R. Grace claims it took steps to mitigate danger , paid residents ' medical bills .
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-LRB- Coastal Living -RRB- -- The spirit of a mourning mother haunts Heceta Head , a 115-year-old lightstation on the windswept Oregon Coast . Some say the ghost , called The Gray Lady , searches for her infant daughter , who tumbled from the 200-foot cliffs to her death . Heceta Head sits on an isolated stretch of the windswept Oregon Coast . A visitor can get creeped out just by the setting -- an isolated stretch of shore where sudden fog can blot out the sun . Mariners braving the pounding surf depend on the lighthouse to avoid smashing into the rocks below . The beacon , the strongest on the Oregon Coast , is visible 21 miles away at sea . The Gray Lady , usually seen wearing a floor-length gray skirt , lurks in the attic of the lightkeeper 's home , which is on the National Register of Historic Places and now operates as a bed-and-breakfast . One worker saw the silver-haired ghost floating over the floorboards as he repaired a broken attic window . He fled , but the next day the shattered glass in the sealed room had been swept into a neat pile . Others report a mischievous side to the spirit . Lights flick on unexpectedly , doors suddenly lock , and objects placed in one room later appear in another . Coastal Living : Top 10 haunted lighthouses . Photographer Steve Terrill of Portland recalls standing outside at dusk and seeing a translucent figure looking down on him from the attic . `` It moved and then it disappeared , '' he says . `` We knew absolutely nobody was in there . I thought , ` Man this is weird . This must be my imagination . ' '' Steve and a friend were the only ones staying in the building . The next morning his friend called out in alarm . During the night , the inn 's guestbook mysteriously appeared in his room . It was open to a page describing a previous lodger 's encounter with the spirit . `` I do n't know where that book came from , '' Steve says . `` I 'm getting goosebumps now just thinking about it . '' You , too , can see if the spirit moves you during a lighthouse tour . Or reserve a night at the B&B -LRB- rates from $ 133 ; 866/547 -3696 or hecetalighthouse.com -RRB- .
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Heceta Head is said to be haunted by the spirit of a mourning mother . The 115-year-old lightstation on the windswept Oregon Coast is open to visitors . A B&B in the keeper 's house has rooms starting at $ 133 .
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[[274, 345], [2041, 2093]]
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Noted author and social activist Howard Zinn died of a heart attack Wednesday while traveling , his daughter , Myla Kabat-Zinn , said . Zinn , author of `` A People 's History of the United States , '' was 87 . Kabat-Zinn said her father , who lived in Auburndale , Massachusetts , '' died while traveling in Santa Monica , California . `` A People 's History of the United States , '' first published in 1980 , tells a history not often in seen in other books -- from the perspective of those not in a seat of power . The book was the inspiration for a 2009 documentary , narrated by Zinn , called `` The People Speak . '' The film highlighted people who spoke up for social change , according to the Web site of the History Channel , which aired the program . Zinn was a shipyard worker and Air Force bombardier before he went to college under the GI Bill and received a Ph.D. from Columbia University , according to his Web site . He taught at numerous universities , including Spelman College in Atlanta , Georgia , and Boston University in Boston , Massachusetts . Kabat-Zinn said of her father that he lived a `` very full and exciting life '' and that there were many social issues that were very important to him . Above all , she said , her father believed that there is no `` just war . '' Zinn 's death on the day of President Obama 's first State of the Union address was underscored by his contribution to a recently released special from The Nation magazine called `` Obama at One . '' `` I 've been searching hard for a highlight , '' he wrote . `` The only thing that comes close is some of Obama 's rhetoric ; I do n't see any kind of a highlight in his actions and policies . '' Zinn said he was not `` terribly disappointed because I did n't expect that much , '' noting that he has been `` a traditional Democratic president '' on foreign policy -- `` hardly any different from a Republican '' -- and has been cautious in domestic policy . `` On health care , for example , he starts out with a compromise , and when you start out with a compromise , you end with a compromise of a compromise , which is where we are now , '' Zinn said . Zinn also cautioned `` that Obama is going to be a mediocre president -- which means , in our time , a dangerous president -- unless there is some national movement to push him in a better direction . ''
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Noted author and social activist Howard Zinn died while traveling in California , daughter says . `` People 's History of the United States '' tells American history from view of those not in power . Book inspired documentary , `` The People Speak , '' which was narrated by Zinn . In article for The Nation , Zinn also cautioned `` Obama is going to be a mediocre president ''
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A U.S. federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted Joran van der Sloot on charges of wire fraud and extortion in connection with a plot to sell information about the whereabouts of Natalee Holloway 's remains in exchange for $ 250,000 , officials said . An arrest warrant on these same charges had been issued for van der Sloot earlier this month . The charges are unrelated to the killing of a student in Peru in which van der Sloot is the suspect . He is in Peruvian jail . Wednesday 's indictment alleges that van der Sloot exploited `` Beth Holloway 's fear that she would never find her daughter 's body or know what happened to her unless she paid him $ 250,000 , '' the Alabama U.S. Attorney 's office said . The Dutchman is accused of making false promises that he would reveal the location of Natalee Holloway 's body if the money was transferred to him . According to the indictment , Beth Holloway wired $ 15,000 to a bank account van der Sloot held in the Netherlands , and through an attorney gave him an additional $ 10,000 in person . Once he had the initial $ 25,000 , van der Sloot showed the attorney , John Kelly , where Natalee Holloway 's remains allegedly were hidden . It turned out to be false information , the indictment states . The indictment seeks for van der Sloot to forfeit $ 25,100 , which includes $ 100 Beth Holloway initially transferred to van der Sloot to confirm his account . `` I want to applaud the FBI 's work on this case , '' U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance said . `` Because of the agents ' dedicated efforts , we are able to bring charges against someone who sought profit in a mother 's grief . '' In Peru , van der Sloot 's attorney on Wednesday filed an appeal to a ruling that upheld the admissibility of his confession and the legality of his detention in the death of Stephany Flores , 21 . One month after his daughter 's killing , Peruvian businessman Ricardo Flores met with a judge Wednesday to give a formal statement about the facts surrounding the case , family members told CNN . Ricardo Flores helped search for Stephany Flores when she did n't come home on May 30 after a night out at a casino . Her body was later found in a hotel room in Lima , Peru , registered to Joran van der Sloot . He 's been charged with first-degree murder and robbery in the case . Ricardo Flores ' meeting with the judge was his first . Van der Sloot refused an opportunity earlier this month to give the judge a statement . Flores met with Judge Carlos Morales Cordova in Lima . As the presiding judge , Morales has the duty to be the chief fact-finder , legal experts told CNN . Morales is getting statements from other potential witnesses , as well . Van der Sloot , 22 , is trying to slow down the legal process by appealing his incarceration and trying to nullify a confession he gave . One judge already denied his claim , but van der Sloot 's attorney said his client will fight all the way to the Peruvian Supreme Court and international courts , if necessary . Wednesday 's appeal was the first step . The Flores family will hold a memorial service Wednesday night in Lima to mark the one month anniversary of Stephany Flores ' killing . Stephany Flores was an intelligent woman with tremendous ambition for success in business , friends of hers told CNN . She once wrote a list of 23 businesses that she wanted to do well in , and then checked them off one by one as she decided whether she was really interested in pursuing them . She came from a privileged family , but was a humble person who was extremely giving , her friends said . At the time of her death , Stephany Flores had told her friends that she was the happiest that she had ever been in her life , they said . Van der Sloot , a Dutch citizen , was twice arrested in connection with the disappearance of Alabama teen Natalee Holloway in Aruba in 2005 , but he has not been charged in that case . Police said van der Sloot admitted that he attacked Flores on May 30 after she read an e-mail in his computer connected with the Holloway case . After killing Flores , police say , van der Sloot took money and bank cards from her wallet and fled to Chile , where he was arrested on June 3 . He was returned the next day to Peru . Van der Sloot is being held at the Miguel Castro Castro Prison , in a high-security area where only two of the 10 cells are occupied and he has no contact with the general prison population . In Session 's Jean Casarez contributed to this report .
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Van der Sloot indicted on charges of wire fraud , extortion . Ricardo Flores , slaying victim 's father , meets with judge . Joran van der Sloot files appeal to ruling upholding legality of his confession , detention . Judge is collecting statements from several potential witnesses .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Texas Rangers President Nolan Ryan is calling a Tuesday night incident in which a baseball fan fell about 30 feet from the second deck of Rangers Ballpark trying to catch a foul ball an unfortunate accident . `` It 's pretty hard to guard against something of that nature , '' Ryan said at a Wednesday news conference . Some guard railings in the stadium had been raised after a 1994 incident in which a woman suffered multiple injuries after falling 35 feet from the upper deck while posing for a picture , according to a report published in the Star-Telegram on April 15 , 1994 . Ryan said safety policies in the stadium were reviewed after Tuesday 's incident and that the second-deck railings measure more than 30 inches high , above the standardized code of 26 inches . Ryan said the man who fell Tuesday night , Tyler Morris , was in good spirits when Ryan visited with him Wednesday at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth . Ryan said Morris , a firefighter with the Lake Cities Fire Department in Corinth , Texas , has fractures to the skull , foot and ankle , but has n't lost his enthusiasm for the team . `` I was expecting him to look a lot worse then he did . I think being a firefighter , and being in the shape he is , worked in his favor , '' Ryan said . He said Morris has some recollection of what happened . `` He thought he was going to catch the ball , '' said Ryan . `` He said it hit the tip of his finger . The next thing he knew he was falling . '' Ryan said Morris remembered hitting the electronic message board at the stadium , but nothing after that . Ryan said he does n't believe Morris jumped to get the ball , but said he probably extended himself , or reached for it , before falling over the second-deck railing . Ryan also said he and other members of the Rangers organization brought Morris several autographed items when they visited him at the hospital , including the ball that he was trying to catch when he fell . `` He was as thrilled to get that as anything else we brought him , '' Ryan said . `` He 's a die-hard Rangers fan , and grew up a Rangers fan . He was real appreciative that we came to visit him , '' Ryan said . Wednesday morning , the Morris family issued a statement that said Morris is expected to make a full recovery , according to CNN affiliate KTVT/KTXA , . Morris is lucky to be alive , according to an off-duty paramedic who was one of the first people to come to the man 's aid . `` The fall could have easily killed the guy , '' Derek Dilday said . In an interview with HLN , Dilday said he rushed to the man 's aid after witnessing the entire incident . `` I turned to my left to watch the foul ball , and I saw this guy reach over the railing . Then I saw his feet go up , he tried to reach back for the railing , but he missed it . He hit the video-tron -LRB- electronic message board -RRB- , then fell the rest of the way like a rag doll . '' `` It was the most shocking thing I had even seen , '' he said . Dilday said he ran about 50 feet to get to the spot where Morris had fallen . `` He was laying in the aisle on his back . There was no external bleeding , which was a good thing . I held his head and tried to keep him still until the medics arrived . '' Dilday said Morris was having difficulty breathing but was trying to move . `` He tried to move his neck , he tried to get up , I kept telling him , ` Stay still , stay still . ' '' By the time medics arrived , Morris was able to say his name , Dilday said . `` He was able to move all his extremities and was responsive to the paramedics , '' Rangers spokesman John Blake said . Morris fell on top of four other fans , causing minor injuries to them , said Ryan . `` One woman had a bruised knee , one man had a bruised shoulder , someone was hit by Morris 's shoe , '' he said . `` They chose not to go to the hospital emergency room and were treated in the stadium 's first aid area , '' Ryan said . All stayed for the remainder of the game , he said . The game between the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians was delayed for 16 minutes after the fall . The Rangers eventually won , 12-1 . CNN Sport 's Adam Anshell contributed to this report .
