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Naoma, West Virginia (CNN) -- Crews planned to pump nitrogen into a West Virginia coal mine as the search resumed early Friday for four miners who may be trapped after a deadly explosion earlier in the week.
Kevin Stricklin of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) said crews would neutralize potentially explosive air in the Upper Big Branch coal mine with nitrogen, allowing rescuers to go back in and remain there even if an explosive mixture builds again in the air.
The hope, though slim, is that the four missing miners were able to survive by entering one of the chambers, which were stocked with enough food, water and air to keep 15 miners alive for four days.
"We committed to the families that we wanted to get into the chambers within 96 hours and we're trying to everything in our power to do that without taking a chance on the rescue teams, and I think this is the way to do it," Stricklin said.
Officials said the rescue teams will make "a mad dash" to one of the mine's two airtight rescue chambers.
"The rescue teams have taken four breathing apparatuses with them," Stricklin said. "In the best case scenario, we would find four survivors. Once they get in there, we'll put oxygen masks on the survivors and bring them out."
At least 25 miners died in Monday afternoon's explosion in West Virginia, while four others remain missing and two were injured.
Rescuers -- 32 of them working in four teams -- got within 500 feet of one of the rescue chambers before having to turn back Thursday, said J. Christopher Adkins, chief operating officer of Massey Energy, the mine's owner.
They were pulled back after it was determined that noxious gas levels were high enough to cause another blast. The readings showed potentially explosive levels of methane and hydrogen and high levels of carbon monoxide.
Stricklin said air samples were tested at regular intervals Thursday night and that rising barometric pressure in the wake of a cold front that moved through the region had helped reduce the chances of another blast.
Rescuers had been using high-pressure fans to pull the toxic air through 1,100-foot holes to the surface Thursday.
One of the four unaccounted-for miners and 18 of the dead were working in an area where longwall cutting was taking place. The technique uses a large grinder to extract the coal. It creates large amounts of coal dust and methane, both of which are explosive.
The other three missing miners are believed to be about 2,000 feet away in a new development area of the mine.
Authorities have acknowledged it is unlikely the four missing men are alive, but they refuse to give up hope.
Officials hope to determine whether either rescue chamber has deployed by lowering a camera through the second hole.
"If they're deployed, more than likely someone's in them," said West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin said. "That means we have a chance of that miracle."
But he added: "If they're not deployed, we know that our chances are diminished tremendously."
In an interview with CNN, Manchin noted that the mine was outfitted with gas sensors to alert mine personnel when levels become danger.
"In gaseous mines, you want to monitor and you want to have good ventilation," he said. "If that has worked before, whenever the levels got out of control they pulled them out and stopped, why did it not happen this time?"
The cause of the explosion is unknown, and state and federal officials have pledged a full investigation.
The White House announced Thursday that President Obama will meet next week with Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and an MSHA official to hear their initial assessment of the cause of the blast and their recommendations on steps the federal government should take to improve safety.
CNN's Rachel Streitfeld and Samira J. Simone contributed to this report.
|
[
"how many miners are traped",
"What will be pumped into the mine?",
"What do rescuers hold onto hope of finding?",
"what is pumped into mine",
"For what reason will crews to pump nitrogen in the West Virginia coal mine?",
"Where is the mine located?",
"What was the cause of the explosion?"
] |
[
"four",
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"four miners",
"nitrogen",
"neutralize potentially explosive air",
"West Virginia",
"unknown,"
] |
question: how many miners are traped, answer: four | question: What will be pumped into the mine?, answer: nitrogen | question: What do rescuers hold onto hope of finding?, answer: four miners | question: what is pumped into mine, answer: nitrogen | question: For what reason will crews to pump nitrogen in the West Virginia coal mine?, answer: neutralize potentially explosive air | question: Where is the mine located?, answer: West Virginia | question: What was the cause of the explosion?, answer: unknown,
|
Naoma, West Virginia (CNN) -- Staking out for news at the site of the mine explosion here, I remembered what I miss most about Appalachia -- the people.
Their stories are what drew me up here in 2006 as a correspondent for the Associated Press. Their hardships, struggles, passions, faith and quirks shaped hard-hitting stories about a region that few give much thought to these days.
I covered a mine disaster back then, too -- the explosion at Kentucky Darby Mine No. 1 that killed five coal miners -- and found myself marveling at the strength of the families and the community. And, despite their pain, they were hospitable, allowing a green reporter without a signal to use their living room phone, rest on their front steps and ask a few questions about their fears and worries.
I left after more than two years of sharing their stories, and hoped to return someday to catch up with my mountain neighbors and the families who allowed me to walk into their homes and share their lives with the world.
Instead, I returned for tragedy.
Not much has changed this time around as I help cover the latest disaster for CNN -- this time four miners unaccounted for and at least 25 dead.
I'm still amazed by the teachers who have allowed us reporters to use their classrooms as impromptu work areas, the nearby residents who insist on making sure we eat during the long days, the miners who bravely re-enter the mines just a day after losing some of their closest friends, and the victims' families, who remain patient as they wait for news.
I don't know how they do it, how they stay so composed, so strong in the face of such a horrific disaster felt miles away. And through it all, they accept our presence with a dignified grace. I can't imagine them handling it any other way.
|
[
"Simone covered a mining disaster in which year?",
"when was the mining disaster",
"where was it reported from",
"the people of where are as kind as they are tough, according to the reporter?",
"what has changed"
] |
[
"2006",
"2006",
"Appalachia",
"Appalachia",
"Not much"
] |
question: Simone covered a mining disaster in which year?, answer: 2006 | question: when was the mining disaster, answer: 2006 | question: where was it reported from, answer: Appalachia | question: the people of where are as kind as they are tough, according to the reporter?, answer: Appalachia | question: what has changed, answer: Not much
|
Naoma, West Virginia (CNN) -- West Virginia's governor on Tuesday named a former head of the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration to lead a state investigation into last week's coal mine explosion that left 29 miners dead.
Davitt McAteer has overseen investigations into two previous mine accidents, the Sago disaster that killed 12 miners in 2006 and the fire at the Aracoma Alma No. 2 mine that left two workers dead. The West Virginia native served as the Clinton administration's assistant labor secretary for mine safety in the 1990s and is vice president of Wheeling Jesuit University.
"Davitt has the experience and knowledge to lead what will be a complex and extensive investigation into this horrible accident," Gov. Joe Manchin said in announcing McAteer's appointment. "We made tremendous progress in 2006 immediately following the Sago and Aracoma accidents, and I fully expect that we will learn even more from this and make dramatic changes to protect our miners."
The last bodies were recovered early Tuesday from the Upper Big Branch mine, the scene of the fatal explosion April 5. McAteer was critical of the mine's owner, Virginia-based Massey Energy, in the days after the blast.
"Some companies, and this appears to be one, take the approach that these violations are simply a cost of doing business -- it's cheaper for us to mine in an unsafe way or in a way that risks people's lives than it is for us to comply with the statutes, comply with the laws," McAteer said last week.
There was no immediate response from Massey Energy to McAteer's appointment, but Massey CEO Don Blankenship said last week that its safety history is among the best in the industry.
The Montcoal, West Virginia, mine received 458 citations from federal inspectors in 2009, and more than 50 of those were for problems that the operators knew about but had not corrected, according to federal mine safety records. Inspectors cited the operators more than 100 times in the first quarter of 2010, including six times for "unwarrantable failure" to correct violations.
Massey subsidiary Aracoma Coal pleaded guilty to 10 criminal charges and paid a record $4.2 million in fines and civil penalties in connection with the January 2006 fire that McAteer investigated.
Manchin said the state owes an explanation for last week's disaster to the families of the men who died in the Upper Big Branch mine, "And we owe it to them and every coal miner working today to do everything humanly possible to prevent this from happening again."
Managers of two pension funds have called on Massey's board to oust Blankenship, who has been critical of mining regulations in the past.
"Massey's cavalier attitude toward risk and callous disregard for the safety of its employees has exacted a horrible cost on dozens of hard-working miners and their loved ones," New York state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in a written statement Monday. He said Blankenship "must step down and make room for more responsible leadership at Massey."
New York's state pension fund, which DiNapoli manages, has about $14 million worth of Massey stock -- a tiny fraction of the company's estimated $4.3 billion market capitalization. But his call was echoed by the CtW Investment Group, which manages pension funds for about 6 million union workers. CtW blamed Blankenship's "confrontational approach to regulatory compliance" and the failure of the company's board of directors to challenge him for the disaster.
"Under Chairman and CEO Blankenship's domineering leadership, Massey Energy placed short-term production and profit goals ahead of prudent risk management, with devastating consequences for the corporation, its shareholders and employees," the fund wrote in a letter to the board. "In light of these consequences, the urgent need for new leadership is apparent."
The company has not commented on calls for Blankeship's ouster, but said safety "has been and will continue to be our top priority every day."
"We do not condone any violation of Mine Safety and Health Administration regulations, and we strive to be in compliance with all regulations at all times," it said in a written
|
[
"How many miners were killed in last week's explosion",
"Who is leading the investigation",
"What appointment received David McAteer?",
"How many miners were killed?",
"Who was named to lead the investigation?"
] |
[
"29",
"Davitt McAteer",
"lead a state investigation into last week's coal mine explosion",
"12",
"Davitt McAteer"
] |
question: How many miners were killed in last week's explosion, answer: 29 | question: Who is leading the investigation, answer: Davitt McAteer | question: What appointment received David McAteer?, answer: lead a state investigation into last week's coal mine explosion | question: How many miners were killed?, answer: 12 | question: Who was named to lead the investigation?, answer: Davitt McAteer
|
Napa Valley, California (CNN) -- It is the quintessential Napa Valley experience.
Passengers aboard sleek antique rail cars pay more than $100 for a four-course meal, not including the wine. A recent lunch aboard the train included steak, lobster cakes and local greens.
During their three-hour journey winding through Napa Valley, passengers can choose from more than 100 wines to complement their meal.
The Napa Valley Wine Train has been shuttling passengers through one of the country's most famous valleys for more than two decades, but now it's under fire because of Republican Sens. Tom Coburn and John McCain. They ranked the wine train as No. 11 on their list of the 100 most "wasteful" and "silly" stimulus projects, leading some to call it the Stimulus Waste Express.
When Melodie Hilton, who handles public relations for the wine train, learned about that nickname, she was less than pleased. Hilton said the report temporarily affected business. She said through a smile, "it's never fun to wake up and find that you're an object of national scorn."
But CNN found that scorn undeserved. In fact, CNN confirmed that not a single stimulus dollar is being spent on the wine train itself. The stimulus money is really being used for a massive flood-control project for the valley. The train's tracks happen to be in the way, so they have to be moved. It is a simple fix, but it's not cheap. To make it happen, $54 million is being used to build a flood wall at the wine train depot, elevate the tracks and move them 33 feet, and raise four bridges.
How did the wine train end up on the list of wasteful projects? "The person who did the research for the senators didn't do a thorough job," Hilton said, "and I think if they did a thorough job, we wouldn't have been on the list at all."
Barry Martin is the spokesman for the Napa River Flood Control Project. He called the senators' report "deliberate deception" and a way to score "political points."
Martin says this is not a "frivolous project" or a waste of stimulus dollars.
"This is perfectly fitting into what stimulus is intended to do. People are on the job working today who might not be otherwise," Martin said. Coburn's spokesman said the whole project is a "misplaced priority." He also criticized it for being a "no-bid" project, meaning only one contractor was considered. Just how many people are employed on the project is ambiguous. Martin says that at least 600 jobs have been created for the whole thing. And those people, he says, will stay on the job two to three years.
The Army Corps of Engineers, which is overseeing the flood control initiative, said that every $1 million spent creates about 20 jobs but said it didn't have an exact figure of jobs for the project.
And the contractor, Suulutaaq, had reported just 12 jobs created to the White House. A spokeswoman said the company expects that 200 people will be employed over the life of the project.
Regardless, the goal is to prevent Napa from flooding every few years, as it does now. In 1986, a flood cost the city $100 million. In 2005, flood damage hit $115 million.
Hilton, who has lived through the floods in Napa Valley and recalls neighborhoods under feet of water, wrote a letter to McCain: "Since you have thrown down the gauntlet, and made accusations, I would like to demand satisfaction! ... Talk to the officials behind this project; learn what is really going on. It is your right and your responsibility."
"We all have the same goal," she later said. "Nobody appreciates waste. If he came out and explored this, I don't think this would have been on the list."
CNN's Susan Chun contributed to this report.
|
[
"CNN found stimulus funds are not used for the train but instead is used for what?",
"According to us senators who received stimulus money?",
"What did they find that the money is for?",
"who received stimulus money?",
"Who called the project, \"misplaces priority\"?",
"whose spokesman calls project \"misplaced priority\"?",
"Sen. Tom Coburn's spokesman calls the project what?"
] |
[
"a massive flood-control project",
"Napa Valley Wine Train",
"massive flood-control project",
"Napa Valley Wine Train",
"Coburn's spokesman",
"Coburn's",
"Stimulus Waste Express."
] |
question: CNN found stimulus funds are not used for the train but instead is used for what?, answer: a massive flood-control project | question: According to us senators who received stimulus money?, answer: Napa Valley Wine Train | question: What did they find that the money is for?, answer: massive flood-control project | question: who received stimulus money?, answer: Napa Valley Wine Train | question: Who called the project, "misplaces priority"?, answer: Coburn's spokesman | question: whose spokesman calls project "misplaced priority"?, answer: Coburn's | question: Sen. Tom Coburn's spokesman calls the project what?, answer: Stimulus Waste Express.
|
Nashville, Tennessee (CNN) -- Tennessee is living up to its Volunteer State moniker as residents grapple with the aftermath of deadly flooding that left widespread damage and an untold number of displaced residents in its wake.
Neighbors are rescuing neighbors. Strangers are chipping in to clean up devastated homes and businesses. Although many have lost everything tangible, their optimism remains intact.
"I'm alive," Ronnie Coleman said. "Everything else, the rest of my life, if I have to fight cancer or whatever -- hey, man, it's going to be a piece of cake to what I went through."
After two days of torrential rain, Coleman waded through chest-high water this weekend at his home in the Whites Creek suburb of Nashville -- a daunting task for a man who can't swim.
His neighbor, Willie Mae Stricklandjordan, whose every belonging was ruined in the flooding, described what happened when Whites Creek overflowed: "The water just gushed in -- and it had a force to it."
Another neighbor, Evelyn Pearlbell, said she had to be rescued.
"They put this rope around me and pulled me through this water," she said. "Scary. Phew, I was so scared."
As of Friday morning, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said that 21 people had died, one from natural causes. Davidson County was hit the hardest, with 10 fatalities.
The federal government has declared 27 counties major disaster areas, the agency said.
Aid and supplies were flowing in to Tennessee, including 167 truckloads of water. Country singers, who hold Music City USA dear, pledged monetary donations, and some converged on Nashville to help with the cleanup.
Reports of rescues emerged from the Coast Guard, local rescue teams and average citizens as helicopters and boats canvassed the region for survivors.
Nashville's police and fire departments were going door-to-door, making sure homes were evacuated. They tied yellow caution tape to the doors of places that had been cleared.
Ben Perkins said he and his son, Will, searched for survivors for about seven hours in Bellevue on Sunday, rescuing people from the River Plantation subdivision and from stranded cars on a nearby highway.
They initially took their boat to Will's great-grandmother's house, but she had been rescued, so Perkins began looking for others in need. Will manned a cellular phone, acting as a "control center" during the 15 to 18 rescue trips, his father said.
"Tennessee's come together. Nashville's come together," Perkins said. "There's a lot of devastation. There's going to be a lot of need for donations."
Even with all the rescue operations, many residents had close calls.
Betty Belle Nicks had to cling to a tree and then swim to the rooftop of her new home for refuge. Three small dogs made it to the roof and were saved, but Thursday night, she was looking for her yellow Labrador retriever, Ben, who swam away.
"If we could find Ben, it'd be the best wedding gift in the world," said Nicks, who was married last week.
Jamye Howell was driving his Jeep through Hendersonville on Sunday when he drove over a bridge and through what he thought was a puddle -- just "water standing on the road," he told CNN affiliate WZTV.
"Immediately, water was flowing in the car, and there was water flowing up on the windshield instantly," said Andrea Silvia, who was in the car with Howell.
"We decided that we needed to get out on top of the car and hope for the best," Howell told WZTV.
The two swam about a mile to safety, they told the station.
As the water continued to recede and rescue tales emerged Friday, many were struck by the devastation the flooding had wrought. Others still searched for loved ones, holding out hope that they may still be alive after almost a week.
In Pegram, cadaver dogs searched Thursday along the Harpeth River for
|
[
"When was the woman married?",
"How many dead?",
"what caused the deaths",
"what type of disaster happened"
] |
[
"last week.",
"21",
"deadly flooding",
"deadly flooding"
] |
question: When was the woman married?, answer: last week. | question: How many dead?, answer: 21 | question: what caused the deaths, answer: deadly flooding | question: what type of disaster happened, answer: deadly flooding
|
New Delhi (CNN) -- In India, milk is used in holy ceremonies, it is offered to the gods, poured over deities and generally considered the healthiest of drinks.
But a first-of-its-kind government survey reveals that a stunning 68.4% of milk sold in India does not meet basic government standards.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India tested milk across the country. It took 1,791 samples -- and of of those, 1,226 were found to be "non-conforming."
In seven Indian states, 100% of the samples failed to meet standards.
Some samples contained water and milk powders; others included potentially toxic ingredients.
"We found about 14% of the samples which found traces of detergent," said V.N. Gaur, the chief executive officer of the food safety authority.
In lesser percentages, the tests also found hydrogen peroxide and urea -- a substance found in fertilizer and urine.
"There is a problem and they need to face it head-on and they have to kind of really take some strict action against those people who are violating simple consumer rights of getting a clean glass of milk," said Savvy Soumya Misra, the food safety and toxins deputy program manager with the Center for Science and Environment.
Doctors say ingested over long periods of time, chemicals like detergent can eat away the lining of intestines, stomach and affect the liver and the kidneys.
Just adding water to the milk can pose a real danger in India where waterborne illnesses are commonplace.
"What you get is diarrhea. Vomiting. What we call gastroenteritis," said Dr. Suranjit Chatterjee, a senior consultant for internal medicine at Delhi's Apollo hospital said. "You can get something like cholera. You can have jaundice. There are infections like typhoid fever, which are all part of water-borne infections in this part of the world."
At a dairy on the outskirts of India's capital, a worker dilution is widely practiced -- but that his plant does not participate.
"A lot of people do it. They add water and take the milk and sell it," Ram Prasad said. "They add water because it increases the quantity of milk and there is more to sell."
The milk industry in India is a chaotic mix of producers and sellers.
Milk comes to the market in many different ways. It can be carried in on the heads of farmers in pails, put in containers which are strapped to a train or a bicycle, or delivered in a massive milk truck.
In many places, including the capital, fresh milk is still delivered to homes.
The sources also vary: from a family with three cows, to farms with more than 30 cows and buffaloes, to huge dairy plants.
Government authorities say 70% of the milk on the market comes from small to medium farms that operate in, what is known, as the "unorganized sector."
In the government test, less than a third of the milk samples came from large producers.
While India has strict regulations in place to ensure milk safety, consumer advocates say enforcement is so lax it's laughable.
"Well it does reflect that there is a need to strengthen our implementation machinery, Gaur said. "That need is definitely underlined by this study."
But, he said, his office has been granted new powers recently and it plans on more surveys. He expects there will be better enforcement in the coming weeks, months and years.
Food safety watchdog groups say milk dilution has been around for decades.
They hope the milk survey will mean good news for consumers because -- for the first time -- the government itself has revealed the true scope of the problem and pledged to do something about it.
CNN's Sumnima Das contributed to this report.
|
[
"What was the survey looking for?",
"How many states fail standards?",
"What percentage of samples failed to meet standards?",
"What animal did the milk come from?",
"the survey found traces of what?",
"What is milk diluted with?",
"What do watchdog groups hope for?"
] |
[
"milk safety,",
"seven",
"68.4%",
"cows,",
"detergent,\"",
"water",
"the milk survey will mean good news"
] |
question: What was the survey looking for?, answer: milk safety, | question: How many states fail standards?, answer: seven | question: What percentage of samples failed to meet standards?, answer: 68.4% | question: What animal did the milk come from?, answer: cows, | question: the survey found traces of what?, answer: detergent," | question: What is milk diluted with?, answer: water | question: What do watchdog groups hope for?, answer: the milk survey will mean good news
|
New Delhi (CNN) -- India is in the fast lane. The trillion-plus-dollar economy, Asia's largest after Japan and China, is set to host the world's fastest sport this weekend.
The subcontinent's inaugural Grand Prix comes barely a year after India earned international scorn for all the chaos and corruption allegations that plagued the 2010 Commonwealth Games staged in New Delhi.
That event was marred by a host of problems including athletes' alarm over the shoddy construction and condition of their quarters, while a pedestrian bridge leading to the main Jawarhalal Nehru Stadium collapsed two days before the competitors were due to arrive.
In April this year, India's federal police arrested the Games' chief organizer, Suresh Kalmadi, for suspected corruption.
Kalmadi, who was involved in bringing F1 to India through his former role at the Indian Olympic Association, was jailed for allegedly buying a time, scoring and result system from a Swiss company at inflated costs. He was also suspended by the political party with which he was an MP.
But promoters of India's first F1 race hope their $400 million project will repair the damage done to the country's reputation. "The world's perception of India is going to change after the Grand Prix and people will forget what happened because of the Commonwealth Games," said Jaiprakash Gaur, founding chairman of Jaypee Group that built the Buddh International Circuit.
A few weeks ago, a fleet of Mercedes-Benz cars whizzed media crews around the 5.125-kilometer circuit, giving them a glimpse of what Indian businesses lauded as a stirring example of their competence.
"Corporate India is completely capable, and they are capable of executing projects of world class, which has been demonstrated by the F1 track, which looks certainly as one of the best in the world," said Ajay Sharma, a senior director with the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India.
"This is great news for the country because the investors are also now excited that this is the country where, you know, all the happening things are happening," he told CNN.
Sharma's lobby group predicts that investments in the motorsport infrastructure could potentially fuel overall economic prosperity by some $10 billion over the next decade. It says the arrival of global sporting bodies -- themselves seeking a foothold in emerging markets -- is an ideal opportunity for international brand-building by Indian businesses.
However, not everyone is as excited about the event when so many Indians live in abject poverty.
"The contrast between the rich and the poor is very large in India," said Arun Kumar, a professor at the Center of Economic Studies and Planning at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University.
"Here, about 40% of our people live in extreme poverty without even basic facilities. In a sense, it sounds very cruel that the nation is spending a large amount of its wealth on such sports."
The track complex, complete with stands and team enclosures painted in the colors of India's flag, was built by private developers on land acquired from farmers, who later alleged they were short-changed for their properties.
Last week, the country's Supreme Court froze 25% of ticket revenue after a litigant challenged government tax waivers on the race.
Critics are questioning the taste of putting up such high-octane shows in a country where a quarter of its billion-plus people still lives on less than a dollar a day.
With organizers struggling to sell out the event, ticket prices for Sunday's race have already been slashed. The most expensive has dropped from $715 to about $300, and the cheapest from about $120 to $60. But even the lowest amount is equivalent to the monthly wages of tens of thousands of Indians.
"What do we consider to be a nation? A nation means having a concern for all citizens. In this day and age when advertising has become so large, expectations have risen and these lavish displays only increase discontent," Kumar said.
"And the ruling elite in the country is backing such displays, which shows it's
|
[
"What have been slashed for sunday?",
"Where is the formula one race being held?",
"what did have been slashed to attract more local supporters?",
"Who host formula one race?"
] |
[
"ticket prices",
"India",
"ticket prices for Sunday's race",
"India"
] |
question: What have been slashed for sunday?, answer: ticket prices | question: Where is the formula one race being held?, answer: India | question: what did have been slashed to attract more local supporters?, answer: ticket prices for Sunday's race | question: Who host formula one race?, answer: India
|
New Delhi, India (CNN) -- A bomb exploded Saturday at a private hospital in the tourist city of Agra, India, injuring three people.
The bomb went off at Jai Hospital's reception area, said Brij Lal, spokesman for Uttar Pradesh police. The hospital is about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the famed Taj Mahal, India's most popular tourist destination.
The blast blew out window panes and damaged the hospital's waiting room, where the three injured people were, said P.K. Tiwari, the inspector general of police in Agra. One of them sustain burn injuries.
"It is difficult to say what the cause and motive of the blast were. But we know that this was not a sophisticated device and seems to have not created too much impact," Tiwari said. "My guess is this is a crude bomb."
Police at the scene said they spotted several unclaimed lunch boxes and bicycles near the blast site.
India's Home Ministry said it had dispatched commandos to Agra and was in the process of collecting evidence from the scene.
The Agra blast occurred a day after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh warned the nation's senior police officers about India's vulnerability.
"The security environment in the country continues to be uncertain," Singh said in remarks at a police conference Friday. "The recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai and Delhi are grim reminders of the grave challenges posed by terrorism to our national security."
India has suffered a spate of attacks in recent years, including the November 2008 siege of Mumbai that killed 163 people.
This month, a bomb inside a briefcase at the high court in the capital, New Delhi, killed 11 people and injured 74 others.
The Islamic extremist group Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami claimed responsibility for that attack in an e-mail to several TV news channels. Authorities have detained three suspects from the Kashmir region.
In July, 19 people were killed in three deadly blasts in Mumbai, India's largest city and financial hub. No one has been arrested yet.
CNN's Aliza Kassim contributed to this report.
|
[
"What was a crude device?",
"The injured were located in what area of the hospital?",
"Has anyone claimed responibilty?",
"What type of device was it?",
"Agra is home to what popular tourist spot?"
] |
[
"bomb.\"",
"waiting room,",
"The Islamic extremist group Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami",
"crude bomb.\"",
"Taj Mahal,"
] |
question: What was a crude device?, answer: bomb." | question: The injured were located in what area of the hospital?, answer: waiting room, | question: Has anyone claimed responibilty?, answer: The Islamic extremist group Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami | question: What type of device was it?, answer: crude bomb." | question: Agra is home to what popular tourist spot?, answer: Taj Mahal,
|
New Delhi, India (CNN) -- An explosion Saturday at an eatery in the western Indian city of Pune killed at least nine people and injured 33 others, authorities said.
"It appears to be a bomb blast, and bombs obviously are related to terrorism," said U.K. Bansal, special secretary for security in India's Interior Ministry.
Four of the dead were not from India, he told CNN.
Home Secretary G.K. Pillai told reporters that the explosives were packed in a bag noticed by a waiter at the popular eatery called the German Bakery. The explosion occurred about 7:30 p.m. local time Saturday.
Rajendra Sonawane, joint police commissioner for the city, said the blast struck the German Bakery in Pune's Koregaon Park, sister network CNN-IBN reported.
Initially, authorities thought a cooking gas cylinder had exploded at the bakery, but all cylinders were accounted for, according to CNN-IBN.
An anti-terrorism squad is assisting in the investigation, Chandra Iyengar, home secretary for Maharashtra state, told CNN. However, he wouldn't confirm the blast as a terrorist attack.
The German Bakery is frequented by tourists. It's near the Osho Ashram, a commune founded by the late Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, who returned to India from the United States in the 1980s.
CNN's Harmeet Singh contributed to this report.
|
[
"What did a waiter notice according to the Home Secretary?",
"were all of the dead from india?",
"Where did an explosion kill 8 and injure 33?",
"how many people were injured",
"how many people died",
"where were explosives noticed?",
"who noticed the bag"
] |
[
"the explosives were packed in a bag",
"not",
"at an eatery in the western Indian city of Pune",
"33",
"nine",
"in a bag",
"a waiter"
] |
question: What did a waiter notice according to the Home Secretary?, answer: the explosives were packed in a bag | question: were all of the dead from india?, answer: not | question: Where did an explosion kill 8 and injure 33?, answer: at an eatery in the western Indian city of Pune | question: how many people were injured, answer: 33 | question: how many people died, answer: nine | question: where were explosives noticed?, answer: in a bag | question: who noticed the bag, answer: a waiter
|
New Delhi, India (CNN) -- Seventeen people died after drinking a toxic, illegal home-brewed liquor over the New Years weekend in southern India, authorities said Monday.
At least 18 people were also poisoned by what authorities have described as contaminated moonshine in Andhra Pradesh's Krishna district, P.V.S. Ramkrishna, the district police chief, said.
Police in India have been cracking down recently on businesses selling the illegally-made alcohol, Ramkrishna said.
In December, authorities arrested 10 people for making contaminated moonshine that left at least 168 people dead in the Indian state of West Bengal. Hundreds more were sickened by it, authorities said.
Moonshine is not uncommon in poverty-stricken communities in India because it is cheap to make.
|
[
"What is not uncommon in poverty-stricken India?",
"What country is poverty-stricken?",
"Who has been cracking down illegal sales of moonshine?",
"Who has been cracking down on moonshine?",
"What has the police been cracking down on?",
"What is not uncommon?",
"Where is moonshine not uncommon?",
"What kind communities are they?",
"What type of communities is moonshine found in?"
] |
[
"Moonshine",
"India",
"Police in India",
"Police in India",
"businesses selling the illegally-made alcohol,",
"Moonshine",
"in poverty-stricken communities in India",
"poverty-stricken",
"poverty-stricken"
] |
question: What is not uncommon in poverty-stricken India?, answer: Moonshine | question: What country is poverty-stricken?, answer: India | question: Who has been cracking down illegal sales of moonshine?, answer: Police in India | question: Who has been cracking down on moonshine?, answer: Police in India | question: What has the police been cracking down on?, answer: businesses selling the illegally-made alcohol, | question: What is not uncommon?, answer: Moonshine | question: Where is moonshine not uncommon?, answer: in poverty-stricken communities in India | question: What kind communities are they?, answer: poverty-stricken | question: What type of communities is moonshine found in?, answer: poverty-stricken
|
New Haven, Connecticut (CNN) -- The lone survivor of a deadly home invasion wrapped up his testimony Tuesday afternoon after taking the stand against the second man charged with brutally killing his wife and two daughters.
With relatives packed shoulder to shoulder in the two rows closest to the jury, Dr. William Petit testified in detail about the tragic events at his Cheshire, Connecticut, home on July 23, 2007, beginning with him being awakened by being hit by a bat.
After his hands and feet were tied and a cloth was thrown over his head, he said, he heard a voice say, "If he moves, shoot him." Some of the evidence presented in court Tuesday included a handgun and photos of the rope used to bind Petit. The jury also saw pictures of his bloody head injuries.
Petit told the court that while he was tied to a pole in the basement, he could hear "loud thuds" and "moaning," likely from his wife, Jennifer Hawke-Petit. Shortly before hearing his wife, Petit was told by one of the intruders, "Don't worry. It'll all be over in a few minutes." Petit said that's when he knew "I had to get out."
Petit managed to escape but could not summon help in time to save his family.
He described his eldest daughter, Hayley, as captain of her varsity basketball team, a crew participant and soccer player, and Dartmouth-bound. His younger daughter, Michaela, was a piano player, a flute player, into sports and a member of a Brownies troop, he said.
Joshua Komisarjevsky, 31, faces 17 charges in connection with the brutal home invasion. The first defendant to stand trial in the case, Steven Hayes, was sentenced to death in December after being convicted on 16 of the 17 charges filed against him.
Testimony in the trial began Monday, with witnesses describing the final moments of Petit's wife and daughters inside their burning home and the futile attempts to save them.
Prosecutors declined to give an opening statement to start the trial. But they did introduce tapes from two 911 calls, a bank teller who claimed the mother tried to withdraw $15,000 as ransom and a police officer who found Petit fighting for life outside his family's burning home.
Prosecutors allege that Hayes and Komisarjevsky went into the Petit home, beat and tied up Petit, raped and strangled his wife, molested one of their daughters and set the house on fire before attempting to flee.
The two daughters, who were both tied to their beds, died of smoke inhalation. William Petit managed to escape.
Entering the New Haven court on Monday, the first day of the trial, Petit succinctly told reporters, "I just hope justice is served." Several other members of the victims' family packed the courtroom, many of them wearing pins that Judge Jon C. Blue allowed over defense lawyers' objections that they might sway the jury.
While he didn't present a comprehensive statement, New Haven State's Attorney Michael Dearington briefly spoke to jurors Monday, explaining that prosecutors believe the jury will be able to listen to the evidence and render a decision. As allowed by law, Dearington said, Komisarjevsky is charged both as a principal and an accessory.
Komisarjevsky's defense attorney, Walter Bansley, told jurors that his client never intended to kill anyone, that his sole purpose in breaking into the Petit home was to steal.
Bansley said Komisarjevsky did not have a weapon. He told jurors that in order to convict Komisarjevsky of capital murder, they must determine he intended to kill someone.
It was Hayes, Bansley said, who raped and strangled Hawke-Petit, poured gasoline in the house and lit a match. Komisarjevsky was a willing participant in the break-in and theft but not the murders, according to Bansley, who recounted mounting dissension between Hayes and Komisarjevsky as the home invasion progressed that morning.
Hayes felt that the Petits needed to be killed, Bansley claimed, but Komisarjevsky refused to kill anyone.
Bansley did allude to a "
|
[
"What was he charged with?",
"How many charges Joshua is facing?",
"Who was killed in February 2007?",
"What did he describe?",
"What did Dr. William Petit described?",
"Who was killed?"
] |
[
"brutally killing his wife and two daughters.",
"17",
"Jennifer Hawke-Petit.",
"the tragic events",
"the tragic events at his Cheshire, Connecticut, home on July 23, 2007,",
"wife and two daughters."
] |
question: What was he charged with?, answer: brutally killing his wife and two daughters. | question: How many charges Joshua is facing?, answer: 17 | question: Who was killed in February 2007?, answer: Jennifer Hawke-Petit. | question: What did he describe?, answer: the tragic events | question: What did Dr. William Petit described?, answer: the tragic events at his Cheshire, Connecticut, home on July 23, 2007, | question: Who was killed?, answer: wife and two daughters.
|
New Orleans (CNN) -- Two people were killed and more than 50 others injured Thursday in a 40-car pileup that shut down Interstate 10 in eastern New Orleans, authorities said.
Both eastbound and westbound lanes were closed following the crashes, which began about 4 a.m. local time (5 a.m. ET), said Garry Flot, New Orleans police spokesman. It was unknown how long the interstate would be closed, he said.
Twenty-two people were transported to hospitals with minor to critical injuries. Another 37 complained of minor injuries at the scene but refused medical care, Flot said.
One firefighter suffered a cut on his face while performing his duties at the scene, Flot said. He was taken to a local hospital for stitches.
The area was experiencing heavy fog at the time the crashes occurred, according to CNN meteorologists.
CNN's Sara Pratley contributed to this report.
|
[
"What were the driving conditions?",
"I-10 where shut down?",
"When did the crashes begin?",
"What was shut down?"
] |
[
"heavy fog",
"eastern New Orleans,",
"about 4 a.m. local time",
"Interstate 10"
] |
question: What were the driving conditions?, answer: heavy fog | question: I-10 where shut down?, answer: eastern New Orleans, | question: When did the crashes begin?, answer: about 4 a.m. local time | question: What was shut down?, answer: Interstate 10
|
New Orleans, Louisiana (CNN) -- A mechanical problem prevented BP from inserting a tube into a ruptured pipe that would help siphon off oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico, BP official Doug Suttles said Saturday.
Suttles said the device was hoisted back to the surface Friday for readjustments and the company expects to have it working by Saturday night. The plan is for the mile-long tube to collect the oil and send it to a surface vessel.
Millions of gallons of crude have gushed into the Gulf since the fiery explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig more than three weeks ago.
Suttles, BP's chief operating officer for exploration and production, cautioned that the method is designed to contain the flow, not stop it.
The tactic was dealt a setback Friday night when the frame holding the insertion tube shifted and prevented the surface vessel from connecting to it, Suttles said.
Meanwhile, Suttles said the application of underwater dispersants -- a tactic approved for use Friday -- "appears" to be working.
"The oil in the immediate vicinity of the well and the ships and rigs working in the area is diminished from previous observations," he said after flying over the area Saturday.
He did not provide further details.
What are oil dispersants?
The Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday that the decision to use subsea dispersants is an "important step" at reducing potential damage from the spill, because dispersant can be more effective underwater than on the ocean's surface.
Oil dispersants are chemicals that can break the oil down into small drops and prevent it from reaching the surface or the shore. Dispersants are generally less harmful than the oil itself, which is highly toxic, and they biodegrade more quickly, the Coast Guard said.
The underwater gusher began after an April 20 explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon. The explosion and subsequent fire caused the Deepwater Horizon to sink two days later, prompting oil to begin spilling from the well. BP was leasing the rig from Transocean.
On Saturday, the Department of Homeland Security released a letter from Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar addressed to BPchief executive Anthony Hayward, calling on the company to state its "true intentions" for compensating those affected by the spill.
"The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill may prove to be one of the most devastating environmental disasters this nation has ever faced," said the letter, which was dated Friday. "As one of the responsible parties for this event, BP is accountable to the American public for the full clean-up of this spill and all the economic loss caused by the spill and related events."
What can BP do to combat growing oil spill?
The letter also asks BP to confirm it will not "seek reimbursement from the American taxpayers, the United States government or the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund for any amount."
There was no immediate response from BP.
|
[
"What \"appears\" to be working according to the BP official?",
"The method is designed to do what?",
"Who says use of underwater dispersants \"appears\" to be working?",
"When will BP try again to insert the tube?",
"Who it will try again Saturday night to insert tube ?",
"When will they try again to insert tube?"
] |
[
"application of underwater dispersants",
"contain",
"Suttles",
"Saturday night.",
"BP",
"Saturday night."
] |
question: What "appears" to be working according to the BP official?, answer: application of underwater dispersants | question: The method is designed to do what?, answer: contain | question: Who says use of underwater dispersants "appears" to be working?, answer: Suttles | question: When will BP try again to insert the tube?, answer: Saturday night. | question: Who it will try again Saturday night to insert tube ?, answer: BP | question: When will they try again to insert tube?, answer: Saturday night.
|
New Orleans, Louisiana (CNN) -- BP said Wednesday that efforts to contain and clean up oil gushing from a ruptured pipe in the Gulf of Mexico have made a "measurable difference" even as Louisiana's governor announced that thick, heavy oil has begun polluting the state's wetlands and estuaries.
Doug Suttles, BP's chief operating officer for exploration and production, said at a news conference that the company is "very pleased" with the performance of an insertion tube that was put in place over the weekend to suck crude oil from the well and funnel it to a surface vessel.
The flow rate from the tube has reached 3,000 barrels of crude (126,000 gallons) and 14 million cubic feet of gas a day, Suttles said, adding that crews hope to increase those numbers in coming days.
He said favorable weather conditions have also played a major role in cleanup efforts. About 14,000 barrels of oily water was skimmed Tuesday, and 50 percent of that mixture was oil, he said, adding that crews continue to deploy boom and conduct controlled burns.
But Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana says the efforts haven't stopped oil from reaching his state's coastline. Thicker, heavier oil than seen in previous days has blanketed some of the state's precious interior wetlands, he said, and he called for the Army Corps of Engineers to approve an emergency permit to dredge sand from barrier islands to create sand booms as another line of defense.
"These are not tar balls, this is not sheen, this is heavy oil that we are seeing in our wetlands," Jindal said.
Video from Pass a Loutre in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, showed oil with a syrupy consistency lapping against reeds in a small area of marshland after creeping past booms and barriers.
"Everything that that blanket of oil has covered today will die," parish President Billy Nungesser said.
"Imagine [this oil] on top of a turtle or on top of a frog," he said as he held a stalk of reed that coated his hands in oil.
CNN iReporter Eileen Romero, touring the state's Chandeleur Islands by boat on Tuesday, described a "foamy sheen on top of the water" left by the oil and dispersants, and she said she counted between 10 and 15 dead Portuguese man-of-wars trapped in debris.
