doc_text
stringlengths 157
16.7k
| summary_text
stringlengths 26
11.1k
| highlight_spans
stringlengths 9
3.7k
|
|---|---|---|
Hermiston , Oregon -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In war , one family 's story echoes the pain of another . I was reminded of that while watching Larry King interview Pat Tillman 's parents last week . Spc. Pat Tillman , who forfeited a multimillion-dollar football contract to serve his country , died in Afghanistan in 2004 . Many may consider this couple 's relentless pursuit for truth futile -- it wo n't resurrect their son -- but I understand it . It took me eight years to discover what really happened the day my father died in Vietnam 's Ia Drang Valley . They say the man who killed my father went nuts . I do n't know if that 's true or not -- he was dead by the time I got around to looking for him . I wonder sometimes if he took his own life . I could find that out easily enough if I really wanted to know , but I do n't . The men who were there in 1966 know how hard Sgt. C. took it . He and Daddy were good buddies . Our families often gathered for weekend barbecues and fishing along on Oahu 's North Shore before the 25th Infantry , stationed there , shipped out . They say that Sgt. C. drank too much . There 's some that say his drinking is the cause of the fratricide -- that 's what the Army calls it when one of your buddies kills you . After Daddy died , Sgt. C. sent Mama a rambling letter about how he wished he could marry her . That 's the sort of crazy thing a fellow says when he 's talking out of his head . The sentiment does n't offend me . It shows me how much heart he had , sober or not . When his widow learned that I was writing a book about what happened to my father , she hired a lawyer , who sent me a snarky letter by certified mail . The widow threatened a lawsuit if I quoted from her husband 's letter . She did n't have any legal grounds to stand on : You ca n't slander a dead man . I could tell you his name and quote from the letter if I wanted , but hurting others has never been the point . They say when Sgt. C. returned from Vietnam he did n't go home to Alabama . Instead he went to a head hospital in Texas . They say he spent months there , trying to forget everything he remembered . How that blast from Sgt. C 's 105-howitzer pushed my father 's guts straight out into Daddy 's hands . Sgt. C likely overheard , the way others there that day did , my father pleading with the young doctor , `` Please do n't let me die . '' These things happen in war , everyone says so , even Mama . She did n't really understand why I needed to know the truth : `` It wo n't bring your father back , '' she warned . I was n't trying to bring Daddy back -- I was trying make sense of a world gone mad . I did n't know when I started my search that my father was killed by his buddy . I was n't aware that there were two official Army reports -- the first one the truth and the second one a lie meant to protect Sgt. C. and , if you believe military officials -LRB- and I do n't -RRB- , to `` protect the family . '' Pat Tillman 's family does n't feel protected . They feel betrayed . His parents are in the news again , telling us , this time in a documentary , what they 've been telling us for the last six years : That their son was killed by men in his own platoon and that the military knowingly and willingly participated in covering up the truth to protect , not the family , but their own sorry asses . -LRB- Excuse my potty mouth but there are times when behinney is the inappropriate word -RRB- . All this reminds me of a quote I read : `` The central defect of evil is not the sin but the refusal to acknowledge it '' -LRB- Dr. M. Scott Peck , `` People of the Lie '' -RRB- . The military only needs to practice the integrity they preach . Instead they do the blame-shift thing . In an interview with ESPN 's Mike Fish , the Army officer who directed the first inquiry , Lt. Col. Ralph Kauzlarich , admitted officials knew which shooter killed Tillman but he saw no value in going there . `` I do n't think it really matters , '' Kauzlarich said . The point , he said , is n't who really killed Tillman but rather his parents ' lack of faith : . `` There -LSB- have -RSB- been numerous unfortunate cases of fratricide and the parents have basically said , ` OK , it was an unfortunate accident . ' And they let it go . These people have a hard time letting it go . It may be because of their religious beliefs . '' He went on to say : . `` When you die , I mean , there is supposedly a better life , right ? Well , if you are an atheist and you do n't believe in anything , if you die , what is there to go to ? Nothing . You are worm dirt . So for their son to die for nothing , and now he is no more -- that is pretty hard to get your head around that . '' You may recall that at Pat Tillman 's funeral , his younger brother Rich chided the crowd for their false piety : . `` Pat 's not with God . He 's f *** ing dead . He 's not religious . So , thanks for your thoughts but he 's f *** ing dead . '' It 's painful to see a brother come undone that way , in front of God and everybody . But given the propensity we Americans have to manipulate God for our own patriotic , and particularly militaristic purposes , I appreciate the pain that propels the Tillman family . Kauzlrich ought to take a lesson from the General in Isak Dinesen 's tale , `` Babette 's Feast '' : . `` Man , in his weakness and shortsightedness believes he must make choices in this life . He trembles at the risks he takes . We do know fear . But no . Our choice is of no importance . There comes a time when our eyes are opened and we come to realize that mercy is infinite . We need only await it with confidence and receive it with gratitude . Mercy imposes no conditions . And lo ! Everything we have chosen has been granted to us . And everything we rejected has also been granted . Yes , we even get back what we rejected . For mercy and truth have met together , and righteousness and bliss shall kiss one another . '' If Lt. Col. Kauzlrich , and others charged with handling the Tillman investigation , had only been as relentless in their pursuit of truth as they were in covering it up , it would have been a grace to the Tillman family . A grace that may have helped them make sense of a world gone mad . A grace that surely would have enabled them to put their son rest and perhaps , restore to them , in some small measure , a glimpse of the God of mercy and truth . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Karen Spears Zacharias .
|
Karen Spears Zacharias said she relates to Tillman parents , who spoke with Larry King . Her father was killed by a fellow soldier in Vietnam , she says . Military should have put its energy into finding the truth about Tillman 's death , she says . Zacharias : Truth would have allowed Tillman 's parents to put their son to rest .
|
[[96, 189], [134, 189], [2636, 2716], [2656, 2716], [3149, 3202], [6239, 6316]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- You ca n't miss Beauvoir as you drive along scenic U.S. Highway 90 through Biloxi , Mississippi . Its grand staircase , with the railings scrolling outward , welcomes you like open arms . The front porch wraps around the entire front of the home , supported by regal white pillars , common during the antebellum period . It 's the kind of front porch where you can envision someone sitting in a rocking chair with a glass of iced tea , as the breeze from the beach offers the only respite from a humid August afternoon . When Hurricane Katrina devastated Mississippi 's coastal areas , the storm tore up the home . But it also peeled back a little slice of history about Beauvoir that might never have been known otherwise . Beauvoir was the last home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis . Some call Davis a forgotten hero of American history . He was a graduate of West Point , a hero in the Battle of Monterrey during the Mexican-American War , and a senator from Mississippi . When Davis served in Washington , he helped get the Smithsonian Institution up and running after the founder , James Smithson , died . In the months before the Civil War , Davis resigned from the Senate and was selected as president of the Confederacy . When the war ended , he was charged with treason and , although he was never tried or convicted , he lost the right to run for public office . He later settled in Biloxi , and purchased Beauvoir from a family friend for $ 5,500 , although the owner died shortly after Davis made the first payment . It was his last home . Learn more about the home 's history . Five years ago , Katrina ripped the front porch completely off , taking part of the slate roof with it , and knocking down several support columns . Windows were blown out , and water flooded the interior . Furniture and pictures dating to the 1800s were waterlogged . Winterthur Museum , out of Delaware , voluntarily restored the furniture and paintings . A paint historian surveyed the interior of the home after Katrina to ensure restoration was historically accurate . This was a tedious project , involving Q-tips , paint remover , and a microscope . But the effort paid off , and with a bonus -- because things were discovered about the home that might never have been revealed if Katrina had n't ravaged South Mississippi . Then and now photos of Katrina 's devastation . The historian learned the white doors were originally painted a faux oak color . The director of Beauvoir , Rick Forte , explained that the doors were too large to be made from real oak , a heavy wood . So the original owner opted for cypress and had the doors finished in `` the king of wood '' oak finish , as Forte described it . The white mantles over the fireplaces in the home were originally painted a faux marble . The historian also discovered fresco art on the ceiling of the reception hall , the front parlor and the library . The most revealing discovery was the architecture . Beauvoir was built in the mid-1800s by James Brown . `` We always wondered whether he was his own architect or if he hired one from New Orleans , '' said Forte . It turns out Brown was the architect , and in some ways , not a very good one . Many mistakes had to be repaired , in addition to the restoration work after the hurricane . `` It cost $ 4 million to restore the Beauvoir house , but it is a priceless house , '' according to Forte . Today , Beauvoir is anchored to the ground with a foundation of concrete and rebar . The last national historic landmark house on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is fully restored to its original charm and splendor . `` It looks as good today as the day they finished it in 1852 , '' Forte boasts . As many as 4,000 people toured the home for its grand reopening , but tourists are sparse now , thanks to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico . But Forte counts his blessings as far as the home 's survival of Katrina . `` It was like going from hell to heaven , to where we are now , '' he said .
|
Beauvoir , in Biloxi , Mississippi , was the home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis . Hurricane Katrina tore up the home 's exterior and damaged historical paintings and furniture . During the restoration process , workers learned new info about how the house was built . It cost $ 4 million to restore the home .
|
[[744, 813], [540, 602], [605, 633], [1619, 1633], [1636, 1666], [1619, 1633], [1636, 1643], [1684, 1721], [1826, 1868], [1826, 1887], [3327, 3376]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Very few things will make my skin crawl more than listening to someone totally misrepresent the famous `` I Have A Dream '' speech the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave on August 28 , 1963 . It 's clear that far too many people have n't bothered to actually read or listen to the speech . Instead , folks -- especially those who likely would have branded King a Communist , a socialist , a Marxist or a racial hell-bent on destroying America -- love to tout King 's `` content of character '' line in order to push back against a variety of issues , especially affirmative action . Just today , I saw a press release from Project 21 , a coalition of black conservatives , suggesting that a rally planned Saturday by a radio talk show host and Fox News personality is akin to King 's 1963 march . Coby Dillard , a member of Project 21 , is quoted as saying , `` The dream of King -- that every person be judged by their character rather than their color -- is one of the tenets that makes our nation honorable in the minds of people around the world . King 's legacy is a gift to us all , and no one person or organization holds claim to his work and his message . I can think of no better way to honor him by renewing our shared commitment to uphold those principles that have held our country together throughout history . '' It 's clear that Dillard , and so many others , has n't read a history book or other publications surrounding the march and instead loves to continue to spread falsehoods , misrepresentations and outright fabrications stemming from the Washington march . First , we need to stop calling it the March on Washington . It was officially called the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom . If you leave off the `` Jobs and Freedom '' part , it sounds like black folks just went for a walk that day . Upset with the lack of economic opportunities for blacks at the time , as well as the voting rights injustices , the organizers wanted to put pressure on Congress and the President Kennedy administration to put their muscle behind a comprehensive civil rights bill . No , the 1963 march had nothing to do with some hokey values espoused by a radio/TV windbag . It was a day to assemble a mass of people to represent a show of strength and to get leaders in Washington to listen to the urgent need across the country . Second , we continue to misrepresent King 's speech as the `` I Have a Dream '' speech . As CNN 's Soledad O'Brien reported in the special `` MLK Papers : Words That Changed a Nation , '' the speech was never called that . It was actually titled `` Normalcy : Never Again . '' In fact , the `` I Have A Dream '' portion , which represents the bottom third of it , was n't in the original text . As Soledad reported , King often gave variations of the `` Dream '' portion of the speech , and on that day , he was encouraged by gospel great Mahalia Jackson to tell the audience about his `` dream . '' There is no doubt that his soaring oratory about the need for racial harmony continues to send chills down our spines today , but if we as a country get so excited and wrapped up in the `` dream '' sequence , we forget the economic nightmare King painted in the top two-thirds of the speech . When I give speeches , I often tell folks that the `` I Have A Dream '' portion is the `` hoop '' part , which is when the pastor begins sing , scream and shout when he/she has finished the sermon . But the real measure of a sermon is the scripture , which serves as the thesis . So let 's get to the meat -- or the purpose -- of King 's 1963 speech . At the top , he lays out the vision of slaves being freed by the Emancipation Proclamation , yet 100 years later , `` One hundred years later , the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination . One hundred years later , the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity . One hundred years later , the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land . '' Then he makes clear that the purpose of going to the Lincoln Memorial is to `` dramatize a shameful condition . '' `` In a sense , we 've come to our nation 's capital to cash a check , '' King said . `` When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence , they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir . `` This note was a promise that all men , yes , black men as well as white men , would be guaranteed the ` unalienable rights ' of ` life , liberty and the pursuit of happiness . ' It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note , insofar as her citizens of color are concerned . Instead of honoring this sacred obligation , America has given the Negro people a bad check , a check which has come back marked ` insufficient funds . ' `` But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt . We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation . And so , we 've come to cash this check , a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice . '' King then began to talk about the `` fierce urgency of now , '' laying out the treacherous conditions upon which black people lived in , and having to deal with violence and the trampling of their rights . He laid bare the despair of not being able to stay in hotel rooms , having to drink out of segregated water fountains and the lack of voting rights . Then King launches into the portion about his `` dream . '' Folks , the fulfillment of King 's dream was n't about getting along . It was about every man and woman being afforded equal rights and an opportunity to find a job , raise their family and not have to suffer from brutality . His speech was n't partisan or political ; it was prophetic and about prosperity . How is it relevant today ? If anyone wants to model that march , then stop with the ego-driven nonsense and focus on pushing Congress to enact a jobs bill so Americans can work . Tell Democrats and Republicans to stop playing footsy with lobbyists and looking out for Wall Street 's interests . Tell leaders in Washington to give a damn about the poor of this country , from the hills of West Virginia to the dusty roads in Alabama . Tell some Republicans to stop their shameful condemnations of Americans who ca n't find a job . For the nearly 250,000 who gathered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28 , 1963 , it was n't about ego ; it was about results . There was no partisan agenda ; it was one where whites and blacks refused to stand idly by and watch black Americans denied an opportunity to thrive in this country . In the final five years of his life , King fought for equal pay for sanitation workers in Memphis and was planning a Poor People 's Campaign for DC to highlight the economic injustices . Please , take the time to go and read or listen to the speech . Understand the context . Examine the overall mission . And do n't try to pimp and pervert King 's prophetic word so you can score some political points . And that goes for a charlatan , even if they have a TV or radio show , who seeks to align themselves with King 's momentous and radical speech 47 years ago . The opinions in this commentary are solely those of Roland S. Martin .
|
Roland S. Martin says the famous speech is often misrepresented . He cites a rally set for Saturday in Washington as one example . Two-thirds of speech paints picture of an economic nightmare , he says . The best move today would be to push for a jobs bill , Martin writes .
|
[[82, 142], [2361, 2367], [2370, 2421], [613, 614], [690, 813], [3170, 3253], [6053, 6059], [6131, 6177]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Iranian woman awaiting possible execution by stoning was denied visits from her family and attorney this week , just days after her lawyer 's home was ransacked and searched . Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani 's two children were turned away Thursday during visitation hours , her son , Sajjad Ghaderzadeh , told CNN Friday . `` They told me , ` Your mother does n't want to see you , ' and they would n't let me in , '' he said . But later that night he received a call from his mother . `` The guards had told her , ` Your children did n't visit you today , they want nothing to do with you , ' '' Ghaderzadeh said . Ashtiani 's children have visited her every Thursday afternoon since she was convicted of adultery in 2006 . `` This is the first time I was turned away , '' Ghaderzadeh said . `` I do n't know why they are acting this way . '' `` Our home phone number is tapped and being monitored . My cell phone is being monitored . They have control over everything . I do n't know what they are thinking , '' Ghaderzadeh said . He also charged that Iranian authorities broke into the home of his mother 's attorney and stole his files . Houtan Kian confirmed the claim , telling CNN that he came back to his house Sunday after a meeting with Ghaderzadeh in his office to find his home burglarized . `` They took all my computers , and files for my cases . They literally knocked my front door down ! I ca n't believe this , '' he said . Kian said he was also denied his weekly meeting with Ashtiani at the prison . `` Because I am her lawyer , and working for her release and trying to prove that she is innocent , for this reason they are not letting me visit her , '' he said . Another attorney who represents Ashtiani , Mohammed Mostafaei , fled Iran earlier this month after members of his family , including his wife , were arrested and authorities issued a warrant for his arrest . `` I made a decision , after I saw that they were still going to arrest me and mistreat me , that I must leave Iran . It was a very hard decision , '' Mostafaei told CNN at the time . Kian says Iranian authorities are trying to `` sabotage '' the case by threatening his safety . He admits he is worried , but vowed he will not bend to `` their pressure . '' `` I am scared for my safety , 100 percent . There are no guarantees from the authorities . I am scared for my family and very worried . But I do n't want to leave -LSB- Iran -RSB- at all . I have been working on this case for years . I will work until I prove they are innocent ... for all my clients , '' he said . Iranian judicial authorities say a final verdict in Ashtiani 's case has not yet been made , ISNA news agency reported Saturday . Last month , Iran 's judiciary said the case was under review . The International Committee Against Stoning , a human rights group , has said that Iran announced she will not be executed during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan , which ends around September 9 . Iran 's judiciary could reinstate her sentence of death by stoning , execute her by other means , or possibly even grant her a reprieve , according to human rights groups . Iran 's Judiciary High Council of Human Rights said in a communique Saturday that evidence shows the allegations against Ashtiani `` have been proved right '' and that Iran 's judiciary operates independently , as other justice systems do , the semi-official Iranian Student 's News Agency reported . `` The stance taken by officials of other countries and international authorities on legal issues of countries is a wrong , unfair and biased prejudgment since they do not have access to reliable sources of the countries , '' the council said . The statement came soon after France asked the European Union to come up with new approaches to get Iran to stop the pending execution . Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner raised the issue Wednesday with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton , asking that measures be studied to stop Iran from violating human rights . `` We need to encourage the Union in initiatives to remind Iranian authorities that ... their attitude of isolation has a price , which they can liberate as soon as they choose a more responsible behavior and more in line with their international commitments on the subject of human rights , '' Kouchner said in a letter to Ashton published in the French press on Friday .
|
`` This is the first time I was turned away , '' says son of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani . The Ashtiani case has sparked international outrage . France wants EU to consider new `` initiatives '' against Iran .
|
[[745, 788], [756, 770], [791, 812], [3699, 3791], [3836, 3869], [3945, 4019]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Saturday that he plans to recruit more African-American and Latino teachers in a bid to narrow achievement gaps among students . African-American males make up less than 2 percent of teachers nationwide , Duncan told CNN , while African-American and Latino males -- combined -- represent roughly 3.5 percent of all U.S. teachers . `` That 's not a number we can be proud of , '' Duncan said . `` Because so many of our young men grow up in single parent families , they grow up without a strong male presence in their household . They need to be surrounded by mentors and role models who can help them envision a positive future for themselves , '' he added . Earlier this month , he told CNN 's `` John King , USA '' that the dropout rate in African-American and Latino communities in many areas is as high as 50 percent . `` This is economically unsustainable and morally unacceptable , '' he said then . `` If we want to close achievement gaps , if we want to make sure that many more African-American and Latino male students are graduating rather than dropping out ... having those teachers , having those role models , having those coaches is going to make a huge difference in their lives , '' Duncan said . He added he is planning a campaign in the fall to recruit the next generation of teachers . `` We have to get dramatically better and we 're committed to doing that , '' he said . Separately on Saturday , he told activists at a rally to mark the 47th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. 's `` I Have a Dream '' speech that education is `` the civil rights issue of our generation . '' He urged people to stop being complacent and `` step up '' to demand excellence in schools . CNN 's Graham Flanagan contributed to this report .
|
Arne Duncan says students would benefit from strong role models in the classroom . He says getting more minority teachers into the mix is key to closing achievement gaps . African-American and Latino male teachers make up about 3.5 percent of teachers nationwide .
|
[[591, 644], [0, 15], [19, 145], [75, 189], [290, 317], [327, 335], [339, 391], [290, 323], [339, 391]]
|
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The planned large rally by Fox News Channel and radio talk show host Glenn Beck on Saturday on the National Mall is causing controversy because of its location and timing . Saturday is the 47th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. 's `` I Have a Dream '' speech , and Beck 's rally will be in front of the Lincoln Memorial , where the civil rights leader delivered his historic address . Beck , a hero to many conservative voters across the country , says that the mission of the rally is to honor American troops and that the event is nonpolitical . A news release for the `` Restoring Honor '' rally says `` this non-political event benefits the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and pays tribute to America 's service personnel and other upstanding citizens who embody our nation 's founding principles of integrity , truth and honor . '' Tea Party activists from across the country are expected to attend , and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin , a Fox News contributor , is expected to have a prominent speaking role . `` Tea Party Patriots , our national coordinators , are going because our supporters from around the country by the thousands are going to be there tomorrow for this event , '' Tea Party Patriots National Coordinator Jenny Beth Martin said Friday on `` CNN 's American Morning . '' Beck has been heavily promoting the event on his Fox program and on his radio broadcasts , and he says that the timing of the event was n't intentional . `` It was not my intention to select 8-28 because of the Martin Luther King tie . It is the day he made that speech . I had no idea until I announced it , '' Beck said on his radio show in June , soon after the announcement of the rally . `` Whites do n't own Abraham Lincoln . Blacks do n't own Martin Luther King . Those are American icons , American ideas , and we should just talk about character , and that 's really what this event is about . It 's about honoring character , '' Beck said Thursday on his Fox program . Also speaking at the event will be Alveda King , a niece of the late civil rights leader . While the NAACP put out a cautious statement regarding the rally , there has been plenty of criticism of the event . `` It 's offensive because it 's out of line with the fact . It 's out of line with the truth . The reality is that the conservative movement in America historically has always opposed expansion of civil rights for all kinds of people , '' Michael Fauntroy , an assistant professor of public policy at George Mason University , said Friday on CNN 's American Morning . `` From my perspective , there 's no real evidence that Glenn Beck is serious about trying to bring people together and to reclaim the civil rights movement , in my opinion ; it 's really about trying to confuse the civil rights movement and to delegitimize it and in fact dishonor it , '' Fauntroy said . Expect a lot of debate over the size of the crowd . While the National Park Service long ago stopped giving crowd estimates for events along the National Mall , organizers of the rally are putting out predictions . Brendan Steinhauser , director of state and federal campaigns for FreedomWorks , which has been helping to organize the event , predicts a crowd of 250,000 or more . He thinks the crowd will fill up the Lincoln Memorial area , the reflecting pool and reach the area by the National World War II Memorial . FreedomWorks is a nonprofit organization that helps train volunteer activists and provides some of the organization behind the Tea Party movement , including last year 's 9/12 taxpayer march on Washington . `` FreedomWorks has been sharing our logistical notes from organizing the huge 9/12 Taxpayer March on Washington in 2009 with Glenn Beck 's staff , '' Steinhauser said . `` They are doing the heavy lifting on the 8/28 event , and we 've tried to be as supportive as possible in terms of promotion , sending volunteers their way , helping them navigate the bureaucratic obstacles to doing events in Washington , and most importantly , turning out FreedomWorks members for the weekend 's events . '' One hour after the start of the Beck rally , NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous will join the Rev. Al Sharpton and his National Action Network and other civil rights leaders in a mass rally just a few miles away . Education Secretary Arne Duncan is also participating . Following an event at Washington 's Dunbar High School , the participants will march to the site of the future Martin Luther King Jr. . National Memorial just a few blocks from the Lincoln Memorial . It 's possible participants in both events could cross paths . Organizers of the Beck rally and FreedomWorks say they have not coordinated their efforts with Republican Party officials . And officials at the Republican National Committee , the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee all say they are not involved in the event . But a top House Democrat charges that Beck 's claim that the rally is nonpolitical is nonsense . `` It 's blatantly political , '' Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland , the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee , said at an appearance Friday at the National Press Club . `` I mean , come on . You have seen Glenn Beck and a lot of the talk show hosts on Fox News out there talking about this election for the last 15 months since the day President Obama was elected president . '' `` You 've had a constant tirade against the president , against Democratic efforts to get the economy turned around . Let 's call it what it is . It 's a blatant political effort . ''
|
Glenn Beck 's `` Restoring Honor '' rally will be on same day , near spot of `` I Have a Dream '' speech . Beck says timing is n't deliberate , his event is nonpolitical and it aims to honor American troops . Critics say event dishonors civil rights movement . The Rev. Al Sharpton , other civil rights leaders plan mass rally just a few miles away .
|
[[428, 432], [491, 590], [591, 674], [1442, 1500], [5002, 5094], [4135, 4177], [4180, 4335]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- All passengers aboard a passenger train that fell into a river in southwest China 's Sichuan ProvinceThursday got out alive , state-run CCTV reported Friday . The accident occurred in Guanghan at about 3:20 p.m. Thursday on the Shi-ting-jiang Bridge , part of the railway line that links Chengdu and Baoji , in northwestern Shaanxi Province . Floods caused the bridge piers to collapse , which forced the train from its track , local officials said . It was not immediately known how many passengers were inside the carriages , which a firefighter said were swept 200 meters downriver . Hundreds of people aboard five other carriages were taken to safety . The train was traveling from Xi'an , the capital of Shaanxi , to Kunming , the capital of southwestern Yunnan Province .
|
NEW : All passengers got out alive . Floods caused the bridge piers to collapse , forcing the train from its track . The train was traveling from Shaanxi to Yunnan Province .
|
[[0, 15], [129, 142], [362, 404], [396, 404], [413, 444]]
|
Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mel Gibson crashed his 2008 Maserati into a rocky Malibu hillside Sunday night , but the actor was unhurt , according to a California Highway Patrol spokesman . Alcohol is not suspected in the wreck on Malibu Canyon Road , which the investigator concluded was `` non-intentional , '' CHP Officer Leland Tang said . `` At that location and on that road , it could have happened to anybody , '' Tang said . `` For unknown reasons , Mr. Gibson steered his car to the right and struck the rock hillside , '' the police news release said . Gibson , who is in a bitter child custody dispute with his ex-girlfriend , is the target of celeb photographers . Gibson publicist Alan Nierob , asked if the paparazzi might have been a factor in the accident , said , `` Not that I 'm aware of . '' The CHP spokesman said the actor made it out of the crash with `` no injuries , not even a scratch . '' He theorized Gibson must have been wearing his seat belt . `` He 's OK , '' Nierob said . When Gibson was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence in Malibu four years ago , he became belligerent with Los Angeles sheriff 's deputies . He was given three years probation after entering a no-contest plea to a charge of drunken driving . He later admitted making anti-Semitic remarks during his arrest and apologized , saying the comments were `` blurted out in a moment of insanity . '' Gibson `` was extremely cooperative , he was a gentlemen '' after Sunday 's wreck , Tang said . His damaged car was towed away and Gibson rode home with a friend , according to the police report . CNN 's Denise Quan contributed to this report .
|
Gibson 's Maserati hit a rocky hillside for `` unknown reasons , '' highway patrol says . Alcohol is not suspected in the wreck , it says . Gibson was unhurt .
|
[[44, 122], [474, 484], [518, 542], [205, 264], [129, 149], [152, 192], [851, 928]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Chelsea have completed the English Premier League and FA Cup double for the first time in their history after a hard-fought 1-0 cup final win over Portsmouth at Wembley Stadium on Saturday . In a topsy-turvy match , which saw two penalties missed in a frantic second-half , Didier Drogba 's superb long-range free-kick eventually proved the difference , as both sides wasted a host of chances to find the net . In a strange twist of fate , the final was played between the last two winners of the competition -- Portsmouth -LRB- 2008 -RRB- and Chelsea -LRB- 2009 -RRB- -- but the similarity between the two sides ended there . Chelsea had sealed the Premier League title with an 8-0 thrashing of Wigan last weekend , while Portsmouth had suffered a dreadful season in which they became the first Premier League club to enter administration after accumulating huge debts -- subsequently finishing bottom of the table and suffering relegation to the second tier Championship . And that gulf in class between the sides showed in the opening 45 minutes , with Chelsea remarkably hitting the woodwork five times as they peppered the Portsmouth goal . The most glaring miss came from Ivory Coast striker Salomon Kalou , who somehow contrived to hit the crossbar with an open goal gaping , after being superbly set-up by left-back Ashley Cole . Frank Lampard 's dipping long-range strike and John Terry 's looping header also struck the woodwork , while Drogba gave notice of what was to come in the second half with a stunning free-kick , which England goalkeeper David James somehow managed to get a fingertip to , with the ball bouncing onto the goalline and away . Portsmouth themselves had a great opportunity in the first half , when Frederic Piquionne diverted a cross goalbound , only for goalkeeper Petr Cech to instinctively scramble the ball clear . Underdogs Portsmouth began the second half with more purpose and should have taken a surprise lead . Aruna Dindane out-paced substitute Julian Belletti , who had come on for the injured Michael Ballack , and was fouled by the Brazilian in the penalty area . However , Kevin-Prince Boateng 's weak spot-kick was hit straight down the middle , allowing Cech to save with his legs . And Portsmouth were made to play for that miss just two minutes later when Drogba found a gap in the Portsmouth wall to fire his free-kick into the far corner of James ' net . Chelsea squandered further chances to double their lead , most notably when Frank Lampard missed the game 's second penalty four minutes from the end after Lampard himself had been fouled by Michael Brown . However , Portsmouth failed to trouble Cech 's goal after that , although substitute Nadir Belhadj produced a couple of dangerous crosses from the left that caused panic in the Chelsea defence . After the game , Chelsea captain John Terry paid tribute to his side , who join Tottenham -LRB- 1961 -RRB- , Liverpool -LRB- 1986 -RRB- , Arsenal -LRB- 1971 , 1998 , 2002 -RRB- and Manchester United -LRB- 1994 , 1996 and 1999 -RRB- as modern-day `` Double '' winners . `` This is an unbelievable feeling and to win the Double with this group of players is just fantastic , '' Terry told ITV Sport . `` I thought our luck was running out with all those misses but it was a great strike from Didier and I thought we were worthy winners . `` The pitch was awful , the worse pitch we have played on this season , but we played our football and managed to get the victory . '' The result was also a personal triumph for manager Carlo Ancelotti , who managed to achieve what no other Chelsea manager -- including Jose Mourinho -- had achieved by winning the `` Double '' in his first season in charge at Stamford Bridge .
|
Chelsea complete a league and FA Cup double after beating Portsmouth 1-0 at Wembley . Didier Drogba 's long-range free-kick proves the difference between the two sides . The match sees both sides miss penalties and Chelsea hit the woodwork five times .
|
[[19, 79], [129, 135], [136, 176], [210, 232], [293, 370], [213, 232], [241, 290], [376, 429], [1075, 1164], [1357, 1432], [1438, 1457], [2505, 2578]]
|
Phoenix , Arizona -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The legal battle over a tough Arizona immigration law entered its next stage Thursday when Gov. Jan Brewer filed an expedited appeal to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals . The appeal asks the court to lift a preliminary injunction granted by a federal judge that blocked the most controversial parts of the law . The court document suggests a fast-track timetable that would have oral arguments on the appeal on September 13 . Before then , Arizona would file a substantive brief to the court and the U.S. Department of Justice would respond . The Justice Department responded to the motion Thursday , opposing the proposed timetable that would force the government to respond in half the typical time allotted . `` America is not going to sit back and allow the ongoing federal failures to continue , '' Brewer said in a statement . We are a nation of laws and we believe they need to be enforced . '' Following Wednesday 's injunction , some legal experts expect that the fight between the federal government and Arizona will reach the U.S. Supreme Court . `` We 'll win on appeal , '' said Arizona state Sen. Russell Pearce , who wrote the law , known as SB 1070 . `` I got news for the anarchists , '' he added . `` Our laws will be enforced . '' But Isabel Garcia , an immigrants ' rights activist and a legal defender in Pima County , Arizona , said she is confident that Wednesday 's ruling by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton will prevail under appeal . `` The court will not allow the state of Arizona to criminalize undocumented immigrants , '' Garcia told CNN . The judge 's ruling `` gutted '' the Arizona law , Garcia said . The preliminary injunction issued Wednesday prevents police from questioning people 's immigration status if there is reason to believe they are in the country illegally . Bolton also blocked provisions of the law making it a crime for people to fail to apply for or carry `` alien registration papers '' or `` for an unauthorized alien to solicit , apply for , or perform work , '' as well as a provision `` authorizing the warrantless arrest of a person '' if there is reason to believe that person might be subject to deportation . The parts of the law that took effect Thursday include a ban on so-called `` sanctuary cities '' -- municipalities with laws or policies that render them relatively safe for undocumented immigrants . Pearce noted that provision in the judge 's ruling . `` It was still a victory for Arizona , '' he told CNN 's `` Newsroom AM '' program . The judge also allowed a provision in the law that makes it illegal to hire day laborers if doing so impedes traffic . The parts of the law dealing with sanctions for employers who hire illegal immigrants also withstood the first legal test . Despite the judge 's ruling -- or perhaps because of it -- tensions remained elevated Thursday . Several demonstrators who oppose the immigration law were arrested Thursday afternoon in downtown Phoenix , where police blocked off several downtown streets and officers in riot gear were deployed throughout the area . Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said there were approximately 200 protesters oustide of a Phoenix jail . At least 15 protesters had been arrested , he said . Arpaio , a staunch supporter of the immigration law , and his department went ahead on Thursday with a sweep where violators of the law are subsequently investigated to verify their immigration status . The sweeps do not contradict the judge 's ruling because there are other laws that allow the transferring of undocumented workers from state jails to federal immigration custody afterwards , he said . `` Nothing is going to deter the sheriff and my office , including rulings by the federal judge . So , business as normal , '' he said . From the other side of the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexican border , the governor of Sonora state noted that the law has produced `` much tension '' between the two state governments . `` It puts a lot of tension to border states like Sonora , '' Guillermo Padres Elias told CNN . CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said the ruling reflects the government 's argument that immigration enforcement should be dealt with at the federal level . `` Arizona may have good intentions , they may be trying to make up for where the U.S. government has failed , but what the judge is saying is , this is not the way to do it , '' he said . `` I think this -LSB- is -RSB- a case very much destined for the Supreme Court , '' as other states pass similar laws , Toobin said . Pearce , author of the law , said he foresaw a protracted legal fight from the beginning . `` I wrote it to go to the Supreme Court , '' he said before the ruling came down . `` I 'm begging for that fistfight at the Supreme Court . We will win in a 5-4 decision and finally settle this problem . '' He added , `` My message to the judge , is uphold the Constitution . Uphold states ' rights . This is a battle of epic proportions . This is the states versus the central government . '' The federal appeals court could take up the case in a matter of days , but the earliest the Supreme Court could look at it would be October , because the high court is in summer recess . CNN 's Arthur Brice , Adam Blank , Phil Gast and Holly Yan contributed to this report .
|
Justice Department opposes fast-track timetable . Arizona governor files expedited appeal . Opponents of the law say the ruling `` gutted '' the measure . Judge blocks police from questioning people 's immigration status .
|
[[580, 635], [580, 602], [638, 737], [0, 7], [10, 33], [91, 207], [1630, 1657], [278, 293], [299, 348], [1501, 1585], [1674, 1779]]
|
-LRB- Mashable.com -RRB- -- Facebook has begun the rollout of a new feature , Facebook Questions , which will allow users to get answers to their queries from the entire Facebook community . Similar in concept to Yahoo! Answers , Quora and Mahalo , Facebook Questions gives users the opportunity to ask questions just by clicking the `` Ask Question '' button on the homepage . Questions is also available on friends ' profiles just as you would post on someone 's wall . We first learned of Facebook 's Q&A feature two months ago , when the company started asking for volunteers to beta test the product . The world 's largest social network even went so far as to promise beta testers a trip to Facebook 's offices to meet with the Q&A team . I had the chance earlier today to discuss the new feature with several Facebook employees . Questions has several defining features : . • Photo questions : For example , if you take a picture of a bird , but do n't know what species it is , you can post the picture on Facebook Questions and get your answer . • Polling : If you 're simply looking for the answer to `` Which city is better : Chicago or Dallas ? '' , you can get your answer by creating a poll . • Tagging : The company seems to be placing a lot of emphasis on tagging questions based on category or topic . The goal seems to be to make Q&A discovery an easier and faster process by making it simple to look up questions on cooking , photography , San Francisco or a variety of other topics . • Topic exploration : Facebook described this as a roulette-type feature that allows users to browse Facebook 's eventual mountain of Q&A . Under the `` Questions about '' drop-down menu , there 's a feature called `` Everything '' that allows users to browse the company 's catalog of questions . • Following : You can follow specific questions for updates and new answers . • Updated homepage : Facebook Questions does actually change the homepage , adding a new bar at the top of the page where you can choose to update your status , ask a question , add photos , or post a link . There was one more thing that Facebook made clear to me : Facebook Questions is not an advertising product . While brands with Facebook Pages will eventually be able to answer questions , it 's not meant to be a promotional platform ; it 's meant to be a useful and insightful product for users . Facebook Questions will roll out to a limited group of beta testers today , but the company promises to `` bring this product to all of you as quickly as we can . '' The entire feature is public , so we do n't suggest posting those awkward bedroom questions on Facebook . Will Facebook Questions prove to be more useful than Quora or even Twitter as a Q&A platform ? We think so , if only because it has the biggest advantage of them all : 500 million users . © 2010 MASHABLE.com . All rights reserved .
|
Facebook has begun the rollout of a new feature , Facebook Questions . Questions will allow users to get answers to their queries from the Facebook community . Feature will roll out to a limited group of beta testers Thursday .
|
[[25, 75], [62, 75], [78, 98], [105, 190], [2385, 2458], [62, 75], [78, 98], [105, 190], [249, 377], [1160, 1185], [2385, 2458]]
|
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A `` permissive '' environment with inconsistent discipline is one of the factors leading to a spike in Army suicides , according to a new report released Thursday . The 15-month-long Army study on suicide prevention concludes there is a need to promote and encourage healthy behavior among troops as one of the key means of reducing suicide levels . Moreover , the report called on commanders to reinforce efforts to discipline soldiers for substance abuse , criminal behavior and disciplinary problems . Many of today 's commanders are so focused on getting ready for deployments to war zones , some of these issues have slipped through the cracks , according to Army officials who briefed CNN ahead of the release of the study . `` Now more than ever , our soldiers need firm , fair and consistent leadership , '' said Gen. Peter Chiarelli , Army vice chief of staff , in the report 's introduction . Chiarelli led the review team . `` What we witnessed firsthand were real indicators of stress on the force and an increasing propensity for soldiers to engage in high-risk behavior , '' he wrote . In fiscal year 2009 , 239 soldiers committed suicide in both the active duty and reserve force , the report noted . In addition , 146 soldiers died due to `` high risk '' behavior , including 74 drug overdoses . During the same time frame there were 1,713 suicide attempts , the report said . The Army found some form of `` high-risk '' behavior such as self-harm , illicit drug use , binge drinking or criminal activity was a factor in most of the deaths . `` For some , the rigors of service , repeated deployments , injuries and separations from family resulted in -LRB- a -RRB- sense of isolation , hopelessness and life fatigue , '' Chiarelli said . He also noted sometimes there has been a `` permissive unit environment '' which in some commanders `` failed to hold soldiers accountable for their actions and allowed for risk taking behavior -- sometimes with fatal consequences . '' Linda Bean 's son Coleman , of East Brunswick , New Jersey , was 25 when he committed suicide in 2008 a few months after his second tour in Iraq . The Army sergeant had been diagnosed with Post-traumatic stress disorder , she said . `` I appreciate that the Army needs to identify and address drug - and alcohol-impaired troops , '' Bean said . `` Any workplace should take the necessary steps to combat that . '' But Bean said the report lacks meaningful information that can help troubled soldiers and their families . `` It 's critical that the Army and the Veterans Administration bring our communities into the conversation , and show us in a very clear and easy way how to access resources and services everywhere , including rural areas far from an Army base , '' she said . `` These services exist . '' Bean said such information is included in the report , but `` in a very minimal way . '' `` It 's a really modest list , buried in two paragraphs on Page 18 , '' she said . In his report , Chiarelli was not singling out any particular unit , Army officials said , but rather underscoring the need for commanders to focus on soldiers ' behavior even as they prepare for overseas deployments . The Army has long worried that some commanders are so focused on taking their entire unit on deployment , they may not realize or acknowledge that some troops with substance abuse or behavior problems should stay behind for treatment and not deploy . Officials plan to improve record-keeping so a commander will be more aware of soldiers ' records of problematic behavior . CNN 's Laurie Ure contributed to this article .
|
NEW : Mother of soldier says families need clearer access to resources . Study concludes commanders need to be attentive to soldiers ' behavior . `` High-risk behavior '' was deemed a factor in many Army suicides . Report : Commanders should realize that troops with problems should not deploy .
|
[[196, 380], [392, 535], [3075, 3089], [3101, 3176], [3134, 3189], [1261, 1342], [3331, 3335], [3355, 3475]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A picturesque New York town is all abuzz and ready for its closeup as the countdown to Chelsea Clinton 's wedding starts . Clinton , 30 , is expected to wed investment banker Marc Mezvinsky , 32 , on Saturday in Rhinebeck . The former first family is guarding details of the upcoming nuptials like state secrets , and has not released any information . Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently said she 's `` under very strict orders '' not to talk about it . The order seems to extend to those involved in the planning . A host of vendors contacted by CNN declined to comment , including a florist rumored to be involved . CNN could not independently verify the wedding venue . The secrecy and silence have only fueled the speculation . Residents of Rhinebeck -- population 4,000 -- are hanging up congratulatory signs on windows . And talking to television crews . And hoping the influx of high-profile visitors will mean a boost in the town 's economy . And ... well , you get the point . Local media have been crowing that the couple will wed at Astor Courts , a posh estate built more than a century ago along the Hudson River . The Beaux Arts building was one of the last buildings designed by the famous American architect Stanford White , according to the estate 's website . Lynn Lobotsky , a local florist , recently told CNN that she 's seen crews working around the clock along a stone wall leading up to the estate . `` They even worked on Sunday , '' Lobotsky said . Adding to the speculation , the FAA has declared a no-fly-zone around Rhinebeck on Saturday and Sunday . The restriction is for `` temporary flight restrictions for VIP movement , '' the FAA said on its website . Read the FAA 's Temporary Flight Restriction notice . Rhinebeck resident Dan Landa is taking it all in stride . `` With everything this wedding entails , I ca n't believe what 's going to happen this weekend , '' Landa told CNN television affiliate YNN . `` I can say I 'll still treat it like a regular workday , regular old day in the life of me . '' Is there any rivalry between the Clintons hometown of Chappaqua -- and the town 100 miles north of New York city where the nuptials will take place ? They should n't be , said resident Susan Cole . `` To be honest , the Rhinebeck area needs the $ 3 million more than the Chappaqua area does , '' Cole told YNN . White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said President Barack Obama will not attend the nuptials .