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NEW : Rangers call ballpark incident involving a fan an unfortunate accident . Tyler Morris , a firefighter , gets a hospital visit from Rangers President Nolan Ryan . Morris fell 30 feet from the stadium 's second deck as he tried to catch a foul ball . Four fans that he fell on were also hurt ; they were treated at the ballpark .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Census workers are in the final stages of going door-to-door to complete the 2010 U.S. census , but some experts are looking further to the future to explore the way Americans work , live and identify themselves . In his new book `` The Next Hundred Million : America in 2050 , '' Joel Kotkin offers thoughts on what the census will reveal in the next 40 years , including how migration patterns , population dynamics and cultural diversity will come to shape the portrait of the American landscape . CNN spoke to Kotkin recently on what he says is a lot more change to come . Here is an edited transcript : . CNN : You claim that `` the majority in the United States becomes nonwhite by 2050 . '' The current census has stirred up much controversy in terms of race relations and how we as Americans choose to identify ourselves . How will the nation 's ethnic makeup differ in relation to today ? Joel Kotkin : There 's going to be a very diverse minority population with large amounts of interracial marriage . What we 'll see is that the Anglo-Saxon population will no longer be the majority . I believe the mixed-race population will grow the fastest because compared to the past , interracial relationships are increasingly tolerated and considered OK by a large percent of the younger generations . It 's no longer strange to see a black and white couple at a restaurant together today . Yet someone visiting from the 1960s would be shocked . CNN : Will negative factors like discrimination because of race be eliminated in the future ? Kotkin : I think the racial issue will always be there . Race wo n't disappear , but it wo n't be the marker it was at one time . I think that people have a different attitude now . You do n't see the kind of concern for racial classifications that we once had . -LSB- President -RSB- Obama 's election was a major turning point in America in defining that . I believe the current attitude will have a cascading effect of all varieties . CNN : How do you believe Americans will identify themselves in 2050 ? By categories of race or just as Americans ? Kotkin : I 'm almost sure that these categories of racial or ethnic identification will still be as important as they are now . Historically , people were defined in a binary matter by race . But now more than ever , ethnicity is intertwined with identity and shapes the way people grow , what they believe and their perspectives on a variety of topics . Now , a gay person is the same no matter what race . A conservative is conservative . Thus , these cultural and ethnic backgrounds will be key markers in terms of identity for Americans . CNN : In your book , you describe how the nation 's population will grow to be nearly 400 million people in the next 40 years . How exactly will this happen ? Kotkin : The fact is that there will be more people in the future because of longevity . People are going to start living longer , immigration will be more feasible in the future , and the United States will have a slightly higher fertility rate than other countries . This will mean more people to count in terms of the census and perhaps considering alternative ways to get that work done . CNN : Your book also describes the idea of America becoming more energy efficient . That 's hard to believe with all the current energy and environmental issues affecting our nation today . Kotkin : We are going to have to deal with the energy issue -- I think people just need to be able to see a clear solution that makes some sort of sense . Just look at how far we 've come . We 've invested billions of new transit systems all over the country , and that 's more since 1980 . By 2050 , most people between the ages of 30 and 70 are going to want to live in single-family homes and -LSB- drive -RSB- more energy-efficient cars . CNN : Will people be traveling less ? Is that how we will contribute to bettering our energy situation ? Kotkin : Yes . A lot more people will be working at home or closer to home . This is why suburbs will become the new centers of movement and grounds for change . This is the only real way to deal with it -- trying to tell people that they have to give up their houses , backyards , cars , and live like their grandparents is not a winning solution . Especially when the people pushing for this method , like Al Gore and Prince Charles , live infinitely larger than they could ever imagine living . CNN : So cities will become obsolete ? They will no longer be the hub of our planets ? Kotkin : Well , if you look at the current status now , 90 percent of jobs are outside of the central core of cities . They wo n't be completely obsolete -- by 2050 , cities will still play a symbolic role in terms of culture , amenities and sports , but they will no longer be one of the dominant places where people live and work . CNN : You also describe how the U.S. will become more economically competitive in the future . How do you -- this to Americans who have seen our current economy slide downward into a recession and are n't convinced about this prediction ? Kotkin : The U.S. has relatively younger demographics , which gives it a competitive advantage . This nation attracts people from all over the world , and that 's what gives it global advantage ; we have the potential to be energy sufficient . We are the only advanced country with a growing population , agricultural surplus , lots of raw materials , significant domestic energy . The nation is entrepreneurial in culture and has a reasonably stable political system . That does n't mean that the U.S. will be a hegemonic global power , but I believe the economic condition , due to these factors , will definitely improve in the future and the census will reflect that . CNN : Your claims show a positive outcome for the nation amidst all the current issues in the world : war , political instability , the oil spill , lack of resources , unemployment , global warming . What should Americans consider in terms of making these changes happen by 2050 ? Kotkin : The U.S. has many great advantages going into the next 40 years -- if we do what we need to do . There are serious problems we need to attack in terms of upward mobility and economic growth . If we do n't do that and we have a growing population , it will get difficult -- things will get worse and downwardly mobile for the nation .
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Author Joel Kotkin predicts that majority of nation will be non-white . Suburbs to become economic centers of country instead of cities . Despite current situations , Kotkin says America 's economic and social issues will improve .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A tourist boat with more than 30 people on board overturned on the Delaware River at Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , Wednesday after it was hit by a barge , Philadelphia police and the Coast Guard said . `` We confirmed that there were 37 people on board , 35 passengers and two crew . As of right now we have confirmed that 35 people have been recovered . There are two people missing , '' said David Umberger , the Coast Guard 's civilian search and rescue controller for the area , shortly after the accident . The two missing people are a 16-year-old female and a 20-year-old male , Lt. Frank Vanore of the Philadelphia Police Department told reporters later Wednesday afternoon . Vanore said that the boat had `` mechanical trouble '' and the engine shut down after a fire on board . While the boat was in the river and waiting for help , it was hit by a barge , he said . The National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday night it had sent an investigative team to the scene . The Coast Guard 's Umberger said the search was continuing for the missing . `` We have all of our port partners engaged in that search-and-rescue case , including the state police , Philly police , fire department , good samaritans and the Coast Guard , '' he said . Deputy Commissioner William Blackburn of the Philadelphia police told CNN that searchers located the boat in about 50 feet of murky water but it was too dangerous to send divers down . The boat is upright on the bottom of the river , Blackburn said , adding that it has been marked by a buoy and divers will be sent down when it is deemed safe . One area hospital , Hahnemann University Hospital , reported eight patients -- two adults , three children , three teenagers -- were brought in after the incident . Two other passengers on the boat also were taken to the hospital but declined treatment , Hahnemann Hospital spokeswoman Coleen Cannon said . Of the eight patients , one adult and two children were discharged a few hours after the incident , she said . CNN 's Vivienne Foley , Susan Candiotti , Steve Kastenbaum , Brian Vitagliano and Jesse Solomon contributed to this report .
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NEW : NTSB launches investigation into boat accident . Teenage girl , 20-year-old man missing after accident . Police said boat had mechanical trouble , engine shut down , barge hit it . Thirty-five of 37 passengers and crew rescue .
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-LRB- CareerBuilder.com -RRB- -- `` I met my mentor before I knew what a mentor was or that I would ever need one , '' says Debra Yergen of Yakima , Washington . Fresh out of college and conducting an interview at a hotel in Seattle as a freelance journalist , Yergen `` just connected '' with the establishment 's public relations director . By the end of the day , the woman asked if Yergen would like to have her as a mentor . Yergen agreed , wanting to be cordial , but `` had no idea what this meant . '' What it turned out to mean was a 15-year relationship during which Yergen 's mentor gently guided , inspired , opened doors and offered introductions . `` Over the years , she taught me more than I learned in any one college course or in any one job . She was my lighthouse through every professional opportunity and storm , '' Yergen says . While a person does n't absolutely need a mentor , workers who have found one are often glad they did . What a mentor can offer . Elizabeth Freedman , author of `` Work 101 : Learning the Ropes of the Workplace Without Hanging Yourself '' and `` The MBA Student 's Job-Seeking Bible , '' says that some of the possible benefits of having a mentor include : . Shortening your career learning curve : Most of us opt to work with mentors who have been around the block a few more times than we have , and this is a smart idea . When we work with someone who has more industry knowledge and expertise , or simply knows the ropes better than we do , we 're giving ourselves -LRB- and our careers -RRB- tremendous advantage . Improving your network of contacts : Picture everyone in your Outlook folder or contact file -- and now double it . That 's what working with a mentor can do to the number of professional relationships , sales leads or other contacts in your life . Telling you what nobody else will : A good mentor wo n't hold back . This is n't to suggest you want to work with a mentor who is overly critical or harsh when it comes to giving feedback , but a successful relationship will provide you with honest advice and candid opinions . Where to find one . While there are cases like Yergen 's where an established worker clearly offers to serve as a mentor , the relationship often develops more informally within the workplace . Drew Tarvin of New York City , who works in information technology project management in the consumer goods industry , met the person destined to be his mentor while serving an internship . `` He was my manager when I was an intern . After getting hired full time and switching managers , it seemed natural to still talk to him on some frequency , '' Tarvin says . `` Since then , our conversations have evolved not just to discussions in our certain area but career guidance , handling the political environment and work/life balance . Professional associations , alumni gatherings and industry events are also good places to find potential mentors . Annette Pelliccio , founder of The Happy Gardener , and organic garden and lawn care company , met her mentor four years ago at a direct-selling convention . Nowadays , she says , `` My company probably would be nonexistent without him . '' In today 's tech-savvy world , some find mentors via LinkedIn , Brightfuse and other business/social groups . During a time of unemployment , Pamela Bodley went online searching for information on how to be a good leader and came across a website that spoke to exactly what she needed . `` I contacted the leadership expert who wrote the site , explained my situation and asked if he would mentor me , '' Bodley recalls . `` Now , five months later , we speak every week or two on specific business topics , and I have been learning great concepts , skills and techniques . '' Building the relationship . While directly asking someone to be your mentor can work , Freedman cautions that sometimes it is best to avoid labels , go slow and let the relationship grow . `` Even if getting a mentor is what you 're going for , remember that the relationship is a two-way street , and like you , your mentor is probably reluctant to spend his limited free time on someone who is n't right for him . '' She suggests instead identifying who has the kind of career you 'd like , who seems approachable and who is able to spend some time with you . Then , once you 've found a good candidate , `` Reach out : ` John , would you have a few minutes to grab a cup of coffee ? I 'd love to learn more about your work and how you 've been successful within the company . ' '' It might be the most worthwhile coffee break of your career . & copy CareerBuilder.com 2010 . All rights reserved . The information contained in this article may not be published , broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority .
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Working with a mentor can widen your network of contacts . A mentor can provide you with honest advice and candid opinions . Some find mentors via LinkedIn , Brightfuse and other business/social groups .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The recent flotilla incident is the culmination of a steep decline in Israeli-Turkish relations that started with the Gaza war in 2008 and 2009 . Relations between these two countries , after reaching a high point in the late 1990s and early 2000s , are now beyond repair , and it will probably take the better part of a decade for them to be resuscitated . Turkey has also used its increasingly rancorous disputes with Israel to advance its status in the Middle East at the expense of traditional leaders across the region . Turkey 's ruling Justice and Development Party -LRB- AKP -RRB- , which came to power in 2002 , was always conflicted in its relations with Israel . The party emerged from a hardcore anti-Western and anti-Israeli Islamist tradition that had close ties to Hamas and Egypt 's Muslim Brotherhood . As it rose to power , however , the AKP distanced itself from these positions and even embraced the idea of joining the European Union . Still , it always maintained a critical stance when it came to Israel that was punctuated by occasional outbursts . Turkey 's relations with Israel improved when the AKP stepped into the vacuum created in the Middle East by the Bush administration 's policies and orchestrated secret negotiations between Israel and Syria . This effort fit well with the AKP 's grand vision of its foreign policy -- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his party were intent in making Turkey an important international player . After punching below its weight for far too long , Ankara thought now was the time to engage in an activist policy and capitalize on its economic prowess and strategic geopolitical location . It aggressively sought a role in international institutions such as the U.N. Security Council and engaged in all kinds of diplomatic efforts from the Middle East to the Balkans and the Caucasus . Erdogan and Turkey received many kudos for the Israeli-Syrian talks . But they came to an abrupt end with Israel 's Gaza war . Erdogan felt personally betrayed by then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert , who was in Ankara four days before launching the Gaza offensive . From then on , Turkish foreign policy vis-à-vis Israel was dramatically transformed . We first saw this at the January 2009 Davos meetings in Switzerland when Erdogan publicly confronted Israel 's President Shimon Peres and then walked off the stage . Positive reactions to his behavior in Turkey and in the Middle East provided Erdogan with the contours of Ankara 's new foreign policy . From then on , in almost every foreign policy speech , Erdogan would disparage Israel 's policy in Gaza , calling the Gaza Strip an open prison . He then began to challenge Israel 's nuclear arms while defending Iran against the West . In a deliberate obfuscation of the issues , he argued that instead of criticizing Iran 's peaceful nuclear program , it was Israel 's not-so-secret nuclear arsenal that ought to be the object of censure . This , of course , is a distortion of the truth as Iran was accused of violating the Non-Proliferation Treaty , of which it is a signatory while Israel is not . His singling out of Israel was purposeful but unfair ; he never criticized Turkish ally Pakistan -- or India for that matter -- for having tested and deployed nuclear arms . The flotilla crisis occurred in this atmosphere of great tension . Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu claims his government cautioned the Islamist charity that organized the flotilla not to cross into Israeli waters and that they were powerless to prevent an independent , non-government organization -LRB- NGO -RRB- from acting on its own volition . Yet there are many signs that the AKP and other Turkish Islamist parties were fully supportive of the NGO and its efforts . Hamas itself interpreted the action as an Erdogan-led effort to breach the naval blockade of Gaza . No one , including the Israelis , could have anticipated the extent of the fallout , although a cursory look at what the organizers were claiming should have made it obvious that the NGO was clearly trying to provoke Israel and elicit an strong response . Ultimately , it is the incompetence of the Israeli decision-makers who failed to properly analyze the groups ' intentions that in many ways handed the AKP , Erdogan and Hamas a public relations victory . Erdogan has now become a hero in the Arab street . In two years , he has managed to do what few Arab leaders could do -- push Israel into a corner . Even though Arab countries have been mistrustful of Turkey in the past , Erdogan has successfully transformed himself into the leader of the Middle East . He is not just the defender of traditional Arab concerns but also of Iran , as he is resisting the Obama administration 's efforts to impose sanctions on Iran . The emerging hostility in Israeli-Turkish relations puts the United States in a difficult quandary . Washington does not want to side with one ally over another , and Turkey has aggressively been pushing the United States to do just that . Washington , however , has issues with both countries . It is upset at Turkish efforts to protect Iran from further U.N. sanctions and at Israel for making its regional diplomacy so much more difficult , not only with the flotilla fiasco but also with its hard line on the settlements and negotiations with the Palestinians . Turkey may therefore emerge as an even more significant factor in an already complicated Middle East political tapestry . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Henri J. Barkey .
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Turkey 's relations with Israel have grown increasingly tense , says Henri Barkey . Barkey says Turkey made sharp break with Israel because of the Gaza conflict . He says Turkish political parties were supportive of charity that organized flotilla . Barkey : Turkey gains support by opposing Israeli blockade , sanctions against Iran .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The images could n't have been better if Benjamin Netanyahu designed them himself . After months of leveling humiliating criticism at the Israeli prime minister , here was President Obama calling Netanyahu a man of peace , speaking of the `` unbreakable '' bond between the United States and Israel and essentially giving Israel a green light to skirt transparency in its suspected nuclear program , citing its `` unique security requirements . '' Gone were the bitter recriminations and the harsh demands to stop all settlement activity in the West Bank . Instead there was praise for the Israeli government for `` working through layers of various governmental entities and jurisdiction '' and showing `` restraint '' over the past several months . To put an even finer point on the fact that the recent tension was a thing of the past and the two leaders were once again bosom buddies -LRB- actually , they never were , but they seem to be now -RRB- , Obama even walked Netanyahu to his car after the meeting . The images were a marked contrast to Netanyahu 's last visit in March . Then , there was no press conference or even a photo-op , and it was widely viewed as a snub after the Israeli announcement of new settlement plans for mostly Arab East Jerusalem during Vice President Joe Biden 's visit to Israel . The new message of unity made clear that the relationship between the United States and Israel , and that of their two leaders , was back on track . It was the culmination of a new narrative months in the making . As he did with Afghan President Hamid Karzai , Obama found his `` tough love '' approach toward Netanyahu was proving counterproductive . The U.S. push for a new United Nations Security Council resolution on Iran , Obama 's recent signing of legislation imposing fresh U.S. sanctions against Tehran and his administration 's efforts to push back pressure for an international investigation into the Gaza flotilla raid , which killed nine Turks , all helped to mend fences with Israel . Netanyahu 's delegation left Washington satisfied that Obama understands Israel 's security needs . But beyond the change in tone evident for the cameras lies a series of contentious issues the United States and Israel will have to confront over the next several months . The details of what happens next are murky and could lead to renewed tensions in the fall when the 10-month freeze on settlement construction in the West Bank ends . Both leaders agreed on the need to move from so-called `` proximity talks , '' essentially consisting of shuttle diplomacy by Obama 's Mideast envoy George Mitchell , to direct talks . But the conundrum is that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has refused to restart direct talks without a full settlement freeze , while Netanyahu is resisting extending the existing ban until talks start . Obama set a deadline when he said talks should begin before the freeze ends in September , suggesting it could create a climate of trust building `` in which everybody feels a greater investment in success . '' The leaders also spoke of `` confidence-building measures '' both the Israelis and the Palestinians could take to create a better atmosphere for direct talks . Obama wants Israel to `` widen the scope '' of Palestinian security control in the West Bank beyond the current few cities , citing advances made by Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad . But it is unclear Israel is confident enough to expand Palestinian responsibilities . Obama went out on a limb Tuesday , saying unequivocally that he trusts Netanyahu . The assumption is that he must have gotten some assurances in private from Netanyahu about steps he is willing to take . But it was clear from Netanyahu 's remarks that the peace process is n't issue No. 1 for him . Obama administration officials before the meeting , and Obama himself during his press availability with Netanyahu , emphasized that moving to direct talks was the most important issue on the agenda . But in Netanyahu 's remarks , the peace process rated a distant third to Iran and issues of Israel 's security . If direct talks do n't begin soon , experts believe the possibility of a breakthrough becomes less likely . The Palestinians are almost certain to refuse to sit down if the settlement freeze is not extended . And as the U.S. midterm elections approach , Netanyahu could gamble on Republicans making gains and weakening Obama 's hand . Netanyahu himself is facing domestic hurdles , which make playing for time in his best interests . The hope is that Tuesday 's summit enabled the leaders to build a partnership which can help them move forward on the peace process . The proof of that will come at the first bump on the rocky road to September , when daylight appears between these two new best friends .