"While we were out there, my nose and the back of my throat began to burn as I inhaled the putrid-smelling air," Romero said.
Jindal compared the fight to head off the approaching oil to "knowing your body has cancer. ... We've got to stop this cancer from spreading [and] we'd much rather fight it on these coastal barrier islands than inland."
"We need more than just boom or skimmers," Jinadal said. "We need multiple lines of defense."
iReport: Track the spill, or share your story
Meanwhile, BP said it is continuing to mobilize equipment and perform testing in preparation for the first effort to actually stop the flow of oil.
Suttles said the first attempt at a "top kill" procedure could come as early as Sunday.
In that procedure, a large amount of heavy "mud" -- a fluid used as a lubricant and counterweight in drilling operations -- is inserted into the well bore. If that succeeds, the well will be cemented shut, officials have said.
Suttles cautioned, as he has with previous efforts, that the procedure will be performed at a depth of 5,000 feet, "which has never been done before."
"We're absolutely holding out hope that top kill works," said Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry. "Everybody is anxious to see success with this intervention. ... Let's keep our fingers crossed [and] let's all say our prayers."
Oil has been leaking at an estimated rate of 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons) a day for nearly a month after an April 20 explosion aboard the drilling rig the Deepwater Horizon. The rig burned for two days and then sank, causing the ruptured pipe.
|
[
"What is being done in the ocean?",
"what BP says it hopes to begin effort to \"mud\"?",
"what said louisiana governor?",
"who says \"measurable difference\" on ocean surface?",
"who will be in communication about projected movement of oil?",
"what Louisiana governor says thicker oil than previously seen?",
"What the governor says?"
] |
[
"efforts to contain and clean up oil gushing from",
"a ruptured pipe",
"thick, heavy oil has begun polluting the state's wetlands and estuaries.",
"BP",
"Doug Suttles,",
"Gov. Bobby Jindal",
"thick, heavy oil has begun polluting the state's wetlands and estuaries."
] |
question: What is being done in the ocean?, answer: efforts to contain and clean up oil gushing from | question: what BP says it hopes to begin effort to "mud"?, answer: a ruptured pipe | question: what said louisiana governor?, answer: thick, heavy oil has begun polluting the state's wetlands and estuaries. | question: who says "measurable difference" on ocean surface?, answer: BP | question: who will be in communication about projected movement of oil?, answer: Doug Suttles, | question: what Louisiana governor says thicker oil than previously seen?, answer: Gov. Bobby Jindal | question: What the governor says?, answer: thick, heavy oil has begun polluting the state's wetlands and estuaries.
|
New Orleans, Louisiana (CNN) -- BP will try again within the next day to cap a well that has gushed millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, the energy company said Friday.
The latest attempt will involve inserting a tube into a ruptured pipe, collecting oil and sending it to a vessel on the surface, said Mark Proegler, a BP spokesman.
The insertion tube was on the sea floor, and engineers planned to move it into place later in the day, Proegler said.
The company has lowered a smaller containment dome for use if the insertion tube does not stem the flow of oil into the water, Proegler said.
But Adm. Thad Allen, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, said twice Friday that the containment dome, referred to as a "top hat," was the first choice, followed by the insertion tube.
Officials could not explain the discrepancy.
Neither procedure would be a permanent solution, Allen said Friday in Mississippi. The procedures, he said, "will reduce the leakage, not stop the leakage."
The ultimate solution, Allen said, will be achieved by relief wells that are being drilled near the leak site. Those will take weeks, if not months, to complete, BP has said.
After much discussion over whether the use of subsea dispersants could cause ecological damage, Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry said Friday that officials have concluded that it "is an option we can consider and will move ahead with."
The decision was made after the results of three tests were analyzed, she said. "This is not a decision that was made lightly, but it is a series of tradeoffs. You're really trying to minimize the impact on the environment as best as possible."
Doug Suttles, BP's chief operating officer for exploration and production, said the company has spent more than $450 million responding to the spill and that more than 14,000 people are involved in the effort.
To date, more than 1.2 million feet of boom have been deployed and another 400,000 feet of boom have been staged for deployment, he said. In all, the company is trying to accumulate 3.5 million feet of boom.
The forecast this weekend and early next week "looks very favorable to use all tools," he said, citing burning, skimming operations and use of surface and subsurface dispersants.
Suttles said the spill has had "limited impact" on shore, with oil being found in four locations in Louisiana, two in Alabama and one in Mississippi.
In Washington, President Barack Obama criticized executives from BP and two other companies for blaming each other for the catastrophe.
"It is absolutely essential that, going forward, we put in place every necessary safeguard and protection so that a tragedy like this oil spill does not happen again," Obama said after meeting Friday with Cabinet members to discuss the spill.
Read about oil spill responses
"This is a responsibility that all of us share," Obama said. "The oil companies share it. The manufacturers of this equipment share it. The agencies in the federal government in charge of oversight share that responsibility. I will not tolerate more finger-pointing or irresponsibility."
BP's efforts to plug the leak come amid growing concern that the company has been low-balling how much oil has poured out of the well.
Rep. Edward Markey, D-Massachusetts, sent BP a letter Friday asking for details from federal agencies about the methods they are using to analyze the oil leak.
Markey, who chairs a congressional subcommittee on energy and the environment, said he would launch a formal inquiry after learning of independent estimates that are significantly higher than the amount BP officials have provided.
"The public needs to know the answers to very basic questions: how much oil is leaking into the Gulf and how much oil can be expected to end up on our shores and our ocean environment?" Markey said in a letter to BP. "I am concerned that an underestimation of the flow may be impeding the ability to solve the leak and
|
[
"How many feet of boom was deployed?",
"where did this happen",
"Who is critical of company executives for trying to shift blame to one another?",
"How many people were involved in the clean-up?",
"How many people are involved in clean-up and efforts?",
"What was deployed to prevent oily water from reaching shore?",
"Who was critical of company executives for trying to shift blame to one another?"
] |
[
"more than 1.2 million",
"Gulf of Mexico,",
"President Barack Obama",
"14,000",
"14,000",
"more than 1.2 million feet of boom",
"President Barack Obama"
] |
question: How many feet of boom was deployed?, answer: more than 1.2 million | question: where did this happen, answer: Gulf of Mexico, | question: Who is critical of company executives for trying to shift blame to one another?, answer: President Barack Obama | question: How many people were involved in the clean-up?, answer: 14,000 | question: How many people are involved in clean-up and efforts?, answer: 14,000 | question: What was deployed to prevent oily water from reaching shore?, answer: more than 1.2 million feet of boom | question: Who was critical of company executives for trying to shift blame to one another?, answer: President Barack Obama
|
New Orleans, Louisiana (CNN) -- Copenhagen, Denmark, is 5,000 miles away from New Orleans, Louisiana. But representatives of the 192 nations gathering this week at the climate change conference need to keep the memory of a flooded New Orleans in mind.
Two years ago this month, the Make It Right Foundation was launched to help the families of New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward rebuild their lives and community. That was already two years after Katrina, and the once-vibrant neighborhood was still in ruins, failed by government and frustrated by a lack of progress.
Working with the Lower 9th Ward community, with families who lost everything in Katrina, with cutting-edge architects and inventive builders, we learned some truths and made some discoveries we would like to share with the climate change negotiators in Copenhagen:
We need urgent action. Climate change is real and happening now. The world already is reeling from the consequences -- rising sea levels, more violent storms, more frequent flooding and prolonged droughts. Hurricane Katrina, the killer heat wave in Europe, China's floods and the enduring drought in Australia are not anomalies, they are harbingers.
It is not enough to attack what causes global warming; we also must prepare to live with it. We must reduce carbon emissions and adapt to the changing climate.
Even if greenhouse gas emissions stopped increasing today, the climate would continue to change for generations because of the gases that are already in the atmosphere.
People will go home, even if home is in harm's way. The pull of family, friends and happy memories proved irresistible for many in the Lower 9th Ward. The common history and culture of any community will keep people living in flood plains, along earthquake faults, and on shorelines, if those places are home.
More people are moving into harm's way. The number of people who live at the water's edge will continue to grow. The Lower 9th Ward is not unique -- more than 50 percent of America's population lives within 50 miles of a coast, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The same percentage applies to the world's population.
In the United States, NOAA predicts the number will rise as high as 75 percent by 2050 or sooner. Governments were formed to protect their citizens -- and not just from armed marauders.
Solutions exist to protect people and allow them to live safely in their homes. The consequences of climate change require every community to make changes that will increase safety and survivability. In post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, we are building affordable homes designed to use less energy, reduce carbon emissions and run on solar power, as well as weather the next storm.
Our storm-resistant features include high foundations to keep homes well above base flood levels; hurricane-resistant fabric to protect windows; increased structural durability to withstand 130-mph or higher winds; and access to the rooftop -- because so many of Katrina's victims died trapped in their attics.
This approach should be adopted by coastal-area builders around the globe.
Government has a unique and powerful role to play. Individual actions add up, but they pale compared to the reach and resources of government. We saw firsthand after Katrina how deadly and devastating it can be for a government to fail its citizens.
Today, we still see boarded-up houses, razed landscapes and blighted neighborhoods across New Orleans -- over four years after the Army Corps of Engineers-built levees failed. There are large-scale solutions that only governments can provide -- such as setting emissions standards and initiating adaptation measures. These options are available to the participants in Copenhagen.
It is time for the world's governments to step up. We are facing the most serious challenge to the health and well-being of the world since World War II. But instead of putting shoulders to the wheel, the leaders of the world are busy lowering expectations and tempering outcomes.
Instead, we ask them to act with urgency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and embrace solutions that will help our children survive and thrive in a changing climate. They have the
|
[
"who directs foundation that helps New Orleans residents rebuild their community?",
"What did Darden say about global warming?",
"Is global warming affecting the world?",
"who needs to step up?",
"what hurricane flooded New Orleans ?"
] |
[
"Make It Right",
"We need urgent action.",
"Even if greenhouse gas emissions stopped increasing today, the climate would continue to change for generations because of the gases that are already in the atmosphere.",
"world's governments",
"Katrina,"
] |
question: who directs foundation that helps New Orleans residents rebuild their community?, answer: Make It Right | question: What did Darden say about global warming?, answer: We need urgent action. | question: Is global warming affecting the world?, answer: Even if greenhouse gas emissions stopped increasing today, the climate would continue to change for generations because of the gases that are already in the atmosphere. | question: who needs to step up?, answer: world's governments | question: what hurricane flooded New Orleans ?, answer: Katrina,
|
New Orleans, Louisiana (CNN) -- New Orleans police lined up "like at a firing range" and fatally shot an unarmed man in the back as he fled from them in the days after Hurricane Katrina swept ashore, a witness to the shooting told CNN.
It marks the first time a witness has come forward publicly with information about the shooting of Ronald Madison, a 40-year-old mentally retarded man whose death has sparked a police investigation and a grand jury probe into what happened in and around the Danziger Bridge that day.
"He just fell like he was collapsing," Kasimir Gaston told CNN. "Like something just wiped him out."
Gaston was one of many flood refugees living on the second floor of the Friendly Inn, a low-income motel on the city's east side. On Sunday, September 4, 2005, he says he woke up and stepped onto the balcony of the motel and saw a man running, hands outstretched and being fired upon.
Former officer pleads guilty in shooting
Initial police accounts said that Madison reached for his waistband and turned on police, but Gaston said Madison did not appear to have a weapon and that he was running away from police "hands out, full speed" when he was shot.
Police declined CNN's request for an interview.
After the shooting last year, police said officers had responded to reported gunshots on the Danziger Bridge and that a running gunbattle ensued with six suspects.
One teenager was killed near the base of the bridge and three other people were wounded, according to police reports.
A police department press release from October 4, 2005, said Madison, described as an unidentified gunman, was "confronted by a New Orleans Police officer. The suspect reached into his waist and turned toward the officer who fired one shot, fatally wounding him."
When asked if Madison had a gun, Gaston said, "I didn't see any on him."
No gun was found on Madison's body.
An autopsy obtained previously by CNN and verified by the Orleans Parish Coroner said Madison suffered five gunshot wounds to his back and two in his shoulder.
Gaston said he came forward now because he is still troubled by what happened. He said he decided to break his silence after watching a "CNN Presents" documentary, "Shoot to Kill," about the days after Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005.
CNN has visited the room where Gaston was staying. From that balcony, it is about 100 feet to where Madison was shot and killed.
The police department has said the shooting has been thoroughly investigated. But Gaston said no officer or detective approached him about what he saw. He was not asked for his name or phone number, Gaston said.
Gaston said his only contact with police on that day was when officers told him not to touch Madison's body, which was lying behind Gaston's truck, parked in the motel entranceway.
CNN has obtained a newspaper photo taken that Sunday morning that shows where the body fell. The back of a truck with a rusted trailer hitch and broken tail light can be seen in the photo. The photo appears to be Gaston's truck, which now sits in a parking lot in Dallas, Texas, where he now lives.
"They notified me that I had two bullet holes in the passenger side," he said. Two bullet marks can be seen at the right rear of the truck today.
Mary Howell, an attorney suing New Orleans police on behalf of the dead man's family, says there were several potential witnesses living at the Friendly Inn at the time of the shooting. She has accused police of violating procedures by failing to even write down their names.
Howell said Ronald Madison and his older brother, Lance Madison, were trying to avoid the shootout between police and others that day when they ran up the Danziger Bridge, toward the other side of the Industrial Canal.
Lance Madison has said a policeman pointed what looked like a rifle or shotgun at his brother and shot Ronald near the top
|
[
"What was Madison ailed with?",
"When was Ronald Madison shot?",
"where did was shot on September 4, 2005?",
"What did the witness say to CNN?",
"When was Madison shot?",
"what sparked a police investigation?",
"when appeared unarmed and was shot in the back?",
"What is Madison's age?",
"Who was shot in the back?"
] |
[
"mentally retarded",
"Sunday, September 4, 2005,",
"Ronald Madison,",
"\"He just fell like he was collapsing,\"",
"Sunday, September 4, 2005,",
"the shooting of Ronald Madison,",
"days after Hurricane Katrina",
"40-year-old",
"an unarmed man"
] |
question: What was Madison ailed with?, answer: mentally retarded | question: When was Ronald Madison shot?, answer: Sunday, September 4, 2005, | question: where did was shot on September 4, 2005?, answer: Ronald Madison, | question: What did the witness say to CNN?, answer: "He just fell like he was collapsing," | question: When was Madison shot?, answer: Sunday, September 4, 2005, | question: what sparked a police investigation?, answer: the shooting of Ronald Madison, | question: when appeared unarmed and was shot in the back?, answer: days after Hurricane Katrina | question: What is Madison's age?, answer: 40-year-old | question: Who was shot in the back?, answer: an unarmed man
|
New York (CNN) -- Authorities have identified a teenager believed to be suffering from amnesia who was found on the streets of New York two weeks ago.
Police say a CNN viewer in Maryland identified the young woman, who mysteriously turned up in Manhattan two weeks ago, claiming to have no memory of her family, her home or even her own name.
The 18 year old whose name is not yet being released, is in the process of being reunited with her family. They are from Washington state and are on their way to New York, New York Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne said on Saturday.
A photo of the woman, who has been referred to as Jane Doe, was circulated by police and aired on CNN this week. The viewer in Maryland was familiar with her situation and knew she had been missing from her family earlier this month.
The girl was found in Midtown Manhattan around 12:30 a.m. October 9 outside the Covenant House youth shelter, although the organization said that she was not a resident at the time and did not appear as if she intended to seek refuge at the facility.
"I just want to know who I am," the girl said in a statement from the New York City Administration for Children's Services. "I want to know who I am and what happened to me."
According to its Web site, "Covenant House New York is the nation's largest adolescent care agency serving homeless, runaway and at-risk youth." Nearly 7,000 youths reportedly seek shelter there per year.
A security guard for the shelter noticed the girl walking on the sidewalk near Covenant House and approached her. Finding her unresponsive, he called the New York City Police Department.
Police officers interviewed the young woman, but it became clear that she couldn't provide authorities with any information about herself. The police said she was wearing military green camouflage pants, a black shirt and a pair of black sneakers when she was discovered.
The children's services agency said the girl recently wrote down the name "Amber" and has responded to it on one occasion, but she has no idea whether it is her true name.
On another occasion she is said to have recalled certain words, which turned out to be an excerpt from the fantasy novel "Fool's Fate" by Robin Hobb. The girl also is apparently writing a fantasy story of her own that features a heroine named Rian, "who's been raised by the commander of the guard post on the edge of a fantasy kingdom," the young woman said.
Judging from her poor dental hygiene, said Lt. Christopher Zimmerman, she appeared to have been living on the streets for some time.
Evan Buxbaum, Susan Candiotti and Vanessa Juarez contributed to the report.
|
[
"When was she found in Manhattan?",
"When was she found?",
"Where was the CNN viewer from?",
"Who identified the young woman?",
"On October 9, where was she found?",
"Where is her family?",
"Which state is the family from?"
] |
[
"around 12:30 a.m. October 9",
"12:30 a.m. October 9",
"Maryland",
"a CNN viewer",
"the streets of New York",
"Washington state",
"Washington"
] |
question: When was she found in Manhattan?, answer: around 12:30 a.m. October 9 | question: When was she found?, answer: 12:30 a.m. October 9 | question: Where was the CNN viewer from?, answer: Maryland | question: Who identified the young woman?, answer: a CNN viewer | question: On October 9, where was she found?, answer: the streets of New York | question: Where is her family?, answer: Washington state | question: Which state is the family from?, answer: Washington
|
New York (CNN) -- Dennis deLeon, former New York City human rights commissioner and long-time AIDS activist, has died, according to the organization he helped launch. He was 61.
The Latino Commission on AIDS issued a news release Monday, saying that deLeon was a "pioneer" and a "visionary," as well as a "tireless advocate for social justice and one of the first openly HIV-positive Latino leaders in the country."
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg praised deLeon on Monday, saying in a statement that the activist "demonstrated a lifelong commitment to public service."
After being appointed as the director of the mayor's Commission on Latino Concerns in 1986, deLeon went on to serve in other civic roles, including being selected by then-Mayor David Dinkins in 1990 to head the New York City Commission on Human Rights.
In 1994, he returned to the private sector and helped found the Latino Commission on AIDS, where he served as its president for 15 years.
According to its Web site, "The Latino Commission on AIDS is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Latino community."
"It will be a challenge to pick up the mantle Dennis has left for us at the Commission. Dennis was a friend, a mentor and an example of what a national leader should be. ... His work and his dedication to our community will not be forgotten," said Guillermo Chacon, current Latino Commission on AIDS president, in the release.
|
[
"Who was Dennis deLeon?",
"Who was the human rights commissioner, long-time AIDS activist?",
"What did the New York mayor do?",
"What names The Latino Commission gave to deLeon?",
"Who called him a pioneer?"
] |
[
"former New York City human rights commissioner",
"Dennis deLeon,",
"praised deLeon",
"\"pioneer\" and a \"visionary,\"",
"The Latino Commission on AIDS"
] |
question: Who was Dennis deLeon?, answer: former New York City human rights commissioner | question: Who was the human rights commissioner, long-time AIDS activist?, answer: Dennis deLeon, | question: What did the New York mayor do?, answer: praised deLeon | question: What names The Latino Commission gave to deLeon?, answer: "pioneer" and a "visionary," | question: Who called him a pioneer?, answer: The Latino Commission on AIDS
|
New York (CNN) -- In the schoolyard of American politics, President Obama is the big, smart kid with all of the test answers who's being bullied by a bunch of Neanderthal ankle-biters from all sides.
Meanwhile, all the teachers are wondering, "Why does he take this crap? He's bigger and smarter than all the other kids."
It's no surprise the Glenn Becks of the world have been attacking Obama since the moment he stepped into the Oval Office. Beck and his blathering buddies on the right -- you know, the stinky kids in the coatroom who eat their own boogers. Always pick on the kids least likely to fight back.
That being said -- we did elect President Obama to change things, and so far the only thing he seems to be changing are his faux-patriotic lapel pins ... and his mind.
With the public option in the public toilet, not asking or telling about "don't ask, don't tell," the Gitmo Hilton still entertaining guests, and same-sex marriage so far off Obama's radar that it's now on his sonar, seeds of doubt have been planted in the left's collective mind.
If this guy can't get his own party to step in line on health care reform, they wonder, then how the hell will he get other countries to do what he wants them to do? Although in some ways, that might be easier then dealing with these Blue Dogs who hump your leg ... and not in a good way.
It's a valid concern. However, we can't expect him to accomplish all this sweeping change in less than a year. It's important that he lay the groundwork instead of just going all "Decider" on everyone and making gut choices.
But he can't just be "The Thinker," either. Last time I looked, "The Thinker," by Rodin, had been sitting on his butt in the exact same place, for years.
Unfortunately, laying groundwork doesn't win you any fans -- well, besides a few Nordic voters on the Nobel panel. Flexing muscles, now that wins you fans. Just ask the Governator. That's why the Financial Times said it's time for President Obama to pick a fight and win it in a knockout.
But instead of working on that knockout, President Obama and his White House cronies are feuding with Fox News. While I'm loving this Fox hunt, the White House's strategy boggles my mind. This is not a war of necessity. Picking a fight with them is kinda like going to a biker bar after midnight -- as my mother used to say, "Nothing good can happen." That is, unless this heavyweight bout keeps escalating and we actually get to see Glenn Beck prancing around in a pair of sequined boxing shorts.
When you disregard the action against Fox News, Obama seems to be paralyzed, like a frog that's had it stomach rubbed -- which may the reason he's got problems on both sides of the lily pad.
Admittedly, I might be overreacting just a bit. The majority of the country is behind Obama. The situation just seems worse than it is because we're not used to this new era, in which you can actually criticize the president without being shouted down as an unpatriotic, Socialist, traitorous, granny-killing, freedom hater. After eight years of a presidency shrouded in darkness, we're not used to seeing the president's supporters, of all people, shining a light on his shortcomings.
Back to the schoolyard, where Barry Obama is being bullied. You know what? He's big, he can take it. You know why? Because not only is he right in his beliefs, but he knows that if push comes to shove, he can lay out the rest of these runts with a couple of good smacks of his presidential pen.
It's not time to panic, but President Obama needs to size up one of these twerps, cock back his arm, and take a swing soon, because the
|
[
"What is Obama described as changing?",
"What name does Behar use to describe Obama?"
] |
[
"his faux-patriotic lapel pins",
"\"The Thinker,\""
] |
question: What is Obama described as changing?, answer: his faux-patriotic lapel pins | question: What name does Behar use to describe Obama?, answer: "The Thinker,"
|
New York (CNN) -- Rapper Lil Wayne will go directly to jail after he is sentenced by a Manhattan judge Tuesday afternoon for a gun conviction, according to a person familiar with the case.
Dwayne Carter, as he is known legally, pleaded guilty to felony gun charges in a deal with prosecutors October 2009. He is expected to get a one-year prison sentence.
His sentencing was delayed three weeks so he could get some dental work done, including removal of his diamond-studded braces.
The person familiar with the case would not confirm where Wayne would serve his sentence.
The plea agreement was a result of the rapper's 2007 arrest outside New York's Beacon Theater.
According to police, Wayne had a .40-caliber pistol on his tour bus.
"It's not his gun, they know whose gun it is," Wayne's attorney, Stacey Richman, said after a hearing last month.
In an unrelated case, Wayne also faces felony drug possession and weapons charges in the state of Arizona.
Lil Wayne is a multiplatinum-selling and Grammy-winning rap artist. His hits include "The Block is Hot" and "Lollipop," and his album "Tha Carter III" was the top-selling disc of 2008. His latest album, "Rebirth," was released last month.
CNN's Jennifer Rizzo contributed to this report.
|
[
"Carter's sentencing was postponed so he could get what?",
"Rapper Dwayne Carter will be sentenced for what kind of conviction?",
"What does the work?",
"Who will be condemned?",
"Work includes removal of diamond-encrusted what?"
] |
[
"some dental work done,",
"gun",
"removal of his diamond-studded braces.",
"Rapper Lil Wayne",
"braces."
] |
question: Carter's sentencing was postponed so he could get what?, answer: some dental work done, | question: Rapper Dwayne Carter will be sentenced for what kind of conviction?, answer: gun | question: What does the work?, answer: removal of his diamond-studded braces. | question: Who will be condemned?, answer: Rapper Lil Wayne | question: Work includes removal of diamond-encrusted what?, answer: braces.
|
New York (CNN) -- Spider-Man's alter ego cannot escape the harsh realities of the current economic times and will lose his job in an issue of the Amazing Spider-Man hitting stores this week.
Peter Parker, official photographer of the mayor by day and New York City crime fighter by night, is going to face new challenges, including unemployment.
"He's going to struggle with unemployment and trying to save the city while he can barely afford to keep a roof over his head," said Steve Wacker, Marvel Comics senior editor.
Parker has always been a grounded character with real-world problems, Wacker said. His aunt is frequently sick, he has girlfriend troubles, and he sometimes struggles to find work. In addition, Spider-Man story lines are often set against a backdrop of current events.
In the near future, Parker will have to juggle paying bills and buying "web-fluid" and other materials to fix his superhero costume in addition to keeping his dual identities under wraps.
Parker's work history includes photographer, assistant high school coach, science teacher and scientific researcher, according to his biography on the Marvel Web site. His education includes a college degree in biophysics and some postgraduate work in biochemistry.
It was at a science exhibit he attended as a teenager that he was bitten by a radioactive spider and acquired the creature's strength, agility and weaving ability, says Marvel Comics.
And although Parker has skills few other others can claim, he probably won't list these on his resume: superhuman strength, ability to cling to most surfaces, fast traveling ability aided by web-slinging and spider-sense danger avoidance system.
The Amazing Spider-Man comic was first published in 1963.
|
[
"What will be Parker's struggle?",
"Who will lose his job this week?",
"Who is Peter Parker?",
"What will happen to Peter Parker?",
"what is the alter's name?"
] |
[
"unemployment and trying to save the city while he can barely afford to keep a roof over his head,\"",
"Spider-Man's alter ego",
"photographer",
"lose his job",
"Peter Parker,"
] |
question: What will be Parker's struggle?, answer: unemployment and trying to save the city while he can barely afford to keep a roof over his head," | question: Who will lose his job this week?, answer: Spider-Man's alter ego | question: Who is Peter Parker?, answer: photographer | question: What will happen to Peter Parker?, answer: lose his job | question: what is the alter's name?, answer: Peter Parker,
|
New York (CNN) -- Two people have died and 28 people have fallen ill with matching strains of E. coli after an outbreak in ground beef, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Sixteen of those people are in hospitals and three have developed kidney failure as a result of the contamination, the CDC said late Monday.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last week that Fairbank Farms in Ashville, New York, was recalling more than half a million pounds of fresh ground beef products that may be contaminated with a strain of E. coli, a potentially deadly species of bacteria.
The products subject to recall were sent to retailers including Trader Joe's, Price Chopper, Lancaster and Wild Harvest, Shaw's, BJ's, Ford Brothers, and Giant Food Stores. The exact products affected are listed on the USDA's Web site.
The recall was for distribution centers in eight states, but Fairbank Farms said some retailers may have sent the affected beef to other states.
Each package is printed with "EST. 492" inside the USDA mark of inspection or on the nutrition label. They were packaged on September 15 and 16 and may have been labeled at the retail stores with a sell-by date from September 19 through 28, the USDA said.
Consumers should ask at their point of purchase if the products they have purchased are subject to recall, the USDA said.
E. coli can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, seniors and people with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service advised consumers to safely prepare raw meat products, whether they are fresh or frozen, and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
The only way to be sure ground beef is cooked to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature, the FSIS said.
Of the 28 people infected with E. coli from the outbreak, eight are in Massachusetts; four each are in Connecticut and New Hampshire; two each are in Maine, Pennsylvania and South Dakota; and one each is in California, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Vermont, according to the CDC.
|
[
"What symptoms can E.coli cause?",
"what should you do to make sure the beef is cooked",
"What do you use to measure internal temperature of beef?",
"What is E.coli?",
"What should you use to measure the temperature of beef?",
"How many people died in this outbreak from E. coli?",
"what have two people died from",
"How many people have died from E.coli?"
] |
[
"bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure.",
"use a food thermometer",
"a food thermometer",
"a potentially deadly species of bacteria.",
"food thermometer",
"Two",
"E. coli",
"Two"
] |
question: What symptoms can E.coli cause?, answer: bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. | question: what should you do to make sure the beef is cooked, answer: use a food thermometer | question: What do you use to measure internal temperature of beef?, answer: a food thermometer | question: What is E.coli?, answer: a potentially deadly species of bacteria. | question: What should you use to measure the temperature of beef?, answer: food thermometer | question: How many people died in this outbreak from E. coli?, answer: Two | question: what have two people died from, answer: E. coli | question: How many people have died from E.coli?, answer: Two
|
New York (CNN) -- "Unauthorized and unprofessional" is how an internal memo describes the conduct of an air traffic controller, who allegedly allowed his two young children to speak with pilots on an air traffic control frequency, and his supervisor, who allegedly allowed it to happen.
The memo, dated February 25, was written after the facilities manager for the air traffic control tower at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport learned about the incident, a source who has seen the memo told CNN.
"The display of professionalism in the past by the control personnel at this facility has been exemplary," the memo said. "However, a lapse in judgment for what may seem a minor transgression diminishes our credibility and slights the high standards of professionalism."
It was not immediately clear what prompted the manager to write the memo or how he found out about the incident, the source said.
The incidents occurred on succeeding days last month at JFK, the Federal Aviation Administration said this week, and the controller and the supervisor have been placed on paid administrative leave.
"We have an incredible team of professionals who safely control our nation's skies every single day. This kind of behavior does not reflect the true caliber of our workforce," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said in the statement Wednesday.
Babbitt was referring to the February 16 incident involving the controller's young son, who is heard in a recording -- posted on liveatc.net -- clearing a JetBlue flight for takeoff and later speaking to an apparent Aeromexico flight.
Later, an FAA official, who asked not to be identified because of the ongoing investigation, said the controller brought his daughter into the same tower the following day, and the child was allowed to talk with pilots of two planes.
A separate source said the supervisor "should be making sure that things like this don't happen."
Yet another source familiar with the investigation said the two children are twins.
The controller who brought the children to work later reported that he had done so, the source said. The controller and supervisor involved are veteran employees, the official said.
Dave Pascoe owner of the Web site where the recording of the air traffic communications is posted, told CNN he thinks the attention the incident has drawn is "ridiculous" and it has been "blown out of proportion."
In the recording, a child says, "JetBlue 171, cleared for takeoff."
A man then tells the plane, "Here's what you get, guys, when the kids are out of school."
The pilot chuckles and says, "Wish I could bring my kid to work." The same pilot later tells the child, "Awesome job."
During the recording, which is dated February 17, the child also speaks to an apparent Aeromexico flight. A recording from the following day, when the daughter was reportedly in the tower, also was posted on the Web site.
FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown later said the incident took place about 7:30 p.m. February 16.
Pascoe said most people "in the aviation community felt like this was (not) anything more than a noble thing, that a father would take his kid to work."
"It was one incident where a kid was up in the control tower," he said. "If you know anything about aviation, you know that the air traffic control towers are highly supervised. ... A father was taking a child to work and let the kid clear planes for takeoff and now the world thinks it's an unsafe place."
The FAA has suspended all unofficial visits to air traffic control operational areas during its investigation into the incident. Babbitt has directed a team to review air traffic control policies and procedures related to facility visitors.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the union representing controllers, issued a statement, saying its members "do not condone this type of behavior in any way."
CNN's Susan Candiotti contributed to this report.
|
[
"What was suspended?",
"What slights the agency's credibility?",
"What did Memo say?",
"Who had a lapse in judgement?",
"What did the memo say?"
] |
[
"unofficial visits to air traffic control operational areas",
"allegedly allowed his two young children to speak with pilots on an air traffic control frequency,",
"\"Unauthorized and unprofessional\"",
"air traffic controller,",
"\"Unauthorized and unprofessional\""
] |
question: What was suspended?, answer: unofficial visits to air traffic control operational areas | question: What slights the agency's credibility?, answer: allegedly allowed his two young children to speak with pilots on an air traffic control frequency, | question: What did Memo say?, answer: "Unauthorized and unprofessional" | question: Who had a lapse in judgement?, answer: air traffic controller, | question: What did the memo say?, answer: "Unauthorized and unprofessional"
|
New York (CNN) -- A New York City crackdown on suspects allegedly involved in forged credit cards and identity theft led authorities to a $13 million global crime ring, Queens County District Attorney Richard Brown said Friday.
He called it the largest and perhaps most sophisticated ring of its kind in U.S. history.
Authorities hired translators to eavesdrop on a series of conversations in Arabic, Russian and Mandarin that led police to 86 suspects in a series of raids that started Tuesday, Brown said.
He said the defendants, who were charged with stealing the personal credit information of thousands of unwitting American and European consumers, are allegedly members of five organized crime rings with ties to Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Twenty-five others remain at large, Brown added.
All of the 111 suspects were indicted in the theft case, while nearly two dozen of them were also charged in six indictments related to burglaries and robberies.
Several suspects are believed to have engaged in "nationwide shopping sprees, staying at five-star hotels, renting luxury automobiles and private jets, and purchasing tens of thousands of dollars worth of high-end electronics and expensive handbags and jewelry with forged credit cards," the Queens County District Attorney's Office reported.
The two-year probe, dubbed Operation Swiper, involved physical surveillance, intelligence gathering and court-authorized electronic eavesdropping on dozens of telephones in which thousands of conversations were intercepted, it said.
|
[
"What did the DA's office say about the suspects?",
"What did the suspects do according to the DA's office?",
"What did the DA say?",
"What did the suspects do?",
"Where did the credit information come from?"
] |
[
"\"nationwide shopping sprees, staying at five-star hotels, renting luxury automobiles and private jets, and purchasing tens of thousands of dollars worth of high-end electronics and expensive handbags and jewelry with forged credit cards,\"",
"identity theft",
"Several suspects are believed to have engaged in \"nationwide shopping sprees, staying at five-star hotels, renting luxury automobiles and private jets, and purchasing tens of thousands of dollars worth of high-end electronics and expensive handbags and jewelry with forged credit cards,\"",
"engaged in \"nationwide shopping sprees, staying at five-star hotels, renting luxury automobiles and private jets, and purchasing tens of thousands of dollars worth of high-end electronics and expensive handbags and jewelry with forged credit cards,\"",
"American and European consumers,"
] |
question: What did the DA's office say about the suspects?, answer: "nationwide shopping sprees, staying at five-star hotels, renting luxury automobiles and private jets, and purchasing tens of thousands of dollars worth of high-end electronics and expensive handbags and jewelry with forged credit cards," | question: What did the suspects do according to the DA's office?, answer: identity theft | question: What did the DA say?, answer: Several suspects are believed to have engaged in "nationwide shopping sprees, staying at five-star hotels, renting luxury automobiles and private jets, and purchasing tens of thousands of dollars worth of high-end electronics and expensive handbags and jewelry with forged credit cards," | question: What did the suspects do?, answer: engaged in "nationwide shopping sprees, staying at five-star hotels, renting luxury automobiles and private jets, and purchasing tens of thousands of dollars worth of high-end electronics and expensive handbags and jewelry with forged credit cards," | question: Where did the credit information come from?, answer: American and European consumers,
|
New York (CNN) -- A New York judge Friday postponed a decision on a proposed $657 million settlement for people who became ill after working on the World Trade Center site after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The settlement, announced Thursday, would cover about 10,000 plaintiffs, said Marc Bern, one of the lawyers representing the workers.
The postponement appeared to take attorneys -- and Mayor Michael Bloomberg -- by surprise. Attorneys for both sides and the mayor earlier made statements assuming the proposal would be approved by U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein.
The judge is particularly interested in making sure the attorneys' cut of the settlement is equitable for all parties.
"This will not be a giveaway," Hellerstein said Friday. "This will be a fair and just settlement."
Christine LaSala, president of WTC Captive Insurance Co., which announced the settlement, repeated after the judge's announcement a statement issued Thursday night.
"This agreement enables workers and volunteers claiming injury from the WTC site operations to obtain compensation commensurate with the nature of their injuries and the strength of their claims, while offering added protection against possible future illness," she said.
The agreement comes after six years of legal wrangling -- a sometimes excruciating wait for his clients, Bern said.
Many of his clients worked rescuing victims from the terrorist attacks or removing debris after the World Trade Center toppled. After the work, some found their health deteriorated, with many suffering from asthma, other respiratory issues and blood cancer, Bern told CNN Radio.
"I am quite gratified that we been able to reach a settlement for the heroes of 9/11," said Bern. "The men and women who were exposed at the site have waited a long time for some type of resolution."
The WTC Captive Insurance Co. announced the settlement on Thursday.
"This agreement enables workers and volunteers claiming injury from the WTC site operations to obtain compensation commensurate with the nature of their injuries and the strength of their claims, while offering added protection against possible future illness," the organization said in a statement.
WTC Captive was created with a $1 billion FEMA grant and provides insurance coverage to the City of New York and its debris-removal contractors. In the aftermath of 9/11, New York was unable to get adequate amounts of liability insurance for the rescue, recovery and debris-removal work done at the World Trade Center site.
The settlement would provide a system to pay for the compensation of the injury claims made by workers. This would include construction workers, firefighters, police officers and other workers and volunteers. The settlement would also fund a special insurance policy, which provides additional compensation to any plaintiff contracting certain types of cancer in the future.
The settlement agreement will be presented to a judge Friday morning who then could give preliminary approval of it by afternoon, Bern said.
If the judge gives his OK, Bern's law firm will send letters to the plaintiffs to tell them what money they are eligible for.
"The payments could range from thousands of dollars to nearly $2 million for clients," Bern said.
In order to make a claim, plaintiffs will have to submit proof they were present and participated in the post-9/11 efforts. They will also have to present specific medical documentation, including a diagnosis confirming their illness or injury.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said of the resolution, "This settlement is a fair and reasonable resolution to a complex set of circumstances. Since September 11th, the city has moved aggressively to provide medical treatment to those who were present at Ground Zero, and we will continue our commitment to treatment and monitoring." A spokesman for the mayor declined further comment.
After the 9/11 attacks, individuals who worked or volunteered in the rescue, recovery and debris-removal project were entitled to and have received free medical care, which has been funded by the City of New York and the federal government. Participating in the settlement would not deter access to that care.
Former New York firefighter Kenny Specht told CNN's Campbell Brown, "You really can't put a price on
|
[
"How many plaintiffs were there?",
"What does WTC Captive provide coverage to?",
"how many plaintiffs were announced for settlements?",
"Does the settlement include injury claims",
"What should the settlement provide?",
"what does the WTC captive provides?",
"What does WTC captive provide coverage for",
"what is the settlement providing on?"
] |
[
"10,000",
"City of New York and its debris-removal contractors.",
"10,000",
"would provide a system to pay for the compensation of the",
"a system to pay for the compensation of the injury claims made by workers.",
"insurance coverage to the City of New York and its debris-removal contractors.",
"10,000 plaintiffs,",
"provide a system to pay for the compensation of the injury claims made by workers."
] |
question: How many plaintiffs were there?, answer: 10,000 | question: What does WTC Captive provide coverage to?, answer: City of New York and its debris-removal contractors. | question: how many plaintiffs were announced for settlements?, answer: 10,000 | question: Does the settlement include injury claims, answer: would provide a system to pay for the compensation of the | question: What should the settlement provide?, answer: a system to pay for the compensation of the injury claims made by workers. | question: what does the WTC captive provides?, answer: insurance coverage to the City of New York and its debris-removal contractors. | question: What does WTC captive provide coverage for, answer: 10,000 plaintiffs, | question: what is the settlement providing on?, answer: provide a system to pay for the compensation of the injury claims made by workers.
|
New York (CNN) -- A New York man accused in an alleged terrorist plot pleaded guilty Thursday to lying to federal agents.