|
A small New York town is all abuzz about Saturday 's expected nuptials . Hillary Clinton is `` under very strict orders '' not to discuss daughter 's wedding . Couple is expected to wed at Astor Courts in Rhinebeck .
|
[[372, 481], [456, 481], [1014, 1130]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- NASCAR team owner Jack Roush , who was injured in a plane crash Tuesday , was transferred from a Wisconsin hospital to the Mayo Clinic , in Rochester , Minnesota , according to a statement released Thursday by one of his companies . `` Following surgery Tuesday night , related to the facial damage sustained in the accident , he remains in serious , but stable condition , '' said the statement from ROUSH Performance Products . `` He will continue to be treated at Mayo Clinic for his facial injuries . The ROUSH organization would like to thank the physicians and staff at Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah , Wisconsin , for the care and treatment provided during his stay . '' When the auto racing magnate crashed his plane at an Oshkosh , Wisconsin , airport Tuesday night , the aircraft `` cartwheeled '' an undetermined number of times and ended up facing in the opposite direction , National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson said Wednesday . Knudson said upon landing , the Beechcraft Premier jet , registered to Roush Fenway Racing LLC , rolled `` hard to the right , '' then its right wing dropped `` way down '' and struck a grass strip , and the plane flipped over at least once . The jet ended up facing north , though it had flown in facing south , Knudson said . The NASCAR owner was piloting the plane , which took off from Detroit , Michigan , Knudson said . The NTSB is leading the investigation into the accident . Roush 's company said Thursday it would `` like to thank everyone for the outpouring of support and well wishes '' and encouraged people wishing to make a charitable donation in the name of Jack Roush to contribute to Speedway Children 's Charities on the organization 's website . The Experimental Aircraft Association said in a statement Tuesday night that Roush 's passenger in the plane was Brenda Strickland of Plymouth , Michigan . Video showed the two of them walking away from the plane , which appeared to be split toward its midsection . Strickland was brought to Oshkosh 's Mercy Medical Center . She was treated , then released Wednesday , Mercy spokeswoman Maria Heim said Thursday . The Experimental Aircraft Association 's annual air show , AirVenture 2010 , had just ended for the day Tuesday at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh when the crash happened at 6:15 p.m. , association spokesman Dick Knapinski said . The accident shut down the airport until its regular 8 p.m. closing time , but the airport re-opened Wednesday morning , according to Knapinski . He said Roush comes every year and `` does presentations as an airplane enthusiast . '' Knapinski said Roush owns one of `` probably fewer than 200 airworthy '' World War II-era P-51 Mustang fighter planes and was scheduled to give a presentation about his vintage prop plane Tuesday . Roush had also been slated to appear at the air show Wednesday , signing autographs and talking to NASCAR fans at the Ford tent . `` Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR 's largest team , operating eight motorsports teams -- four in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth , Greg Biffle , Carl Edwards and David Ragan , and four in the Nationwide Series with Edwards , Ricky Stenhouse Jr. , Colin Braun , Brian Ickler and Paul Menard , '' said a statement from Roush 's racing team .
|
Auto racing magnate Jack Roush has been transferred to the Mayo Clinic . Roush had facial surgery Tuesday night . The NTSB says Roush 's plane rolled hard to the right and cartwheeled upon landing . Roush , an airplane enthusiast , was heading to an air show .
|
[[0, 15], [83, 153], [252, 286], [289, 317], [1019, 1045], [1088, 1115], [1195, 1233], [2838, 2900]]
|
Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A claim that several dozen glass plates bought for $ 45 at a garage sale were negatives from Ansel Adams brought an angry response of disbelief from the man who oversees the famed photographer 's trust . Adams ' grandson is also unconvinced . Matthew Adams , who runs the Ansel Adams Gallery , said even if they are authenticated , they are not worth much beyond their historical value . The art dealer who placed their eventual value at more than $ 200 million said Wednesday that the controversy is increasing their value by `` driving the market to them . '' `` They 're making them so desirable , '' said David W. Streets . `` People all over the world are seeing this and saying ' I want one of each . ' '' That controversy took a bitter turn a day after California wall painter Rick Norsigian and his lawyer held a news conference at Streets ' Beverly Hills art gallery to say they have proof the negatives were created by Ansel Adams . William Turnage , the managing trustee of Adams ' trust , called Norsigian and those working with him `` a bunch of crooks '' who `` are pulling a big con job . '' Norsigian 's lawyer , Arnold Peter , called Turnage 's attack `` a shameful and pointless disparagement of the professional reputations of some of the top leaders in their respective fields . '' The team of experts included two court-qualified handwriting experts , a retired FBI agent , and a former assistant United States attorney , Peter said . Peter said that based on the overwhelming evidence they gathered `` no reasonable person would have any doubt that these , in fact , were the long-lost images of Ansel Adams . '' Turnage , who was Adams ' business manager before his death in 1984 , challenged the expertise of Norsigian 's team , saying the only one with art credentials was a `` so-called expert that nobody has ever heard of from Jackson Hole , Wyoming . '' `` They had to go out into the boonies to dig him up , '' Turnage said . Norsigian 's lawyer responded by calling Turnage an `` elitist . '' `` Ansel Adams would likely be shocked and appalled at such blatant arrogance and condescending commentary in his name , '' Peter said . Turnage said Norsigian 's strategy is to line up a long list of hired experts to tell `` a big lie . '' `` Hitler used that technique , '' Turnage said . `` You do n't tell a small one . You tell a big one . '' Peter said Turnage `` has converted a professional disagreement over works of art into a personal attack utilizing tactics that are grossly offensive and unconscionable . '' `` Likening Rick Norsigian to Adolf Hitler is nothing more than yet another bullying tactics designed to silence Mr. Norsigian , '' Peter said . The lawyer invited Matthew Adams and Turnage `` to engage in a meaningful dialogue and examine the evidence which they have consistently refused to do . '' `` We now offer them yet another opportunity to jointly agree on and hire experts who are qualified to render a final opinion on the authenticity of the negatives , '' Peter said . `` Any honest and fair assessment will lead to but one conclusion -- these are the lost negatives of Ansel Adams . '' The approach was `` to put these negatives on trial '' using a `` high burden of proof '' to show that the 65 glass plates were created by Adams , the iconic American photographer whose images of the West inspired the country . `` I have sent people to prison for the rest of their lives for far less evidence than I have seen in this case , '' said evidence and burden-of-proof expert Manny Medrano , who was hired by Norsigian to help authenticate the plates . `` In my view , those photographs were done by Ansel Adams . '' Meanwhile , Matthew Adams said Wednesday , `` I do n't think that they 've proven that they are -LRB- authentic -RRB- . ... And I do n't know that you could ever prove that they are . '' Adams , who reviewed Norsigian 's evidence last year , said he wanted more scientific tests , including carbon dating , to prove beyond a doubt that the work was that of his grandfather . He cited `` a number of inconsistencies , '' including the conclusion by two handwriting analysts that notations on manila envelopes containing the plates were made by Ansel Adams ' wife , Virginia Adams . The envelopes had five misspellings of well-known Yosemite National Park landmarks , he said . `` Bridal Veil Falls '' is misspelled twice as `` Bridal Vail Falls '' and `` Happy Isles '' is misspelled `` Happy Iles , '' Adams said . Virginia Adams -- who spent most of her life in that area of California -- would have spelled those names correctly , he said . Handwriting experts Michael Nattenberg and Marcel Matley said they used Virginia Adams ' writing samples provided by her grandson to reach their conclusion that it was her penmanship . Matthew Adams said his belief that she was not the author of the notations is based on copies of the envelopes given to him by Peter . `` I just looked at them myself , '' Adams said . `` I did not hire experts . '' Norsigian 's team also said the locations of the photographs , which were taken around San Francisco and Yosemite , helped prove their case . `` The fact that these locations were well-known to Adams , and visited by him , further supports the proposition that all of the images in the collection were most probably created by Adams , '' said art expert Robert Moeller . Matthew Adams said that circumstantial evidence was unconvincing , since several other highly skilled photographers were known to shoot at the same places around the same period . Even if Norsigian 's glass plates are authentic Ansel Adams photographs , they would have mostly historical value , `` not anywhere near '' the $ 200 million estimate given by Streets , Adams said . Streets said his estimate was based on decades of print sales and rights fees . `` There will always be a demand for Ansel Adams ' work , '' he said . `` The long-term potential is very easy to prove for these . '' `` You ca n't print original photographs from them because Ansel 's not around to print them , '' Matthew Adams said . `` Anything you make from them you would have to say is an unknown interpretation of something that may be Ansel 's . '' The Ansel Adams Gallery is still producing prints , but with a printer who was trained by Adams . The iconic artist died in 1984 at the age of 82 . `` A lot of the magic that he created was in the darkroom making the print , '' his grandson said . `` Ansel 's not around to tell us how he would have printed it . '' Streets countered Adams , saying , `` It 's not a mysterious process . '' `` There are master printmakers who are making prints today , '' he said . Norsigian has contracted with Jesse Kallisher , whose prints hang in the Smithsonian and the Louvre museums , to produce original fine arts prints from the negatives , Streets said . While Matthew Adams is unconvinced , he does n't doubt that Norsigian is sincere in his belief that he has Ansel Adams negatives . `` I think that they do believe it , but I do n't think that they have proven it , '' he said . He does n't agree , however , with Turnage 's charge that it 's a `` con job . '' `` My take on it is that it is irresponsible to present them as Ansel 's , '' Matthew Adams said . Norsigian , a painter for the Fresno school system , kept the glass plates under his pool table for four years before realizing they might be too valuable to store at home . He believes they were from Adams ' early career , a period that is not well documented since a 1937 darkroom fire destroyed 5,000 of his plates . `` It truly is a missing link of Ansel Adams and history and his career , '' Streets said . Norsigian , who scours garage sales for antiques , was looking for a barber chair when he spotted two deteriorated boxes in the spring of 2000 . When he pulled one of the glass negatives out , he saw Yosemite . `` As a young man , I worked at Yosemite quite a bit . So , right away I recognized it as Yosemite , '' Norsigian said . He bargained with the seller , finally negotiating the price for the boxes down from $ 70 to $ 45 . The owner said he bought them in the 1940s at a warehouse salvage sale in Los Angeles . It would be two years before Norsigian realized the photos might be from Adams , he said . After four years , he had done enough research to realize the plates could be valuable . He moved them from under his pool table and placed them in a bank vault . How these 6.5-inch x 8.5-inch glass plate negatives of famous Yosemite landscapes and San Francisco landmarks -- some of them showing fire damage -- might have made their way from Adams ' collection 70 years ago to a Southern California garage sale in 2000 can only be guessed . Photography expert Patrick Alt , who helped confirm the authenticity of the negatives , suspects Adams carried them to use in a photography class he was teaching in Pasadena , California , in the early 1940s . `` It is my belief that he brought these negatives with him for teaching purposes and to show students how to not let their negatives be engulfed in a fire , '' Alt said . `` I think this clearly explains the range of work in these negatives , from very early pictorialist boat pictures , to images not as successful , to images of the highest level of his work during this time period . '' Alt said it is impossible to know why Adams would store them in Pasadena and never reclaim them . For now , the photos will go on a tour of universities and museums , starting in October at Fresno State University , Norsigian said . `` I just hope everybody enjoys them , '' he said . Norsigian said he has not spoken with the man who sold him the two boxes a decade ago . `` If he 's still around , I 'm afraid he may come looking for me , '' he said . Norsigian , who is 64 , is still working but said he may retire this year .
|
NEW : Ansel Adams ' trustee says garage sale claim is a `` con job '' NEW : The lawyer for the man who found photos calls Adams ' trustee an `` elitist '' NEW : An appraiser says the controversy is fueling sales of photo prints . Photographer 's grandson wants more tests before he accepts photos as Adams '
|
[[7199, 7219], [2000, 2064], [432, 602]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A second U.S. sailor who went missing in Afghanistan last week is dead , a Pentagon official said Thursday . Petty Officer 3rd Class Jarod Newlove , 25 , of Renton , Washington , was one of two sailors involved in a firefight on Friday in eastern Afghanistan . They were traveling in Logar province when they were attacked , the military said . Deen Mohammad Darwish , a Logar province official , said Newlove 's body was found in the Baraki Barak district of the province early on Wednesday . Newlove 's family was notified the same day , the Pentagon official said . The sailor died of wounds he sustained from the firefight when the two sailors were captured , Darwish said . Newlove had five gunshot wounds , including one to the head , Darwish said . The government asked the local elders of the province to form a committee and talk to the Taliban in order to retrieve the missing sailor . Because of the negotiations with the elders , the Taliban gave the body back without submitting any demands , Darwish said . Afghan and coalition forces first recovered the remains of Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin McNeley , 30 , of Wheatridge , Colorado , on Sunday . Petty had been listed as duty status whereabouts unknown . On Monday , Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said one American died in a firefight and the other was being held by the group . Mujahid said the two Americans were driving in a civilian vehicle in the village of Dasht , in Charkh district . The Taliban wanted to take both men alive , but the firefight broke out , killing one of the Americans , Mujahid said . The other was alive and being held in a safe location , he said at the time . Newlove 's family released a statement through the Navy asking that the media release no details of the incident or information about the family . Darwish said he learned from locals that McNeley was killed . He said the body was found in the Patanak Mountains of Charkh district . He also said the vehicle the men were driving was located Sunday . There had been no immediate demands by the Taliban for the return of the Americans because the group was still deliberating what its demands would be , Mujahid said . CNN 's Barbara Starr and Atia Abawi contributed to this report .
|
The body of Jarod Newlove has been found in Logar . The men went missing on Friday . The Taliban gave the body back without submitting demands .
|
[[364, 385], [416, 512], [961, 1022]]
|
Nairobi , Kenya -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kenya has deported a Jamaican-born Muslim cleric who was previously jailed in Britain for inciting racial hatred , the Kenyan immigration minister said Thursday . Abdullah Ibrahim el-Faisal was deported to the West African country of Gambia , Kenyan Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang told reporters in the Kenyan capital , Nairobi . Kenyan anti-terror police picked up Abdullah Ibrahim el-Faisal days ago after he passed into the country unnoticed , police spokesman Eric Kiraithe told CNN on Tuesday . Kenya 's immigration minister declared him an unwanted person in Kenya , Kiraithe said , adding that el-Faisal is a threat to Kenya 's security with `` proven '' terrorism links . El-Faisal was sentenced in London to nine years in prison in March 2003 for inciting others to commit murder and for stirring racial hatred . He had been arrested a year earlier . He was paroled in 2007 after serving half his sentence and deported to Jamaica , according to British news reports . El-Faisal entered Kenya from Tanzania , Kiraithe said , but it was not clear when . Kiraithe acknowledged there had been `` lapses '' between Kenya 's police and immigration that allowed the cleric to enter the country . Kenyan Muslim groups have protested the moves to deport el-Faisal . `` He is being treated unfairly , '' said Al-Amin Kimathi , the executive coordinator for the Muslim Forum of Human Rights , `` He has committed no crimes in Jamaica and has not committed any crimes in Kenya . There is a double standard at work . '' Before his sentence in Britain , el-Faisal had spent much of the previous decade preaching in various mosques and selling audiotapes across the country . In one of the tapes , he said , `` How do you fight the Hindus ? You have to bomb the Indian businesses . And as for the Jews , you kill them physically . Then you will overcome them in Kashmir and in Palestine . '' His lawyers in Britain had asked the judge in his case to consider the Muslim convert `` misguided rather than malicious . '' The defense stressed that most of his preachings were benign interpretations of the Quran . They also said el-Faisal , a husband and father who had been living in the east London neighborhood of Stratford , had been a leader in his community . CNN 's David McKenzie contributed to this report .
|
Kenyan anti-terror police picked up Abdullah Ibrahim el-Faisal days after he passed into country unnoticed . El-Faisal sentenced in London to 9 years in prison in March 2003 for inciting others to commit murder . He was paroled in 2007 after serving half his sentence and deported to Jamaica , according to reports .
|
[[370, 441], [448, 484], [54, 83], [92, 147], [720, 852], [900, 978]]
|
-LRB- The Frisky -RRB- -- Directing movies has gone exceptionally well for many leading men in Hollywood . Clint Eastwood has been nominated for the Best Director Oscar four times , and Warren Beatty , Robert Redford , and Kevin Costner have all gotten Oscar nods for stepping behind the camera . Oh , and George Clooney did n't do too shabby with his directorial debut , `` Good Night , and Good Luck , '' did he ? The Frisky : 6 celebs who removed their implants -- compare before and after . Now Angelina Jolie is taking the plunge behind the camera . She 's announced that for her next movie , she wo n't be acting -- she 'll be directing and producing . Did we forget to mention that she also wrote the screenplay ? The as-of-now untitled movie is a Bosnian War love story . `` The film focuses on a Serbian man and a Bosnian woman who meet on the eve of the war and the effect the war has on their relationship , '' a public statement about the film reads . It continues that they wo n't be auditioning big names for these roles ; they 'll be using actors of `` various ethnicities from the region of the former Yugoslavia , '' according to People.com . The Frisky : 10 celebs with bad body habits . We wish Angie good luck on her first directing venture . In her honor , here are other famous ladies who 've sat in the director 's chair : . Drew Barrymore has been producing flicks since 1995 , when she formed Flower Films , the production company that brought you `` Never Been Kissed '' and `` Charlie 's Angels . '' But it was n't until last year that Drew tried her hand at directing with the roller derby flick `` Whip It . '' It was apparently Guy Ritchie who inspired Madonna to direct her first film , `` Filth and Wisdom . '' Like their marriage , it was a stinker . We hope she does better with her new one , `` W.E. , '' the tale of the affair between King Edward VIII and American socialite Wallis Simpson . The flick stars Abbie Cornish and is in production right now . The Frisky : 6 celebrity hoarders . Sofia Coppola made her acting debut as a baby , in the christening scene in `` The Godfather , '' because her pops was the director -LRB- Francis Ford Coppola -RRB- . She also landed roles in `` The Outsiders , '' `` Peggy Sue Got Married , '' and `` The Godfather Part 3 '' -- all films her father directed . But then she decided to try directing . She went on to make the `` The Virgin Suicides , '' `` Lost In Translation , '' and `` Marie Antoinette . '' She became the third woman nominated for Best Director for `` Lost in Translation . '' The Frisky : 30 things women need to quit doing by 30 . Barbra Streisand established a production company in 1972 and wore many hats on the set of `` Yentl '' -- she wrote , produced , directed , and starred in the movie , which got five Academy Award nominations . She did the director-producer-star trifecta twice more in the 90s , for `` The Prince of Tides '' and `` The Mirror Has Two Faces . '' Some note that in her self-directed flicks , she gives herself a lot of close-ups . We say she earned it . Goldie Hawn not only starred in 80s classics `` Private Benjamin , '' `` Protocol , '' and `` Wildcats '' -- she also produced them . She did n't start directing , though , until 1997 when she called the shots for the movie `` Hope . '' We wo n't hold it against her that it was made for TV . The Frisky : 1 in 4 of you are in love with someone else . And even Jolie 's archrival -LRB- as some magazines would have us believe -RRB- , Jennifer Aniston , has directed . The project , in 2006 , was a short film called `` Room 10 '' about an emergency room . Apparently , a few years earlier , Jen was even offered the chance to direct an episode of `` Friends . '' She explained later , `` Well , I was slotted to direct an episode of ` Friends ' And then I got ` The Good Girl . ' See ? So , you either got ` The Good Girl ' or you got a very bad direction of ` Friends . ' '' She was apparently inspired to direct for real when Gwyneth Paltrow made a short earlier that year . TM & © 2010 TMV , Inc. | All Rights Reserved .
|
Angelina Jolie will be directing and producing her next film . Drew Barrymore has been producing flicks since 1995 . Sofia Coppola became the third woman nominated for Best Director .
|
[[555, 658], [577, 589], [622, 658], [1348, 1399], [2486, 2569], [2497, 2569]]
|
New Orleans , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Bush administration made a `` fatal mistake '' by talking up facts and figures without painting a broader picture of the obstacles in its widely criticized Hurricane Katrina response effort , ex-FEMA chief Michael Brown said Thursday . Brown told CNN 's Anderson Cooper that the talking points he and other federal officials used at the time did n't tell the whole story . `` They were factually correct , but were n't in context . We 're moving all of this stuff in . We have teams here . Rescue teams are doing this , '' he said . `` But we never explained to the people that it 's not coming as fast as we want it to , and it 's not enough , because of the number of people that were left behind in the aftermath of the storm . '' Not making that clear was a `` fatal mistake , '' Brown said . `` Had I said that at the time , I probably would have gotten the old hook and been pulled off the stage anyway , but the truth would have been out , '' he said . Speaking five years after the storm hit , Brown sharply criticized former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff 's handling of the situation . Chertoff had attended an avian flu convention amid the disaster . `` Here is why that 's so important . In the middle of any crisis , '' Brown said , `` whether it 's a natural disaster or man-made disaster , you need to have one person in charge . And that person needs to be on the ground with the team , understanding what 's going on . '' The former FEMA head told CNN that he winced when President George Bush said the now infamous line , `` Brownie , you 're doing a heck of a job . '' `` I knew the minute he said that , the media and everybody else would see a disconnect between what he was saying and what I was witnessing on the ground , '' Brown said . `` That 's the president 's style . His attitude and demeanor is always one of being a cheerleader and trying to encourage people to keep moving . It was just the wrong time and the wrong place . '' Brown headed FEMA under the Bush administration and resigned in September 2005 , two weeks after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast and 10 days after President Bush famously complimented him . Chertoff was criticized by a House committee in 2006 for choosing Brown to lead the government response , despite inadequate training . `` If I knew then what I know now about Mr. Brown 's agenda , I would have done something different , '' Chertoff said . Hurricane Katrina 's fifth anniversary is Sunday . Brown , who is now on KOA-850 AM in Denver , Colorado , was in New Orleans this week broadcasting his radio show .
|
Brown says officials should have acknowledged that aid was not arriving quickly enough . He also criticizes Homeland Security 's handling of the storm . The former FEMA head says he winced when Bush said he was doing a `` heck of a job ''
|
[[587, 655], [1007, 1046], [1049, 1159], [239, 282], [1503, 1614], [1617, 1648], [2024, 2071], [2121, 2221]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A cholera outbreak has erupted this summer in Africa , killing more than 600 people in the neighboring countries of Nigeria and Cameroon . Nigeria 's Health Ministry said more than 350 people have died since June and the infection threatens to spread to the entire country , the most populous in Africa . In neighboring Cameroon , nearly 300 people have been killed . `` There 's a lot of people crossing over the border all the time , '' said Dr. Eric Mintz , the leader of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 's global water sanitation and hygiene epidemiology team . `` So it 's not surprising that the cholera is also crossing over the border . '' Nigeria 's outbreak had sickened more than 6,400 people and killed 352 people by Wednesday , the federal Ministry of Health reported . `` Although most of the outbreaks occurred in the northwest and northeast zones , epidemiological evidence indicates that the entire country is at risk , '' the ministry reported . Cholera occurs in much of the country under normal conditions , but the lack of clean drinking water and recent flooding following heavy rains are fueling the spread of disease , the ministry reported . Two-thirds of rural Nigerians lack access to safe drinking water , and fewer than 40 percent of the people in the affected states have access `` to toilet facilities of any description , '' the health ministry said . The intestinal infection causes diarrhea and vomiting that can cause severe dehydration without prompt attention , according to the World Health Organization . About 120,000 people die worldwide each year from cholera , and the disease can kill within hours if untreated , the World Health Organization says . Cholera is spread through water contaminated with human waste . `` What puts people at risk is a lack of safe drinking water , '' Mintz said . Boiling the water or treating it with chlorine or filtration or other ways to remove the contaminants can make it safe . Untreated , cholera can kill within hours , WHO said . Mintz said the Cameroon outbreak began in May and has exceeded 3,000 cases . Under ideal conditions , cholera 's fatality rate ought to be less than 1 percent , he said . But Cameroon 's conditions are not ideal . Many people live far from the medical aid that could help them rehydrate and replace the sodium and . potassium lost in their stools and vomit . `` That delay can be critical , '' Mintz said . `` If you do n't get the fluids and the electrolytes replaced through hydration , you can go into shock and die as a result . '' The country 's northern region has been particularly hard hit . Three of 10 prisoners diagnosed with cholera at Maroua Central Prison in the far north were among the dead , the officials said . Mintz said the rugged and remote region has been affected repeatedly by cholera epidemics , most recently last year . About 70 percent of people living in the country 's far north , bordering Nigeria and Chad and the Central African Republic , do not have access to potable water , according to a Ministry of Water and Energy official .
|
Flooding fuels an outbreak in Nigeria . `` The entire country is at risk , '' the government says . A cholera epidemic is also raging in neighboring Cameroon .
|
[[1066, 1174], [158, 291], [899, 997]]
|
Islamabad , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Flooding has displaced an additional 1 million people in Pakistan 's Sindh province in the past two days , according to new U.N. estimates released Friday . `` We have more people on the move , to whom we need to provide relief . An already colossal disaster is getting worse and requiring an even more colossal response , '' said Maurizio Giuliano , a spokesman for the U.N. 's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs . Giuliano said rains have forced the evacuation of an estimated 1 million people in southern Sindh in the past 48 hours or so . `` The magnitude of this crisis is reaching levels that are even beyond our initial fears , which were already leaning towards what we thought would be the worst . The number of those affected and those in need of assistance from us are bound to keep rising . The floods seem determined to outrun our response , '' he said . The U.N. also said Friday that it is increasingly concerned about flood-driven malnutrition among children . `` The flooding has surrounded millions of children with contaminated water , '' said Karen Allen , deputy representative of the United Nations Children 's Fund -LRB- UNICEF -RRB- in Pakistan . `` Most have nothing else to drink . We fear the deadly synergy of waterborne diseases , including diarrhea , dehydration and malnutrition . '' Acute malnutrition was high in much of Pakistan even before the floods . For instance , 27 percent of children under 5 in Baluchistan province were malnourished , as were 17 percent of children in Punjab , according to the U.N. . A hospital in Sindh is overrun with people suffering from waterborne illness ; two children share each bed and more are on the floor . A doctor at the hospital said there are `` not enough resources because of huge population ... coming to this hospital . '' Remat Chacher , a farmer in Sindh , escaped the floodwaters with his wife and two children earlier this month . But then his 3-month-old daughter Benazir got sick . `` She started to get fever and could n't keep anything down ... lots of belly pain , '' said Ulla , the infant 's mom . A few days later , the same symptoms struck the Chachers ' son , 2-year-old Wazira . Both children died on the way to the hospital , with Wazira weighing just 8 pounds and Benazir weighing 2 pounds . Floodwaters have started to recede across Pakistan , but in the Indus delta , the potential for more flooding remained high , especially given high tides in the Arabian Sea , where the Indus spills out . Already , more than 17 million Pakistanis -- from the Chinese border in the north to the mouth of the Indus in the south -- have been affected by the monsoon floods that began a month ago . To date , Pakistan 's unfolding tragedy has claimed 1,600 lives , according to the National Disaster Management Authority . That number is likely to rise as more drowned bodies are discovered in receding waters . Many refugees have sought shelter at relief camps , where food and drinking water are now available . But every day , there are new camp arrivals -- people who were already poor , who now have nothing . Along the flooded Swat River in northeastern Pakistan , six local aid workers have spent two weeks braving the torrents on rafts they built from used tire tubes , bamboo and gaffers ' tape after motorized boats failed to arrive . The workers are ferrying tents , blankets and other supplies to hundreds of thousands of people stranded across the river and cut off from normal supply routes . Last year , bombs and bullets from the army 's offensive against the Taliban destroyed many homes and lives in the region . Residents had barely begun to recover when the rains came . `` We are fed up , '' said Shahravan , a 65-year old man who lost his house in the floods . `` You do n't ask a dead man why he 's in his grave . It 's not his choice . '' Fayas Muhammad , another local , said he lost his leg when his house was mistakenly bombed in last year 's fighting . The same blast took his wife and son . `` We are very sad for all that Swat has been through , '' he said . The damage from Pakistan 's worst humanitarian catastrophe is sure to hurtle the impoverished nation back in terms of development . This week , America 's top aid official saw firsthand the dire needs in Pakistan . Dr. Rajiv Shah , administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development , said he was deeply moved by his visit to Sukkur and that aid agencies were `` scaling up their response efforts as quickly as they possibly can . '' Shah announced the United States would be diverting another $ 50 million for flood relief from the Kerry-Lugar Act , which allocated $ 7.5 billion in nonmilitary assistance to Pakistan over five years . CNN 's Sanjay Gupta , Reza Sayah , Samson Desta , Sara Sidner , Moni Basu and journalist Nasir Habib contributed to this report .
|
NEW : U.N. is increasingly worried about flood-driven malnutrition among children . U.N. official says a `` colossal disaster is getting worse '' About 1 million additional people have been displaced in Sindh province , the U.N. says . Authorities have ordered evacuations in the Indus River delta .
|
[[925, 933], [939, 1033], [270, 315], [270, 298], [320, 360], [600, 689], [40, 144], [473, 599], [487, 599]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Authorities shot and killed a grizzly bear that mauled a 70-year-old man near Yellowstone National Park , a Wyoming Game and Fish Department spokesman said Saturday . Agents tracked the bear via a radio collar and killed it near the site of the attack , said the spokesman , Eric Kezsler . The Park County Sheriff 's Office had closed part of the Shoshone National Forest while they searched for the large adult male bear , which apparently attacked Erwin Frank Evert after being captured and tranquilized there by researchers Thursday . Evert was unarmed and fatally wounded , the sheriff 's office said . He was in the forest with his wife , a member of a federal team of researchers studying grizzly bears , authorities said . Members of the team had packed up their equipment and left the area after tranquilizing the bear and putting the radio collar on it , the sheriff 's office said . But officials said Evert was attacked when he wandered back into the capture area , located in the Kitty Creek Drainage . Game wardens and federal authorities began searching for the bear Friday . The 2.4-million-acre Shoshone National Forest is just east of Yellowstone National Park .
|
Authorities shoot bear they say killed man . Bear attack occurred near Yellowstone National Park . Researchers had tranquilized bear and placed radio collar on it . Man 's wife worked on grizzly bear research team .
|
[[47, 61], [67, 122], [186, 228], [309, 312], [512, 556], [749, 768], [803, 880]]
|
Islamabad , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Recovery crews ended the search for bodies in the hills north of Islamabad Thursday where a passenger plane crashed a day earlier killing all 152 aboard , a government officials told CNN . Ramzan Sajid , a local official in Islamabad , said 130 bodies were recovered from the crash site and delivered to several nearby hospitals . `` Not a single body was intact , '' Sajid said . He said hospital officials are trying to match body parts to account for the remains of 22 other people . Pakistan observed a day of mourning Thursday for victims of the accident , called the worst passenger plane crash ever on Pakistani soil . Officials do not know if weather played a factor in the crash Wednesday . Recovery crews have yet to find the plane 's voice and data recorders . At Pakistan 's Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital friends and family members of the passengers waited to identify their loved ones ' remains . Amir Ali , another local government official in Islamabad , told CNN 66 bodies have been identified . Among them , 52 have been handed over to their families . The remaining bodies may have to identified with DNA tests and blood samples from relatives , Ali said . Crews will stay at the crash site to collect any remaining debris and search for the plane 's flight data and voice recorders , said Sajid . Another day of torrential rains in Islamabad Thursday hampered those efforts . Investigators say they wo n't be able to explain why the plane crash until they review the plane 's data recorders . On Thursday , Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani cancelled a cabinet meeting , and flags across the country flew at half-staff . The deadliest crash involving a Pakistani airline occurred in September 1992 , when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus crashed into a mountain in Nepal , killing all 167 people on board , the Associated Press of Pakistan reported . Pakistan is in the midst of the annual monsoon season , when rain sweeps across the subcontinent from June until September . The Airblue plane was headed to Islamabad from the sea port city of Karachi when it crashed in a hillside while trying to land . The Airbus A321 was carrying 146 passengers and six crew members , the airline said . The U.S. Embassy in Pakistan said two of the people aboard were American citizens .
|
NEW : Officials say it 's the worst passenger plane crash on Pakistani soil . Search ends for bodies in Pakistani crash . Two of the people on board the flight were Americans , the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan says .
|
[[527, 535], [602, 665], [1693, 1769], [0, 9], [12, 36], [40, 123], [2271, 2354], [2305, 2354]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A special court in Kenya has been initiated to hear maritime piracy cases , the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime said Friday . The court , opened on Thursday in Mombasa , was built by the U.N. office 's Counter-Piracy Program with contributions from Australia , Canada , the European Union , Germany and the United States . `` With Kenya having taken on the largest number of suspected pirates for prosecution in the region -- 123 to date -- the new court in Mombasa is intended to increase trial efficiency in the system and provide a secure , modern environment suitable for piracy cases , '' the U.N. office said . Piracy has plagued the seas off the coast of eastern Africa . `` Kenya has taken on a heavy burden in dealing with a crime that affects the entire international community , '' said John Sandage , office-in-charge of UNODC 's division of treaty affairs .
|
Court focusing on maritime piracy opens in Mombasa . U.N. builds court with international contributions . Kenya taking on `` heavy burden '' in dealing with piracy .
|
[[144, 153], [156, 185], [144, 340], [697, 757]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Al Qaeda-linked militants have banned three international aid groups from working in Somalia , claiming they are `` actively propagating Christianity '' in the predominantly Muslim nation . Al-Shabaab , the Islamist militant group battling Somalia 's U.N.-backed transitional government , ordered World Vision , Adventist Development and Relief Agency and Diakonia to cease their operations . `` Acting as missionaries under the guise of humanitarian work , the organizations have been spreading their corrupted ideologies in order to taint the pure creed of the Muslims in Somalia , '' the militant group said in a statement Monday . `` Along with their missionary work , the proliferation of corruption and indecency has become prevalent as a result of their presence , '' the statement said , warning other non-governmental groups against engaging in `` similar activities '' All three organizations are Christian aid groups . However , as signatories of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement code of conduct , they have specific polices against proselytizing when distributing aid . World Vision -- which serves about 100 million people in nearly 100 countries around the world -- said it was `` surprised and disappointed '' by Al-Shabaab 's order . The group said it is motivated by its faith to help those living in poverty , but is impartial when handing out aid . `` World Vision Somalia received a demand today from Al-Shabaab to close operations in Somalia , '' World Vision said in a statement Monday . `` World Vision guards were disarmed and their keys were taken . Nothing was removed from the offices although Al-Shabaab representatives occupied the offices . '' The group said its operations in south central Somalia have been temporarily suspended as `` we plan our next steps . '' ADRA said its work in Somalia as solely focused on implementing emergency relief and development since 1992 . More than 650,000 Somalis benefited from the group 's humanitarian work in 2008 , the group said in a statement . `` ADRA remains committed to serving the people of Somalia as circumstances allow , '' the group said . There was no immediate response from Diakonia , a joint international development organization of five Swedish churches . According to its website , the group has regional offices in Africa , Asia , the Middle East and Latin America and has aid operations in Somalia .
|
Al-Shabaab has ordered three aid groups to cease operations in Somalia . The Islamist militant group is accusing the groups of spreading Christianity . The groups say they are motivated by faith , but do n't proselytize .
|
[[0, 15], [28, 111], [209, 219], [222, 243], [308, 411], [1408, 1502], [0, 15], [114, 208], [1290, 1333]]
|
DAYTON , Ohio -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Early on , Maria Lauterbach knew exactly what she wanted to do in life . Dressed in her high school soccer uniform , Maria Lauterbach said she wanted to be a Marine , then a cop . `` After high school , I am going into the Marines , '' a smiling Lauterbach , dressed in her high school soccer uniform , says in a video made available exclusively to CNN . `` I 'll probably be doing that for 20 or 25 years , and then hopefully after that , becoming a cop . '' Lauterbach became a Marine , but her dreams were cut short . Her body was found buried in the backyard of a fellow Marine , Cpl. Cesar Laurean , near Camp Lejeune , North Carolina , in January . Watch Lauterbach talk about her future plans '' Mary Lauterbach , Maria 's mother , wants to know why the Marines did n't do more to protect her daughter from Laurean , whom Maria Lauterbach had accused of rape in May 2007 . `` My concern is I want women to be better protected , '' Lauterbach , of Dayton , Ohio , told CNN . Watch how mother wants answers from Marines '' Laurean now faces murder charges . He fled the Camp Lejeune area on January 11 . The FBI says he went to his native Mexico , and a cousin of Laurean 's reported seeing him in Zapopan , Mexico , in mid-January . Mary Lauterbach has sent a list of more than 30 questions to the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps , Gen. James Conway , through her congressman . She says she 's unconvinced her daughter 's rape allegation against Laurean was treated seriously . Maria Lauterbach was 20 years old and eight months pregnant when she was reported missing after she failed to report for duty at Camp Lejeune in mid-December . Her body was found nearly a month later beneath a fire pit in Laurean 's backyard . It is unclear whether he was the father of her unborn child . After Maria Lauterbach accused Laurean of rape , she was moved to another office , and military protective orders were issued to keep the accused from the accuser . But Mary Lauterbach and her congressman , Rep. Mike Turner , say the Marines did n't do enough to protect her . `` My daughter wanted to be transferred to another base , '' her mother said . She said her daughter told her in phone conversations that she would occasionally see Laurean at meetings and that it traumatized her . The questions Turner , an Ohio Republican , sent to Conway include what steps were taken to protect Lauterbach after she accused Laurean of rape ; why no search was launched immediately after she failed to report for duty ; whether she requested a transfer to another base before her death ; and whether Laurean was asked for a DNA sample after her pregnancy was confirmed . A Marine Corps spokesman told CNN the service would respond to all of the questions submitted through Turner and would not comment further until those answers were complete . Merle Wilberding , Lauterbach 's family attorney , said the military protective order `` really was n't very effective . '' Wilberding also questions the length of the investigation . The next step would have been an Article 32 hearing , the military 's equivalent of a open grand jury proceeding . Lauterbach disappeared in mid-December when she failed to show up for work . `` May 11 to December 14 is a long time for resentment to fester , if that 's what it was , '' Wilberding says . `` The longer these cases go on , I think the more difficult it is for the victim , '' he adds . After Maria Lauterbach first leveled her charges , she changed her story but later continued to claim she was raped by Laurean . `` The problem is when someone has perceived credibility issues , you still must protect the person who is making those claims , '' her mother said . The Marine Corps has said it reviewed its handling of Lauterbach 's rape allegations . Turner says a general told him everything was done appropriately . `` I disagree that the review is complete , '' Turner told CNN . `` This is a matter where clearly there is a tragic death , there is a national interest in other women that are serving , and this is a matter that deserves higher scrutiny . '' Laurean denied the rape allegation or any other sexual contact with Lauterbach . In a statement issued after her death , the Marine Corps said Laurean 's denial `` was believed to significant evidence . '' During a press briefing after Lauterbach 's body was found , the Marines described her as a `` solid Marine '' and the fugitive Laurean as a `` stellar Marine . '' Turner called the latter statement `` really unexplainable . '' `` I do n't know how you can be a stellar Marine and have another Marine buried in your backyard , '' he said . `` And when that statement was made , those Marines already knew of the tragedy that had befallen Maria . '' Mary Lauterbach said her daughter would be proud of her persistence : `` I do this totally for her and for the protection of everyone else 's daughter . '' E-mail to a friend .
|
Maria Lauterbach wanted to spend career in Marines , she says in video . Lauterbach accused fellow Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean of rape . Laurean faces murder charges in Lauterbach 's death . Marines should have transferred Lauterbach to another base , her mother says .