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Images from Obama , Netanyahu meeting were a marked contrast to Netanyahu 's last visit . New message of unity made clear that U.S.-Israel relationship was back on track . Beyond the change in tone lies a series of contentious issues that U.S. , Israel will have to confront . In Netanyahu 's remarks , peace process rated a distant third to Iran and Israel 's security .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The World Cup will have a new winner on Sunday after Spain beat Germany 1-0 to set up a mouthwatering clash with the Netherlands . Spain 's hero was Barcelona defender Carles Puyol as his 73rd minute header secured his country 's first ever World Cup final . Puyol rose highest to power Xavi 's corner into the net and hand Spain a deserved victory . Vicente del Bosque 's team dominated possession against their opponents and should have won by a more convincing score line but they could n't convert their chances . Blog : Durban atmosphere fell flat . Germany only created a handful of opportunities as they attempted to avenge their defeat to Spain in the European Championships final of 2008 but they failed to regularly test Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas . Spain will now face Netherlands at Soccer City in Johannesburg on Sunday after they beat Uruguay 3-2 in the other semifinal on Tuesday night . SI.com : Three quick thoughts . Liverpool striker Fernando Torres was dropped in favor of Pedro Rodriguez as Spain made one change from their quarterfinal team . Germany drafted in Piotr Trochowski in place of the suspended Thomas Muller . It was Barcelona striker David Villa who had the first chance of the game but his effort was smothered by Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer . Puyol was the next to go close for Spain after he headed Andres Iniesta 's powerful cross over the bar . Lukas Podolski registered Germany 's first effort on goal just after the half hour mark as Spain keeper Iker Casillas turned his shot round the post . Just before the break Mesut Özil went down under a challenge from Sergio Ramos but the referee waved away his appeal for a penalty . Spain stepped it up a gear after halftime and Xabi Alonso came close with a fierce shot from the edge of the area that flashed past the post . Pedro was next to shoot but Neuer blocked his effort before Iniesta rolled a pass across the goal line with Villa agonizingly close to tapping home . Substitute Toni Kroos nearly scored with his first touch for Germany as he was found by a Podolski cross but Casillas parried his volley . But just four minutes later Spain were in front . Xavi 's corner was met by Puyol , and his header sped past Neuer . In Madrid , relief and rejoicing intertwine . As Germany tried to force an equalizer Spain should have made the game safe but Pedro failed to tee up Torres when the striker had a clear run on goal . Spain held on to record another one goal victory and seal a first ever World Cup final appearance . Neither they , nor opponents Netherlands , have ever won world football 's most prestigious trophy but one team will make history on Sunday .
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Spain beat Germany 1-0 to reach the World Cup final . Carles Puyol scores the only goal as Spain win 1-0 . Spain will face Netherlands in Sunday 's final .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Warnings from the National Weather Service about excessive temperatures in the Northeast remain in place through Thursday , as temperatures approached or surpassed the 100-degree mark for a second consecutive day Wednesday in many states . An `` excessive heat watch '' will remain in effect through Thursday afternoon in parts of Delaware , Massachusetts , Pennsylvania and New Jersey . The weather service says that temperatures maybe lower but the dew point temperatures will be higher . That combination means heat indices will be close to 100 degrees again on Thursday . A `` heat advisory '' remains in place for parts of Vermont as well . Heat index values are expected to hover between 100 and 104 degrees Thursday , so the advisory will not be lifted until Thursday evening . Meanwhile , the weather service projects that a `` heat advisory '' in place for the New York metro area will lifted by mid-day Thursday . High temperatures are forecast to be about ten degrees cooler than they were Wednesday , as southeasterly winds come in off the Atlantic Ocean . Show us ways that you are staying cool . Weather stations in Richmond , Virginia ; Raleigh , North Carolina ; and Mount Holly , New Jersey ; and at Philadelphia International Airport in Pennsylvania and Newark International Airport in New Jersey all registered triple-digit temperatures early Wednesday afternoon . At Baltimore-Washington International Airport in Maryland , temperatures also hit 100 degrees Wednesday afternoon , 4 degrees shy of Tuesday 's high . But CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said heightened humidity Wednesday made it feel similar to Tuesday -- and he warned that the hottest time of day lay ahead later in the afternoon . Waterparks , pools and even fire hydrants became gathering places for people trying try to cool off as the record-breaking heat wave continued to roast much of the region . Officials are advising people to stay indoors as the prolonged heat and humidity creates a `` dangerous situation . '' The heat already has claimed at least two lives . An elderly woman was found dead Monday night in a Philadelphia home without air conditioning , according to the city medical examiner 's office . An adult was found dead inside a Baltimore home with a temperature higher than 90 degrees , the Maryland state health department said Wednesday . Young , fit people have succumbed to the extreme temperatures , too . Four midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis , Maryland , were being treated for signs of heat exhaustion Wednesday morning , according to academy spokeswoman Judy Campbell . The extreme heat caused scattered power outages in some states . There were customers without power in Connecticut , Massachusetts and New Jersey . Con Edison says customers who lost power in the New York City area should have electricity restored by early Thursday morning . Michael Clendenin of Con Edison told CNN 's American Morning Wednesday that his company has been able to keep the power on for all but 6,000 or so of its 3.2 million customers in New York City . `` It is the kind of thing we expect in heat waves like this and we are working very hard to try to minimize the impact . '' Clendenin said . He warned that the situation is far from over . `` So far , I would say we dodged major bullets . I think there 's still a big shoot-out going on . '' Clendenin said . Power is n't the only thing in sporadic supply in the heat-afflicted region . According to the general manager of the White Oak Ice company in Bensalem , Pennsylvania , `` The whole tri-state area is just about out of ice -- New Jersey , Philadelphia and Delaware . Absolutely unbelievable . It 's terrible up here . We have n't experienced this in 12 years , 13 years , '' said John Sylvester . `` All the big major companies are out of ice . Guys are scrambling . They 're calling for ice and it 's coming from Wisconsin , Ohio , the Carolinas and they 're running out . Demand is way higher than what everyone can produce and I do n't see any end in sight , '' Sylvester added . `` Other ice companies are calling us begging for ice . There 's only a certain amount of guys who manufacture and a company like ours , we 're keeping up with it but we 're coming to an end . We 've used all our ice in storage . We start storing in February or March . We make a couple hundred tons a day . '' In New York , the city set up as many as 400 cooling stations in its five boroughs , according to the Office of Emergency Management . Emergency Management Commissioner Joe Bruno urged people to use the center , and advised neighbors to check on neighbors to make sure they are well . Some of those neighbors might not have air conditioning to begin with . New Yorker Alfred Roblero not only lacks air conditioning in his apartment , he has to walk up six flights of stairs to get there . `` It 's terrible . Most of the time my heart is like beating like ... like I need air because of the heat , '' Roblero told CNN 's Jason Carroll . `` This is a significant health emergency as well as a heat emergency , '' Bruno said . New York City officials say the unauthorized opening of fire hydrants often spikes during heat waves . Residents are being warned not to open hydrants without spray caps , because it 's `` illegal , wasteful and dangerous , '' and could lead to fines and/or imprisonment . The city says illegally-opened hydrants could impede firefighting , waste more than 1,000 gallons of water per minute and knock down children , causing injury -- but adults can get legally-approved spray caps from their local firehouse that will limit water flow to 20-25 gallons per minute when placed on a hydrant . In Middletown , Connecticut , police issued summonses for second-degree reckless endangerment to two high school football coaches who held practice in the heat , leading one student to collapse . The assistant football coaches at Middletown High School staged a `` strength and conditioning session that consisted of weight training and running '' from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday , the Middletown police said . A student passed out during a phase of the running that involved `` sprinting up a hill several times , '' police said . In Nashua , New Hampshire , Ben Dionne spent part of Tuesday outside cleaning out a pool . He told CNN affiliate WMUR he was following experts ' advice to stay hydrated . `` It 's hot . I 'm just trying to stay cool and get as much water as I can . '' In Philadelphia , a 92-year-old woman was found dead in her home . The woman , who was discovered by a neighbor , had opened a few windows but did not have air conditioning , said a medical examiner 's spokesman . The National Weather Service is urging people to protect themselves . `` Be sure to check on your elderly relatives and neighbors . Coaches , trainers , camp counselors should remain alert for signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke , '' the weather service warned . The heat can also adversely affect animals , and that 's having an impact on a popular New York City tourist attraction . The city 's health department bans carriage operators from working their horses `` whenever the air temperature is 90 degrees Fahrenheit or above , '' said department spokeswoman Suzanne Craig . She said anyone offering horse-drawn carriage rides at those dangerous temperatures is subject to fines from both the health department and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals , or ASPCA . ASPCA officers in Central Park told Craig that operators complied with the mandate Tuesday , sidelining their businesses in the heat , except for early in the morning and late at night when temperatures dipped below 90 degrees , she said . Some people are fleeing the city for cooler places nearby . Mountain Creek Waterpark in Vernon , New Jersey , is drawing a lot of New Yorkers , park spokeswoman Alice Heinrich said Wednesday . `` It has been one of those weeks where everyone gets the idea , they see a heat wave and do n't have pools , so they come out to the waterpark . '' Heinrich said the waterpark is reminding visitors via its loudspeakers to drink fluids -- and making it easier for them to do so . Waterpark workers are going around handing out water to people waiting in long lines for rides , she said . CNN 's Chad Myers , Mackenzie Green , Jessica Naziri , Jason Kessler , Mythili Rao , Cassie Spodak , and Ashley Vaughn contributed to this report .
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Heat wave causes deaths in Baltimore and Philadelphia . Several cities from Raleigh , North Carolina , to Newark , New Jersey , hit triple digits . Heat advisories are in effect until Wednesday evening in the Northeast . New York sets up cooling stations , warns not to open fire hydrants without spray caps .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Anti-whaling activist Peter Bethune was given a two-year suspended prison sentence and five years ' probation Wednesday by a Tokyo district court judge for his role in boarding a Japanese whaling ship . Bethune was found guilty on five charges , ranging from assault against whalers to trespassing into a whaling vessel . Bethune had previously pleaded guilty to all charges but assault . He could have received up to 15 years behind bars on charges . Bethune testified during his trial in May that he had no intention of hurting anyone when he protested Japan 's whale hunt . The New Zealand activist from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society said that he believed the bottles of butyric acid he threw at the Shonan Maru 2 whaling ship were non-toxic and would not harm anyone . Prosecutors said the butyric acid burned two crew members of the Japanese whaling fleet , but Sea Shepherd called it a harmless , albeit rancid , liquid . Butyric acid is found in rancid butter and vomit . At the May hearing , he tearfully described the January collision between the Shonan Maru 2 and the Sea Shepherd 's multi-million-dollar speedboat , the Ady Gil . The crash sunk the Ady Gil , which Bethune captained . Weeks later , Bethune jumped aboard the Shonan Maru 2 and attempted to make a citizen 's arrest of the captain . He was arrested and brought back to Japan to face criminal charges . `` I admit that I boarded the Shonan Maru , but I believe that I have good reason to do so , '' he said . `` I admit that I fired the butyric acid . '' Bethune 's case is the first time a Sea Shepherd activist has been tried in a Japanese criminal court in the group 's long-running battle with Japan 's whalers in the icy waters of the Antarctic . `` It 's encouraged us . It 's certainly motivated us , and we 're going back to the Southern Ocean with far more support than ever , '' said Paul Watson , Sea Shepherd founder . `` I hope that we 'll be much more effective because of it . '' `` Pete Bethune is a hero in New Zealand , '' Watson added . `` He 's a hero worldwide to people who want to see the end of whaling . '' Japan annually hunts whales in the Antarctic , despite a worldwide moratorium on whaling , under the loophole that a country may legally do so if its purpose is scientific research . Sea Shepherd has claimed the science argument is a sham , noting that the whale meat then gets sold in Japanese markets and served in restaurants . `` They 're targeting endangered whales in an established international whale sanctuary in violation of the Antarctic treaty , '' Watson said . `` They 're criminals . '' CNN 's Junko Ogura contributed to this report .