Ahmad Wais Afzali, a Muslim cleric and funeral director from the New York borough of Queens, was one of the first people charged in what authorities have described as a plot to detonate bombs on New York subways.
Afzali was accused of lying about whether he tipped off suspect Najibullah Zazi that the FBI had been asking questions about his activities.
Zazi subsequently pleaded guilty to conspiring to detonate explosives in the United States.
On Thursday, Afzali told the court that police had asked him to help provide information about Zazi and two other suspects, Adis Medujanian, and Zarein Ahmedzay. He said he knew Zazi and Medujanian fairly well from when they were teenagers and attended his mosque for prayers and to play volleyball.
"The police interest in these men led me to believe that they were involved in some criminal activity, but I had no idea of its seriousness," Afzali said Thursday, at times choking up during his statement.
He said he called Zazi on September 11, 2009, a day after he was contacted by authorities.
"I told him that our phone call was being monitored. I told Zazi, 'Don't get involved in Afghanistan garbage and Iraq garbage, that's my advice to you.'"
"On September 13 ... I was interrogated by FBI agents for the first time. I believed that the FBI was angry at me for calling Zazi," he added. "When I was asked whether I had told Zazi about law enforcement being interested in him, I lied and said I did not. My intention was not to protect Zazi, but to protect myself."
He admitted to repeating the lie during another interview with prosecutors a few days later.
"In doing so, I failed to live up to my obligation to this country, my community, my family, and my religion. I am truly sorry."
Afzali's plea deal reduced the charge from lying to federal agents "during the course of a terror investigation" -- which carries a maximum sentence of eight years in prison. The basic charge of lying to feds carries a maximum sentence of five years.
His plea deal recommends that Afzali be sentenced anywhere from zero to six months in prison. His sentencing hearing was tentatively scheduled for April 8.
Under the terms of the agreement, Afzali agreed to leave the United States within 90 days of completing any sentence he receives.
Before entering his plea, the 38-year-old imam placed a scarf down on the floor outside the courtroom and prayed.
He later told reporters that he "just signed his death sentence" by accepting the plea deal, saying he didn't want to the leave the United States. Afzali is a native of Afghanistan, but has no idea where he will go upon leaving the United States
"I hardly speak my own language," he said.
Afzali also said he is concerned for his health; he has diabetes and is anemic, and said his wife has a pelvic tumor.
"I was helping the government and this is what I get," Afzali said.
The two others suspects in the case, Ahmedzay and Medunjanin, pleaded not guilty in February to new charges of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction against persons or property in the United States, as well as several other counts. The two had previously faced lesser charges.
Prosecutors say the two 25-year-old U.S. citizens and residents of Queens conspired with Zazi "to attack the New York subway system in mid-September 2009."
CNN's Jennifer Rizzo contributed to this report.
|
[
"What did the plea deal recommend?",
"Did Zazi plead guilty",
"What did Ahmad Wais Afzali admit to?",
"Did Ahmed Wais admit he lied",
"What does the plea deal recommend?",
"What did the Muslim cleric lie about?"
] |
[
"that Afzali be sentenced anywhere from zero to six months in prison.",
"subsequently pleaded",
"lying",
"admitted to repeating the lie",
"Afzali be sentenced anywhere from zero to six months in prison.",
"whether he tipped off suspect Najibullah Zazi that the FBI had been asking questions"
] |
question: What did the plea deal recommend?, answer: that Afzali be sentenced anywhere from zero to six months in prison. | question: Did Zazi plead guilty, answer: subsequently pleaded | question: What did Ahmad Wais Afzali admit to?, answer: lying | question: Did Ahmed Wais admit he lied, answer: admitted to repeating the lie | question: What does the plea deal recommend?, answer: Afzali be sentenced anywhere from zero to six months in prison. | question: What did the Muslim cleric lie about?, answer: whether he tipped off suspect Najibullah Zazi that the FBI had been asking questions
|
New York (CNN) -- A New York man is suing two airlines for $10 million, saying he was injured when he tackled the "underwear bomber" during a Detroit-bound flight on Christmas Day in 2009.
Theophilus Maranga filed the lawsuit Wednesday in U.S. District Court in New York, alleging that he sustained physical and psychological injuries during the incident.
He is suing Delta Airlines and Air France-KLM for neglecting to prevent Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab from boarding Flight 253 on Northwest Airlines, which merged with Delta Airlines.
Both airlines declined to comment on the lawsuit.
It is unclear how federal agencies partner with authorities abroad to screen for potentially dangerous passengers aboard U.S.-bound flights and what responsibilities airlines bear in that process.
The 2009 incident -- referenced in the lawsuit -- started when passengers heard a loud noise aboard the plane, sounding much like a firecracker, according to Jonathan Tukel, chief of the National Security Unit for the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Michigan.
AbdulMutallab became enveloped in a fireball that then spread to the wall and carpeting of the plane, yet he remained in his seat "expressionless, completely blank," Tukel said.
Four passengers restrained him and helped put out the fire, he added, and AbdulMutallab was escorted up to the first-class section of the plane.
Georgia resident Dimitrios Bessis said he was among the passengers who put out the fire. Michael Zantow, a 20-year Army veteran, was another of those who tried to restrain the suspected bomber.
Within a minute of the loud sound on the plane, a passenger said to AbdulMutallab, "Hey man, your pants are on fire!" Zantow later testified.
The Nigerian native, who in October pleaded guilty to trying to blow up the airplane, is facing the prospect of life behind bars.
U.S. officials say the terror group al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was behind the bombing attempt.
Earlier this week, AbdulMutallab -- who has been acting as his own court representative -- asked U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds to replace attorney Anthony Chambers, who had been advising him.
In a handwritten letter to Edmunds, he said wants a different adviser, preferably a Muslim male attorney, citing that his relationship with Chambers had been strained.
|
[
"Who injured him?",
"What man is saying he was injured",
"How much is a man suing two airlines for?",
"Both airlines declined to do what?",
"What was the man injured doing?",
"Who is he suing?",
"What man is suing two airlines"
] |
[
"\"underwear bomber\"",
"Theophilus Maranga",
"$10 million,",
"comment on the lawsuit.",
"tackled the \"underwear bomber\" during a Detroit-bound flight on Christmas Day in 2009.",
"two airlines",
"Theophilus Maranga"
] |
question: Who injured him?, answer: "underwear bomber" | question: What man is saying he was injured, answer: Theophilus Maranga | question: How much is a man suing two airlines for?, answer: $10 million, | question: Both airlines declined to do what?, answer: comment on the lawsuit. | question: What was the man injured doing?, answer: tackled the "underwear bomber" during a Detroit-bound flight on Christmas Day in 2009. | question: Who is he suing?, answer: two airlines | question: What man is suing two airlines, answer: Theophilus Maranga
|
New York (CNN) -- A New York man suspected in the death of an elderly woman who was set on fire in the elevator of her Brooklyn apartment building over the weekend was arraigned Monday on charges of murder and arson.
Jerome Isaac, 47, is being held without bail, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney's office, and is scheduled to appear in court again on Friday.
He wore a white jumpsuit and did not speak during the arraignment. The left side of his face appeared to be badly burned.
Isaac's attorney requested his client receive medical attention and be placed in protective custody because of the "publicity and the nature of the offense."
Isaac is accused of attacking 73-year-old Deloris Gillespie. He told police Gillespie owed him $2,000 for work he claims he did for her, said NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne. He turned himself in to police overnight Saturday or early Sunday morning.
Neighbors said the woman was returning home to her fifth-floor apartment in Prospect Heights after a grocery store trip Saturday.
A preliminary investigation showed Isaac standing outside the elevator on the fifth floor and attacked the woman as she was attempting to exit, authorities said. The incident was caught on surveillance cameras inside and outside the elevator, and police have the videotapes, Browne said.
Authorities believe Isaac initially sprayed the woman with a flammable liquid, presumably gasoline, and continued to spray her as he followed her back into the elevator, Browne said. The woman was first sprayed in the face, he said.
Then, using "one of those long lighters that you would use for a grill, he lit a Molotov cocktail and used the burning leg on top of that to ignite her body," Browne said.
The suspect stepped out of the elevator, threw the Molotov cocktail inside, then returned again to spray more liquid on the woman as she burned, he said.
"This is as bad as it gets," Browne told CNN's Don Lemon.
Authorities responding to a 911 call of a fire found the woman's body inside the elevator. She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.
Isaac lived about 10 minutes away from Gillespie's apartment building, Brown said. After the incident, he apparently returned home and ignited the door to his own apartment, he said.
He was concerned he had burned himself in the second incident, although no one else was injured, Browne said. He then hid out on a rooftop for a while and fell asleep, later going into a police station "reeking of gasoline" and telling officers he was responsible for a fire. During questioning, Browne said, he implicated himself in Gillespie's death.
CNN's Jason Kessler contributed to this report.
|
[
"What is Jerome Isaac accused of?",
"What is Isaac accused of doing?",
"What age is Jerome Isaac?",
"What is Jerome Isaac's age?",
"When is he scheduled to be in court?",
"When does Isaac appear in court again?",
"What date is he to appear in court?",
"What is Jerome Isaac charged with?",
"When was this crime committed?"
] |
[
"attacking 73-year-old Deloris Gillespie.",
"attacking 73-year-old Deloris Gillespie.",
"47,",
"47,",
"Friday.",
"Friday.",
"Friday.",
"murder and arson.",
"Saturday."
] |
question: What is Jerome Isaac accused of?, answer: attacking 73-year-old Deloris Gillespie. | question: What is Isaac accused of doing?, answer: attacking 73-year-old Deloris Gillespie. | question: What age is Jerome Isaac?, answer: 47, | question: What is Jerome Isaac's age?, answer: 47, | question: When is he scheduled to be in court?, answer: Friday. | question: When does Isaac appear in court again?, answer: Friday. | question: What date is he to appear in court?, answer: Friday. | question: What is Jerome Isaac charged with?, answer: murder and arson. | question: When was this crime committed?, answer: Saturday.
|
New York (CNN) -- A New York medical examiner's office said Saturday that a body discovered this week along a remote stretch of Long Island beach was that of Shannan Gilbert, the missing New Jersey woman whose disappearance led investigators to 10 sets of human remains and the hunt for a possible serial killer.
Gilbert, 24, vanished in May 2010 after visiting a client. The Jersey City resident, police said, had advertised for prostitution services on websites such as Craigslist.
Her body was uncovered Tuesday in the wooded marshes of Suffolk County's Oak Beach. The cause of her death has not yet been determined, police said in a statement.
"Our condolences to the Gilbert family and her friends," said Police Commissioner Richard Dormer. "We hope this brings them closure and peace."
Investigators cut through a fresh thicket of brush and bramble along Long Island's southern shoreline earlier this week, expanding their investigation across a recently drained swampland on the barrier island before uncovering Gilbert's remains.
They were found at 9:14 a.m. Tuesday by police divers and detectives riding atop amphibious vehicles, roughly a quarter-mile from where her purse was found a week before.
The purse was discovered near a cell phone, shoes and a pair of jeans, according to investigators.
After Gilbert vanished last year, the hunt for her led police seven months later to four bodies stuffed in bushes along a quarter-mile stretch of Ocean Parkway in Oak Beach.
All four were later identified as women and, like Gilbert, had advertised for prostitution services online.
The bodies were found in various stages of decomposition.
Additional remains were later uncovered in neighboring Gilgo Beach and in Nassau County, about 40 miles east of New York City.
Unlike other victims found scattered across the two counties, Gilbert is not thought to have been murdered by the suspected serial killer, police have said.
But on Thursday, top law enforcement officials publicly sparred over competing theories in the case.
Dormer has said a single person is likely responsible for the alleged murders.
"The theory is now that we're dealing with one serial killer," he told reporters in November, reiterating his position during a county legislative hearing on Thursday.
Moments later during the same hearing, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota took the stand and rejected Dormer's statement.
"I very very much disagree with that theory," said Spota. "I don't know of anybody who, in the police department, who is actively conducting the investigation who shares that theory.
"Quite frankly, I don't know why there was a unilateral change in theories."
In May, Spota told reporters that a collection of human remains were not believed to be connected to the first four victims.
Dormer, who initially told reporters the bodies could be the work of a killer or multiple killers, later pointed to a similar dumping ground as one common aspect of the investigation that could support the notion of a single killer.
Authorities have sifted through more than 1,000 tips related to the case. But it's unclear whether that has shed any light on an investigation that continues to garner national attention.
In June, police upped the ante in their search for a culprit.
The reward for information leading to an arrest -- once topping out at $5,000 -- was raised five-fold, making it the largest offered in Suffolk County history in an apparent bid to fill out a case that some fear has gone cold.
|
[
"Whose body was found?",
"When did Gilbert disappear?",
"Did Gilbert`s May disappearance led to anything else?",
"What did police say about cause of death?",
"Who's body was discovered?",
"Where were other bodies found?",
"Did Police said anything about the cause of her death?",
"Did Authorities confirm that body found is Shannan Gilbert?"
] |
[
"Shannan Gilbert,",
"May 2010",
"investigators to 10 sets of human remains and the hunt for a possible serial killer.",
"has not yet been determined,",
"Shannan Gilbert,",
"stuffed in bushes along a quarter-mile stretch of Ocean Parkway in Oak Beach.",
"has not yet been determined,",
"along a remote stretch of Long Island beach was"
] |
question: Whose body was found?, answer: Shannan Gilbert, | question: When did Gilbert disappear?, answer: May 2010 | question: Did Gilbert`s May disappearance led to anything else?, answer: investigators to 10 sets of human remains and the hunt for a possible serial killer. | question: What did police say about cause of death?, answer: has not yet been determined, | question: Who's body was discovered?, answer: Shannan Gilbert, | question: Where were other bodies found?, answer: stuffed in bushes along a quarter-mile stretch of Ocean Parkway in Oak Beach. | question: Did Police said anything about the cause of her death?, answer: has not yet been determined, | question: Did Authorities confirm that body found is Shannan Gilbert?, answer: along a remote stretch of Long Island beach was
|
New York (CNN) -- A New York taxi driver pleaded guilty Friday to involvement in a plot to blow up crowded subway trains.
After entering his plea Zarein Ahmedzay delivered a message: "I strongly urge the American people to stop supporting the war against Islam," he said, adding, "I am thankful for myself that I did not do anything to harm anyone but fear someone else will do the same thing."
Prosecutors said Ahmedzay and another man, Adis Medunjanin, conspired with Najibullah Zazi on the attack in mid-September 2009, which authorities thwarted.
Zazi pleaded guilty and has been cooperating with authorities, investigators have said. Medunjanin has pleaded not guilty.
During Ahmedzay's hearing, prosecutors for the first time revealed the names of the two al Qaeda leaders who, officials said, ordered the plot: Saleh al-Somali, head of international operations for al Qaeda, and Rashid Rauf, a key operative.
U.S. officials said both al Qaeda figures were killed in drone in attacks in Waziristan, the tribal region along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Rauf was reported killed in a drone attack in Waziristan in November 2008; al-Somali was reported killed in December 2009, U.S. officials said.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, in a written statement, said the facts disclosed Friday "add chilling details to what we know was a deadly plot hatched by al Qaeda leaders overseas to kill scores of Americans in the New York City subway system in September 2009. This plot, as well as others we have encountered, makes clear we face a continued threat from al Qaeda and its affiliates overseas."
"Prosecution underscores the importance of using every tool we have available to both disrupt plots against our nation and hold suspected terrorists accountable," Holder said.
Ahmedzay previously pleaded not guilty to making false statements to the FBI about the plot.
But Friday, appearing before before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven M. Gold in U.S. District Court, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to use a weapon of mass of destruction against people in the United States; conspiracy to commit murder; and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
Ahmedzay told the court that he, Zazi and a third man traveled to Pakistan in August 2008 to join jihadists fighting in Afghanistan, but they were turned away. But al Qaeda leaders in Pakistan told the group they would be more helpful to the jihad cause if they conducted suicide attacks in New York.
"We discussed the matter amongst ourselves, and we agreed to go forward with the plan," he said. "I personally believed that conducting an operation in the United States would be the best way to end the wars."
At one point, Ahmedzay said, he began to have second thoughts but ultimately committed to the plan. He said his primary input was to develop targets because he was a taxi driver and knew the city well. Eventually, the three settled on an attack on subway trains during the month of Ramadan, but abandoned that plan when they believed law enforcement was watching them.
Ahmedzay concluded his statement to the court with his belief that "Zionist Jews" are "the real enemies of this country" who are "destroying this country from within" and "want a permanent shadow government within the government of the United States."
He faces a sentence of up to life in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced at the end of July.
"Ahmedzay's plea makes clear that he betrayed his adopted country and its people by providing support to al Qaeda and planning to bring deadly violence to New York," said FBI Director Robert S. Mueller in a written statement.
Robert Gottlieb, attorney for Medunjanin, said Friday's developments do not change his client's plans to proceed to trial. "The evidence and the facts as they pertain to him will come out in court," Gottlieb said.
No trial date has been set for Medunjanin.
CNN's Jennifer Rizzo, Susan Candiotti and Terry Frieden contributed to this report.
|
[
"what has he pled guilty to",
"who was killed",
"who pleads guilty?",
"Who were killed in US drone attacks?",
"what names did prosecutors reveal",
"what is he possibly facing?",
"Who revealed the names of two al Qaeda leaders?",
"who was killed in drone attacks?",
"Who pleads guilty to conspiracy and faces a possible life sentence?"
] |
[
"involvement in a plot to blow up crowded",
"al-Somali",
"Zarein Ahmedzay",
"both al Qaeda figures",
"Rashid Rauf,",
"a sentence of up to life in prison.",
"prosecutors",
"Rauf",
"Zarein Ahmedzay"
] |
question: what has he pled guilty to, answer: involvement in a plot to blow up crowded | question: who was killed, answer: al-Somali | question: who pleads guilty?, answer: Zarein Ahmedzay | question: Who were killed in US drone attacks?, answer: both al Qaeda figures | question: what names did prosecutors reveal, answer: Rashid Rauf, | question: what is he possibly facing?, answer: a sentence of up to life in prison. | question: Who revealed the names of two al Qaeda leaders?, answer: prosecutors | question: who was killed in drone attacks?, answer: Rauf | question: Who pleads guilty to conspiracy and faces a possible life sentence?, answer: Zarein Ahmedzay
|
New York (CNN) -- A New York woman releases a deep sigh of relief as she reflects on a court ruling that her spouse will not be torn from her by the looming threat of deportation.
"Now we can make plans, and we have all the time in the world," Cristina Ojeda, 26, tells CNN.
Monday, she received a letter confirming the ruling by Immigration Judge Terry Bain that will allow her wife, Argentina-born Monica Alcota, 36, to stay in the United States, according to the couple's attorney, Lavi Soloway.
Soloway said this is the first time the government had asked an immigration court to close removal proceedings against a spouse in a same-sex couple since the Department of Homeland Security announced November 17 that a "working group" would be reviewing all pending immigration cases.
The group began the process of identifying and closing "low priority" deportation cases three days after Soloway submitted the request to close Alcota's immigration case, the attorney said.
"We're really gratified because we feel that government moved in the right direction in the time we needed," Soloway told CNN.
He made the request to halt deportation based on Alcota's marriage to Ojeda, who is a U.S. citizen, and on Alcota's "strong moral character, family presence, and deep ties to members of the community." Alcota lives with Ojeda in Queens, where she restores antiques.
Until Monday, life for Alcota and Ojeda had been put on hold for two years.
Alcota had been living in the United States for more than 10 years since overstaying her tourist visa, when she was pulled off a Greyhound bus in July of 2009 and taken into a detention center in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Ojeda explained.
Ojeda, a social worker in Queens, traveled two expensive hours by subway, bus, train, and sometimes cab -- there and back every day for three months -- to see Alcota.
"Looking back on those days, we have come so far, we have accomplished something really big," Ojeda said.
The couple was married in Connecticut in 2010, before New York law allowed same-sex marriages.
"We have gone through a really rough road these past two years. The burden was horrible. We never knew what was going to happen," Ojeda said.
"We lived in fear we were going to be torn apart," she told CNN.
While celebrating their success, Ojeda said "the battle is not over."
She told CNN that Alcota's effort to be granted a green card, which was originally denied, now has been submitted for appeal.
"Of course, we will not have full equality until DOMA is gone," the couple said in written statement.
The Defense of Marriage Act bans federal recognition of same-sex marriages. The act also says that states cannot be forced to recognize such marriages performed in other states.
Despite the battle ahead, the happily wed lesbian couple is excited to have their life back.
"At least we have this. We know she is not going to be taken away, we can live our lives a little better, we can do things we haven't been able to do," an emotional Ojeda told CNN between joyous gasps.
The couple is even turning over the idea of renting a new apartment and perhaps getting a new car.
CNN's Kristen Hamill contributed to this report.
|
[
"What threat does a woman in a same-sex marriage no longer face?",
"Who is Monica Alcota as described by others, what are her qualities?",
"What does Cristina Ojeda explain she can now do?",
"What did a court order take away?",
"What does Ojeda say?"
] |
[
"of deportation.",
"\"strong moral character, family presence, and deep ties to members of the community.\"",
"make plans,",
"that her spouse will not be torn from her by the looming threat of deportation.",
"\"Now we can make plans, and we have all the time in the world,\""
] |
question: What threat does a woman in a same-sex marriage no longer face?, answer: of deportation. | question: Who is Monica Alcota as described by others, what are her qualities?, answer: "strong moral character, family presence, and deep ties to members of the community." | question: What does Cristina Ojeda explain she can now do?, answer: make plans, | question: What did a court order take away?, answer: that her spouse will not be torn from her by the looming threat of deportation. | question: What does Ojeda say?, answer: "Now we can make plans, and we have all the time in the world,"
|
New York (CNN) -- A Picasso painting fetched nearly $106.5 million at auction Tuesday, a record for any single work of art, Christie's New York said.
"Nude, Green Leaves and Bust" sold for $106,482,500 to an unidentified telephone bidder, the auction house said in a news release.
"Silence fell over the packed saleroom as Christopher Burge conducted nine minutes of bidding that involved eight clients," it said. "Christie's lead auctioneer took bids from a client in the saleroom as well as those on the phone before the competition settled down to two bidders at the $88 million mark and a one-on-one battle ensued. The final bid was hammered down at 7.32 p.m. at $95 million."
The buyer's premium -- the additional fee paid to the auction house -- took the price of the painting to $106.5 million.
"Nude, Green Leaves and Bust," or "Nu au Plateau de Sculpteur," is from the collection of Los Angeles philanthropist Frances Lasker Brody, who died last November and was the wife of the real estate developer Sidney F. Brody. The collection, amassed primarily during the 1940s and 1950s, had been in the family's home since.
Experts had referred to the 1932 work as "lost" because it had never been published in color. It shows Picasso's muse and mistress, Marie-Therese Walter.
The previous highest price for a work at auction was $104,327,006 paid for "L'Homme Qui Marche I, bronze" (Walking Man 1), 1960, by Alberto Giacometti. It sold during an auction at Sotheby's to an anonymous telephone bidder in February, 2010.
The previous high for a Picasso was $104,168,000 for "Garcon a la Pipe" ("Boy with Pipe"), 1905, in May 2004.
Those who missed a chance to bid on the Picasso can bid on its prior owners' 2.27-acre estate in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. The 11,500-square-foot, five-bedroom, four-staff bedroom house was built in 1950 and is listed at $24.95 million, according to Coldwell Banker Previews International.
|
[
"What does the painting show?",
"What was the previous record?",
"How much did the painting sell for?",
"What painting sold for $106.482,500?",
"Who was Picasso's muse?"
] |
[
"Picasso's muse and mistress, Marie-Therese Walter.",
"$104,327,006",
"$106,482,500",
"\"Nude, Green Leaves and Bust\"",
"Marie-Therese Walter."
] |
question: What does the painting show?, answer: Picasso's muse and mistress, Marie-Therese Walter. | question: What was the previous record?, answer: $104,327,006 | question: How much did the painting sell for?, answer: $106,482,500 | question: What painting sold for $106.482,500?, answer: "Nude, Green Leaves and Bust" | question: Who was Picasso's muse?, answer: Marie-Therese Walter.
|
New York (CNN) -- A Somali suspect in the hijacking of the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama in the Indian Ocean last April has been charged with involvement in two additional hijackings, authorities said Tuesday.
One of the hijacked vessels is still being held hostage, federal prosecutors said in announcing a 10-count indictment filed against Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse. The vessels are identified in court documents as "Ship-1" and "Ship-2."
Under the indictment, Muse faces charges including piracy; seizing a ship by force; kidnapping and hostage taking, along with charges of possessing a machine gun in the commission of other offenses. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. He was to be arraigned on the additional charges Tuesday afternoon in federal court, authorities said.
Muse is accused of participating in the two hijackings before the Maersk Alabama was hijacked April 8, prosecutors said in a statement.
Ship-1 was seized by pirates in March in the Indian Ocean, according to the indictment and a criminal complaint. Authorities say Muse and others "known and unknown" boarded the vessel while armed with guns, threatened its captain and took control, holding the ship's captain and crew hostage.
While on the ship, prosecutors said, Muse aimed a gun at one of the hostages and threatened to kill him. He also showed a hostage what appeared to be an improvised explosive device, the statement said. "Muse placed the IED in the vicinity of the hostage, and indicated that if the authorities came the IED would explode and the hostage would be killed."
In April, Muse and the others left Ship-1 on a small boat, called "the skiff," prosecutors said. When the skiff returned, the ship and the skiff "were made to rendezvous" with another ship, Ship-2.
"The captain of Ship-1 was ordered to pull Ship-1 up to Ship-2. Ship-1 was then attached to Ship-2," according to the statement. "Muse and others held hostage, on board Ship-2, both the captain and the crew of Ship-1 and the captain and crew of Ship-2."
On April 8, Muse and three others left Ship-2 and boarded the Maersk Alabama, the indictment said. Prosecutors allege the four fired shots at the Maersk Alabama before boarding it.
The captain and crew of Ship-2 are still being held hostage, according to the documents. The indictment does not say what happened to Ship-1, its captain or crew.
The Maersk Alabama was attacked about 350 miles off the Somali coast, authorities have previously said. Muse allegedly demanded that the ship be stopped, then he and others allegedly took a life boat and held the captain of the ship -- Capt. Richard Phillips -- hostage on it.
The USS Bainbridge came to the assistance of the vessel, and in radio communications, Muse and the others threatened to kill Phillips if they were not guaranteed safe passage away from the scene, authorities have said.
On April 12, Muse boarded the Bainbridge and demanded safe passage for himself and the others in exchange for Phillips' release, according to a criminal complaint. While he was away from the lifeboat, Navy SEALs shot and killed the three remaining pirates, authorities said. Muse was taken into custody.
"Piracy on the high seas is a threat against the community of nations," Preet Bharara, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in the statement Tuesday. "Today's indictment alleges criminal conduct that extends beyond the attack against the captain and crew of the American-flagged Maersk Alabama. Modern-day pirates who wreak havoc off faraway coasts will be met with modern-day justice in the United States."
The investigation is continuing, Bharara said.
A federal judge ruled in April that Muse could be tried as an adult. His father in Somalia told defense attorneys he was born November 20, 1993, meaning he would have been 15 at the time of the hijackings. However, the prosecution argued otherwise, saying Muse made statements suggesting he was older.
|
[
"Who are new charges filled against?",
"Who is prosecuted in hijackings?",
"who prosecuted in hijackings of two other ships?",
"who killed three pirates?",
"Who faces new charges?",
"who filed against abduwali Abdukhadir Muse?",
"How many pirates were killed?"
] |
[
"Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse.",
"Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse.",
"Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse.",
"Navy SEALs",
"Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse.",
"federal prosecutors",
"three"
] |
question: Who are new charges filled against?, answer: Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse. | question: Who is prosecuted in hijackings?, answer: Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse. | question: who prosecuted in hijackings of two other ships?, answer: Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse. | question: who killed three pirates?, answer: Navy SEALs | question: Who faces new charges?, answer: Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse. | question: who filed against abduwali Abdukhadir Muse?, answer: federal prosecutors | question: How many pirates were killed?, answer: three
|
New York (CNN) -- A country with a Mediterranean climate and sparse snowfall, Israel is seldom considered a viable competitor in winter sports.
So when Roman Zaretsky and his sister Alexandra take the ice in Vancouver on Friday, they will be skating for more than just a medal. The ice dancing pair hope to show the world that Israel can be a fierce competitor, no matter what the season.
For Roman Zaretsky, 27, the weather was never a deterrent and competing in the Winter Games was always the goal.
"I always knew I wanted to be in the Olympics, since I was 10," Zaretsky says.
Zaretsky and Alexandra Zaretsky, 22, who is called Sasha, were taught to skate by their mother when they were young. The siblings began ice dancing, a form of figure skating that focuses more on choreography and draws from the world of ballroom dancing.
"I don't remember a moment of life without skating," Roman Zaretsky said. "In Russia, that was one of the biggest sports and then it kind of became my life slowly. Then we started skating together and it became our life."
The Zaretskys were born in Minsk, Belarus, under the former Soviet Union. Their family decided to leave the country as soon as it was possible and moved to Israel. They settled in Metula, a city near the Lebanese border, which boasts the country's only regulation size ice rink.
Metula held a number of challenges for the two young skaters. The Zaretskys often found themselves with little time on the ice, because they had to share it with other skaters and hockey players, who would come to the rink to practice.
"The ice time was not enough. We had 45 minutes a day and we need much more than that," Sasha Zaretsky said. "Usually one practice here is an hour and a half, so it's not enough to become an Olympic athlete."
Living and practicing so close to Lebanon's border also meant dealing with warfare and instability. They had to evacuate the area several times, and the ice rink itself was bombed three times while they were living there.
Despite the difficulties, the pair continued training under their mother's tutelage until she had taught them everything she knew.
"Our mom was coaching us until we reached the moment where she said, 'OK, I cannot give you anymore,' " Roman Zaretsky said. " 'You need to go somewhere else if you want to move on.' "
So in 2001, when Roman was 17 and Sasha 13, they left home for the United States, where, for the second time in their lives, they had to adjust to a new culture and learn a new language. They decided to settle in New Jersey, one of several East Coast states renowned for its excellent skating coaches.
For the past three years, the Zaretskys have been coached by Galit Chait, a former Olympic ice dancer. Chait has known the siblings for a long time and even helped pave the way for their Olympic appearances.
Along with her partner, Sergei Sakhnovski, Chait competed in Winter Games three times, including the 2002 Winter Olympics where she placed sixth overall.
However, Chait and Sakhnovski did not receive much funding from the Israeli government in the beginning, and Chait's parents often supported them.
"We were the pioneers. We didn't get money until we started placing and getting medals," Chait said. "Roman and Sasha have it a little bit better than we did."
Although funding is still hard to come by, Chait's father, Boris, has provided the majority of the money for the Zaretskys. Training Olympic athletes can bear a hefty price, because there is also a lot of work done off the ice.
In addition to a coach and booking time on the ice, a choreographer, a Pilates trainer, a stretch coach, a weight training coach, a masseuse and a costume designer are necessary.
"It is a project. It's not only money, you become involved
|
[
"Who moved to Israel?",
"Who is representing Israel in ice dancing?",
"where were born transferred to Israel and came to the United States for better training services",
"Who hopes to inspire kids in Israel to take up the sport?",
"Who hope to inspire kids in Israel to take up the sport?",
"Who is representing Israel in ice dancing?"
] |
[
"The Zaretskys",
"Roman Zaretsky and his sister Alexandra",
"Minsk, Belarus,",
"Roman Zaretsky and his sister Alexandra",
"Roman Zaretsky and his sister Alexandra",
"Roman Zaretsky and his sister Alexandra"
] |
question: Who moved to Israel?, answer: The Zaretskys | question: Who is representing Israel in ice dancing?, answer: Roman Zaretsky and his sister Alexandra | question: where were born transferred to Israel and came to the United States for better training services, answer: Minsk, Belarus, | question: Who hopes to inspire kids in Israel to take up the sport?, answer: Roman Zaretsky and his sister Alexandra | question: Who hope to inspire kids in Israel to take up the sport?, answer: Roman Zaretsky and his sister Alexandra | question: Who is representing Israel in ice dancing?, answer: Roman Zaretsky and his sister Alexandra
|
New York (CNN) -- A driver for Naomi Campbell told police that he was assaulted by the supermodel Tuesday, according to the New York Police Department.
NYPD Deputy Commission of Public Information Paul Brown said Campbell left the scene of the alleged assault on Manhattan's East Side on foot. He said police were interested in speaking with her but did not know her whereabouts.
Campbell's spokesman, Jeff Raymond, told CNN in a written statement, "There shouldn't be a rush to judgment. Naomi will co-operate voluntarily, and there is more to the story than meets the eye."
Brown said the 27-year-old male driver pulled over about 3 p.m. in the vicinity of 58th Street and Second Avenue and reported to a traffic agent that he had been assaulted by Campbell. Campbell fled the scene while the traffic agent called for police, Brown said.
The driver told officers that Campbell had struck him in the back of the neck and caused his head to hit the steering wheel, according to police. The driver, who was taken to a local precinct for questioning, had a small bruise and swelling under his right eye, according to police.
The driver had been hired for the day to drive Campbell to a studio in Queens.
Campbell, 39, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge in 2007, admitting she hit her former housekeeper with a cell phone in March of 2005.
In 2000, she pleaded guilty to a 1998 charge of assault against an assistant. And in October 2006, she was arrested again, this time in London, for allegedly attacking her drug counselor.
Last month Campbell admitted on CNN's Connect The World she had been working on controlling her anger after her recent outbursts. "I took a lot of time out," she said. "Everybody has their demons and I had to look in the mirror and face mine.
"Until I did that there was not going to be a change in my life. I didn't want to be the way I was. I'm a work in progress Every day is a new day ... every day I'm learning something new. But I know I'm taking a step forwards and not backwards."
|
[
"What did Campbell's spokesman say?",
"What is model Naomi Campbell accused of?",
"What did Campbell spokesman say?",
"What did the Campbell spokesman say?",
"What did the male diver tell police?",
"What did driver tell police?",
"What did police say Naomi did after the alleged assault?",
"Where did the alleged assault take place?"
] |
[
"\"There shouldn't be a rush to judgment. Naomi will co-operate voluntarily, and there is more to the story than meets the eye.\"",
"assault",
"\"There shouldn't be a rush to judgment. Naomi will co-operate voluntarily, and there is more to the story than meets the eye.\"",
"\"There shouldn't be a rush to judgment. Naomi will co-operate voluntarily, and there is more to the story than meets the eye.\"",
"he was assaulted by the supermodel",
"he was assaulted by the supermodel Tuesday,",
"left the scene",
"Manhattan's East Side"
] |
question: What did Campbell's spokesman say?, answer: "There shouldn't be a rush to judgment. Naomi will co-operate voluntarily, and there is more to the story than meets the eye." | question: What is model Naomi Campbell accused of?, answer: assault | question: What did Campbell spokesman say?, answer: "There shouldn't be a rush to judgment. Naomi will co-operate voluntarily, and there is more to the story than meets the eye." | question: What did the Campbell spokesman say?, answer: "There shouldn't be a rush to judgment. Naomi will co-operate voluntarily, and there is more to the story than meets the eye." | question: What did the male diver tell police?, answer: he was assaulted by the supermodel | question: What did driver tell police?, answer: he was assaulted by the supermodel Tuesday, | question: What did police say Naomi did after the alleged assault?, answer: left the scene | question: Where did the alleged assault take place?, answer: Manhattan's East Side
|
New York (CNN) -- A group of union-backed organizations joined the loosely defined Occupy Wall Street movement again Tuesday, leaving behind the confines of New York's financial district for the posh neighborhoods that dot Manhattan's Upper East Side, according to multiple group representatives.
Crowds also swelled in Lower Manhattan's Zuccotti Park, where demonstrators waved placards and chanted slogans attacking corporate greed and social inequality.
The union-organized march, meanwhile, took protesters past the homes of well-to-do residents like billionaire David Koch, News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch and JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon.
Organizations such as UnitedNY, the Strong Economy for All Coalition, the Working Families Party, and New York Communities for Change were accompanied by protesters typically based in Zuccotti Park, a privately owned park in New York's financial district.
The Upper East Side march was "in support" of the Occupy Wall Street movement, but was not organized by it, said T.J. Helmstetter, a spokesman for Working Families Party, a coalition of New York community and labor groups.
Protesters hopped on the subway, emerging at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street near Central Park, where organizers held a press conference that addressed both New York-centric themes, such as state taxes, and the movement's broader concerns of social inequity.
"We are the 99%," the group chanted, a reference to their insistence that most Americans lack the influence in their country's political and financial affairs enjoyed by the elite 1%.
"I think it's time that these people realize that people are hurting in this country and it's time to reform what's going on in Washington," said New York resident Lenore Silverstein, who attended Tuesday's march.
Emily Monroe , a North Carolina college student and marcher, said the city's wealthiest "are buying billion-dollar apartments and living lavishly, while we are just trying to sustain ourselves."
"The American dream is no longer possible because these people are stealing from the middle class," she told CNN Radio.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, meanwhile, said authorities will defend protesters' right to demonstrate, but he doesn't appreciate "the bashing of all of the hardworking people who live and work here."
"Our city depends on the jobs that the financial services industry provides," Bloomberg said during a news conference in the Bronx.
He added that he didn't understand what the picketing of wealthy and prominent New Yorkers is intended to achieve.
The mayor's comments coincided with a state comptroller report released Tuesday that predicts Wall Street could lose an additional 10,000 jobs by the end of next year, raising the total number of jobs lost in the securities industry since 2008 to 32,000.
Earlier, in Boston, 129 protesters were arrested during a similar demonstration Tuesday, mostly for "unlawful assembly and trespassing," said police spokesman Eddy Chrispin.
The group allegedly blocked traffic and refused to disperse while marching to "areas of the city where they hadn't been previously," he said.
Protesters have been occupying Dewey Square Park in downtown Boston, but expanded to the neighboring Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway on Monday night. Protesters were given a 1:30 a.m. deadline to move back to Dewey Square. Those who did not were arrested.
The nationwide Occupy movement has been largely peaceful, though it has led to some skirmishes with police and arrests. It has also stoked fervent public debate, including among politicians. Democrats have generally offered sympathy for protesters' concerns while several Republicans, among them 2012 presidential candidates Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich, have described the demonstrations as "class warfare."
The movement shows few signs of slowing down. Rallies and marches have been held in numerous towns and cities in recent days, with many more planned.
That includes a "Call to Action Against Banks" planned for Saturday, which New York's Occupy Wall Street announced on its Facebook site.
"No longer will banks take our homes. No longer will banks rob students of our future. No longer will banks destroy the environment. No longer will banks
|
[
"The New York securities sector could lose how many jobs?",
"Who says he doesn't understand what the picketing is intended to achieve?",
"What are the number of jobs",
"What did Bloomberg say",
"People are stealing from whom according to a protester?",
"What do protestors say"
] |
[
"10,000",
"New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg,",
"10,000",
"\"Our city depends on the jobs that the financial services industry provides,\"",
"middle class,\"",
"\"We are the 99%,\""
] |
question: The New York securities sector could lose how many jobs?, answer: 10,000 | question: Who says he doesn't understand what the picketing is intended to achieve?, answer: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, | question: What are the number of jobs, answer: 10,000 | question: What did Bloomberg say, answer: "Our city depends on the jobs that the financial services industry provides," | question: People are stealing from whom according to a protester?, answer: middle class," | question: What do protestors say, answer: "We are the 99%,"
|
New York (CNN) -- A human skull and crossbones, valued at up to $20,000, won't appear at a Christie's auction Friday after another party claimed rights to the remains, the auction house announced.
Yale University's secret Order of Skull and Bones used the skull and crossbones as a ballot box, Christie's said in its advertisement of the item in an auction catalogue. The auction house estimates the 19th century ballot box is worth between $10,000 and $20,000.