|
[[150, 204], [862, 912], [1827, 1907], [2391, 2396], [2408, 2463], [3455, 3503], [3506, 3509], [3532, 3583], [1061, 1095], [2162, 2182], [3713, 3733]]
|
Kabul , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Another Taliban leader has been seized in neighboring Pakistan by security forces , sources said . Mullah Abdul Salam was arrested last week , according to Afghan government officials , Taliban sources and a U.S. official . Word of Salam 's arrest comes days after news of the capture of the Afghan Taliban 's reputed second-in-command , Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar . `` The Taliban is down another ` shadow governor , ' '' the American source said of Salam . The source declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the information . The news came against the background of an intensified U.S.-led campaign against insurgents on both sides of the border . Taliban fighters are resisting Operation Moshtarak , an allied military push into areas the Taliban control in southern Afghanistan 's Helmand province . `` They know this is their last stronghold . They 're not backing down , '' CNN 's Atia Abawi reported from the battlefield , where she is embedded with U.S. Marines . The crackle of small-arms fire and the whoosh of outgoing mortar rounds from the Marines were clearly audible on the line as she described the battle . `` About five minutes ago , Taliban started attacking our area , '' she said shortly before 8 a.m. ET . `` The Taliban are not giving up -- they seem to be coming out in squads , -LSB- but -RSB- they know they ca n't group together in large numbers '' because it would make them easier targets . The Taliban seem to include `` foreign fighters who will fight to the death , '' she said . It will take NATO-led military forces `` another 25 to 30 days to secure that which needs to be secured '' in Helmand and a further three months to ensure insurgents are kept out of the area , British Maj. Gen. Nick Carter said Thursday in a briefing from Afghanistan broadcast by the Pentagon Channel . The Nad-e Ali district is `` broadly secure , '' Carter said , noting there is still Taliban resistance in Marjah . `` It will be some days before we can be completely confident that Marjah is secure , '' said Carter , the International Security Assistance Force 's head of Regional Command South . Ten civilians were killed on the second day of the operation , he said . Reports at the time said 12 were killed . There have been five casualties among the NATO-led forces during the operation , the forces said in a statement Thursday , without giving further details . It said later that four ISAF servicemembers died Thursday -- two of them in an improvised explosive device strike ; another after a separate IED attack ; small-arms fire killed the fourth servicemember . It was not immediately clear whether the four were among the five casualties noted earlier . The four deaths bring to 44 the number of Americans killed this year in Afghanistan . In all , 78 coalition forces have died this year . Across the border in Pakistan , four people were killed and five were wounded Thursday when a drone fired on a suspected militant compound in the country 's tribal region , intelligence sources and a local political official said . The four dead were suspected militants , two intelligence officials said . It was not clear whether the wounded also were militants . The remote-controlled aircraft fired two missiles at the compound in the Danday Darpakhel area of North Waziristan , one of seven districts in the tribal region along the Afghan border , the sources said . They asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to speak to the media . The U.S. military does not comment on reported attacks by the pilotless aircraft , but the United States is the only country operating in the region known to have the ability to launch missiles from drones . Salam was arrested in Pakistan , the Afghan government and Taliban sources said , but they named different cities as the location of his capture . Gov. Muhammad Omar of Afghanistan 's Kunduz province said Salam was detained in Quetta , where the Afghan Taliban reportedly has its leadership councils . The Taliban sources said he was nabbed in Faisalabad . Salam is believed to be the Taliban commander for Kunduz , Omar said . Salam was directing Taliban military operations in the province , including ordering terrorist actions , mine planting and suicide attacks , said Abdul Razaq Yaqubi , police chief in Kunduz . Yaqubi said Salam and another Taliban `` shadow governor , '' Mullah Salih , were arrested last week in the Pakistani city of Peshawar . He said the information came from Pakistani authorities . Salih was the shadow governor of Baghlan province , the police chief said . There was no immediate confirmation of Salih 's arrest . Taliban sources and Omar said other suspected members of the Afghan Taliban were arrested with Salam , but their identities are not clear . CNN 's Pam Benson in Washington and journalist Mati Matiullah in Kabul contributed to this report .
|
NEW : NATO-led forces will secure Helmand in `` 25 to 30 days , '' British general says . Mullah Abdul Salam arrested in Pakistan , say U.S. , Afghan , Taliban sources . Salam is Taliban `` shadow governor '' of Afghanistan 's Kunduz province . Four suspected militants reported killed in drone strike in Pakistan .
|
[[1562, 1599], [8, 35], [39, 120], [138, 156], [182, 262], [3738, 3768], [3771, 3817], [2870, 2876], [2902, 2925], [3102, 3140]]
|
NASSAU , Bahamas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Videotapes secretly recorded by John Travolta 's attorney were played Monday at the trial of two people accused of trying to extort millions of dollars from the actor after his son died in the Bahamas in January . Two people in the Bahamas stand accused of trying to extort millions from actor John Travolta . The videotapes showed what Travolta 's attorney said were negotiations between himself and one of the defendants , with discussions centering on a document the suspects claimed could reflect unfavorably on Travolta 's actions after his son was found unconscious . Defendants Tarino Lightbourne , a paramedic , and former Bahamian Sen. Pleasant Bridgewater are on trial on charges they plotted to extort $ 25 million from Travolta after 16-year-old Jett Travolta died from a seizure . Travolta attorney Michael McDermott testified Monday that he assisted police in a sting . As the videotape was played Monday , McDermott described it as depicting a meeting in a hotel room between himself and Bridgewater , who said she represented Lightbourne . Bahamian police had placed wireless microphones on McDermott and hidden two cameras in the room , McDermott said . Defense attorneys have attempted to convince the jury that Travolta 's attorney came to the Bahamas to `` set up '' their clients . Murrio Ducille , who represents Bridgewater , on Friday said to Travolta 's attorney , `` you came to the island with evil in your heart . '' Earlier in the trial , Travolta testified that his son was found unresponsive by a nanny at their home on Grand Bahama Island , where the family was spending their New Year 's holiday . Travolta said he initially told the ambulance driver to rush them to an airport where his private jet was parked and where Travolta , who is a pilot , planned to fly his son to a West Palm Beach , Florida , hospital instead of driving him to one in nearby Freeport . The paramedic , however , asked Travolta to sign a statement releasing the ambulance company from liability . `` I received a liability of release document . I signed it . I did not read it . Time was of the essence , '' Travolta testified last week . Travolta said that while he and his wife were riding in the ambulance with their son , they decided to divert to the hospital . At the hospital , the actor was told his son `` was n't alive , '' he said . Watch report from CNN 's John Couwels in the Bahamas '' It is that release document that would-be extortionists hoped to use against Travolta , threatening to give it to the media if they were not paid , according to Travolta 's attorneys . Travolta testified last week that he learned of a demand for $ 25 million or `` stories connected to that document would be sold to the press ... The stories would imply the death of my son was intentional and I was culpable somehow . '' The trial is expected to last through next week . John Travolta and his wife , actress Kelly Preston , are not expect back in court .
|
Two accused of trying to extort millions from actor after son Jett died in Bahamas . Travolta attorney Michael McDermott testifies he assisted police in a sting . Defense argues McDermott tried to `` set up '' their clients with secret recording . McDermott testifies video shows him meeting with one of the defendants .
|
[[9, 32], [82, 139], [129, 216], [209, 249], [250, 345], [726, 807], [830, 919], [888, 919], [1207, 1312], [1266, 1338], [2574, 2578], [2595, 2631]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Actor John Travolta and his legal team are dismayed that the alleged behavior of a juror led to a mistrial in the case of two people accused of attempting to extort millions from Travolta , his representative said . John Travolta , center , and his wife , Kelly Preston , enter the courthouse in the Bahamas last month . `` We are disappointed to hear about the alleged juror misconduct since we know that the Bahamian government , the court , the other jurors and John Travolta as the victim want to have this matter adjudicated through the judicial system , '' Samantha Mast said late Wednesday night . `` Mr. Travolta has and will continue to cooperate with the Bahamian authorities in the prosecution of the defendants for extortion . '' The Bahamian judge said she believed someone in the jury had had inappropriate communications outside of the jury room , where jurors had been deliberating for eight hours . The judge received information that an announcement had been made at a local political rally that one of the defendants had been found not guilty . Tarino Lightbourn , a paramedic , and former Bahamian Sen. Pleasant Bridgewater -- who also is Lightbourn 's lawyer -- are charged with trying to extort money from Travolta after his son Jett 's death from a seizure on January 2 . The money allegedly was to be paid in return for not making public a document Travolta had signed , declining to have his 16-year-old son , Jett , transported to a nearby hospital . Travolta refused a demand for money . Lightbourn and Bridgewater have pleaded not guilty . While lawyers and journalists awaited the verdict Wednesday night , they were inundated with calls from colleagues saying that someone at a rally for the Progressive Liberal Party had announced that party member Bridgewater was `` free at last . '' When the courtroom doors opened to a packed crowd , the jury foreman said the jurors needed more time to deliberate . But Judge Anita Allen opted to discharge the jury . `` About two hours ago , there was an announcement at a particular political party , '' she said . `` It leaves the impression that there may have been a communication in the jury room . I am going to discharge you from returning your verdict . '' She then ordered a retrial . `` We would have liked to have had a verdict so there would be closure in this case , but we prefer to have a new trial , '' said Travolta 's lawyer Michael Ossi . `` We believe the evidence was very strong and convincing . The jury was deliberating for about eight hours . ... If , in fact , Tarino Lightbourn or Pleasant Bridgewater were found not guilty , a verdict would have been read hours before this announcement . '' Lightbourn 's lawyer Carlson Shurland expressed disappointment over the judge 's ruling , saying the case has been a `` financial nightmare . '' `` Unfortunately , after a lot of expenses , I 'm very , very disappointed , '' he said . `` I 'm confident that we would have had a favorable verdict . '' Earlier in the trial , Travolta had testified that his son was found unresponsive by a nanny at home on the island of Grand Bahamas , where the family was spending the New Year 's holiday . Travolta said he initially told the ambulance driver to rush them to an airport where his private jet was parked . Travolta , who is a pilot , planned to fly his son to a West Palm Beach , Florida , hospital instead of driving him to one in nearby Freeport . The actor testified that while he and his wife , actress Kelly Preston , were riding in the ambulance with their son , they decided to take the teen to the hospital , instead of flying to Florida . At the hospital , Travolta was told his son `` was n't alive , '' he said . During the ambulance ride , Lightbourn asked Travolta to sign a statement releasing the ambulance company from liability . `` I received a liability of release document . I signed it . I did not read it . Time was of the essence , '' Travolta testified . Travolta testified that he later learned about a demand for $ 25 million . If he did n't pay , `` stories connected to that document would be sold to the press , '' the actor said . `` The stories would imply the death of my son was intentional and I was culpable somehow . '' An attorney representing Bridgewater and Lightbourn asked Travolta whether the defendants had ever contacted or threatened him directly . Travolta said they had not and that he had heard specifics about the situation through his attorneys . Travolta 's attorney Michael McDermott testified that Bridgewater had told him that the `` document would show -LSB- Travolta -RSB- killed his son or was negligent in the death of his son . '' Also , McDermott told the court that Bridgewater had claimed that the form was evidence that Travolta was `` trying to flee the country with his dead son . '' `` I said to Mrs. Bridgewater , ` What you are doing is a criminal offense -- it 's extortion in the United States , '' McDermott testified . McDermott said he contacted authorities and later met with Bridgewater in a Nassau hotel room for a conversation secretly recorded by Bahamian police . The price for keeping the document under wraps was dropped through subsequent phone conversations . It went from $ 25 million to $ 10 million , McDermott said . CNN 's John Couwels and journalist Arthia Nixon contributed to this report .
|
NEW : Travolta wanted to see case resolved at trial , his representative says . Announcement at rally spurs judge to declare mistrial in Travolta extortion trial . Paramedic , former Bahamian senator allegedly sought $ 25 million from Travolta . Alleged plot centered around death of 16-year-old Jett Travolta .
|
[[209, 234], [2283, 2327], [2283, 2288], [2306, 2366], [1958, 2005], [1083, 1162], [1175, 1198], [1083, 1162], [1192, 1269], [3988, 4062], [4012, 4062]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- John Travolta , in a letter thanking his Ocala , Florida , neighbors for sympathy shown in the wake of his teenage son 's death , asked them to love their friends and family `` like there was no tomorrow . '' Travolta and Kelly Preston were vacationing in the Bahamas with their children when son Jett died . The letter , addressed `` To The People of Ocala , '' said their `` comforting words , thoughts and prayers '' made an `` impossibly painful situation , a little less painful . '' It was signed by Travolta , his wife , Kelly Preston , and their eight-year-old daughter , Ella . It was released by Travolta 's lawyer Monday . Jett Travolta , 16 , was found unconscious on January 2 , while on vacation with his family in the Bahamas ' West End . He was taken to a hospital , where he was pronounced dead on arrival , local police said . The autopsy results have not been made public , but employees of the funeral home that handled the remains said the cause of death on the death certificate was `` seizure . '' Since returning from the Bahamas , the family has remained inside the gated Jumbolair Aviation Estates -- a fly-in community on the outskirts of Ocala . `` The enormous amount of love , support and condolence we have received from this community has been most humbling , '' Travolta 's letter said . `` Comforting words , thoughts and prayers of Ocala 's citizens have made an impossibly painful situation , a little less painful . '' Many guests for the memorial service on Thursday arrived in planes that landed on the Jumbolair runway -- big enough for Boeing 747s and behind the community gates . `` The actions of Ocala 's community leaders , its law enforcement professionals , our neighbors at Jumbolair and its surrounding communities have offered us the dignity to grieve the loss of our son and Ella 's brother in peace , '' the letter said . `` For this we will always be grateful . '' The most visible show of sympathy was centered at the main gate , where the people left their own memorials to Jett Travolta . `` From the people who drove hours to drop off cards and flowers at our doorstep , to the service providers who made Jett 's ceremony so beautiful , thank you , '' Travolta wrote . `` Every person who we have encountered has offered to do anything in their power to help us , but add that they feel powerless to do so . `` We want all of you to know that you have already helped us . By sharing our grief , you lessen our burden . For all of the people who have kept Jett in their prayers , know that those prayers have given us inspiration and strength . '' The letter closed with Travolta 's advice to his neighbors -- a lesson learned through the sudden loss of his son . `` In parting , we want all of you to cherish your loved ones and your friends like there was no tomorrow , to live your lives to the fullest by continuing to help one another , and to be true to yourselves . ''
|
Jett Travolta , son of John Travolta and Kelly Preston , died January 2 . Travolta family sent letter of thanks to Ocala , Florida , neighbors . There has been outpouring of support for Travolta family .
|
[[312, 327], [653, 666], [669, 671], [674, 708], [38, 65], [328, 338], [341, 376]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Death Cab for Cutie , the Grammy-nominated indie band that shot to the top of the Billboard charts with its latest album , `` Narrow Stairs , '' has come a long way since its basement-recording beginnings in Bellingham , Washington . Chris Walla , left , and Nick Harmer of indie band Death Cab for Cutie discuss their newly released EP . Together for more than 10 years and formed while its members attended Western Washington University , the band has six studio albums behind them , their songs have graced popular TV and film soundtracks , and their sell-out tours have brought the musicians all over the globe . But the success is not something the group takes for granted . `` We never got into this for world domination . There were never designs to be ` rock stars , ' '' said Chris Walla , guitarist and producer . `` The fact that I get to make a living doing something that I just passionately love to do is something that I wake up every day and am thankful for , '' added Nick Harmer , bass player . `` It 's not lost on me ; it really is n't . It 's phenomenal . '' Death Cab for Cutie , which is named after a song performed by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band in the 1967 Beatles film `` Magical Mystery Tour , '' released `` The Open Door EP '' last month . It 's a compilation of tracks that did n't find a home on `` Narrow Stairs '' but that the band did n't want to lose forever . Days before their most recent tour cycle ended and before the summer tour begins , Walla and Harmer -- two of the band 's four members -- sat down with CNN to discuss the latest EP , the current bands that move them and the darkness that may or may not drive their music . CNN : Talk to me about the band 's name , which was selected by Ben Gibbard , Death Cab for Cutie 's founder . If you could turn back the clock , would you go with something different ? Chris Walla : -LSB- Ben -RSB- was in a `` Magical Mystery Tour '' all-the-time kind of phase . He made a grand proclamation from the couch at one point that if he ever had another band , he was going to call it Death Cab for Cutie . Nick Harmer : Knowing what we know now , Ben has said that he would love to have shortened it somehow to a snappier name . We joke about changing it . CNN : To what ? Chris Walla : Exactly ! All the band names are taken . CNN : Why release an EP -LRB- extended play ; more than a single but less than a full-on album -RRB- right now ? Is it a taste of things to come ? Harmer : We 've always treated the EP as kind of a side dish to the main course during an album cycle . These are songs that were recorded at the same time as the songs that made the album `` Narrow Stairs . '' They 're sort of part of this chapter of the band . For us , it 's a nice way to have some new songs to play on tour , kind of get some new material in the world and keep things interesting . We recorded them . They were finished . It would be kind of weird to leave them on a reel someplace . CNN : How has the state of the economy , if at all , affected your tour and plans ? Walla : This tour has done really , really well for us . If anything , I think that we 're more mindful of just the fact that in a world of so many entertainment choices how amazing it really is to be on a really successful , solid , good tour . Harmer : We really have n't seen an impact . I expected there to be one , to be honest , but all the numbers are pretty consistent with all the touring numbers we 've ever done . CNN : Let 's talk a bit about the persona of indie rock musicians : the depression , the melancholy , the darkness . What do your parents make of this ? Are there any issues you 'd like to discuss ? Walla : Our parents are all terrible people . We all came from broken homes . -LRB- laugh -RRB- . Harmer : We cry a whole lot ... -LRB- laugh -RRB- . Walla : It 's not by design . We have great families . We have great homes . It 's sort of hard to explain , I guess . ... We do this because music totally moves us in a complete and absolute sort of way . It ends up just coming out in heart-on-your-sleeve , heavy , sort of really personal ways . Harmer : I 've always felt like it 's more about the bittersweet qualities of life than it is about the dark brooding . ... It 's more about just being honest about the different stations that you find yourself in in life . CNN : What bands are you listening to these days ? Who do you really like ? Harmer : That 's the thing about being on the road with so many people that are music fans . There 's always a new record that someone 's found that we 're listening to . Ben is really kind of always combing through old records . I think -LSB- Walla -RSB- and I probably do more on the what 's new and what 's out in the world . The Gaslight Anthem , I hear them all the time now . Walla : Yeah , the Gaslight Anthem record 's great . There 's a band from Seattle called the Lonely Forest whose record I just picked up . They 're a new band , it came out few weeks ago , and that 's totally doing it for me right now . ... Telekinesis from Seattle , the new Metric record I think is great . Those are the big ones right now . CNN : Tell me about your political involvement and your backing of causes . -LRB- Walla , for example , got involved in the Obama campaign and has done some work for PETA . -RRB- . Walla : It 's little things here and there , which is sort of how I feel activism should work . You ca n't do everything all the time , but you can do what you can when you can . I wish I could do more , but ... not everybody can be Bono .
|
Death Cab for Cutie , the Grammy-nominated indie band , has a new EP . Chris Walla and Nick Harmer discuss the music , their moods and bands they like . Harmer : `` Bittersweet qualities of life '' and not `` dark brooding '' drive songs . Walla on activism : `` You ca n't do everything all the time . ... Not everybody can be Bono ''
|
[[45, 51], [52, 139], [41, 72], [78, 139], [278, 357], [4146, 4219], [5440, 5477], [5556, 5583]]
|
MANILA , the Philippines -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A debate is stirring in the predominantly Roman Catholic country of the Philippines : should the government provide contraceptives to the public ? Sheila Villanueva , a 25-year-old maid with five children , said she would not use contraceptives . More than 100 members of the House of Representatives have co-authored a bill that would allow government funds to be used to promote artificial contraceptives -- which is now prohibited in the Southeast Asian nation . `` The bill is not about religion . It is not about morality , '' said Edcel Lagman , a congressman . `` It 's about rights , health and sustainable human development . '' Some one-third of the country 's 90 million people live in poverty . The Asian Development Bank said that problem will persist until the country curbs its birth rate -- one of the highest in the world . The nationwide Pulse Asia Poll found nearly two-thirds of people support the bill . But the Catholic Church is fiercely opposed , and is pressuring lawmakers to vote against it . `` Why should we use contraceptives , teaching our children the use of contraceptives , '' said Ed Sorreta of Pro-Life Philippines . `` It 's totally against the teaching of the Catholic Church . The poverty is really caused by other issues , moral values . '' `` When you talk about natural family planning , it needs discipline , that 's where many couples fail . They lack the discipline . '' Abortion is illegal in the Philippines , except in cases to save a mother 's life . But the United Nations estimates that half a million illegal abortions are performed in the country every year . Sheila Villanueva , a 25-year-old maid earning $ 2 a day , has five children . `` I married at eighteen . I had my first baby by the time I was nineteen . Then the babies came , one after the other , '' she said . `` Life is so hard , kids get sick easily , prices of goods are so high . That 's one of the reasons why I do n't want them to have too many kids , '' she said . Still , Villanueva said she would not use contraceptives . `` Even if they say you 'll end up with too many kids , I do n't get swayed by their persuasions , I wo n't use those contraceptives , '' she said . The legislation will go before the nation 's Congress in the next few months . `` This bill , once it becomes a law , it will give information and access to those who want it , '' Lagman said . `` But I will also underscore that central to this bill is the freedom of choice . ... -LRB- W -RRB- e compel women to make their own choices . '' '' -LRB- T -RRB- he government should be there to give them free information and free access to the products , particularly to the poorer of the poor , '' he added .
|
More than 100 lawmakers back a bill to use government funds for contraceptives . A backer says the bill is about sustainable human development , not religion . Some one-third of the country 's 90 million people live in poverty . The ADB says the nation has one of the world 's highest birth rates .
|
[[291, 450], [510, 545], [613, 678], [715, 750], [751, 884]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Marine accused of killing Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach , who was more than eight months pregnant , was not the father of her unborn child , a law enforcement source close to the murder investigation said Saturday . Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean , who is being held on a murder charge , is scheduled for arraignment in June . The source , who has seen a report completed earlier this month by the Defense Department 's Armed Forces Institute of Pathology , said Cpl. Cesar Laurean 's DNA does not match that of the unborn child , who also died . Laurean and Lauterbach were stationed at Camp Lejeune , North Carolina . An autopsy showed that Lauterbach , 20 , died of blunt force trauma to the head . Police unearthed her charred body from beneath a barbecue pit in Laurean 's backyard in January 2008 . She disappeared the month before . Laurean was 22 when he was arrested in Mexico in April 2008 . At the time , a Mexican reporter asked Laurean whether he had killed Lauterbach . The Marine replied , `` I loved her . '' Laurean has been indicted on charges that include first-degree murder , financial card transaction fraud and obtaining property by false pretenses . North Carolina prosecutors allege he killed Lauterbach on December 14 and used her ATM card 10 days later before fleeing to Mexico . He holds dual citizenship in the United States and Mexico . The law enforcement source familiar with the case said a DNA swab was taken by court order from Laurean after he was extradited from Mexico in March to face charges in North Carolina . Mexican authorities agreed to the extradition , in part because prosecutors took the death penalty off the table . Mexico does not have a death penalty . Before her death , Lauterbach told the Marines that Laurean raped her . The month before she disappeared , Lauterbach 's mother says Maria told a military investigator that she no longer believed Laurean was the father of her unborn child . However , Lauterbach 's mother , Mary , says her daughter remained adamant that Laurean raped her . Laurean denied it . A few weeks before a scheduled rape hearing at Camp Lejeune , Lauterbach disappeared . Dewey Hudson , district attorney for Onslow County , said Laurean is scheduled for arraignment in early June , and is expected to enter a plea . `` I can not comment on any of the tests , '' Hudson said . He would not say how the DNA results might affect his case against Laurean . Through her attorney , Mary Lauterbach said the DNA test results do n't answer bigger questions she has about whether the Marines did enough to protect her daughter or moved quickly enough to investigate her claims . `` We do not believe that the result will have any effect on the continuing investigation or the trial , '' said Lauterbach 's attorney Merle Wilberding .
|
DNA taken from suspect Cpl. Cesar Laurean does n't match child 's , source says . Swab obtained after suspect was extradited from Mexico to United States . Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach 's body was found in Laurean 's backyard in 2008 .
|
[[343, 377], [474, 544], [1433, 1531], [1493, 1567], [718, 820]]
|
Editor 's note : Kiron K. Skinner is an associate professor of international relations at Carnegie Mellon University , directs the university 's International Relations and Politics Program , and is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University . She is the co-author , along with Serhiy Kudelia , Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Condoleezza Rice , of `` The Strategy of Campaigning : Lessons from Ronald Reagan and Boris Yeltsin . '' Kiron Skinner says the Nobel Committee recognizes the predominant power of the United States . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As an American of African descent , I swelled with pride when I heard that the Norwegian Nobel Committee selected President Obama to receive the Nobel Peace Prize . The award further validates what the 2008 presidential election demonstrated : The United States is the most mature and fully functioning multi-ethnic democracy in the world . Despite its emphasis on multilateralism , the Norwegian Nobel Committee 's statement also recognizes the predominant power of the United States . The accepted wisdom among diplomats is that the international system is multipolar because of the increasingly multilateral governance structure of the world 's numerous international institutions . In reality , however , the United States is by far the single greatest economic , military and political power on earth . Furthermore , many international institutions are dependent upon the United States for their survival . Announcing the award , the Norwegian Nobel Committee said `` multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position , with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play . '' The Committee thus joins a chorus of international forums that contend that multilateralism is the hallmark of the international system . Today there are more formal and informal international institutions than ever before , and they share a common theme . Leaders attending the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , on September 24-25 declared that the G-20 , a collection of advanced economies and fast-growing developing economies , would replace the G-7 / G-8 , the long-standing group of advanced economies , as the `` premier forum for our international economic cooperation . '' This decision is seen in no small measure as bowing to pressure from states such as Brazil , China and India that have powerhouse economies but have been left out of key international economic meetings such as the G-8 , which includes the United Kingdom , the United States , France , Germany , Japan , Italy , Canada and Russia . The G-20 leaders also agreed to increase the voting power of developing countries in the World Bank by at least 3 percent and to shift the quota share in the International Monetary Fund from developed countries to countries in economic transition by at least 5 percent . The Nobel Committee 's sentiment was expressed at the G-8 summit in L'Aquila , Italy , in July when the G-8 countries joined with the G-5 -LRB- Brazil , China , India , Mexico , and South Africa -RRB- , Egypt and the European Union to declare : `` Our purpose is to foster a genuine partnership , in the context of a strengthened multilateralism . '' That is similar to what BRIC -- Brazil , Russia , India , and China -- stated at its first summit on June 16 in Yekaterinburg , Russia : `` We underline our support for a more democratic and just multipolar world order based on the rule of international law , equality , mutual respect , cooperation , coordinated action and collective decision-making of all states . ... We express our strong commitment to multilateral diplomacy with the United Nations playing the central role in dealing with global challenges and threats . '' The very next day , the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization -LRB- China , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Russia , Tajikistan , and Uzbekistan -RRB- put the matter more starkly as they concluded their summit : `` The tendency towards true multipolarity is irreversible . '' An increasing number of regional and international institutions with evolving memberships and leadership are multilateral . The world , however , is not multipolar . Consider some important facts : the United States has the largest gross domestic product defined in terms of purchasing power parity of any single state in the world ; it is surpassed in GDP only by the European Union , a collection of states ; and its GDP is twice that of China , its nearest competitor . The United States accounts for approximately half of the world 's defense spending and it provides extended military deterrent cover for many of its allies , especially European . Whether it is the subject of positive or negative international public opinion , the United States is a major source of cultural , political and social power in the world . In its recently released Global Competiveness Report , the World Economic Forum placed the United States just behind top-ranked Switzerland , hardly a nation best positioned to lead the global economy . It is reasonable to expect that the United States will soon regain the number-one position it held in earlier World Economic Forum competitiveness reports . International political , economic and military realities are not changed merely by declaring that they are something different from what they are . I believe the Nobel Committee knows this better than those writing communiqués for the various international institutions . The Committee asserts that President Obama has `` created a new climate in international politics . '' In other words , it recognizes the United States ' predominant global power -- power that does not appear to be diminishing and that is capable of shaping many of the multilateral institutions that depend on it . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Kiron K. Skinner .
|
Kiron Skinner : It 's become fashionable to talk of a `` multipolar '' world . She says U.S. economy and defense forces still dominate the world . Skinner : Obama 's Nobel Prize recognized the primacy of the U.S.
|
[[452, 546], [471, 546], [949, 991], [997, 1052], [5615, 5629], [5632, 5690]]
|
TOKYO , Japan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Eleven-year-old Hiroki Ando will likely die if he does not get a new heart . Hiroki in an ambulance on the way to catch his flight to New York , where he will wait for a heart . Hiroki suffers from cardiomyopathy , which inflames and impairs the heart . The same disease killed his sister five years ago . `` We have two children in our family who got a disease that happens one out of every 100,000 people . I am sorry for my children . We are having my daughter and Hiroki going through this harsh experience , '' said father Ryuki Ando . `` We were told by his doctor at the end of last year that the heart transplant operation was the only way for him to survive , '' Ando said . But the law in Japan prohibits anyone under the age of 15 from donating organs -- meaning Hiroki ca n't get a new heart in his home country . According to the web site for Japan Transplant Network , a non-governmental group that supports changing Japan 's transplant law , `` this stipulation has greatly reduced the possibility of transplants to small children ; heart transplants to small children have become impossible . '' Watch Hiroki 's trip to the United States '' Lawmaker Taro Kono is spearheading efforts to change the law , which was enacted in 1997 . Japan 's parliament is now debating four proposed amendments -- including one that would scrap the age limit . But , beyond the age matter , the issue of organ transplantation in general , has been a difficult one for the country because of perceptions of brain death . Some refuse to accept it if their loved ones ' hearts are still beating . `` For a long time , it 's the heart that mattered in Japan . Some religions ask us not to declare being brain dead as death . But that is not the majority , '' Kono said . `` So it is simply that we have been doing things this way and a lot of people are very skeptical about it . '' Kono , who gave a kidney to his father , said a total of 81 organ transplants have been conducted in Japan since the transplant law was enacted in 1997 , whereas nearly thousands of transplants occur in the United States each year . `` A lot of people in Japan waiting for a transplant , waiting for a liver , a heart , other organs , most of them just die simply because they could n't get any organs , '' he said . Kono said he believes the public supports changing the law to allow organ donation from children , noting that `` when the parents of the child are going on the street asking for donations , they can actually raise more than a million dollars . '' Incredibly , that 's just what Hiroki 's family has done . They started a group called `` helping Hiroki '' and raised $ 1.7 million in donations . `` It was very tough to get the donations , but so many people from all over Japan donated the money , '' he said . `` It was not only the money , but so many letters and messages to energize us , sent to the group . We realized there are so many people supporting us , and they are the reason that we made it this far and will be able to continue after going to the U.S. '' Hiroki is now at Columbia University Medical Center in New York , awaiting a new heart . His father says he knows that the transplant issue is a difficult one for families . `` The honest wish from the recipient 's side is to have a donor show up as soon as possible , '' he said , pausing . `` I still do not know whether I can make a decision to give my child 's heart to someone else if I am faced with such a situation . But unless the people face the issue and think about it seriously , I do not think the time will come soon to see more people volunteering to donate organs . '' Ando said he hopes that one day he will be able to play baseball with his son , who is an avid sports fan . `` I would like to have a fun time again with Hiroki . I would like to make it home with everyone in good health , '' he said . `` That 's the biggest hope I have now . '' Ando 's mother wrote in a blog on her Web site -LRB- http://www.hirokikun.jp/ -RRB- that Hiroki was high on the waiting list for a heart transplant in New York . `` I believe Hiroki will be all right , '' she wrote .
|
Hiroki Ando , 11 , suffers from cardiomyopathy , which inflames and impairs the heart . He ca n't get heart in Japan because people under 15 not allowed to donate organs . Hiroki 's family raised $ 1.7 million in donations to send Hiroki to New York for surgery .
|
[[211, 245], [231, 245], [254, 262], [231, 245], [267, 286], [80, 109], [721, 795], [789, 795], [799, 848], [807, 858], [2634, 2722], [2634, 2638], [2687, 2722]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- John Travolta and Kelly Preston have returned to Ocala , Florida , with the remains of their teenage son , a family friend told CNN on Tuesday . Actors John Travolta and Kelly Preston say they are `` heartbroken '' over their son 's death . They left the Bahamas late Monday night , said Obie Wilchcombe , a member of the Bahamian parliament . An autopsy was conducted Monday in the Bahamas on the body of the couple 's son , Jett Travolta . The 16-year-old was found unconscious Friday while on vacation with his family in the Bahamas ' West End . He was taken to a hospital , where he was pronounced dead on arrival , local police said . The autopsy results have not been released , but employees of the funeral home that handled the remains said `` seizure '' was listed as the cause of death on the death certificate , celebrity Web site TMZ reported . Watch the latest reports on Jett Travolta '' An employee who answered the telephone at the funeral home confirmed the report . The funeral home said `` The body was in great condition and shows no sign of head trauma , '' TMZ reported . TMZ is partly owned by AOL , part of CNN 's parent company , Time Warner . The family 's doctor observed the autopsy , Wilchcombe told CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' on Monday . The body was cremated , Wilchcombe said Monday . He said Tuesday that a memorial service was planned for Thursday . Funeral plans have not been announced . In a statement posted on the actor 's Web site , Travolta and Preston described Jett as `` the most wonderful son that two parents could ever ask for -LSB- who -RSB- lit up the lives of everyone he encountered . '' `` We are heartbroken that our time with him was so brief , '' they said . The couple also has a daughter , Ella , 8 . Jett Travolta had a developmental disability that his parents have linked to Kawasaki disease , an inflammatory disorder of the artery walls that most commonly occurs in young children , and that can lead to heart disease . According to the American Heart Association , `` About 80 percent of the people with Kawasaki disease are under age 5 . Children over age 8 are rarely affected . '' `` They 're just a fantastic couple , very family oriented like a lot of people in our community , '' Ocala Mayor Randy Ewers , told Larry King . `` We 're very sad about the unfortunate events for one of our community members ... they 're part of the community . '' Neighbor Jacob Urbowicz described the actor as `` just one of us . '' `` He may be famous , but he 's just one of us here in the neighborhood . You know , we see the kids , and they see our kids . We 're all one family here , you know . It 's just not something that 's supposed to happen , '' Urbowicz told CNN affiliate WESH-TV . Urbowicz said he remembers Jett Travolta as a happy teenager , the television station reported .
|
Seizure listed as cause of death on death certificate , TMZ.com reports . Jett Travolta 's autopsy was performed Monday in the Bahamas . His body has been cremated , memorial scheduled for Thursday , family friend says . Teen 's parents say he had developmental disability linked to inflammatory disease .
|
[[708, 737], [763, 839], [842, 875], [1095, 1112], [363, 442], [1289, 1310], [1338, 1404], [1354, 1404], [1779, 1919]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The late Chris Benoit idolized the Dynamite Kid , who was half of a professional wrestling team famous in the 1980s for spectacular high-flying , acrobatic moves . Chris Benoit strangled his wife and suffocated his son before hanging himself in June . The Dynamite Kid and his partner , Davey Boy Smith , were known as the British Bulldogs . They were quick , agile and muscular , and in 1986 they won the World Wrestling Federation tag team championship . Young Benoit dreamed of wrestling like the Dynamite Kid , whose real name is Tom Billington . At the beginning of his career , Benoit adopted the Dynamite nickname and copied his idol 's signature moves . In June , Benoit murdered his wife and young son before hanging himself . Investigators found testosterone , painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs in Chris Benoit 's body , Georgia 's chief medical examiner said a month later . When asked about Benoit 's double murder-suicide , Billington told CNN , `` It can make you aggressive , the steroids . But personally I would n't , you know , kill no bleeding kid , or wife either . '' Billington now lives in a public housing apartment outside Manchester , England . He has lost the use of his legs . A pin sticks out from one of his toes . Billington blames his wrestling life for doing this to him -- wrestling and the fact that he ignored doctors who told him to stop the punishment to his body . And from the steroids , he said . Billington told CNN that the steroids came from doctors , from friends , even from steroids meant for horses . He took them all , took a terrible pounding in the ring , and like his partner -LRB- who died at age 39 in 2002 -RRB- , began taking extensive amounts of painkillers . Benoit 's death has refocused a media spotlight on the organization for which he wrestled , now known as World Wrestling Entertainment , and the man who has ruled wrestling for years , Chairman of the Board Vince McMahon . McMahon , appearing with Linda McMahon , his wife and WWE CEO , told CNN : `` Nothing from the WWE , under any set of circumstances had anything to do with Chris Benoit murdering his family . How did we know Chris Benoit would turn into a monster . '' Read a full transcript of the McMahons interview . Vince McMahon defended the organization , saying its drug-testing policy was not just for show . `` Our policy stacks up just as well as anyone else 's in sport , although again emphasizing we are entertainment , and no one in entertainment , no one has this kind of wellness policy , '' McMahon said . Critics say McMahon pushes his stars and non-stars , works them too many nights per year and has encouraged the large physiques prevalent in modern wrestling . They say McMahon only looks at his employees as commodities , pawns in a huge business . His businesses are quite successful . About 16 million people a week tune into WWE TV shows . Two of their cable programs -- `` Raw '' and `` Friday Night Smackdown '' -- are weekly ratings giants . Pay-per-view specials generate an average of $ 100 million per year . When asked about the high number of former wrestlers who had died before they turned 50 years old , Vince McMahon said each person in the WWE bore responsibility for their own lives -- especially outside the arena . `` If someone passes through our organization , it is not our responsibility for someone 's personal activities , '' he said . He also said there is n't `` any organization in the world , be it entertainment or be it sport , that can tell you that they are totally drug-free . '' Watch as a WWE wrestler says the perception of steroid use is wrong '' The McMahons said the WWE is taking steps toward improving its oversight of its athletes . Since the newest WWE drug screening program began in February 2006 , more than 30 of the organization 's wrestlers have been suspended , including two since CNN 's interview with the McMahons . David Black -- who helped the NFL develop its drug program and now runs tests for the WWE -- says twice that number have tested positive and been given a warning . But Dr. Gary Wadler , a world-renowned expert in the study of drugs and athletes , says the WWE is not doing enough . `` It certainly falls far , far short of where it needs to be , '' he said . `` And there is a gold standard , and I measure all these sporting and entertainment activities against this gold standard . And -LSB- the WWE is -RSB- miles apart . '' Wadler , a longtime critic of McMahon , was referring to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in Colorado Springs , Colorado . U.S. athletes training for the Olympics are randomly tested and , if caught just once , face a two-year suspension from competition . If caught a second time , they can be banned for life . Black 's programs test wrestlers four times a year . The first is a `` baseline '' test , according to the WWE . Black then tests for `` nonmedical '' uses , meaning that if an athlete has a prescription , he is cleared . `` It 's just a loophole that in my mind guts the entire program , '' said Travis Tygart , who heads the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency . McMahon denies that his wrestlers are pushed to use steroids . He says the average wrestler is lighter than in recent years . Watch one of the new WWE stars talk about being `` straight edge '' '' `` There 's an expression in our business , that here is where you make your money . It 's your face , it 's what you do with it , '' he said . `` It 's your personality , it 's what you do with it . It 's your delivery , your elocution . It 's storyline , it 's things , all those things that are theatrical as well as athletic in the ring . '' E-mail to a friend . CNN 's Drew Griffin contributed to this report .
|
Vince McMahon : WWE has one of best drug-testing programs . Wrestling boss tells CNN that individuals bear responsibility for actions . Critics say WWE penalties for drug use are not harsh enough . Wrestlers still can get drugs if they have prescriptions from doctors .
|
[[4104, 4119], [4183, 4217]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sending a letter will soon be a little more expensive , the U.S. Postal Service announced Tuesday . The U.S. Postal Service announced Tuesday a 2-cent increase on first-class stamps , effective May 11 . The price for a first-class mail stamp will increase 2 cents to 44 cents , starting May 11 . The Postal Service said the price increase was necessary because of rising production costs . Under law , the price of stamps is not allowed to rise faster than the U.S. consumer price index , which measures inflation . According to a written release , the increase will cost the typical family about $ 3 a year . `` Whether you 're a consumer or run a business , the Postal Service continues to offer a good deal during a time when we 're all looking for ways to save , '' said spokesman Stephen M. Kearney . Until the new prices go into effect , customers can buy `` Forever Stamps '' at the current 42-cent rate . `` The Forever Stamp is always honored for a 1-ounce letter with no need for additional postage , '' Kearney said . iReport.com : Mail five days a week ? Billions of the Forever Stamps have been sold since being introduced in April 2007 , according to the Postal Service .
|
Price of first-class postage stamp will increase 2 cents to 44 cents in May . U.S. Postal Service says increase is tied to rising production costs . Customers can buy `` Forever Stamps '' at current 42-cent rate until May 11 .
|
[[119, 181], [222, 294], [222, 260], [297, 314], [315, 408], [339, 408], [825, 860], [863, 931]]
|
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former high school teacher in Virginia was charged Wednesday with transporting and possessing child pornography , a discovery that was made after he was accused of engaging in sexual acts with a 16-year-old male former student , according to court documents . Kevin Garfield Ricks , 50 , was arrested in February at Osbourn High School in Manassas , Virginia , after authorities were notified of the alleged sexual misconduct , according to the criminal complaint filed against him Wednesday in U.S. District Court . Another student apparently reported the alleged offense to police after seeing a Facebook message from Ricks posted on the 16-year-old 's Facebook page that read , `` You told me our experience was your first with a guy , '' according to the complaint . The 16-year-old student told police that Ricks committed `` several sexual acts '' on him in December after providing him with `` significant quantities of Tequila . '' Authorities investigating the allegations seized Ricks ' personal belongings , including the personal laptop that he carried from his Virginia home during the week to his home in Maryland on the weekends . The laptop revealed eight images of child pornography , according to the complaint . The computer also contained an online chat transcript between Ricks and another alleged victim , who accused him of molestation in the mid - '70s at a summer camp for children with disabilities where Ricks worked as a counselor . Other pornographic images were found at Ricks ' home in Federalsburg , Maryland , including some that appear to have been taken in Japan in the late '80s and early '90s , when Ricks worked as an English teacher there . Most of the boys depicted in the images appear to be incapacitated , according to the complaint . An additional search of Ricks ' Maryland home in April turned up `` hundreds '' of videotapes and still images of child pornography , as well as handwritten journals that `` describe sexual acts with a number of conscious and unconscious minor males at a variety of locations , '' the complaint says . After his arrest in February , Ricks told detectives that the teachers union had told him that he had been `` walking a thin line '' after a parent accused him of `` stalking '' a student he was mentoring at the Huntington Learning Center in Fauqier County , Virginia . In a written statement provided by his attorney to The Washington Post last week , Ricks said he `` will spend the rest of my days seeking forgiveness and atonement . '' `` It is understandable how some may see me in a negative light , but like other people in this world , I have had many positive accomplishments in my personal life and career . I would like people to consider those as well , '' the statement said , according to the Post . Ricks is being held in the Prince William County Adult Detention Center . If convicted of the charges , he faces up to 30 years in prison .
|
Kevin Ricks , 50 , was charged with transporting and possessing child porn . Alleged offense came to light when he was accused of sexual acts with ex-student . Hundreds of images were found upon searching Ricks ' laptop and home . He faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted of the charges .