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Anti-whaling activist receives suspended sentence and probation . Peter Bethune says he did not intend to harm anyone . Bethune admits he threw butyric acid at Japanese whaling ship . Activists were protesting Japan 's whale-hunting practices .
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Moscow , Russia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Russian researcher convicted of spying for U.S. intelligence services could soon be part of an exchange for suspects in a recent Russian spy scandal in the United States , his mother and brother told CNN Wednesday . Svetlana Sutyagina confirmed to CNN that her son , Igor Sutyagin , said he will be released from jail and sent to London , England , by way of Vienna , Austria , on Thursday . According to Svetlana Sutyagina , her son was on a list of 11 names submitted by the United States for the exchange of the Russians detained in the United States in an alleged spy ring . She said her son remembers just one other name on this list -- Sergei Skripal , a former Russian military intelligence officer sentenced for spying . Igor Sutyagin was convicted in 2004 of passing secret data to members of U.S. intelligence services acting as employees of a British company called Alternative Futures , in exchange for monetary rewards in 1998-1999 . In Washington , White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs offered no further information on a possible swap . `` I do n't have anything on that , '' Gibbs said , calling the situation a `` law enforcement matter '' and referring questions to the Department of Justice . Dean Boyd , spokesman for the National Security Division at the U.S. Department of Justice , also had no comment on the case . Meanwhile , a senior law enforcement official told CNN that five suspected Russian spies arrested in Virginia and Massachusetts in late June are being taken to New York , where the other five suspects in the case were arrested . The official , who spoke on condition of not being identified by name , said the U.S. Marshals Service was moving three individuals from Alexandria , Virginia , and two from Boston , Massachusetts , to New York , . An arraignment hearing for all 10 of the suspects arrested in the United States was scheduled for Thursday afternoon , according to the U.S. Attorney 's office in New York . The attorney 's office also announced that one of the suspects , Vicky Pelaez , would have a bail hearing on Friday after the U.S. District Court in New York granted a government request to stop her bail order . Earlier , a lawyer for Pelaez had said he expected her to be released on bail Wednesday . In Moscow , Sutyagin 's mother and his younger brother , Dmitry , visited him Wednesday in Moscow 's Lefortovo prison , where , they said , he told them of the plans for the exchange . Relating the details her son provided , the mother said he was forced to sign a paper in which he pleaded guilty to spying , something he has previously refused to do . She could n't say what other conditions there would be for his release . The family does n't know why Sutyagin is being sent to Britain . He has no relatives , friends or acquaintances there and no place to stay , they said . Russian security officers have n't said why they chose Britain for a destination . Dmitry Sutyagin said `` no explanation was given whatsoever . '' `` He was told he 's flying to Vienna , where people from London will meet him at the airport and then take him further to London , '' Dmitry Sutyagin said . `` He does n't consider this as a release from prison but more like an exile , an extradition from the country , '' he added , saying that his brother `` is being left with a Russian passport , he remains a Russian citizen . Legally , -LSB- his release -RSB- will be formalized as a pardon after which he leaves the country voluntarily . '' Dmitry Sutyagin also said the deal hinged on his brother admitting guilt . `` He has never pleaded guilty because he was taking all the information from open sources . He did Russian press reviews on defense production issues , etc. , and passed it on to a British consulting company , Alternative Futures , '' Dmitry Sutyagin told CNN . Ernst Chyorny , a member of the Public Committee in Defense of Scientists in Russia , said Igor Sutyagin 's mother also told him about the possibility of a swap . Chyorny said Sutyagin recently had been transferred from his prison camp in Russia 's northern Archangel region to the Moscow facility . Earlier on Wednesday , Russian news agencies reported that Sutyagin may be swapped along with other individuals in exchange for the people suspected of spying for Russia and detained in the United States . The news was attributed to Sutyagin 's lawyer , Anna Stavitskaya . But Chyorny told CNN that Stavitskaya learned this from Sutyagin 's relatives , too . The Moscow City Court convicted Sutyagin for high treason through spying and sentenced him to 15 years in prison on April 7 , 2004 . The Russian Supreme Court later upheld the sentence on appeal . Sutyagin worked at the Moscow-based Institute for U.S. and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences and studied defense and political issues . Neither the Russian Federal Security Service nor the Foreign Ministry had any comment regarding Sutyagin 's possible exchange . The U.S. State Department says human rights organizations regard Sutyagin as a political prisoner . `` Some observers agreed that he had no access to classified information and described the severe sentence as an effort to discourage citizens from sharing sensitive information with professional colleagues from other countries , '' the State Department said in a report . On Wednesday morning , judges in Boston and Alexandria ordered five of the Russian spy ring suspects to be moved to New York for more proceedings . The Boston judge made the ruling in the case of Donald Heathfield and Tracey Lee Ann Foley , while a federal judge in Alexandria ordered that suspects Mikhail Semenko , Michael Zottoli , and Patricia Mills also be moved to New York . In all , 11 suspects have been indicted by U.S. prosecutors in the alleged spy ring case . Ten of them were arrested in the United States in late June , and the other was detained in Cyprus and then released on bail . His whereabouts are unknown .
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NEW : Bail hearing set for Friday for one suspect in Russian spy case . NEW : Arraignment of all 10 suspects in the United States set for New York federal court on Thursday . Scientist in Russian jail relays plans for exchange to mother , brother . Igor Sutyagin had to sign a letter admitting guilt , his brother tells CNN .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man police wanted to question in the abduction of a 4-year-old Missouri girl shot himself as investigators approached him , authorities in St. Louis reported Wednesday . The girl , Alisa Maier , was found alive Tuesday night in the St. Louis suburb of Fenton , about 70 miles south of her Mississippi River hometown of Louisiana , Missouri . Her parents identified her from a photograph sent by police there , her grandfather , Roy Harrison , said Wednesday night . `` You could n't miss the big brown eyes , '' Harrison told HLN 's `` Nancy Grace . '' But the search went on for the man who abducted her , who was seen driving a dark-colored , four-door sedan with missing wheel covers and a loud muffler . A tip led police to the town of Hawk Point , about 45 miles south of Louisiana , where police found a car parked outside a home that roughly matched that description , Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Al Nothum said . Before police could speak to the man , `` He pulled out a gun and shot himself . '' Nothum said . `` We are not saying this is our suspect , '' he added . `` We are saying he is a person of interest . '' Investigators are still treating the case as open , and will continue to take tips until the facts are nailed down , he said . There were preliminary reports after the shooting that the man had died , but Nothum said Wednesday night that the man was in critical condition . Nothum would not provide any more information about the man or his condition . Alisa was snatched from the front yard of her home Monday evening as she played with her 6-year-old brother . Harrison said his granddaughter is `` a bright young girl '' who has talked `` a little bit '' with her parents about her abduction . `` As to what she 's relaying to them , we do n't know , '' he said . `` They 're staying down there close to the headquarters they 've got down there in St. Louis now , so they 're able to get people to her , to talk to her . '' Anita McKlevis , a neighbor , told HLN 's `` Prime News '' that the town of about 4,000 was overjoyed by the girl 's safe return . `` It was like someone gave us all $ 1 million , '' McKlevis said . `` Everybody is so happy for this little girl and the family . We are going to stick by the family . That 's important . '' McKlevis said she sent cupcakes to the family 's home , `` because I know she loves them . '' And Harrison said the family was `` ecstatic '' over Alisa 's safe return . `` I 've told people earlier , if I could do a backflip , I would , '' he said . `` When we get her back and get the family together , we 're gon na have a barbecue and togetherness , and hugs and kisses . I could n't be any happier . '' Alisa was discovered near a gas station car wash after witnesses saw her walking away from the sedan . CNN 's Scott Thompson contributed to this report .