The skull, crossbones and accompanying book of Skull and Bones members between 1832 and 1877 were "withdrawn from sale due to a title claim," Christie's said in a statement Friday. The global auctioneer did not say who claimed rights to the items.
Earlier this month, the World Archaeological Congress condemned the sale, calling the sale of human body parts an "affront to human dignity." The group also suggested the skull might be that of a Native American and thus be subject to federal laws protecting Native American remains.
This isn't the first time Skull and Bones has been entangled in a debate over human remains.
The great-grandson of famed Chiricahua Apache warrior Geronimo sued Skull and Bones last year, claiming the society had Geronimo's remains. Historians disagreed on whether the society had ever dug up Geronimo's grave.
The collegiate society has existed since 1832 and has prominent alumni such as former President George W. Bush and his grandfather, Sen. Prescott Bush.
|
[
"What does another party claim rights to?",
"What is used as a ballot box?",
"Which university does this?",
"Who has claimed rights?",
"How much were the skull and crossbones valued at?",
"What did archaeological congress call the sale?",
"What did Yale University use as ballot box?",
"Who calls sale of human remains \"affront to human dignity\"?"
] |
[
"A human skull and crossbones,",
"crossbones",
"Yale",
"another party",
"up to $20,000,",
"\"affront to human dignity.\"",
"the skull and crossbones",
"World Archaeological Congress"
] |
question: What does another party claim rights to?, answer: A human skull and crossbones, | question: What is used as a ballot box?, answer: crossbones | question: Which university does this?, answer: Yale | question: Who has claimed rights?, answer: another party | question: How much were the skull and crossbones valued at?, answer: up to $20,000, | question: What did archaeological congress call the sale?, answer: "affront to human dignity." | question: What did Yale University use as ballot box?, answer: the skull and crossbones | question: Who calls sale of human remains "affront to human dignity"?, answer: World Archaeological Congress
|
New York (CNN) -- A jury has begun deliberating in the case of a Pakistani scientist accused of trying to kill U.S. officers.
The jury began deliberating Monday in the trial of Aafia Siddiqui, who is charged with attempted murder and assault for allegedly shooting at U.S. officers while she was in Afghan custody.
She allegedly shot at two FBI special agents, a U.S. Army warrant officer, an Army captain and military interpreters while she was being held unsecured at an Afghan facility on July 18, 2008.
Authorities said Siddiqui was behind a curtain and fired two shots at the personnel with an officer's rifle, hitting no one. The warrant officer returned fire with a pistol, hitting Siddiqui at least once
Afghan police had arrested her a day earlier outside the Ghazni governor's compound after finding her with bomb-making instructions, excerpts from the "Anarchist's Arsenal," papers with descriptions of U.S. landmarks, and substances sealed in bottles and glass jars, according to a September 2008 indictment.
The indictment said Siddiqui had "handwritten notes that referred to a 'mass casualty attack'" listing several locations in the United States, and "construction of 'dirty bombs.'"
The notes also "discussed various ways to attack 'enemies,' including by destroying reconnaissance drones, using underwater bombs, and using gliders," the indictment said.
"Siddiqui also possessed a computer thumb drive that contained correspondence referring to specific 'cells,' 'attacks' by certain 'cells,' and 'enemies,'" the indictment said. "Other documents on the thumb drive discussed recruitment and training."
Siddiqui -- whom the FBI had sought for several years for suspected ties to al Qaeda -- was extradited to the United States in August 2008.
Since 2003, the whereabouts of Siddiqui -- an American-educated neuroscientist -- had been the source of much speculation. According to Amnesty International, Siddiqui and her three small children were reported apprehended in Karachi, Pakistan, in March 2003, shortly after the FBI issued an alert requesting information about her location.
Several reports indicated that Siddiqui was in U.S. custody after her arrest in Karachi. But in May 2004, then-Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller identified Siddiqui as being among several sought-after al Qaeda members.
|
[
"According to the indictment, what kind of instructions did Siddiqui have?",
"When was Siddiqui extradited to the U.S. from Afghanistan?",
"In what custody was Aafia Siddiqui?",
"What is Siddiqui charged with?",
"Who were sought by F.B.I for years?",
"To where was she extradited?",
"Who were charged with shooting at U.S. officers?",
"What instructions did she have?"
] |
[
"bomb-making",
"August 2008.",
"Afghan",
"attempted murder and assault",
"Siddiqui",
"United States",
"Aafia Siddiqui,",
"bomb-making"
] |
question: According to the indictment, what kind of instructions did Siddiqui have?, answer: bomb-making | question: When was Siddiqui extradited to the U.S. from Afghanistan?, answer: August 2008. | question: In what custody was Aafia Siddiqui?, answer: Afghan | question: What is Siddiqui charged with?, answer: attempted murder and assault | question: Who were sought by F.B.I for years?, answer: Siddiqui | question: To where was she extradited?, answer: United States | question: Who were charged with shooting at U.S. officers?, answer: Aafia Siddiqui, | question: What instructions did she have?, answer: bomb-making
|
New York (CNN) -- A leading Muslim-American group lashed out at the federal government Friday for moving to seize assets -- including four mosques -- that belong to a foundation and a corporation believed linked to Iran.
"The American Muslim and faith communities must not allow houses of worship to become pawns in geopolitical struggles," said Imam Mahdi Bray, executive director of the Muslim American Society's Freedom Foundation. "The tension between the United States and Iran must not be played out in the mosques of America."
Federal prosecutors say their actions against assets belonging to the Alavi Foundation and the Assa Corp., which also include a Manhattan skyscraper, are not an effort to target mosques.
"There are no allegations of any wrongdoing on the part of any of these tenants or occupants," said Yusill Scribner, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York in a written statement Thursday. "The tenants and occupants remain free to use the properties as they have before today's filing."
A senior Justice Department official told reporters that the government is moving against the Iranian landlords of the buildings, not seizing mosques as religious-oriented facilities. The mosques -- in New York, Maryland, California and Texas -- just happen to be among the tenants of the buildings in question, the official said.
But the Muslim American Society's Freedom Foundation called the actions an "unprecedented encroachment of religious freedom."
The group said "it is an abiding concern among the American Muslim community that this action is just the beginning of a backlash after last week's Fort Hood shooting tragedy." A Muslim-American soldier is accused in a Fort Hood, Texas, shooting spree that left 13 people dead and dozens injured.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, another leading Muslim-American group, issued a statement Thursday saying the government's actions may have First Amendment implications.
"Whatever the details of the government's case against the owners of the mosques, as a civil rights organization we are concerned that the seizure of American houses of worship could have a chilling effect on the religious freedom of citizens of all faiths and may send a negative message to Muslims worldwide," said Ibrahim Hooper, the national communications director for the council.
The controversy erupted after prosecutors in New York filed an amended civil complaint seeking forfeiture of all assets of the Alavi Foundation and Assa Corp. They include properties owned by the foundation in several states.
A 36-story office tower in midtown Manhattan is owned by the 650 Fifth Avenue Company, a partnership between Alavi and Assa, the Justice Department said.
The complaint alleges that the Alavi Foundation provided services to the Iranian government and transferred money from 650 Fifth Avenue Company to Bank Melli, Iran's largest state-owned financial entity.
U.S. and European Union officials last year designated Bank Melli as a proliferator for supporting Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and funneling money to the Revolutionary Guard and Quds Force, considered terrorist groups by the United States.
Bank Melli issued a statement last year denying involvement in deceptive banking practices.
Prosecutors allege the properties at issue were "involved in and [were] the proceeds of money laundering offenses," and that the owners violated the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, executive orders and U.S. Department of Treasury regulations.
"As today's complaint alleges in great detail, the Alavi Foundation has effectively been a front for the government of Iran," Preet Bharara, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said on Thursday. "For two decades, the Alavi Foundation's affairs have been directed by various Iranian officials, including Iranian ambassadors to the United Nations, in violation of a series of American laws. The Alavi Foundation's former president remains under investigation for alleged obstruction of justice, and both the criminal and civil investigations are ongoing."
John Winter, a New York lawyer representing the Alavi Foundation, said his client would challenge the complaint. "We're obviously disappointed that the government brought this action because we have been cooperating with the government since this investigation began about a year ago and we intend to
|
[
"What does the group say regarding houses of worship?",
"who has been front for the government of Iran?",
"What accuse Alavi Foundation, Assa Corp.?",
"who is accused of transferring money to Iran?",
"What the Federal prosecutor says?",
"What the group of houses of worship say?"
] |
[
"could have a chilling effect on the religious freedom of citizens of all faiths",
"Alavi Foundation",
"Federal prosecutors",
"Alavi Foundation",
"their actions against assets belonging to the Alavi Foundation and the Assa Corp., which also include a Manhattan skyscraper, are not an effort to target mosques.",
"\"it is an abiding concern among the American Muslim community that this action is just the beginning of a backlash after last week's Fort Hood shooting tragedy.\""
] |
question: What does the group say regarding houses of worship?, answer: could have a chilling effect on the religious freedom of citizens of all faiths | question: who has been front for the government of Iran?, answer: Alavi Foundation | question: What accuse Alavi Foundation, Assa Corp.?, answer: Federal prosecutors | question: who is accused of transferring money to Iran?, answer: Alavi Foundation | question: What the Federal prosecutor says?, answer: their actions against assets belonging to the Alavi Foundation and the Assa Corp., which also include a Manhattan skyscraper, are not an effort to target mosques. | question: What the group of houses of worship say?, answer: "it is an abiding concern among the American Muslim community that this action is just the beginning of a backlash after last week's Fort Hood shooting tragedy."
|
New York (CNN) -- A man federal authorities say is part of a Brooklyn husband-and-wife identity theft team has been charged with killing two of their victims.
Dmitriy Yakovlev, 42, is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. The more serious charges were included in a supserseding indictment unsealed Thursday.
Yakovlev was charged with the murder of Irina Malezhik, a Russian language translator who lived in Brooklyn and worked in the federal courts. She vanished in October 2007.
He also is accused in the slaying of Viktor Alekseyev, who disappeared in December 2005 and whose remains were found in New Jersey in 2006, according to federal authorities.
A third identity theft victim, Brooklyn resident Michael Klein, disappeared in November 2003 and has not been seen since.
In addition to Yakovlev's murder charges, the new indictment charges him and wife Julia Yakovlev, 36, with 17 counts of identity theft, bank fraud, credit card fraud and "effecting fraudulent transactions."
Julie Yakovlev was not charged in connection with the slayings but she has been accused of cashing $40,000 drawn from one victim's account, according to Robert Nardoza, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.
The couple was originally charged in August 2009 with illegally using the identities of three people between 2003 and 2007. Julie Takovlev is free on bail while her husband remains in custody, their attorneys said.
"Identity theft victims usually lose their money," NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said in a statement, "In this case, they allegedly lost their lives, too."
Malezhik was last seen on October 15, 2007, leaving her apartment on a security video camera. Immediately after her disappearance, the couple began withdrawing money and purchasing various items in Malezhik's name, according to court documents.
"I'm skeptical as to the foundation and nature of charges," said Ken Russo, attorney for Dmitriy Yakovlev.
Julia Yakovlev's attorney, Alexei Grosshtern, would only tell CNN that there are "no new charges" against his client. He said any charges in the superseding indictment already existed in August 2009's original indictment.
|
[
"Who is out on bail?",
"What is Yakovlev's age?",
"What is the age of Dmitriy?",
"What is the name of Yakovlev's wife?",
"What is Dmitriy's age?",
"What charges does he face?"
] |
[
"Julie Takovlev",
"42,",
"42,",
"Julia",
"42,",
"17 counts of identity theft, bank fraud, credit card fraud and"
] |
question: Who is out on bail?, answer: Julie Takovlev | question: What is Yakovlev's age?, answer: 42, | question: What is the age of Dmitriy?, answer: 42, | question: What is the name of Yakovlev's wife?, answer: Julia | question: What is Dmitriy's age?, answer: 42, | question: What charges does he face?, answer: 17 counts of identity theft, bank fraud, credit card fraud and
|
New York (CNN) -- A mix of protesters gathered again Friday in cities across the country, decrying a loosely defined list of financial problems and mixing in places with others marking the 10-year anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.
Demonstrators in New York and Washington appeared to congregate over both the Afghan conflict, arguably America's longest war, and in protest against the widening disparities between rich and poor and corporate greed, among other grievances.
New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said an investigation is under way after protesters claimed officers used excessive force when corralling demonstrators earlier this week.
He also noted that demonstrations had cost tax payers $1.9 million in overtime costs for the city's law enforcement.
CNN affiliate stations also broadcast images of crowds that gathered in Austin, Texas, as well as Minneapolis, Minnesota; Seattle, Washington and Atlanta, Georgia.
The activity came a day after President Barack Obama discussed the growing movement, saying demonstrators "are giving voice to a more broad-based frustration about how our financial system works."
Speaking at a White House news conference, Obama also defended the country's financial sector, which has taken the brunt of protesters' criticism, focusing on Wall Street and its regulators' purported role in expanding economic disparities.
"We have to have a strong, effective financial sector in order for us to grow," the president said.
Still, Obama discussed a need to pursue action aimed at improving government oversight and blamed Republican lawmakers for obstructing financial reforms.
Friday marked the 21st day of the grass-roots Wall Street protests.
Demonstrations have erupted in more than a dozen cities throughout the week, ranging from thousands who marched in lower Manhattan Wednesday after receiving support from local unions, to the dozens of college students who staged walkouts at various college campuses.
Open Story: See iReports from the protests.
The movement started in New York and some of the protests there have been marred by scuffles with police.
New York authorities set up at least one vehicle checkpoint as police appeared in larger numbers throughout the financial district Thursday and established a perimeter around Zuccotti Park, which is considered a rallying point for the largely leaderless movement in that city.
"We hope that our message continues to resonate with everyone who has felt disenfranchised by the current state of our country," said Tyler Combelic, a spokesman for the Occupy Wall Street group.
He said they plan to "continue the protest until the message reaches every house in the United States."
The specifics of that message remains largely unclear.
CNN's Susan Candiotti, Carey Bodenheimer, Ross Levitt and Jason Kessler contributed to this report.
|
[
"what ny police says",
"what did the crowds gather for",
"what was the protest about",
"How much has police overtime cost so far?",
"where is wall street"
] |
[
"an investigation is under way after protesters claimed officers used excessive force when corralling demonstrators earlier this week.",
"protests.",
"against the widening disparities between rich and poor and corporate greed,",
"$1.9 million",
"New York"
] |
question: what ny police says, answer: an investigation is under way after protesters claimed officers used excessive force when corralling demonstrators earlier this week. | question: what did the crowds gather for, answer: protests. | question: what was the protest about, answer: against the widening disparities between rich and poor and corporate greed, | question: How much has police overtime cost so far?, answer: $1.9 million | question: where is wall street, answer: New York
|
New York (CNN) -- A mother abducted her eight biological children from a New York foster care agency during an authorized visit, authorities announced Tuesday.
Shanel Nadal, 28, fled with her seven sons and one daughter from the Queens facility on Monday afternoon, police said.
The abducted boys are all apparently named after their biological father, Nephra Payne, 34.
They are Nephra Payne, 11; Nephra Ceo Payne, 10; Nephra John Payne, 9; Nephra Shalee Payne, 6; Nephra Rahsul Payne, 6; Nephra Umeek Payne, 5; and Nephra Yahmen Payne, 4.
The lone girl was identified as Nefertiti Payne, 11 months.
The New York Police Department said Nadal may be traveling with the children's biological father in a black 1996 Chevrolet Suburban with license plate number EXZ5896.
Despite the one-day lag between the abduction and the announcement, New York City's Administration for Children's Services assured the public it had been investigating the incident since it occurred.
"ACS and our foster care agency began working with the NYPD immediately after the mother absconded with the children from a visit at the foster care agency yesterday," the ACS said in a statement.
The statement made no mention of how Nadal escaped or why the children had been placed in foster care.
CNN's Dominique Dodley contributed to this report.
|
[
"Who are the boys named after?",
"What name do the boys share?",
"what did named after their biological father?",
"What did Shanel Nadal do?",
"who is Shanel Nadal?",
"How many children does Nadal have?",
"How many sons are there?",
"What age is Nadal?"
] |
[
"their biological father, Nephra Payne,",
"Nephra Payne,",
"abducted boys",
"abducted her eight biological children",
"A mother",
"eight",
"seven",
"28,"
] |
question: Who are the boys named after?, answer: their biological father, Nephra Payne, | question: What name do the boys share?, answer: Nephra Payne, | question: what did named after their biological father?, answer: abducted boys | question: What did Shanel Nadal do?, answer: abducted her eight biological children | question: who is Shanel Nadal?, answer: A mother | question: How many children does Nadal have?, answer: eight | question: How many sons are there?, answer: seven | question: What age is Nadal?, answer: 28,
|
New York (CNN) -- A new report saying that Iran could be secretly working on a nuclear weapon is a major development, but not one that should lead the U.S. to consider a military strike against the Tehran regime, according to analyst Fareed Zakaria.
The draft report, obtained by CNN and not yet approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors, is the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency's strongest warning yet that Iran could be aiming to build a nuclear bomb.
Zakaria told CNN the report should spur U.S. diplomacy to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons but that talk by commentators outside the U.S. government of a potential military strike against Iran was wrongheaded. "To be casually talking about military action because we're getting frustrated seems to me somewhat dangerous," he said.
Iran's Green Movement of protesters against the regime indicates that waiting could have its benefits, Zakaria said. "At the end of the day, time is not on the side of this regime. It's a dysfunctional regime that has run the economy into the ground, taken a great and open and proud nation and turned it into a kind of paranoid and closed one and which is clearly losing the support of young Iranians by the day."
Zakaria, author and host of CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS," spoke to CNN on Thursday.
CNN: The International Atomic Energy Agency has done a report saying that Iran could be at work on building a nuclear weapon. What do you think that means?
Fareed Zakaria: That's a major development because so far we have not really been able to assess whether Iran has decided definitively that it wants nuclear weapons. We know that it wants a nuclear capacity -- that is clear -- and it wants a large nuclear capacity and one that is robust so that they have multiple production sites.
But it has always seemed as though there were two views within the Iranian leadership. One was that Iran should develop a robust civilian nuclear capability and a robust missile program but that it should not put the two together because that would place it in clear violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. There are clearly others in Iran who believe that Iran should simply have nuclear weapons. ...
This would suggest that the harder line faction within Iran is winning out. We don't know for sure because this is all guesswork frankly. ...
CNN: What's happening with the negotiations?
Zakaria: The Iranians have been playing a very peculiar negotiating game where they sometimes seem interested in negotiating but rarely do they actually engage in good faith. ... They rarely seem to engage in these with a consistent pattern with consistent positions -- which either means the leadership is very divided or they're playing games.
CNN: What's your view about the wisdom of imposing new sanctions?
Zakaria: It probably is the only course available right now since the prospect of engaging with Iran and giving it positive inducements does not seem to be going anywhere. I also think the sanctions that are being talked about are fairly narrow and targeted at particularly the Republican Guard within the regime, which seems to be most powerful faction. And that's the right approach to take. We know that generalized sanctions only hurt the average Iranian, and that is entirely counterproductive.
CNN: What's the impact of the domestic turbulence inside Iran, including the protest movement?
Zakaria: Nobody knows for sure, but it does seem to have confused the situation internally. [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad had made some conciliatory statements on the nuclear issue, which were then attacked by the opposition, and he retracted it, which suggests that he's feeling the pressure. It suggests that there are divisions within the regime, there's some sense of vulnerability. ... It just makes it more difficult to negotiate with them, but it also suggests it may not be the worst thing in the world to wait and watch how this plays out in Iran.
CNN: What do you think about the military option?
Zakaria: The problems with the military option remain what they've always been, and it's a little alarming to
|
[
"What does the draft report say about Iran?",
"What could Iran be secretly working on?",
"Who said the report is a major development?",
"what did zakaria say",
"What is not on the side of the Iranian regime?",
"What does he talk of against Iran?",
"what was the report about"
] |
[
"could be secretly working on a nuclear weapon",
"nuclear weapon",
"Fareed Zakaria.",
"\"To be casually talking about military action because we're getting frustrated seems to me somewhat dangerous,\"",
"Iran's Green Movement of protesters",
"military strike",
"Iran could be secretly working on a nuclear weapon"
] |
question: What does the draft report say about Iran?, answer: could be secretly working on a nuclear weapon | question: What could Iran be secretly working on?, answer: nuclear weapon | question: Who said the report is a major development?, answer: Fareed Zakaria. | question: what did zakaria say, answer: "To be casually talking about military action because we're getting frustrated seems to me somewhat dangerous," | question: What is not on the side of the Iranian regime?, answer: Iran's Green Movement of protesters | question: What does he talk of against Iran?, answer: military strike | question: what was the report about, answer: Iran could be secretly working on a nuclear weapon
|
New York (CNN) -- A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Friday in the case of a former Rutgers University student who allegedly used a web cam to stream footage of his roommate's sexual encounter with another man.
Dharun Ravi faces a 15-count indictment, which includes hate crime charges, in connection with the death of his roommate , Tyler Clementi. Clementi killed himself after the incident, jumping from the George Washington Bridge between New York and New Jersey.
Last month, Ravi turned down a plea deal that would have allowed him to avoid jail time.
"You want to know why he's rejected the plea?" his attorney, Steven Altman, said in December. "Simple principle of law, simple principle of life -- he's innocent. He's not guilty."Ravi is a citizen of India who was studying in the U.S. legally.
The deal offered by Middlesex County prosecutors would have required Ravi, 19, to undergo 600 hours of community service, counseling and to dispose of any information that could identify the man that Clementi was with.
Prosecutors also offered to help Ravi avoid deportation, though they said they could not guarantee it.
A second student charged in the scandal, Molly Wei, 19, reached a plea deal and that requires her testify against Ravi. In May, Wei pleaded not guilty to two counts of invasion of privacy, according to a statement from the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.
Less than a month after Clementi's suicide, President Barack Obama released a taped video message condemning bullying.
|
[
"what would allowed him to avoid jail time",
"When is the trial",
"What is the name of the person on trial?",
"Who will go on trial",
"What has he turned down",
"who will go to trial in February over a 15-count indictment"
] |
[
"a plea deal",
"Friday",
"Dharun Ravi",
"Dharun Ravi",
"a plea deal that would have allowed him to avoid jail time.",
"Dharun Ravi"
] |
question: what would allowed him to avoid jail time, answer: a plea deal | question: When is the trial, answer: Friday | question: What is the name of the person on trial?, answer: Dharun Ravi | question: Who will go on trial, answer: Dharun Ravi | question: What has he turned down, answer: a plea deal that would have allowed him to avoid jail time. | question: who will go to trial in February over a 15-count indictment, answer: Dharun Ravi
|
New York (CNN) -- A spirited and leaderless protest in the Wall Street section of New York has entered its third week, helping to inspire a growing number of demonstrations united in their passion if not necessarily their reasons for hitting the streets.
The hub of the movement, in Lower Manhattan, was abuzz with activity on Sunday as activists continued to vent their frustrations with everything from "corporate greed" to high gas prices to insufficient health insurance.
No single group or person heads the effort, which has adopted the name "Occupy Wall Street." While a "general assembly" is held daily for those gathered -- be it for a few short hours or by camping out long-term -- to discuss the goings-on and work toward a common mission, the stances being touted currently are diverse.
"We've gathered here in this place ... to shape a statement of what it is we want, and how we're going to get to it," said Robert Segal, one of the New York protesters.
Video: Police arrest hundreds of protesters in NYC
The lack of coherent message has not stopped similar efforts from popping up elsewhere in the United States.
"Occupy Chicago," for instance, entered its 10th day on Sunday, a day after an associated website touted "a huge afternoon march."
The motto atop a website for "Occupy Los Angeles," which kicked off Saturday with a march from Pershing Square to City Hall, reads: "The revolution is happening ... It's just not in the news."
There are 34 organizations -- from unions to ethnic organizations to activist groups focused on everything from foreclosure prevention to climate change to justice-related issues -- listed as being involved in a like-minded activist coalition in Boston. This group, which held a festival and march Friday and Saturday and has explicitly targeted Bank of America in recent weeks, states on its website that its aim is to "stop their greed," "fight for an economy that works for all of us" and "build cities that are democratic, just and sustainable."
The website of Seattle demonstrators describes the nationwide effort as "a leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions."
"The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%," the statement continues, referring to what it sees as a sharp divide between the wealthiest Americans and the rest of society.
Most demonstrations thus far have been peaceful and uneventful, though in a few cases they have led to numerous arrests.
The most high-profile such incident came Saturday, when New York police arrested more than 700 protesters who had occupied the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. They were cited for blocking the roadway, authorities said, and eventually released after being given tickets.
The confrontation came as protesters along the road banged drums and chanted, "The whole world is watching" as police moved in.
Paul J. Browne, the deputy commissioner for the New York City Police Department, said they were given "multiple warnings" to stay on the pedestrian walkway and not the main roadway. The incident led to a shutdown of Manhattan-to-Brooklyn bridge traffic for several hours.
Demonstrators have said they take their inspiration from the Arab Spring protests that swept through Africa and the Middle East this year.
The protest campaign -- which uses the hashtag #occupywallstreet on the microblogging site Twitter -- began in July with the launch of a simple campaign website calling for a march and a sit-in at the New York Stock Exchange.
It has gained steam since early September, with crowds taking up residence in a park in New York's financial district and calling for 20,000 people to flood the area for a "few months." In recent weeks, the New York demonstrators have addressed various issues, including police brutality, union busting and the economy.
CNN's Susan Candiotti and Jordana Ossad contributed to this report.
|
[
"What is the park in Lower Manhattan crowded with?",
"What did people say the problem with the movement is?"
] |
[
"activists",
"lack of coherent message"
] |
question: What is the park in Lower Manhattan crowded with?, answer: activists | question: What did people say the problem with the movement is?, answer: lack of coherent message
|
New York (CNN) -- Americans can expect a roaring debate over social issues in the discussion of the next Supreme Court nominee, but in the end, President Obama's choice to succeed Justice John Paul Stevens is likely to be confirmed, CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin says.
Toobin, author of "The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court," said the large Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate gives Obama a strong chance of getting his choice confirmed. He says, though, that the ideologically divided court has undergone a lot of turnover in the past five years, and it's impossible to predict how it will evolve.
Toobin notes that one thing is fairly clear: Obama will probably begin his search for a new justice with the candidates he did not select when he picked Sonia Sotomayor for the court last year.
Toobin spoke with CNN on Friday. Here is an edited transcript.
CNN: What do you think is the most significant role that Justice Stevens played on the court?
Jeffrey Toobin: As the senior associate justice on the court, he had the second most formal authority to assign the writing of opinions after the chief justice, and he was undoubtedly the leader of the liberal wing and a very successful one.
CNN: Now, who will assume that senior associate justice role?
Toobin: The senior associate justice role would be Antonin Scalia now, but he votes with Chief Justice [John] Roberts most of the time. So the senior liberal on the court would now be Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is a less outgoing person than Justice Stevens.
CNN: Do you expect we'll see a marked change in how the court operates?
Toobin: The court doesn't change dramatically in terms of its operations. But as Justice Byron White used to say, "You change one justice, you change the whole court," and I expect that will be true. By Supreme Court standards, the last five years have been a period of enormous turnover. It's not at all clear which side will be ahead when it's all over.
CNN: Do you expect that there's any potential the president's nomination could change the complexion of the court?
Toobin: I am certain the president will nominate someone who is generally sympathetic with Stevens and Obama's own politics, but history shows it's folly to predict with precision exactly how a justice will evolve over decades.
CNN: What do you think are the two or three things that are most important to Obama in making this decision?
Toobin: I think the most important criterion is a justice of integrity and intelligence. The second is a justice who shares his general views about law and the Constitution, and third is someone who can get confirmed.
CNN: What kind of a justice does he need to nominate in order to get a confirmation that is relatively easy?
Toobin: He has 59 Democratic senators, so it's overwhelmingly likely that anyone he nominates will get confirmed. It's important to remember that. By historic standards, this is a very large majority. Yes, it is possible there will be a filibuster, but there has never been a successful filibuster to stop a Supreme Court nominee in the modern era.
CNN: And how important is age as a factor in his decision?
Toobin: I think age is a huge factor, because one of the big appeals of Supreme Court nominations is that they serve for life, and a 49-year-old nominee will likely serve 10 years more than a 59-year-old nominee.
CNN: Of the recent issues that have been before the court and the issues that are coming up, which of them are likely to be raised in the course of the debate over the nomination?
Toobin: There are certain evergreens of constitutional conflict that come up, though nominees rarely address them directly. One is abortion, another is affirmative action, but to be sure, there will be questions about gun rights, there will be questions about the constitutionality of health care reform, and there will always be issues that we ca
|
[
"what does jeffrey toobin say about social issues?",
"who is obama likely to search?",
"who has a majority in senate?",
"what issues will be front and center?",
"Where is Obama's majority?"
] |
[
"Americans can expect a roaring debate over",
"for a new justice",
"Democratic",
"social",
"Democratic"
] |
question: what does jeffrey toobin say about social issues?, answer: Americans can expect a roaring debate over | question: who is obama likely to search?, answer: for a new justice | question: who has a majority in senate?, answer: Democratic | question: what issues will be front and center?, answer: social | question: Where is Obama's majority?, answer: Democratic
|
New York (CNN) -- Among the political threats wielded by Donald Trump in his carnival barker quest for the presidency is that if denied the Republican nomination, he would run as an independent.
As an independent myself, I usually cheer the prospect of any independent campaign. It shakes up the arrogant assumption that our elections are wholly owned subsidiaries of the two major parties and their respective special interests.
But Trump has already burned his bridges with most independent voters by choosing to go full birther and pander to the far right wing of the GOP.
It's a shame because in his purely CEO persona, Trump could have mounted a semi-credible independent campaign. Look at what Ross Perot was able to accomplish with such an appeal nearly 20 years ago or what Mayor Michael Bloomberg has done in New York to date.
An independent candidate running on a proven record of executive leadership, job creation and improving American competitiveness could be a serious presidential candidate this time around. Especially because a new Washington Post/ABC poll shows that 41% of American voters now identify as independents. We are the plurality and provide the balance of power in any election.
Independent voters tend to be closer to Republicans on economic issues and closer to Democrats on social issues. In other words, they are fiscally conservative but socially liberal. They hate hyper-partisanship and special-interest gridlock in Washington, and they have been deficit hawks since at least the days of Perot.
It's perhaps useful to remember that Perot campaigned primarily on reducing the deficit and the debt at a time when America was struggling to get out of a recession and many people thought that Japan was a rising power that would eclipse the United States. Now, many of those same conditions exist, with China taking the place of Japan in the "Rise and Fall of Great Powers" narrative.
But crucially, Perot was decidedly liberal-to-libertarian in his social beliefs. He was avowedly abortion rights and even back then supported gays in the military. The CEO candidate is usually liberated from social issue litmus tests by saying that what people do in their private lives doesn't affect on-the-job performance. A guy such as Trump could embody the old libertarian line, "I want the government out of the boardroom and the bedroom." Many would cheer.
But instead, Trump has done a 180-degree reversal on abortion (like Mitt Romney before him) in the hopes of winning the GOP nomination, because abortion-rights Republicans have become an endangered species despite the endurance of "individual freedom" rhetoric. (We can get into how Barry Goldwater's wife co-founded Arizona Planned Parenthood in the 1930s another time.)
Even worse, he made a strategic decision to pander to the outer reaches of American politics by embracing thoroughly discredited conspiracy theories to drum up support from the fringe. This has succeeded in the short run, compounded by his already high name recognition. But it will hurt both Trump and the GOP in the long run, while nuking any hope he had of appealing to independent voters.
If Trump were to try and run as an independent, he could still win enough votes to poll in the low single digits of the popular vote, as Pat Buchanan did before him. But given his super-rich persona -- now added to his opportunistic endorsement of Obama Derangement Syndrome -- his votes would come entirely out of the Republican nominee's hide, opening the door for President Obama's re-election.
In contrast, Perot's independent campaign won 19% of the popular vote in 1992 -- coming in second in terms of all-time independent presidential candidacies to Theodore Roosevelt's Progressive Party presidential campaign in 1912. They won votes from the vast vital center of the American electorate. Trump would not.
Trump has debased himself and any ideas he had of a political career with the serial idiocies he's articulated in this flirtation with a presidential campaign.
Of course, there will be a cadre of political consultants who encourage him to run because they see dollar signs in their eyes, not because they are thinking of the good of the republic
|
[
"What did Donald Trump do?",
"What rhetoric does he embrace?",
"Who is exploring the prospects?",
"who changed his party enrolment this week",
"What party did he change to?"
] |
[
"burned his bridges with most independent voters",
"\"individual freedom\"",
"Donald Trump",
"Donald Trump",
"independent."
] |
question: What did Donald Trump do?, answer: burned his bridges with most independent voters | question: What rhetoric does he embrace?, answer: "individual freedom" | question: Who is exploring the prospects?, answer: Donald Trump | question: who changed his party enrolment this week, answer: Donald Trump | question: What party did he change to?, answer: independent.
|
New York (CNN) -- An Austrian daredevil is planning to become the first person to break the sound barrier in a free fall, without riding in a vehicle.
This summer in New Mexico, Felix Baumgartner hopes to make the highest, longest and fastest fall ever.
His attempt will take him to an altitude where the atmosphere ends and space begins -- where blood boils at body temperature, and the air temperature could be as low as minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
The first step in the attempt will be riding a helium balloon to an altitude of 120,000 feet above sea level -- almost 23 miles -- higher than anyone has ascended in a balloon before.
Then, wearing a pressurized suit and oxygen tanks, he plans to jump out of his capsule for a five-minute fall back to Earth. Within the first 30 seconds, he expects to be falling faster than the speed of sound, which at that altitude is around 690 miles per hour. Crossing that barrier would mark a new test of the limits of the human body.
"This is what we want to find out: What happens to the human body when it breaks the speed of sound," Baumgartner said. "That's a big question mark."
To increase his chances of survival, his parachute is set to open automatically, even if he's unconscious or spinning so fast his hands are pinned by the G-force. He said his engineers are taking every precaution, testing out the suit in a wind tunnel and providing him with a backup chute, sealed gloves and boots, and an advanced helmet.
"This helmet also has face-shield heating to make sure your visor's not getting fogged up on the way down, because that would be fatal," he said. "If you don't see anything, you can't move anymore. You can't make decisions."
Still, the risk of the unknown remains. "If something happens, it happens fast," he said. "You can never say you're not going to get killed under any circumstances," but "we have a lot of solutions for emergency situations like this."
A chain reaction of events would have to occur before the jump could turn fatal, he said.
A potential benefit from the mission, he said, would be demonstrating that it is possible to return from space without a spacecraft.
"In the future, a lot more tourists will go and travel to space. And if something goes wrong with their spacecraft, they have to return to Earth somehow," he said. "We will show to the world that egress from high altitude is survivable."
The main difference is that Baumgartner will start from a standstill, whereas astronauts in a craft like the space shuttle are traveling at orbital speeds close to 18,000 mph when their re-entry begins.
The previous record for the highest jump has stood for half a century, since it was set in 1960 by Joe Kittinger with the Air Force. He reached an altitude of 102,800 feet, and says it felt like a very distant and hostile place to be.
"You know that right outside of you is a vacuum of space," he said, "and without the protection of that pressure suit, you cannot live. And that's an interesting thought."
Baumgartner, whose attempt is being financed by energy drink maker Red Bull, has enlisted Kittinger as a consultant.
"We have learned a lot from people in the past who tried to break that record, and they all failed," Baumgartner said. "Some of these people got killed."
But he adds, "I think it's human nature, you know. Records are meant to be broken. And I'm a very competitive person. I like the challenge."
|
[
"Who is Felix Baumgartner?",
"What is Baumgartner trying to break",
"In what location will Felix Baumgartner make the epic jump?",
"What is the name of the man who holds the current record, which is 102,800 feet?",
"What is the current record?",
"From how high will Baumgartner jump?"
] |
[
"Austrian daredevil",
"sound barrier",
"New Mexico,",
"Joe Kittinger",
"102,800 feet,",
"120,000 feet"
] |
question: Who is Felix Baumgartner?, answer: Austrian daredevil | question: What is Baumgartner trying to break, answer: sound barrier | question: In what location will Felix Baumgartner make the epic jump?, answer: New Mexico, | question: What is the name of the man who holds the current record, which is 102,800 feet?, answer: Joe Kittinger | question: What is the current record?, answer: 102,800 feet, | question: From how high will Baumgartner jump?, answer: 120,000 feet
|
New York (CNN) -- As snow fell across New York Harbor, Isabel Belarsky clutched her mother, Clara, aboard a passenger ship that puttered toward Ellis Island and wondered what their new lives would bring.
The year was 1930. About a week earlier, the 10-year-old girl from what is now called St. Petersburg, Russia, had embarked on a transatlantic journey with her Ukrainian parents from the French port city of Cherbourg, escaping what she described as Jewish persecution at the start of Joseph Stalin's Soviet Union.
On an island near Manhattan stood the copper colossus that would etch her first memories of the new world.
"It was a wonderful sight," she said of the Statue of Liberty, which marked its 125th anniversary Friday.
The idea for the monument is thought to have been conceived at a 19th-century dinner party among French aristocrats, historians say, who sought to pay tribute to American liberty.
And while the French gift is also widely believed to have at least in part catered to domestic politics, for many, it quickly became a symbol of hope and promise in America's post- Civil War period.
"The arrival on Ellis Island is the fulfillment that you know something good is going to happen to you," said Belarksy, now a 91-year-old widow living in a Russian enclave of Brooklyn, New York.
Her family became part of the more than 12 million immigrants processed through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954, according to the U.S. National Park Service.
Adjacent to Ellis towers Lady Liberty, measuring more than 305 feet from base to torch.
Originally, the statue was supposed to be an Egyptian peasant girl that would have stood at the entrance of Egypt's then-new Suez Canal, but plans would evolve into the Roman goddess who would instead adorn New York Harbor.
"The sculptor, (Frederic) Bartholdi, was very clever," said Edward Berenson, professor of history and director of the Institute of French Studies at New York University.
"He put (the statue) where he did because it's right at the narrows of New York Harbor, so he knew that every boat that came into New York would have to come really close to it.
People felt like they could reach out and touch it," he said.
Inspired perhaps by Egypt's colossal statues during his own travels to Cairo, Berenson noted, Bartholdi sought to build a monument of his own in a tribute to American liberty and its newfound emancipation of the slaves.
The statue rests atop a sculpted wrangling of broken chains on New York's Liberty Island.
Only years later, Berenson argues, did the monument come to symbolize immigration to the broader public, despite the structure's engraved plaque bearing the now-famous poem by Emma Lazarus, asking for the "huddled masses yearning to breathe free."
Like many who made the perilous journey, Belarsky said, she had often wondered what kind of life was waiting for her on the shores behind the monument.
"It was quite frightening," she recalled. "The three of us, my father, my mother and I, wanted for someone to come with money or to tell us what's next."
And though a U.S. law passed six years earlier had largely restricted immigration, her father, Sidor, had managed to secure three tickets to America by way of a talent scout who visited the Leningrad conservatory where he had performed as an opera singer.
"He had such a beautiful voice," she said.
Their travel permit, however, was only temporary.
Sidor had acquired a six-month visa to teach at Brigham Young University, Belarsky said.
The young family would nonetheless settle more permanently in a west Manhattan apartment. And unlike many who eventually returned to their homelands in Europe, the Belarskys decided to leave St. Petersburg -- then known as Leningrad -- behind.
"Authorities were starting to clamp down and consolidate the social state and Soviet power around Stalin," said Fiona Hill, a Russia expert at the Washington-based Brookings Institution. "As
|
[
"What day marks the anniversary",
"what anniversary is it?",
"Friday marks the 125th anniversary of the unveiling of what?",
"What immigrant recalls her passage",
"Who recalls her Ellis Island passage in 1930?"