|
[[0, 26], [71, 143], [292, 312], [315, 379], [144, 157], [163, 258], [972, 1080], [1493, 1589], [1810, 1975], [2930, 2965]]
|
-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- If you do n't eat , sleep and breathe cars , or devour car magazines in minute detail , there 's a good chance you do n't know all the technological terms that pop up in the media , new car advertising and literature . With new models being released all the time , the acronyms can be overwhelming . With every new model year , it seems , there are new technology and acronyms . Here 's a concise list of the terms you 're most likely to see and read about in the 2008 literature . ABS : The most common passive safety system found on cars today is ABS or anti-lock brake system . ABS continuously counts wheel revolutions electronically and when one or more wheels stops moving during a skid , the system quickly applies and releases the brakes on the skidding wheels . This is done so that the tires continue to rotate and the car can be steered around an object or an impending accident situation . Tires that are skidding ca n't do much steering . ALS : This is a relatively new term that stands for active lighting system or automatic lighting system . On some luxury vehicles , you can opt for headlamps that turn left or right -LRB- up to about 15 degrees -RRB- as the front tires turn to light the road as you make your turns . AWD -LRB- also FWD , RWD , 2WD , 4WD -RRB- : These terms refer to how many and which wheels on your car deliver power from the engine to the road surface . AWD means all-wheel drive and generally means there are no buttons , levers or lower gear ranges . These systems can be full-time , driving all four wheels all the time , or part-time , controlled by computers when conditions dictate the need for more traction . The 4WD label means four-wheel drive and these part-time systems usually have a selector switch or lever to select two-wheel drive , four-wheel drive or even four-wheel drive in a lower gear or locked position for very difficult driving situations . In 2WD , only the two front or rear tires have power . Traditional RWD or rear-wheel drive is almost always found on luxury cars , sports cars , or racing cars . FWD or front-wheel drive is more compact and is more often found on small cars , minivans and crossover vehicles . DOHC : Engineering shorthand for double-overhead camshaft . A DOHC engine has one camshaft that opens the intake valves and one camshaft that opens the exhaust valves , a design derived from racing engines . DOHC engines are more complex than single-overhead-cam engines -LRB- SOHC -RRB- and overhead-valve engines -LRB- OHV -RRB- but generally make more power and torque at higher rpm levels because they let the engine breathe better . EBD : An acronym given to the ABS subsystem called electronic brake force distribution . EBD is rapidly becoming standard equipment on cars that already have ABS brakes . In a panic braking situation , EBD distributes the most braking force to the tires that have the most traction . This helps to keep the car from spinning and reduces stopping distances on slippery surfaces . ESC/ESP : Electronic stability control or electronic stability program are interchangeable terms for the same software and hardware . An extension of ABS , ESC uses sensors and computers to determine whether a vehicle is oversteering -LRB- rear wheels out -RRB- or understeering -LRB- front wheels not turning in the desired direction -RRB- . ESC/ESP reduces engine power and/or applies one of the front or rear brakes to get the vehicle back into its intended path of travel . As a means of protecting against rollover accidents , ESC will be required on all new light vehicles sold in America by September 2011 . GPS : All automotive navigation systems communicate with Global Positioning System or GPS satellites . GPS satellites were launched into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense but are now used by motorists , hikers and explorers all over the world . GPS systems are accurate anywhere in the world from 10 to 50 feet . Combined with a CD or DVD map in the vehicle 's navigation system , the satellites can track latitude , longitude , altitude and direction of travel in all weather conditions . I6 -LRB- also V6 , V8 , V10 , W12 , H4 -RRB- : These terms refer to the number and physical arrangement of cylinders in the engine . The I stands for inline , and means that the cylinders are lined up in a single row , -LRB- I4 , I5 , and I6 , usually -RRB- . V engines have two rows or banks of cylinders in a V pattern , with three , four , five or even six cylinders per bank , hence V-6 , V-8 , V-10 , and V-12 . The W engine used by Audi and VW has three rows of cylinders , in this case four cylinders , making it a W-12 . Other engine designs include H-4 and H-6 engines , horizontally opposed or flat engines with either two or three cylinders on each side , a design used by Porsche -LRB- engine in the rear -RRB- and Subaru -LRB- engine in the front -RRB- . The oddball engine on the U.S. market is the Wankel , a rotary engine used only in the Mazda RX-8 . It has no cylinders , no banks and no reciprocating parts . L -LRB- as in 1.8 L or 3.5 L -RRB- : L is for liters a metric measurement of engine size , also called displacement or swept volume , which has replaced cubic inches in the U.S. industry . It 's the total volume of all the engine 's cylinders . Smaller engines generally generate less power and use less fuel , larger engines make more and use more , so do n't buy more engine than you need . RSC : One of the newest government regulations proposed for vehicles in the near future is protection against rollover accidents . The system that the industry has created to combat those is generally called roll stability control . RSC uses computers and sensors to analyze vehicle speed , steering wheel angle and body angle . If it senses that the vehicle is about to roll over , it cuts engine power and applies the brakes on one side or the other to bring the vehicle back to a stable position . TCS : Like ABS brakes , traction control systems are becoming more widely available , even on low-priced cars , because they add so much safety . A traction control system takes data from the ABS about tire rotation and compares the information in the computer . If one or two of the tires are spinning faster than they should be , indicating a loss of traction , the TCS system can cut engine power or engine torque going to the tires and apply brakes individually until the tires are all rotating at the same speed again . TPMS : This is a relatively new acronym that stands for tire-pressure monitoring system . The federal government has mandated that all vehicles in the future should have these systems to protect vehicles and occupants from rollovers and other accidents caused by low or deflating tires . Some currently available systems work by sending radio messages from each tire to the warning on the instrument panel . Others infer from the ABS system that one or more tires has a different rolling diameter , because it is going flat , than the other three tires and sends a warning to the instrument panel . VVT : Engineering term that stands for variable valve timing . Until a few years ago , timing the opening and closing of the engine 's valves was a purely mechanical function and could not be varied . VVT systems use a combination of computers , engine oil pressure and mechanical linkages to change valve timing so that the engine idles smoothly , produces lots of power and torque when needed and burns fuel cleanly and economically .
|
Most common car safety system is ABS or anti-lock brake system . EBD : subsystem of anti-lock brakes called electronic brake force distribution . GPS is system that drives new navigation systems : Global positions system . RSC : roll stability control , new government regulation to prevent rollovers .
|
[[513, 605], [2671, 2733], [5462, 5502], [5544, 5586]]
|
Baghdad , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Attacks on military posts and police stations in Iraq claimed at least 21 lives Thursday . At least three Iraqi soldiers were killed and eight others wounded when a suicide bomber driving a mini-truck loaded with explosives hit an Iraqi military post in the town of Shirqat , police in Tikrit said . The town is located about 300 kilometers -LRB- 186 miles -RRB- north of Baghdad . Hours later , two parked car bombs targeting Iraqi army patrols exploded within 30 minutes of each other in Falluja . The blasts killed two Iraqi soldiers and wounded 10 others , police and hospital officials said . Falluja is a Sunni town , about 60 kilometers -LRB- 37 miles -RRB- west of Baghdad . In a separate attack , shooting and roadside bomb explosions in northeast Baghdad killed 16 people , including six Iraqi soldiers and three policemen , and wounded 14 others , officials said . Clashes erupted between Iraqi security forces and insurgents in the Sunni neighborhood of Adhamiya at about 8:30 p.m. Thursday , wounding 10 people , officials said . Iraqi security forces imposed a curfew in neighborhood and searched for the attackers .
|
NEW : Curfew imposed in Sunni neighborhood after fighting . Blasts occur in Shirqat , Falluja and the Adhamiya neighborhood . All of the attacks targeted military and police , police posts .
|
[[1077, 1131], [717, 737], [740, 866], [740, 798], [873, 890], [0, 7], [10, 124]]
|
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Yo-Yo Ma enters a room , everything changes . Yo-Yo Ma 's new album , `` Songs of Joy and Peace , '' is his first holiday-themed record . His energy and warmth -LRB- he hugs everyone in sight -RRB- and curiosity -LRB- for every question you ask him , he asks two of you -RRB- envelop you like a blanket . He 's also surprisingly funny . The world 's most celebrated cellist introduces himself not as Yo-Yo , or Mr. Ma , or even Yo Mama -LRB- as you might expect from a wisenheimer -RRB- . Instead , with a hint of mischief and a nod to the everyman celebrity of campaign ' 08 , he offers , `` I 'm Joe the cellist . '' He adds , `` I get the ` plumb ' jobs . '' He might be right . Consider Ma 's latest album , `` Songs of Joy and Peace '' -LRB- Sony -RRB- , the first holiday-themed release of his career . Ma describes it as a musical party , a collection of good-time collaborations with musical buddies , James Taylor and Diana Krall among them . Watch Yo-Yo Ma enjoy time with his friends '' `` I asked everybody to bring their favorite piece of music that signified joy to them , '' Ma said . `` And out came all of these fantastic pieces . Many of them I did n't know . '' Krall applies her mellow voice and piano playing to the lighthearted `` You Could n't be Cuter . '' Ma joined Taylor in Taylor 's Washington , Massachusetts , barn to record George Harrison 's `` Here Comes the Sun . '' Other guests include vocalists Alison Krauss and Renee Fleming , trumpeter Chris Botti and saxophonist Joshua Redman . Ma also enlists help from friends who are less mainstream such as the green-haired Galician bagpiper Cristina Pato and mandolin player Chris Thiele . Jake Shimabukuro 's ukulele provides a delightfully plucky counterpoint to Ma 's soaring cello on the John Lennon/Yoko Ono hit `` Happy Xmas -LRB- War is Over -RRB- . '' Born in Paris to Chinese parents and raised in New York , Ma , 53 , is no stranger to thinking outside the music box . In 1998 he founded the Silk Road Project , a multi-cultural exchange designed to help artists and musicians share ideas across borders . His international efforts have earned him the title of United Nations Messenger of Peace . And to Ma , his extensive travels have earned him comparison to a certain shifty-footed children 's book character . `` As a musician I 'm kind of nomadic , Waldo-like , '' he says . `` I show up in different places , and I 'm witness to unbelievable things . '' CNN caught up with Ma at Legacy Studios in New York where some of the recording took place for `` Songs of Joy and Peace . '' The following is an edited version of that interview . CNN : One of the things that 's apparent from watching the footage of the studio sessions from this album is that everyone is so humbled to work with you , and you are just as humbled to work with them . Yo-Yo Ma : Well , I think what I loved about the sessions was that there was mutuality , if that 's a word , of just being open and wanting to do the best thing possible . And so I think everybody just came with an open heart and open mind . ... The amount of talent that walked through the room was staggering for me . Day after day I thought I could die and go to heaven . ... Every day was like that . So I feel very , very , very lucky and very grateful to my friends . CNN : With the work you do , particularly with the Silk Road Project , you 've really had to relax the rules of classical music . Has that been difficult ? Ma : There 's a part of me that 's always charging ahead . I 'm the curious kid , always going to the edge . But I have such deep love for the domain that I come from , whether you call it classical music or ... I do n't know what you call it these days because it 's no longer really definable . It 's coming from a lot of places . Yes , you 're right , I had to relax . It was scary . And I think the idea of transcending fear and transcending technique or understanding different frames is part of the adventure . Something 's scary until you make it familiar and comfortable . I feel so much more a member of the planet community after doing this work for 10 years , because I feel like you can drop me most places and I 'll be OK . I 'll find out what 's going on and find a way to participate . CNN : You 're a big believer in the idea that music is this big unifying force in the world . What other common languages have you come across ? Ma : Oh my goodness . I think there are so many basic ways of behaving that we all have . Guest-host relations ... there 's no culture that does n't have that . And there 's almost no culture where there are not stories where people take in strangers . Gift giving is another act that is universal . Certainly caring for one 's group , a tribal mentality . Sometimes it means putting up firewalls because it 's dangerous to mingle . But in today 's world it seems like we have different groupings . -LSB- We seem to have -RSB- a younger generation that actually is much more tribe-blind or they 've created their own social communities . So it 's interesting to live in today 's world and observe how within urban or rural areas people 's habits may be changing . And I think culturally speaking I 'm trying to work in such a way that we can actually find more commonality than the differences , especially because often things happen so quickly . CNN : Can you ever remember a moment in your life when you felt bored ? Ma : Yes . I hated that feeling so much . I think we all remember when we were much younger , how slowly time -LSB- goes -RSB- . And I think those years often were very boring years . When is summer going to come ? When is Christmas going to come ? Never ! But I think I decided or thought about how I really would love to have an interesting life . I really would like to be involved in things and to understand things , and in some ways you 've got to be careful what you wish for because I feel very , very blessed to have such an interesting life and to be able to have little snapshots of lives of people from many different parts of the world . CNN : What do you do to relax ? Ma : Because so much of what I do involves people , being in a place with more trees than people immediately takes me down . I live in Cambridge -LSB- Massachusetts -RSB- and so when we go to western Massachusetts and see the mountains and trees , suddenly I 'm totally relaxed and feel fabulous .
|
Yo-Yo Ma 's new album is first holiday record for cellist . Collaborators include James Taylor , Diana Krall , bagpiper Cristina Pato . Why is he so active ? He wanted `` interesting life ''
|
[[131, 170], [793, 810], [811, 841], [1579, 1586], [1591, 1702]]
|
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The second of two men who last month pulled off a daring escape from a county jail in New Jersey was taken into custody Wednesday , authorities told CNN . Otis Blunt , 32 , was arrested in Mexico City , according to the U.S. Marshals Service . He will be transported back to the United States as soon as possible , probably within 24 hours , authorities said . Mexico has no extradition proceedings . On Tuesday , local and federal authorities captured Jose Espinosa , 20 , who broke out of Union County Jail on December 15 along with Blunt . Espinosa and Blunt escaped by digging a hole through the cinder block wall of their adjoining cells , and hid the hole by using posters of bikini-clad women . The two then jumped onto a roof and over a 25-foot-high razor wire fence onto a railroad bed . Authorities said Espinosa might have injured his foot making those jumps . Authorities traced Blunt to Mexico City , where he was hiding in a $ 10-a-night hotel , said Commander Lenny DePaul of the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force . They spotted him when he looked out a window . Marshals and Mexican authorities then converged on the hotel room , DePaul said . A written statement from marshals identified the hotel as the Hotel Zomara . Blunt , who was arrested without incident , was in a holding cell Wednesday afternoon , DePaul said . Marshals said Blunt was in the custody of the Mexican immigration agency and is awaiting its determination about his deportation . `` Since the day of his escape , right through the holidays , apprehending this guy has been the highest-priority case , '' DePaul said in the statement . In recent days , Blunt had spoken with the Rev. Al Sharpton , the civil rights activist , to help negotiate his surrender . Sharpton traveled to Mexico City , where he said he was led to believe Blunt would give himself up Tuesday . But that surrender did not occur , and Sharpton left the country Wednesday morning . Police believe it took two weeks for Espinosa and Blunt to chisel out two cinder blocks -- one between the cells and a second to the wall outside , using a valve wheel one of the men took from a pipe . Union County prosecutor Theodore J. Romankow said it is n't clear why no one heard the digging , as a reenactment conducted by his office showed it would be loud . When the men made the jumps , they were wearing flip-flops and had wrapped their feet in sheets , the prosecutor said . The sheeting strips were found by authorities later . Acting on a tip , authorities found Espinosa about 9 p.m. Tuesday in an apartment six blocks from the jail , said James Plousis , a U.S. marshal for New Jersey . Espinosa was alone in the residence and was lying on a couch with his foot raised . Investigators said they also arrested a `` female associate '' of Espinosa . They identified her as 19-year-old Odalys Cortez of Hazleton , Pennsylvania , and said in a news release that they plan to file criminal charges against her . During their escape , Blunt and Espinosa left behind dummies in their jail beds , along with a note naming prison guard Rudolph Zurick . It thanked him `` for the tools needed , '' and said , `` You 're A real Pal ! Happy Holidays . '' Zurick committed suicide last week at his home in Sayreville , New Jersey . His attorney , Michael Mitzner , said Zurick had not been charged in the jail break and was cooperating with investigators . `` It 's possible that his name being associated with the escape was more than he could take , despite his lack of involvement , '' Mitzner said . As Espinosa , wearing a sleeveless black T-shirt , khaki pants and slippers , was led into Union County police headquarters Tuesday night , a reporter asked him about the guard 's death . `` It was n't our fault , '' he said . Espinosa recently pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and was to be sentenced January 25 , authorities said . He faced a minimum of 17 years in prison . Blunt was in prison in lieu of $ 75,000 bail for weapons and robbery charges . Both men were being housed in the multilevel jail 's high-security area , officials said . E-mail to a friend . CNN 's Deborah Feyerick , Susan Chun and Jason Carroll contributed to this report .
|
Otis Blunt was captured Wednesday in Mexico City , officials said . Jose Espinosa was caught not far from the New Jersey jail Tuesday . Last month , they escaped through a hole they dug in their cells ' cinder block wall . A guard whom the inmates taunted in a note they left behind , committed suicide .
|
[[183, 193], [196, 228], [4131, 4147], [429, 439], [442, 499], [42, 49], [65, 124], [481, 499], [506, 570], [571, 670]]
|
Kabul , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At least one Afghan Taliban leader has been seized in neighboring Pakistan by security forces , sources told CNN Thursday . Mullah Abdul Salam was arrested last week , according to Afghan government officials , Taliban sources and a U.S. official . `` The Taliban is down another shadow governor , '' the American source said late Wednesday , declining to be named because of the sensitivity of the information . The news came against the background of an intensified U.S.-led campaign against insurgents on both sides of the border . Taliban fighters are resisting an allied military push into area they control in Helmand province in the south of Afghanistan , a military operation called Moshtarak . According to British Maj. Gen. Nick Carter , it will the NATO-led force `` another 25 to 30 days to secure that which needs to be secured '' in the region , and a further three months after that to be sure insurgents are being kept out . But Operation Moshtarak has reached `` the end of the beginning , '' he said in a briefing from Afghanistan broadcast by the Pentagon Channel . `` The insurgent was entirely dislocated within 24 hours '' of the insertion of troops by helicopter , he said . The Nad-e Ali district is `` broadly secure , '' he said , but there is still Taliban resistance in Marjah . `` It will be some days before we can be completely confident that Marjah is secure , '' said Carter , the International Security Assistance Force 's head of Regional Command South . Ten civilians were killed on the second day of the operation , he said . Reports at the time said 12 were killed . `` They -LRB- Taliban -RRB- know this is their last stronghold . They 're not backing down , '' CNN 's Atia Abawi reported from the battlefield , where she is embedded with U.S. Marines . The crackle of small arms fire and the whoosh of outgoing mortar rounds from the Marines were clearly audible on the line as she described the battle . `` About five minutes ago Taliban started attacking our area , '' she said shortly before 8 a.m. ET . `` The Taliban are not giving up -- they seem to be coming out in squads , -LRB- but -RRB- they know they ca n't group together in large numbers '' because it would make them easier targets . The Taliban seem to include `` foreign fighters who will fight to the death , '' she said . Across the border in Pakistan , four people were killed and five were wounded Thursday when a drone fired on a suspected militant compound in Pakistan 's tribal region , intelligence sources and a local political official told CNN . The four who were killed were suspected militants , two intelligence officials told CNN . It was not clear whether the wounded were also militants . The remote-controlled aircraft fired two missiles at the compound , which is in the Danday Darpakhel area of North Waziristan , one of seven districts in the tribal region along the Afghan border , the sources said . They asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to speak to the media . The U.S. military does not comment on reported attacks by the pilotless aircraft , but the United States is the only country operating in the region known to have the ability to launch missiles from drones . Mullah Salam , the Taliban commander , was arrested in Pakistan , the Afghan government and Taliban sources agree , but they named different cities as the location of his capture . Gov. Muhammad Omar of Afghanistan 's Kunduz province said Thursday he was detained in Quetta -- where the Afghan Taliban reportedly has its leadership councils . The Taliban sources said he was nabbed in Faisalabad . Salam is believed to be the Taliban commander for Kunduz province , Omar said . He was directing Taliban military operations in the province , including ordering terrorist actions , mine planting and suicide attacks , said Abdul Razaq Yaqubi , the chief of police in Kunduz . Yaqubi said Salam and another Taliban `` shadow governor , '' Mullah Salih , were arrested in the Pakistani city of Peshawar last week . He said the information came from Pakistani authorities . Salih was the shadow governor of Baghlan province , the police chief said . There was no immediate confirmation of Salih 's arrest . Word of Salam 's arrest comes days after news of the capture of the Afghan Taliban 's reputed second-in-command , Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar . Taliban sources and Omar said several other suspected members of the Afghan Taliban were arrested with Salam , but their identities are not clear . CNN 's Pam Benson in Washington , journalist Mati Matiullah in Kabul , and journalists Nasir Dawar and Umar Aziz Khan in Islamabad , Pakistan , contributed to this report .
|
Mullah Abdul Salam arrested last week , according to Afghan , U.S. sources . Salam is believed to be the Taliban commander for Kunduz province . Comes days after Taliban 's reputed second-in-command was arrested . Taliban fighting NATO-led push into area they control in Helmand .
|
[[163, 204], [163, 181], [207, 287], [4008, 4075], [3663, 3728], [163, 204], [4267, 4378], [574, 638], [634, 699]]
|
The statistics are sobering : Heart disease is the number-one killer of women in the United States . And an estimated 8 million women have it . What 's more , a new study shows that in recent years the overall heart disease risk for Americans -- especially women -- has n't continued the healthy downward trend it showed in previous decades . There are steps you can take , at any age , to prevent heart disease , the # 1 killer of US women . Ready for some good news ? You can do more to prevent heart disease than almost any other serious condition . Start with these age-specific steps . The 30s . Declare a trans fat-free zone . Commonly used to extend the shelf life of packaged foods like cookies and crackers , and also found in margarine , trans fats pack a double whammy : they raise bad cholesterol -LRB- LDL -RRB- , while lowering good , protective HDL -LRB- your LDL should be below 100 ; your HDL , above 60 -RRB- . In a Harvard University study , women with the highest level of trans fats in their blood had triple the risk of heart disease . Take a cue from major U.S. cities like New York and Philadelphia -LRB- which have banned trans fats from restaurants -RRB- , and pitch them out of your pantry . On ingredient lists , they show up as `` hydrogenated '' and `` partially hydrogenated '' oils . But scrutinize any product touted as `` trans fat-free '' at the supermarket , too : some manufacturers have replaced hydrogenated oils with tropical oils that are high in saturated fat , which also raises LDL cholesterol . Eating out in a city where trans fats are n't banned ? Skip the fried stuff -- many restaurants still use the oils for frying . Health.com : 10 best foods for your heart . Use your OB-GYN as a partner . During your prime reproductive years , you may visit your OB-GYN more than you go to your regular doctor . Make sure you talk to her about your heart as well as gynecological health , particularly because blood pressure -LRB- BP -RRB- can rise if you 're taking birth control pills or when you 're pregnant . Women who develop preeclampsia -LRB- pregnancy-related hypertension -RRB- are prone to heart disease later in life . And , in general , `` how your heart handles pregnancy offers a snapshot of how it will look in middle age , '' says Sharonne Hayes , M.D. , director of the Women 's Heart Clinic at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester , Minnesota . To keep BP from creeping up -LRB- the safe zone is lower than 120 over 80 -RRB- , substitute herbs and spices for salt -- try cumin for a healthy twist on popcorn , for instance . Simmer down . If you boil over when the shopper in front of you has 16 grocery items in the 15-or-fewer lane , beware : Losing your temper can damage your arteries , according to research by C. Noel Bairey Merz , M.D. , director of the Women 's Heart Center and endowed chair in Women 's Health at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles , California . `` Raging causes your blood pressure to surge and stay up there , '' Merz says . That 's why it 's crucial to get a grip on anger at an early age , before it takes a toll . Learn now that , instead of venting when a situation makes you furious , you can take a few deep breaths and describe to yourself what 's making you angry . That should help you calm down . The 40s . Do n't skimp on sleep . When your hormones are fluctuating madly , it can be tough to nod off . It 's no wonder , then , that more than half if women in their 40s suffer from insomnia at least a few nights a week . That 's nothing to yawn about , either . When your body is deprived of restorative sleep , your heart has to work harder . And piles of studies show that too little shut-eye can lead to heart attack , stroke , heart failure , and diabetes . How little is too little ? A recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that less than seven-and-a-half hours per night puts you at risk for heart disease . And recent research from Duke University found that women who take more than a half-hour to fall asleep or those who awaken frequently during the night have inflammation in their arteries and higher levels of insulin , two major risk factors for heart disease . The soporific Rx : Do your best to unwind with a relaxing bedtime routine , like listening to soothing music or soaking in a tub with bath salts . And , despite how difficult it might sound , obey this rule : no technology or work in the bedroom ; your bed should be for sleep and sex only . Monitor your mood . Between the demands of work and family , it 's easy to worry that something will fall through the cracks -- but do n't let that something be your own peace of mind . Perimenopausal women have nearly double the risk for depression , and that spells trouble for their hearts , says Jennifer Mieres , M.D. , a cardiologist and associate professor at New York University 's School of Medicine . Uncontrolled stress can raise blood pressure and flood blood vessels with inflammatory chemicals , which in high doses can be toxic to the heart , while depression has been linked to hardening of the arteries . Then there are the unhealthy habits that come with stress and the blues : smoking , excessive drinking , and overeating . Smart medicine for your mood and your heart ? Exercise . Thirty minutes of aerobic activity -LRB- walking , biking , swimming -RRB- most days of the week has been shown to reduce the symptoms of depression by about half , an effect comparable to antidepressant use , while lowering blood pressure and strengthening your cardiovascular system . But if you 're feeling low more often than not , talk to your doctor about therapy , antidepressants , or St. John 's wort . -LRB- New research suggests that this herb works as well as antidepressants and has few side effects . -RRB- Health.com : How safe , moderate exercise can keep your heart healthy . Get more fish , flaxseed , and fiber . In your 40s , as estrogen dips , your blood pressure , cholesterol , and triglycerides -LRB- a type of fat stored in the blood -RRB- start creeping up , making a heart-healthy menu more important than ever . Aim for two servings of fish , like salmon or tuna , each week for omega-3 fats ; or pick omega-3-fortified foods like orange juice , margarine , and eggs . Also , sprinkle ground flaxseed on yogurt or cottage cheese to lower cholesterol . And experiment with dishes that contain high-fiber foods like apples , broccoli , beans , and bran cereal . Health fads come and go , but a high-fiber diet has consistently proven to be good for the heart , says Leslie Cho , M.D. , director of the Women 's Cardiovascular Center at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio . Health.com : Recipes to help you ` fill up on fiber ' The 50s plus . Whittle your waist . If a few extra pounds have settled around your middle since menopause , you 're not alone . `` Basically , we start putting on weight more like men , '' says Nieca Goldberg , M.D. , medical director of New York University 's Women 's Heart Program and author of Complete Guide to Women 's Health . The `` meno potbelly '' is especially hard on the heart because it builds up around internal organs , triggers inflammation , and leads to insulin resistance . Research from the famous Nurses ' Health Study found that women with a waist circumference of more than 35 inches were twice as likely to die of heart disease than women with a 28-inch waist , regardless of weight . Low-intensity workout routines can help slow down the belly buildup , but to shrink it you 'll need to work up a sweat with 60 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise at least three times a week . Try jogging , walking on the treadmill on a challenging incline , or swimming laps . Enjoy some `` friend benefits . '' Whatever causes you stress , leaning on friends for support and commiseration can help keep blood pressure in check . `` There are clearly good things that happen to your heart when you care about people and people care about you , '' Cedars-Sinai 's Merz says . Talk out the stress with friends over a walk or at the gym , and you 'll double your heart benefit . Stay strong . Since hormone replacement therapy -LRB- HRT -RRB- is no longer thought to protect your heart , and may even harm it -LRB- talk to your doctor about the risks if you decide to try it -RRB- , you need to safeguard your heart with strong muscles . Add strength training -- like a weight-lifting class , yoga , or Pilates -- to your exercise routine at least twice a week , Goldberg recommends . You 'll keep blood pressure in check , boost metabolism , zap more calories , control cholesterol , and improve endurance . Health.com : Strength exercises for any age . Sum total ? A heart that 'll keep pumping happily for years to come . Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright Health Magazine 2009 .
|
Heart disease is the number-one killer of women in the US : 8 million have it . You can take specific steps to protect your heart starting at an early age . Reduce stress and anger , exercise and keep waist under 35 inches . Dietary tips include cutting out trans fats , adding more fiber , fish and flaxseed .
|
[[30, 100], [105, 133], [101, 143], [553, 590], [5885, 5923], [5885, 5898], [5901, 5909], [6510, 6527], [6579, 6601]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Will Bunch 's CNN.com tirade earlier this week against television host Glenn Beck and David Barton -- the founder and president of WallBuilders , a national pro-family organization that emphasizes history 's `` moral , religious and constitutional heritage '' -- for allegedly creating `` pseudo history '' reveals more about Mr. Bunch than it does about what Mr. Beck and Mr. Barton are presenting . Mr. Bunch seems , above all , to be annoyed that many people are no longer staying on the liberal plantation of secularized American history . He offers little in the way of examples of error , just differences of opinion , such as his own assertion about `` the much-debunked idea that America 's creation was rooted in Christianity . '' Much debunked ? That would have been news to many of the Founding Fathers , whose biblical understanding of man as created in the image of God informed their insistence in the Declaration of Independence that people have `` unalienable rights '' to `` life , liberty and the pursuit of happiness . '' This was tempered by the biblically informed idea that man is prone to sin . In the Federalist Papers , No. 51 , for example , James Madison wrote , `` But what is government itself , but the greatest of all reflections on human nature ? If men were angels , no government would be necessary . '' Therefore , any government formed by men needs checks and balances to avoid tyranny . On a more elementary level , the signers of the Declaration and the Constitution were mostly Christian . You can look it up . Bunch complains that , `` In April , Barton told Beck 's 3 million TV viewers that ` we use the Ten Commandments as basis of civil law and the Western world -LSB- and it -RSB- has been for 2,000 years . ' '' Glenn Beck rewrites civil rights history . Perhaps this is why the Ten Commandments numerals are represented at the bottom of a door to the U.S. Supreme Court courtroom and why Moses , revered as the lawgiver to Jews in the Hebrew bible , and Christians in the New Testament , appears holding two tablets elsewhere in the Supreme Court building . He appears between the Chinese philosopher Confucius and Solon , the Athenian statesman -- at the center of a frieze of historic lawgivers on the building 's East Pediment . Moses is also among an array of lawgiver figures depicted over the Court 's chamber . Tellingly , Mr. Bunch does not dispute the accuracy of the quotes that Mr. Barton cites that spell out a Christian understanding of law and man among some of the Founding Fathers . In a letter to Thomas Jefferson , written 37 years after the Declaration of Independence , John Adams wrote : `` The general principles , on which the Fathers achieved independence , were the only Principles in which that beautiful Assembly of young gentlemen could Unite . ... And what were these general Principles ? I answer , the general Principles of Christianity , in which all these Sects were United : ... Now I will avow , that I then believe , and now believe , that those general Principles of Christianity , are as eternal and immutable , as the Existence and Attributes of God ; and that those Principles of Liberty , are as unalterable as human Nature and our terrestrial , mundane System . '' John Jay , the first chief justice of the Supreme Court , wrote in a letter to a friend , `` Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers , and it is the duty , as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers . '' Mr. Bunch further complains that Barton `` gives less than short shrift to the real achievement of the Founders in separating church and state . '' I would argue that their real achievement was elsewhere . Their real achievement was far larger : creation of a unique , limited government with protections for the freedoms of religion , speech , press and assembly and protection of property rights , without which no freedom exists . The result was the most prosperous and freest nation in history . And property rights are endorsed throughout the Bible . The `` wall of separation between church & state , '' by the way , is not in the Constitution . It 's from a letter from President Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury , Connecticut , Baptists , who were concerned that the national government would favor one Christian denomination over others . But Mr. Jefferson 's phrase has become a sacred totem used by activist judges to drive Christian symbols from the public square . The real reason that Mr. Bunch is so exercised is that the truth about America 's Christian founding is getting out , despite media hostility , politically correct schoolbooks and rising intolerance toward any public expression of faith -- unless it advances leftist goals . America is a unique beacon of freedom precisely because of its founders ' Christian perspective , which has protected the right of conscience and thus freedom of religion for Jews , Muslims , Hindus , Buddhists and nonbelievers . Try to identify another nation on Earth that similarly advanced individual rights without being influenced by Christianity . Beck and Barton are striking what Abraham Lincoln described in a different context as the `` mystic chords of memory . '' It makes perfect sense that many Americans are tuning in . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Robert Knight .
|
Robert Knight disputes ideas in opinion piece by Will Bunch about Glenn Beck , David Barton . Bunch rejected idea of U.S. ' Christian roots , but there 's evidence for it , Knight says . Moses shown on some Supreme Court friezes ; some founders wrote of Christian principles . Knight : U.S. unique in advancing individual rights because of its Christian ethic .
|
[[1443, 1469], [1472, 1547], [2384, 2393], [2396, 2564], [4875, 4916], [4923, 4989], [4875, 4916], [4923, 4989], [5104, 5130], [5139, 5173]]
|
New Orleans , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Calling the federal response to Hurricane Katrina `` a shameful breakdown in government , '' President Barack Obama said Sunday as rebuilding continues , officials are looking ahead to avoid a repeat when future disasters strike . Speaking at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans to mark the fifth anniversary of Katrina , Obama said construction of a fortified levee system to protect the city is underway and will be finished by next year , `` We should not be playing Russian roulette every hurricane season , '' he said . `` There is no need to dwell on what you experienced and what the world witnessed , '' the president said , speaking to a crowd that included current New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu and members of Louisiana 's Congressional delegation . `` We all remember it keenly -- water pouring through broken levees ; mothers holding their children above the waterline ; people stranded on rooftops begging for help ; and bodies lying in the streets of a great American city , '' Obama said . `` It was a natural disaster but also a man-made catastrophe ; a shameful breakdown in government that left countless men and women and children abandoned and alone . '' But the president spoke of the resilience of city residents . `` Because of all of you -- all the advocates , all the organizers who are here today , folks standing behind me who have worked so hard and never gave up hope , you are all leading the way toward a better future for this city with innovative approaches to fight poverty , improve health care , reduce crime and create opportunities for young people -- because of you , New Orleans is coming back . '' The president noted that New Orleans is now one of the nation 's fastest-growing cities , and small businesses have surged . `` Five years ago , the Saints had to play every game on the road because of the damage to the Superdome , '' he said . `` Two . weeks ago , we welcomed the Saints to the White House as Super Bowl champions . '' `` I do n't have to tell you that there are still too many vacant and overgrown lots , '' Obama said . `` There are still too many students attending classes in trailers . There are still too many people unable to find work . And there 's still too many New Orleans folks who have n't been able to come home . '' `` So while an incredible amount of progress has been made , on this fifth anniversary , I wanted to come here and tell the people of this city directly : My administration is going to stand with you -- and fight alongside you -- until the job is done , until New Orleans is all the way back . '' He said his administration has made efforts to reduce red tape and turf wars between agencies , and has put in place a new way to handle disputes , with help from Sen. Mary Landrieu , D-Louisiana . More than 170 projects are now underway as a result , he said . In addition , federal officials are tackling `` corruption and inefficiency that has long plagued the New Orleans Housing Authority , '' he said . And a group led by Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is examining disaster recovery nationwide . `` We 're improving coordination on the ground , modernizing emergency communications and helping families plan for a crisis , '' Obama said . `` And we 're putting in place reforms so that never again in America is someone left behind in a disaster because they 're living with a disability or because they 're elderly or because they 're infirm . That will not happen again . '' On Friday , he said , his administration announced a final agreement on $ 1.8 billion for Orleans Parish schools , money the president said had been `` locked up for years , but now it 's freed up , so folks here can determine how best to restore the school system . '' In addition , the largest civil works project in American history -- the construction of a fortified levee system to protect New Orleans -- is underway and will be finished by next year , he said . `` Together we are helping to make New Orleans a place that stands for what we can do in America -- not just for what we ca n't do , '' he said . `` And ultimately , that must be the legacy of Katrina : not one of neglect , but of action ; not one of indifference , but of empathy ; not of abandonment , but of a community working together to meet shared challenges . '' Some wounds , the president acknowledged , have not yet healed , and `` there are some losses that ca n't be repaid . For many who lived through those harrowing days five years ago , there are searing memories that time may not erase . But even amid so much tragedy , we saw the stirrings of a brighter day . '' He said he recalled being struck , upon visiting New Orleans four years ago , by the amount of greenery that had returned . `` The work ahead will not be easy , '' he said , `` and there will be setbacks . There will be challenges along the way . But thanks to you , thanks to the great people of this great city , New Orleans is blossoming again . '' Following his speech , the president , accompanied by first lady Michelle Obama , were given a short tour of a new neighborhood built on a part of the city that experienced severe flooding when Katrina hit .
|
Obama : `` New Orleans is coming back '' President says efforts remain underway to rebuild after Katrina . Officials are looking ahead to prepare for future disasters , he says .
|
[[1663, 1691], [133, 194], [197, 242]]
|
Oxford , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Singer-songwriter Annie Lennox proudly wears an `` HIV Positive '' black T-shirt , proclaiming her solidarity with the disease 's victims , even though her status is HIV negative . `` I constantly want to bring attention to the issue , '' says Lennox . `` This is my way of campaigning visually . '' At the TED Global conference last month in Oxford , England , Lennox made clear in a talk and an interview with CNN.com that she is seriously committed to combating the spread of the disease . She was inspired by Nelson Mandela 's statement of support in 2003 for the effort to fight the virus by the 46664 Foundation , named after Mandela 's number in prison . South Africa was losing 1,000 people a day to AIDS , many of them women and children . Mandela compared the death toll to genocide . `` I 'm a woman , and I 'm a mother , I told myself that this is something that I have to talk about , '' Lennox said . In her talk at the conference attended by about 700 people , she told the story of a seven-year-old girl in South Africa suffering from the disease and weighing about what a one-year-old child weighs . After the girl was treated and put on a special diet by doctors , she recovered , looking like a child her age . `` The hair on my arms is standing , '' Lennox , said as she showed before and after photos of the girl . `` Is n't it extraordinary ? '' An ambassador for U.N. AIDS , she said the organization is committed to ending mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015 . TED is a nonprofit organization that hosts conferences and makes talks available on its site , http://www.ted.com/ . -LSB- CNN and TED have a partnership in which TEDTalks are published Tuesdays on CNN.com . -RSB- . The Scottish pop music artist gained fame performing with Dave Stewart as the Eurythmics and has gone on to a successful solo career and many music awards . In 2007 , Lennox organized a group of 23 female performers to make `` Sing '' as a benefit recording for the fight against HIV/AIDS . It has raised more than 100,000 pounds -LRB- about $ 159,000 U.S. dollars -RRB- . Lennox was honored with the Services to Humanity Award in 2008 by the British Red Cross . Lennox sees people in developed Western countries living in a bubble of great privilege where they have a responsibility to help those who are not as fortunate . She says she aims to use her skills and influence to help make that happen . Ultimately , Lennox says , the fight against HIV/AIDS is not about charity but about securing human rights .
|
Annie Lennox : I wear `` HIV Positive '' T-shirt to show my support for fighting the virus . She says she became committed to the cause after hearing Nelson Mandela speak about it . Lennox says the goal is to end mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015 .
|
[[0, 6], [9, 108], [529, 610], [1434, 1528]]
|
-LRB- Silicon Alley Insider -RRB- -- Newspaper companies are a dying breed , and one consistent scapegoat for their demise is the rise of blogs and online news sites . In October 2009 , Tom Curly , CEO of the Associated Press news service , said blogs were directing large amounts of revenue away from original content creators . At the same time , Rupert Murdoch sneered at bloggers , saying they would cause the `` content creators '' like his company News Corp. , parent of the Wall Street Journal and New York Post , `` to pay the ultimate price '' if they were not held in check . Blogs and other new media from Facebook to Twitter have made newspapers less relevant . If you want quicker , more focused news , blogs are a great resource . If you want more local , hyperpersonal news -- i.e. , what your sister 's cat did today -- then Facebook or Twitter are your best bets . But despite factors of expediency and personalization , new media outlets are not to blame for the creeping death of newspapers . It makes for a great story to have upstart blogs destroying hidebound news organizations , but the truth is much more simple . Advertisers are killing newspapers . Advertisers have fled newspapers for the greener , cheaper pastures of the internet and they 're not coming back . On the internet , an advertiser has a greater ability to target his or her ad spend . Want to advertise to just teenage boys interested in football ? Ca n't do that with the newspaper . Want to advertise to women from Yale ? Ca n't do that in a newspaper . The numbers prove this out . Alan Mutter , an expert on the economics of the newspaper industry , recently reported that newspaper advertising was down about 10 percent year-over-year for the first quarter of the year . Meanwhile , advertising on the internet , radio and television were all up . Web advertising was up 7.5 percent . Newspapers still attract more ad dollars than the web , but that is expected to change soon . PricewaterhouseCoopers ' annual report on media trends reported that web advertising totaled $ 24.2 billion last year . The Newspaper Association of America reported $ 24.82 billion in advertising for 2009 . By the end of this year , the web may be in front . The expansion of advertising on the web is both good news and bad news for newspapers . Newspapers like The New York Times have taken advantage of the web to create amazing products like interactive graphics and videos . This has helped propel their overall readership to new heights . Millions of people visit The New York Times ' website daily . That 's important to keep in mind when anyone thinks of blaming blogs for the death of newspapers . There 's enough people on the web to go around . Newspapers and blogs are expanding their audiences simultaneously . As newspapers take advantage of the medium to tell stories , they 'll see some of that $ 24 billion in online ad dollars . Unfortunately , it wo n't be enough to support what they do now -- and most of the money is going to the likes of Google . The New York Times online edition only generates a fraction of the revenue of the print publication . The Times is a lot less relevant as a place to advertise online than it was offline . And no , blogs are not siphoning many dollars off The New York Times online franchise . The Huffington Post is the most successful blog in the world , with some 12 million unique visitors a month . That traffic bests traditional news organizations like the Washington Post , The Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal by a couple of million . Yet , for all its success , revenue remains relatively elusive . HuffPo only generated $ 15 million last year . It hopes to double that this year to $ 30 million , but that 's still tiny . For some perspective , The New York Times ' online revenue is an estimated $ 150 million to $ 175 million annually . If advertisers are n't spending heavily on blogs or traditional news organizations , where are they spending ? Google . The search giant has annual revenue of more than $ 20 billion , with the vast majority of that from web advertising . The funny thing about Google is that it has tried to master almost every sort of business . It 's investing in windmills , it 's investing in mobile phones , it wants to lay cable for high speed internet connections , just to name a few . Yet , for all the businesses it has tried , there 's one it says it has no interest in : print content like newspapers . The reason ? Making money on newspapers , and getting advertisers interested in spending again on print publications , has even the big brains at Google stumped . Google CEO Eric Schmidt recently told newspaper editors , `` We have a business model problem . We do n't have a news problem . '' We do n't have a news problem , because there 's enough news under the sun for newspapers and blogs to cover it all . Now , if there were only enough ad dollars . Copyright © 2010 Business Insider .