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Man is wanted for questioning in abduction of 4-year-old . Man in critical condition Wednesday night , Missouri State Patrol says . A tip led police to town north of St. Louis . Family `` ecstatic '' over girl 's safe return .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rough seas are delaying the connection of the vessel Helix Producer to the ruptured oil well in the Gulf of Mexico , a spokesman at the oil cleanup command center in Louisiana said Wednesday . The linkup `` may be in place by Saturday , '' he said . Officials have said that the hookup is partially completed despite the bad weather , but once it is done it could draw up to 53,000 barrels of oil a day . But Charles Gaiennie of the Unified Command 's Joint Information Center in Houma , Louisiana , says the current `` sea state '' is delaying the operation and that many Louisiana cleanup activities , such as skimming and flights delivering aerial dispersants , have been `` stood down '' because of the rough weather . He said that if there 's is `` a window of opportunity to deploy -LSB- resources -RSB- , we will do so . '' Newly retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen told reporters Wednesday it will be 24 to 48 hours before the sea calms enough to finish the linkup . Allen also told reporters that relief wells must be drilled an estimated 200 to 225 feet farther before they intercept the leaking well bore . He said that officials still expect that the relief wells will not be completed until August . Meanwhile , the number of cleanup workers reporting adverse health effects continues to rise . CNN 's Dr. Sanjay Gupta sat down Wednesday for an exclusive interview with the man in charge of BP 's medical response , Dr. Kevin O'Shea . He said more than 1,500 workers have sought medical care through BP , a significant increase from previously reported numbers . On Wednesday , the advocacy group `` Alliance for Justice '' released a report on oil industry ties among 5th Circuit Judges . The report comes ahead of oral arguments set to begin Thursday in Hornbeck Offshore Services v. Salazar , the case that challenged the Obama administration 's six-month ban on deep-water drilling . AJR 's 9-page report claims that many Appellate Court judges have extensive ties to the oil industry , including Jerry Edwin Smith , William Eugene Davis and James L. Dennis , the three judges who will hear the administration 's appeal of the drilling moratorium . The group also says District Judge Martin Feldman , who issued the order prohibiting the drilling moratorium , has financial interests in oil drilling companies . Oral arguments for Hornbeck v. Salazar will begin Thursday afternoon at the U.S. Court of Appeals in New Orleans . Meanwhile , Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindall joined Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu on a flyover of affected areas , including the barrier islands , Port Fouchan , Grand Isle and the Mississippi River . The tour lasted about 90 minutes . And in Mississippi , state authorities report that they 've received eight of the nine skimmers produced in France . Officials have closed more beaches in Hancock County and continue to press cleanup efforts . Officials say 550 bags -- amounting to 8,250 pounds of oil-related debris -- have been cleaned from a mile-long stretch of beach in Waveland . Federal estimates say between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels -LRB- about 1.5 million to 2.5 million gallons -RRB- of oil have been gushing into the Gulf daily since April 22 , when the Deepwater Horizon sank two days after an explosion aboard the drilling rig . In early June , during an exclusive 48-hour embed with Allen , CNN 's Kyra Phillips visited the site of the oil disaster and gained access to the Development Driller III -- the rig that is drilling the primary relief well some 16,000 to 18,000 feet below the sea floor . `` The intention is to intercept the well bore , well down below the surface near the reservoir , then pump heavy mud in to counteract the pressure of the oil coming up , '' Allen said . `` That will allow them to basically plug or kill the well . Once that 's done , you could do things like remove the blowout preventer , bring it to the surface and try to find out what happened . '' Also , a massive airship , or blimp , and a sea vessel that can suck oil out of the ruptured well are expected to arrive in the Gulf region at the end of the week to aid in oil disaster response efforts . Their arrival is being delayed because of rough weather , said Stephanie Hebert , spokeswoman for the cleanup effort . The U.S. Navy airship will be used to detect oil , direct skimming ships and look for wildlife that may be threatened by oil , the Coast Guard says . It had been scheduled to reach the Gulf on Tuesday . The 178-foot-long blimp , known as the MZ-3A , can carry a crew of up to 10 . It will fly slowly over the region to track where the oil is flowing and how it is coming ashore . The Navy says the advantage of the blimp over current helicopter surveillance operations is that it can stay aloft longer , with lower fuel costs , and can survey a wider area . The Coast Guard has already been pinpointing traveling pools of oil from the sky . `` The aircraft get on top of the oil . They can identify what type of oil it is and they can vector in the skimmer vessels right to the spot , '' Coast Guard Capt. Brian Kelley said . But the problem since June 30 has been the ability to clean it up before it approaches land . Bad weather has made that task more difficult . Fears over the spill now extend all the way to Florida 's Atlantic shores . Small tar balls continued to wash ashore Wednesday at Cocoa Beach , just south of Cape Canaveral . The U.S. Coast Guard collected samples that will be tested for any connection to BP 's Deepwater Horizon oil spill , according to Brevard County spokeswoman Kimberly Prosser . Tar balls that washed ashore two weeks ago were not found to be connected to BP 's oil spill , she said . Officials told CNN the test results from the samples collected would not be available for seven to 10 days . Meanwhile , Bob Grantham , spokesman for TMT Offshore Group , said progress has been made in testing the company 's A Whale oil skimmer , the world 's largest . The delay from high seas `` has allowed us to make valuable observations and to develop some additional technological innovations designed to improve the channeling of oily water into the ship 's large capacity tanks , '' Grantham said in a statement issued Tuesday . `` Over the next few days , we will have our first real opportunity to test the new technology under conditions that we hope will maximize the effectiveness of collection and ultimately decanting . '' Earlier , officials said A Whale 's abilities so far are `` inconclusive , '' meaning the massive converted oil tanker -- which is 3.5 football fields long -- has yet to prove its Taiwanese owner 's claim that it can skim between 15,000 and 50,000 barrels of oil off the sea in a day . The Coast Guard said the testing period for the A Whale has been extended through Thursday . Meanwhile , interfaith leaders prayed for restoration and renewal for the Gulf of Mexico as they prepared for a tour of the oil-soaked marshes , wetlands and rookeries of the Louisiana coast Wednesday . The Christian , Jewish and Muslim clergy joined `` in prayer and commitment to the communities most affected by the BP oil disaster , '' Tuesday night , a Sierra Club statement said . Wives of current and former major league baseball players also fanned out across southern Louisiana to draw attention to the people and creatures affected by the disaster . The members of the Baseball Wives Charitable Foundation -- many of them from the Gulf -- toured beaches hit by oil and spoke with fishing and oil industry workers in Grand Isle on Tuesday . `` The initial point of this trip was to raise awareness , '' said Megan Thomas , wife of ex-big league slugger Frank Thomas . `` We want to take things we 've seen here firsthand home with us and create our own fundraisers and keep the awareness out there . '' Jamie Buehrle , wife of Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle , said she was struck by Gulf residents who now fear their finances are in ruins . `` Just seeing the people today who are so scared of the unknown , '' Buehrle said . `` Not knowing if they are going to get another check , if they are going to work again . '' The wives will attend a minor league baseball game between the New Orleans Zephyrs and the Omaha Royals on Wednesday . The team is selling discount tickets for $ 5 for fishing industry workers and others affected by the disaster . Jessica Maholm , wife of Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Maholm , is from Ocean Springs , Mississippi , and will throw out the ceremonial first pitch . `` This -LRB- oil disaster -RRB- is something that 's not going to affect just the Gulf coastal areas , '' she said . `` It 's going to affect the whole country with the seafood , the animals and the ecosystem . '' CNN 's Allan Chernoff , Paul Vercammen and Sanjay Gupta contributed to this report .
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NEW : BP doctor says up to 1,500 cleanup workers sickened . NEW : Oral arguments on drilling ban begin Thursday . Saturday is new target for linking surface vessel to ruptured well . Rough weather continues to be a challenge in cleanup .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Citing air safety , the European Commission Tuesday expanded restrictions on Iran Air 's operations by banning more types of aircraft . The commission banned Iran Air from flying its fleet of Airbus A-320 and of Boeing B-727 and B-747 planes into European airports . It said it would continue to monitor Iran Air and work with the airline to improve standards . `` We can not afford to compromise on air safety , '' said Siim Kallas , the commission 's vice president . The commission also banned a carrier from Suriname and removed two Indonesian airlines from its banned list . The Suriname carrier , Blue Wing Airlines , was banned because of a series of accidents and `` serious deficiencies revealed during ramp inspections of its aircraft . '' Three other carriers are banned from operating in the European Union : Ariana Afghan Airlines from Afghanistan , Siem reap Airways International from Cambodia and Silverback Cargo Freighters from Rwanda . All carriers from 17 countries -- 278 companies in total -- are also banned : Angola , Benin , the Democratic Republic of Congo , Djibouti , Equatorial Guinea , Gabon -LRB- except three carriers with restrictions -RRB- , Indonesia -LRB- except six carriers from which the restrictions have been fully removed -RRB- , Kazakhstan -LRB- except one restricted carrier -RRB- , Kyrgyzstan , Liberia , Philippines , Republic of Congo , Sierra Leone , Sao Tome and Principe , Sudan , Swaziland and Zambia .
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National carrier Iran Air further restricted in Europe . Safety reasons cited for bans on certain types of aircraft . Carrier from Suriname , Blue Wing Airlines , also banned .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A quarrel between occupants of two vehicles at a McDonald 's restaurant drive-through in southern Finland erupted in gunfire Tuesday , leaving three men dead , police said . Three occupants in one of the vehicles have been arrested , said Peter Fagerholm , a detective inspector in the town of Porvoo . The two vehicles were in line at the restaurant about 2 a.m. when the quarrel began , Fagerholm said . Shots from a semiautomatic handgun were fired from a Toyota SUV into a convertible driven by a pregnant woman and carrying four men . Two of the men in the convertible , ages 28 and 45 , died at the scene . Another 28-year-old man died Tuesday afternoon at a hospital in Finland 's capital , Helsinki , about 50 miles to the west , Fagerholm said . Two of the men were shot in the head , the other in the chest , he said . The cause of the argument was not immediately known . `` We believe it was a very small issue '' that escalated , Fagerholm said late Tuesday . He said he does n't believe the parties in the different cars knew each other , or that the shooting was preplanned . The SUV carried one woman and two men , Fagerholm said . One of the men , 41 , is the principal suspect . In 1995 he was sentenced to life in prison on one count of murder and two counts of attempted homicide , Fagerholm said . He was released on parole in December . Fagerholm would not release the suspect 's name . Authorities are speaking with witnesses in a third car in the drive-through line . CNN 's Lianne Turner and Phil Gast contributed to this report .
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Three men were shot to death during a quarrel outside a restaurant in Finland . One of two vehicles at the McDonald 's drive-through was driven by a pregnant woman . The suspected gunman previously served a murder sentence .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Turkey 's mountain sculptures . The lava-rock moonscapes , fairy chimneys , cave dwellings and ancient Christian chapels of Turkey 's Cappadocia region have long been a fascinating destination for backpackers and tourists . Now , an Australian artist named Andrew Rodgers has unveiled a man-made addition to the region 's remarkable landscape : a statue park called `` Rhythms of Life . '' Best seen from the vantage point of a hot-air balloon , the park consists of enormous sketches made of stone walls built in the shape of a horse , an ancient grinding mill and an ancient Hittite symbol . More then 1,000 locals worked on the ambitious project . Ivan Watson reports from Turkey 's interior . Istanbul 's Soho . Like Soho in New York or Montmartre in Paris , Istanbul 's Cihangir neighborhood has become a cultural hub -- a draw for artists , writers , and intellectuals . Rima speaks to Turkish author Buket Uzuner to find out more about this up-and-coming neighborhood . Mawazine Music Festival . Festival Mawazine is a celebration of world music hosted every year in Rabat , Morocco . Nearly 1,500 concerts , street performances and art exhibitions attract millions of spectators . Elton John , Carlos Santana , Sting and many other European , African and North American music stars lit up this year 's festival . The theme of this year 's event was `` universalism , tolerance , openness to others , '' promoted through the diversity of music . Istanbul 's `` Oscars '' of homophobia . As Istanbul celebrated its eighth LGBT Pride events , Inside the Middle East was there for a unique award ceremony : the `` Genetically Modified Tomato Awards , '' where gay-rights activists name politicians , media personalities , educational institutions and others who have made public homophobic remarks or actions over the year . We speak to an activist about the challenges facing Turkey 's gay-rights movement . Palestinian female race-car drivers . It 's not what you would expect to see from eight Palestinian women in Ramallah on a Saturday afternoon : smoke billowing from underneath their cars , wheels spinning wildly , and screeching tires marking a race track with black marks . These eight women are breaking every stereotype in the male-dominated world of car racing . Paula Hancocks meets 21-year-old Noor , who has wanted to be a race driver since she was 10 , and is competing in her third race of the season .