] |
[
"Friday.",
"Statue of Liberty,",
"Statue of Liberty,",
"Isabel Belarsky",
"Isabel Belarsky"
] |
question: What day marks the anniversary, answer: Friday. | question: what anniversary is it?, answer: Statue of Liberty, | question: Friday marks the 125th anniversary of the unveiling of what?, answer: Statue of Liberty, | question: What immigrant recalls her passage, answer: Isabel Belarsky | question: Who recalls her Ellis Island passage in 1930?, answer: Isabel Belarsky
|
New York (CNN) -- As snow fell across New York harbor, Isabel Belarsky said she clutched her mother, Clara, aboard a passenger ship that puttered toward Ellis Island, and wondered what their new lives would bring.
The year was 1930. About a week earlier, the 10 year-old girl from what is now called Saint Petersburg, Russia, had embarked on a transatlantic journey with her Ukrainian parents from the French port city of Cherbourg, escaping what she described as Jewish persecution at the start of Joseph Stalin's Soviet Union.
On an island near Manhattan stood the copper colossus that would etch her first memories of the new world.
"It was a wonderful sight," she said of the Statue of Liberty, which marks its 125th anniversary Friday.
The idea for the monument is thought to have been first conceived at a 19th century dinner party among French aristocrats, historians say, who sought to pay tribute to American liberty.
And while the French gift is also widely believed to have at least in part catered to domestic politics, for many it quickly became a symbol of hope and promise in America's post- Civil War period.
"The arrival on Ellis Island is the fulfillment that you know something good is going to happen to you," said Belarksy, now a 91-year-old widow living in a Russian enclave of Brooklyn, New York.
Her family became part of the more than 12 million immigrants processed through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954, according to the U.S. National Park Service.
Adjacent to Ellis towers Lady Liberty, measuring more than 305 feet from base to torch.
Originally, the statue was supposed to be an Egyptian peasant girl that would have stood at the entrance of Egypt's then-new Suez Canal, historians say, but plans would later evolve into the Roman goddess that would instead adorn New York harbor.
"The sculptor, (Frederic) Bartholdi, was very clever," said Edward Berenson, professor of history and director of the Institute of French Studies at New York University.
"He put (the statue) where he did because its right at the narrows of New York harbor, so he knew that every boat that came into New York would have to come really close to it.
People felt like they could reach out and touch it," he said.
Inspired perhaps by Egypt's colossal statues during his own travels to Cairo, Berenson added, Bartholdi sought to build a monument of his own in a tribute to American liberty and its new found emancipation of slaves.
The statue rests atop a sculpted wrangling of broken chains on New York's Liberty Island.
Only years later, Berenson argues, did the monument come to symbolize immigration to the broader public, despite the structure's engraved plaque bearing the now famous poem by Emma Lazarus, who asks for the "huddled masses yearning to breathe free."
Like many who made the perilous journey, Belarsky said she had often wondered what kind of life was waiting for her on the shores behind the copper monument.
"It was quite frightening," she recalled. "The three of us, my father, my mother and I, wanted for someone to come with money or to tell us whats next."
And though a U.S. law passed six years earlier had largely restricted immigration, her father, Sidor, had managed to secure three tickets to America by way of a talent scout who visited the Leningrad conservatory where he had performed as an opera singer.
"He had such a beautiful voice," she said.
Their travel permit, however, was only temporary.
Sidor had acquired a six-month visa to teach at Brigham Young University, said Belarsky.
Still, the young family would nonetheless settle more permanently in a west Manhattan apartment. And unlike many who eventually returned to their homelands in Europe, the Belarskys decided to leave Saint Petersburg -- then known as Leningrad -- behind.
"Authorities were starting to clamp down and consolidate the social state and Soviet power around Stalin," said Fiona Hill, a Russia expert at the
|
[
"What was a french gift?",
"What does Friday mark?",
"Friday marks what?",
"What anniversary of the Statue of Liberty will be on friday?",
"From who the Statue of Liberty was the gift?"
] |
[
"Statue of Liberty,",
"its 125th anniversary",
"its 125th anniversary",
"125th",
"French"
] |
question: What was a french gift?, answer: Statue of Liberty, | question: What does Friday mark?, answer: its 125th anniversary | question: Friday marks what?, answer: its 125th anniversary | question: What anniversary of the Statue of Liberty will be on friday?, answer: 125th | question: From who the Statue of Liberty was the gift?, answer: French
|
New York (CNN) -- As the story goes, God spent six days creating the world and then rested on the seventh day. He told the Jewish people to always rest on the seventh day of each week, which was to become known as the Sabbath for them for eternity.
This was before Facebook, Twitter, BlackBerries and iPhones, of course. Adam and Eve didn't have friends who would get upset if texts weren't returned promptly, parents who wanted to know where their children were all the time or bosses who had complete access to their employees via work-issued devices. There is no excuse good enough to ignore the boss, even on a weekend.
But one group is trying to take back the Sabbath: Reboot -- a nonprofit organization aimed at reinventing the traditions and rituals of Judaism for today's secular Jews.
Composed of Internet entrepreneurs, creators of award-winning television shows, community organizers and nonprofit leaders, these "Rebooters" are people who typically have their cell phones glued to their palms. Several of them go so far as to say they have an addiction to their devices.
They pledged to observe 24 hours of freedom from their devices this past weekend: a National Day of Unplugging, lasting from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath.
The day was to launch Reboot's ongoing project, the Sabbath Manifesto. Dan Rollman, a Rebooter and founder of the Universal World Record Database Web site, created the Sabbath Manifesto because he felt that technology was taking over too much of his life.
"There's clearly a social problem when we're interacting more with digital interfaces than our fellow human beings," Rollman said in an e-mail to CNN. "Rich, engaging conversations are harder to come by than they were a few years ago. Our attention spans are silently evaporating."
The Sabbath Manifesto consists of 10 principles. However, people are encouraged to discuss online which principles work and which should be tweaked. As they stand now, the guiding principles are:
1. Avoid technology.
2. Connect with loved ones.
3. Nurture your health.
4. Get outside.
5. Avoid commerce.
6. Light candles.
7. Drink wine.
8. Eat bread.
9. Find silence.
10. Give back.
The National Day of Unplugging specifically promotes the first principle.
Even though Reboot is technically focused on reaching out to hyper-connected Jews, the values behind the Sabbath Manifesto are meant for all denominations, Rollman said.
"We believe that everyone can benefit from a respite from the relentless technology. Unplugging on a weekly basis won't provide a magical solution to these issues, but it's a start ... a chance to catch our breaths, replenish our souls and reconnect with the living, breathing people we love."
It may sound like a nice idea, but how realistic is the concept? Can people live without their beloved technology for 24 hours?
"No," said Chris Maroudis, 22, without missing a beat. "The problem is, I live in Jersey and work here [Manhattan]. I have to contact my friends in Jersey to make plans. I'm not just going to go all the way there and then they're not home."
Some people are able to remember a simpler time before cell phones.
"This is new for me," said 26-year-old Amanda Norman, laughing and waving her BlackBerry. "I remember even before cell phones, when you had to make plans with someone beforehand and meet them there. If you were late, you were late."
Walking around Manhattan, though, it is hard to find people without a phone of any kind in their grasp.
As Nano Paulino, 27, pointed out, everyone in the city is working. The bosses need to stay in touch with you. Asked if he would answer a call from his boss at 10 at night, he said no. Why not? "I'm sleeping!"
His friend, Arnold Diaz
|
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"What did the Sabbath Manifesto founder say about technology?",
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"Who says he felt technology was taking over too much of his life?",
"What should be put away for weekly day of rest?"
] |
[
"\"There's clearly a social problem when we're interacting more with digital interfaces than our fellow human beings,\"",
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"Dan Rollman,",
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question: What did the Sabbath Manifesto founder say about technology?, answer: "There's clearly a social problem when we're interacting more with digital interfaces than our fellow human beings," | question: What is the name of the Sabbath Manifesto founder?, answer: Dan Rollman, | question: What aims to reinvent traditions of Judaism for today's secular Jews?, answer: Reboot | question: Who says he felt technology was taking over too much of his life?, answer: Dan Rollman, | question: What should be put away for weekly day of rest?, answer: devices
|
New York (CNN) -- As the world mourns the untimely conclusion of professional famous person Kim Kardashian's marriage to professional tall person Kris Humphries, how are you coping? Probably not very well, particularly if you watched their televised $20 million wedding (for which they allegedly spent $0 -- various sponsors took care of the costs for this impoverished but hardworking young couple) on August 20. They were so in love.
Sports fans and sex fans alike have shed countless tears over the breakup of a man who bounces a ball for living and a woman who once videotaped herself making sexy time with Brandy's little brother. But while we all acknowledge that Kim and Kris are the greatest living beings on Earth or any other planet, we may not all agree on what lessons to take from this sad state of affairs. Fortunately, as the Voice of My Generation, I'm available to explain the five most important things you and your friends ought to learn from Kim and Kris' impending divorce.
1. Providing $400,000 of Perrier-Jouët at one's wedding does not ensure the success of a marriage.
You need Cristal for that.
2. Fish and relatives stink after three days, but spouses can last 24 times as long.
Have you ever been stuck in a car with your beloved family for more than three hours? It's awful, and you probably love them more than any other folks in the world. Kim and Kris made it work for 72 whole days. That's 1,728 hours of uninterrupted togetherness! Rather than tear them down, let's salute them for their longevity. Considering that they probably ran out of new words after the first day, it's pretty amazing they lasted as long as they did.
3. Contrary to popular belief, it's a bad idea to marry a dude with the same first name as your mom.
Especially when Mom describes herself on Twitter as "MOM, MANAGER, MOMAGER, LOVER OF LIFE, LOVER OF CHRIST."
4. If at first you don't succeed ... you'll probably also fail the second time.
Like many other members of her generation, Kim fell in love and launched a starter marriage that didn't last so long. I'm talking, of course, about her first marriage -- she married producer Damon Thomas when she was 19 and divorced him four years later. Just remember, third time's a charm. Maybe.
5. One's posterior-to-waist ratio does not correlate to one's marriage-to-divorce ratio.
'Nuff said.
And now, let the healing begin.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Sara Benincasa.
|
[
"What will fans not agree on?",
"Who is commenting on the Kardashian/Humphries split?",
"What are the Kardashian/Humphries news?",
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] |
[
"lessons to take from this sad state of affairs.",
"Sara Benincasa.",
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"Kim Kardashian's"
] |
question: What will fans not agree on?, answer: lessons to take from this sad state of affairs. | question: Who is commenting on the Kardashian/Humphries split?, answer: Sara Benincasa. | question: What are the Kardashian/Humphries news?, answer: impending divorce. | question: What couple split up?, answer: Kim Kardashian's
|
New York (CNN) -- Authorities on Sunday released the name of a woman who turned up in New York this month saying she had no memory of her name or family.
She is Kacie Aleece Peterson, 18, of Hansville, Washington, according to Paul Browne, deputy commissioner of the New York Police Department.
Police a day earlier said a CNN viewer in Maryland identified the woman, who was found in Midtown Manhattan on October 9 outside a youth shelter. A photo of Peterson, who had been referred to as Jane Doe, was circulated by police and aired on CNN this week. Authorities didn't release Peterson's name until Sunday.
Browne said Peterson's mother is dead and that her father is heading to New York. CNN affiliate KOMO-TV in Seattle, Washington, reported that her father went to New York on Sunday to bring her home.
The family said it's not the first time she disappeared and then later was found with apparent memory loss, the station reported.
Peterson is from Colville in eastern Washington, KOMO reported. She had been living with a friend in Hansville and attending Kingston High School. The father said the daughter had gone to live temporarily with a friend of her late mother, the station reported.
Scott Wilson, spokesman for the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office, said Peterson was reported missing by her father on October 1, KOMO reported. Detectives later discovered bank activity and other evidence that she was alive, he said.
The woman was found outside Manhattan's Covenant House youth shelter around 12:30 a.m. October 9. The organization said that she was not a resident at the time and did not appear as if she intended to seek refuge at the facility.
A security guard for the shelter noticed the woman walking on the sidewalk near Covenant House and approached her. Finding her unresponsive, he called the New York City Police Department.
Police officers interviewed the woman, but it became clear that she couldn't provide authorities with any information about herself. Police said she was wearing military green camouflage pants, a black shirt and a pair of black sneakers when she was discovered.
The CNN viewer who identified her was familiar with her situation and knew she had been missing this month, police said.
Police said they do not know how she lost her memory.
"I just want to know who I am and what happened to me," the young woman said in a statement previously released by the New York City Administration of Children's Services.
Evan Buxbaum, Susan Candiotti and Vanessa Juarez contributed to the report.
|
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question: What age is Peterson?, answer: 18, | question: Where did the CNN viewer live?, answer: Maryland | question: What did the woman lose?, answer: memory of her name or family. | question: Who identified Peterson?, answer: CNN viewer in Maryland | question: What is the problem with Peterson when she is found?, answer: apparent memory loss, | question: Who identified the woman?, answer: CNN viewer in Maryland | question: Where was Peterson found?, answer: Midtown Manhattan
|
New York (CNN) -- CNN's Lou Dobbs stepped down from his controversial role as an advocacy anchor at the network at the end of his show Wednesday night, saying he plans to seek a more activist role.
"Over the past six months, it has become increasingly clear that strong winds of change have begun buffeting this country and affecting all of us, and some leaders in media, politics and business have been urging me to go beyond the role here at CNN and to engage in constructive problem-solving as well as to contribute positively to a better understanding of the great issues of our day and to continue to do so in the most honest and direct language possible," Dobbs said during his 7 p.m. broadcast.
Dobbs, 64, said he had discussed the issue with CNN President Jonathan Klein, who had agreed to a release from his contract "that will enable me to pursue new opportunities."
In a written statement, Klein called Dobbs "a valued founding member of the CNN family."
"For decades, Lou fearlessly and tirelessly pursued some of the most important and complex stories of our time, often well ahead of the pack," Klein said. "All of us will miss his appetite for big ideas, the megawatt smile and larger-than-life presence he brought to our newsroom, and we're grateful to have known and worked with him over the years.
"With characteristic forthrightness, Lou has now decided to carry the banner of advocacy journalism elsewhere. We respect his decision and wish him, Debi [Dobbs' wife], and his family the very best."
Dobbs, who is the last of the 29-year-old network's original anchors, said he was considering "a number of options and directions."
He cited the growth of the middle class, the creation of jobs, health care, immigration policy, the environment, climate change and the U.S. military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as "the major issues of our time."
But, he said, "Each of those issues is, in my opinion, informed by our capacity to demonstrate strong resilience of our now weakened capitalist economy and demonstrate the political will to overcome the lack of true representation in Washington, D.C. I believe these to be profoundly, critically important issues and I will continue to strive to deal honestly and straightforwardly with those issues in the future." Read Dobbs' full statement about his departure from CNN
Those issues, he added, are defined in the public arena "by partisanship and ideology rather than by rigorous, empirical forethought, analysis and discussion," and he vowed to work to change that.
In an e-mail to CNN staff members, Klein described the parting as "extremely amicable," and said Dobbs' replacement would be announced soon.
Dobbs was with Cable News Network from its initial broadcasts in 1980, acting as chief economics correspondent and host of the business program "Moneyline."
His coverage of the 1987 stock market crash won him the George Foster Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting. That was one of many awards he received while at CNN, including an Emmy for Lifetime Achievement that he received from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2005.
Dobbs left the network in 1999 to found SPACE.com, a Web site devoted to space-related subjects. He returned to the network in 2001 as anchor and managing editor of CNN's Moneyline News Hour, which became Lou Dobbs Tonight. He also acted as lead business news anchor for CNN/U.S. and CNNfn, the forerunner of CNNMoney.
During his second stint at CNN, Dobbs positioned himself as "tough, relentless, independent," lashing out at what he described as the deficiencies and "partisan nonsense" of both major political parties, and injecting advocacy journalism into his coverage of topics ranging from free trade to immigration.
His no-holds-barred, sometimes acerbic style brought him a loyal following, but also attracted controversy both to him and to the network, especially over the subject of illegal immigrants.
Dobbs will continue as anchor of The Lou Dobbs
|
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question: What did Dobbs say he was considering?, answer: "a number of options and directions." | question: What is Dobbs considering?, answer: "a number of options and directions." | question: what is the age of dobbs?, answer: 64, | question: What age is Dobbs right now?, answer: 64, | question: what is the president name?, answer: Jonathan Klein, | question: Who did agree to release him from his contract?, answer: CNN President Jonathan Klein, | question: who will enable dobbs to pursue new opportunities?, answer: CNN President Jonathan Klein,
|
New York (CNN) -- Criminal charges will not be filed against the owner of a chimpanzee that mauled and blinded a Connecticut woman earlier this year, according to Connecticut State's Attorney David Cohen.
At a news conference Monday, Cohen explained that criminal prosecution against Sandra Herold, 77, was not warranted because she was not aware of the risk her pet posed.
On February 16, Herold had called her friend Charla Nash, 55, for help in getting her pet chimpanzee Travis back inside her house after he used a key to escape. When Nash arrived at the Stamford home of her friend, the chimp, who had been featured in TV commercials for Coca-Cola and Old Navy, jumped on her and began biting and mauling her, causing serious injuries to her face, neck and hands. Police shot Travis to halt the attack and he later died of gunshot wounds.
Cohen explained that the dangers of keeping a pet chimpanzee were never fully explained to Herold by the Connecticut State Department of Environmental Protection. While the agency was aware that the chimpanzee was living with Herold, there is no evidence that they ever reached out to her to detail why the primate posed a threat to her and others in the community.
Furthermore, Herold had never had any problems with Travis in the past. Although Travis had escaped once before in 2003 and "wreaked havoc" on the streets of Stamford for a couple of hours, the chimp had never exhibited any violent behavior, especially towards Nash, with whom he had interacted with regularly. Nash, Cohen stated, had specifically been called that day because Herold thought she could help in controlling the escaped chimpanzee.
In the state of Connecticut, criminal prosecution would have to determine that Herold acted recklessly, disregarding the risk that Travis would attack and cause serious injuries to another person. Because of the chimp's familiarity with Nash, his previously placid behavior and the lack of contact by the Department of Environmental Protection, Cohen determined that Herold would not be held criminally responsible for the attack.
"This does not in any way minimize the horror that we all feel with what occurred and with the horrendous injuries suffered," he said. "Our prayers go out to the family and to the victim."
In March, shortly after the attack, the family of Charla Nash filed a lawsuit seeking $50 million in damages from the owner of the primate. The court papers, filed in Stamford Superior Court in Connecticut, alleged that the owner was liable for the attack, negligent and reckless in her ownership of a wild animal.
Following the attack, Nash was transported to the famed Cleveland Clinic, where the nation's first face transplant was performed. In a written statement the Cleveland Clinic said that Nash had lost her nose, upper and lower lips, eyelids and both her hands in the attack, as well as the "bony structures in her mid-face."
The attack has raised questions about whether exotic animals should be kept as pets. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has stated that primates and crocodiles should be added to a state list of animals citizens are not allowed to own.
When asked if there was anything to be learned from the attack, Cohen said, "I think the public will have to draw their own lessons from what was a very tragic incident."
|
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"$50 million in damages"
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question: How much damages did Charla Nash seek?, answer: $50 million | question: What animal mauled and blinded a woman?, answer: chimpanzee | question: What did the chimp do?, answer: blinded a Connecticut woman | question: What would be needed to determine if that owner had acted recklessly?, answer: was not warranted because she was not aware of the risk her pet posed. | question: What is the lawsuit for?, answer: $50 million in damages
|
New York (CNN) -- Dear Mr. President: How good of you, sir, to have personally telephoned two New York heroes whose timely diligence prevented a lunatic from causing a catastrophe in Times Square.
We New Yorkers are happy to hear you called Mr. Lance L. Orton Sr. and Mr. Duane Jackson to thank them for their vigilance. But there is a third vendor, Mr. President, whom you forgot to call. His name is Alioune B. Niass, and he is an immigrant from Somalia who said he was the first person to notice the smoking Nissan Pathfinder.
"I thought I should call 911," Niass later told a reporter, "but my English is not very good and I had no credit left on my phone, so I walked over to Lance, who has the T-shirt stall next to mine, and told him. He said we shouldn't call 911. Immediately he alerted a police officer nearby."
Here in New York, Mr. President, we are not particular about which one of these great New Yorkers saw that deadly car first, alerted the police and prevented a disaster. The Big Apple has a big heart, and the magnificent city of New York has room for plenty of heroes. But we are also very fair people. So we would be grateful if you could kindly call Mr. Niass and thank him for us.
There is another reason besides fairness. Mr. Niass is a Muslim from Somalia, and some of us Muslim-Americans have a suspicion that your staff might not have brought him to your attention because the idea of a Muslim hero in New York does not quite dovetail with the stereotype.
If there is an American of Muslim descent who commits, or tries to commit, a criminal act, as Faisal Shahzad apparently did, we Muslims feel we are all suddenly suspects. We feel we need to explain ourselves. Yet if there is a hero among us whose love for our city does not fit the stereotype, he is ignored. This is not fair, and we believe you, as our president, can do much to alleviate this burden on us and our children.
Imagine millions of Muslim children who go to school across America every day, just like your own children. Imagine how proud they would feel if you were to call Mr. Niass. That pride of place, that we and our children deserve, would go a long way to alleviating the pain of the bigotry and racism that is aimed at us. We too would feel at home here and be even more diligent in safeguarding and protecting our cities from criminal atrocities.
You recall, Mr. President, during your presidential campaign you were, and still are, repeatedly "accused" of being a Muslim -- as if being a Muslim were a crime. We were hoping every time you denied being a Muslim that you would add, "and if I were a Muslim, there is nothing wrong with it."
Finally, it was former Secretary of State Colin Powell who came out and said so when answering people who claimed you are Muslim: "He's a Christian; has always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, 'What if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country?'" We were relieved and grateful.
We, too, Mr. President, are America. We have our share of criminals amongst us, as do any other people. But we are not all terrorists, and we are tired of feeling false guilt or shame every time a criminal among us does something insane and stupid. We are ordinary people -- soldiers and scientists, scholars and students, homemakers and teachers, businessmen and lawyers, physicians and engineers, greengrocers and vendors. And you are our president too.
We who claim Mr. Niass as one of our own also have a dream. We dream that our children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the faith of their forefathers but by the content of their character.
When the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. -- the visionary who said these immortal words I
|
[
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"Who claims to have first spotted the Pathfinder?"
] |
[
"Alioune B. Niass,",
"Mr. Lance L. Orton Sr. and Mr. Duane Jackson",
"Alioune B. Niass,"
] |
question: Who said he was the first to spot pathfinder?, answer: Alioune B. Niass, | question: Who did the president call?, answer: Mr. Lance L. Orton Sr. and Mr. Duane Jackson | question: Who claims to have first spotted the Pathfinder?, answer: Alioune B. Niass,
|
New York (CNN) -- Decades ago, when the Department of Defense was creating the predecessor to today's Internet, one of the main goals was to create a communications system that could endure catastrophic disasters.
The Internet was designed to have no central point of failure, allowing anyone to run his or her own communications channel. This was a system that could withstand a nuclear attack.
Today, the services built on top of that network have done a great job in enabling communications, perhaps none more dramatically than Twitter.
During the days since the Haiti earthquake, the popular social networking and microblogging service has been used for rescue efforts and for fundraising to help stabilize and rebuild the country.
So it was big news when Twitter was offline for 90 minutes Wednesday morning. Technology pundits promptly began hand-wringing -- the weaknesses of having a single point of failure to critical communications had been revealed again! Could we trust Twitter? Did this mean the Web couldn't help us fulfill our most basic obligations to those in need?
Not at all.
There's no reason that organizations or individuals who want to use the Web to relay critical information have to rely on Twitter or Facebook or Google or any other giant of the technology industry in the first place. We've just forgotten a bit about how the Internet was supposed to work.
Rescue organizations and charities should simply be able to use the Web sites they already have to deliver those messages.
And wasn't that the promise of the Web in the first place? Weren't we going to stop relying on individual companies as gatekeepers for communication? When blogs took off a few years ago, wasn't it with the promise that we'd all be able to share our voices without having to ask any company for permission? Why did we give that up?
Maybe it's because they made it look so easy.
Twitter has done an impressive job of growing to handle its enormous number of users, while keeping its service simple. The company has even shown a reassuring sensitivity to the civic and social obligations that come from running such a popular communication service. Companies such as Facebook and Google have stepped up, too. Their hearts appear to be in the right place, and they're doing real work to help people communicate.
But the Web is bigger than any one site or any one social network. In my own work, I run a nonprofit that strives to connect government policymakers to the expertise of ordinary people using the Web.
We'll naturally make great use of Twitter and Facebook and all the other services, but it'd be unforgivable to pick only one of them as a platform for civic engagement. Telling people the only way to talk to the White House is on Facebook is like saying you can only call your senator by using a particular phone company.
And that's the key lesson to learn from Twitter being down while people are depending on it for communication: Some needs are too important to put in the hands of any single company. Communicating in real time about emergency information is clearly one of them.
Fortunately there's good news. Smart inventors have already made cutting-edge technologies that let any site deliver messages with the same immediacy as Twitter or Facebook.
Now the challenge is reminding all of the social institutions, media organizations and government agencies that they need to use their own communications infrastructure just as much as they participate in services such as Twitter and Facebook.
The reality is social networks come and go.
Ten years ago, otherwise-sensible companies were paying millions of dollars to America Online to buy "AOL keywords." These were shortcuts to parts of the AOL service, which dominated U.S. Internet access at the time. In fact, many of us have allowed companies to become intermediaries to all our communications, whether it was AOL 10 years ago or Facebook today.
But we don't need to ask gateways for permission to publish. We can run our own Web sites, at our own Web addresses and keep control over how we communicate.
Think how ludicrous it would seem for someone to
|
[
"What did Anil Dash say the internet was designed for?"
] |
[
"to have no central point of failure,"
] |
question: What did Anil Dash say the internet was designed for?, answer: to have no central point of failure,
|
New York (CNN) -- Diplomacy hasn't worked. Sanctions have achieved little. Relations between Iran and the United States are, at best, chilly. So why not try music?
On Saturday night, for the first time, Iranians were the headline performers at New York City's famed Carnegie Hall. A father and son from Iran led American musicians in a hybrid session of traditional Iranian and classical Western music.
Thirty-year-old Hafez Nazeri told CNN he was pleased to present "another dimension of Iran and Iranian culture to the Western people."
Nazeri, who now lives in the United States, said, "We hear mostly about the other side -- bloodshed, chaos -- and I wanted to be able to present the reality of our culture, which is about peace and love and unity."
Nearly 3,000 people, many of them Persians, flocked to Carnegie Hall for the concert. One patron said, "The message was completely obvious: Love all the way. Peace!"
The Nazeris said it was an honor to be onstage at the historic music center. The younger Nazeri said his music might be able to bridge cultural divides between Iran and the United States.
His father, Shahrem, still lives in Iran. Speaking in Farsi, the man known as the Iranian Pavarotti talked about the demonstrations that followed June's disputed Iranian presidential election.
The tenor said some of the people in the streets are "requesting something, and I think it's important to answer to their requests. The government should answer to their requests and they have to see what their people want."
The Nazeris are two of the few Iranian musicians allowed to freely travel and perform in Iran. Western-style popular music is banned in Iran.
With just a few musicians, they form a rare group, blending Persian traditional themes with Western classical style. It's very simple in presentation: a cello, percussion and an improvised setar -- a Persian instrument like a lute -- played by Hafez Nazeri.
The Nazeris' music is based on the 13th-century Persian poet and philosopher Rumi.
"The idea of the music is to bring unity and to be able to create a music that is not just for Iranians, it's for people from all over the world," the younger Nazeri said.
Rachel Cooper, director of cultural programs and performing arts at the Asia Society, said, "You're seeing the Iranian culture and the Western culture in something that's a kind of hybrid, that I think represents the times that we live in."
The Nazeris receive cultural support from the nonprofit New York-based Asia Society, Cooper told CNN.
"We've been going through this time period where we've been thinking about the Berlin Wall coming down, and throughout that period of the Cold War, cultural relations were always a really important component. So I think that cultural relations -- music in particular -- are a really important part of how we know each other as human beings," Cooper said.
The Nazeris have performed in cities across the United States in recent years.
|
[
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"What is Nazeri's music based on?",
"Where did they played?",
"Where did they play for enthusiastic crowd?",
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] |
[
"at New York City's famed Carnegie Hall.",
"the 13th-century Persian poet and philosopher Rumi.",
"Rumi.",
"Carnegie Hall.",
"Carnegie Hall",
"hybrid session of traditional Iranian"
] |
question: Where did they play on saturday night?, answer: at New York City's famed Carnegie Hall. | question: What is the music based on?, answer: the 13th-century Persian poet and philosopher Rumi. | question: What is Nazeri's music based on?, answer: Rumi. | question: Where did they played?, answer: Carnegie Hall. | question: Where did they play for enthusiastic crowd?, answer: Carnegie Hall | question: What type of music do Hafez Nazeri and Shahrem play?, answer: hybrid session of traditional Iranian
|
New York (CNN) -- Emmy-winning "Golden Girls" actress Rue McClanahan died of a stroke in a New York hospital early Thursday, her manager said. She was 76.
McClanahan, who suffered a cerebral hemorrhage last Monday, was surrounded by family when she died at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, according to manager Barbara Lawrence.
The actress' career began on the New York stage in the 1950s, but her long television career was first boosted when producer Norman Lear cast McClanahan in his hit CBS series "All in the Family" in 1971. She appeared in Lear's "Maude" a year later.
Her most memorable TV role was as Southern belle Blanche Devereaux on "The Golden Girls," which ran from 1985 through 1992. McClanahan won an Emmy for best lead actress in a comedy in 1987.
Betty White is the last surviving member of the four "Golden Girls" stars.
"Rue was a close and dear friend," White said Thursday. "I treasured our relationship. It hurts more than I even thought it would, if that's possible."
Estelle Getty passed away in 2008, and Bea Arthur died last year.
McClanahan requested that no funeral be held for her, but memorial services will be announced for later this summer in New York and Los Angeles, California, Lawrence said.
Fans can pay their respects online, a family statement said.
"Please join us in celebrating Rue's amazing life" by visiting a memorial page established for her on Facebook, the family said.
McClanahan's last comedic TV role was in an episode of Tyler Perry's "Meet the Browns," taped in 2009.
She carried the Devereaux character to three other TV series, including "The Golden Palace," "Empty Nest" and "Nurses."
She was married six times and had one child. Her son, Mark Bish, was born in 1958 during a brief first marriage.
Her present marriage to Morrow Wilson, starting in 1997, was her longest. Her book "My First Five Husbands ... And the Ones Who Got Away" was published in 2007.
McClanahan was born in Healdton, Oklahoma, on February 21, 1934, to parents with Scottish and native American heritage.
CNN's Jack Hannah contributed to this report.
|
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"who won an emmy in 1987?",
"who was a close and dear friend",
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"When did Rue McClanahan win an Emmy?",
"Who is the last surviving \"Golden Girls\" star?",
"who won an emmy",
"whose family at hospital?"
] |
[
"Rue McClanahan",
"\"Rue",
"\"I treasured our relationship. It hurts more than I even thought it would, if",
"\"Rue was a close and dear friend,\"",
"1987.",
"Betty White",
"Rue McClanahan",
"McClanahan,"
] |
question: who won an emmy in 1987?, answer: Rue McClanahan | question: who was a close and dear friend, answer: "Rue | question: What does Betty White say about Rue McClanahan?, answer: "I treasured our relationship. It hurts more than I even thought it would, if | question: what did betty white say, answer: "Rue was a close and dear friend," | question: When did Rue McClanahan win an Emmy?, answer: 1987. | question: Who is the last surviving "Golden Girls" star?, answer: Betty White | question: who won an emmy, answer: Rue McClanahan | question: whose family at hospital?, answer: McClanahan,
|
New York (CNN) -- Evelyn Lauder, a member of the Estee Lauder cosmetic company who helped create the pink ribbon symbol for breast cancer awareness, died Saturday in New York City.
She was 75.
Lauder died from complications of ovarian cancer at her home with her family by her side, the company said.
The Vienna, Austria, native fled Nazi-occupied Europe with her parents, eventually settling in New York City.
As a college freshman, she was introduced to the man she would marry, Leonard A. Lauder, the son of Estee and Joseph Lauder, who co-founded the cosmetics company.
Lauder joined the family business and rose to be senior corporate vice president and head of fragrance development worldwide.
Perhaps best known as an advocate for women's health, Lauder helped to create the pink ribbon, the now ubiquitous symbol for breast cancer awareness.
She is survived by her husband, two sons and five grandchildren.
"My mother carried the torch of our company heritage and the values that were passed to her by my grandmother, Mrs. Estee Lauder," her son, William Lauder, said in a statement.
"My mother and father were life partners as well as business partners. They nurtured the culture and growth of the Estee Lauder companies, and as we grew, my mother was our creative compass and pillar of strength. Together my family and the company celebrate the beautiful person she was."
|
[
"how many grandchildren did she have?",
"What was Evelyn Lauder's cause of death?",
"what did lauder help create?",
"When did Evelyn Lauder die?",
"Lauder helped create the pink ribbon as a symbol of what?",
"What kind of cancer did Evelyn Lauder have?",
"what does evelyn lauder die from?",
"She is survived by her husband and how many sons?",
"Evelyn Lauder died from complications of what?"
] |
[
"five",
"complications of ovarian cancer",
"pink ribbon symbol for breast cancer awareness,",
"Saturday",
"breast cancer awareness,",
"ovarian",
"complications of ovarian cancer",
"two",
"ovarian cancer"
] |
question: how many grandchildren did she have?, answer: five | question: What was Evelyn Lauder's cause of death?, answer: complications of ovarian cancer | question: what did lauder help create?, answer: pink ribbon symbol for breast cancer awareness, | question: When did Evelyn Lauder die?, answer: Saturday | question: Lauder helped create the pink ribbon as a symbol of what?, answer: breast cancer awareness, | question: What kind of cancer did Evelyn Lauder have?, answer: ovarian | question: what does evelyn lauder die from?, answer: complications of ovarian cancer | question: She is survived by her husband and how many sons?, answer: two | question: Evelyn Lauder died from complications of what?, answer: ovarian cancer
|
New York (CNN) -- Every year, beginning with the January birthday celebrations for the Rev. Martin Luther King and moving through Black History Month in February, Americans and others revisit the history, role and significance of the black freedom movement in the United States.
But there is a frequent tendency to misrepresent the lessons of that movement and apply them to other social movements overseas in a way that misses the mark. This has been happening increasingly with the historical lessons that are being misapplied to the Palestinian freedom movement.
It has become almost a cliché, yet people, including Irish rocker Bono, continue to wield King's name when they bemoan the alleged absence of his like among the Palestinians. It seems no matter what Palestinian activists do, they are condemned as terrorists.
Whether they are engaged in armed struggle or nonviolent direct action, it does not matter: Palestinian activists are often portrayed as extremists who threaten life and property. The obvious exceptions are those Palestinians who are prepared to accept whatever terms the United States insists upon for the resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The recent arrests of Palestinian human rights activists Jamal Juma', Abdallah Abu Rahma, Ibrahim Amirah and Mohammed Othman are prime examples. Juma' and Othman were imprisoned without charge, Amirah faces charges of incitement, organizing illegal demonstrations, and stone-throwing, and Abu Rahma is confronted with a charge of "illegal weapons possession," apparently because a protest sign he created included a spent tear gas canister
In fact, they were imprisoned (Juma' was released on January 12 and Othman on January 13 after he was held nearly four months) not for firing missiles or ambushing Israeli troops, but for protesting what the International Court of Justice has called the illegal Israeli separation wall that carves up the West Bank and places Palestinian communities in an existence that recalls South African apartheid.
The systematic detention of such leaders has been condemned by Amnesty International, but the U.S. public is unlikely to get even a hint that the Israeli government is furthering its efforts to smash dissent in the occupied territories.
These recent crackdowns make even more ironic the hope expressed by Bono last month in The New York Times "that people in places filled with rage and despair, places like the Palestinian territories, will in the days ahead find among them their Gandhi, their King, their Aung San Suu Kyi." As a commenter on his column noted, these people exist today and have existed within the Palestinian movement. They are just in jail ... or dead.
Bassem Abu Rahme, for example, was killed by a teargas canister fired at close range by an Israeli soldier on April 17 while taking part in one of the weekly nonviolent protests that are regularly met with tear gas, billy clubs, rubber bullets and the threat of arrest.
I believe that Bassem, like many others, was following in Gandhi's path.
While it is certainly true that some of the protests by Palestinians are violent, the same could be said of the anti-colonial protests that took place on the Indian subcontinent against the British at the time of Gandhi. Gandhi certainly preached nonviolent direct action, yet there were others within the independence movement that advocated forceful courses of action.
Nevertheless, smearing or repressing all protests in the name of moving against those who use violence is disingenuous, a point well understood when viewing other freedom struggles, whether the Indian independence movement or the black freedom struggle in the United States. In fact, this repression becomes a means not of suppressing violence, but of suppressing all resistance to injustice. This is experienced today by the Palestinian movement.
Its objectives are caricatured and maligned by Israel in order to make the repression easier.
In this period -- from King's birthday through the celebrations and discussions that take place during Black History Month -- it is useful to recall similar treatment King and other freedom fighters endured, and reflect on the true lessons from his life and struggles that are relevant to the Palestinian struggle and its hopes for a lasting peace.
Despite King's acceptance now in mainstream circles, he was first and foremost a troublemaker in the cause of justice
|
[
"What did Amnesty International denounce?",
"What country is he talking about?"
] |
[
"systematic detention of such leaders has been condemned",
"United States."
] |
question: What did Amnesty International denounce?, answer: systematic detention of such leaders has been condemned | question: What country is he talking about?, answer: United States.
|
New York (CNN) -- Faisal Shahzad made a practice run in Manhattan the day before he allegedly tried to blow up a car bomb in Times Square, according to a law enforcement source with knowledge of his questioning.
Last Friday, Shahzad drove his white Isuzu from Connecticut through Times Square, where he staked out potential locations for the following night's planned attack, the source said. He then parked the Isuzu several blocks away from Times Square, though the precise location was unclear, and took a train back to Connecticut, the source said.
On Saturday night, with his recently acquired Nissan Pathfinder loaded with his makeshift explosives, Shahzad drove southbound along Manhattan's East River on FDR Drive to the 49th Street exit, the source said.
Shahzad then pulled over and reached into the Pathfinder's rear compartment where he attempted to set into motion the process needed to set off the homemade bomb, the source said.
The source, who did not explain how Shahzad had attempted to set off the bomb, said he then took a number of turns and wound up entering Times Square by driving south down Seventh Avenue. The source said Shahzad told investigators he turned right onto 45th Street toward Eighth Avenue because he saw a place to pull over.
It's unclear why Shahzad left the Pathfinder's engine running and hazard lights blinking.
But because of an incredible goof, Shahzad couldn't use his escape car. He had accidentally left the keys to that vehicle in the Pathfinder that he thought was about to blow up, the source said.
He apparently went to a train station, where he boarded a Metro North train back to Connecticut.
Another law enforcement source said investigators found a train receipt used by Shahzad that is stamped about 7 p.m., a half hour after a witness notified authorities that the car in Times Square was filing with smoke.
Sources say investigators believe he ran to catch the train that pulled out around 7 or 7:15 Saturday night.
The source added that police investigators have discovered a surveillance video of Shahzad walking in Shubert Alley -- which runs between 44th and 45th Streets just west of Broadway -- moments after witnesses saw the smoky SUV. In the video he is wearing a white baseball cap.
Efforts also continued Wednesday to determine what may have motivated Shahzad. An official familiar with the investigation said Wednesday that Shahzad felt Islam was under attack.
Any grudge Shahzad may have held against the United States appears to have developed recently, according to a senior U.S. official who is familiar with the investigation but not authorized to speak publicly.
The investigation has found nothing to indicate that Shahzad had any long-standing grudge or anger toward the United States, the official said.