|
Newspapers still attract more ad dollars than the internet , but that should soon change . Advertisers have fled newspapers for the greener , cheaper pastures of the internet . On the web , an advertiser has a greater ability to target his or her ad spend . Advertisers are buying ads on Google instead of traditional news organizations .
|
[[1882, 1935], [1942, 1975], [1176, 1224], [1291, 1306], [1309, 1376], [2995, 3046]]
|
Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- None of the seven doctors and one nurse investigated by California authorities will face criminal prosecution in the death of singer Michael Jackson , the state attorney general 's office said Wednesday . Investigators did not find sufficient evidence to recommend criminal prosecution of any of the medical practitioners , said Christine Gasparac , a spokeswoman for Attorney General Jerry Brown . But a doctor who prescribed drugs to the pop singer using a fake name shortly before the singer 's death could be disciplined by the California medical board , Gasparac said . She would not identify the doctor referred to the medical board or the others who were cleared . Dr. Conrad Murray , who was Jackson 's personal physician when he died a year ago , was not part of the probe , Gasparac said . Murray was charged with involuntary manslaughter earlier this year in the entertainer 's death . State drug agents executed search warrants at several doctors ' offices last summer and at least one pharmacy . `` After reviewing hundreds of pages of records and documents obtained from the medical practitioners , the attorney general 's office has referred one doctor , who wrote prescriptions to an alias known to have been used by Jackson , to the California medical board for further review , '' Gasparac said . Agents spent several hours inside the Mickey Fine Pharmacy just below the Beverly Hills practice of Dr. Arnold Klein , Jackson 's dermatologist . Investigators also visited Klein 's office , where Jackson was seen several times in the weeks before his June 25 , 2009 , death . Klein told CNN last year that he never prescribed dangerous drugs to the singer . Searches of Jackson 's rented mansion revealed a long list of prescription drugs in his bedroom after his death , according to court documents and the autopsy report . The Los Angeles County coroner ruled that Jackson 's death was from an overdose of propofol , a powerful anesthesia used to put surgical patients to sleep . A consultant 's report included in the autopsy said the level of lorazepam , a powerful anti-anxiety agent found in Jackson 's body `` would have accentuated the respiratory and cardiovascular depression from propofol . '' CNN 's Carey Bodenheimer contributed to this report .
|
LAPD asks state drug agents to probe seven Jackson doctors , one nurse . One doctor referred to medical board . Attorney General : No evidence to support criminal prosecution . Dr. Conrad Murray already faces a criminal charge .
|
[[74, 122], [447, 494], [521, 600], [1155, 1249], [195, 248], [249, 365]]
|
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Barack Obama said Thursday his plan to improve America 's education system includes charter schools , intense teacher education and parent involvement . `` Now , I know some argue that during a recession , we should focus solely on economic issues ... but education is an economic issue , if not the economic issue , of our time , '' Obama said at the National Urban League 's 100th Anniversary Convention in Washington . `` We 've tolerated a status quo where America lags behind other nations . '' On the issue of higher education , he noted that America used to be first and is now 12th globally when it comes to college graduation rates . Middle-schoolers continue to fall behind in math and science , and the income gap continues to widen between white and African-American students , he said . `` It 's essential that we put a college degree that 's in reach of everyone -LRB- who -RRB- wants it , '' he said , adding that the college graduation rate needs to increase by 2020 . He also noted that the federal government has increased scholarships and other loan money to achieve that goal , `` so young people do n't graduate like Michelle and me with such big loan payments every month , '' he noted to an applauding audience . Obama said his administration wants to reform and strengthen historically black colleges and universities , but `` even if we do all this good stuff for higher education , too many of our children see college as a distant dream because their education went off the rails long before they turned 18 , '' he said . He said he is challenging states to offer better early learning options so children can enter kindergarten ready to learn . `` Knowing colors , knowing shapes ... knowing how to sit still . You got ta learn that , especially when you 're a boy , '' he said smiling . He acknowledged heavy criticism from civil rights groups about the education reform plans . `` Part -LRB- of the criticism -RRB- reflects a general resistance to change ... the status quo is not working , '' he said . `` We 're lifting up quality for all our children ... You ca n't win grants unless you 've got a plan to ... deal with schools that have been forgotten . '' The Obama education plan champions better teacher pay , but also asks for tangible results . He noted that his sister is a teacher . `` I 'm here because of great teachers , '' he said . `` Teachers are the single most important factor in a child 's education from moment they step into the classroom . I want higher salaries . I want more support . I want them to be trained like the professionals they are ... with rigorous residencies like doctors go through . `` I do n't want talented young people to say , ` I 'd love to teach , but I ca n't afford it . ' Instead of a culture where we 're always idolizing sports starts and celebrities , I want some teachers on the covers on some of those magazines , '' he said . The president has demanded accountability in his plan . `` As we applaud teachers for their hard work , we need to make sure we 're seeing results in the classroom , '' he said . `` Let 's work with teachers to become more effective . '' If that does n't work , Obama said officials need to find the right teacher for that classroom . `` Our goal is n't to fire or to admonish teachers , it 's to provide accountability . '' Obama noted that the administration 's Race to the Top program has sparked 32 states to reform their education laws `` before we even spent a dime , '' he said . `` In each round we 've leveraged change across the country ... sown the seeds of achievement . '' He said the program is different from the No Child Left Behind reform that he said caused states to lower standards . `` They are now raising those standards back up partly because of Race to the Top , '' he noted . Obama said sometimes a school 's problems are so deep , they need a complete overhaul . He said he 's challenging states to turn around 5,000 of the lowest-performing schools , and $ 4 billion has been earmarked for those schools . `` It 's not about labeling a troubled school as a failure , it 's about investing in that school 's future . '' `` In some cases that means restarting the school under different management as a charter school , '' he said . `` Some people do n't like charter schools ... but I want to give states and school districts the chance to try new things . If charter schools does n't work , we 'll hold it accountable and shut it down . '' Obama called Race to the Top `` the single most ambitious , meaningful reform effort we 've attempted in this country in generations . We wo n't see results overnight . ... It may take a decade for these changes to pay off . '' The last ingredient to Obama 's education reform effort is parent involvement . But the president said children should take responsibility for their education , too . `` Parents are going to have to get more involved in their children 's education , '' he said . `` Our kids need to understand nobody 's gon na hand them a future . Education is n't something you just tip your head and they pour it in your ear . You 've got to want it . '' Obama acknowledged that some families are dealing with unemployment , substance abuse and violence . `` I know the character of America 's young people . I saw them volunteer on my campaign ... ask questions in town hall meetings and ... write me letters . '' Race to the Top is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to reward states for aggressively reforming their education systems . The $ 4.35 billion is being awarded in two phases . Tennessee and Delaware were the only two states to receive funds in the first round of the competition . Eighteen states and the District of Columbia were selected as finalists this week to receive more than $ 3 billion in the second round of funding for the program . The second-round finalists will travel to Washington in early August to present their plans to the reviewers who scored their applications , according to the Education Department . The winners will be announced in September . Not all of the finalists , however , will be awarded grants from the nearly $ 3.4 billion remaining in program , Education Secretary Arne Duncan said , adding that Obama has requested $ 1.35 billion for the program in the administration 's fiscal 2011 budget . Tennessee received nearly $ 501 million , allowing the state and all 136 school districts to move forward in implementing comprehensive school reform plans over the next four years . Delaware has received about $ 100 million . The two states earned high marks for the commitment to reform from elected officials , teacher 's union leaders and business leaders . Federal education officials said Delaware and Tennessee also have aggressive plans to improve teacher and principal evaluation and turn around their lowest-performing schools . In addition , both states have put in place strong laws and policies to support their reform efforts .
|
NEW : Obama says charter schools , teacher education and parent involvement are key . The Race to the Top program rewards states for aggressive education reform . NEW : Obama says states have already begun to raise their education standards .
|
[[115, 192], [4916, 4996], [5450, 5594], [5508, 5520], [5525, 5594], [3757, 3796]]
|
Kabul , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dozens of schoolgirls and teachers were sickened Wednesday by poison gas in Afghanistan , medical and government officials said . The latest incident , this one at a high school , is the ninth such case involving the poisoning of schoolgirls , said Asif Nang , spokesman for the nation 's education ministry . Dr. Kabir Amiri said 59 students and 14 teachers were brought to the hospital , and were faring better . `` We do n't have good equipment to verify the kind of gas that they were poisoned with , but we have taken their blood tests to send to Turkmenistan for verifying the type of gas '' that was used , Amiri said . Many Afghan girls were not allowed to attend school during the Taliban 's rule from 1996 to 2001 . Girls ' schools began reopening after the Islamist regime was toppled . The United Nations children 's agency , UNICEF , estimates that 2 million Afghan girls attend school these days . But female educational facilities , students and teachers have come under vicious attack as the insurgency has strengthened and spread from Taliban strongholds in the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand . A report compiled last year by the humanitarian agency CARE documented 670 education-related attacks in 2008 , including murder and arson . Much of the violence in what CARE called an `` alarming trend '' occurred at girls ' schools . CNN 's Matiullah Mati contributed to this report .
|
Under Taliban rule , girls were banned from schools . The latest poisoning incident is part of a trend , a ministry spokesman says . The girls are recovering at a hospital , a doctor says .
|
[[666, 764]]
|
Miami , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Forecast to gain `` major '' Category 3 status , outer rainbands association with a strengthening Hurricane Earl were affecting the islands of Antigua and Barbuda on Sunday , with conditions forecast to deteriorate , the National Hurricane Center said . Earl became a Category 1 hurricane on Sunday . As of 8 p.m. ET , its center was about 100 miles -LRB- 160 kilometers -RRB- east of Barbuda and about 185 miles -LRB- 300 kilometers -RRB- east of St. Martin . Its maximum sustained winds had increased slightly to 85 mph -LRB- 140 kph -RRB- and higher gusts , and the storm was heading west-northwest at near 14 mph -LRB- 22 kph -RRB- . The center of Earl is forecast to pass near or over the northern Leeward Islands Sunday night and Monday , the center said . A hurricane warning was in effect for Antigua , Barbuda , Montserrat , St. Kitts , Nevis , Anguilla , St. Martin , St. Barthelemy , Saba and St. Eustatius . As of 5 p.m. , the government of Antigua and Barbuda also had added the British Virgin Islands to the warning , forecasters said . A hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning was in effect for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico , including the islands of Culebra and Vieques . Tropical storm-force conditions were forecast in the warning area Sunday afternoon and evening , with hurricane conditions expected early Monday , forecasters said . Tropical storm conditions were expected to spread across the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Monday , with hurricane conditions possible on Monday night . `` Strengthening is expected during the next 48 hours , and Earl is forecast to become a major hurricane by Tuesday , '' forecasters said . Earl was forecast to turn west-northwest and slow down over the next day . Tracking maps show it moving northward away from the Caribbean and possibly affecting the U.S. East Coast by Friday . Easterners should pay attention to Earl , as it could affect areas anywhere from the Carolinas to Cape Cod , Massachusetts , over Labor Day weekend , said CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras . It is too soon to tell whether the storm could make landfall , she said . However , outer bands of the storm are likely to hit North Carolina beginning Thursday , kicking up large swells and possibly generating rip currents through Labor Day weekend , Jeras said . Earl is expected to dump between 3 and 5 inches of rain over the northern Leeward Islands , with isolated amounts of 8 inches possible in some areas . Puerto Rico is expected to receive between 4 and 6 inches of rain , with isolated amounts of 12 inches possible over higher elevations . In addition , Earl is expected to produce a 2-to-4-foot storm surge within the hurricane warning area , and 1-to-3-foot storm surge in coastal areas , accompanied by high surf . Meanwhile , Hurricane Danielle remained away from land , and was gradually weakening as it moved northeastward , the hurricane center said . The center of the storm was about 605 miles -LRB- 975 kilometers -RRB- south of Cape Race , Newfoundland . Once a Category 4 storm , Danielle had weakened Sunday to a Category 1 hurricane with winds of near 80 mph -LRB- 130 kph -RRB- . It was expected to continue to weaken , and was moving north-northeast at near 29 mph -LRB- 46 kph -RRB- . Large waves and dangerous surf conditions should diminish near Bermuda on Sunday , the hurricane center said , and `` swells from Danielle are expected to gradually subside during the next day or two along portions of the United States East Coast . '' A number of people were rescued along the East Coast because of those swells and riptide currents . Nearly 250 were rescued Saturday in the waters off Ocean City , Maryland , authorities said . In addition , an area eastward from Earl could develop into a tropical depression and then potentially into Tropical Storm Fiona , Jeras said .
|
Too soon to tell whether Earl could dampen U.S. Labor Day . Outer rainbands were reaching Antigua and Barbuda . Earl reaches Category 1 status . Hurricane conditions are expected Monday on Leeward Islands .
|
[[2084, 2144], [84, 207], [289, 335], [1342, 1384]]
|
New Orleans , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Five years after Hurricane Katrina struck , Conrad Wyre III is disappointed and disillusioned with the lack of progress made in New Orleans . `` Nothing 's really changed , '' said the 35-year-old New Orleans native . He says some spots are still `` in shambles '' in 2010 , and that many residents still feeling helpless and without support , like they 're `` floating in the wind . '' Wyre , known as `` Sam '' by his close friends and family , fled to Katy , Texas , with his then-pregnant wife shortly before the storm hit . But , he was n't able to ride out the storm in peace for long . After Katrina hit , he received a frantic , barely audible phone call from his mother . She and Wyre 's father had stayed put despite warnings . The floodwaters were rising and they were in dire need of help , and fast . Attempts to get assistance for his parents were futile . The Navy , the Coast Guard and the New Orleans Police Department were among the officials who told Wyre they could n't reach the area where his mother and father were trapped . Shocked and upset with the those responses , Wyre knows there was no question about his next move . He immediately went back to save his parents from the flooding caused by the failed levees . `` People were down here suffering , '' Wyre said . `` Somebody dropped the ball . ... since the storm , I have lost faith in all levels of government . '' The insurance companies have n't been helpful , either , Wyre said . His deductible is $ 7,500 , which he would n't be able to afford should another such weather-based tragedy occur . Wyre made the eight-hour trek back to the ravaged city . About a mile from his parents ' house , tents were set up and people had gathered there . Wyre paid a man with a boat $ 50 to take him to his parents ' neighborhood , where he blew an air horn and looked for survivors . Wyre -- who did n't know how to swim -- found his parents , who were then taken to safety along with their neighbors . Wyre 's parents were among the few people in their neighborhood who rebuilt their house , despite the damage done by Katrina . However , in a cruel twist of fate , a 2007 tornado destroyed their home again . Not wanting to fall victim to a weather disaster for a third time , they moved to a different neighborhood , but still close , and certainly within the state of Louisiana . Seeing his beloved city in ruins post-Katrina was devastating for Wyre . Eighty percent of the city was underwater . Streets once exploding with life -- loud music and laughing -- were drowned . There were many bleak moments . There were times when it seemed there was no hope . He says the crime , carjackings and political corruption the area experienced afterward hindered attempts for a much-needed renaissance . Some spots , such as Jefferson Parish , rebounded quickly , thanks in large part to the tourism sector . New Orleans has 300 more restaurants than it did before Katrina hit . Other areas have yet to make even a partial recovery , especially the Lower 9th Ward . Wyre says that was one place that lacked basic necessities , like grocery stores that operated for an extended period of time . In the days following Katrina , people stood in line for hours to get into the nearest Wal-Mart , where the shelves were quickly emptied . Animals were left to die in abandoned houses . For many , a deep depression sunk in . For some , it has yet to fade . `` There was nothing to come back to -- nowhere to go -- it was horrible , '' says Wyre , who made a self-described `` emotional '' return visit to the neighborhood of Hollygrove , where he grew up , and where he documented the devastation with before-and-after pictures for CNN.com 's `` Then and Now '' project . In some instances , the changes seen in these pictures over a five-year span are minimal . Seeing areas that have n't been fixed since 2005 is tough for Wyre to accept . iReport : Wyre revisits Hollygrove . Many homes are still abandoned and boarded up . Old water marks , some reaching halfway up buildings , are still visible , as are spray-painted marks that indicated bodies , odor or pets inside . Overgrown yards and the obvious blight make it tough to forget all the damage . `` Everybody was poor after the storm , '' Wyre said . He says the still-rough conditions are why many evacuees have never returned to their neighborhoods . Many moved out of state to places like Atlanta , Georgia ; Denver , Colorado ; Houston , Texas . It 's tough for Wyre to walk down the familiar , once-vital streets now deserted . `` There 's whole blocks with no cars , no one out and about ... nothing . It 's boarded up , that 's the aftermath of Katrina . Just have to deal with it . '' But almost immediately after Katrina , Wyre and his family were itching to get back to the New Orleans they love . They were n't thrilled with their temporary time in Texas , saying there was a lack of action and excitement in the air . There were none of the parades , explosive brass band shows or nights spent drinking and laughing with friends regaling stories after a full day at work . It did n't take long for the Wyre family to pack up their belongings and get back to the city streets they knew and loved . Despite the past , and the lack of improvements in some sections of New Orleans , Wyre is still thinking optimistically , and keeping his fingers crossed . He 's hoping brighter days are in the city 's future , and is more than ready for the day when people in New Orleans are no longer treading water , but are able to swim deeply in Big Easy 's legendary greatness . `` I love the city , the culture . ... That 's all I know . I ca n't survive anywhere else . ''
|
Photographer Conrad Wyre III left New Orleans shortly before Katrina struck . He left with his pregnant wife , but his parents stayed behind . Wyre returned to help find his parents and other survivors . He recently took part in iReport 's then and now Katrina photo project .
|
[[724, 780], [1191, 1253]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Watching the Toyota recall crisis unfold over the past few months has been like watching a wildfire on a windy day . Just when it would appear that the flames might be contained , another powerful gust sweeps through , stirring them up and blowing them still higher . True , Toyota has acted as its own arsonist at times . If it had attacked the floor-mat entrapment problem as aggressively in 2007 as it is doing now , then perhaps the current crisis could have been avoided . And if the company had been acting as a better switchboard operator between Europe and North America , it could have more quickly connected the sticking accelerator problems in some European cars with the fact that the same pedal assembly was used in eight U.S. models . And it might possibly have avoided the recent stop-sale on those models . But some of the gusts have been whipped up by the news media . The software glitch in the antilock braking system of the 2010 Toyota Prius and Lexus HS 250h , which causes a momentary loss of braking capability , is serious enough that it should be fixed . But on an overall scale of recalled problems , it 's relatively minor . Yet , it continues to grab headlines in this Toyota-sensitized environment . Vehicles are recalled all the time by just about every automaker . The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued 1,399 safety-related recalls affecting more than 38 million vehicles from 2007 to 2009 . And while Toyota 's inferno has been grabbing the nation 's attention , new recalls have been springing up . Chrysler , GM , Honda and Mazda have all issued recalls in recent weeks , for problems ranging from faulty power steering to defective air bags . And Hyundai issued its own stop-sale on the 2011 Sonata because of a faulty front-door latch . Yes , the idea of a runaway vehicle is a frightful thought to drivers . And we encourage the government to continue to investigate complaints of unintended acceleration . But consumers should n't lose sight of two important points . Such incidents are rare ; the approximately 2,000 consumer complaints received by the NHTSA that were related to unintended acceleration in Toyotas over the past 10 years works out to about one in every 10,000 Toyotas sold over that period . Also , these complaints are n't confined to Toyota . In an analysis of 5,916 total complaints filed to the NHTSA database for 2008 models -LRB- as of August 28 , 2009 , before the problem hit the national spotlight -RRB- , we found 166 related to unintended acceleration . While ones citing Toyota-built vehicles made up the highest percentage -- 41 percent -- there were also complaints related to 20 other brands . Ford vehicles drew the second-highest number at 28 percent . Still , while there has been unusually strong reaction to Toyota 's problems , such flare-ups can lead to positive changes . Following the Firestone tires/Ford Explorer recalls in 2000 , the government enacted the TREAD -LRB- Transportation Recall Enhancement , Accountability , and Documentation -RRB- Act . Among other things , it mandated tire-pressure monitoring systems in passenger cars and created the Early Warning Reporting database , which requires manufacturers to report problem data to the NHTSA . We 're hoping that the energy surrounding this crisis can be harnessed to improve our auto-safety system so that such rare-but-deadly problems can be caught earlier or prevented altogether . To that end , Consumer Reports is recommending that the government take the following actions : . -- Improve public access to safety information by making their complaint databases more uniform , user-friendly and easier to search . This would help investigators spot a problem trend more easily and perhaps address it before it becomes a crisis . -- Mandate that cars be required to stop in a reasonable distance , even with the throttle fully open . One solution to this is `` smart throttle '' technology , which disengages the throttle if the brake pedal is depressed . It 's being used now by some automakers and Toyota says such a system will be installed in all of its models by the end of this year . -- Improve the recall compliance process . According to NHTSA , the average consumer response rate to vehicle recalls is only about 74 percent , meaning that a quarter of all affected vehicles never get the fix . This puts used-car buyers at unnecessary risk . -- Give regulators more funding . In 2007 , auto crashes made up 99 percent of all transportation-related deaths and injuries . Yet , NHTSA 's budget is just over 1 percent of the overall budget of its parent , the Department of Transportation . That 's not enough for the reality of auto safety today . Despite the tragedies , the Toyota crisis can yet be a catalyst for positive change that can benefit consumers . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Rik Paul .
|
Rik Paul : Some facts have been overlooked in the rush of coverage of Toyota . He says some auto defects and recalls are routine and relatively minor . Paul says other manufacturers also are subjects of unintended acceleration complaints . Good can come out of this if regulators are given more funding , he says .
|
[[1103, 1143], [1146, 1170], [2294, 2339], [4437, 4470]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An 11-year-old Ohio boy is helping ease his family 's financial burdens , one toy at a time . Zach McGuire wants to do his part while his family goes through hard times , so he 's selling his toys . Zach McGuire is selling his toys to raise money for his family , which like others across the country , has bills piling up and a home in jeopardy . The youth said the idea came up during a conversation with his father . `` You ca n't live in toys , or eat toys , '' he told CNN television affiliate WNWO . `` Even though they are fun , you do n't need them . '' Zach plans to use the proceeds for a good cause : helping his unemployed father . Tom McGuire , a licensed contractor in Toledo , Ohio , has not had a job since December . The economy is partly to blame , he said , adding that he did a job last summer and never got paid . As the general contractor on the job , he said , he was financially liable for materials and the work of two subcontractors . `` I 'm out $ 30,000 , '' McGuire said . The father said he is looking for work and is not relying on money from his son 's toy sales . But he appreciates his effort . `` Zach has a big , giving heart , '' McGuire said . `` He came to me with this idea . He wants to contribute . '' Watch how Zach McGuire is helping his family '' It 's not the first time Zach has helped those in need . In 2005 , he sold Kool-Aid for victims of Hurricane Katrina and raised $ 400 . A few years later , it was `` Cocoa for California , '' which he sold to help wildfire victims . `` I am very proud of him , '' McGuire told WNWO . `` He is an 11-year-old boy not living the life of an 11-year-old . '' Zach said everyone can do something . `` Even though they do n't feel like they could do anything , they could do a Kool-Aid stand , like me , '' he said . `` It 's what you 're doing that matters and how you 're helping people . ''
|
Zach McGuire of Toledo , Ohio , wants to help his out-of-work father . The 11-year-old is selling his toys to bring a little money into the family . `` You ca n't live in toys , or eat toys , '' says the altruistic boy . He 's helped others before , raising money for hurricane and wildfire victims .
|
[[581, 585], [631, 662], [193, 195], [199, 217], [218, 280], [439, 465], [439, 445], [471, 479], [1311, 1357]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Whether you 're into baseball or backgammon , Harry Potter or heavy metal , Ning has an online network for you . Gina Bianchini , CEO of Ning , says her site brings together people with common interest and passions . A fast-growing , free Web site launched two years ago , Ning lets members custom build their own social-networking platforms based around their passions and pastimes . As Facebook and MySpace connect people to friends and family , Ning gathers users around common interests . The site hosts networks for hip-hop music lovers , video gaming moms and teens obsessed with the Twilight book and movie franchise . Other popular Ning networks bring people together online for political and social causes such as `` Pickens ' Plan , '' which advocates wind energy . Ning had 4.7 million unique visitors as of January and surpassed 1 million social networks -- about one-fifth of them considered active -- last month . Ning also enhanced its site in March with new features such as a real-time activity feed so users can get up-to-the-minute reports -- not unlike Twitter 's tweets -- about what others are doing . CNN spoke recently to Ning CEO Gina Bianchini , a Silicon Valley native and former Goldman Sachs analyst , about the company and the future of social networking . Watch Bianchini chat about Ning '' CNN : Where did this idea for Ning come from ? Bianchini : We really started with a very simple premise . What if you gave people the opportunity to create their own social experiences for their own unique passions/topics/interest ? We started on the ground floor to build it in such a way that it can be customized and programmed and made truly unique for each individual . I believe the most powerful ideas are the most simple . CNN : What is the mission of Ning ? Bianchini : It 's a way to get people to organize and get people to meet around their passions . CNN : Did any specific Web sites or companies inspire you to create Ning ? Bianchini : We were really inspired by the first wave of Internet companies truly native to the Web like Craigslist and eBay . They were really around people connecting to other people . They were really about the Internet connecting people to each other . It 's completely unique to the Internet -- you ca n't do it via television or newspapers . CNN : Did you expect the idea of connecting people though common interests to be so successful ? Bianchini : Social behavior is really what people want to do online . It was clear for the rapid adoption of social networking in general that it is very much the case . CNN : What are some of the interesting social networks on Ning ? Bianchini : There are 200,000 social networks are active right now , and they are across tens of thousands of unique passions . There is a network called ` This is 50 . ' It 's like a hip hop TMZ . Another is the ` Pickens ' Plan . ' It 's a way they are organizing more than 200,000 people around wind-energy policy . There is another one for cricket , specifically Indian cricket , which has added half a million people in the last two and a half weeks . There is another about the Twilight saga for teens . So it ranges from 50 Cent to teens talking about Twilight to serious adults looking at how to make changes in government policy . That 's the power of the Internet and the power of connecting people . CNN : What do you attribute to the growth of Ning ? Bianchini : What 's fundamental in the adoption of Ning is that people are unique . They have unique interest and passion and they like having a contact for that experience and for their identity . CNN : What makes Ning different from other social-networking sites ? Bianchini : It 's focused on providing the -LSB- means for -RSB- people to create new social networks around their interests and passions and connect new people around those passions . We think that 's a very critical element of organization . The Facebook phenomenon connects you to people you already know and Twitter is amazing for news and real-time events . What we see with people who gravitate to Ning is meeting new people with similar interests . CNN : How can Ning be useful to organizations or corporations ? Bianchini : When you can bring people together around a common cause there is incredible potential to do fundraising and to organize volunteers . CNN : How does your site make money ? Bianchini : If you want to add a feature like making your own domain , you can pay a la carte for options . On the free service there are ads contextual to what the network is . CNN : What are your thoughts on the future of social networking ? Bianchini : Niche social networking sites are absolutely something people want to do . People clearly want to do this ... -LSB- and -RSB- as people get more comfortable with social networking via Facebook , Twitter , they will look around and say , ' I want a social network for this particular group . ' CNN : What are some of your company 's goals in the future ? Bianchini : We are really focused on making our service perfect for people who come to meet new people . We 're growing really rapidly and we 're seeing a lot of interest and new people joining social networks .
|
CNN talks to Gina Bianchini , CEO of Ning , a fast-growing Web site . Ning lets people with common interests gather around niche social networks . The site boasts more than 1 million social networks -- some 200,000 of them active . In March , the site added a real-time activity feed to help users stay updated .
|
[[1143, 1188], [795, 799], [850, 930], [947, 951], [957, 983], [1036, 1109]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Colorado convict serving time for attempted murder was recaptured Wednesday after breaking out of prison over the weekend , and a female hostage with him was released unharmed , prison officials said . Douglas Alward was caught near Yuma , Colorado , about 145 miles east of Denver and about 50 miles south of the Sterling Correctional Facility he broke out of Sunday , prison spokeswoman Katherine Sanguinetti told HLN 's `` Prime News . '' Alward , 48 , was serving a 20 - to 40-year term for attempted murder , assault and kidnapping and had broken out of prison three times before , Sanguinetti said . He was up for parole in October , according to prison records . Investigators found him in a trailer near Yuma about noon Wednesday . He surrendered once confronted , releasing the woman with him without injury , said Ari Zavaras , executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections . Zavaras said searchers tracked Alward to a 4-square-mile patch of cornfields outside Yuma on Wednesday morning . `` He did n't offer any resistance , let alone armed resistance , '' Zavaras said . Zavaras released few details of the escape , but said an investigation into how Alward broke out of the maximum-security facility was under way . He promised a `` top to bottom '' review was in the works . He said Alward `` breached '' the fence around the facility somehow , and some tools used in the breakout were found nearby . The fence was not cut , he said . Prison officials are looking at how Alward obtained the tools , but do n't believe he had outside help , Zavaras said . Kevin Milyard , the prison 's warden , said a guard noticed something wrong within an hour of the breakout , and an emergency head count quickly confirmed Alward was missing . Alward is facing a likely charge of escape and other charges that remain to be determined , Zavaras said .
|
Douglas Alward broke out of an eastern Colorado prison Sunday . He was recaptured Wednesday about 50 miles away . A hostage with him was released unharmed , prison officials said .
|
[[0, 15], [72, 142], [366, 388], [0, 15], [72, 142], [223, 356], [149, 196], [199, 222]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Paris Hilton was released from a Las Vegas , Nevada , jail Saturday morning after being arrested late the night before on suspicion of cocaine possession , police said Saturday . The hotel heiress was riding in a black Cadillac Escalade which was pulled over in front of the Wynn Hotel on the Vegas strip at about 11:30 p.m. after police detected the smell of marijuana coming from the SUV , Lt. Wayne Holman told CNN . The driver , whom police identified as Cy Waits , was arrested for driving under the influence , he said . Waits is a Las Vegas nightclub mogul and the rumored boyfriend of Hilton . Hilton was taken to the Clark County jail . She was released after authorities determined she was not a flight risk , Holman said . `` This matter will be dealt with in the courts , not in the media , and I encourage people not to rush to judgment until all of the facts have been dealt with in a court of law , '' Hilton 's attorney , David Chesnoff , said in a statement . Last month , Hilton was briefly detained in South Africa for allegedly smoking marijuana at the World Cup . Her publicist called the July 2 incident `` a complete misunderstanding , '' and the case was dropped .
|
NEW : Her attorney urges people `` not to rush to judgment '' NEW : Her rumored boyfriend was arrested for DUI , police say . Paris Hilton faces drug possession charge .
|
[[826, 868], [838, 891], [933, 954], [974, 995], [439, 451], [481, 533]]
|
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Civil rights leaders marking the 47th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. 's `` I Have a Dream '' speech Saturday scorned a nearby Glenn Beck-led rally , saying it came with no message and with a presumption that King 's famous discourse can be used as a conservative platform . The Rev. Al Sharpton and a range of activists spoke at the event , which they called `` Reclaim the Dream , '' insisting that King 's vision for America has not been completely fulfilled . `` Do n't let anyone tell you that they have the right to take their country back . It 's our country , too , '' said Avis Jones Deweaver , executive director of the National Council of Negro Women , making a reference to the Tea Party members attending the Beck rally at the Lincoln Memorial . `` We will reclaim the dream . It was ours from the beginning . A dream that we will make reality , '' she said at the Dunbar High School rally in northwest Washington , D.C. People at Dunbar stood shoulder to shoulder , filling half of a high school football field and the track around one half of the field . They also filled about five sections of the bleachers . Many of the speakers made numerous references to what America was like in 1963 , when King gave his speech . `` Schools all over America still were segregated and public accommodations housing was segregated and blacks in the South did n't have the right to vote . The march on Washington changed all of that . Glenn Beck 's march will change nothing . But you ca n't blame Glenn Beck for his ` March on Washington ' envy . Too bad he does n't have a message to match the place or that is worthy of the march , '' said Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton , D-District of Columbia . Following the rally , Sharpton linked arms with fellow marchers and walked three miles to the site of the future Martin Luther King Jr. . National Memorial , just a few blocks from the Lincoln Memorial . Sharpton and others could n't resist discussing Beck 's controversial rally on the National Mall . Beck , who has a program on Fox News as well as several radio programs , was criticized for holding his event -- which he called `` Restoring Honor '' -- where King delivered his speech August 28 , 1963 . Civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson told CNN that Beck was mimicking King and `` humiliating the tradition . '' Beck said the site of his rally was appropriate to reflect on the legacy of King , `` the man who stood down on those stairs and gave his life for everyone 's right to have a dream . '' `` They may have the Mall , '' countered Sharpton , `` but we have the message . They may have the platform but we have the dream . '' `` This is our day and we ai n't giving it away , '' said Sharpton , who reminded the crowd that much civil rights progress has been seen in the last several decades but more needs to be made . Sharpton told CNN 's Don Lemon on Saturday night that Beck 's rally was n't appropriate for a day when people reflect on King 's policy message . `` Whose civil rights agenda did he lay out ? It was a motivational speech , '' Sharpton said of Beck . `` It might be good , but it 's not civil rights . '' Earlier Saturday , Sharpton noted that in 1963 , African-Americans had to sit in the back of buses and could n't check into segregated hotels . Now , he said , people flew in to the event first class and can use public accommodations . And most significantly , he noted , the president of the United States is an African-American . Sharpton also said that more progress needs to be made in education , criminal justice and other issues , such as statehood for the District of Columbia , which has a large black population . `` We 're not there yet , '' he said . Education Secretary Arne Duncan , who also spoke at the event , called education `` the civil rights issue of our generation . '' He said it 's time to stop being complacent about education and demand excellence . Sharpton said the conservatives who rallied at the Lincoln Memorial should ask President Abraham Lincoln himself why he led the fight against states ' rights during the Civil War to hold the union together . He urged the people there to read King 's speech and talk to people who endured discrimination in their lives . Sharpton warned conservative forces they 'd face a fight in the upcoming elections , and called on people to turn out to vote this year as they did in 2008 , when Obama was elected . `` We 're coming out to fight and we 're not going to let you turn back the clock , '' he said . Other well-known public figures spoke , including National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial , who said , `` We will not stand silent as some seek to hijack , as some seek to distort and contort , as some seek to bamboozle and confuse the vision of Dr. King 's dream . '' Morehouse College President Robert Franklin indicated that King was treated respectfully by the conservatives . `` I am delighted to know that Mr. Glenn Beck and his colleagues discovered the ' I Have a Dream ' speech , '' he said . But , he added , Beck needs to travel to Morehouse , the Atlanta college King attended , to learn what King studied -- citing , for example , the works of religious thinkers who influenced the late civil rights leader . A couple of speakers also noted the passing of Dorothy Height earlier this year . Height , a civil rights pioneer , had been chair and president emeritus of the National Council of Negro Women and was on the podium with King during the 1963 speech . The `` I Have a Dream '' speech -- delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial -- served as a symbol of the fight against racial discrimination . It was made during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom , and is considered one of the most pivotal and memorable of American speeches . CNN 's Sarah Lee contributed to this report .
|
NEW : Sharpton calls Beck 's comments a `` motivational speech '' Civil rights figures march to the site of a planned King memorial . The Rev. Al Sharpton tells `` Reclaim the Dream '' rally `` this is our day '' Rally took place as conservatives gathered in an event at the site of the King speech .
|
[[3100, 3126], [366, 375], [389, 395], [397, 416], [2683, 2701]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The patient , in his late 70s , had survived prostate cancer and had a new diagnosis of leukemia . A few days before , he 'd been healthy and fine , but now his white blood cell count was so high that it was clogging his circulatory system , making it hard for him to breathe . We brought his white count down and relieved his shortness of breath . At that point , he could have opted for palliative care and gone home on hospice with a decent enough quality of life to enjoy what little time he had left . However , the patient , encouraged by his family and urged on by his oncologist , chose aggressive treatment instead . This is a hard case . In his recent New Yorker article `` Letting Go , '' Dr. Atul Gawande explains how the first impulse of doctors , patients and family members to `` fight '' cancer or other serious illnesses makes it very difficult to have honest discussions of what treatment can and can not do . I understand why physicians find these conversations difficult , why it 's preferable to focus on the good we can possibly accomplish rather than the likely futility of the struggle . But there 's another story to be told in these cases , and it 's usually the nurse who 's the observer of that narrative : the suffering caused by these well-intentioned treatments . Chemo was risky for this patient because of his age and medical history , and the damage done was unbelievably bad . The problems began when cells killed by the chemotherapy spilled their contents , overloading my patient 's kidneys and throwing him into renal failure . The intravenous fluids he 'd needed had been too much for his circulatory system , and he developed heart failure , too . One morning , I came in with his pills , and he said , `` You 're doing too much . I ca n't take it . '' The next week , he was on dialysis , but it was n't working , and his entire lower body was hugely swollen with fluid . That day , he accosted me with , `` What the hell are you doing to me ? '' Both times , I told the medical team what he 'd said and asked whether it was ethical to continue chemotherapy . Several members of the team shared my concerns , and as a group , we talked the situation over with the attending doctor . Our view was that the treatments were eroding the patient 's quality of life with little promise of good in return . The attending physician , whom I know to be conscientious and caring , disagreed , as did the patient 's family . When the doctor prodded the patient , saying , `` You want to keep going , right ? Right ? '' the patient himself concurred , `` Yes , let 's keep going . '' So the chemo finished . Then , blood began to appear in the patient 's urine . His bladder was brittle because of the radiation treatments he 'd had for prostate cancer , and because of the chemo , he had too few platelets . Without enough platelets , that fragile tissue would not stop bleeding , but it also formed blood clots in his bladder that caused excruciating pain . Watching this patient suffer , not from his disease but because of what we did to him in the name of helping him , was agonizing . He 'd wanted to `` keep going , '' to `` keep on fighting , '' but what did he really mean ? Always when I hear these phrases applied to oncology patients , I think of Peter Weir 's 1981 film `` Gallipoli . '' The film portrays two Australian sprinters , Archy and Frank , who enlist together during World War I and end up fighting the Turkish army at the Battle of Gallipoli . A lot of soldiers died during the Gallipoli campaign , and the end of the film dramatizes a real battle in which four brigades of Australian soldiers were sent out of the trenches to certain death . Frank is chosen to be a runner , a deliverer of messages during the battle , and he gets an order to call off the assault once it 's clear that it 's not a fight but a massacre . However , Frank ca n't run quickly enough to get the hold order to Archy 's trench in time , and the signal to attack is given . Archy comes up out of the trench running as fast as he can , alone , chest forward , until the Turkish machine guns mow him down . The wasteful sacrifices of war and the pointlessness of my patient 's suffering share some obvious parallels here , but there 's a deeper lesson as well . Archy and Frank were soldiers ; my patient was not . They made a choice when they enlisted , but my patient was never given his real choice , between aggressive treatment that might do more harm than good and getting just enough treatment to keep him stable and allow him to go home to be with the people he loved . The very real benefits of such a focus on palliative care were documented in the August 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine . Patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer who received palliative care in addition to chemotherapy claimed an improved quality of life and lived more than 2 1/2 months longer than than those who had no such care . My patient 's decision to `` keep fighting '' seemed to be based on a misperception of what medicine could accomplish and of what the personal costs of our treatments would be . Indeed , a month after being admitted , swollen , breathless , bleeding and in pain , with his leukemia as robust as ever , he went on hospice in the hospital and died . In `` Letting Go , '' Gawande says we do n't want Gen. George Custer as a model in medicine but more Robert E. Lee . But I would argue that conjuring a general to guide patients faced with serious illness is an embrace of the wrong ideal . Patients are not battlegrounds , and practicing medicine is not a war . This patient needed thoughtful supportive care , not our ineffectual treatments that tore him up from the inside out as surely as any machine gun . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Theresa Brown .
|
Theresa Brown tells of dying patient who got much sicker from aggressive treatment . She says `` fighting '' serious illnesses can cause terrible agony , keep patient from family . Brown cites study suggesting palliative care offers better quality and longer life . Dying patients should not be pressured to go through drastic treatments , she says .
|
[[2964, 2975], [2981, 3007], [4764, 4898]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A bird struck the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines plane but the aircraft managed to land safely , officials said early Tuesday morning . The bird hit the plane above the windshield shortly after it took off Monday evening from Los Angeles International Airport en route to Vancouver , British Columbia , said Mike Fergus of the Federal Aviation Administration . The plane was 1.5 miles off the runway , Fergus said . iReport : Share images and information with CNN . The plane , Flight 707 with 159 passengers , returned safely to the airport for an inspection , said airlines spokeswoman Bobbie Egan . According to data released by the FAA , incidences of birds hitting planes have gone up in recent years . Last year officials said a migrating flock of Canada geese caused US Airways Flight 1549 to ditch in New York 's Hudson River . Capt. Chesley `` Sully '' Sullenberger and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles safely guided that plane to an emergency landing . CNN 's Sonya Hamasaki contributed to this report .
|
The plane is struck above the windshield . It returns to the Los Angeles airport safely .