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Inside the Middle East gets an aerial view of a sculpture park in Cappadocia , Turkey . Istanbul 's Cihangir neighborhood has an up-and-coming cultural scene . Festival Mawazine is a celebration of world music held in Rabat , Morocco . Inside the Middle East meets the Palestinian female race-car drivers .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Flash floods caused by persistent heavy rains in Oklahoma have claimed the life of a 13-year-old girl , the state medical examiner 's office told CNN Friday morning . The unidentified teenager went missing on Thursday after playing with friends at a drainage ditch in the Durant area , according to Cherokee Ballard , the office 's spokeswoman . Durant is less than two hours north of Dallas , Texas . Heavy rains have battered the Oklahoma area in recent days . A dramatic rescue captured Thursday in Oklahoma City by a CNN affiliate camera crew showed firefighters trudge through waist-high muddy floodwater to grab a trapped motorist out of his submerged car . Oklahoma Battalion Fire Chief Brian Stanaland said the motorist did not need medical attention . The girl is the third child to be swept away in Oklahoma flooding in less than a week . Rescuers searched for a 13-year-old boy earlier this week who they feared had drowned after falling into a creek swollen by heavy rains . Emergency crews Tuesday were able to fish a 14-year-old boy who fell into Lightning Creek out of the rushing waters , said Cecil Clay , chief of the Oklahoma City Fire Department . A flash flood warning remained in effect in several central Oklahoma counties Friday , the National Weather Service said . CNN 's Rick Martin and Divina Mims contributed to this report .
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NEW : 13-year-old girl drowns after being swept away by floods , officials say . Man rescued from submerged car . Flash flooding is a problem in Oklahoma City recently . Forecasters say flooding could continue Friday .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama said Wednesday the United States must take the lead on energy , citing the `` enormous job creation potential that exists . '' President Obama holds talks with members of the Economic Recovery Advisory Board on Wednesday . Obama 's remarks came at the end of his first quarterly meeting with the Economic Recovery Advisory Board , which was created in February to provide the administration with independent , nonpartisan advice on how to promote economic growth and stability . The focus of Wednesday 's meeting , which was streamed live on the White House Web site , was job creation and green energy . Obama told the board members he 's seen `` some return to normalcy '' in parts of the financial markets . Watch Obama describe the ` progress ' he sees '' `` But obviously , one of the things I 've been concerned about since I took office is looking beyond the immediate crisis in front of us to find out what is a sustainable economic model , post bubble and bust , '' he said . `` How do we create sound fundamentals on issues like education , on health care and ... energy , as well as all the innovation that 's required around these various areas , so that moving forward , we do n't find ourselves in an unsustainable economic model ? '' he asked . Paul Volcker , who chairs the board , said as the panel discusses investments , they ca n't forget the risks of inaction . `` There is n't enough emphasis , it seems to me , on the cost of what happens if we do n't do anything , '' said Volcker , who served as the chairman of the Federal Reserve during the Carter and Reagan administrations . Obama said the steps taken around energy this week have been `` promising . '' The president on Tuesday announced new fuel economy rules , including a requirement for passenger cars and light trucks to get an overall average of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016 . Obama and the board spent about an hour discussing the immediate opportunities and challenges for green energy . Panel members expressed concerned that the United States is behind other countries in controlling carbon emissions . `` We think it 's very important to act now , '' said John Doerr , a partner with Kleiner , Perkins , Caufield & Byers . `` If we act now , and send very clear signals to our business community and the nation . '' Doerr said he thinks `` putting a price on carbon '' is the most important thing they can do , but he said it 's not the only policy that can be adopted . He also stressed the importance of research and development funding . Obama has been pushing Congress to move ahead with legislation that places a market-based cap on carbon pollution . Board member Jeffrey R. Immelt , the chairman and CEO of GE , called clean energy `` the most exciting , fastest growth industry of the 21st century . '' He said his company 's 70 energy-efficiency products are generating $ 18 billion in revenue and accounting for 50,000 jobs between GE and its suppliers . `` Technology is out there to be had . I think we have to have a broad aspiration to lead in technology , '' Immelt said . Richard Trumka , the secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO , said he sees clean energy as a `` tremendous potential for us to lead '' and an opportunity for solid , middle-class jobs . Trumka expressed concern , however , that the tax code and various trade agreements the administration was looking at could put them at a disadvantage in the global market . But overall , he said , he sees green energy as a `` win , win , win '' for the country . The advisory board has been established for a two-year term , after which Obama will determine whether it is still needed . It is modeled on the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board , created during the Eisenhower administration to provide the president independent advice on global affairs . Austan Goolsbee , a University of Chicago economist , serves as the board 's staff director and chief economist . He also served as an economic adviser for Obama 's presidential campaign . The other board members are : . • William H. Donaldson , chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission . • Roger W. Ferguson Jr. , president & CEO of TIAA-CREF . • Robert Wolf , chairman and CEO of UBS Group Americas . • David F. Swensen , CIO of Yale University . • Mark T. Gallogly , founder and managing partner of Centerbridge Partners L.P. • Penny Pritzker , chairman and founder of Pritzker Realty Group . • Jim Owens , chairman and CEO of Caterpillar Inc. . • Monica C. Lozano , publisher and CEO of La Opinion . • Charles E. Phillips Jr. , president of Oracle Corporation . • Anna Burger , secretary-treasurer of the Service Employees International Union . • Laura D'Andrea Tyson , dean of the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley . • Martin Feldstein , George F. Baker professor of economics at Harvard University . CNN 's Kristi Keck contributed to this report .
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Obama meets with economic board to discuss green energy , job creation . Board chairman Paul Volcker says one can not forget the risk of inaction . Obama says he sees `` some return to normalcy '' in parts of financial markets . Board members discuss challenges , opportunities for a green energy economy .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Family members of a missing Oregon boy said they are trying to keep the focus on finding the boy and not suspicions about the boy 's stepmother . Kyron Horman , 7 , vanished on June 4 , and since then there has been intense scrutiny on Kyron 's stepmother , Terri Horman . Police had asked her to take a second polygraph test in relation to the case , and other family members have said that she has not been forthcoming about what happened , based on briefings they have had from law enforcement officials . It is unclear why a second polygraph was requested . The boy 's father , biological mother and stepfather spoke to the media late Monday about the stepmother and why they believe that Kyron is still alive . `` We remain hopeful because we have n't been given any information by law enforcement to indicate he is n't still alive and therefore we will always expect that he will come home to us , '' the family said in an e-mailed response to reporters covering the case . Kyron went missing after Terri Horman dropped him off at school on June 4 . The stepmother said she last saw Kyron walking down a hallway toward his second-grade classroom at Skyline Elementary School in Portland , according to the police . Police have not called her a suspect in the case but suspicions about her have dominated headlines in recent weeks . Sources told the CNN affiliates that investigators believe that Terri Horman has lied to them , and cell phone records could show she was n't where she claimed to be . In the e-mail response , Kyron 's family members said they hope people will focus more on the missing boy . `` Our main goal is to keep Kyron in the front of everyone 's mind because we have a better chance of finding him . So we are constantly working to keep him the focus of the story and not Terri , '' the family members said . Terri Horman was again in the headlines Monday when CNN affiliates KGW and KATU reported that she had attempted to hire a landscaper to kill her husband several months ago . KGW reported that sources believe Terri Horman approached the landscaper , who had been working on the family 's property in northwest Portland , and offered the man `` a large sum of money '' to kill her husband , Kaine Horman . Kaine Horman and the other two family members who e-mailed reporters did not want to comment on that report . But they did say that they continue to feel that Terri Horman is not completely cooperating with police running the search for Kyron . `` We continue to issue our plea of her FULLY cooperating with law enforcement and the investigation to help bring Kyron home as quickly as possible , '' the family members said . However , at a news conference last week , Multnomah County Sheriff Dan Staton said that `` to date there has been no indication through our detectives or through our investigators that she 's been uncooperative , '' KATU reported . Repeated efforts by CNN to reach Terri Horman have been unsuccessful . She has not made any other public statements . CNN 's Gabriel Falcon and HLN 's Natisha Lance contributed to this report .
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Family members of missing boy talk to reporters . 7-year-old Kyron Horman has been missing since June 4 . His stepmother , Terri Horman , was the last to see Kyron .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Venezuelan journalist who has been held for two years without a trial reported that he has gone on a hunger strike , saying he wants the judge in his case to recuse himself . Leocenis Garcia made the announcement June 30 on Twitter . `` I am starting an indefinite hunger strike until the Judge Jesus Jimenez of Court 20 stops working on my case , '' Garcia said . It was not immediately known why Garcia wants the judge removed . The journalist was arrested in May 2008 and charged with five offenses , including illegal possession of a firearm , resistance to authority and property damage . Garcia and his supporters say he was really arrested for publishing articles critical of Venezuela 's state-run petroleum industry . Garcia said in August 2008 that he had been tortured by Venezuela 's secret police , published reports said . He is being held in the Tocuyito prison , and his father has expressed concerns that his son will be killed there . Human rights organizations have frequently accused leftist President Hugo Chavez of intimidating or punishing citizens based on their political beliefs . In June , the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights sent a letter to Venezuela 's foreign minister , criticizing the government on its record of freedom of expression . At issue were three cases , including the conviction and sentencing the previous week of journalist Francisco `` Pancho '' Perez to nearly four years in prison and a fine of more than $ 18,000 for defamation of public officials . The charges were brought because of a 2009 newspaper column published in the city of Carabobo that highlighted many of the mayor 's family members who were hired as contractors by the local government . `` The evident disproportion of the sentence handed down for the publication of a piece that was clearly in the public interest demonstrates the serious state of vulnerability in which freedom of expression in Venezuela finds itself , '' the commission said in a statement . In February , the commission issued a 319-page report accusing Venezuela of routinely violating human rights . The report said that a lack of independence by Venezuela 's judiciary and legislature in their dealings with Chavez often leads to the abuses . `` The report finds that not all individuals are ensured full enjoyment of their rights irrespective of their positions on government policies , '' the human rights panel said . `` The commission also finds that the punitive power of the state is being used to intimidate or punish people on account of their political opinions . The commission believes that conditions do not exist for human rights defenders and journalists to be able to freely carry out their work . '' The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is an independent arm of the Organization of American States . Chavez 's opponents say his government represses political opponents and the expression of free ideas by jailing critics on trumped-up charges or pulling licenses for TV and radio stations and shutting down newspapers . There are about 40 such political prisoners in Venezuelan jails , the critics say . Most of those prisoners , Chavez critics say , are journalists and former military and police officials and others associated with a short-lived coup against Chavez in April 2002 . Some of the prisoners have been held for long periods without trials or during proceedings that have dragged on for months and even years , the critics say , and they say other prisoners have received harsh sentences under questionable charges . Many of the detainees are held at the secret police headquarters rather than a prison . `` Attacks on journalists were widespread , '' said Amnesty International 's 2009 Report on Human Rights in Venezuela . `` Human rights defenders continued to suffer harassment . Prison conditions provoked hunger strikes in facilities across the country . '' Human Rights Watch , an independent global organization , issued a 230-page report in 2008 that said Chavez has shown an `` open disregard for the principle of separation of powers ... specifically , the notion that an independent judiciary is indispensable for protecting fundamental rights . '' `` In the absence of credible judicial oversight , '' Human Rights Watch said , `` the Chavez government has engaged in often discriminatory policies that have undercut journalists ' freedom of expression , workers ' freedom of association and civil society 's ability to promote human rights in Venezuela . '' The Chavez government has routinely denied any allegations of human rights abuses , saying that authorities arrest citizens only on suspicion of breaking the law .