"What we know is, the dynamic appeared to have changed in the last year," the official said.
Investigators have not determined whether Shahzad had any training from Pakistani groups in anything, the source said.
Additionally, the official suggested, detentions in Pakistan have been carried out to collect information and not because officials had reached any conclusions about their guilt or ties to any groups.
"They are reaching out to people, bringing them in and doing their due diligence, but 'arrest' suggests a strong connection to the guy. While anything is possible, they haven't arrived at any conclusion," the source said.
Authorities in Pakistan have rounded up a number of people for questioning, as U.S. law enforcement sought Wednesday to piece together the actions and motivations of Shahzad.
Iftikhar Mian, the father-in-law of Shahzad, and Tauseef Ahmed, Shahzad's friend, were picked up in Karachi, Pakistan, on Tuesday, two intelligence officials said.
An intelligence source said Wednesday that Muhammed Rehan, an associate of Shahzad, also was detained on Tuesday.
Rehan allegedly was instrumental in making possible a meeting between Shahzad and at least one senior Taliban official, a senior Pakistani official said Wednesday.
The official said that Rehan drove Shahzad on July 7 in a pickup truck to Peshawar, Pakistan. At some point, they headed to the Waziristan region, where they met with one or more
|
[
"where did isuzu drive from day before planned attack?",
"What did officials say?",
"what did official say about the dynamic?",
"who left keys to isizu in pathfinder?",
"What car was driven from connecticut to times square?",
"Who left the keys inside the pathfinder?"
] |
[
"Connecticut through Times Square,",
"The investigation has found nothing to indicate that Shahzad had any long-standing grudge or anger toward the United States,",
"the",
"Shahzad",
"white Isuzu",
"Shahzad"
] |
question: where did isuzu drive from day before planned attack?, answer: Connecticut through Times Square, | question: What did officials say?, answer: The investigation has found nothing to indicate that Shahzad had any long-standing grudge or anger toward the United States, | question: what did official say about the dynamic?, answer: the | question: who left keys to isizu in pathfinder?, answer: Shahzad | question: What car was driven from connecticut to times square?, answer: white Isuzu | question: Who left the keys inside the pathfinder?, answer: Shahzad
|
New York (CNN) -- For Kenny Ortega, Travis Payne and Michael Bearden, "It" is a bittersweet feeling.
The three men expected to be spending their time this summer and fall working on Michael Jackson's concert engagement at London's O2 Arena, which was scheduled to begin in July. Instead, they are talking about Jackson's last days and the new movie about that time, "This Is It."
In an interview, they described "This Is It," the movie that they've made from rehearsal and backstage footage of Jackson, shot just before he died June 25. The film, which has been dominating advance ticket sale outlets, opens wide on Wednesday.
The full movie wasn't screened for critics, with only 12 minutes of footage available to the media before the interviews. But as director Ortega describes it, the film tries to blend backstage footage with the performance to give an inside glimpse of those last days at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
The scenes show the superstar working on his dance moves, figuring out choreography, practicing on stage and running the show. From the clips, there's no question that Jackson was in charge. His physicality is vibrant: At one point, he dances with a troupe of top-notch hoofers and keeps up with all of them. There's no indication of the infirmities that would ultimately take his life.
All three men -- Payne was the show's choreographer and Bearden its music supervisor -- stressed how they wanted this movie to represent the Jackson they knew.
"It was an honor project," Bearden said.
According to Ortega, the film is for the fans. He said he was inundated with e-mails from fans wanting to know just what Jackson had planned for the concerts he would never give.
Above all, they said they were concerned about Jackson's three children. They said that they wanted to make a film that his kids -- Prince Michael, Paris and "Blanket" -- would be able to see in years to come that would make them proud of their father.
Though the men acknowledged a heavy responsibility, there were light moments during the interviews.
Payne and Bearden both smiled as they talked about working for the King of Pop and how he'd try to tell people what he wanted.
"I know you mean well, but ...," Jackson would say as he corrected colleagues, they recalled.
But all of them talked about he emotional toll that making this film has taken on them.
There were "a lot of tissue moments on this film," Bearden said.
Watch a former Jackson guitarist reflect on his career
Ortega added that he didn't know whether he could handle the emotional stress involved in making this movie so quickly.
Ultimately, according to Ortega, the movie proved to be cathartic.
"I thought I'd collapse," Ortega said. "I thought I'll never get through it, it's too hard, it's too soon, but in fact it was healing and helpful."
He hopes Jackson's fans will feel the same way.
|
[
"Who was the production for?",
"Production was for the fans but especially for Jackson's what ?",
"What film is currently dominating ticket sales?",
"What film is dominating advance ticket sales?",
"Was the production more for the fans or Jackson's children?",
"Which Michael Jackson concert film, is dominating advance ticket sales ?"
] |
[
"the fans.",
"three children.",
"\"This Is It,\"",
"\"This Is It,\"",
"kids",
"\"This Is It.\""
] |
question: Who was the production for?, answer: the fans. | question: Production was for the fans but especially for Jackson's what ?, answer: three children. | question: What film is currently dominating ticket sales?, answer: "This Is It," | question: What film is dominating advance ticket sales?, answer: "This Is It," | question: Was the production more for the fans or Jackson's children?, answer: kids | question: Which Michael Jackson concert film, is dominating advance ticket sales ?, answer: "This Is It."
|
New York (CNN) -- For New Yorkers, a gambling fix is now just a subway ride away.
The first casino in New York City opened Friday at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens to thousands of eager gamblers, some waiting hours to get in.
"It was such a hassle to get in, but I'm glad I'm here," said Carmen Beverly, who said she took the subway to the casino from her home in nearby Brooklyn. "Not winning anything yet, but I'm having fun."
The Resorts World Casino hit capacity almost immediately after opening, organizers said. Lines stretched around the building as police struggled to contain hundreds of people hoping for opening-day luck.
Backers of the casino said they hope its close proximity to the airport and the subway will make it a draw for New Yorkers and tourists alike.
It is the first casino to be built in New York City since the state legislature paved the way for its construction during the post-September 11, 2001, economic slump.
"Finally New York gets money," said Helen Alamia, a slots player who said she would no longer travel to out-of-state casinos. "We're giving it to Pennsylvania and Jersey, now New York gets it, I'm very happy."
Because of a technicality in the 2001 law, the casino features only video games, no live dealers.
Nonetheless, Gordon Medenica, director of the New York Lottery, espoused the casino's contribution to state funds.
"This facility will probably increase our video lottery income by 50%," Medenica said. Video lottery is the organization's fastest-growing source of income, he said.
Some customers expressed disappointment that they would not be able to gamble with a live dealer, but most seemed happy just to have a casino nearby.
Billboards for the casino advertise it as being "minutes, not hours away," a clear swipe at the more well-known -- and farther away -- gambling sites of Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Indian reservations such as Foxwoods in Connecticut.
"It's not competition with Las Vegas," said Mike Speller, president of Resorts World Casino. "We are 10 minutes from JFK -- 55 million customers a year come in there. We are 25 minutes from Manhattan -- another 50 million tourists come in there. So we think it's going to be a very, very busy place."
|
[
"What do visitors wait hours to do?",
"who wait hours?",
"What does the casino feature?"
] |
[
"get in.",
"gamblers,",
"only video games,"
] |
question: What do visitors wait hours to do?, answer: get in. | question: who wait hours?, answer: gamblers, | question: What does the casino feature?, answer: only video games,
|
New York (CNN) -- For much of this year, we've read about the Arab Spring uprisings, leading to the downfall of leaders in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. Now, we're facing the prospect of a more fundamental overhaul in western nations: a European Union Winter.
The ongoing fiscal crisis in the eurozone is taking its political toll on the leaders of the troubled economies. One by one, they fall.
In the south, developments are accompanied by drama. Greece's George Papandreou resigned, after two years in office, as a precondition for the creation of a coalition government in Greece. Italy's Silvio Berlusconi, whose fall has been predicted for years because of his business dealings and private life choices, has stepped down.
But the dominoes don't stop with these Mediterranean countries. Nicolas Sarkozy of France faces a close to impossible re-election in the spring. The French are weary of austerity, but their country will continue to have to make cuts in order to withstand market pressures and hope for a return to growth.
Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany is faring badly in the polls as the economy there slows down and the money for bailouts will most likely need to increase. Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, is not even seeking a third term in the November 20 elections. Unemployment is at 21% and the economic downturn there continues.
Regardless of the fates of these leaders, several overriding questions remain.
What will citizens need to understand in order to accept a significant change in lifestyle and prospects? After ousting one set of politicians will they then be willing to go through the pain of more austerity and elusive growth, or will each new government face even stronger opposition? Is there a realistic way out of this financial crisis that does not entail hardship for the people?
Citizens do not appreciate experimentation. They value a clear road map they can understand: It has a beginning, a middle and an end. Conflicting opinions, the residue of a democracy, nonetheless breed confusion and a false sense that somewhere, someone is hiding the easy way out. People then search for scapegoats and saviors, identify conspiracies and blame the powers that be.
Coalition governments alone will not be sufficient for people to get on board. A clear pan-European plan that will unite the continent should be immediately under way.
The largest political groups, such as the European People's Party, the European Socialists, European Liberal Democrats and the Greens, to name a few, must come together with the EU Commission and undertake this challenge.
The commission has been working on economic proposals to address the fiscal crisis and the economic governance in the EU. There are talks about treaty revisions. But there are also, concurrently, discussions about moving to a two-speed Eurozone. This only heightens insecurity and resentment.
But there is some good news.
Many of the unifying elements are already in place. Across the European Union there is consensus on the transition to a low-carbon economy, to create green jobs, protect the environment, invest in education and R&D and to manage resources more efficiently. The EU has treaties binding members together, and over the decades a strong European identity has emerged that helps citizens feel at home throughout the EU and adds value to their national identity and heritage.
Sadly, the current fiscal crisis has wreaked havoc and obscured all these positive policies that helped make Europe what it is today: a modern society that provides political, economic and personal security to its many peoples. Europe has strengthened its democratic institutions, provided funding for its weaker members, incorporated new members after the fall of the Iron Curtain, given voice to its citizens and led the way in reversing the effects of climate change, the greatest challenge of our time. What Europe needs now is more, not less, Europe.
In a world where size matters, Europeans need to re-start the engines and not allow the fiscal crisis or the markets to send them back to the days when borders, national enmities, national currencies and nationalism itself ruled the day. Today's world requires cooperation on
|
[
"Who is asking whether governments will face stronger opposition?",
"What should be underway to unite the continent?",
"What is falling one by one?",
"what will not be sufficient for people?"
] |
[
"citizens",
"clear pan-European plan",
"leaders of the troubled economies.",
"Coalition governments alone"
] |
question: Who is asking whether governments will face stronger opposition?, answer: citizens | question: What should be underway to unite the continent?, answer: clear pan-European plan | question: What is falling one by one?, answer: leaders of the troubled economies. | question: what will not be sufficient for people?, answer: Coalition governments alone
|
New York (CNN) -- Former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was granted bail Thursday after being indicted on charges related to the alleged assault of a maid in his New York hotel Saturday.
"It's a great relief to the family to be able to have him with them," defense attorney Bill Taylor said to reporters outside the courtroom. He said his client would spend Thursday night at the jail on Rikers Island before being released Friday. The next court appearance, an arraignment, is slated for June 6.
Supreme Court Judge Michael Obus granted the bail on the condition that Strauss-Kahn post $1 million in cash, that he also post a bond for $5 million, that he surrender his travel documents and that he submit to home detention.
The announcement came shortly after his indictment on seven criminal charges was announced. They are: two counts of criminal sexual act, two counts of sexual abuse, and one count each of attempt to commit rape, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching.
In the charge of criminal sexual act in the first degree, Strauss-Kahn is accused of having "engaged in oral sexual conduct with an individual ... by forcible compulsion," the indictment says.
"Under American law, these are extremely serious charges," Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance told reporters outside the courtroom. "The defendant was indicted on all the charges presented to the grand jury," he said.
Strauss-Kahn resigned from his IMF post on Wednesday.
As he entered the courtroom for the bail hearing, he looked at his wife, seated in the front row, and smiled.
Strauss-Kahn on Monday had been denied bail, with the criminal court judge saying his attempt to leave the country after the alleged incident made him a flight risk. His lawyer argued Thursday that Strauss-Kahn had been scheduled to leave New York and fly to Paris on Saturday using a ticket he had bought on May 11.
Taylor said Strauss-Kahn had called the Sofitel hotel from John F. Kennedy International Airport to locate his cell phone, which he had left in the hotel, then called a second time as his plane was boarding to request that its delivery be hastened. Instead, police at the airport took him into custody.
Taylor noted that his client resigned his position as IMF chief on Wednesday, and had surrendered his passport and a U.N.-issued travel document.
"In our view, no bail is required," the lawyer said. "He has one interest at this time and that is to clear his name."
Taylor added that Strauss-Kahn had agreed to live with his wife in an apartment in Manhattan after his release.
Prosecutor John McConnell argued the high-profile economist had no right to bail. "While there is presumption of innocence, the proof is substantial and it is growing every day," he said, adding that the forensic evidence is consistent with an attack and the alleged victim has identified Strauss-Kahn as her attacker.
McConnell noted that France does not extradite its own nationals, and said Strauss-Kahn's departure on Saturday from the hotel was in haste, suggesting "something went on in that hotel room."
For his part, Obus said he was solely concerned about ensuring Strauss-Kahn returns to face charges. "We don't want his money," he said. "We just want to make sure he comes back. He has resources to live comfortably in his own country."
As the hearing recessed, Strauss-Kahn blew his wife a kiss.
Meanwhile, Strauss-Kahn's alleged victim, a 32-year-old Guinean maid for the Sofitel hotel, testified before the grand jury on Wednesday, according to an attorney representing her.
"If you've had any experience with someone who has been traumatized by sexual assault, reliving it in your mind is hard enough," attorney Jeffrey Shapiro said on CNN's "American Morning" Thursday. "Having to recount it, even to a therapist, is difficult, much less having to talk about it on the record in front of
|
[
"What did Strauss-Kahn formerly head?",
"who spend his time at rikers island",
"Where will Strauss-Kahn spend Thursday night?",
"What are the bail conditions?",
"What are the conditions of bail?",
"What did Strauss-Kahn resign from?"
] |
[
"International Monetary Fund",
"Dominique Strauss-Kahn",
"at the jail on Rikers Island",
"$1 million in cash, that he also post a bond for $5 million, that he surrender his travel documents and that he submit to home detention.",
"that Strauss-Kahn post $1 million in cash, that he also post a bond for $5 million, that he surrender his travel documents and that he submit to home detention.",
"International Monetary Fund"
] |
question: What did Strauss-Kahn formerly head?, answer: International Monetary Fund | question: who spend his time at rikers island, answer: Dominique Strauss-Kahn | question: Where will Strauss-Kahn spend Thursday night?, answer: at the jail on Rikers Island | question: What are the bail conditions?, answer: $1 million in cash, that he also post a bond for $5 million, that he surrender his travel documents and that he submit to home detention. | question: What are the conditions of bail?, answer: that Strauss-Kahn post $1 million in cash, that he also post a bond for $5 million, that he surrender his travel documents and that he submit to home detention. | question: What did Strauss-Kahn resign from?, answer: International Monetary Fund
|
New York (CNN) -- Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik arrived at the federal prison in Cumberland, Maryland, Monday to begin a 48-month prison sentence, prison authorities said.
Kerik reported to the medium-security facility, which houses some 500 inmates, at approximately 1 p.m. ET, authorities said.
Kerik -- nominated by President George Bush in 2004 to be homeland security adviser, only to later withdraw from consideration -- was sentenced to four years in prison last February. He pleaded guilty to charges including lying to Bush administration officials during his 2004 nomination.
Ed Ross, a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, said Kerik will be expected to perform a number of manual jobs including plumbing, landscaping and food service at the prison, which also has a minimum security camp.
On the eve of his imprisonment, Kerik maintained his prosecution was unjust, and said he had to prepare his two daughters, ages 7 and 10, for his departure.
"Words cannot express my disappointment in the prosecutors and the judge's behavior, and his sentence that followed," Kerik wrote on his blog Sunday.
"I have repeatedly expressed remorse for what I may have done, however, unlike many, I can't remain silent in the face of what I believe has been a gross injustice, which I pray will be remedied by an appellate court."
He said he made his two daughters watch the movie "Rocky Balboa" for the scene in which Sylvester Stallone's character tells his son that the world can be an unfair place but one has to persevere.
"As I prepare to serve my sentence, I have had to likewise prepare Angelina and Celine, my 7- and 10-year-old daughters for what is next to come, and had to teach them that there are times when we are put in situations which are beyond our control and that no matter how undeserved, unsought, or unwanted, we must find the strength, courage, and perseverance to carry on and move forward."
Kerik, 54, pleaded guilty in November to tax fraud and six other felonies. He has been under house arrest in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, since then.
In court papers, prosecutors said Kerik denied to a White House official that there was "any possible concern" about his relationships with contractors involved in renovating his apartment or that he had any financial dealings with prospective city contractors.
Kerik had been scheduled to go to trial on various corruption charges, including allegations that he received and concealed benefits of about $255,000 in renovations to his Riverdale, New York, apartment from a company seeking to do business with the city of New York. He pleaded guilty to that charge and several tax-related counts in November.
Kerik was New York police commissioner from 1998 to 2002, a tenure that included the September 11, 2001, attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center and killed more than 2,700 people.
He spent a brief stint in Iraq training the country's police force after the U.S. invasion in 2003, and President Bush nominated him to be homeland security secretary in 2004.
However, Kerik withdrew from consideration after allegations surfaced that he had employed a nanny with a murky immigration status.
In 2006, he pleaded guilty to accepting tens of thousands of dollars in gifts while working as city corrections commissioner. Under his plea agreement, he paid $221,000 in fines and avoided jail time.
His admission dogged the 2008 presidential campaign of his longtime patron, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who said his endorsement of Kerik had been "a mistake."
Kerik made an unsuccessful appeal for clemency to Bush in 2008, according to court papers released in October.
Kerik's sentence exceeded the 27- to 33-month prison term recommended by federal prosecutors.
"With great power comes great responsibility and comes great consequences," said U.S. District Judge Stephen Robinson during the sentencing on February 18.
Kerik ended his blog post Sunday, saying: "Finally, I can only hope that history will judge me based on my 30 years of public service to our great nation, and not
|
[
"How long is the commissioner sentence ?",
"Who did he plead guilty to lying to?",
"What position did Kerik withdraw from?",
"When was Kerik nominated to homeland security ?",
"What length of sentence did the police commissioner receive?",
"How long was Ex-New York police commissioner sentenced to?",
"What did he plead guilty to?"
] |
[
"48-month",
"Bush administration officials",
"New York City Police Commissioner",
"2004",
"48-month",
"48-month",
"charges including lying to Bush administration officials during his 2004 nomination."
] |
question: How long is the commissioner sentence ?, answer: 48-month | question: Who did he plead guilty to lying to?, answer: Bush administration officials | question: What position did Kerik withdraw from?, answer: New York City Police Commissioner | question: When was Kerik nominated to homeland security ?, answer: 2004 | question: What length of sentence did the police commissioner receive?, answer: 48-month | question: How long was Ex-New York police commissioner sentenced to?, answer: 48-month | question: What did he plead guilty to?, answer: charges including lying to Bush administration officials during his 2004 nomination.
|
New York (CNN) -- Former President Bill Clinton left the hospital Friday morning after doctors performed a procedure to restore blood flow in one of his coronary arteries, longtime friend Terry McAuliffe told CNN.
Clinton, 63, was hospitalized at New York-Presbyterian Hospital's Columbia campus after experiencing brief periods of discomfort in his chest over several days, according to Dr. Allan Schwartz, the hospital's chief of cardiology.
Two stents were used to restore blood flow to a coronary artery Thursday after images revealed that a bypass graft -- part of a quadruple bypass surgery that Clinton underwent in 2004 -- was blocked, Schwartz said.
An electrocardiogram and a blood test showed no evidence of a heart attack, Schwartz said.
"If I know Bill Clinton, he's going to get right back on the phone," McAuliffe, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, told CNN on Friday. "Yesterday as they were wheeling him into the operating room, they literally had to take the phone out of his hand as they were wheeling him in to surgery.
"He was on a conference call dealing with Haiti. And I guarantee you as soon as he gets back today he'll be back on the phone."
Schwartz said the need for the procedure had nothing to do with Clinton's post-bypass diet or exercise, which Schwartz called excellent. Rather, Schwartz said, this is "part of the natural history" of the bypass treatment.
"He really toed the line in terms of diet and exercise. He really followed the program," Schwartz said, adding he told Clinton that he'd be allowed to return to work Monday.
The stents have opened the artery that the blocked bypass graft was supposed to service, Schwartz said. Stents are tiny balloons that are threaded into a patient's heart vessels where they are inflated, pushing plaque against the vessel wall and increasing blood flow.
The graft's blockage isn't unheard of, because that particular type of graft has a 10 percent to 20 percent failure rate after six years, Schwartz said.
However, a bypass graft at a different artery -- the main artery in the front of Clinton's heart -- still looks "pristine," Schwartz said.
"We know from multiple studies that if that bypass is open at this point ... it will remain open," he said.
Stents and chest pain explained
Schwartz said Clinton was up and walking about two hours after Thursday's procedure.
In a written statement, Douglas Band, counselor to the former president, said: "President Clinton is in good spirits and will continue to focus on the work of his foundation and Haiti's relief and long-term recovery efforts."
Clinton's daughter, Chelsea Clinton, and wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, were with him at the hospital Thursday night, Schwartz said.
Hillary Clinton was scheduled to leave Friday on a planned trip to the Middle East, but her departure has been delayed until Saturday, a senior U.S. official said.
Bill Clinton hasn't left the public eye since he departed the White House in 2001, maintaining an active schedule devoted to global philanthropic interests and speeches.
Since the January 12 earthquake that hit Haiti, he has traveled there twice in his latest role as the U.N. special envoy. On February 3, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon placed Clinton in charge of overseeing aid and reconstruction efforts there. Clinton also attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January.
David Gergen, CNN senior political analyst, said Clinton was "exhausted" and had a cold after returning from his second trip to Haiti earlier this month.
Clinton had busy schedule before heart procedure
Clinton's 2004 surgery was performed at the same hospital where he was admitted Thursday. Doctors in 2005 operated again on Clinton to remove scar tissue and fluid that had built up after his bypass surgery.
Dr. Spencer King, president of St. Joseph's Heart and Vascular Institute in Atlanta, Georgia, rejected as outdated suggestions that Clinton needs to slow down.
"This is kind of a
|
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"Thursday",
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] |
question: when was it installed, answer: Thursday | question: What was blocked?, answer: a bypass graft | question: What procedure did he get ?, answer: to restore blood flow in one of his coronary arteries, | question: What happened to him ?, answer: hospitalized at New York-Presbyterian Hospital's Columbia campus after experiencing brief periods of discomfort in his chest over several days, | question: when did they leave hospital, answer: Friday morning | question: Who was in hospital ?, answer: Bill Clinton
|
New York (CNN) -- Hacker group The Script Kiddies successfully hacked another news organization when it logged onto USA Today's Twitter page and posted false statements Sunday evening. USA Today promptly removed the messages and posted a statement about the hack.
Late Sunday evening USA Today posted to its Twitter page:
"@usatoday was hacked and as a result false tweets were sent. We worked with Twitter to correct it. The account is now back in our control."
The Script Kiddies, an offshoot of the hacker group Associated, takes full responsibility on their Facebook page:
"Just Hacked USAToday and made a new Facebook fan page, lost access to the last one."
Twitter responded by saying, "As a policy, we don't comment on individual accounts for privacy reasons."
The Script Kiddies are also responsible for hacking into NBC News' Twitter account the weekend of September 11 and posting fabricated messages about a fresh attack on New York's ground zero. The Script Kiddies also hacked the Fox News Twitter account in July. The group falsely reported that President Barack Obama had been killed.
USA Today was unable to be reached for comment but tweeted this apology late Sunday evening:
"We apologize for any inconvenience or confusion caused to our readers and thank you for reading @usatoday."
|
[
"Who is victim of hacking?",
"who were the hackers?",
"Who else has been hit?",
"What are The Script Kiddies most known for?",
"who was hacked?"
] |
[
"USA Today's",
"The Script Kiddies,",
"NBC News'",
"hacking",
"USA Today's Twitter page"
] |
question: Who is victim of hacking?, answer: USA Today's | question: who were the hackers?, answer: The Script Kiddies, | question: Who else has been hit?, answer: NBC News' | question: What are The Script Kiddies most known for?, answer: hacking | question: who was hacked?, answer: USA Today's Twitter page
|
New York (CNN) -- He was a cold, calculating, "morally depraved" man who spent the last years of his socialite and megaphilanthropist mother's life bilking her fortune to line his pockets.
That's one way to see Anthony Marshall -- and it's the only way, according to the prosecutors who secured a conviction against him for grand larceny and scheming to defraud his mother, Brooke Astor.
Now as the 85-year-old son prepares to be sentenced Monday for his crimes, another portrait of him has emerged -- thanks to close friends and celebrity acquaintances (including Al Roker and Whoopi Goldberg) who sent letters to the court in hopes of saving him from a lengthy prison sentence.
The man prosecutors described during the trial is apparently unrecognizable to many of Marshall's friends and acquaintances.
He was a loyal, churchgoing man, a Purple Heart recipient wounded in Iwo Jima during World War II and a son who tried mightily but could never live up to the high ideals of his socialite mother, according to letters friends submitted to the court.
And now, they say he is a frail and sickly man who has faced extreme humiliation and would essentially be given a death sentence if a judge hands down the maximum sentence allowed.
It will be up to Judge A. Kirke Bartley Jr. to decide how to reconcile the two portraits of Tony Marshall. He faces a minimum one to three years, or as much as eight to 25 years in state prison.
The drastically differing views have only further heightened interest in the case, which during the trial stage was a tabloid feeding frenzy, fostering headlines such as "Bad heir day," "Mrs. Astor's disaster" and "DA's kick in the Astor." The witness list was a virtual "Who's Who" of New York's social elite -- including Henry Kissinger, Graydon Carter, Barbara Walters, Vartan Gregorian and Annette de la Renta.
During the case, prosecutors and witnesses portrayed Marshall as an only son preying on his physically and mentally ill 101-year-old mother.
Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann called the case "disturbing," and said the trial told the story of "how a son, an only son, would stoop so low to steal from his own mother in the sunset years of her life in order to line his own pockets and the pockets of his wife."
His only goal, they said, was to selfishly tap her fortune -- money that prosecutors said Astor intended to donate to ordinary New Yorkers who needed help after she died.
He was convicted of the most serious charges against him -- first-degree grand larceny and scheming to defraud. One of the most serious convictions involved Marshall giving himself a $1 million-a-year raise for handling his mother's affairs, Seidemann said.
During trial testimony, Marshall's lawyers called no character witnesses to come to his defense. So the new letters from friends are the first attempts by those who know him to share what they believe is his true character.
Whoopi Goldberg told a judge in her letter that she met Tony Marshall and his wife, Charlene, 10 years ago when Goldberg moved into a building on the Upper East Side with Frank Langella. Unlike other residents who turned their nose up at her, Goldberg said she became quick friends with the Marshalls. Her interactions with Tony, she wrote, gave her an insight into his relationship with his mother, and in turn taught her about how fame can affect family dynamics.
"I also understand what it must be like for my own daughter to be around my fame," she wrote. "I am not comparing myself to Mrs. Astor, but I've seen how you can be dismissed as not being good enough, or hip enough, and seeing it happen to Tony made me make sure that it didn't happen to my own daughter."
The humiliation and ugliness of the trial was punishment enough and a prison sentence would be unjust, friends argued in the letters.
Marshall's cardiologist, Kenneth W. Franklin, also wrote to urge the judge to consider his age and health in
|
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"Who was convicted of bilking mom Brooke Astor ?",
"What sentence does marshall face?",
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"What is Marshall's age?",
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"Which two people are among those asking for a compassionate sentence?"
] |
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"Anthony Marshall",
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"grand larceny and scheming to defraud his mother,",
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"Al Roker and Whoopi Goldberg)"
] |
question: Who was convicted of bilking mom Brooke Astor ?, answer: Anthony Marshall | question: What sentence does marshall face?, answer: a minimum one to three years, or as much as eight to 25 years in state prison. | question: What was tony marshall convicted of?, answer: grand larceny and scheming to defraud his mother, | question: What is Marshall's age?, answer: 85-year-old | question: What is Marshall's age?, answer: 85-year-old | question: Marshall faces a minimum of how manyyears?, answer: one to three years, | question: Which two people are among those asking for a compassionate sentence?, answer: Al Roker and Whoopi Goldberg)
|
New York (CNN) -- His was the first face of a missing child to appear on the back of a milk carton. Now, nearly 31 years to the day since Etan Patz vanished from a New York street, authorities are reopening his case.
The communications director for Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. confirmed that the office is taking another look at the decades-old mystery.
"It's a case that the district attorney has been aware of since before running for office last year," said Erin Duggan. "Last summer he said he would take a fresh look at the case if he became district attorney. Tuesday he confirmed that the case had been reopened."
Duggan added, "This was the disappearance of a child that gripped the residents of Manhattan and continues to leave many questions unanswered."
Etan was 6 when he disappeared on the morning of May 25, 1979. "It was the first day that he was to walk two blocks from his apartment to the school bus stop," said Lisa R. Cohen, author of "After Etan: The Missing Child Case That Held America Captive."
"He had been wanting to do it by himself, and they gave him permission, literally two short blocks," Cohen said. "And his mother could see the bus stop at the end of the street and she saw parents there, waiting with kids for the bus, and so she let him go."
Etan was never seen alive again.
Jose Antonio Ramos, a convicted child molester, has been identified as a suspect in the disappearance, but has never been charged in connection with the case.
According to Cohen, Ramos initially told investigators that he was "90 percent sure" that a boy he had taken home on that day in 1979 was Etan.
Ramos has since denied making that statement, she said.
Cohen said Etan's father, Stan Patz, contacted her after the news was announced that the prosecutor was reopening the case. "He said, 'Maybe we'll finally get our day court,'" she said.
From families and detectives to people in the missing children movement, this case changed everything, Cohen said.
"Before Etan, parents did not have an image in their mind that something could happen to their children," she said. "And after Etan, they did."
|
[
"What did the district attorney promise to do?",
"Who was the person to be on a milk carton?",
"Whose picture was put on a milk carton?",
"What year did Etan disappear?",
"When did Etan Patz disappear?",
"When did Patz disappear?",
"Who was first pictured on a milk carton for being missing?",
"Is the case being re-opened?"
] |
[
"reopening his case.",
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"Etan Patz",
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"May 25, 1979.",
"May 25, 1979.",
"Etan Patz",
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] |
question: What did the district attorney promise to do?, answer: reopening his case. | question: Who was the person to be on a milk carton?, answer: Etan Patz | question: Whose picture was put on a milk carton?, answer: Etan Patz | question: What year did Etan disappear?, answer: 1979. | question: When did Etan Patz disappear?, answer: May 25, 1979. | question: When did Patz disappear?, answer: May 25, 1979. | question: Who was first pictured on a milk carton for being missing?, answer: Etan Patz | question: Is the case being re-opened?, answer: authorities are reopening his
|
New York (CNN) -- If President Obama had been forthright last week at the health care summit, he would have opened the meeting by stating: "If you have health coverage, under our reform bills you are going to pay more and get less. If you are one of the 45 million elderly or disabled people on Medicare, you are going to get less. There is no such thing as free medical care. Somebody has to pay! And in the end it is you."
Those are the facts! And as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid stated to the Republicans : "...you're entitled to your opinion, but not your own facts."
However, the facts, as the president has found out, are not exactly a compelling message to persuade a reluctant Congress and public to overhaul nearly one-fifth of the nation's economy.
Adding 31 million people (45 million now don't have coverage) to the health care system will cost the taxpayers trillions over time. Many of that uninsured group can't afford health insurance, and if this legislation passes, the government will create an entitlement program to subsidize them. In the end, like the entitlement programs that have gone before them, they will far exceed any cost estimates on the table today.
Just to remind you, Mr. President and members of Congress, the taxpayers have a right to know the full fiscal consequences of this legislation. The United States is spending this year nearly $2.5 trillion on health care. That is 17.3 percent of the U.S. economy and it's rising at a rapid rate. We spent $134 billion more in the past year than in the year before.
To put $2.5 trillion into perspective, that is more money than the federal government received in taxes and revenues this year. The problem is nobody knows (and especially the Congress) what a trillion dollars really means.
A trillion is a million million. Still means nothing to most of us. If you spent a million dollars a day since the birth of Jesus Christ, it wouldn't even equal a trillion. If you stacked up a trillion dollars in dollar bills, it would reach 68,000 miles into the sky, about a third of the way from the Earth to the moon. Those numbers are too big for any of us.
Somebody has to pay for the most expensive health care in the world. Many experts would argue it is also the very best health coverage in the world.
Health care today is paid for by three entities. The government (federal, state and local) pays more than 50 percent of the costs. That is us, the taxpayers.
The insurance companies pay about one-third of the costs. That again is us.
We pay the premiums and the insurance company pools the risk, and distributes our monies back for the medical services. They obviously add an overhead cost as does any business, but it's still our money being paid out.
The third payer is again us. Out-of-pocket reimbursements or additional fees come directly out of our pocket and paycheck.
Health care has changed as dramatically as anything in our society in the last half century. First, we are living longer. In 2007, American men could expect to live 3.5 years longer and women 1.6 years longer than in 1990.
We are long past the days when you walked into a doctor's office and the doctor -- armed only with a stethoscope, blood pressure monitor and a thermometer -- listened to our symptoms and made a diagnosis. Maybe in a rare case an X-ray was called for. We paid our bill and went to the drugstore and got our prescription. There were no MRI's, no heart diagnostic tests, no CT scans or any of the wonder drugs that have extended our lives and in many cases made the quality better.
It's not that people aren't seeing doctors. In the last several years, more than 1.2 billion annual visits to a physician's office have taken place, averaging more than three a year per person.
|
[
"What does Ed Rollins believe President Obama should have explained to the taxpayers regarding the health bill?",
"What percentage of the nation's economy does health care consume according to Ed Rollins?",
"What does Rollins say Obama should have explained?",
"What percent of the economy is consumed by health care?"
] |
[
"pay more and get less.",
"17.3 percent",
"And in the end it is you.\"",
"17.3"
] |
question: What does Ed Rollins believe President Obama should have explained to the taxpayers regarding the health bill?, answer: pay more and get less. | question: What percentage of the nation's economy does health care consume according to Ed Rollins?, answer: 17.3 percent | question: What does Rollins say Obama should have explained?, answer: And in the end it is you." | question: What percent of the economy is consumed by health care?, answer: 17.3
|
New York (CNN) -- In Manhattan's protest hub, the big decisions are made by consensus.
Each day in the privately owned Zuccotti Park, where Wall Street protesters have encamped for more than a month, demonstrators engage in a slow, seemingly cumbersome process of making their voices heard.
The group, which calls itself Occupy Wall Street, arranges in a half-circle inside the city's financial district for what demonstrators say is their General Assembly, listening to the concerns of those who decide to participate before voting on issues thought to affect them all.
Police prevent the use of loudspeakers. So the group, undeterred, instead echoes the voice of whomever is speaking, rendering their comments much more audible to the hundreds that gather each day.
And their topics range: From the practical (such as where to march and when) to the mundane (like concerns about trash collection), nothing reaches a conclusion until almost the entire group agrees.
Wall Street demonstrations start second month
The meetings, meanwhile, have cropped up in other cities, while similar demonstrations have taken hold in dozens of cities nationwide and around the world.
The protesters in Zuccotti Park commonly say it's democracy in action, and it works.
"The idea of a General Assembly -- a place where people can air their grievances against the government -- that does not happen anymore in America," said Lorenzo Serna, a protester and camp volunteer.
"We have created that space here, so I already think we are a success."
But the process can be messy.
At a recent General Assembly meeting in New York, a demonstrator -- unhappy with the agreed-to rules banning drugs and alcohol -- decided he would be disruptive, even announcing his intention to the group.
The group, however, permitted his comments, apparently not wanting to alienate anyone.
Earlier this month, Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, showed up at an Occupy Wall Street demonstration in Atlanta and asked if he could address the crowd. The distinguished civil rights leader wanted to speak to the people in his district, and at first, it looked like he had the support of the group.
But then, one man, while acknowledging Lewis' contributions to society, said the Occupy Wall Street movement is a Democratic process, "in which no singular human being is inherently more valuable than any other human being." That led to a 10-minute group discussion before it was decided by consensus that Lewis should not be allowed to speak.
Blog: 'Occupy' movement goes global
Consensus-building through a group process clearly has its shortcomings. But some experts on the democratic process see it as an effective means to an end.
"Setting an effective group process, we think, is really the only way to move things forward," said Maya Lampson, director of the Leadership New York program at the Coro New York Leadership Center. Coro is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that trains people to be effective, ethical leaders in a Democratic system.
"Having a consensus decision-making process allows for inclusivity and also more of a sense of buy-in and ownership," Lampson said, "so when decisions do get made, things can move forward a little more rapidly."
She has high hopes that the Occupy Wall Street movement will effect change in some way. Marty Linsky does not.
"Because they are committed to this process, what they agree on is becoming more and more abstract," the co-founder of Cambridge Leadership Associates said. His company is often called to help organizations turn a bunch of good ideas and recommendations into action with a positive outcome. He doesn't see that happening with Occupy Wall Street.
"I think that's the danger of this kind of process," Linsky said. "If we say we're going to operate by consensus, which is everybody has to agree, well, the only way you can get everybody to agree when people have different agendas is to agree on something that is so ethereal as to be meaningless."
Linsky warns
|
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] |
question: What are the daily meetings called?, answer: General Assembly | question: What is the name of the protestors group?, answer: Occupy Wall Street, | question: What amount of time has occupy wall street lasted?, answer: more than a month, | question: Whats the group called?, answer: Occupy Wall Street, | question: How long did the protests last for?, answer: more than a month, | question: what do the protesters say, answer: it's democracy in action, and it works. | question: what do the protestors call their daily meetings, answer: General Assembly,
|
New York (CNN) -- In a time of voter anger at unsustainable government spending and Washington hypocrisy, here's a story that should get your blood up.
Last week, the House of Representatives considered eliminating a nearly half-billion dollar earmark that was snuck into a defense authorization bill. But members of both parties voted to keep the corporate pork in the bill -- despite a supposed moratorium on earmarks and despite that the Pentagon has repeatedly said it doesn't want the money.
Only in Washington would bureaucracy be force-fed a project it doesn't want or need.
But so far, we haven't seen this contempt for taxpayer dollars make its way to protest signs or talk radio driven talking points. That's because President Obama opposes the earmark and the Republican congressional leadership voted for it.
This doesn't fit neatly into the hyperpartisan narrative of screaming about socialism -- in which Republicans bewail overspending by Democrats -- but it's a perfect illustration of how deep the dysfunction is in Washington.
At issue is the alternate engine for the Joint Strike Fighter platform, a corporate subsidized boondoggle that has cost taxpayers $1.2 billion in earmarks since 2004. It is estimated to cost at least $2.9 billion more until its completion.
Defenders argue that paying GE and Rolls Royce to develop a second engine for Air Force fighters will stimulate competition in the defense industry and bring down costs in the long run while protecting jobs in the short run.
Critics point out that crony capitalism can't create a true free market in the defense industry -- it's the equivalent of diet hucksters who claim you can eat yourself fitter. This is about money: pork barrel politics hiding under the noble banner of national defense.
Here's how the sordid story unfolded:
An anonymous earmark was added to the defense authorization bill, requesting $485 million in new funds for the alternate engine program, despite a much-ballyhooed moratorium on earmarks going to for-profit entities (agreed to by Democrats), and a total ban on earmark requests agreed to by Republicans for fiscal year 2011.