|
[[155, 281], [78, 113], [485, 494], [530, 578]]
|
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two officers in the troubled New Orleans Police Department have been indicted in connection with the beating death of a civilian in 2005 , according to the U.S. Justice Department . The federal indictment alleges that Officer Melvin Williams kicked the victim and struck him with a baton , fracturing his ribs and rupturing his spleen . The victim , Raymond Robair , was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead . Williams and Officer Matthew Moore were also charged with obstructing justice when they submitted a false incident report and failed to tell hospital personnel Williams had beaten Robair , according to the indictment in the Eastern District of Louisiana . Details of the indictment were released by the U.S. Justice Department in Washington . Moore also allegedly lied about the incident in an FBI investigation in March of this year according to the indictment . Moore is accused of telling federal agents Williams had not kicked or beaten Robair . Robair 's death occurred in July 2005 , two months before the city was slammed by Hurricane Katrina . The indictment of the two officers comes only weeks after five current and former members of the police department were indicted in connection with two deaths at the Danziger Bridge in New Orleans in the immediate aftermath of Katrina . All of the charges come as the Justice Department 's Civil Rights Division continues a separate broad investigation into the `` patterns or practices '' of alleged misconduct within the New Orleans police department . On May 17 , Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez told New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu that the Justice Department will investigate `` allegations of excessive force , unconstitutional searches and seizures , racial profiling , failures to provide adequate police services to particular neighborhoods and related misconduct . '' On July 13 , in a visit to New Orleans to announce the Danziger Bridge indictments , Attorney General Eric Holder vowed the Justice Department `` will not tolerate wrongdoing by those who have sworn to protect the public . '' `` Making sure that this city 's police department is the best that it can be is our sacred obligation , '' Holder told a crowd in the city .
|
Two News Orleans officers face federal charges in a 2005 beating death . The incident occurred before Hurricane Katrina slammed New Orleans . Five other current and former New Orleans officers were charged in two deaths after Katrina . The Justice Department continues a broad investigation into alleged misconduct .
|
[[0, 26], [71, 166], [1042, 1103], [1104, 1218], [1162, 1340], [1368, 1558]]
|
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Each year , any country in the non-English speaking world that wants to be in with a chance of winning must choose just one film to represent the entire output of their country 's filmmaking industry . Then , over two months , a 30-strong panel whittles the entries -- there were 63 this year -- down to to a shortlist of just five . Here is a roundup of films that were in the running this year ... . Mongol . Country : Kazakhstan Director : Sergei Bodrov Synopsis : In twelfth-century Mongolia , nine-year-old Temudgin , is a slave . He will grow up to become the warrior known as Genghis Khan . But not before he has to flee his home shortly when his father is murdered and a rival seizes power . With the help of his blood brother , tribal prince Jamukha , the adult Temudgin battles his rivals and works to unite the region 's warring clans under his authority . Background : This was the first Academy Award nomination for Kazakhstan . Despite the Kazakh nationality , the film has a cosmopolitan cast and crew . Bodrov , the director is Russian , the star is Japanese and the film features Chinese and Mongolian supporting actors . ... . Beaufort . Country : Israel Director : Joseph Cedar Synopsis : Set in Lebanon in 2000 , in the days leading up to Israel 's withdrawal , the soldiers stationed at the mountaintop outpost of Beaufort live under a barrage of constant attacks . The film tells the story of Liraz Liberti , the 22-year-old commander of Beaufort , and his troops . Frustrated by the knowledge that they are risking -- and often losing -- their lives in defense of a fortress that will soon be abandoned , the men struggle to do their duty while grieving for their dead comrades and preparing for the evacuation . Background : Beaufort was nominated for a Golden Bear at Berlin , and won Silver Bear . This was Israel 's 6th Oscar nomination , although it was the first one for 24 years . Israel has not yet won the award . ... . Katyn . Country : Poland Director : Andrzej Wajda Synopsis : The film is an account of captured Polish officers massacred by Soviet secret police in the Katyn Forest during WWII . The story focuses on Anna , the wife of a murdered captain , who refuses to believe he is dead . Background : Andrzej Wajda was awarded an Oscar in 2000 for `` five decades of extraordinary film direction . '' As well as being a very personal film for Wajda who 's father was killed at Katyn , the film has had huge political impact in Poland . Angela Merkel and members of the German cabinet attended the premiere of the film at this year 's Berlin Film Festival . This was the eighth nomination for Poland . ... . The Counterfeiters Country : Austria Director : Stefan Ruzowitzky Synopsis : The story of the largest counterfeiting operation in history . The Nazis are plotting to cause the collapse of the US and British economies by flooding their markets with false bills . A group of prisoners in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp are put to work under the direction of a master counterfeiter making replicas of foreign bank notes . Some of the prisoners use delaying tactics to hinder the plan . Background : The eventual winner of the Oscar in what was the second nomination for Austria . ... 12 Country : Russia Director : Nikita Mikhalkov Synopsis : Twelve Russian jurors deciding the fate of a young Chechen accused of murdering his adoptive Russian father go over the details of the case in the school gymnasium that is serving as their jury room . As they argue , a young juror manages to convince them that maybe the case is n't as clear cut as it first seemed . The case itself becomes a metaphor for the problems plaguing modern Russian society . Background : Mikhalkov stars in , directs and produces the film . This was the fifth nomination for Russia . Before 1992 the USSR received a total of nine nominations including three wins for Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears -LRB- 1980 -RRB- , Dersu Uzala -LRB- 1975 -RRB- , War and Peace -LRB- 1968 -RRB- E-mail to a friend .
|
A roundup of 2008 Oscars Best Foreign Film nominations . Nominated countries were : Poland , Russia , Kazakhstan , Israel and Austria . There was a strong political vein running through the nominated films this year . Veteran Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda was previously awarded an Oscar in 2000 .
|
[[2276, 2362]]
|
Moscow , Russia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Wildfires in Russia , among the worst ever there , have killed 25 people , destroyed more than 1,000 homes , and prompted the prime minister to call on local officials to resign , response officials and Russian news agencies reported Friday . The fires have been raging in five regions as Russia endures dry weather and one of the hottest months on record . Thursday saw Moscow reach 102 Fahrenheit -LRB- 39 Celsius -RRB- , the highest temperature since records began in 1879 . The fires are the worst ever to hit the European part of Russia , the region west of the Ural Mountains , the RIA-Novosti news agency said . Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said there have been 21,690 fires so far this summer , 10 percent more than last year , the news agency reported . President Dmitry Medvedev ordered the Defense Ministry on Friday to use the military to help tackle the fires , the president 's spokeswoman , Natalya Timakova , told the Interfax news agency . The government has already dispatched additional firefighting units , along with 16 aircraft and helicopters , to fight the fires , RIA-Novosti said . Putin and Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu flew Friday to one of the affected regions , Nizhny Novgorod , where Putin called on local officials to step down . `` I recommend the resignation of the heads of regions -LRB- devastated by fire -RRB- who have , to a significant degree , lost the trust of citizens , '' Putin said , according to RIA-Novosti . Many residents who lost their homes in Nizhny Novgorod had complained to Putin that local authorities ' actions were `` chaotic and uncoordinated , '' RIA-Novosti reported . The fires have so far killed 25 people , including two firefighters , according to an official at the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry . Across the 14 fire-striken regions of central Russia , 1,257 homes have burned , and some 2,000 people have been left without housing . Sixty homes were burned in the region of Moscow . `` I do n't know what to do , '' one Voronezh woman told state TV . `` Have n't got any bed linen , cups , spoons , forks left . We 're left with nothing . Everything was burned down . We could n't salvage anything . '' Putin said the families of those who died will receive 1 million rubles -LRB- $ 33,000 -RRB- each in compensation , and the government will pay around 3 million rubles -LRB- $ 100,000 -RRB- for the reconstruction of each destroyed house , RIA-Novosti said . Putin also said the government will compensate people for the loss of property , the news agency said . Temperatures across much of western and central Russia have topped 95 Fahrenheit -LRB- 35 Celsius -RRB- during the past five weeks , RIA-Novosti said . Thursday 's temperature in Moscow broke the previous record high of 99.5 Fahrenheit -LRB- 37.5 Celsius -RRB- , set just three days earlier . The month of July is expected to break the record for the hottest month ever recorded in Moscow . High temperatures in Moscow dropped to between 82 and 86 Fahrenheit -LRB- 28 to 30 Celsius -RRB- Friday because of a breeze , but weekend temperatures were forecast to rise again . The threat of more fires breaking out will remain high in the Central and Volga Federal Districts next week , given the abnormal heart wave and the lack of rain , the Hydrometeorological Center of Russia has reported on its web site . The hot , dry weather is believed to have dried out large parts of land , making it easier for flames to spread . Central Russia also has large areas of peat bogs that often catch on fire in dry and hot weather . CNN 's Maxim Tkachenko contributed to this report .
|
NEW : Two firefighters are among the dead . NEW : 1,257 houses have burned , while some 2,000 people are left without a home . Putin calls on local officials to resign because of their fire response . The fires are reportedly the worst ever to hit western Russia .
|
[[1683, 1750], [9, 31], [110, 141], [1906, 1960], [0, 6], [9, 31], [148, 212], [1267, 1313], [513, 576]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A California woman missing for nearly a year and believed to be dead may still be alive and living in the Las Vegas , Nevada , area , detectives from Los Angeles said Thursday . Investigators have spent about six weeks checking out a high-school classmate 's report that he saw Mitrice Richardson at a hotel casino , and are `` unable to show that it is not a good lead , '' Los Angeles police Capt. Kevin McClure said . And detectives have talked to several witnesses since then who believe seen her in the area , he said . `` It is not a verified sighting of her here , but we feel good enough to come up here and spend a good deal of time to get the information out to the community that we believe she might be here , '' McClure told reporters at a news conference in Las Vegas . But Richardson 's mother , who is suing the Los Angeles County Sheriff 's department over her daughter 's disappearance , cast doubt on the report . Latice Sutton told HLN 's `` Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell '' that the man who reported the sighting has n't seen her daughter for a decade . Richardson , who would be 25 now , is a former beauty pageant contestant who was last seen leaving a Los Angeles County sheriff 's station in Malibu in the early morning hours of September 17 , 2009 . She had been arrested the previous evening at an upscale restaurant for allegedly not paying for her meal , and patrons at the restaurant said Mitrice exhibited strange behavior . Her family has said the college honors graduate suffered from mental health issues and should have been kept at the sheriff 's station until a relative arrived to pick her up . Investigators are now asking the public in and around Las Vegas to report any possible sightings , and urged Richardson herself to come forward . `` She 's not in any type of trouble , '' said Capt. Dave Smith , of the Los Angeles County Sheriff 's Department . `` She 's not subject to any type of arrest We would like her to approach her family , approach us , and please let us know that she 's OK . '' A high-school classmate now living in Las Vegas reported seeing Richardson at the Rio Hotel and Casino in early June , sparking the new effort by detectives to check out his report . `` He walked up and said , ` Hi , Matrice , '' Smith said . `` She basically looked at him with kind of a shocked look and left the location . '' The casino 's security cameras did n't have video of the incident that was of a high enough quality . But since then , investigators have talked to more than 70 people who say they have seen her , said William McSweeney , chief of the Los Angeles County detective division . Those accounts were `` based on a photograph and some passage of time , in most instances , '' McSweeney said . `` But that volume causes us to beleive we 're on the right track . '' But Sutton told HLN on Thursday , `` I do not believe it was her . '' She said hundreds of similar reports in Los Angeles have failed to pan out , while the man who reported seeing her in the casino had n't seen her daughter since high school . And she questioned why police considered that report believable after dismissing an earlier report by Michael Richardson , the missing woman 's father , that he had spotted his daughter in Las Vegas . `` Someone who has n't seen Mitrice in 10 years , they consider him now more credible than the biological father ? Sutton asked . `` I do not believe this is Mitrice . Mitrice was last seen at the sheriff 's department . '' Last month , Sutton sued Los Angeles County and several sheriff 's officials for wrongful death and negligence in her daughter 's disappearance , according to court documents . Sutton argued that the sheriff 's department failure to administer psychiatric or medical evaluations and the fact that Richardson was released `` alone in an unfamiliar area without money , a cellular phone or means of transportation amounts to negligence . '' The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages . Steve Whitmore , a spokesman for the sheriff 's department , told CNN in September that the decision to release Richardson was made because `` she was not intoxicated , she did n't exhibit any mental issues , so when we were done running her fingerprints and criminal history , then we are obligated by law to release her from custody . '' He also has said that a female jailer `` offered to her to stay the night . She could have stayed , but she wanted to leave . '' Police have not discounted the possibility that Richardson may not want to be found , but her family believes that would be `` out of her character '' McClure said . `` We could find that out , but we 'll never know that until we actually talk to Mitrice , '' he said . CNN 's Gabriel Falcon contributed to this report .
|
NEW : Mom discounts missing woman 's sighting in Las Vegas . Mitrice Richardson has been missing for nearly a year . A high-school classmate says he spotted her in a casino in June . Police say they have more than 70 other possible sightings .
|
[[807, 827], [925, 951], [19, 63], [228, 333], [2060, 2176], [2060, 2083], [2179, 2242], [3000, 3091], [2547, 2556], [2561, 2583]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A body found in southeast Memphis , Tennessee , on Wednesday has been identified as that of former professional basketball player Lorenzen Wright , Memphis police said . The cause of death has been ruled as `` homicide by gunshot wound , '' police said Thursday in a news release , adding that the Shelby County medical examiner used dental records to confirm Wright 's identity . `` Investigators continue to work around the clock to bring justice to Mr. Wright and his family , '' the police department said in a statement . Before that confirmation , Wright 's family had already said that they were mourning his loss . Wright 's cousin , Camella Logan , had released a statement to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper saying , `` We appreciate your thoughts , prayers and condolences as they are comforting at this very difficult time . '' Wright , who has a home in Atlanta , was reported missing on July 22 . He had been visiting with his former wife and their children in Collierville , near Memphis , investigators said . Wright was last seen at his former wife 's home shortly before midnight on July 18 , and a 911 call was placed from his phone in the early hours of July 19 , police said . His body was found on Wednesday by Shelby County Emergency Services Search and Rescue , police said . Dewayne Benton , a Christian radio personality in Memphis , said he left work early to investigate reports his station received about the body . Benton described the crowded crime scene as somber . `` Lorenzen Wright had a lot of financial problems ... but this was just horrible , '' said Benton . `` He was one of the favorite sons of Memphis , '' he added . The 6-foot-11-inch Wright was a high school basketball star in Memphis , and he played professionally for the NBA 's Memphis Grizzlies from 2001 through 2006 . `` We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Lorenzen Wright , '' the team 's majority owner , Michael Heisley , said in a statement on the Grizzlies ' website . `` We lost a member of the Grizzlies family . '' During his 13-year professional basketball career Wright also played with the Los Angeles Clippers , Sacramento Kings and most recently with the Cleveland Cavaliers . Wright did two tours with the Atlanta Hawks as well , from 1999 to 2001 and from 2006 to 2008 . Former Hawks coach Lenny Wilkens said , `` Lorenzen was a real congenial young man who played with a lot of enthusiasm . This is certainly a huge loss for his family and friends . '' `` Our thoughts and prayers are with -LSB- his family -RSB- during this difficult time , '' said Hawks General Manager Rick Sund in a press statement released Thursday by the NBA team .
|
NEW : Police say the medical examiner used dental records to identify Lorenzen Wright 's body . NEW : The cause of death was `` homicide by gunshot wound , '' police say . Family and friends mourn Wright 's death . Police say they are working `` to bring justice '' to Wright and his family .
|
[[257, 266], [301, 367], [313, 399], [189, 254], [546, 570], [573, 641], [1851, 1915], [2450, 2508], [400, 496]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A top lieutenant in a Mexican drug cartel has been arrested in northern Mexico , federal police said in a statement Wednesday . Rogelio Segovia Hernandez , who heads the armed wing of the Juarez cartel , was arrested in Chihuahua on Tuesday . A reward of about $ 240,000 had been offered for his arrest , federal police said . Authorities said at the time of his arrest , he had a pistol , grenade and at least six bags of an undisclosed amount of cocaine . Intelligence provided by the federal police indicated Segovia , 30 , was the principal operator for La Linea in the activities of drug trafficking distribution , kidnappings and killings in towns near Ciudad Juarez as well as Chihuahua . Segovia was being investigated in extortion of large sums of money from businessmen in exchange for `` freedom from aggression '' from La Linea , according to police . He was also a suspect in the August 25th , 2008 , execution of five people at a ranch in the town of Aldama , Chihuahua . The Mexican attorney general 's office offered a reward for Segovia 's capture in May .
|
Rogelio Segovia Hernandez heads the armed wing of the Juarez cartel . Authorities say he had a pistol , grenade and cocaine at the time of his arrest . Segovia was accused of extortion of large sums of money from businessmen in exchange for protection .
|
[[147, 172], [179, 220], [346, 388], [391, 476], [715, 858]]
|
Beirut , Lebanon -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The leaders of Syria and Saudi Arabia on Friday implored Lebanese officials to shun violence in settling political differences and declared their `` solidarity with Lebanon against all Israeli threats . '' Syrian President Bashar Assad and Saudi King Abdullah sat down Friday with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and met with Lebanese politicians from various factions in an attempt to avoid Shiite-Sunni conflict ahead of the release of a U.N. tribunal indictment in the 2005 assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri . It has been rumored that Hezbollah operatives will be blamed for the killing , a seminal event in Lebanon . Rafik Hariri died in a powerful explosion that left a 10-foot crater in a street in downtown Beirut and had a similar impact on Lebanon 's political culture . Assad and Abdullah traveled to Beirut from Syria , where they met Thursday . Suleiman issued a communique saying both men `` held talks with Lebanese officials and discussed ways on how to enhance the national reconciliation and the internal stability in Lebanon and how to improve opportunities for economic growth and social development . '' The communique said the two asserted their empathy for Lebanon because of `` the daily Israeli breaches of Lebanese sovereignty , independence and Israel 's attempts to destabilize the Lebanese nation . '' They `` stressed the importance of continuing to support the Doha agreement , '' a pact reached by Lebanese rival movements in 2008 , and to `` complete the implementation of the Taif agreement , '' an accord developed to end the Lebanese civil war . The leaders urged the importance of `` everyone 's commitment not to resort to violence and to place Lebanon 's interest above any interest of any faction , and to be part of the legal and constitutional institutions and the Government of National Unity in order to resolve any differences . The Syrian and Saudi Arabia leaders expressed their continued support for Lebanon and the Lebanese president and the interests of Lebanon and its people . '' After the visit , Abdullah went to Jordan and Assad traveled home to Syria . Ibrahim Mousawi , a Hezbollah spokesman , said the group `` welcomes any kind of any Arab coordination and unity '' and said the summit will play an important role in `` repelling the Israeli threats in Lebanon and in the region as a whole . '' `` The region is facing many challenges and pressures by the Israelis amidst all the talks about a new war in the region and Israel 's crimes in expelling the Palestinians , judaizing Jerusalem and threatening the entire region with their scheme against our nation and the rest of the Arab world , '' he maintained . Hezbollah and Israel fought a bitter war in 2006 after militants seized two Israeli soldiers and killed three others . The significance of the visit is that Assad and Abdullah have backed different political movements in Lebanon since the killing , with Saudi Arabia backing Prime Minister Saad Hariri , the son of Rafik Hariri , and Syria supporting Hezbollah , which has representatives in parliament and a presence in the government . Rafik Hariri 's death stunned the nation at the time and prompted tens of thousands to take to the streets , blaming Syria for the killing . At the time of the killing , neighboring Syria had immense political influence in Lebanon . Syria has always denied the accusations of being involved in the assassination . A U.N. Security Council resolution demanded Damascus fully cooperate in the U.N. investigation . The assassination and subsequent investigation led to a complete withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon after 30 years of military presence . The investigation by the U.N. tribunal into the killing is still going on , and the tribunal 's prosecutor , Daniel Bellemare , is expected to issue the long-awaited indictment between September and December 2010 . It is Assad 's first visit to Lebanon since Rafik Hariri was assassinated . Both leaders last visited Lebanon in 2002 for an Arab League summit to launch the Middle East peace process . Last week , Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said he believes that the tribunal will blame elements of his party , but said he would reject any such conclusion . He also said that any indictment of a Hezbollah member would represent a U.S.-Israeli effort to disarm Hezbollah 's militant wing . The United States considers Hezbollah , which has close ties to Iran and Syria , to be a terrorist organization . The Shiite group is a political party and a major provider of social services in Lebanon but also operates a militant wing . Nasrallah , in a rare press conference , said Hariri 's son , current Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri , had told him that the special tribunal would implicate rogue Hezbollah members for the killing , but not the party itself . `` I told Hariri when he accused Syria to bring us one single proof and I will stand by your side and support you , but you can not allow the instigation against Hezbollah and the Shiites in Lebanon to continue , '' Nasrallah said . Nasrallah said forces inside and outside Lebanon `` do n't want the stability in the country to last . '' Among many Muslims , Hezbollah is seen as a heroic organization , successful in having driven Israeli forces from Lebanon in 2006 . In previous parliamentary elections , the so-called March 14 coalition -- parties association with Saad Hariri -- campaigned on a platform to disarm Hezbollah and opposed Hezbollah 's 2006 war with Israel . `` In the last five years , some Lebanese politicians dragged the country into a bigger battle that targeted everyone , '' Nasrallah said . `` Every day we were on the verge of a new civil war and we are all victims of a bigger plot that wanted to destroy the resistance in Lebanon . `` These same politicians want to drag Lebanon into that same phase once again . `` So I ask their supporters : Do you really want to stand by these leaders , despite all what happened ? Despite everything they have done ? '' This week , U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley , asked about the meeting , said the United States values `` dialogue '' among the three leaders . He said he suspects Israeli-Palestinian peace moves and other items could be part of the discussions . `` Syria 's relationship with Iran is of concern to us . And to the extent that Syria wants to advance its relations within the region and around the world , it would be , you know , much better for Syria to distance itself from Iran and move in a more constructive direction . '' He also said , `` We think that President Assad and other Syrian leaders should listen very attentively , you know , to what King Abdullah will tell them . '' CNN 's Saad Abedine contributed to this report .
|
NEW : Assad , Abdullah urge officials in Lebanon to avoid violence . NEW : They worked to enhance Lebanese reconciliation . First visits for both since Hariri death .
|
[[9, 22], [112, 162], [907, 915], [994, 1170], [3928, 3984]]
|
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After accusations that several insurers have underpaid families of those killed in action , one company is considering changing how it allocates death benefit payments , Prudential Financial Vice Chairman Mark Grier told CNN . Prudential may give families the option of accepting a direct lump-sum check , Grier said . New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo launched a fraud investigation into the life insurance industry for `` practices that appear to have denied grieving military families and others of millions in life-insurance cash , '' Cuomo 's office announced Thursday . The attorney general 's office probed the industry the day after the finance publication Bloomberg reported the insurance companies potentially exploited fallen soldier 's families . Bloomberg said some insurers tell families of fallen military personnel that policy payouts will be placed in an interest-bearing account . But the bulk of the interest benefits the insurers , and the cash is not placed in banks insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation -LRB- FDIC -RRB- . Insurers place cash in their corporate accounts , reportedly earning up to 4.8 percent interest while paying families as little as 0.5 percent interest , Bloomberg reported . `` It is shocking and just plain wrong for these multinational life insurance companies to pocket hundreds of millions in profits that really belong to those who have lost family members and have already suffered immensely , '' Cuomo said . Currently , Prudential , which met with officials at the Veterans Administration , gives a family several payment options , including setting up a `` lump sum '' that , rather than sending a check to the surviving family , sets up an `` Alliance Account '' within Prudential . The money stays in Prudential 's hands , which , paying only .5 percent interest to the family , can invest at large profits , Cuomo said . Cuomo 's office said holders of Alliance Accounts receive what appears to be a checkbook with `` JPMorgan Chase & Co. '' on the `` checks , '' but said the so-called checks can not be used to make purchases and are not bank checks at all . `` Instead , Prudential must send money to JPMorgan Chase before the checks can clear , '' the attorney general 's office said . `` Prudential beneficiaries are also not informed that , under a 2008 law , they have one year to place the death benefits in a Roth IRA and earn tax-free investment gains for the rest of their lives . Thus , real financial harm is suffered by Prudential 's lack of disclosure . '' Prudential says the Alliance Accounts provide a secure , conservative option for survivors . Beneficiaries who find a better interest rate can move the money at any time , it says . Subpoenas have been served on eight insurance companies -- Prudential Financial Inc. , MetLife Inc. , Genworth Financial Inc. , UnumProvident Corp. , Northwestern Mutual , Guardian Life Insurance Company of America , New York Life Insurance Co. , and the MONY Life Insurance Co. -- though the entire life insurance industry is under investigation , according to the attorney general 's office . The accounts in question include Prudential 's Alliance Account and MetLife 's Total Control Account . Steven Weisbart , senior vice president and chief economist at the Insurance Information Institute , says the banks are doing nothing out of the ordinary . `` It 's completely premature , blown way out of proportion . What the industry does , what insurance companies do in these cases is exactly what beneficiaries need , '' Weisbart said . `` The opportunity to put off making decisions about the use of large amounts of money without suffering any financial loss . That 's exactly what this product , this arrangement does . I do n't know why the Cuomo organization would attack it the way they have . '' In a written statement , Prudential Chairman and CEO John Strangfeld said , `` It is important that the beneficiaries of our fallen service men and women are treated with dignity and respect during a very difficult time . Given the questions raised over the life insurance program we administer for the Department of Veteran Affairs , we welcome an opportunity to address the concerns and to set the record straight . '' Prudential said that while the accounts in question are not FDIC insured , the accounts are protected by state guaranty funds that provide protection of at least $ 250,000 in most states . `` Prudential does not in any way take money from beneficiaries , '' the company said . In a written statement , MetLife spokesman John Calagna said Thursday he has not seen Cuomo 's subpoena and therefore had no comment on it . `` However we strongly disagree with many misleading statements in recent media reports and want to be clear regarding several important features of MetLife 's Total Control Account -LRB- ` TCA ' -RRB- , '' Calagna said . He said MetLife is not the issuer of the Service Employees Group Life Insurance program provided to members of the armed forces , but the company does provide life insurance policies for civilian federal employees under a program called Federal Employees Group Life Insurance . `` Our materials carefully explain the TCA to our customers so that they understand that they can use their checkbooks to withdraw all of their benefits immediately or over time as they choose , '' Calagna said . `` They have full access to their funds and earn a guaranteed minimum interest rate that exceeds what they could earn on most money market accounts . '' Prudential said more than 40,000 Alliance Account drafts cleared last year , and the company receives few complaints from beneficiaries about difficulties . Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said he learned Thursday that families of deceased military members did not get a lump-sum payment for life insurance policies . `` Until today , I actually believed that the families of our fallen heroes got a check for the full amount of their benefit , '' Gates said during a briefing at the Pentagon . `` So this came as news to me . And so I will just say I will be very interested in the outcome of '' an investigation . The Veterans Administration said it is conducting `` a full investigation '' to make sure survivors are fully protected and being treated with care and respect . `` The possibility that life insurance companies may be profiting inappropriately from these service members ' sacrifice is completely unacceptable , '' the VA said in a statement . `` VA is deeply concerned that military and veteran families may potentially be harmed in some way by the use of the Alliance Account program . '' At the conclusion of the investigation , the VA said , the agency will determine whether to continue use of the Alliance Account program . The VA also will contact the approximately 10,000 survivors to remind them of their options under the Service Employees Group Life Insurance program .
|
NEW : Prudential is considering changing how it allocates death benefits to surviving military family members . NEW : Insurance Information Institute says the industry 's doing nothing wrong . Eight insurance companies have been served subpoenas in investigation . Cuomo : Families ' payouts are placed in accounts ; most of the interest goes to insurers .
|
[[120, 195], [2759, 3037], [826, 931], [936, 982], [1093, 1101], [1143, 1188]]
|
-LRB- Mashable -RRB- -- Good news for everyone out there who 's ever thought to themselves : `` A 10-minute video of my cat eating ribs on the kitchen floor is just too short . '' YouTube announced Thursday that it has increased its upload limit from 10 minutes to 15 for non-partners . So get kitty lookin ' pretty and start rolling ! So why add the extra five-spot now ? Well , on the YouTube blog , the video-sharing site explains that it 's been beefing up its copyright protection tools of late , i.e. the Content ID system -LRB- which lets copyright holders have more control over their content -RRB- . Therefore , it 's less likely that users can , say , upload large chunks of movies and TV shows without permission . In celebration of this added time , YouTube is also launching a contest of sorts called `` 15 Minutes of Fame . '' Basically , all users have to do is film a 15-minute vid , tag it with `` yt15minutes , '' and upload it by Wednesday , August 4 . The chosen videos will be featured on the YouTube homepage . We wonder what effect -- if any -- this new time limit will have on initiatives like YouTube Leanback . Do you think the extra five minutes will equate to better content , or merely more room to rant about video games , Twilight and the like ? Let us know ! © 2010 MASHABLE.com . All rights reserved .
|
YouTube announced that it has increased its upload limit from 10 minutes to 15 . The site explains that it 's been beefing up its copyright protection tools . YouTube is launching a contest of sorts called `` 15 Minutes of Fame ''
|
[[180, 286], [207, 286], [373, 377], [380, 399], [402, 528], [726, 759], [762, 806], [801, 813], [815, 837]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 29-year-old U.S. citizen and Army veteran sits in a bare apartment in a poor part of the Colombian capital , Bogota . He wants to come home , but he ca n't . He thinks it 's because he 's on the federal government 's `` no-fly list . '' Raymond Earl Knaeble is one of an unknown number of Americans stranded overseas . They ca n't fly home , but no one will tell them why . In Knaeble 's case , he went to the airport in Bogota on March 14 to board a plane for Miami , Florida . `` I had a job offered to me and one of the requirements to secure the job was that I had to take a medical exam . It was scheduled for March 16 in the U.S. , '' Knaeble said . When he arrived at the gate , however , an airline official denied him a boarding pass . He was instructed to contact the U.S. Embassy in Bogota . `` They told me I could n't fly with the airline , with any airline , '' he said . `` My heart sank . They did n't give me a reason why . I 've been stuck in Colombia without any explanation . '' Knaeble , a resident of California , believes he has been placed on the federal no-fly list . The list is maintained by the FBI and indicates who might be a risk to civil aviation , specifically those suspected of being domestic or international terrorists . This list is disseminated among various government agencies like the Transportation Security Administration , for use in screening passengers . `` My plan was to go do my medical screening in the U.S. , spend time with my family , secure my job and come back to Colombia to get my wife , '' Knaeble said . `` Then everything changed . The company retracted my offer and I lost the job . '' He flew to Colombia in March from Kuwait to marry his then-fiance and said he encountered no problems . He had been living in Kuwait since 2006 working for ITT Systems , the same company that offered him the new position as a heavy mobile equipment mechanic in Qatar . Knaeble converted to Islam in 2008 and with others created a website about the religion 's teachings . Nothing on the site suggests it condones violence , and in a statement to CNN , Knaeble said : `` People have a lot of misconceptions about Islam , but the truth is that Islam is a religion of peace . It means peace . '' With a daughter living in Texas , his new wife pregnant with his second child and a fast-evaporating bank account , Knaeble says he is running out of options . `` My wife 's family has given a little bit of help , but if I did n't have any money saved up , I 'd be homeless right now , '' he said . He is currently living in Santa Marta , Colombia . `` It 's really simple . I 've got a bed and a little table . ... I do n't even have a refrigerator in my home , '' he said . `` I 've just been surviving . '' Unable to get answers , on June 30 Knaeble and nine others who are either citizens or legal residents of the United States filed a lawsuit , aided by the American Civil Liberties Union , against Attorney General Eric Holder , FBI Director Robert Mueller and Timothy Healy , head of the Terrorist Screening Center . `` Our clients have done nothing wrong , '' said Nusrat Choudhury , a staff attorney with the ACLU who is helping to represent Knaeble and the others . `` When -LSB- the government -RSB- puts them on a list that impacts their lives , their ability to see family , to get jobs , the government has to give them a chance to stand up for themselves . '' Knaeble has tried other ways to get home . In May he planned to fly from Colombia to Mexico and then cross the U.S.-Mexico border by land . But he was greeted at the gate in Mexico City by government agents . They detained him and questioned him about his recent conversion to Islam . Fifteen hours later , he says , he was put on a plane back to Bogota . Knaeble 's mother , Patricia , who lives in Ventura , California , says that she speaks with her son almost every day . `` He 's called me a couple of times where I feel the pain , I feel the fear and I ca n't do a thing , '' Patricia Knaeble said . `` It 's the worst feeling for a parent . I have gone out of my way to find out why and no one can tell me . He calls and there is nothing else I can do . '' Finding out whether you are on the no-fly list is a matter of trial and error , and sometimes begins with a humiliating and unexpected moment at an airport check-in desk . The list is not made public . The Department of Homeland Security has created the Traveler Redress Inquiry Program , known as TRIP , so that people who have been prevented from flying can request a review of their status . `` There are two problems with this process , '' said Choudhury , the ACLU attorney . `` First , the DHS does n't control who is on the list , the FBI does . So this whole program is controlled by an agency that has no authority . Secondly , the response sent by the government is hardly satisfactory . '' The determination of redress can be viewed via a `` status page '' on the Department of Homeland Security 's website . The update indicates whether an individual 's case is in process , has been completed or requires more information . The website also says that `` security procedures and legal concerns mandate that we can neither confirm nor deny any information about you that may be within federal watch lists . '' So the individual must try to take another flight to see if they have been removed from the list . An additional guideline from the TRIP program articulates that anyone who files for redress will be asked for additional documentation within 30 days . Knaeble sent in his redress form on March 26 . He says he has yet to hear anything . The FBI said that it is unable to comment on whether Knaeble is on the no-fly list . But in a written statement , the bureau said that `` several recent high-profile attempted terror plots ... remind us of the need to remain vigilant and thoroughly investigate every lead to fend off any potential threats to the U.S. '' Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Kristen Lee said she is unable to comment on the case because of the ongoing litigation with the ACLU . One man who was caught up in the same dilemma but eventually was allowed to return home is Yahye Wehelie , who lives in Virginia . He had been studying Arabic in Yemen with his brother . On the way home he was prevented from boarding a plane in Cairo . He was stuck in the Egyptian capital for six weeks , with little money . Wehelie was finally permitted to leave Egypt on a waiver and temporary passport . While in Cairo , Wehelie was `` hanging out in a cheap hotel watching TV and periodically going to fast food restaurants in the area , '' said Ibrahim Hooper , national communications director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations . CAIR helped Wehelie to return home . According to Hooper , Wehelie 's permanent passport was revoked and can only be regained if he repays a loan to the U.S. Embassy that helped cover his food and hotel costs . The State Department said the U.S. Embassy in Cairo offers assistance to anyone who asks but would not disclose details about the reported loan . Despite his experiences , Wehelie supports the `` no-fly list . '' `` If this is something that 's going to help my country and stop bad people from doing what they do , I 'm happy for it , '' Wehelie said . For his part , Knaeble continues to look for creative ways to travel home . He is currently looking into traveling by boat . He says the earliest he would be able to do so would be in October aboard a cargo ship headed for Florida . `` What 's happening to people like Ray , these are U.S. citizens who have a right to come back to the country in which they are citizens , '' said Choudhury . `` Right now , what this is , it is involuntary exile . '' And exile brings its own risks . Earlier this month , Knaeble 's authorization to stay in Colombia expired and he fears arrest if he is unable to have it renewed . `` It 's really scary because I do n't know what 's going to happen to me , to my family , '' he said . `` There should n't be any reason for this . No one has given me any reason . ''
|
Raymond Earl Knaeble has not been allowed to fly home from Colombia . He says he has been given no reason , but thinks he is on the U.S. no-fly list . In 2008 he converted to Islam , which he calls `` a religion of peace '' He and nine others have filed a lawsuit against three U.S. officials .
|
[[179, 254], [926, 961], [1020, 1027], [1057, 1113], [5621, 5658], [8114, 8146], [1938, 1972], [2211, 2241], [2895, 3043]]
|
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- He got a standing ovation before the orchestra even played a single note . Gustavo Dudamel has been compared to the legendary Leonard Bernstein by one critic . For weeks now , anticipation has been growing for the arrival of fiery young Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel to take over the Los Angeles Philharmonic , and the crowd could n't wait to roar its approval at his arrival . Dudamel , 28 , engenders a passion among music lovers that is entirely new to the world of classical music . Tickets for his Saturday debut as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic disappeared within minutes -- the fastest sellout in the history of the 18,000-seat Hollywood Bowl . `` He is a phenomenon , '' said Mark Swed , Los Angeles Times music critic . `` He generates excitement the likes of which has n't come around in a very , very long time -- maybe since Leonard Bernstein . '' Watch the exciting Dudamel wield the baton '' Swed was in the audience two years ago when Dudamel conducted the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra at the Walt Disney Concert Hall , delivering a reading of Beethoven 's Fourth Symphony that left fans delirious . `` I have n't seen that kind of reaction from a crowd since I saw the Beatles at Dodger Stadium , '' Swed said . Dudamel 's face has been a common sight for months in Los Angeles . His billboards look down on freeway commuters . He adorns city buses . At the famous Hollywood hot dog stand Pink 's , there is even a dog named in his honor -- the `` Dude Dog , '' piled high with jalapeno peppers , guacamole and tortilla chips . While it 's not exactly Venezuelan cuisine , in Los Angeles , there can be no surer sign that the conductor known as `` The Dude '' has arrived . So where did Dudamel get this musical magic ? He said at least a part of his talent is inherited . `` I started studying music when I was 4 , '' he said . `` I wanted to play trombone like my father . '' Soon young Gustavo entered into El Sistema , Venezuela 's state-financed music education program . Hundreds of thousands of children have received instruments and music instruction through the nation 's massive system of youth orchestras . `` You can not imagine , '' said Dudamel , `` how it changes the life of a kid if you put a violin or a cello or a flute -LSB- in his hand -RSB- . You feel you have your world . You have your life there , and it changes your life . This happened to me . '' As music director of the philharmonic , Dudamel said he hopes to spread a little of the El Sistema magic in Los Angeles . He already has organized one youth orchestra in the run-down neighborhoods of south Los Angeles . Those music students opened for the orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl . The concert also featured student musicians playing alongside jazz legend Herbie Hancock . Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodriguez and bluesman Taj Mahal rounded out an eclectic bill designed to pull in a broad cross-section of music lovers . But it was Dudamel and Beethoven 's Ninth Symphony that brought the crowd to its feet at the concert 's end . It was a promising beginning for a man many are hailing as the savior of classical music . They hope Dudamel can bring a whole new audience to symphonic music , and believe the Los Angeles Philharmonic is the perfect podium for the young maestro . `` He fits in with this town in a lot of ways , '' Swed said . `` Obviously being Spanish-speaking in a city where the majority of people either speak Spanish or understand some Spanish ... you know he fits in . The youth culture ? He is young . He is also great , which does n't hurt . ''
|
Gustavo Dudamel , known as `` The Dude , '' brings Beatles-like frenzy to Los Angeles . The Venezuelan , 28 , is the new conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic . His Saturday debut sold out 18,000-seat Hollywood Bowl faster than anyone ever . Los Angeles Times music critic calls Dudamel `` a phenomenon ''
|
[[269, 359], [744, 796]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The son of a Florida couple known for adopting special-needs children was in his parents ' room when they were slain in a home invasion last month , according to documents released by prosecutors . Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Jr. , 35 , is one of seven people charged with murder . A nurse who works with special-needs children interviewed the boy , who has autism and speech issues , regarding the deaths of Byrd and Melanie Billings . The nurse told police that the child said `` two bad men '' were wearing black masks when they knocked on the door . They woke Byrd Billings and said , `` You 're going to die . '' The child , whose age was not given , said one of the men counted to three `` before he shot mom and dad , '' and his father kept screaming , `` No way , no way . '' Byrd Billings grabbed the back of one man 's neck and struggled with him before he was shot , the child said . The boy said Melanie Billings `` got shot in her shirt . '' Another child told the same nurse he was upstairs in bed and stayed in his room when he heard the knock on the door . The second boy recalled hearing `` seven booms '' and crept into the hallway . He heard Melanie Billings scream , he said , but stayed upstairs until police arrived . It was unclear from the interviews whether the men knocked on the bedroom door or the front door of the home . The Billingses were shot and killed July 9 in their Beulah , Florida , home . Seven males are charged with first-degree murder and home invasion robbery . An eighth suspect , a woman , faces a charge of being an accessory after the fact . The seven males , including a 16-year-old charged as an adult , pleaded not guilty to the charges last week . The children 's accounts were contained in hundreds of pages of documents released this week by the state attorney 's office as part of the pretrial discovery process . Also in the documents is a police interview with Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Jr. , 35 , one of the seven suspects and the man police believe was the organizer of the slayings . Two of the other suspects told authorities he was the lone gunman , according to court documents . Gonzalez told authorities in a July 22 interview that a group of car dealers did not like Byrd Billings and had gotten together to discuss the problem . Used car dealer Henry `` Cab '' Tice came to him , Gonzalez said , and told him the group wanted Billings killed , but he refused to do it . Another son of Billings told police that a man named `` Cab '' had `` double-crossed '' his father and that the son was present when the two men argued . Tice has been questioned but not charged in the slayings . He is charged , however , with one count of grand theft for allegedly writing a series of bad checks to Billings , authorities have said . Various interviews in the documents point to a close relationship between Tice and Gonzalez . Also released by prosecutors was a transcript of a police interview with Tice in which he acknowledged accepting a $ 20,000 loan from a man he later learned was connected with the Mexican Mafia . Tice said he was told his family could be killed if the money was not repaid . Police had previously said Tice was believed to owe the Mexican Mafia money . Contacted by CNN Tuesday , Tice refused comment . But in an interview Monday with CNN affiliate WEAR , Tice said Gonzalez 's comments about him constitute an `` act of a desperate man . '' `` There is nobody that I know in Pensacola that would want to see Bud Billings killed , '' Tice told WEAR , using Billings ' nickname . `` There are business people in Pensacola that are upset with him , that were upset with him , but nobody that I know would want to see Bud Billings killed . '' The Billingses each had two biological children and had adopted 13 children . Police have said nine of the children were home during the slayings and several were believed to have seen the gunmen . One child managed to flee the home and seek help from a neighbor . Autopsy reports also were released . They showed that the Billingses were shot multiple times . Byrd Billings also had a white zip tie on his left arm , according to the report . The eighth suspect in the case , Pamela Wiggins , was taken back into custody Monday after her bond was raised from $ 10,000 to $ 500,000 . Authorities said they found a safe belonging to the Billingses in Wiggins ' backyard . That safe contained prescription medications , family documents and jewelry and was taken from the home during the slayings . Family members have since confirmed that a second safe was in the home and that it contained $ 164,000 , antique jewelry and legal documents . The second safe was not taken . The released documents also said that safe contained a sealed hard drive , a detail not previously revealed . The Billings family agreed to allow authorities access to that hard drive , according to the documents . Prosecutors believe there were dual motives in the killings : robbery and a contracted hit , a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN last month . The source said prosecutors were working under the belief that most of the suspects in the case were told only that they were robbing the Billingses , but that Gonzalez and other yet-unnamed suspects also were plotting to kill the couple . The source was not sure of the alleged motive behind the slayings . Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan has said publicly his office believes a contract hit was a possibility . The state attorney 's office said last month it was focusing on the robbery , but was willing to consider other motives . CNN 's Ross Levitt and Carolina Sanchez contributed to this report .