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NEW : Human rights organizations say Chavez violates free speech . Leocenis Garcia has been held two years without trial . He was arrested in May 2008 on weapons and property charges . Garcia says he was targeted for criticizing government 's petroleum industry .
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Havana , Cuba -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cuban President Raul Castro replaced two high-level government ministers Monday -- citing errors and incompetence -- in the latest round of replacements at top-level government posts . Sugar Minister Luis Manuel Avila Gonzalez was fired after requesting his release because of admitted shortcomings in his own performance , according to an official statement published Tuesday in the country 's state-run newspaper . Orlando Celso Garcia Ramirez will replace him , it said . Transportation Minister Jorge Luis Sierra Cruz was fired due to `` errors in the performance of duties , '' state media reported . He also lost his post as a vice president on a top governing body called the Council of Ministers , it said . Transport Director Maside Cesar Ignacio Arocha replaced Sierra at the Transport Ministry , while Gen. Antonio Enrique Lusson Batlle -- a long-time commander in the Cuban army -- assumed Sierra 's post on the Council of Ministers . President Raul Castro , once the world 's longest serving defense minister , assumed the presidency in 2006 when his older brother , Fidel Castro , stepped down because of illness -- at first temporarily , and then permanently in 2008 . Since then , many analysts have speculated that the younger Castro has worked to consolidate power , replacing top government posts with army brass . `` The Cabinet is now substantially different to what it was in 2006 , and substantially different to what it was in 2008 , '' when Fidel Castro officially ceded power , said Julia Sweig , senior fellow at Council on Foreign Relations and recent author of `` Cuba : What Everyone Needs to Know . '' `` Of course this is Castro solidifying control , '' she said , `` but it 's also an attempt to impose a culture of governance and efficiency '' in leadership positions that `` under Fidel were very uneven . '' Sweig and others contend that recent changes in leadership may be part of broader economic measures intended to streamline Cuba 's bloated state sector , which Raul Castro recently said has supported an excess of up to a million workers . Avila 's release from Cuba 's Sugar Ministry also has raised questions about its broader future . Once a world leader in sugar exportation , Cuba has faced a steady decline since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the accompanying subsidies that once boosted sugar production on the island nation . Widespread speculation suggests the country may eventually close its Sugar Ministry or even open it up to foreign investment in an effort to boost Cuba 's cash-strapped economy . `` If that pans out , they may be bringing in someone -LSB- at the Sugar Ministry -RSB- who is more suited to that task , '' said Cuba analyst Phil Peters from the Lexington Institute in Washington . `` It may be aimed at foreign investment , '' he said , adding that `` Brazil and others could really help turn that sector into an energy producer . '' Later Tuesday morning , Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero announced plans to open up real estate to foreign investment on tourism-related projects , laying out plans for new hotels across the country . The move comes only weeks after Cuba instituted a pilot program of turning over hundreds of state-run barber shops and beauty salons to employees . Since taking office , Castro has allowed such small liberalization measures and tackled corruption , fostering the creation of a comptroller general 's office intended to better manage state revenues . Monday 's replacements come on the heels of the removal of Rogelio Acevedo , long-time head of the country 's airlines and airport . While no official explanation was given for Acevedo 's release , it prompted widespread speculation of corruption . In an uncharacteristically critical article published on a state-sanctioned website last month , Cuban columnist Esteban Morales called corruption a greater threat to the island nation than internal dissent , specifically noting Acevedo 's dismissal . `` Corruption is the real counterrevolution , '' Morales wrote , cautioning against groups entrenched in the country 's Communist system .
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Transportation Minister fired for `` errors in the performance of duties '' Sugar Minister Luis Manuel Avila Gonzalez requested release , admitted shortcomings . Country 's airlines and airports chief was replaced in March .
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[[508, 610], [218, 354], [3499, 3631]]
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- South Africa 's Caster Semenya has been given the all-clear to compete again as a woman after undergoing a series of gender tests , the International Association of Athletics Federation -LRB- IAAF -RRB- announced Tuesday . `` The process initiated in 2009 in the case of Caster Semenya has now been completed , '' the IAAF said in a statement on its website . `` The IAAF accepts the conclusion of a panel of medical experts that she can compete with immediate effect . '' The IAAF added : `` The medical details of the case remain confidential and the IAAF will make no further comment on the matter . '' The 19-year-old Semenya was delighted to be able to return , after nearly a year of controversy and uncertainty . `` I am thrilled to enter the global athletics arena once again and look forward to competing with all the disputes behind me , '' she said in a statement released by her legal team . Semenya emerged from obscurity at the beginning of last year to run world class times over 800 meters , culminating in victory over the distance in the world championships in Berlin in August . Her runaway gold medal performance in one minute 55.45 seconds raised eyebrows and the IAAF announced at the championships that they would be conducting tests to determine her gender . On return to South Africa , Semenya became a cause celebre among the public and was feted by leading politicians , who were angered by her treatment . But it later emerged that Athletics South Africa -LRB- ASA -RRB- had carried out a gender test on her even before she departed for Berlin . The ASA president at the time , Leonard Chuene , initially denied that such a test had taken place , but was forced to admit he lied and has been suspended along with the rest of the ASA board . Semenya 's lawyer Greg Nott said that the decision to allow her to compete again had come after protracted negotiations between the IAAF and her own medical team . `` Our direct negotiations with the IAAF representatives , through the mediator , have been ongoing for 10 months , '' he said . `` Meetings have been held in Monaco , Istanbul and Paris , but due to the nature of the matter the parties resolved to keep the negotiations confidential , '' Nott added . Semenya now has the opportunity to compete in the world junior championships in Canada later this month , but October 's Commonwealth Games in Delhi is a more realistic target .
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Caster Semenya gets the all-clear to compete again as a woman . Semenya has had to undergo a series of gender tests after doubts over her sexuality . Semenya has not raced internationally since winning the world 800 meters title last year .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man who killed himself before police could question him about the abduction of a 4-year-old Missouri girl was a convicted sex offender , a local official told CNN Thursday . Paul Smith , 38 , died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head , Lincoln County , Missouri , coroner Robert Shramek said . Smith shot himself as investigators approached him late Wednesday afternoon . He died in a hospital at 10:29 p.m. , Shramek said . Smith was a convicted sex offender , according to Missouri 's sex offender registry and Louisiana , Missouri , city administrator Bob Jenne . St. Louis County Police Chief Timothy Fitch told reporters Thursday that `` good old-fashioned detective work '' led authorities to Smith . `` We have plenty of evidence that Paul Smith is the suspect , '' Fitch said in a news conference . The girl , Alisa Maier , was found alive Tuesday night in the St. Louis suburb of Fenton , about 70 miles south of her Mississippi River hometown of Louisiana , Missouri . She was wearing different clothes than the ones she had on when she was abducted , and Fitch said they were able to trace those clothes to a particular Wal-Mart . Store employees showed authorities transaction records from Smith 's purchase of a pack of cigarettes , which in Missouri , requires the buyer to give their date of birth . `` All -LRB- investigators -RRB- had to work with was some video of this individual and his date of birth , '' Fitch said . Alisa was discovered at a gas station car wash , where witnesses saw her walking away from a car with a very loud muffler , which then left the station . Fitch said Smith was familiar with that area . The little girl 's parents identified her from a photograph sent by police there , her grandfather , Roy Harrison , said Wednesday night . `` You could n't miss the big brown eyes , '' Harrison told HLN 's `` Nancy Grace . '' But the search went on for the man who abducted her , who was seen driving a dark-colored , four-door sedan with missing wheel covers and a loud muffler . A tip led police to a home in the town of Hawk Point , about 45 miles south of Louisiana , where police found a car parked outside a home that roughly matched that description , Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Al Nothum said . Before police could speak to the man at the home , `` He pulled out a gun and shot himself , '' Nothum said . Alisa was snatched from the front yard of her home Monday evening as she played with her 6-year-old brother . Harrison said his granddaughter is `` a bright young girl '' who has talked `` a little bit '' with her parents about her abduction . Anita McKlevis , a neighbor , told HLN 's `` Prime News '' that the town of about 4,000 was overjoyed by the girl 's safe return . `` It was like someone gave us all $ 1 million , '' McKlevis said . `` Everybody is so happy for this little girl and the family . We are going to stick by the family . That 's important . '' McKlevis said she sent cupcakes to the family 's home , `` because I know she loves them . '' And Harrison said the family was `` ecstatic '' over Alisa 's safe return . `` I 've told people earlier , if I could do a back flip , I would , '' he said . `` When we get her back and get the family together , we 're gon na have a barbecue and togetherness , and hugs and kisses . I could n't be any happier . ''
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NEW : Paul Smith , suspected of abducting a 4-year-old gir , was a convicted sex offender . NEW : Police say they tracked the suspect using `` good old-fashioned detective work '' Smith died of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head . The abducted 4-year-old girl was discovered alive Tuesday .
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