In reaction, a small bipartisan group of members of Congress -- led by Democrat Chellie Pingree of Maine and Republican Tom Rooney of Florida, joined by Democrat John Larson of Connecticut and Republican Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia -- proposed an amendment to strip the bill of the ugly anonymous earmark. Their principled stand went down to defeat by a vote of 193 to 231.
It's no surprise that in a recession, the congressional representatives of Ohio and Indiana would vote to keep the earmark subsidy in the bill, including the normally stalwart fiscal conservative Mike Pence of Indiana. Those states are benefiting most from the development of the engines in terms of jobs on the ground.
What's more surprising is why so many of their colleagues would climb on this pork-barrel bandwagon, including the Republican congressional leadership led by John Boehner and Eric Cantor, who are trying to build the midterm election campaign around a promise to restore fiscal discipline.
That selling job that should be even tougher since a majority of Democrats voted to kill the alternate engine and a majority of Republicans voted to keep it going.
"This was the first big earmark test for 2010, and Congress failed," said Thomas A. Schatz, the President of Citizens Against Government Waste, which has been a steadfast critic of the alternate engine and recently released a detailed report on the subject.
"Neither party comes out looking good, but Republicans in particular missed a golden opportunity to show that they are really serious about getting government spending under control."
The next chance to stop the half-billion dollar alternate engine earmark is the Senate, when it takes up the defense authorization bill later this month. But even success there from genuine fiscal conservatives such as John McCain could be undone when the bill goes to conference -- it's the Washington way.
The final stop would be a presidential veto, which President Obama has promised, under advice from Defense Secretary Gates.
A half century ago, Republican President Eisenhower warned about the influence of the military-industrial complex.
The former five-star
|
[
"What is the cost of the project?",
"who voted for half a billion dollars for project",
"What did the Pentagon say about the defense spending project?"
] |
[
"$2.9 billion",
"both parties",
"it doesn't want the money."
] |
question: What is the cost of the project?, answer: $2.9 billion | question: who voted for half a billion dollars for project, answer: both parties | question: What did the Pentagon say about the defense spending project?, answer: it doesn't want the money.
|
New York (CNN) -- Investigators suspect arson in a fire that killed five Guatemalan immigrants in Brooklyn, they said Monday.
"People are all concerned and very sad," said Maria Luz de Zyriek, the Guatemalan consul in New York. "This is a horrible tragedy."
Authorities continue to investigate and have not formally determined a cause, the Fire Department of New York said. The blaze damaged a restaurant and apartments in a three-story building in the Bensonhurst neighborhood, Frank Dwyer, a fire department spokesman, has said.
Luisa Chan, a mother of two, died in the blaze, said Mario Alvarado, a member of Jovenes Cristianos -- Christian Youth, a church with about 200 members, most of them Guatemalan immigrants, on 17th Avenue in Brooklyn.
Chan usually attended services on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, Alvarado said. The congregation mourned her on Sunday.
"The service was so quiet," he said.
Are you there? Share your story
Investigators have not publicly identified the victims, but the Guatemalan consul said they were all from the western part of the country. Two were from the state of Totonicapan and three were from the state of Quetzaltenango, she said.
After the fire broke out, Chan managed to get her 2-year-old son to safety, apparently by handing him to someone on the floor below, and threw her 2-month-old daughter toward a passerby, said Alvarado, who said he received that account from someone close to the family.
"Thank God they're safe," he said.
A 2-month-old baby was in critical condition, fire officials said, but the child was not immediately identified; three other people sustained injuries ranging from serious to minor.
Thirteen firefighters sustained minor injuries.
The fire started about 2:30 a.m. Saturday behind a door in one of the apartment units, Dwyer said.
"If somebody starts a fire there intentionally, that would certainly be looking to kill somebody, because there's no way for them to get out," Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano said.
At Chan's church, members in mourning were waiting Monday for more information from authorities, Alvarado said. They also were getting ready for a memorial service and trying to comfort Chan's husband, who survived the fire, the consul said.
"The husband and wife belonged to that church. Everybody there knew them," said Luz, who went to the church during the weekend.
"Everybody there was so sad. Everybody was crying and praying for the husband," she said. "He's going to have to raise those two little kids now by himself."
CNN's Miguel Susana contributed to this report.
|
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"What was said about the arson?",
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] |
[
"\"This is a horrible tragedy.\"",
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"Frank Dwyer, a fire department spokesman,",
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"Thirteen"
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question: What was said about the arson?, answer: "This is a horrible tragedy." | question: What caused the fire?, answer: Authorities continue to investigate and have not formally determined a cause, | question: what does the authorities say about Arson?, answer: killed five Guatemalan immigrants | question: Who said that victims are immigrants?, answer: Frank Dwyer, a fire department spokesman, | question: how many firefighters and residents where injured?, answer: Thirteen | question: Who are the victims?, answer: five Guatemalan immigrants | question: How many firefighters was injured?, answer: Thirteen
|
New York (CNN) -- Israel's government is missing an opportunity to secure the country's future and build a coalition of nations to counter increasing Iranian influence, according to analyst Fareed Zakaria.
He says the government, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is letting the dispute with the United States over expanded settlements in East Jerusalem get in the way of making progress toward resolution of the conflict with the Palestinians.
"The Netanyahu government goes on and on about the existential threat that Israel faces from Iran, the need for the world to mobilize, to put that above all else," Zakaria said. "If that really is the case, shouldn't Israel try to be supportive and deepen the relationship with the one country whose military, political and economic support is going to be absolutely crucial in dealing with this threat, that is, the United States?
"If the Iranian threat were really the overriding threat to Israel, wouldn't it be willing to subordinate other issues and make some progress on the Palestinian issue because it would help the moderate Arab states who also share the worries about the rise of Iran, and would allow the moderate Arab states to form a kind of tacit alliance with Israel?"
Zakaria, author and host of CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS," spoke to CNN on Wednesday. Here is an edited transcript:
CNN: In your view, how badly have U.S.-Israeli relations been damaged by the announcement of the East Jerusalem settlement expansion?
Fareed Zakaria: I think by itself this would be a small friction that could easily be overcome, but it comes on the heels of increasingly tense relations between Washington and Tel Aviv, and because of that, it has become larger than life precisely because it seems to be the straw that broke the camel's back for the Obama administration. It became a symbol for the fact that in their view, the Netanyahu government is simply not trying to be cooperative in the search for some kind of movement forward on the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
CNN: And why do they feel that way?
Zakaria: They have been trying to get the Netanyahu government to do something concrete that would demonstrate that they are interested in moving forward, whether it is direct talks, whether it's a settlement freeze or any other such signal that would allow the process to begin moving forward rather than to stay where it is.
So far, the Netanyahu government has done nothing like that, and in fact has taken several steps that would make it difficult to enter into direct negotiations. ... He has within his coalition members of the orthodox right in Israel who still very much hold to a view that the Jewish state should be on most, if not all, of the land of greater Israel, which includes the West Bank. ...This government has probably been the least responsive to concerns from Washington on the issue of the peace process in 20 years.
CNN: The so-called proximity peace talks were delayed as a result of this dispute? Is that a real step backward?
Zakaria: The whole problem with the peace process is that it's sort of going around in circles. I myself think the proximity talks are themselves almost like a bad joke.
They're not actually going to talk to one another. The American negotiator is going to shuttle back and forth between them. We're in 2010.
If everyone agrees that there's going to be a two-state solution and we kind of know what the plan is going to look like, roughly -- which is to say the plan that was largely agreed upon by the two parties in 2000 under the auspices of Bill Clinton -- we are now going back to the most tentative steps of circling around each other, barely talking to one another. It's as if we're at the beginning of a negotiating process when really we should be at the end of one ...
CNN: You've laid out the obstacles on the Israeli side. Are there obstacles on the Palestinian side too?
Zakaria: There are huge obstacles on the Palestinian side: First of all, the divided Palestinian authority --
|
[
"Which country is Israel countering?",
"What did Fareed Zakaria says Obama administration"
] |
[
"Iran,",
"tense relations between Washington and Tel Aviv,"
] |
question: Which country is Israel countering?, answer: Iran, | question: What did Fareed Zakaria says Obama administration, answer: tense relations between Washington and Tel Aviv,
|
New York (CNN) -- Jazz master Wynton Marsalis says the blues is the true American music -- the heartbeat and unifying principle of jazz, country, R&B, gospel and other styles -- but it's been relegated to the back of the bus by greed and the legacy of racism.
Marsalis grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, son of Dolores and Ellis Marsalis. He was a trumpet prodigy, surrounded by top-notch musicians and steeped in the city's eclectic music. He was encouraged to excel by his father, a jazz pianist who instilled in his son a love of musical excellence and integrity.
Marsalis plays classical and jazz music with equal mastery. He is artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center and has won nine Grammy Awards and the Pulitzer Prize in music. He will be awarded the French Legion of Honor on November 6.
In an interview Tuesday, Marsalis talked to CNN.com about the primary position of the blues in American music. The blues is our root music, American born-and-bred, but it's been treated like a stepchild of dubious origin, granted only secondary status, in Marsalis' view. It suffuses Broadway, Tin Pan Alley, rock 'n' roll, country-western, gospel, bluegrass and more, but never got its financial due or the respect it deserves.
Marsalis says that's because of racism -- it was the music of a whole people granted only secondary status -- and its inability to make a lot of money. He also talks about his father, how slavery has affected the nation, and some lessons to be learned from jazz.
CNN: You have a DVD out called "Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis Play the Music of Ray Charles." That's jazz, country and R&B. What do those styles have in common?
WYNTON MARSALIS: The blues. It runs through all American music. Somebody bending the note. The other is the two-beat groove. It's in New Orleans music, it's in jazz, it's in country music, it's in gospel.
The other is the down-home sensibility that's sophisticated. That's why Louis Armstrong could play with Jimmy Rogers. Ray Charles is actually the embodiment. He and Willie Nelson came 'round in young manhood at a time in the late '40s early 1950s when all of the American music, root music, was all combined. It became segregated in the mid- to late-'50s.
Carl Perkins had a hit in 1955 -- "Blue Suede Shoes." It was on the R&B charts, it was on the country charts, it was No. 1 on the rock and roll charts. [It was] basically the same music, so there was an intersection point. It's like in cuisine, that would be like fried chicken and red beans and rice, it would be like potato salad and barbecued ribs. Someone in Texas not going to eat barbecued ribs?
CNN: What led to the compartmentalization of these kinds of music, that came from the same roots?
MARSALIS: Money and racism. I don't know which one came first.
CNN: Why was blues not regarded as something of value in this country?
MARSALIS: It came from who we didn't like. That's what it was -- it wasn't that we couldn't see it. Who it came from, we did not like them.
CNN: So do you include African-Americans in that? So black people didn't appreciate it?
MARSALIS: They didn't appreciate it. They don't now. That's part of the whole kind of self-hatred that comes from that type of slavery that the black American still labors under. That racism was heavy.
The legacy of it -- it wasn't just 50 years. It was seven generations, and if a generation is 33 years, ... seven or eight [generations]. That's a long time. And to recover from it has proven to be very difficult.
CNN: So is that what's going on with rap?
MARSALIS: No question. Rap is
|
[
"What two issues lead to lack of blues appreciation?",
"What type of music was being discussed?",
"What genre is at the root of all American music?",
"What does Marsalis say about Americans?"
] |
[
"greed and the legacy of racism.",
"blues",
"the blues",
"relegated to the back of the bus by greed and the legacy of racism."
] |
question: What two issues lead to lack of blues appreciation?, answer: greed and the legacy of racism. | question: What type of music was being discussed?, answer: blues | question: What genre is at the root of all American music?, answer: the blues | question: What does Marsalis say about Americans?, answer: relegated to the back of the bus by greed and the legacy of racism.
|
New York (CNN) -- Kim Jong Il was the enigmatic leader of the most enigmatic country on earth.
Much about Kim's life was, and is, shrouded in mystery. Even the year of his birth -- 1942 -- has been contested by knowledgeable sources in South Korea and Russia, who claim Kim was born a few years earlier but that his official birth date was pushed back to make him exactly 30 years younger than his father, North Korea's founding leader, Kim Il Sung.
North Koreans claim Kim Jong Il was born on Mount Paektu, along the North Korean border with China, at a "secret base camp" where his father was leading a guerrilla war against Korea's Japanese overlords. Almost everyone else believes Kim was born in Russia, at a Soviet military camp near Khabarovsk where his father had gone into retreat with other Korean and Chinese communist guerillas. But the myth of Kim's guerilla-base birth became full-blown propaganda when he was anointed heir apparent in the early 1980s.
After seeing instability and communist backsliding in Russia and China following the deaths of Stalin and Mao respectively, Kim Il Sung chose his son as successor to ensure continuity for North Korea's political system. In some ways, the elder Kim was all too successful.
Kim Jong Il led North Korea not to reform and opening, like his Chinese contemporaries, but through economic catastrophe, famine and repeated nuclear confrontations with the United States. Through all of this, the rule of the Korean Workers' Party, the Korean People's Army and the Kim family has been absolute and ubiquitous.
When Kim Jong Il took over the reigns of power following his father's death in 1994, he had been preparing for succession for more than two decades. After graduating from Kim Il Sung University in 1964, Kim rose through the ranks of the Korean Workers' Party, focusing on culture and propaganda.
As he candidly admitted to a conference of party workers in 1996, economics was never his strong suit. He enjoyed film and the arts, fine food and drink, and kept late hours, but he was not the unstable and intellectually vacuous playboy of South Korean propaganda. He certainly lacked the charisma and outgoing personality of his father, but foreign officials who met him -- including South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright -- described him as intelligent, well-informed, even charming.
On the other hand, his country's reputation for unpredictability and provocation was often well-deserved, as North Korea went through a series of confrontations with the United States and the international community over nuclear development, and the economic situation lurched from crisis to crisis. North Korea held two nuclear tests, in 2006 and 2009, in defiance of international condemnation and U.N. sanctions.
A year ago North Korean artillery shelled a South Korean island in a confrontation over South Korean military exercises, bringing the two sides to the brink of open warfare. At the same time, the economic situation -- though much improved since the famine years of the late 1990s -- remains highly precarious.
If the outside world saw Kim as an enigma and a rogue, his reputation within North Korea is more difficult to assess.
Of course, internal North Korean propaganda built up Kim as a hero of near-superhuman abilities, venerated by all his countrymen. But defectors' reports suggest the view of Kim within his own country is more mixed, and while his father is still widely revered, Kim Jong Il is associated with the trauma of famine and crisis in the late 1990s. Kim oversaw limited steps toward economic reform in the early 2000s, but these have since been scaled back.
The composition and direction of the post-Kim Jong Il leadership is murky. Kim Jong Il's son and heir apparent, Kim Jong Un, is even more a mystery than his father was when he came to power. It seems likely that in the immediate aftermath of Kim's death, North Korea will be run by a collective leadership, perhaps headed by Kim's brother-in-law Jang Song-taek, as Kim
|
[
"Who made kim successor?",
"who was the successor",
"Who had a mysterious life?"
] |
[
"Jong Il took over the reigns of power following his father's death in 1994,",
"Kim Jong Un,",
"Kim Jong Il"
] |
question: Who made kim successor?, answer: Jong Il took over the reigns of power following his father's death in 1994, | question: who was the successor, answer: Kim Jong Un, | question: Who had a mysterious life?, answer: Kim Jong Il
|
New York (CNN) -- Last night, police raided and evicted protesters from the Occupy Wall Street site. This comes on the heels of recent police crackdowns on Occupy encampments all across the country. But if you think that's the end of the 99% movement, guess again. It's still just getting started.
To be clear, the Occupy camps are for the most part rigorously and passionately nonviolent and, incidentally, much cleaner than most would expect. But there are a few punks in the crowds, mixed in with some who have sought shelter in the camps who bring along struggles with mental illness or drug addiction. In other words, the 99% movement isn't violent; sadly, our society in general can be violent, and that violence seeps into even the most well-meaning spaces. And enemies of the middle class would use any ammunition they could find to attack the 99% movement and evict the protesters.
Nonetheless, the Occupy camps gave urgent birth to a movement that was long-gestating in the anger and frustration of ordinary Americans. Now that it's been kicked out of the house, it's time for the 99% movement to grow up.
Movements are, of course, always moving -- and so it's impossible to predict where they will go. But I expect a couple of key shifts in the coming weeks.
Judge orders New York to allow protesters, tents, in park
First, look for the 99% movement to move away from the "occupy" tactic. Holding public ground for public protests has captured the attention of the nation in a way few other protests ever have. But behind the scenes, protesters were increasingly worried that the problems associated with the camps are starting to outweigh the benefits. Plus it's getting damn cold out and, even in nice weather, the Occupy sites take a lot of energy to maintain.
No movement should be beholden to a limited set of tactics. The colonial Americans didn't just keep throwing boxes of tea into bodies of water.
The civil rights protesters didn't stop at sit-ins and bus boycotts. Similar to the "Move Your Money" campaign calling on the 99% to divest their checking and savings accounts from the top job-killing banks on Wall Street, I think we'll start to see more experimental tactics that draw on mass action and public engagement without necessarily being rooted in outdoor sleepovers. This will be messy at first, with many misses and few hits, but is an essential next step if the 99% movement is to continue.
Second, look for leaders to emerge. The Occupy camps have been fervent in their supposedly leaderless structures, frustrating critics and media observers alike. But, as keen analysts have observed, the 99% movement is, in fact, leader-full -- creating opportunities for everyday Americans who've felt cast out of the political process to find their voice and vision and work with others to achieve their goals.
The movement isn't anti-leadership but rather pro-leadership to the point where it's investing in building the power and skills of thousands of new leaders. Yet given the practical limitations to an entirely decentralized, consensus-based decision-making process (which, among other things, allows a few vocal yahoos in favor of property destruction to have too much sway), clusters of leaders will start to emerge in the struggle to define the movement's next phase.
But don't expect them to look anything like the "leaders" we're used to. Instead, they'll include single moms and construction workers and recent college graduates and homeless people. Because of who they are and the way they lead in the context of the larger movement, they will redefine our understanding of leadership.
Third, wait for factions to splinter. While we'd all love to keep holding hands and singing "Kumbaya," the reality is that as the 99% movement gets bigger, so do the stakes and various differences and divisions that once seemed trivial become impossible to ignore. The small minority within the protests who are eager to vandalize property and confront police
|
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"What will it shift away from?",
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] |
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"the \"occupy\" tactic.",
"\"occupy\"",
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] |
question: What will it shift away from?, answer: the "occupy" tactic. | question: Which type of tactic is the movement shifting away from?, answer: "occupy" | question: Is Occupy movement just getting started?, answer: It's still | question: Will the occupy movement continue?, answer: It's still just getting started. | question: Is there a leader going to emerge?, answer: to | question: What is the name of the movement?, answer: The colonial Americans
|
New York (CNN) -- Legendary and curmudgeonly TV commentator Andy Rooney offered his final remarks Sunday on the news show "60 Minutes," capping a career that has spanned more than six decades.
In his final essay, delivered around 8:15 p.m., Rooney said, "This is a moment I have dreaded.
"I wish I could do this forever. But I can't," he said. "But I'm not retiring. Writers don't retire, and I'll always be a writer."
CBS announced Tuesday that the upcoming program, five days later, would be the last one for the 92-year-old award-winning writer, essayist and commentator. He has been with the network -- first as a writer for "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" -- since 1949, and been part of the "60 Minutes" crew since 1978.
"There's nobody like Andy, and there never will be. He'll hate hearing this, but he's an American original," CBS News Chairman Jeff Fager said in a release announcing Rooney's exit.
The original essay offered Sunday was Rooney's 1,097th for the program.
In it, he described himself simply, not as a "television personality," but rather as "a writer who reads what he's written."
"A writer's job is to tell the truth," he said. "I know I've been terribly wrong sometimes, but I think I've been right more than I've been wrong."
Earlier in the show, Morley Safer -- himself a 79-year-old journalist and a "60 Minutes" staple since 1970 -- interviewed Rooney about his personal and professional life.
Rooney attended Colgate University until he was drafted into the Army in 1941. In February 1943, he was one of six correspondents who flew with the 8th Air Force on the first American bombing raid over Germany. Last year, Rooney received the Overseas Press Club of America President's Award for these reports.
The television commentator admitted Sunday that he doesn't sign autographs and rarely responds to fan mail, telling Safer he didn't "want to answer an idiot who would have the bad sense to write me a letter." Rooney has also engendered controversy, such as his weekslong suspension in 1990 from "60 Minutes" for remarks that offended some gay viewers.
But he's better known for his sharp commentaries and public persona as someone fed up with everything from desk clutter to chocolate chip cookies to door knobs.
In his time at "60 Minutes," Rooney also has contributed many deeper pieces in the wake of events like the 1986 space shuttle Challenger explosion, the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and the "shock and awe" campaign to start the 2003 Iraq war -- a phrase he scathingly said "makes us look like foolish braggarts."
Safer described his longtime colleague as "America's favorite grouch-in-chief," saying Rooney used his "loud whiny voice ... speaking up for citizens fed up with everything."
"There have been many curmudgeons on television over its long history," Safer said affectionately. "None has been so long serving in that role as Mr. Rooney."
|
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"How many original essays did he deliver?",
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"1,097th",
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question: How many original essays did he deliver?, answer: 1,097th | question: What was the number of essays that Rooney delivered on the program?, answer: 1,097th | question: What did Rooney say in his final essays?, answer: "This is a moment I have dreaded. | question: Who spoke up for citizens were fed up?, answer: Andy Rooney | question: How long has Rooney been with CBS?, answer: since 1949, | question: Who did Safer say spoke up for citizens fed up with everything?, answer: Andy Rooney
|
New York (CNN) -- Like most people, I'd given some thought to what meat actually is, but until I became a father and faced the prospect of having to make food choices on someone else's behalf, there was no urgency to get to the bottom of things.
I'm a novelist and never had it in mind to write nonfiction. Frankly, I doubt I'll ever do it again. But the subject of animal agriculture, at this moment, is something no one should ignore. As a writer, putting words on the page is how I pay attention.
If the way we raise animals for food isn't the most important problem in the world right now, it's arguably the No. 1 cause of global warming: The United Nations reports the livestock business generates more greenhouse gas emissions than all forms of transportation combined.
It's the No. 1 cause of animal suffering, a decisive factor in the creation of zoonotic diseases like bird and swine flu, and the list goes on. It is the problem with the most deafening silence surrounding it.
Even the most political people, the most thoughtful and engaged, tend not to "go there." And for good reason. Going there can be extremely uncomfortable. Food is not just what we put in our mouths to fill up; it is culture and identity. Reason plays some role in our decisions about food, but it's rarely driving the car.
We need a better way to talk about eating animals, a way that doesn't ignore or even just shruggingly accept things like habits, cravings, family and history but rather incorporates them into the conversation. The more they are allowed in, the more able we will be to follow our best instincts. And although there are many respectable ways to think about meat, there is not a person on Earth whose best instincts would lead him or her to factory farming.
My book, "Eating Animals," addresses factory farming from numerous perspectives: animal welfare, the environment, the price paid by rural communities, the economic costs. In two essays, I will share some of what I've learned about how the way we raise animals for food affects human health.
What we eat and what we are
Why aren't more people aware of, and angry about, the rates of avoidable food-borne illness? Perhaps it doesn't seem obvious that something is amiss simply because anything that happens all the time -- like meat, especially poultry, becoming infected by pathogens -- tends to fade into the background.
Whatever the case, if you know what to look for, the pathogen problem comes into terrifying focus. For example, the next time a friend has a sudden "flu" -- what folks sometimes misdescribe as "the stomach flu" -- ask a few questions. Was your friend's illness one of those "24-hour flus" that come and go quickly: retch or crap, then relief? The diagnosis isn't quite so simple, but if the answer to this question is yes, your friend probably didn't have the flu at all.
He or she was probably suffering from one of the 76 million cases of food-borne illness the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated happen in America each year. Your friend didn't "catch a bug" so much as eat a bug. And in all likelihood, that bug was created by factory farming.
Beyond the sheer number of illnesses linked to factory farming, we know that factory farms are contributing to the growth of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens simply because these farms consume so many antimicrobials.
We have to go to a doctor to obtain antibiotics and other antimicrobials as a public-health measure to limit the number of such drugs being taken by humans. We accept this inconvenience because of its medical importance. Microbes eventually adapt to antimicrobials, and we want to make sure it is the truly sick who benefit from the finite number of uses any antimicrobial will have before the microbes learn how to survive it.
On a typical factory farm, drugs are fed to animals with every meal. In
|
[
"What factors are controlling the system?",
"what is tied to global warming",
"What is factory farming tied to?"
] |
[
"the way we raise animals for food",
"the way we raise animals for food",
"animal welfare, the environment, the price paid by rural communities, the economic costs."
] |
question: What factors are controlling the system?, answer: the way we raise animals for food | question: what is tied to global warming, answer: the way we raise animals for food | question: What is factory farming tied to?, answer: animal welfare, the environment, the price paid by rural communities, the economic costs.
|
New York (CNN) -- Lil' Wayne was sentenced Monday to a year in prison.
The rapper, whose legal name is Dwayne Carter, pleaded guilty in October to felony gun charges as part of a deal with prosecutors.
The charges stem from his arrest in 2007 outside New York City's Beacon Theater. According to police, Carter had a .40-caliber pistol on his tour bus. His attorney said it belonged to someone else.
His sentencing was delayed twice -- first so he could get dental work done, including removal of his diamond-studded braces, then because of a fire at a Manhattan courthouse.
At Manhattan Supreme Court on Monday, the room was packed with onlookers, while more people crowded outside.
Carter was offered the chance to make a statement but declined, shaking his head.
His attorney requested that Carter have protective custody while he is incarcerated. The attorney also requested medical attention because of his recent dental surgery.
As Carter was leaving the courtroom, a fan said to him, "Keep your head up, Weezy," using the rapper's nickname.
Another man wore a T-shirt that said "Free Weezy."
Carter also faces felony drug possession and weapons charges in Arizona.
Lil' Wayne is a multiplatinum-selling and Grammy-winning rap artist. His hits include "The Block is Hot" and "Lollipop." His album "Tha Carter III" was the top selling disc of 2008. His latest album, "Rebirth," was released last month.
CNN's Jennifer Rizzo contributed to this report.
|
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"What did Dwayne Carter plead?",
"What year was Lil Wayne arrested?",
"When was Lil Wayne arrested?",
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] |
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"guilty",
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"2007",
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question: What did Dwayne Carter plead?, answer: guilty | question: What year was Lil Wayne arrested?, answer: 2007 | question: When was Lil Wayne arrested?, answer: 2007 | question: What did Lil Wayne plead guilty to?, answer: felony gun charges | question: What do charges stem from?, answer: as part of a deal with prosecutors. | question: What did Lil' Wayne plead guilty of?, answer: felony gun charges | question: What has Lil Wayne accomplished?, answer: multiplatinum-selling and Grammy-winning rap artist.
|
New York (CNN) -- Lower Manhattan's controversial Park51 Islamic center is now in a court battle with utility Consolidated Edison, which says the center owes it $1.7 million in a dispute over back rent.
In court papers, Park51 says it owes Con Edison only $881,000 and calls the utility's demand "grossly inflated." The center has filed suit against the company over a default notice it was issued in September, and a New York state judge has stayed any action until after a hearing in November.
In a statement to CNN on Sunday, Con Edison said it "remains hopeful" that it can work out an agreement with Park51, which leases part of its property from the utility. Park51's developers did not return a phone call seeking comment.
The center, which includes a mosque, drew intense opposition in 2010 from politicians, conservative activists and some families of the victims of the al Qaeda attack on the World Trade Center. The twin towers stood about two blocks from the site before they were destroyed by the suicide hijackings on September 11, 2001, leading critics to dub the project the "Ground Zero Mosque."
The interfaith center's leaders said the project will be a 16-story community center with recreational, educational and cultural programming rooted in a spirit of cooperation and coexistence. City officials refused to block its construction, and Park51 held its grand opening in September.
According to court documents, Park51 has exercised an option to purchase the Con Edison portion of the site for $10.7 million. The center says it has been paying $2,750 a month -- minuscule by New York standards -- under its initial lease. The rent was to be recalculated based on the market value of the property after it renewed the lease in 2008, but disputes over the appraisal lasted until this August.
In September, Con Edison demanded the $1.7 million it said it was owed.
"The lease for the property calls for the tenant to pay this money now that an appraisal process has been completed," the utility told CNN. "Under the terms of the lease, Con Edison requested payment of outstanding rent, but to date, tenant has not yet made the required payment."
But lawyers for Park51 argue the demand is based on "a fundamental misreading" of its lease and have accused Con Edison of improperly trying to take back the property.
"Whether it is bowing to political pressure or seeking to retain the valuable premises for itself, Con Ed appears intent upon proceeding with its wrongful termination (and cancellation of plaintiff's right to purchase the premises) and it has expressly threatened to do so," they wrote.
Con Edison said Sunday it has defended Park51's right to buy the land.
CNN's Chris Boyette contributed to this report.
|
[
"What is the dispute about?",
"Who is in dispute?",
"With what Park51 is locked in?",
"who has a dispute with edison?"
] |
[
"back rent.",
"Park51 Islamic center",
"court battle",
"Park51 Islamic center"
] |
question: What is the dispute about?, answer: back rent. | question: Who is in dispute?, answer: Park51 Islamic center | question: With what Park51 is locked in?, answer: court battle | question: who has a dispute with edison?, answer: Park51 Islamic center
|
New York (CNN) -- Matthew Hoh, a young man previously unknown to the general public, has become the first U.S. official known to resign in protest over the Afghan war. He was the senior U.S. civilian adviser in Zabul province, Afghanistan.
There certainly have been more famous resignations over a president's war policy. President Lyndon Johnson's first secretary of health, education and welfare and the architect of much of the civil rights and Great Society programs, John Gardner, resigned because he could not support the war in Vietnam and privately told the president he could not support him for re-election.
LBJ's Deputy Secretary of Defense Cyrus Vance resigned after becoming convinced the war in Vietnam, which he had strongly supported initially, was unwinnable. After his resignation he unsuccessfully urged Johnson not to bomb North Vietnam.
Vance later resigned as President Carter's secretary of state after arguing again unsuccessfully against "Operation Eagle Claw," the disastrous desert rescue attempt of our 52 hostages in Iran that cost the lives of eight American soldiers.
Our history is filled with brave men and women who have resigned because they could not support a policy or an administration, but it's never easy to quit and far more people carry on quietly and do what they perceive as their duty.
Many thought former Secretary of State Colin Powell should have resigned rather than testify before the U.N. on Iraq's supposed weapons of mass destruction, information he may have thought was suspect. There might not have been an Iraq war if he had done that.
But the resignation of Hoh, a former Marine captain and Iraq veteran from the Foreign Service, as reported Tuesday on the front page of the Washington Post may have more impact than the others.
His comments reflect the feelings of many of his countrymen who have far less knowledge of the Afghan situation then he does. The White House and State Department made every effort to keep Hoh from leaving and valued his service. He was exactly the kind of person we needed there if our Afghan efforts are to be successful.
Even though I support the continued efforts in Afghanistan and believe the president should give Gen. Stanley McChrystal what he needs, Hoh's words reflect thoughts that I, too, have pondered.
Hoh said in his resignation letter: "I have lost understanding of and confidence in the strategic purposes of the United States' presence in Afghanistan. I have doubts and reservations about our current strategy and planned future strategy, but my resignation is based not upon how we are pursuing this war, but why and to what end."
But before the president acts (and he will make his decision quickly, I hope) he needs to answer Hoh's: "Why and to what end?" If he can't, he will have great difficulty convincing his party and the nation of the need for further action.
The why part is easier to answer. The United States and our NATO allies went into Afghanistan after the ruling Taliban government refused to turn over Osama bin Laden and to stop al Qaeda from operating with its protection. The United States has been in full pursuit of bin Laden since the August 7, 1998, truck bombings of the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and in Kenya in which hundreds were killed.
These attacks were preceded by the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center and the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 U.S. servicemen. After that came the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, which preceded the September 11, 2001, attacks against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Thousands of our fellow citizens were murdered and our way of life was altered forever.
In spite of being on the FBI's Most Wanted list, bin Laden has been an elusive target. In the late '90s on several occasions he was in our sights, but the inability or hesitancy to pull the trigger allowed him to escape. He is still out there with tens of thousands of supporters who want to destroy Americans and Westerners. The threat is still real. The bad guys are still out there and may be here.
I feel this is the most important decision
|
[
"who quit the Foreign Service?",
"What was the reason for Hoh quitting?",
"who resigned over wars?"
] |
[
"Matthew Hoh,",
"protest over the Afghan war.",
"Matthew Hoh,"
] |
question: who quit the Foreign Service?, answer: Matthew Hoh, | question: What was the reason for Hoh quitting?, answer: protest over the Afghan war. | question: who resigned over wars?, answer: Matthew Hoh,
|
New York (CNN) -- Miss USA Rima Fakih is a Muslim with Lebanese heritage, but her family is "not defined by religion," Fakih said.
"I'm an American girl," Fakih said. "And just to be clear, my family comes from many different backgrounds and religions."
The newest Miss USA, crowned last weekend, was interviewed Wednesday for HLN's "The Joy Behar Show."
Fakih downplayed the significance of photographs that emerged online this week showing her dancing against a stripper's pole.
"Everyone took them as if I was stripping, which to be honest with you was just a competition," she said. "It was more of an event held by a radio station."
THIS JUST IN: Is Miss USA a Muslim trailblazer?
The Detroit, Michigan, radio station promotion held three years ago was like a class to help women "learn how to dance and feel sexy," she told Behar.
The photos show her dancing in short pants.
"To be extra funny, because I'm known to be silly, I put money in my bra," she said.
The controversy, however, has made her name a top search term on the internet, she said.
"Yeah, I'm the number one person on Yahoo or Google, I heard," she said.
Cheesecake photos helped last year's Miss USA runner-up, Carrie Prejean, become well known, but she was eventually stripped of her Miss California crown when racier images emerged.
Behar asked Fakih if there were any such photos of her that might eventually surface.
"Nothing at all," she said. "I've always been known to be very respectful to my family and my reputation."
The stripper pole photos did not upset her family, she said.
"They're very proud of me," she said. "They take it as if I'm not up there for beauty, or to pose in a bathing suit, but for something more significant -- for being beautiful on the inside, for being wise."
Fakih was born in Lebanon, but her family moved to New York when she was young. She moved to Michigan in 2003, where she attended the University of Michigan.
"My family comes from a Muslim background, and we're not defined by religion," she said. "I would like to say we're a spiritual liberal family."
Fakih will represent the United States in the Miss Universe pageant to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, in August.
|
[
"What background is her family from?",
"What was a part of radio station promotion?",
"Who is Miss USA?",
"who said that pole-dancing pictures were part of radio station promotion?",
"who downplays downplays significance of photographs that emerged online this week?",
"Which background does she say her family is from?",
"Who downplayed the significance of photographs?",
"What were the pictures of?",
"is she from a muslim background?"
] |
[
"many different",
"\"learn how to dance and feel sexy,\"",
"Rima Fakih",
"Rima Fakih",
"Miss USA Rima Fakih",
"many different",
"Fakih",
"dancing against a stripper's pole.",
"a"
] |
question: What background is her family from?, answer: many different | question: What was a part of radio station promotion?, answer: "learn how to dance and feel sexy," | question: Who is Miss USA?, answer: Rima Fakih | question: who said that pole-dancing pictures were part of radio station promotion?, answer: Rima Fakih | question: who downplays downplays significance of photographs that emerged online this week?, answer: Miss USA Rima Fakih | question: Which background does she say her family is from?, answer: many different | question: Who downplayed the significance of photographs?, answer: Fakih | question: What were the pictures of?, answer: dancing against a stripper's pole. | question: is she from a muslim background?, answer: a
|
New York (CNN) -- More than 80 Michael Jackson collectibles -- including the late pop star's famous rhinestone-studded glove from a 1983 performance -- were auctioned off Saturday, reaping a total $2 million.
Profits from the auction at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York's Times Square crushed pre-sale expectations of only $120,000 in sales.
The highly prized memorabilia, which included items spanning the many stages of Jackson's career, came from more than 30 fans, associates and family members, who contacted Julien's Auctions to sell their gifts and mementos of the singer.
Jackson's flashy glove was the big-ticket item of the night, fetching $420,000 from a buyer in Hong Kong, China. Jackson wore the glove at a 1983 performance during "Motown 25," an NBC special where he debuted his revolutionary moonwalk.
Fellow Motown star Walter "Clyde" Orange of the Commodores, who also performed in the special 26 years ago, said he asked for Jackson's autograph at the time, but Jackson gave him the glove instead.
"The legacy that [Jackson] left behind is bigger than life for me," Orange said. "I hope that through that glove people can see what he was trying to say in his music and what he said in his music."
Orange said he plans to give a portion of the proceeds to charity.
Hoffman Ma, who bought the glove on behalf of Ponte 16 Resort in Macau, paid a 25 percent buyer's premium, which was tacked onto all final sales over $50,000. Winners of items less than $50,000 paid a 20 percent premium.
Darren Julien, president and CEO of Julien's Auctions, said people were hungry for such tokens of Jackson's life, as evidenced by the 3,500 who registered as bidders for the auction.
"Michael was very generous," Julien said. "If you were friends with Michael Jackson or an important part of his life, occasionally he would give something away, and that's a very big reason that these things got out in the public."
A signature black synthetic blend jacket from Jackson's 16-month Bad World Tour, his first concert tour as a solo artist, sold for $270,000. Featuring black straps with silver buckles and zippers, the jacket came to symbolize Jackson's "Bad" era.
Tori Renza, whose father bought her the Bad jacket when she was just 4 years old, said she grew up singing and dancing to Jackson's songs around her house.
"It just became part of our family," said Renza, who planned to use the money from the auction to pay back student loans.
Jackson's famed fedora, which he sported at the 1995 MTV Music Awards, sold for $73,800. It was one of three hats Jackson wore during a 10-minute medley before hurling it into the crowd.
The hat was auctioned at a charity event that year, and the letter of verification is signed "Lisa Marie Presley Jackson," the daughter of Elvis Presley who was married to Jackson for nearly two years.
"To my knowledge, there were not a lot of letters that she signed with her full name," Julien said.
Handwritten lyrics of the 1983 smash hit "Beat It," which Jackson scribbled on a piece of white paper, went for $60,000.
One of the more bizarre items up for bidding, an upper mold used to fit Jackson with animal fangs for the 1983 video for "Thriller," sold for more than $10,000.
The auction also allowed the world to see photographs of Jackson engaged in simple activities, like driving.
His 1985 Mercedes-Benz 500 SEL, which he ultimately gave to an aunt as a birthday gift, was auctioned for $104,500.
"What's even more significant is that we have photos of Michael driving the car," Julien said. "When have you seen Michael driving a car? He was always chauffeured or driven."