|
Child says man counted to three `` before he shot mom and dad '' Byrd Billings grabbed man 's neck , struggled before he was shot , boy says . The boy said Melanie Billings `` got shot in her shirt '' Seven males are charged with first-degree murder and home invasion robbery .
|
[[356, 363], [401, 452], [634, 655], [672, 711], [684, 738], [800, 849], [800, 813], [854, 891], [894, 910], [911, 967], [924, 967], [263, 297], [1445, 1521]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man suspected in the shooting deaths of five people at a Lake Havasu City , Arizona , residence on Saturday night was found dead early Sunday of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound , according to police . The killings began just before midnight Saturday when police say 26-year-old Brian Diez entered the residence , shot six people and abducted two children from the home , according to a press release from the Lake Havasu City Police Department . Four of the victims were pronounced dead . Two others were transported to local hospitals , where one of them died of his injuries . According to an Amber Alert issued Sunday for the missing children , Diez , their father , was locked in a custody battle with their mother , identified by police as 23-year-old Deborah Langstaff . Langstaff was among the five people killed . A little more than three hours after the shootings , Lake Havasu police investigators discovered that Diez 's vehicle was parked at a home in Rancho Cucamonga , California , more than 250 miles away from the site of the killings . At about the same time , local sheriff 's deputies were dispatched to the same residence , responding to a report of a suicide . `` Deputies arrived and found Diez deceased of an apparent self-inflicted gun shot wound , '' police said in a statement . The two children , identified by police as 4-year-old Kaia Diez and 13-month-old Cole Diez , were found safe at the California home with family members . Police said the five people killed in Arizona were : Langstaff , Primo Verdone , 24 , Russell Nyland , 42 , Ashley Nyland , 20 , and Brock Kelson , 20 . Deborah Nyland , 44 , was transported to Sunrise Medical Center in Las Vegas , Nevada . Her condition was unknown Sunday night . The relationship between the victims was not immediately clear .
|
Police say Brian Diez , 26 , shot six people , killing five of them . Diez abducted two children , whom he fathered with one of the victims , police say . The children were found safe early Sunday .
|
[[19, 94], [0, 15], [209, 230], [231, 340], [231, 243], [343, 358], [827, 851], [0, 15], [209, 230], [231, 243], [363, 398]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lindsay Lohan is scheduled to start her 90-day jail sentence Tuesday , but the star 's last moments of freedom may not be captured by cameras . The troubled movie star is scheduled to be in a Los Angeles courtroom Tuesday morning where she will be taken into custody . Superior Court Judge Marsha Revel has placed tight restrictions on what the public will be able to see at the court hearing . While the world watched as Lohan broke down in tears at her sentencing on July 6 , the public wo n't be able to see the actress handcuffed and taken into custody on Tuesday , the judge ruled . Cameras also must stop rolling when the judge announces that Lohan is remanded and the bailiff is instructed to take her into custody . The judge also ordered that photos of Lohan must be restricted to when she 's at the counsel table . Lohan was ordered to serve 90 days in jail for missing alcohol counseling sessions in violation of her probation . She was also sentenced to spend 90 days in a drug and alcohol rehab program after her jail term is completed .
|
Judge has imposed tight restrictions on Tuesday 's hearing . Lohan is sentenced to 90 days in jail . Lohan is expected to be taken in custody Tuesday .
|
[[288, 413], [0, 15], [19, 87], [844, 958], [844, 849], [862, 906], [209, 240], [249, 287], [497, 507], [557, 586]]
|
Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Steve McPherson quit his job as ABC Entertainment president this week amid `` gossip and innuendo '' that `` goes with the territory , '' his lawyer said Thursday . The network confirmed McPherson 's resignation , but would not comment on what McPherson attorney Tom Hoberman described as the `` rumors of internal situations '' at ABC . McPherson held the post for six years and had another year on his contract . `` Upon Steve McPherson returning to work from his vacation on Monday , he made a voluntary decision to resign and ABC accepted his resignation , '' Hoberman said in a written statement . The statement only hinted at what led to his decision to suddenly depart just days before the network was set to present its fall primetime lineup to television critics . `` It is not uncommon for high level executives to be the subject of gossip and innuendo , '' Hoberman said . `` That would include rumors of internal situations which can easily be misinterpreted or misrepresented . Seems like it goes with the territory , and there is nothing further to discuss . '' McPherson said he has `` a new entrepreneurial venture in the spirits business '' lined up as well as `` involvement in a new media company . '' ABC said it would announce a replacement for McPherson `` shortly . ''
|
Lawyer : Resignation came amid `` rumors of internal situations '' McPherson quit the day he returned from vacation . ABC will announce a new president `` shortly ''
|
[[209, 220], [262, 381], [928, 979], [44, 113], [460, 528], [1265, 1332], [1274, 1332]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Canadian coast guard began ferrying passengers on Sunday from a cruise ship that ran aground on an unmapped rock . Officials aboard the Clipper Adventurer reported their troubles on Friday . The crew failed to dislodge the ship during high tide on Saturday , while Sunday , a coast guard icebreaker arrived to transport the people on board to land . No one of the estimated 128 passengers and 69 crew members were hurt or injured , said Theresa Nichols , a spokeswoman with the Canadian coast guard . iReport : Share images and information with CNN . `` They are in the midst of completing the operation of ferrying the passengers off , '' she said . `` That operation should be just about finished . '' The passengers are being taken to Kugluktuk , a small town on the shore of the Arctic Ocean , where accommodations have been arranged by the cruise ship company , said Nichols . They are then expected to fly to the Canadian city of Edmonton . The grounded vessel is stable , but rests with a slight list , according to the company that operates the cruise ship , Adventure Canada . `` Weather remains favourable as passengers continue to enjoy onboard programming and hospitality , '' the company said in a statement .
|
The Canadian coast guard is ferrying passengers from the ship . The are being taken to a small town on the shore of the Arctic Ocean . Some 128 passengers and roughly 69 crew members are thought to be on board . The ship ran aground an unmapped rock on Friday .
|
[[0, 15], [19, 98], [297, 372], [574, 657], [727, 770], [373, 452], [373, 431], [445, 452], [455, 459], [85, 98], [104, 137]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An appeals court ruling has raised the possibility that Guatemalan women will be able to seek asylum in the United States because of the high rates of femicide in that country . A Guatemalan woman seeking asylum based on her belief that she would not be safe in her native country will have her case reviewed , the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday . Lesly Yajayra Perdomo , a native of Guatemala who entered the United States illegally as a teenager to join her mother in 1991 , was facing deporation in 2003 . She requested asylum `` because she feared persecution as a member of a particular social group consisting of women between the ages of fourteen and forty , '' according to the court document . In particular , Perdomo argued that women in Guatemala `` were murdered at a high rate with impunity . '' An immigration judge denied her claim , and the Board of Immigration Appeals upheld the decision . Monday 's ruling remands the case to the BIA for further proceedings . Perdomo , who lives in Reno , Nevada , and works as a Medicaid account executive at a medical facility there , is not assured asylum , but the decision gives her and countless other Guatemalan women the possibility of remaining in the United States . A key issue in the case is whether Guatemalan women are too broad of a group to be considered a protected `` particular social group '' eligible for asylum . That 's what the BIA decided when it upheld the immigration judge 's ruling , calling it `` merely a demographic division ... rather than a particular social group . '' The three-judge panel at the appeals court , however , found that the decision was `` inconsistent with its own precedent and this court 's case law . '' It is important to note that the appeals court stopped short of saying Perdomo deserved asylum , only saying that she was eligible for it , Kevin Johnson , Dean of the University of California-Davis Law School , told CNN . Proving that Perdomo will face persecution if she is returned to Guatemala and that the country does n't protect its young women will be hard to prove , he said . Any other Guatemalan women hoping to take advantage of this week 's ruling will have to do the same . `` I do n't think there 's going to be a flood of Guatemalan women applying for asylum tomorrow , '' Johnson said . `` This is part of a trend among U.S. courts to ensure women are afforded protection under asylum laws . '' According to Amnesty International , between 2001 and 2006 , more than 1,900 Guatemalan women and girls were killed . Many of those killings involved sexual violence and `` exceptional cruelty , '' the organization said .
|
An appeals court remanded the case of a Guatemalan woman seeking asylum in the U.S. Perdomo argues that because of high murder rates for women , she is not safe going home . Ruling could affect other Guatemalan women in the United States . A key issue is whether being a woman constitutes a protected social group .
|
[[940, 1010], [197, 327], [751, 837]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The number of illegal immigrants living in the United States continues to decline from a peak in 2007 , according to a report released Wednesday by the Pew Hispanic Center . The center estimated that in March 2009 -- the most recent figures -- there were 11.1 million unauthorized immigrants in the country , compared to 12 million in March 2007 . `` The decrease represents the first significant reversal in the growth of this population over the past two decades , '' the report states . The report does not discuss what factors could be behind the decrease . The decrease represents an 8 percent decline from 2007 to 2009 in the number of illegal immigrants currently living in the United States . According to the report , the most marked decline was in the population of unauthorized immigrants who come from Latin American countries other than Mexico . This group , which includes illegal immigrants from the Caribbean , Central and South America , saw a decrease of 22 percent in the same 2007-2009 period . In comparison , the Mexican unauthorized population has leveled off at about 7 million since 2007 , the report states . Mexicans account for about 60 percent of all illegal immigrants . The report coincides with other studies showing that while the influx of unauthorized immigrants from Mexico has sharply decreased , unauthorized Mexicans living in the United States are staying put . According to the report , an average of 150,000 illegal immigrants from Mexico arrived yearly during the March 2007 to March 2009 period , compared to the average of 500,000 that was recorded during the first half of the decade . For all countries , the average number of new unauthorized immigrants arriving fell from 550,000 a year in 2005 to 300,000 a year in 2009 . . The authors of the report point out , however , that despite the decline , the population of unauthorized immigrants was nearly a third larger in 2009 compared to 2000 , and it is three times larger than in 1990 . Among the report 's other findings was that nearly half of unauthorized immigrants living in the country in 2009 arrived in 2000 or later . The methodology the authors used took a demographic estimate of the legal foreign-born population in the United States , and subtracted it from the total foreign-born population . The Pew Hispanic Center is a part of the Pew Research Center in Washington and is an independent research group that does not engage in advocacy or take positions on issues .
|
The unauthorized immigrant population in the United States has decreased , the study says . The largest drop was among Latin American immigrants not from Mexico . Mexican unauthorized immigration leveled off .
|
[[746, 818], [746, 818], [795, 818], [823, 877], [1273, 1350], [1353, 1420]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 45-year-old man who barricaded himself in his home after allegedly shooting two rural Alaska police officers to death surrendered Monday morning and was charged with two counts of first-degree murder , authorities said . John Marvin Jr. gave up without incident around 9:30 a.m. -LRB- 1:30 p.m. ET -RRB- , according to a statement from the Division of Alaska State Troopers . Hoonah , Alaska , officers Matthew Tokuoka , 39 , and Sgt. Anthony Wallace , 32 , were shot Saturday in what troopers described as an ambush . Both officers later died from their injuries . Gov. Sean Parnell ordered state flags to be lowered to half-staff Monday in honor of the fallen officers , calling their deaths `` a tragic loss for Alaska and the community of Hoonah . '' `` These men had a passion for serving and protecting Alaskans and our state is better because of their commitment to excellence , '' Parnell said in a statement . After the shooting , Marvin barricaded himself inside his home , according to Alaska television station KTUU . State troopers sent several special emergency response teams , and police from Juneau also deployed a tactical team , Alaska State Troopers said in a news release . The U.S. Coast Guard assisted in bringing resources into Hoonah , an Alaska Panhandle town on an island about 62 miles north of Sitka , Alaska , and 68 miles west of Juneau by ferry . `` We are thankful this incident resolved without further loss of life or injury , '' Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety Joe Masters said . `` Now that this incident has resolved , the community of Hoonah can hopefully start the healing process . The shooting leaves the town of Hoonah , which has a population of about 800 people , with only one police officer -- the police chief , TV station KTUU said . State troopers were providing staffing for Hoonah police . Businesses in the area were shut down , according to KTUU , and residents were asked to stay indoors and away from the area until the standoff ended . `` We heard a gunshot and one of my co-workers looked out the window and he saw one policeman down , '' witness Dirk Knehr told the television station . `` He 'd been shot , and another policeman was trying to drag him away and the suspect shot him twice . And then he just took off . '' Little was known about Marvin , KTUU said . `` The only information we have is that he 's had problems with law enforcement in that community in the past , and there were some issues of stability , '' Alaska State Troopers Capt. Barry Wilson told the station . The shooting occurred about 10:30 p.m. Saturday , KTUU said . Wallace began working with Hoonah police in 2008 , according to the station . He was a 2008 graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester , New York , and a former campus police officer at the school . `` Tony , who was hard-of-hearing , proved remarkable at many levels , '' the institute said in a statement on its website . After joining campus police , he went on to attend the police academy , where he graduated as class valedictorian . An All-American wrestler , he was inducted into the school 's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008 . The institute 's statement quoted from an interview Wallace did last year with the university 's news department . `` I hope that people who are in the same situation as I am see my story and begin to believe that if you put your mind to something , you can achieve it , '' he said . `` Anything and everything is possible , it 's just a matter of how bad you want it and how far you are willing to go to prove to people that you are worthy of whatever career you want to pursue . '' Tokuoka , a former Marine Corps staff sergeant , was a native of Hawaii who had been with Hoonah police since 2009 , KTUU said . Planning for a memorial service for the fallen officers is under way .
|
NEW : John Marvin Jr. is charged with two counts of first-degree murder . NEW : Flags are ordered lowered to half-staff across the state . Standoff began after two police officers were shot late Saturday . The officers ' deaths leave the small town of Hoonah with only one officer .
|
[[0, 15], [158, 220], [587, 691], [0, 15], [78, 129]]
|
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Major league pitching legend Roger Clemens pleaded not guilty Monday to charges that he lied to Congress during a 2008 investigation into the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball . Clemens has been charged with perjury , obstruction of Congress and making false statements after telling lawmakers in February 2008 that he never used human growth hormone or steroids . U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton set an April 5 trial date for the seven-time Cy Young winner at Monday 's arraignment . The proceedings were held in the largest courtroom at the District of Columbia federal courthouse , one usually used for high-profile cases such as the trial of former White House aide Lewis `` Scooter '' Libby . Before the arraignment , Clemens ate lunch at the courthouse cafeteria with his attorneys and was approached by at least three fans . Clemens was released on his own recognizance after the hearing and was headed to a charity golf event in South Carolina . He has denied the perjury allegations and said he looks forward to defending himself in court . `` I never took HGH or Steroids . And I did not lie to Congress , '' he said in a message posted to his Twitter account August 19 , the day his indictment was released . Clemens , nicknamed `` the Rocket '' during his 24-year career , left baseball in 2007 after playing for the Boston Red Sox , Toronto Blue Jays , Houston Astros and New York Yankees . The charges stem the pitcher 's 2008 appearance before the House Oversight and Government Affairs Committee , when he vehemently denied using performance-enhancing drugs . Steroid use `` is totally incompatible with who I am and what I stand for , '' he told lawmakers , adding , `` I can not in good conscience admit to doing something that I did not do , even if it would be easier to do so . '' His testimony put him at odds with his former trainer , Brian McNamee , and a report by former Sen. George Mitchell that stated Clemens had used banned substances at points in his career . Onetime teammate Andy Pettite told a league investigation led by Mitchell that Clemens admitted using human growth hormone . A few weeks later , the committee 's leaders asked the Justice Department to launch a perjury probe of Clemens . Rep. Henry Waxman , the committee 's chairman at the time , said after Clemens ' indictment that perjury and false statements `` are serious crimes that undermine the ability of Congress to perform its duties . '' The six-count indictment accuses Clemens of trying to `` influence , obstruct , and impede '' the congressional investigation into the use of steroids . It includes three counts of making false statements to investigators about the use of human growth hormone , steroids and vitamin B12 , and two counts of perjury stemming from his appearance before Waxman 's committee . Clemens told investigators that Pettite -- who admitted to using human growth hormone on two occasions himself -- must have `` misheard '' him , and he accused McNamee of lying `` to save his own skin '' as federal authorities began probing the use of steroids in major sports . He filed a defamation suit against his ex-trainer in late 2008 . He said the shots he received from his trainer were vitamin B12 , which is an allowed substance . But according to the indictment , the trainer never had access to B12 and never injected Clemens with such supplements . CNN 's Paul Courson and Carol Cratty contributed to this report .
|
NEW : Clemens released on his own recognizance after not-guilty plea . The baseball great has been charged with perjury and obstruction of Congress . He insists he never used human growth hormone or steroids . `` The Rocket '' won seven Cy Young awards during his 24-year career .
|
[[877, 939], [221, 284], [2488, 2640], [2521, 2640], [359, 407], [1098, 1128], [1564, 1620], [408, 529], [1265, 1272], [1275, 1327]]
|
-LRB- Rolling Stone -RRB- -- The long-gestating Tupac Shakur movie may finally begin production this November , now that director Antoine Fuqua -LRB- `` Training Day '' -RRB- has brought on Oscar-nominated screenwriters Stephen J. Rivele and Chris Wilkinson to pen a new script . Wilkinson tells Vulture that the film , originally written in a documentary style , will not be a biopic . Instead , it will focus onTupac 's last day , and flash back on the four years that preceded his still-unsolved shooting death in Las Vegas . `` He was just beginning to shed that anger and look for a purer voice ... He was in the process of changing himself , and entering a new phase of his life , '' says Rivele , who previously teamed with Wilkinson to script `` Ali '' and `` Nixon . '' `` He saw the contradiction between the musical persona of ` Thug Life , ' and his essential nature as a gentle , sensitive person . And that was partly responsible for his murder : He was not a gangster , but the people around him were . '' Rolling Stone : The life and times of the hip-hop great . Like `` Notorious , '' the biopic that starred first-time actor Jamal Woolard as Biggie , Fuqua hopes to cast an unknown to portray Tupac . -LRB- Anthony Mackey , who would later appear in `` The Hurt Locker , '' played Shakur in `` Notorious . '' -RRB- . Plans for the movie began in 2007 , when Tupac 's mother , Afeni Shakur , sold the rights . Copyright © 2010 Rolling Stone .
|
The long-gestating Tupac Shakur movie may begin production this November . The film , originally written in a documentary style , will not be a biopic . Plans for the movie began in 2007 when Tupac 's mother sold the rights .
|
[[33, 37], [38, 66], [0, 25], [67, 78], [85, 109], [0, 25], [79, 109], [280, 386], [309, 317], [320, 361], [309, 319], [364, 386], [1335, 1368], [1376, 1391], [1409, 1426]]
|
Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Songs that did n't make the cut on Michael Jackson albums while he was alive and some forgotten recordings left behind on computer hard drives will be on an album released this fall , sources familiar with the project say . Jackie Jackson , one of the singer 's older brothers , has been working in a studio to help prepare the album , which will include 10 previously unheard songs , according to Jackson estate spokesman Jim Bates . Jackson 's estate and Sony Music announced in March that his next album of unreleased music will go on sale in November . Music producer Rodney Jerkins , who co-produced Jackson 's 2001 album `` Invincible , '' has been working with Sony to put together the new album , a source familiar with the project said . The source asked not to be identified because he was not authorized by the record label to disclose details . John McClain , one of the two men named in Jackson 's will to be executors of his estate , is also working on the album with Jackie Jackson , Bates said . McClain owns a recording studio in Hollywood . Jackson was known to rent out Los Angeles recording studios for weeks at a time for creative sessions , sometimes alone and sometimes with other well-known artists . A producer told CNN that he was surprised to find a large cache of forgotten Michael Jackson music files stored on a hard drive at a Hollywood studio in the months after Jackson 's June 25 , 2009 , death . When he turned the recording device on to start a session , he heard Jackson singing `` Hot Fun in the Summertime . '' The 1969 hit by Sly & the Family Stone is part of an extensive music catalogue that Jackson bought . The producer said he made a backup copy of the 40 gigabytes of Jackson music and turned it over to one of the Jackson estate administrators . He asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter . Another computer hard drive with music was found in Jackson 's rented mansion in the days after his death , Bates said . A Jackson family member later handed the hard drive over to the estate administrators , he said . It was not clear if any of that music will be included in the upcoming project , but Sony 's Columbia Records has a contract with Jackson 's estate for 10 albums of unreleased material over the next seven years .
|
Dozens of Jackson songs were found on hard drives after his death . Jackie Jackson has been helping with his brother 's next album . Songs that did n't make it onto early albums may be on the next one .
|
[[125, 186], [1269, 1373], [1336, 1432], [1910, 2015], [268, 282], [323, 377], [44, 49], [55, 101]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tragedy struck at a Pennsylvania circus Friday after a startled elephant stomped its trainer to death , police said . People at the Irem Shrine in Wilkes-Barre , which has been hosting the James Hamid Circus all week , rushed to help but not before the trainer sustained life-threatening injuries , said police Lt. Steven Oshefski . It was unclear what spooked the elephant , but the pachyderm was calmed by those on the scene . The victim is not being identified until next-of-kin have been notified , Oshefski said . The incident was classified as a workplace accident and the investigation has been turned over to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration . A balloon vendor at the circus told CNN affiliate WBRE that the death was shocking . `` In the 30 years I 've been doing my vending , I 've never heard an animal killing their trainer and all , '' said Ed Conrad . `` So something must have happened . '' Oshefski said the elephant came into contact with electrical wires , but it was unclear what exactly startled the animal . Animal rights activists decried the use of animals in circuses . `` It should come as no surprise that elephants and other animals sometimes snap and attack circus employees and members of the public , '' said Robbyn Brooks of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals -LRB- PETA -RRB- . `` PETA has obtained shocking photos and video of circus trainers as they beat elephants and subject them to violent training methods using barbaric devices such as bullhooks , '' Brooks said . Circus members observed a moment of silence for the elephant handler who died , WBRE reported . The circus , however , made a decision almost immediately after the death that the performance would go on .
|
Startled elephant stomps trainer at circus , killing him , authorities say . Incident classified as workplace accident ; OSHA to conduct investigation . Circus members observed moment of silence for worker before continuing show .
|
[[19, 120], [538, 589], [590, 687], [1553, 1621]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- NATO representatives and lawmakers from alliance nations will meet in Iceland Thursday to discuss security challenges that are likely to arise as the Arctic Circle thaws . Global warming is opening up more parts of the Arctic to development and raising security concerns . The area -- one of the planet 's most fragile and pristine ecosystems -- sits atop a bounty of untapped fossil fuels . And as the melting polar ice makes the Arctic more accessible to ships , several countries are scrambling to claim jurisdiction in the area . `` The economic interests are reflected in ... competing claims by relevant stakeholders , and resumed military presence in the area , '' NATO said on its Web site . `` As it is a region of enduring strategic importance for NATO and allied security , developments in the High North require careful and ongoing examination . '' The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that 90 billion barrels of oil , 44 billion barrels of natural gas liquids and 1,670 trillion cubic feet of natural gas are recoverable in the frozen region north of the Arctic Circle . At the same time , Arctic water is warming so quickly that the entire region could be ice-free by 2013 . Already Russia , Canada , the United States , Denmark , Norway , Sweden , Iceland and Finland are fighting to lay claim to the Arctic 's icy real estate . Unlike Antarctica , which has a treaty that prohibits territorial claims , there is no agreement for the vast expanse of the Arctic . So questions about drilling rights and shipping lanes are somewhat murky . According to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea , countries are entitled to exclusive economic zones up to 200 miles from their shores . But some countries are trying to extend that zone . Russian scientists want to prove the seabed below the North Pole is part of the Eurasian continental shelf , an area called the Lomonosov Ridge . If that is the case , the region would be under Russian control . Moscow argued before a U.N. commission in 2001 that the ridge is an extension of its continental territory . But the United Nations asked for more evidence . Danish scientists are trying to prove that the Lomonosov Ridge is connected to Greenland , and Canadian scientists are looking for links between the ridge and Ellesmere Island , a Canadian territory . NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer will attend the two-day conference in Reykjavek .
|
NATO meeting in Iceland to discuss Arctic security challenges . Thawing of Arctic poses questions over who controls region 's resources . Number of countries laying claim to Arctic due to untapped fossil fuel deposits .
|
[[0, 136], [89, 96], [106, 190], [89, 96], [106, 190], [292, 300], [325, 361], [365, 410], [484, 552]]
|
Watsonville , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sitting at the kitchen table in his small house , Steven Butler has trouble even with a very simple question . He can not tell you the day of the week or the month , and he has to have the help of a calendar to tell you the year . `` Once a moment is gone , it 's gone , '' said his brother and caregiver , David Butler says in an interview to air on tonight 's `` Campbell Brown '' . `` He ca n't remember any good times , birthday parties , Christmas , any event . '' On October 7 , 2006 , Steven Butler , by his own admission , was drunk and disorderly . He refused an order from a police officer in his hometown to get off a city bus . The officer used his Taser ECD -LRB- officially , an `` Electronic Control Device '' -RRB- three times . According to doctors , Butler suffered immediate cardiac arrest . He was revived by emergency medical technicians who happened to be close by , but his attorneys say his brain was deprived of oxygen for as long as 18 minutes . He is now permanently disabled . Butler and his family have filed a lawsuit -- not against the police , but against the maker of the weapon , Taser International . John Burton , a lawyer based in Pasadena , California , says he can prove that when the weapons are fired directly over the chest , they can cause and have caused cardiac arrest . In addition , Burton says he can prove Taser knew about that danger . `` Well , we can prove that by early 2006 , '' said Burton , `` but we suspect they had all the necessary data since 2005 , since they were funding the study . '' The study Burton mentions was published in early 2006 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation . Funded by Taser , it focused on pigs struck by Tasers , with the conclusions , according to the study , `` generalized to humans . '' The authors wrote that being hit by a Taser is unlikely to cause cardiac arrest , but nevertheless recommended Taser darts not be fired near the heart to `` greatly reduce any concern for induction of ventricular arrhythmias . '' Dr. Douglas Zipes , a cardiologist based outside Indianapolis , Indiana , plans to testify against Taser in any lawsuit regarding what happened to Butler . In plain English , he says , that recommendation is a clear warning . `` I think Taser has been disingenuous and certainly up to 2006 -- the case we are talking about -- Taser said in their educational materials that there was no cardiac risk whatsoever , '' Zipes said . `` That Taser could not produce a heart problem , that there was no long lasting effect from Taser . '' Medical experts say that if a person is hit by a Taser dart near the chest , one result is a dramatic increase in the subject 's heartbeat -- from a resting 72 beats a minute to as many as 220 beats a minute for a short period of time . In its court filings , the company says the `` peak-loaded '' voltage from a Taser at impact ranges up to 40,000 volts but it 's a 600-volt average for the duration of the firing . In an e-mail , a spokesman for Taser said the company would not comment on any ongoing litigation . But in a court filing seeking to dismiss the Butler lawsuit , it said Taser devices `` are repeatedly proven safe through testing , in human volunteers , in controlled , medically approved studies . '' There 's no evidence , the company says , that being hit with a Taser causes cardiac arrest in humans . But the company has significantly changed its recommendations for how Tasers should be used . Officers , it said , should no longer aim for the chest when using the device , instead targeting the arms , legs , buttocks . Why the change ? A company document said `` the answer has less to do with safety and more to do with effective risk management for law enforcement agencies . '' In other words , say lawyers who have sued Taser , it means police are less likely to be sued if they avoid hitting subjects in the chest . In court papers , Taser says the risk of cardiac arrest is `` extremely rare and would be rounded to near zero , '' but it adds : `` However , law enforcement is left defending a lawsuit and disproving a negative , which is difficult to do . '' `` Out of one side of their mouth , they publish this warning , saying , ` Do n't hit people in the chest if you can avoid it , ' '' said Dana Scruggs , an attorney representing Steven Butler . `` And on the other side , in the lawsuit and in their public statements , they deny that their device can affect the human heart . '' Nearly every big-city police department in the United States uses a Taser device . According to the company , more than 14,000 law enforcement agencies worldwide employ Tasers and more than 1.8 million people have had the weapon used on them since it was introduced into general law enforcement use in the 1990s . The human rights organization Amnesty International estimates more than 400 people have died as a result of Taser strikes . Officially , it 's not a gun . As an electronic control device , Tasers are not classified as a firearm . The devices are regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission . `` There 's one thing that 's undeniable -- that if I use my firearm , the chances are that you will suffer extreme injuries or death , '' said George Gascon , the newly installed police chief in San Francisco , California . `` The chances are much greater of reducing injuries with a Taser . '' San Francisco is one of three big-city police departments in the United States that do n't use Tasers -LRB- The others are Detroit , Michigan , and Memphis , Tennessee -RRB- . Gascon wants to change that . He supports use of the device but says to call it `` nonlethal '' is inaccurate . `` We have referred to the Tasers for many years as a less-lethal weapon , '' he said . `` In the San Francisco experience , which we have to concentrate on , I have not said once that this is a nonlethal device because I believe it can be a contributing factor in causing death . '' Taser International is growing . Its latest earnings report says the firm made more than $ 100 million in profits last year by selling Tasers to both law enforcement and to individual consumers . And the company says even more police and sheriff 's departments are lining up to purchase the weapon every day . The company argues in Steven Butler 's case that simply being in a stressful situation with police can bring on heart problems , and there 's no link between being being hit with a Taser and the cardiac arrest . For Steven Butler , greeting the mailman now is a highlight of his day . He does n't dispute that he was drunk and disorderly when the officer tried to get him off the bus , but he and his family blame Taser for what happened to him . He says he 's not frustrated or angry , just resigned to spending the rest of his life trying to remember what happened . After CNN first reported this story , Taser International , which had previously declined all comment , sent us what it called a `` fact sheet '' about the Steven Butler case . The company said the 2006 Taser study CNN quoted produced no cardiac arrests in animals . While the company says cardiac arrests in people are rare , Taser insists it does not claim a `` zero '' possibility of cardiac arrest . Taser also claimed Steven Butler had a pre-existing heart condition and that his blood alcohol level made him vulnerable to cardiac arrest . Butler 's medical and legal teams told CNN he had no documented heart problems. , and alcohol levels played no role in his cardiac arrest .
|
Man claims Taser brought on cardiac arrest that starved his brain of oxygen . Lawyers say Taser-funded research shows heart risk from Taser strikes . Taser International insists no link between Taser and cardiac arrest . More on the dangers tasers may pose on tonight 's `` Campbell Brown '' , CNN 8pm ET .
|
[[937, 1015], [1180, 1191], [1236, 1350], [2594, 2779], [6440, 6518]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` I 'm angry at having presided over the first genocide of the 21st century , '' said Mukesh Kapila , a British doctor and former U.N. official . Mukesh Kapila said atrocities in Darfur could have been prevented if the world had taken action sooner . He was referring to what he considers the world 's ineffective response to mass atrocities in Darfur , Sudan 's western region . `` What happened in Darfur would be classified as obscene , '' he told CNN 's Christiane Amanpour . `` It 's a combination of a horror movie and a snuff movie . '' Kapila was the United Nations ' top official in Sudan . He took up his post as resident and humanitarian coordinator in 2003 , just a few months after rebels from Darfur 's African tribes attacked outposts of Sudan 's government , which is led by Arabs . The government 's retaliation was so harsh that a U.N. human rights monitor issued a prophetic warning . His March 2003 report said that in the `` escalating conflict , '' Sudan 's government may be `` engaged in ... ethnic cleansing aimed at eliminating African tribes from Darfur . '' Unfortunately , Kapila says , the report `` disappeared into a big hole '' because the world 's attention was on Iraq , where a U.S.-led coalition had gone to war to topple Saddam Hussein 's regime . Watch as Kapila describes his anger at the lack of attention on Darfur '' Since 2003 , according to U.N. estimates , 300,000 Darfuris have been killed in the violence or died in the ensuing disease and starvation . Another 2.5 million have been uprooted from their homes . Kapila says it did n't have to be , and the man who was his boss at the time agrees . `` The most bitter lesson of Darfur , '' said Jan Egeland , former U.N. under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs , `` is that the world let a small conflict slowly but surely degenerate into a full-blown catastrophe . '' As reports of atrocities mounted in late 2003 and into 2004 , Kapila and Egeland saw a pattern : Sudanese forces and government-armed Arab militia members known as janjaweed -LRB- `` devils on horseback '' -RRB- were using scorched-earth tactics against civilians from Darfur 's African tribes . They burned villages , poisoned wells and raped women and girls , according to reports from U.N. workers and aid groups . Sudan claims that its forces were only putting down an armed insurrection . `` I think the problems which have been happening in Darfur are problems which can be happening in any place of the world where there is a war , '' Sudanese Interior Minister Ibrahim Hamid said . `` There are crimes , but it 's not like what has been reflected in the international media . '' But that 's not what Kapila was hearing . He kept getting reports of more Darfuris killed or driven from their land and Arabs talking about making Darfur `` zurka-free '' -- `` zurka '' being a derogatory term for blacks . Unlike cyclones and earthquakes , the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Darfur was man-made , so Kapila and Egeland began a crusade to get Darfur onto the U.N. Security Council 's agenda . They knew from experience that getting an issue in front of the Security Council brings , as Egeland says , three things : `` attention , attention , attention . '' Both Egeland and Kapila approached Western governments but came away disappointed because most diplomats were focused on resolving another conflict , in southern Sudan , which had claimed 2 million lives over 20 years . The international community did respond with an emergency relief operation for the growing number of refugees who were running for their lives . But Kapila and Egeland wanted more . They believed that Darfur was not only a humanitarian crisis but also a human rights crisis that required action from the U.N. Security Council . Out of frustration , Kapila went outside proper channels and screamed to the media . In a March 2004 interview with BBC Radio , Kapila compared the situation in Darfur to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda . His comments , which Sudan called a `` heap of lies , '' were picked up by newspapers around the world . Kapila so angered the host government in Khartoum that he had to resign his post . Even after the Security Council put Darfur on the agenda , it would take three more years of resolutions and debate to authorize a large U.N. peacekeeping force . China , which has veto power on the Security Council and extensive commercial and military ties to the government of Sudan , was one of the major obstacles to taking decisive action . But as conditions in Darfur became more widely known , a grass-roots movement began to grow , putting pressure on the White House and a spotlight on the U.N. Security Council . According to Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel , `` no other tragedy since 1945 has caught the imagination of so many people as Darfur has . '' Then-Secretary of State Colin Powell and President Bush characterized the killing in Darfur as `` genocide . '' Human rights groups documented China 's strong ties to Sudan . And activists , including actress Mia Farrow and other celebrities , campaigned to tag the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics as the `` genocide Olympics . '' Over time and under pressure , Chinese diplomats helped persuade Sudan to accept a U.N.-led peacekeeping force with the understanding that many of the troops would come from African countries . Would earlier action by the Security Council have made a difference ? `` Yes , '' Egeland said . `` We would have kept it to a medium-sized African disaster . Not this mega-disaster . It could have been stopped when it was a small emergency . '' In July , the prosecutor for the International Criminal Court applied for a warrant to arrest Sudan 's president , Gen. Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir , on charges of genocide , war crimes and crimes against humanity . Read the charges against Sudan 's president -LRB- pdf -RRB- . Sudan denies the charges and has promised to punish anyone who has attacked innocent civilians .
|
Mukesh Kapila was the United Nations ' top official in Sudan in 2003 . Since that year , an estimated 300,000 Darfuris have been killed or died . He says a U.N. monitor 's warning of violence `` disappeared into a big hole '' Kapila says atrocities could have been prevented if the world had taken action sooner .
|
[[564, 619], [620, 688], [1380, 1390], [1423, 1472], [1380, 1390], [1423, 1439], [1476, 1520], [1122, 1133], [1136, 1211], [1136, 1223], [166, 231], [185, 270]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- My job as an imam and outreach director for the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center , located minutes from the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol , was created September 11 , 2001 , to convey a more accurate image of the American Muslim community and to create opportunities for interfaith cooperation and understanding distinct from the stereotypical image of Muslims as intolerant and violent religious anti-American extremists . On the morning of the 9/11 attack , while I was calling my patients from the waiting room at Howard University Hospital , I saw the plumes of smoke in the distance coming from the Pentagon , and on the TV monitor watched the twin towers of the World Trade Center being destroyed . I had been volunteering as the Muslim chaplain and imam at Howard University at that time , and the media began calling me for interviews . By 2002 , the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center asked me to be their first outreach director . I left my work as a biomedical researcher , working on my doctorate studying sickle cell disease , and took up this work . Much like the tradition of the black church , I believe I was `` called '' to this ministry to bring people back together , to try to heal a lot of the pain , fear and anger that persisted . The work I do in the greater Washington area is similar to what Daisy Khan and Imam Faisul -LSB- Feisal Abdul Rauf -RSB- want to do with the Cordoba Initiative at Park51 , which is being referred to as the `` Ground Zero mosque . '' I know how important this work is , since I do it every day , reaching out to Christian , Jewish and other faith groups as well as colleges , universities , government and the media in order to find common ground and understanding . In March of this year , a group protested my leading an opening prayer for the Virginia General Assembly . I called the delegate who was responsible for the official invitation -- Adam Ebbin , who is white , Jewish , male and gay . He said he looked at the work I had been doing for almost a decade , and said `` I will stand by you . '' That was a teachable moment . Later , members of the House of Delegates said this was one of the most impressive prayers they had heard , and that they were convinced they were hearing from the type of Muslim that we need in America . The struggle for equal access , for the right to build mosques in America -- not just in lower Manhattan -- is reminiscent of the pain and struggle of black Americans for churches , housing , employment and , actually , public acceptance . By the letter of the law , blacks had the right to live or work anywhere , but they were often segregated to certain areas and specific jobs . Similarly , American Muslims have the right to worship anywhere , but some Americans say we 're not ready yet for mosques being built in certain areas . Some years ago I preached in the Holy Land to 70,000 Palestinians at the `` Jerusalem Festival . '' I wondered why they invited me . As I saw their communities and felt a reminiscent pain of being a second-class citizen in my country , then I knew why God made me a black American at this time : to share my hope and faith . I told them the Quran teaches , `` O you who believe ! Stand out firmly as a witness before God ; and let not the enmity and hatred by others allow you to depart from justice . Be just : that is closer to piety ; and fear Allah . Indeed , Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do . '' -LSB- Al Maaidah 5 : 8 -RSB- . I realized then that as an heir through the civil rights and black power movements , and now as a Muslim , I am building a bridge from one faith tradition and civil rights movement to another faith and new civil rights movement -- from the fight for civil rights for black Americans , to the fight to secure the right for American Muslims to overcome and live beyond the `` terrorist '' stigma in a post-9 / 11 world , to make a better America for everybody . The spiritual says , `` I come too far from where I started from , nobody told me the road would be easy . '' Establishing Park51 is another step on the road to equality for all people . It must succeed for all of us . These Muslims who respect America want to continue to pray , live and work in their community in lower Manhattan . While honoring our fallen citizens , we must continue to uphold the banner of freedom -- not guilt by association . Although I thrive off the passion of Malcolm X , I engage in struggle with the compassion of Dr. King . `` We shall overcome '' once again . America eventually gets it right . That America will once again choose the road toward freedom , justice and equality for all people , and that is the America that I believe in . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Imam Johari Abdul-Malik .
|
Imam Johari Abdul-Malik is director of outreach for a Washington Islamic Center . He compares moderate Muslims ' struggles to the civil rights movement . U.S. Muslims have the right to live without the `` terrorist '' stigma , he says .
|
[[3836, 3867]]
|
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- On the 47th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington on Saturday , the first sight on the National Mall for thousands of marchers was a four-story art installation that displayed four images and quotations of Martin Luther King Jr. . The participants in Glenn Beck 's `` Restoring Honor '' rally paused as they walked toward the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial . Some stopped to have pictures taken with King as the backdrop . As recordings of King 's booming baritone filled the air , some of the Beck followers laughed and others booed . Some looked for someone to argue their case that King 's dream was passé , no more relevant to today 's politics than the race to the moon . Michael Murphy , an artist from Georgia , created a four-story structure that celebrates King to honor King 's spirit and to counter the rallies by Beck and the Rev. Al Sharpton . Four images , each with passages from King 's speeches , can be viewed from different perspectives . Rev. Jim Wallis , speaking at a celebration of King 's life near the temporary art installation , acknowledged the `` angry discussions about the legacy of this man . '' A Beck marcher ran up to someone admiring the art and called out : `` We 'll be free again -- in November . '' America 's political atmosphere at the time of the Beck and Sharpton rallies sometimes seems more toxic than the politics of 1963 . Beck has likened the policies of President Obama 's administration to those of Adolf Hitler and calls him a communist . Some in the Tea Party movement have questioned Obama 's patriotism and insinuated that he is an al Qaeda sympathizer . In fact , the political climate surrounding King 's 1963 march was tougher . But King and the civil rights movement provided a moral vision that made it possible for the U.S. to find a way out of those ugly times . The summer of 1963 produced as much conflict as almost any other year in American history . After King 's Birmingham , Alabama , campaign , more than 2,000 demonstrations broke out across the nation . More than 50,000 people were jailed . Many protests got violent . NAACP leader Medgar Evers was assassinated in Mississippi . Protesters in Danville , Virginia , got pummeled within an inch of their lives , then subjected to persecution . The governor of Maryland declared martial law in Cambridge . That summer , the civil rights campaigners moved north . Protests in New York , Philadelphia , Newark , Chicago and San Francisco took a dramatic turn toward incivility . Frustrated by years of inattention , renters in Philly dumped mountains of garbage in front of slumlords ' suburban homes . Malcolm X sneered at Jews . `` You have n't got no time to cry no tears for no Jews , '' he called out at the Harlem Unity Rally . `` Why , they only killed 6 million Jews . '' Meanwhile , segregationists were pushing constitutional amendments to overturn the principle of `` one man , one vote , '' to give state judges power over the Supreme Court and to give states the power to amend the Constitution without any federal involvement . George Wallace and Ross Barnett led an effort to throw the 1964 presidential election into the House so that Dixie could determine the next president . Radical groups of all stripes wanted to use the March to make history . The Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan vowed to round up 10,000 or more white supremacists with the hope of inciting a conflict that would doom the civil rights cause . Segregationists in Congress even expressed hope that violence would ruin the march and the civil rights movement . Leftists , meanwhile , threatened to occupy the offices of segregationists on Capitol Hill and vent their anger at the White House and Justice Department . The Black Muslims denounced `` the Farce on Washington , '' and Malcolm X came to razz the marchers . And on the edges of the movement , Communists tried to work their way into the march . But amid what Garry Wills called America 's second Civil War , the civil rights movement embraced the idea that the best way to gain rights was to appeal to everyone 's hearts and meet `` physical force with soul force , '' as King put it . King himself did not always understand the imperative of love or nonviolence . As a young man , he later acknowledged , he hated whites . And he did not understand nonviolence right away either . In the early days of the Montgomery Bus Boycott , he hired men to guard his house with guns . By the time of the March , King understood that America could be changed only by winning over the other side . King understood that fighting violence with violence created only more violence . He knew that , whatever happened , blacks and whites needed to live together . One marcher who `` won '' a train ticket to the March on Washington for his courageous conduct in demonstrations , later remembered the time racist thugs threw beer mugs at marchers in Charleston . His first reaction , Harvey Jones told me , was to stiffen up to be ready for a fight . King planted himself in front of Jones . `` If you do n't think you can respond nonviolently , maybe you should leave the march , '' King said . He calmed down . King 's cause was moral , universal . He sought nothing for his people that other people did not enjoy . He wanted access to lunch counters and bus stations , the right to vote , equal access to schools , protection against mobs , fair police treatment . And King was willing -- and insisted that his followers be willing -- to suffer for the cause . Everyone remembers King 's speech at the March for four words : `` I have a dream . '' And , in fact , those words were transcendent . They conjured up images of a better world . Those words connected the ordinary struggles of the movement -- brutally hard work rewarded with beatings and jail -- with the glorious possibilities of equality . But even more important were four other words : `` Unearned suffering is redemptive . '' King warned that even the most innocent and decent people would continue to suffer . Oppressors never yield power willingly . They fight back viciously . So buck up . Move ahead , first into the swinging batons and electric cattle prods and water cannons . Because there is no other way . King could issue that challenge . He could be that blunt and honest because of the universal values he espoused . They were not fighting for an earmark or a tax cut , loopholes from an EPA regulations , a Department of Education grant or a Fannie Mae subsidy . They were fighting for their lives . It all seems so clear now , but it was n't back in 1963 , not for most people anyway . But the existence of this massive movement , with hundreds of thousands of ordinary people willing to put their bodies on the line with nonviolence and even love , created real light in what could have been the darkest of times . Who 's our King ? Who is drawing on the power of soul force ? Who is appealing to his bitterest enemies ? Who today is pointing to a new age of cooperation and brotherhood ? The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Charles Euchner .
|
People arriving for the Glenn Beck rally were greeted by a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. . Charles Euchner says King 's message is still relevant today . He says King had to confront a much more rancorous political climate than today 's . King overcame oppression through nonviolence , he says ; where is today 's King ?
|
[[1285, 1416], [1666, 1732]]
|
-LRB- Sunset -RRB- -- Check out these 10 scenic spots to swim , float and soak in the sun at the West 's amazing national parks . Best for adventure : Grand Canyon National Park , Arizona . Okay , here 's the catch . There 's just one way to reach most Colorado River beaches in the canyon -- and that 's by rafting down the river . Only then do you experience secluded beaches like Football and Owl Eye . Many people , of course , consider the 3 - to 18-day trips one of the high points of their lives . As for the beach experience , the water is n't warm -- figure anywhere from 48 ° to 60 ° -- but given that Grand Canyon summer temps can rise to above 100 ° , it feels , says veteran outfitter Steve Hatch , `` just great . '' Do n't miss : Well , the river rafting . Trips are often booked up far in advance , but in this recessionary year , you should be able to slip into one now through the end of the season in midfall . Get there : All-inclusive river trips from $ 1,100 for four days ; nps.gov / grca for a list of park-approved outfitters . -- Peter Fish . Sunset 's guide to the Grand Canyon . Best lazy float : Yosemite National Park , California . With El Capitan and Half Dome towering above , the Merced River beaches in Yosemite Valley sometimes get forgotten . Which is a mistake , especially in summer , when valley temps sizzle and the river water is blissfully cool . The two main beaches , Cathedral and Sentinel , are great for splashing or bobbing around in an inner tube . Do n't miss : Taking on the Merced by raft . Rent a four - to six-person raft at Curry Village Recreation Center , and float 3 miles to Sentinel Beach ; the $ 26 fee includes shuttle service back to your start . Get there : In summer , take the El Capitan Shuttle to stop E4 and walk 1/4 mile to Cathedral Beach , or get off at E5 , 1/2 mile from Sentinel Beach ; $ 20 per vehicle ; nps.gov / yose or 209/372 -8319 -LRB- raft rental -RRB- . -- Peter Fish . Sunset : 36 fun fall escapes . Best beachcombing : Olympic National Park , Washington . The easy 3-mile -LRB- one-way -RRB- hike to Shi Shi Beach , near Neah Bay , is best made at low tide , when you encounter some of the best tidepools on Earth . Against the backdrop of towering sea stacks , Pacific waves , and the occasional kayaker , peer down at neon pink and chartreuse sea anemones and bright orange seastars . Do n't miss : Point of the Arches , a mind-bending array of sea stacks 1.3 miles down the beach . Get there : Neah Bay , about 160 miles northwest of Seattle , is on the Makah Indian Reservation ; ask for a map when you buy your Makah Recreation Pass -LRB- $ 10 -RRB- ; nps.gov / olym or 360/645 -2711 -LRB- reservation info -RRB- . -- Matt Villano . Best desert oasis : Glen Canyon National Rec Area , Utah/Arizona . A blue mirage set in red rocks , Lake Powell -- which forms the watery heart of Glen Canyon National Rec Area -- has nearly 2,000 miles of shoreline , which means a lot of Lake Powell beaches to choose from . A few , like Lone Rock Beach , can be reached by car . But some of the best are nameless coves accessed only by boat . Good thing you can rent powerboats at three lake marinas : Antelope , Bullfrog , and Wahweap . -LRB- Houseboats are also popular , but you ca n't navigate into narrow coves as well . -RRB- . Do n't miss : A cruise to the lake 's south shore and Rainbow Bridge National Monument , home to the world 's largest known natural rock bridge . Get there : $ 15 per vehicle ; nps.gov / glca or lakepowell.com -LRB- boat rental -RRB- . -- Peter Fish . Sunset : 10 great dog-friendly getaways . Best for surf and sun : Santa Monica Mountains National Rec Area , California . Malibu-ites know to skip the Zuma tourist zoo and come to El Matador . Officially one of three beaches that make up Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach -- likely to provoke a `` Huh ? '' even from locals -- it 's a gem tucked from sight at the foot of sandstone cliffs -LRB- and accessed by a dirt trail and stairway -RRB- . Out in the waves , bodyboarders and surfers perform aerial acrobatics . On shore , scenically carved sea caves make El Matador a favorite with photographers , often seen snapping away at leggy models . Do n't miss : The chance to take a photo of one of Southern California 's best sunsets . Get there : 10 miles up the coast from Malibu on Pacific Coast Hwy . between Broad Beach and Decker Canyon Roads ; $ 8 per vehicle ; parks.ca.gov or 805/370 -2301 . -- Ken McAlpine . Best for solitude -LRB- even on weekends -RRB- : Point Reyes National Seashore , California . Most visitors to Point Reyes do n't know about Limantour Beach . They zip out along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to crashing North Beach or to Drakes Beach , where there 's a proper visitor center and cafe . Few think to turn off instead at Limantour Road , which dead-ends in deserted grassy dunes . All the better for you . Climb up and over , and you 'll see a narrow finger of sand stretching 2 miles north between Drakes Bay and a mighty estuary teeming with birds . Out at the tip , harbor seals loll and bark . On the rare sunny summer day , the water is calm and swimmable . Do n't miss : A walk with your pooch , welcome on-leash at the section south of the parking lot . Get there : From the Bear Valley Visitor Center , head north about 1/4 mile to Bear Valley Rd. , turn left and follow it 1 1/4 miles to Limantour Rd. , then turn left again and go 7 1/2 miles to the parking lot at Limantour Beach ; nps.gov / pore or 415/464 -5100 . -- Lisa Trottier . Sunset : 10 places for your life list . Best for thinking really , really big : Redwood National Park , California . To step from a redwood forest onto the wide-to-the-sky spread of Gold Bluffs Beach is an unforgettable memory . Equally memorable are the Roosevelt elk grazing in the meadows , then making their regal , antlered way through the sand . The world 's tallest trees , America 's largest elk -- sometimes size does matter . Officially in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park , the beach is cooperatively managed by California State Parks and the surrounding Redwood National Park . Do n't miss : The oasis of Fern Canyon , back from the beach , where sinuous walls , blanketed by moist green , press in on a cobbled stream . Get there : 50 miles north of Eureka and 40 miles south of Crescent City , take Davison Rd. off U.S. 101 ; $ 8 per vehicle ; parks.ca.gov or 707/465 -7335 . -- Ken McAlpine . Best ocean-view swimming hole : Haleakala National Park , Maui , Hawaii . Hawaii 's national parks feature volcanoes , not beaches . And yet Maui 's Haleakala National Park includes a `` beach '' of a sort -- not sand but large , warm basaltic stones ; not ocean but the refreshing roar of plunging freshwater cascades . Oheo Gulch -LRB- popularly misnamed Seven Sacred Pools -RRB- lies beyond Hana town in the verdant Kipahulu district . The lower pools , right off the roadside parking lot , are superb `` swimming holes , '' but they crowd up by midday ; get there before 10 . Do n't miss : The moderate 2-mile trek on the Pipiwai Trail to 400-foot-sheer Waimoku Falls , the most beautiful in Hawaii . Get there : 10 miles southwest of Hana on State 31 ; $ 10 per vehicle ; nps.gov / hale or 808/248 -7375 . -- Paul Wood . Best for a city stroll : Golden Gate National Rec Area , California . Knockout views . Appealing mix of people . Good coffee . Crissy Field gives you everything you love about San Francisco in one scenic package . A historic Army airfield transformed into a native plant-lined beach oasis , Crissy draws jogging moms with strollers , kitesurfers , picnickers , dog walkers , cyclists , fishermen , and 8-year-olds letting the cool bay water lap their toes . All this and the Golden Gate Bridge looming gracefully , plus lattes , baked goods , and book browsing at the Warming Hut . Do n't miss : Let 's Be Frank 's superior grass-fed beef hot dogs from the cart just outside the Warming Hut on weekends . Get there : From downtown S.F. , take Marina Blvd. to Baker St. , where it turns into Mason St. , then follow it west -LRB- along Crissy Field -RRB- to parking ; nps.gov / goga or 415/561 -3040 -LRB- Warming Hut -RRB- . -- Peter Fish . Best escape from reality : Channel Islands National Park , California . It takes your catamaran roughly an hour to cross the Santa Barbara Channel from the Southern California mainland to Scorpion Anchorage on Santa Cruz Island . And during that time , the world with all its worries falls away . The pretty cobbled beach is just a launching point : From here , you can snorkel in the diverse kelp forest just off the beach or paddle a kayak farther out , past the island 's dark cliffs and sea caves . Do n't miss : The short hike from the beach up Smugglers Road to the high bluff and the stand of cypress pines known as Delphine 's Grove , where you 'll fall under the spell of a sweeping ocean view and the sound of the wind in the boughs . Get there : Island Packers boats leave from Ventura Harbor -LRB- $ 48 round-trip ; 805/642 -1393 -RRB- ; nps.gov / chis or 805/658 -5730 . -- Ken McAlpine .
|
The water along Yosemite 's Merced River beaches is blissfully cool in summer . The tide pools in Washington 's Olympic National Park are full of intriguing creatures . Crissy Field gives you everything you love about San Francisco in one scenic package .
|
[[1329, 1389], [7702, 7737], [7407, 7493], [7441, 7493]]
|
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The scene was more reminiscent of a Hollywood production than an elaborate prank by the Punk 'd - master himself . A banner with Ashton Kutcher 's Twitter name , aplusk , was unfurled Wednesday over the CNN logo at CNN Center . Ashton Kutcher , along with his wife , Demi Moore , dropped by Atlanta , Georgia 's CNN Center on Wednesday to fulfill his promise to `` ding-dong-ditch '' CNN founder Ted Turner 's house after winning last April 's race to attract 1 million followers on the micro-blogging site Twitter . With the precision of a Hollywood director , Kutcher barked into his two-way radio as his light and sound crews followed with the Twitter entourage hot on their heels and an Internet audience watching on Ustream . Moments after Kutcher yelled `` lights '' into his two-way , his crew unfurled a banner with his Twitter name , aplusk , over the CNN 's neon logo on the building . Watch how Kutcher 's prank turned out '' `` You know , CNN lost . That 's what happened , '' Kutcher told a tag-along crowd of more than 100 fans whom he calls `` tweeps . '' `` I 'm just fulfilling a promise I made ... that I 'd do this thing and I 'm doing it . '' Kutcher had challenged CNN to the Twitter race , saying he would donate 10,000 mosquito bed nets to charity for World Malaria Day if he beat CNN , and 1,000 if he lost . CNN agreed to do the same . Follow CNN Breaking News on Twitter . Kutcher reached the goal about 30 minutes before CNN passed the mark . Kutcher acknowledged Wednesday that he would have to improvise to prank Turner . `` Ted does n't really have an accessible home , and Ted does n't really have an accessible doorbell , '' he said . In an earlier prank Wednesday , Kutcher and his crew arrived at a Ted 's Montana Grill restaurant , which is named after the media mogul . The group neatly stacked hundreds of boxes of Ding Dongs in front of the restaurant , then each person banged a bronze bell out front . `` Do n't be shy ; get involved , '' Kutcher crowed from the top of a U-Haul van filled with Hostess Ding Dongs . `` There are 800 boxes of Ding Dongs . There are approximately 9,600 Ding Dongs here , '' said the former star of MTV 's `` Punk 'd '' show . `` We have to deliver these to Ted . '' Turner originally founded CNN in 1980 , but he is no longer affiliated with the company .
|
Ashton Kutcher puts banner with Twitter name , aplusk , on CNN Center . Kutcher also brought 800 boxes of Ding Dongs to restaurant named after Turner . Kutcher promised to `` ding-dong-ditch '' Turner if he beat CNN in Twitter race .
|
[[152, 196], [208, 264], [768, 806], [829, 877], [1843, 1926], [2093, 2131], [338, 352], [373, 485], [1200, 1246]]
|
Islamabad , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The death toll climbed to 50 on Friday after a pair of suicide bombers detonated their explosive vests at one of Pakistan 's holiest shrines , police said . More than 200 people were injured in the blasts outside the Data Darbar , a famous Sufi shrine complex . Lahore Commissioner Khusro Pervez said the remains of the bombers -- a man in his 20s and another in his late teens -- have been recovered . One of the bombs detonated in the shrine 's courtyard ; the other in the shrine 's lower lever , according to Chaudhry Shafiq Ahmed , Lahore 's senior police superintendent . The first explosion , which occurred at 10:48 p.m. Thursday , was followed five minutes later by a second blast , Geo TV reported . The CNN affiliate aired surveillance footage showing the first attacker entering through a gate holding a bag . As he passed through a metal detector , alarms went off and the man ran toward an area used for ablutions and blew himself up . Geo TV showed a second attacker entering amid the confusion a few minutes later and running upstairs carrying a bag . Then the video showed the explosion . Geo TV reported that the heads of two bombers were recovered and identified . The bombers arrived at the shrine on foot wearing 10 kilogram -LRB- 22 pound -RRB- jackets that had been packed with ball bearings , it said . A witness told Geo TV that one of the bombers was wearing the traditional loose-fitting salwar kameez , a turban and slippers . `` This sickening poison of extremism will be driven out of our nation and we will not be cowed , '' said Farahnaz Ispahani , a spokeswoman for President Asif Ali Zardari , in a text message to CNN . `` Peaceful worshippers have once again been targeted by those who want to destroy the fabric of this great country . We will not forgive or forget and we will get justice for all Pakistanis murdered in cold blood -- be they Muslim , Christian , Ahmadi or of any other faith . '' Pakistan 's Punjab province , of which Lahore is the capital , has been the scene of carnage in recent weeks , including a bloody attack on a hospital and another targeting Ahmadis . On Friday , angry Pakistanis , some wielding guns for revenge , took to the streets of Lahore in protest . Growing weary of bloodshed in their homeland , many are troubled by its spread from the Afghan border areas to the heartland . They are also concerned that Muslims are attacking Islamic holy sites . Sunni and Shiites do not consider the Ahmadis as a part of Islam because they do not regard Mohammed as the last prophet sent by God . As such , they have been targeted by Islamic extremists . Friday 's attack was at a revered Sufi shrine . Sufism is an ancient , mystical form of Islam that is generally more tolerant . The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan expressed alarm over the attacks and called on both the government and Muslim clerics to stand up to extremism . `` It is a matter of grave concern that despite repeated official claims of breaking the back of terrorists , they retain the ability to launch vicious terrorist attacks across the country almost at will , '' the commission said in a statement Friday . `` The assault demonstrates the potency of militant groups that the government incessantly repeats operate from sanctuaries in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan , '' the statement said . `` Equally frustrating have been clerics ' stock statement that no Muslim can commit such atrocities . Instead of living in denial , the clerics need to reflect on the reasons for religious extremism in Pakistan and the possible consequences and their own contribution to the promotion of intolerance and the cult of violence . '' CNN 's Nasir Habib , Nic Robertson , Nazneen Akbari , Thomas Evans , Katy Byron and Journalist Fayyaz Addrees contributed to this report .
|
NEW : Two bombs explode at revered Sufi shrine . NEW : Violence has spread to Punjab , Pakistan 's heartland . NEW : Human rights panel calls on government and clerics to stand up to militants . Shrine attack kills 50 , wounds more than 200 .
|
[[95, 180], [618, 639], [680, 729], [2657, 2704], [2657, 2673], [2681, 2704], [1975, 2020], [2028, 2157], [2785, 2824], [2862, 2937], [12, 36], [40, 110], [197, 268]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As delivery of aid to Haiti is hampered by damaged ports and an overwhelmed airport , another conduit into the earthquake-ravaged nation -- its border with the Dominican Republic -- has become a challenging crossing itself , a United Nations situation report says . The 200 miles from the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo to the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince has been backed up and can take as long as 18 hours to travel by vehicle , according to the report from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs -LRB- OCHA -RRB- , released this weekend . A CNN crew reported taking 12 hours to drive from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince on Tuesday , though the crew left before dawn , intending to avoid peak traffic . Vehicles crossing from the Dominican Republic into Haiti included large trucks carrying supplies and vans and public buses that seemed to be local , the crew reported . Some aid trucks were followed by sport utility vehicles , likely transporting international aid personnel . Traffic is heading the other way , too , the U.N. reported . `` Hospitals in the border region -LSB- in the Dominican Republic -RSB- are overwhelmed and have begun to refer patients to hospitals in other cities , '' OCHA reported , citing the Office of the Resident Coordinator in the Dominican Republic . `` There is a shortage of specialized medical supplies , equipment , and physicians at these hospitals , and no clear inventory of what is needed , '' the report continued . `` An effective waste management system is required for the border region in order to avoid disease and contamination of rivers . '' As a result , U.N. aid distribution is being shifted to a different road that goes through the Dominican border city of Jimani , instead of the main highway that leads through the Dominican city of Elias Pina . The CNN crew , which passed through Jimani , did not witness many injured Haitians crossing from there into the Dominican Republic . A giant pothole there made crossing the border there a one-car-at-a-time affair . According to a priest in Elias Pina , Haitians there were worried about their families back home . `` There are many Haitians living here in Elias Pina and many do n't know anything about their families , '' the Rev. Mike Seis of the Green Bay Diocesan Mission in Elias Pina wrote in a letter recently . `` The casualties are staggering . This weekend all of the Catholic parishes in the Dominican Republic from the 11 dioceses in the country will be sending their Sunday collections to Catholic Charities of Haiti . '' CNN 's Lisa Desjardins contributed to this report .
|
U.N. : Heavy traffic making 200-mile Santo Domingo-Port-au-Prince drive take up to 18 hours . This hinders post-earthquake aid distribution from the Dominican Republic to Haiti . U.N. : Hospitals in the Dominican Republic near the Haitian border are overwhelmed . U.N. shifting aid distribution away from main highway between two nations .
|
[[285, 402], [285, 383], [407, 435], [427, 456], [1097, 1165], [1170, 1243], [1660, 1718]]
|
Atlanta , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` An agonizing experience , '' wrote Roger Ebert . `` Colossal folly , the fiasco of the summer of 2010 , '' said Roger Moore in the Orlando Sentinel . Merciless reviews are rolling in for M. Knight Shyamalan 's latest work `` The Last Airbender , '' and if critical reaction to the film is any indication , the casting controversy that had some `` Airbender '' fans boycotting the film may be an afterthought . See Techland.com 's interview with M. Knight Shyamalan . `` It was n't what I expected , '' 22-year-old Jake Sims said on his way out from a midnight showing in Atlanta , Georgia . `` I 'm a fan of the series ; I 've watched it . This just did n't do justice to the characters . It was n't nearly as good as the series , but OK if you 've never heard of ` Avatar ' -- this ` Avatar , ' I mean . '' `` Avatar : The Last Airbender '' was an animated television series that ran for three seasons starting in 2005 on the cable network Nickelodeon . The series takes place in a world of magic and mysticism where humans are separated into four racially distinct nations , each identified by their dominance of a natural element . A select few from each nation are known as `` benders , '' or people who have the ability to manipulate their nation 's element . A legendary leader in this world is the Avatar , a reincarnated being who is the master of all elements . The show follows Aang , a potential avatar who is found to be the last Airbender on earth after his people , the Air Nomads , are wiped out by the Fire Nation . Aang is on a journey to master all of the elements and bring peace to the world . The show appealed to fans from a broad range of ages and interests , showcasing martial arts , action , mysticism and comedy . The show also dealt with themes like redemption , internal struggle , honor and friendship . Like many beloved entertainment franchises , fans are dedicated to `` Avatar . '' Although the animated series has ended , the `` Avatar '' world is thriving . With the close of the TV series , fans began writing `` Avatar '' fan-fiction with alternate storylines and created role-playing discussion boards online . Some fans of the show said they boycotted the movie because the three lead actors are Caucasian . Blogs like `` Angry Asian Man '' and sites like Racebending.net attacked Shyamalan and the film 's parent company , Paramount , for white-washing a franchise that was overtly Asian in appearance and sensitivity . `` We tried to be as careful as we could not to directly base anyone 's culture on a -LSB- real world -RSB- culture because we wanted to borrow ideas , '' said head `` Avatar '' series writer Aaron Ehasz . `` The series is clearly Asian inspired with obvious Chinese influences . In the case of the water benders , they are definitely based -LSB- on -RSB- ... indigenous cultures , a la Inuits , but also indigenous people like those portrayed in the movie `` The Whale Rider . '' In fact , to be culturally sensitive in the production of the animated series , Ehasz said the team had a consultant , whose `` job was to read the scripts and essentially make sure they were culturally sensitive . '' In an interview with Indiemoviesonline.com Shyamalan hit back at critics , pointing a `` race-bending '' finger at them . `` I 'm always surprised at the level of misunderstanding , the sensitivities that exist , '' he said . `` As an Asian-American , it bothers me when people take all of their passion and rightful indignation about the subject and then misplace it . '' While Ehasz was responsible for crafting the characters millions watched , he was left out of the creative process of the film . `` I made up the middle of this movie and the ending of this movie , and I have zero credit on this movie , '' he said . Longtime fans like Robbie Park say that lack of involvement was a big mistake . `` That guy should have been with them ; the movie team . There were plenty of parts of the movie where there were holes , '' he said . While some fans said they enjoyed the big effects -- like the element bending and martial arts -- some fans missed the characters that kept them watching the show . `` Aang was funny and serious and Katara was weak but strong , '' said 26-year-old Nicole Martin . `` None of that came through like it did on TV . '' Dr. Caroline Ruddell , a professor of animation and cinema at St. Mary 's University College , said that TV-show fan reaction to the movie will likely be an issue for its box office success . `` When things like anime or animation are exhibited or remade into live action , it 's always going to be very difficult . So many of the live action versions of comic books have been panned because their fans are very hard to please , '' she said . Regardless of his involvement in the film , Ehasz said he hopes `` the characters I built come through in this movie , regardless of casting . '' `` I hope this is a huge artistic success . I hope that fans who watched the show get something out of it . I hope that this is a way that the show lives on and comes stronger , '' he said . Eugene Rivers , special to CNN , contributed to this report .
|
`` The Last Airbender '' movie is adaptation of animated TV series . Some fans of show boycotted movie because three lead actors are Caucasian . Movie is being panned by many critics .
|
[[860, 994], [346, 449], [2190, 2264], [2217, 2287], [190, 261], [296, 343]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- RadarOnline on Wednesday released another audio recording of an explosive argument purportedly between actor Mel Gibson and his ex-girlfriend , Oksana Grigorieva , in which the man can be heard threatening to burn their house down . It 's the fourth such recording released since Friday by the website , which has not disclosed how it obtained the audio . The recordings are taken from a phone call and capture an obscenity-laced rant by the man as he spews racial and ethnic slurs , sexual insults and death threats . The site claims the male voice is that of the 54-year-old Gibson . CNN has not independently confirmed the authenticity of the recordings . In the recording released Wednesday , the man berates the woman for apparently falling asleep before having sex with him the prior evening . `` I 'll burn the g. ... . house up . ... How dare you ? '' the man says as he demands the woman perform a sexual act . In Tuesday 's recording , the man uses an ethnic slur for illegal immigrants when arguing with the woman over a Latino worker employed by the couple . On Monday , the website released a recording in which the man threatens the woman 's life , saying `` I 'll put you in the f. ... ing rose garden . '' And in a recording released Friday , the man launches into a racist , sexist rant against the woman , telling her she looks `` like a f. . . ing b. ... on heat and if you get raped by a pack of n. . . ers it will be your fault . '' It 's unclear when the recordings were captured . Grigorieva , 40 , has acknowledged that the female voice on the recordings is hers and that the other voice is Gibson 's . CNN 's efforts to obtain comment from Gibson have been unsuccessful . Mel Gibson 's publicist , Alan Nierob , said Wednesday that the filmmaker continues to have no comment regarding the recordings . The couple have been locked in a custody dispute over their daughter . Last week , the Malibu Hills Police Department opened an investigation into an alleged domestic violence dispute between Gibson and Grigorieva . Grigorieva filed a restraining order against Gibson alleging that he struck her in the face , according to her spokesman , Stephen Jaffe . The estranged couple are scheduled to appear in court July 20 for a status hearing on the restraining order . Grigorieva has also spoken with sheriff 's deputies and has provided a statement to them in their domestic violence investigation , Jaffe told CNN Friday . The recordings `` will be part of the investigation , '' Los Angeles County Sheriff 's spokesman Steve Whitmore said on Monday . It is not known how RadarOnline obtained the recordings . Jaffe said Friday that the site did not receive them from Grigorieva . Meanwhile , some show business personalities appeared to distance themselves from Gibson . Longtime friend and former `` Maverick '' co-star Jodie Foster and Danny Glover , Gibson 's co-star in the popular `` Lethal Weapon '' film series , declined to comment on the allegations , according to the Los Angeles Times . On Friday , the William Morris Endeavor talent agency confirmed to CNN that Gibson is no longer their client . An attorney for Gibson 's ex-wife , Robyn , told CNN Tuesday that she also would not be commenting on the recordings . But at least one Hollywood star was defending the embattled actor . `` I do n't like what he did here , but I know Mel and I know he 's not a racist , '' TV host Whoopi Goldberg said on ABC 's `` The View '' Tuesday . `` You can say he 's being a bonehead but I ca n't sit and say that he 's a racist , having spent time with him in my house with my kids . I ca n't say it . '' Gibson came under fire in 2006 when he admitted to making anti-Semitic remarks during a drunken driving arrest . He issued an apology at the time , and appealed to the Jewish community to help him recover from his alcohol addiction .
|
The website says the male voice is that of Mel Gibson . The man threatens to burn his house down . It is the fourth such recording released since Friday . Police are investigating domestic violence allegations against Gibson .
|
[[538, 604], [554, 604], [143, 150], [186, 251], [822, 841], [252, 320], [1917, 1926], [1929, 2061]]
|
Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More favorable weather conditions Saturday helped firefighters in their bid to contain the roaring Crown Fire , one of several in southern California . Firefighters had the fire 82 percent contained Saturday evening , the Los Angeles County Fire Department said . Authorities said that they had lifted evacuation orders and most residents had returned home , while hundreds of firefighters and more than a dozen aircraft worked to extinguish the Crown Fire . `` If we can get aggressive with the air drops we 'll be in good shape . And we 're already doing pretty good , '' Don Kunitomi of the Los Angeles County Fire Department told CNN . The blaze has ignited 14,000 acres in the area , fire officials said . Two other fires have blackened more than 17,000 acres . Fire officials said the Crown Fire represents the biggest challenge . On Friday , about 1,370 firefighters and 250 fire engines were at the scene of the blaze , which was burning in a sparsely populated , rural area . Authorities were working to ensure the Crown Fire did not destroy power lines that provide electricity throughout the region . The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has asked residents near the fire to limit their power usage , though no fire-related outages have been reported . The weather did not cooperate Friday , which turned out to be one of the hottest days this week , with humidity in the low teens . `` That 's creating a little bit of a challenge , and obviously causing a bit more fire spread , '' said Matt Levesque of the L.A. County Fire Department . Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said the situation in southern California changed drastically as the weather shifted . `` We were very fortunate not to have fires for some time , because the air was cool and we did n't have the experience of dry weather and all of these winds and so on , but all of a sudden the fire season kicked in , '' he said Friday . `` But we are ready , '' the governor added . `` There 's great coordination going on , and we have resources distributed all over the state . '' The cause of the Crown Fire is under investigation . Two more wildfires engulfed the area this week : the Bull Fire , southeast of the town of Tehachapi , and the West Fire , north of Tehachapi in the Sequoia National Forest . The Bull Fire has ignited 16,460 acres and was 81 percent contained , officials said Saturday morning . It has destroyed eight homes , but no evacuations have been ordered . Meanwhile , the West Fire has destroyed 30 structures , mostly homes . Authorities have warned residents to keep their cars and house windows closed to prevent smoke inhalation . Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency for Kern County , located approximately 130 miles north of Los Angeles .
|
NEW : So-called Crown Fire is 82 percent contained . Weather conditions more favorable to firefighters . Fire ignites 14,000 acres , fire officials say . Two other fires blacken thousands of acres in southern California .
|
[[196, 259], [14, 119], [684, 730], [733, 754], [684, 730], [755, 810], [2155, 2201]]
|
Nairobi , Kenya -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Mwai Kibaki proclaimed Thursday a `` happy end '' as an overwhelming majority of Kenyans voted to adopt a new constitution that is sure to bring big change to the East African country . `` The historic journey that we began over 20 years ago is now coming to a happy end , '' Kibaki said while addressing the nation . But he tempered national euphoria by reminding Kenyans that implementing a new constitution will be a difficult task . `` The journey ahead of national renewal will not be easy , '' he said . `` There will be challenges along the way . But it is important that we look forward with renewed optimism to better days ahead . '' U.S. President Barack Obama called the vote a `` step forward '' for Kenya and its people , in a statement released by the White House Thursday . He said the electoral process was `` credible '' and `` transparent , '' and that the results show Kenyans ' desire for a stable and prosperous future . Obama 's father grew up in a village in western Kenya . He also applauded the fact that the election came and went without the kind of violence that marred the 2007 presidential vote . Obama called the process a `` testament '' to Kenya 's people . The country 's new constitution would remove power from the presidency and create a more decentralized political system . The constitution would also bring in a bill of rights , allow dual citizenship for Kenyans -- sure to be popular with Kenya 's large and loyal diaspora community -- and allow for land reform . Results by the Interim Independent Electoral Commission showed `` Yes '' won the referendum with 67.2 percent while `` No '' had 30.3 percent . `` I do declare that the proposed constitution is hereby ratified , '' said Ahmed Isaack Hassan , chairman of the electoral commission . Leading opponents of Kenya 's proposed constitution conceded defeat earlier Thursday . Higher Education Minister William Ruto , a leader of the `` No '' team , said despite his camp 's loss , every Kenyan '' is a winner '' in the outcome . `` It is necessary to create a win-win for the country , '' Ruto said flanked by senior members of the `` No '' camp . Despite the win by the `` Yes '' team , Ruto said , the government should address the complaints of those who rejected the referendum . `` It is not only necessary , it is mandatory , '' he said . Many Kenyans were already celebrating before they heard the official results . The Daily Standard newspaper could n't wait for the announcement . `` Yes it is ! '' rang the headline in the morning paper . `` Now it 's time to reunite the country behind the outcome , '' the newspaper said in an editorial . Kenyans voted against the constitution by a significant majority in the restive Rift Valley , where `` No '' politicians and Christian church leaders focused their campaigning . Churches feared the new constitution would offer abortion on demand and give Muslims special rights . `` The results do not nullify our concerns , '' said a church statement Thursday . Others applauded the peaceful vote . After the last presidential election three years ago , political violence claimed several hundred lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of people . `` We very much welcome reports which indicate that Kenyans were able to vote in a free , fair and peaceful atmosphere , '' said a statement from the Panel of Eminent African Personalities . `` The high voter turnout nationally reflects the strong desire of Kenya 's people to help shape their country 's future . ''
|
NEW : `` Yes '' won 67.2 % of the vote , while `` No '' took 30.3 % . NEW : President Obama congratulates Kenyans on credible and peaceful vote . Constitution could bring major changes to East Africa 's largest economy . President Mwai Kibaki says Kenya faces challenges ahead .
|
[[1551, 1660], [1615, 1694], [688, 777], [834, 986], [1043, 1045], [1051, 1130], [3258, 3278], [3285, 3365], [98, 230], [555, 598]]
|
YORKTOWN , Virginia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's daybreak on Sara Creek , a sleepy backwater that sits near Yorktown , Virginia , and empties into the Chesapeake . The early morning fog slowly lifts to reveal the ripples of water , the boats swaying , and a picturesque harbor . Tommy Leggett works to reduce polluted waters in Chesapeake Bay by growing oysters . Local watermen have been fishing around this area for generations . It 's beginning to rain , and Tommy Leggett , a very proud and reserved waterman , combs over his white beard with his rough hands and prepares his boat , `` Chesapeake Gold , '' for what looks like a day of fishing out in the bay . `` I 've been a waterman for over 20 years , '' he says . The difference now is Leggett does n't fish anymore . He 's an eco-conscious farmer and advocate who works on his sustainable oyster farm in the James River . He uses the term `` aquaculture '' to describe what he 's doing here . `` It refers to the husbandry , or farming , of aquatic species . '' Leggett sells the oysters he harvests to local restaurants , growing about 100,000 a year as a part-time business . He makes sure he always has a product to replace the ones that he sells . He shares his expertise with other watermen , educating them about oyster aquaculture and the importance of sustainability . Watch Leggett 's efforts to save the bay '' Leggett also sells his fresh products to the area market . `` Customers want to know if the oysters they are buying are local , which means they 're fresher and taste better . '' Waterman : Many foods rely on oysters . The Chesapeake Bay , which is the United States ' largest estuary , covering more than 64,000 square miles and spanning across several states , has seen its fish , crab and oyster stocks dwindle , in part , because of pollution over the past several decades . `` It was once said that the oyster stock in the Chesapeake Bay could have filtered the entire volume of the bay , in a single day , '' says Leggett , who has been farming shellfish in the watershed since 1995 . `` Most people do n't think of oysters having come from farms , and historically they have n't . They 've been harvested from the wild fishery , which is supplied by Mother Nature . '' That wild fishery , which still exists today , has seen its share of setbacks . From disease to overharvesting , Leggett knows what 's at stake , and he 's trying to get the message out . `` Oysters filter the water , and they provide habitat for other species . There are so many food webs that depend and rely on oysters . '' Not only does Leggett farm , he also works for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation -LRB- CBF -RRB- as the Virginia oyster and fishery scientist . He is trying to do his part to reverse the trends of depleting oyster stocks . `` If we do n't restore oysters , we 're not going to restore the Bay , '' he says . He wants to make sure people understand what just one single oyster can do . `` One oyster out here in one of our bags can filter as much as 50 gallons of water a day . '' By filtering the water , this important shellfish can take away deadly pollutants that eventually could deplete the crab and fish stocks , which in turn can leave fishermen without work . Millions of oyster ` moms and dads ' The CBF helps to grow millions of oysters that will eventually make their way to sanctuary reefs and will not be harvested . The oysters will reproduce , and make a home for thousands of sea critters that will eventually become food for larger animals . `` Its all a giant food chain , '' Leggett explains . Leggett works alongside Jackie Harmon as the CBF 's sole employees at a worksite near the Institute of Marine Science in Hayes , Virginia . iReport.com : Show us the environment near you . `` Our goal is to replenish oyster stocks , '' Harmon says , `` and by doing so , the oysters can not only help filter water , but also help with shoreline erosion . '' `` It 's a sustainable way for watermen of the Chesapeake to continue their livelihood as fishermen , in a more eco-friendly way . '' Harmon also maintains an oyster farm on the weekend and hopes to one day sell her oysters at local farmers ' markets . Leggett puts it this way : `` All we 're doing here is making moms and dads to help jump-start reefs throughout the Chesapeake . '' Leggett and Harmon are optimistic . They believe current federal and state administrations are doing great things for the environment . They believe the CBF 's message is being heard . However , a lot more needs to be done , Harmon says . `` People are becoming more aware and want to take care of their environment , and they want to make it a better place for future generations , '' she says . So as the land-based movement makes it apparent that buying local is the healthy way to live , seafood should be known in that same light . Leggett believes the Chesapeake Bay can produce the amount of seafood needed for the entire region and he thinks with careful oversight , the watersheds can be an abundant source for that local seafood industry again , just like it was decades ago .
|
NEW : Watch CNN.com Live Earth Day coverage at 4 p.m. , 7 p.m. , 9 p.m. ET . Pollution in United States ' largest estuary has reduced fish , crabs and oysters . Chesapeake Bay project aims to grow millions of oyster `` moms and dads '' Oysters can help crabs and fish flourish by filtering poisons from the water .
|
[[1596, 1614], [1623, 1661], [1596, 1614], [1731, 1790], [1803, 1855], [1760, 1790], [1793, 1800], [1803, 1855], [2740, 2743], [2749, 2799], [3161, 3193], [3202, 3244], [275, 359], [3282, 3323], [2441, 2468], [3082, 3138]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Slovakia became the first of the larger ex-communist EU members to join the European single currency on Thursday amid hope the move will provide stability in the global economic storm . The country is the 16th country to use the euro after 11 EU members launched it 10 years ago , meaning that from New Year 's Day 2009 , 328 million of the 500 million people in the European Union will share the single currency . After Sony postponed a planned investment in a TV production plant in Slovakia earlier this month , other firms in the country welcomed entry into the eurozone as a move that will end uncertainty after years of coping with a volatile currency . `` First of all , the euro means price stability , both in relations with our clients in the euro zone and our business relations with suppliers localized in the euro zone countries , '' Jean Mouro , CEO of PSA Peugeot Citroen in Slovakia told Reuters.com . `` In general , it will reduce costs related to swift changes of the euro-crown exchange rate , especially in the last few years when the crown had been appreciating rapidly , '' said Mouro . Businesses also said that amid global economic uncertainty the euro will also result in lower production costs , as weakening economic activity limits inflation . `` We evaluate Slovakia 's transition to the common European currency solely as a positive factor , '' said Katarina Holecova , a spokeswoman for a Samsung factory in Slovakia . `` In relation to the financial crisis , euro adoption may bring a positive impact in terms of softer inflation pressures , and thus , indirectly , savings in material or wage costs . '' In the past two months , the euro has soared in value against the dollar by 9 percent and against the British pound by more than 20 percent . Joaquin Almunia , European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs on Wednesday hailed the currency 's strength . `` The euro has become the symbol of EU identity and is protecting us against the tremendous external shocks that we have had to cope with since the summer of 2007 , '' he said in a statement . `` We should be proud of that record and we safeguard the sound budgetary and macroeconomic framework that has made the euro such a success . ''
|
Slovakia is first large ex-communist nation to join European single currency . Country is 16th country to use euro after 11 EU members launched it in 1999 . Firms hope euro move will end uncertainty after coping with volatile currency .
|
[[19, 82], [205, 272], [259, 297], [137, 204], [597, 603], [609, 678]]
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.