There were also a number of autographed photos, as well as signed books, collectibles and artwork. Even
|
[
"which items are auctioned?",
"What was the price of the rhinestone-studded glove?",
"What were among items auctioned Saturday?",
"Who signed to verify the items?",
"what is the name of jackson's ex wife?",
"What fetched $420,000?",
"how much money glove fetched?",
"What was signed by Jackson's ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley?",
"Who did the items belong to that were auctioned on Saturday?",
"How much did the glove fetch?",
"who signed the letter",
"on what day were the items auctioned?",
"Who signed a letter of verification?",
"what's the name of Jackon's ex-wife?",
"what were auctioned",
"for how much the Famous rhinestone-studded glove was fetched?",
"what fetched $420,000"
] |
[
"More than 80 Michael Jackson collectibles -- including the late pop star's famous",
"$420,000",
"More than 80 Michael Jackson collectibles",
"\"Lisa Marie Presley Jackson,\"",
"\"Lisa Marie Presley Jackson,\"",
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"letter of verification",
"Michael Jackson",
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"\"Lisa Marie Presley Jackson,\"",
"Saturday,",
"\"Lisa Marie Presley Jackson,\"",
"\"Lisa Marie Presley Jackson,\"",
"More than 80 Michael Jackson collectibles",
"$420,000",
"Jackson's flashy glove"
] |
question: which items are auctioned?, answer: More than 80 Michael Jackson collectibles -- including the late pop star's famous | question: What was the price of the rhinestone-studded glove?, answer: $420,000 | question: What were among items auctioned Saturday?, answer: More than 80 Michael Jackson collectibles | question: Who signed to verify the items?, answer: "Lisa Marie Presley Jackson," | question: what is the name of jackson's ex wife?, answer: "Lisa Marie Presley Jackson," | question: What fetched $420,000?, answer: Jackson's flashy glove | question: how much money glove fetched?, answer: $420,000 | question: What was signed by Jackson's ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley?, answer: letter of verification | question: Who did the items belong to that were auctioned on Saturday?, answer: Michael Jackson | question: How much did the glove fetch?, answer: $420,000 | question: who signed the letter, answer: "Lisa Marie Presley Jackson," | question: on what day were the items auctioned?, answer: Saturday, | question: Who signed a letter of verification?, answer: "Lisa Marie Presley Jackson," | question: what's the name of Jackon's ex-wife?, answer: "Lisa Marie Presley Jackson," | question: what were auctioned, answer: More than 80 Michael Jackson collectibles | question: for how much the Famous rhinestone-studded glove was fetched?, answer: $420,000 | question: what fetched $420,000, answer: Jackson's flashy glove
|
New York (CNN) -- New York's Commission on Public Integrity is charging Gov. David Paterson with an ethics violation for accepting free tickets to the first game of last year's World Series, the commission said Wednesday.
Paterson violated the state's restriction on gifts for public officials in October when he sought free tickets to the game in Yankee Stadium between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies, the commission said. The commission also said Paterson lied under oath about intending to pay for the tickets.
The governor's office said it was reviewing the commission's findings.
"Governor Paterson maintains his innocence and intends to challenge the findings of the commission both with respect to the law and the facts," the office said.
"The governor takes this matter very seriously and intends to fully cooperate with any further inquiries or investigations, but believes the commission has acted unfairly in this matter."
The governor could face an $80,000 fine for violating the state's gift ban for public officials and up to $10,000 if he is found to have used his official position to secure unwarranted privileges.
The commission has asked New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and the Albany County district attorney to investigate whether Paterson or "anyone else" committed a crime during the governor's interview with the commission and by causing a check to be back-dated.
Paterson, who announced last week that he would not run for election to a full term, has faced controversy since news reports charged that his aide was involved in a domestic violence incident with a woman and that state police later allegedly pressured her to keep quiet.
The aide, David Johnson, has been suspended without pay.
Paterson has asked Cuomo, a possible contender for the governor's office, to investigate the matter.
Johnson was among the four guests who attended the October 28 game with Paterson, the Commission on Public Integrity said. He also was involved in obtaining the tickets, which cost $425 a piece, from the Yankees, the commission said in its notice of reasonable cause.
According to the commission, the governor testified that he decided he should attend Game One of the World Series and directed Johnson to get tickets from the Yankees. The governor told his aide that the request should include tickets for his son, Alex, and his son's friend.
Johnson then told the governor's scheduler, Matthew Nelson, to contact the Yankees about five or six tickets. Johnson said Paterson would be attending in a "ceremonial capacity."
Based on Johnson's representation, the commission said, "the Yankees did not expect payment for any tickets because the tickets were for official business." They had requested a letter from the governor's counsel confirming that, and the counsel had sent a letter saying so, the commission said. The Yankees said they require such confirmation or payment when public officials request tickets, the commission said.
However, the commission said, the governor did not participate in opening ceremonies for the game and was not announced to the crowd. He also did not meet with first lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden's wife, Jill Biden, who attended the game, or members of the Yankees organization, the commission said.
In testimony, the governor said he always intended to pay for the tickets for his son and his son's friend. He said he had taken a check to the game for the tickets, filling out the date and the $850 but leaving the payee section blank.
"While he had no opportunity to pay while at the stadium, the governor testified that he gave the check to Johnson and asked him to send the check to the Yankees," the commission said.
However, the commission said that it had compared the handwriting on the check with that of the governor's handwriting on other documents and that the governor did not write the check sent to the Yankees.
"The handwriting on the check that Johnson forwarded to the Yankees as payment for his ticket to Game One reveals that the same person who wrote and signed the governor's check also wrote and signed Johnson's check
|
[
"He lied under oath about what?",
"What did the commission say?",
"What does the Givernor maintain?",
"Who accepted free World Series tickets?",
"What does the New York ethics panel say?",
"Who lied under oath?"
] |
[
"intending to pay for the tickets.",
"Paterson lied under oath about intending to pay for the tickets.",
"his innocence",
"Gov. David Paterson",
"Paterson lied under oath",
"Paterson"
] |
question: He lied under oath about what?, answer: intending to pay for the tickets. | question: What did the commission say?, answer: Paterson lied under oath about intending to pay for the tickets. | question: What does the Givernor maintain?, answer: his innocence | question: Who accepted free World Series tickets?, answer: Gov. David Paterson | question: What does the New York ethics panel say?, answer: Paterson lied under oath | question: Who lied under oath?, answer: Paterson
|
New York (CNN) -- Newt Gingrich called President Obama "the most radical president in American history" at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference last week.
The leader of the 1994 Republican Revolution is a smart man and a historian, so he must know better. But he's also exploring a run for president, an action that frequently suspends good judgment in pursuit of sound bites. Perspective is the first thing abandoned in hyper-partisan attacks.
So here is a look at five presidents who, it could be argued, exceed Obama in the "radical" sweepstakes.
• Franklin D. Roosevelt: How about this for radical: a president who overturned the two-term precedent set by George Washington and ultimately won four terms in an era when dictators were in vogue worldwide. He also proposed expanding the Supreme Court to pack it with his own appointees, attempting to fundamentally alter the separation of powers. And his New Deal created the basis for the modern welfare state in the U.S., whose apex under self-styled inheritor Lyndon Johnson provoked a backlash that ushered in a generation of conservative resurgence.
• John Adams: The nation's second president has been getting a well-deserved reappraisal, thanks to David McCullough's magisterial biography. But Adams' signing of the Alien and Sedition acts during the threat of war -- effectively outlawing anti-government dissent and curtailing freedom of speech and freedom of the press -- was a radically anti-democratic action and a black mark on this Founding Father's otherwise honorable service to our nation.
• Andrew Jackson: The man on the $20 bill was the original populist president, a general who fought Washington elites, British soldiers and native American tribes alike. Old Hickory's wars with the Second National Bank, Congress and the Supreme Court were legendary. His native American removal policies rescinded previously agreed-upon treaties and brought about the infamous "Trail of Tears" that led to the deaths of thousands.
• Abraham Lincoln: Abolitionists accused Lincoln of being insufficiently radical because he pledged only to preserve the union at all costs. But his political opponents accused him of being radical because he wanted to stop the spread of slavery, and they spurred secession from the union soon after hearing of his election. It's a reminder that exaggerated fear of change can lead to the rise of violent factions. During the Civil War, Lincoln suspended habeas corpus. He has become controversial again to some activists; one panel at the Conservative Political Action Conference asked, "Lincoln on Liberty: Friend or Foe?"
• George W. Bush: The Bush Doctrine reversed decades of American foreign policy by allowing pre-emptive invasions of foreign nations. In Iraq's case, this was complicated by the fact that the dictator in question did not, in fact, have the weapons of mass destruction as advertised. Add to that Bush's reluctance to actually pay for his wars directly, which resulted in his turning a hard-won surplus into a deficit, and you've got what can be considered a radical affront to small-government conservative principles from a Republican president.
Each of these presidents has his passionate defenders, and many are routinely listed among America's greatest chief executives.
Of course, plenty of other presidents could be added to this list: from Woodrow Wilson, who institutionalized segregation in the federal government, to Richard Nixon, whose "Saturday Night Massacre" firing of his attorney general, Justice Department first deputy and independent special prosecutor created a constitutional crisis in the wake of Watergate.
But you get the idea. None of the presidents are really radical in any global sense. Any all-good or all-bad analysis of American history always misses the big picture. And politics is history in the present tense.
Yes, the past 16 months have seen unprecedented levels of government spending, intended to alleviate the economic crisis that was occurring when Obama took office. And although skyrocketing debts and deficits are dangerous if not addressed decisively in the near-term, Obama's general approach to the office has been decidedly more center-left than radical left.
Think Afghanistan, for example, where he has committed
|
[
"what did Newt Gingrich call Barack Obama?"
] |
[
"\"the most radical president in American history\""
] |
question: what did Newt Gingrich call Barack Obama?, answer: "the most radical president in American history"
|
New York (CNN) -- Nine Septembers have come and gone and yet, the many days that separate America now from a chilling day in its history did not dull remembrance Saturday.
Once again, the nation paused in silence to mark the times when hijacked jets crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and nearly 3,000 lives were lost in a matter of minutes.
But this year, a national debate over a proposed Islamic center near ground zero hovered over the day's heart-stopping sorrow, and the president once again pleaded for the tolerance that has come to define America. Rallies in favor of and against the center were held later in the day.
At Manhattan's Zuccotti Park, adjacent to the September 11 memorial site, thousands gathered, wanting to be as close as they could to hallowed ground.
As has become customary, the names of the 2,752 who perished at the World Trade Center were read out aloud -- each belonging to a mother or father, son or daughter, husband or wife, a friend, or even a stranger.
"We have returned to this sacred site to join our hearts together with the names of those we loved and lost," said New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at the start of the ceremony.
"No other public tragedy has cut our city so deeply," he said. "No other place is as filled with our compassion, our love, and our solidarity."
Silence befell New York at 8:46 a.m., the time when the first plane struck the North Tower. Another moment of quiet followed a few minutes later, at 9:03 a.m., when a second jet pierced through the South Tower.
Shortly after the second moment of silence, Vice President Joe Biden read a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
"Build today, then strong and sure with a firm and ample base; and ascending and secure shall tomorrow find its place. "
With each toll of the bell, an emotional chord struck hearts. Family members stepped forward to talk about those who were lost. And with each word, hot tears rolled down cheeks.
A woman remembered her mother, Larissa Ceylon Taylor.
"Although I was 11 years old when you passed, you were my best friend and the greatest mom. We all love you and we miss you. God bless you, Mom. I love you."
Another spoke of her sister, Deborah Ann Dimartino. "We will hold you close to our hearts."
And a brother, Christopher Epps, who was a Star Wars fan.
"Christopher, so handsome and, oh, so fine. With a heart of gold, why, oh why did you have to leave us behind? And I said to myself, I know why. God was looking for a captain of a ship, someone who qualifies as a jedi. So go on, dear brother, don't be shy. Your ship awaits you with 2,000 and more to stand by your side, to travel with you on your journey into the sky. May the force be with you, Christopher Epps. We love you and you are embedded in our hearts forever."
In his weekly address, President Barack Obama highlighted the scope of America's loss.
"We think about the milestones that have passed over the course of nine years -- births and christenings, weddings and graduations -- all with an empty chair," he said.
"On this day, we also honor those who died so that others might live: the firefighters and first responders who climbed the stairs of two burning towers; the passengers who stormed a cockpit; and the men and women who have, in the years since, borne the uniform of this country and given their lives so that our children could grow up in a safer world," Obama said.
Later, Obama laid a wreath at the Pentagon, where American Airlines Flight 77 struck and killed 184 people, and sounded again a message of tolerance, keenly aware that this anniversary was cast under a different light.
Beyond
|
[
"Where was Obama speaking?",
"What were the rallies held for?",
"What did Obama do?",
"Were rallies held?"
] |
[
"Pentagon,",
"proposed Islamic center near ground zero",
"laid a wreath at the Pentagon,",
"later in the day."
] |
question: Where was Obama speaking?, answer: Pentagon, | question: What were the rallies held for?, answer: proposed Islamic center near ground zero | question: What did Obama do?, answer: laid a wreath at the Pentagon, | question: Were rallies held?, answer: later in the day.
|
New York (CNN) -- Officials are investigating reports that two fire department dispatchers trained in emergency medical care refused to help a pregnant worker who collapsed in a cafe they were visiting. The woman later died.
Eutisha Rennix collapsed while working at an Au Bon Pain restaurant in Brooklyn on December 9 and died at Long Island College Hospital, according to the district attorney's office for Brooklyn, which is looking into the incident. A spokesman for the office said Rennix was pregnant.
The district attorney's office identified the two dispatchers as Jason Green and Melissa Jackson.
The New York Fire Department has suspended them without pay pending a department investigation, spokesman Frank Dwyer said.
Although the two worked as dispatchers, they had been trained as emergency medical technicians, said Steve Ritea, another department spokesman. Emergency medical technicians receive several weeks of training in medical care, he said
Rennix's co-workers said Green and Jackson were in the cafe at the time Rennix collapsed, but left after telling her co-workers to call 911, local media outlets reported.
Rennix's mother, Cynthia, said she was told that her daughter's co-workers tried to get the two to help, but they refused, according to CNN affiliate NY1.
"If they were really caring and concerned, they would have taken a minute to see and probably, possibility, something to do or some way the could help her," Rennix said.
But Jeff Samerson, a spokesman for the EMT and paramedics union that represents Green and Jackson, told NY1 that Jackson herself called 911.
"These are people that are not in the field, that have not had patient contact in years. ... And they did the best they could," Samerson said.
The fire department, however, issued a statement saying, "All of our members have taken an oath to assist others in need of emergency medical care."
Cynthia Rennix told CNN that she feels the EMTs were "heartless" and "non-caring" and hopes that her daughter's tragedy will prompt the city of New York to implement some sort of training or classes to ensure that a situation like this won't happen again.
The victim's brother, Eudane Rennix, was overseas serving in the U.S. Army in Kuwait when he received the call about his sister's death. He came home on emergency leave and that is when, he said, the family broke down together.
"If this is your job, why wouldn't you want to help someone in need?" he said. "There's no excuse whatsoever."
Eutisha Rennix's fiance and the father of her unborn child, Harry Woodsen, said the losses have been hard on the whole family.
"Everybody has two losses," he said. "I lost a fiance, and I lost a child. Her brother lost a sister and niece. Her mother lost a grandchild and her daughter."
The outrage at the incident has rippled beyond Brooklyn.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg slammed the EMTs at a news conference Monday. "Somebody's dying down the street and they say 'Help them,' and they just sat there," he said. "There's no excuse whatsoever, as far as I can see."
|
[
"what happened to the emt's",
"What did her co-workers say?",
"What did the fire department say?",
"what does the fire department say",
"what do her co workers say",
"What happened to Eutisha Rennix?",
"What happened to the two EMTS while the city investigates the reports?",
"What did her co-workers reportly say about the two EMTS?",
"Who collapsed while working at a Brooklyn cafe?"
] |
[
"suspended them without pay pending a department investigation,",
"Green and Jackson were in the cafe at the time Rennix collapsed, but left after telling",
"\"All of our members have taken an oath to assist others in need of emergency medical care.\"",
"\"All of our members have taken an oath to assist others in need of emergency medical care.\"",
"co-workers to call 911,",
"collapsed while working",
"New York Fire Department has suspended them without pay",
"Green and Jackson were in the cafe at the time Rennix collapsed, but left after telling",
"Eutisha Rennix"
] |
question: what happened to the emt's, answer: suspended them without pay pending a department investigation, | question: What did her co-workers say?, answer: Green and Jackson were in the cafe at the time Rennix collapsed, but left after telling | question: What did the fire department say?, answer: "All of our members have taken an oath to assist others in need of emergency medical care." | question: what does the fire department say, answer: "All of our members have taken an oath to assist others in need of emergency medical care." | question: what do her co workers say, answer: co-workers to call 911, | question: What happened to Eutisha Rennix?, answer: collapsed while working | question: What happened to the two EMTS while the city investigates the reports?, answer: New York Fire Department has suspended them without pay | question: What did her co-workers reportly say about the two EMTS?, answer: Green and Jackson were in the cafe at the time Rennix collapsed, but left after telling | question: Who collapsed while working at a Brooklyn cafe?, answer: Eutisha Rennix
|
New York (CNN) -- On the same day he was released from a hospital after undergoing a heart procedure, former President Clinton told reporters he has no plans to slow down.
"I have to keep working -- that's what my life is for," he said outside his home in Chappaqua, New York, on Friday. "You know I was given a good mind, a strong body, a wonderful life and it would be wrong for me not to work."
"I even did a couple of miles [walking] on the treadmill today," he said.
On Thursday, Clinton, 63, underwent a procedure at New York-Presbyterian Hospital's Columbia campus to implant two stents in a clogged coronary artery.
Clinton has "no evidence of heart attack or damage to his heart," and his prognosis is excellent after undergoing the procedure, according to Dr. Allan Schwartz, the hospital's chief of cardiology.
Schwartz said the procedure was "part of the natural history" of Clinton's treatment after his 2004 quadruple bypass surgery and "not a result of either his lifestyle or diet, both of which have been excellent."
Have you gone through heart surgery? Share your story.
Clinton called the procedure "kind of a repair job" and said he's "actually doing very well." He said he began feeling tired around Christmas and traveled several times in recent weeks to Europe and Haiti.
"I didn't really notice it until about four days ago when I felt a little bit of pain in my chest, and I thought I had to check it out," he said.
Earlier Friday, Clinton, the U.N. special envoy for Haiti, issued a statement marking the passing of one month since a massive earthquake devastated the impoverished nation. He also has visited the island nation twice since the earthquake, a fact he noted on Friday.
"I will continue to work with the Haitian government and people, international donors and multilateral organizations, the Haitian Diaspora, NGOs [nongovernmental organizations], and the international business community to fulfill unmet needs," Clinton said in the statement, released Friday.
"Haiti still has a chance to escape the chains of the past and the ruins of the earthquake," he said. "But we all will have to do what we can today."
Clinton said he had helped collect 200,000 donations for Haiti through his partnership with former President George W. Bush -- the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund -- and through the Clinton Foundation Haiti Relief Fund, calling those efforts "especially impressive." He said he has helped allocate $7 million in relief.
The 7.0-magnitude quake of January 12 leveled most of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, killing more than 212,000 people and injuring 300,000, according to Haitian government estimates. It left more than a million homeless.
Clinton underwent a procedure called angioplasty, the hospital said, in which a balloon catheter is threaded through an artery to the blocked vessel in the heart. When inflated, the balloon opens the vessel and restores blood flow. Many times, a scaffolding-like structure called a stent is left in place to keep the artery open.
How stents open arteries
President Obama called Clinton on Thursday evening and wished him a speedy recovery so he can continue his work on Haiti and other humanitarian efforts, a senior administration official said.
Schwartz said Clinton began experiencing "pressure or constriction" in his chest several days ago, episodes he described as "brief in nature but repetitive."
An initial electrocardiogram and blood test showed no evidence of heart attack, Schwartz said. Subsequent pictures of Clinton's arteries revealed that one of the bypass grafts from his 2004 surgery was "completely blocked," prompting the stent procedure, which took about an hour, Schwartz said.
Schwartz said Clinton was up and walking about two hours after the surgery.
Clinton's daughter, Chelsea, and his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, were with him at the hospital Thursday night, Schwartz said.
Hillary Clinton was scheduled to leave Friday on a
|
[
"Who said \"I have to keep working -- that's what my life is for,\" ?",
"What does President Clinton say?",
"Which procedure opens one of Clinton's blocked coronary arteries ?",
"what was the surgery",
"what did clinton say",
"What was he in hospital for?",
"Who is out of New York hospital after cardiac procedure ?"
] |
[
"former President Clinton",
"he has no plans to slow down.",
"angioplasty,",
"heart procedure,",
"told reporters he has no plans to slow down.",
"heart procedure,",
"President Clinton"
] |
question: Who said "I have to keep working -- that's what my life is for," ?, answer: former President Clinton | question: What does President Clinton say?, answer: he has no plans to slow down. | question: Which procedure opens one of Clinton's blocked coronary arteries ?, answer: angioplasty, | question: what was the surgery, answer: heart procedure, | question: what did clinton say, answer: told reporters he has no plans to slow down. | question: What was he in hospital for?, answer: heart procedure, | question: Who is out of New York hospital after cardiac procedure ?, answer: President Clinton
|
New York (CNN) -- One wily coyote traveled a bit too far from home, and its resulting adventure through Harlem had alarmed residents doing a double take and scampering to get out of its way Wednesday morning.
Police say frightened New Yorkers reported the coyote sighting around 9:30 a.m., and an emergency service unit was dispatched to find the animal. The little troublemaker was caught and tranquilized in Trinity Cemetery on 155th street and Broadway, and then taken to the Wildlife Conservation Society at the Bronx Zoo, authorities said.
"The coyote is under evaluation and observation," said Mary Dixon, spokesperson for the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Dixon said the coyote is a female, between 1 and 2 years old. She said the Department of Environmental Conservation will either send the animal to a rescue center or put it back in the wild.
According to Adrian Benepe, New York City Parks Commissioner, coyotes in Manhattan are rare, but not unheard of.
"This is actually the third coyote that has been seen in the last 10 years," Benepe said.
Benepe said there is a theory the coyotes make their way to the city from suburban Westchester.
He said they probably walk down the Amtrak rail corridor along the Hudson River or swim down the Hudson River until they get to the city.
|
[
"What made its way to Harlem via Amtrak tracks?",
"What happened with the coyote?",
"where did the coyote made its way?",
"What Harlem residents do?",
"What are the comments about the coyote?",
"Who scampered to get out of the coyote's way Wednesday?",
"where was the coyote caught?",
"What was tranquilized in Trinity Cemetery?",
"when are the Harlem residents going to scamper to get out of the coyote's way?"
] |
[
"wily coyote",
"then taken to the Wildlife Conservation Society at the Bronx Zoo,",
"Harlem",
"a double take and scampering to get out of its way",
"is under evaluation and observation,\"",
"alarmed residents",
"Trinity Cemetery on 155th street and Broadway,",
"the coyote",
"Wednesday morning."
] |
question: What made its way to Harlem via Amtrak tracks?, answer: wily coyote | question: What happened with the coyote?, answer: then taken to the Wildlife Conservation Society at the Bronx Zoo, | question: where did the coyote made its way?, answer: Harlem | question: What Harlem residents do?, answer: a double take and scampering to get out of its way | question: What are the comments about the coyote?, answer: is under evaluation and observation," | question: Who scampered to get out of the coyote's way Wednesday?, answer: alarmed residents | question: where was the coyote caught?, answer: Trinity Cemetery on 155th street and Broadway, | question: What was tranquilized in Trinity Cemetery?, answer: the coyote | question: when are the Harlem residents going to scamper to get out of the coyote's way?, answer: Wednesday morning.
|
New York (CNN) -- Outside a Manhattan mosque where the imam preaches against terrorism, the brothers of the "Revolution Muslim" are spreading a different message.
Protected by the Constitution of the country they detest, radical Muslim converts like Yousef al-Khattab and Younes Abdullah Mohammed preach that the killing of U.S. troops overseas is justified. In their thinking, so were the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States -- and so are attacks on almost any American.
"Americans will always be a target -- and a legitimate target -- until America changes its nature in the international arena," Mohammed said in an interview to air on tonight's "AC 360."
Al-Khattab and Mohammed consider al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden their model.
"I love him like I can't begin to tell you, because he doesn't seem to have done anything wrong from the sharia," al-Khattab said, referring to Islamic law. "If you're asking me if I love him as a Muslim, I love him more than I love myself."
They hand out fliers outside the gleaming 96th Street mosque, where up to 4,000 people visit every day. Inside the sleek, modernistic house of worship, Imam Shamsi Ali preaches against the violence that now sweeps many Muslim countries.
"What we try to do is reminding our people about the real Islam," Ali said. "We tell them what the real Islam is all about. Islam is about peace. Islam is about moderation. Islam is about friendship. Islam is opposed to any kind of hatred against anybody."
Law enforcement sources have told CNN the men walk right up to the line of protection under the First Amendment, but their message is not going unnoticed.
Al-Khattab handed CNN Correspondent Drew Griffin a business card from an FBI agent who he says is keeping tabs on him. The agent would not comment without clearance from his superiors, except to say, "Obviously, if they gave you my card, you know we are watching them."
The mosque has called police on Al-Khattab and Mohammed several times, and passers-by occasionally engage them in heated debates. Ali told CNN that ordinary Muslims are "disgusted with their behavior." But they insist they don't fight themselves, and don't incite others to do so.
Al-Khattab calls President Obama "a murderer, a tyrant, a scumbag," and says he wouldn't "shed a tear" if Obama were killed. But he added, "Would I incite his murder? That's not what I teach."
Mohammed calls himself an American "by default" who identifies with Muslims. Al-Khattab, a Jew who lived in Israel before converting to Islam, says he "would like to see a mushroom cloud" over the Jewish state -- "but before that, I'd like to see the people guided, and I'd like them to go back to their original countries where they're from."
But federal agents are not only watching them, they're watching some of those who are listening.
Neil Bryant Vinas, a young New Yorker who has pleaded guilty to plotting to attack trains on the Long Island Rail Road, met with al-Khattab. Al-Khattab said Vinas and "some brothers" traveled to Atlantic City, New Jersey, and had dinner with him. Al-Khattab said they considered him something of a hero because he left Israel and converted to Islam.
Al-Khattab also claims friendships with Tarek Mehanna, now under indictment in Boston, Massachusetts, on charges of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, and Daniel Maldonado, who pleaded guilty before a federal judge in Texas to receiving military training from Islamic militants in Somalia.
Mohammed says he and his fellow radicals are "commanded to terrorize the disbelievers ... making them fearful so that they will think twice before they go rape your mother or kill your brother or go onto your land and try to steal your resources."
"We are defending innocent women that are bombed every day, innocent
|
[
"Where is the mosque?",
"who say the language walks \"right up to the line\" of free speech protection?",
"What is happening inside the mosque?",
"who preaches against terrorism?"
] |
[
"Manhattan",
"Law enforcement sources",
"Imam Shamsi Ali preaches against the violence that now sweeps many Muslim countries.",
"imam"
] |
question: Where is the mosque?, answer: Manhattan | question: who say the language walks "right up to the line" of free speech protection?, answer: Law enforcement sources | question: What is happening inside the mosque?, answer: Imam Shamsi Ali preaches against the violence that now sweeps many Muslim countries. | question: who preaches against terrorism?, answer: imam
|
New York (CNN) -- Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui was convicted Wednesday of attempting to kill Americans in Afghanistan in 2008.
The jury found Siddiqui guilty of seven counts, including attempted murder and armed assault on U.S. officers.
The Manhattan jury began deliberations Monday afternoon and sent a note shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday saying they had reached a verdict.
Siddiqui listened to the verdict without emotion but let out an outburst once the jury was escorted out of the courtroom.
"This is a verdict from Israel, not America," she said. "Anger should be directed to where it belongs. I can testify to this. I have proof."
Authorities removed her from the courtroom. She will be sentenced May 6.
Siddiqui's family said she had been unjustly found guilty.
"Today's verdict is one of many legal errors that allowed the prosecution to build a case against our sister based on hate, rather than fact," they said in a statement released through the International Justice Network.
"We believe that as a result, she was denied a fair trial, and today's verdict must be overturned on appeal."
Prosecutors said Siddiqui shot at two FBI special agents, a U.S. Army warrant officer, an Army captain and military interpreters while she was being held unsecured at an Afghan facility on July 18, 2008.
Authorities said Siddiqui used an officer's rifle to fire two shots at the personnel, who were hidden from her view by a curtain. She hit no one. The warrant officer returned fire with a pistol, hitting Siddiqui at least once.
Afghan police had arrested her a day earlier outside the Ghazni governor's compound in central Afghanistan after finding her with bomb-making instructions, excerpts from the "Anarchist's Arsenal," papers with descriptions of U.S. landmarks, and substances sealed in bottles and glass jars, according to a September 2008 indictment.
The indictment said Siddiqui had "handwritten notes that referred to a 'mass casualty attack' " listing several locations in the United States and "construction of 'dirty bombs.' "
The notes also "discussed various ways to attack 'enemies,' including by destroying reconnaissance drones, using underwater bombs, and using gliders," the indictment said.
"Siddiqui also possessed a computer thumb drive that contained correspondence referring to specific 'cells,' 'attacks' by certain 'cells,' and 'enemies,' " the indictment said. "Other documents on the thumb drive discussed recruitment and training."
Siddiqui, whom the FBI had sought for several years for suspected ties to al Qaeda, was extradited to the United States in August 2008.
Since 2003, the whereabouts of Siddiqui, an American-educated neuroscientist, had been the source of much speculation.
According to Amnesty International, Siddiqui and her three small children were reported apprehended in Karachi, Pakistan, in March 2003, shortly after the FBI issued an alert requesting information about her location.
Several reports indicated that Siddiqui was in U.S. custody after her arrest in Karachi. But in May 2004, then-Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller identified Siddiqui as being among several sought-after al Qaeda members.
|
[
"Who did Siddiiqui shoot at?",
"Who did Siddiqui have ties to?",
"What was Aafia convicted of?",
"trashwhere was sidiqui being held?",
"what was siddiqui convicted of?",
"What did Siddiqui say?",
"what group is siddiqui tied to?",
"What is Aafia Siddiqui suspected of?",
"Who was convicted of attempted murder?"
] |
[
"U.S. officers.",
"al Qaeda,",
"attempting to kill",
"unsecured at an Afghan facility",
"attempted murder and armed assault",
"\"Anger should be directed to where it belongs. I can testify to this. I have proof.\"",
"al Qaeda,",
"ties to al Qaeda,",
"Aafia Siddiqui"
] |
question: Who did Siddiiqui shoot at?, answer: U.S. officers. | question: Who did Siddiqui have ties to?, answer: al Qaeda, | question: What was Aafia convicted of?, answer: attempting to kill | question: trashwhere was sidiqui being held?, answer: unsecured at an Afghan facility | question: what was siddiqui convicted of?, answer: attempted murder and armed assault | question: What did Siddiqui say?, answer: "Anger should be directed to where it belongs. I can testify to this. I have proof." | question: what group is siddiqui tied to?, answer: al Qaeda, | question: What is Aafia Siddiqui suspected of?, answer: ties to al Qaeda, | question: Who was convicted of attempted murder?, answer: Aafia Siddiqui
|
New York (CNN) -- Passengers of US Airways Flight 1549 could soon have a unique souvenir from their harrowing flight that ended in New York's Hudson River -- although it would be quite a large one.
The plane famously landed with 155 people aboard in the frigid river waters by Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger last January after a bird strike disabled its engines is up for auction.
The plane, an Airbus A320-214, is listed for sale "AS IS/WHERE IS" at a salvage yard in Kearny, New Jersey.
The wings, included in the sale, have been separated from the body of the aircraft and the bid site for the aircraft lists "severe water damage throughout the airframe" and "impact damage to underside of aircraft." The engines are not included.
The auction, managed by Dan Akers of Chartis Insurance, is set to end on March 27 at 4:30 p.m. ET and is open to the public. Chartis is a division of the larger American International Group Inc. and insures US Airways.
Marie Ali, a spokeswoman for Chartis, told CNN the plane is being auctioned "as salvage" but declined to provide further details about the auction.
A spokesperson for Sullenberger said the captain is aware the plane is at a salvage yard. US Airways did not immediately return calls for comment about the auction.
|
[
"What is the captain's name?",
"What have been separated from the body of the aircraft?",
"Where is the Airbus plane listed for sale?",
"What is listed for sale?",
"When is the auction set to end?",
"Where is the salvage yard?",
"What safely landed in the Hudson?",
"What is the name of the plane's pilot?",
"What have the wings been separated from?"
] |
[
"Chesley \"Sully\" Sullenberger",
"The wings,",
"at a salvage yard in Kearny, New Jersey.",
"an Airbus A320-214,",
"March 27 at 4:30 p.m. ET",
"Kearny, New Jersey.",
"US Airways Flight 1549",
"Chesley \"Sully\" Sullenberger",
"the body of the aircraft"
] |
question: What is the captain's name?, answer: Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger | question: What have been separated from the body of the aircraft?, answer: The wings, | question: Where is the Airbus plane listed for sale?, answer: at a salvage yard in Kearny, New Jersey. | question: What is listed for sale?, answer: an Airbus A320-214, | question: When is the auction set to end?, answer: March 27 at 4:30 p.m. ET | question: Where is the salvage yard?, answer: Kearny, New Jersey. | question: What safely landed in the Hudson?, answer: US Airways Flight 1549 | question: What is the name of the plane's pilot?, answer: Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger | question: What have the wings been separated from?, answer: the body of the aircraft
|
New York (CNN) -- Peter Madoff, brother of Bernard Madoff and chief compliance officer of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, is the subject of a criminal investigation, the U.S. attorney's office in New York confirmed Thursday.
In a letter filed this week in federal court in Newark, New Jersey, Peter Madoff's attorney, Charles Spada, says that the investigation was the reason that his client invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination at a deposition in a related case in November.
Spada said he had been informed of the investigation into Peter Madoff's involvement in his brother's Ponzi scheme a week before the deposition, at which Peter Madoff declined to answer more than 290 questions.
"Given the circumstances and intensity of the criminal investigation, one can hardly question defendant's constitutional right not to answer questions about his brother, Bernard Madoff, his work at BLMIS ... and virtually any related topic for fear that such answers might 'furnish a link in the chain of evidence' for a criminal prosecution," Spada said in the letter to Judge Madeline Cox Arleo.
The deposition was for a lawsuit brought against Peter Madoff by the Lautenberg Foundation, which says it lost all of its investment with Madoff Investment Securities: $7 million that the firm told the foundation had grown to an estimated $15 million.
Spada's letter was filed in response to the foundation's move to have Madoff sanctioned for failing to be "cooperative" in the deposition.
The attorney says the Lautenberg Foundation -- a charitable private group headed by Sen. Frank Lautenberg -- is an effort to "unfairly jump ahead of thousands of other investors" who also are seeking damages from Madoff Investment Securities.
A separate lawsuit has been filed on behalf of all the business's investors, who have lost an estimated $200 million in the scheme.
In March, Bernard Madoff pleaded guilty to 11 counts related to running the most massive Ponzi scheme in history and was sentenced to 150 years in prison.
CNN's Jean Shin contributed to this report.
|
[
"Who is Peter Madoff?",
"What term is Madoff serving?",
"Who is chief compliance officer of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities?",
"Who invoked the fifth?",
"How many years did Bernard Madoff served?",
"What is Madoff serving?"
] |
[
"the subject of a criminal investigation,",
"150 years",
"Peter",
"Peter Madoff,",
"150",
"150 years in prison."
] |
question: Who is Peter Madoff?, answer: the subject of a criminal investigation, | question: What term is Madoff serving?, answer: 150 years | question: Who is chief compliance officer of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities?, answer: Peter | question: Who invoked the fifth?, answer: Peter Madoff, | question: How many years did Bernard Madoff served?, answer: 150 | question: What is Madoff serving?, answer: 150 years in prison.
|
New York (CNN) -- Police arrested hundreds of protesters who occupied an iconic New York bridge during demonstrations against the nation's financial system, before releasing the demonstrators with tickets.
The "Occupy Wall Street" protesters extended their rally to Brooklyn Bridge, where they were cited for blocking the roadway, authorities said late Saturday.
Protesters banged drums and chanted, "the whole world is watching" as police moved in.
"Over 700 summonses and desk appearance tickets have been issued in connection with the demonstration on the Brooklyn Bridge ... after multiple warnings by police were given to protesters to stay on the pedestrian walkway," said Paul J. Browne, deputy commissioner for the New York City Police Department.
Browne said authorities had warned protesters they would be arrested if they occupied the roadway.
"Some complied and took the walkway without being arrested," he said.
Bridge traffic heading to Brooklyn from Manhattan was shut down for several hours, police said. Manhattan-bound lanes were open during the incident.
The protesters are rallying against what they say are social inequities resulting from the financial system.
Organizers have said they take their inspiration from the Arab Spring protests that swept through Africa and the Middle East this year. Crowds have taken up residence in the park in New York's financial district, calling for 20,000 people to flood the area for a "few months."
The protest campaign -- which uses the hashtag #occupywallstreet on the microblogging site Twitter -- began in July with the launch of a simple campaign website calling for a march and a sit-in at the New York Stock Exchange.
Over the past two weeks, demonstrations have addressed various issues, including police brutality, union busting and the economy, the group said.
CNN's Susan Candiotti and Jordana Ossad contributed to this report.
|
[
"What did the protesters block lanes to?",
"What do the protesters chant?",
"where is brooklyn bridge",
"What did protesters block?",
"Where did protesters block lanes?",
"how many protesters",
"What is the group protesting?",
"What did protesters chant?"
] |
[
"Brooklyn Bridge,",
"\"the whole world is watching\"",
"New York",
"the roadway,",
"Brooklyn Bridge,",
"hundreds",
"nation's financial system,",
"\"the whole world is watching\""
] |
question: What did the protesters block lanes to?, answer: Brooklyn Bridge, | question: What do the protesters chant?, answer: "the whole world is watching" | question: where is brooklyn bridge, answer: New York | question: What did protesters block?, answer: the roadway, | question: Where did protesters block lanes?, answer: Brooklyn Bridge, | question: how many protesters, answer: hundreds | question: What is the group protesting?, answer: nation's financial system, | question: What did protesters chant?, answer: "the whole world is watching"
|
New York (CNN) -- Police hauled away protesters in various cities Sunday as Occupy Wall Street rallies continued for the 30th day.
In Washington, D.C., 19 people were arrested by Supreme Court Police, a spokeswoman said.
New York authorities arrested 14 people for violating a midnight curfew by sitting in a fountain with no water at Washington Square Park. The number was in addition to 78 arrested Saturday in citywide protests.
"It was a classic peaceful sit-in," said Paul Browne, the deputy police commissioner.
In Chicago, a police spokesman said there were "multiple" arrests early Sunday for disorderly conduct and violating an 11 p.m. curfew.
And in Minneapolis, a woman was arrested for trespassing, CNN affiliate KARE reported. City police officials declined to comment.
About 150 people were camped out under a canopy near city hall after police took away their tents, a Minneapolis protest organizer said.
"It's cold. We don't have any protection from the elements," said organizer April Lukes-Streich.
In New York, where the Occupy Wall Street movement started, authorities had warned protesters they would be arrested if they defied the curfew. Police stood guard at the entrance of Washington Square Park, sending protesters spilling out into nearby streets.
They chanted anti-Wall Street slogans and banged drums as they wandered into the night.
The arrests came hours after thousands marched to New York's iconic Times Square on Saturday night, hoisting signs and chanting. Browne described the Times Square rally as orderly.
As police cleared the street, protesters chanted, "We are peaceful" and "The whole world is watching."
In another part of the city, another group of protesters made their voices heard.
"Banks got bailed out, we got sold out," chanted a crowd meandering east of the city's Zuccotti Park, considered a home base for the Manhattan protesters.
Columns of police on patrol and atop scooters monitored the march, but as dusk fell, it appeared largely peaceful.
In addition to the nationwide rallies, demonstrations have picked up steam, culminating in a global day of protests Saturday in Europe, Asia and Australia.
The Occupy Wall Street movement started last month as a backlash against the economy and what demonstrators say is an out-of-touch corporate, financial and political elite.
Organizers say they are inspired by the Arab Spring that led to the toppling of regimes in Tunisia and Egypt.
The founding movement in the United States has spread to other major cities in the nation.
CNN's Maria White, Susan Candiotti, Ross Levitt and Logan Burruss contributed to this report
|
[
"At least how many were arrested for violating NY park curfew early Sunday?",
"What number of people were arrested in Washington, D.C.?",
"How many were arrested in Washington?",
"What number of people were arrested in for violating New York park curfew?",
"What has been the reason for arresting 14 people in New York?",
"All together, how many people has been arrested in D.C.?",
"What did the police spokesman say in Chicago?",
"Where did police say there were multiple arrests?"
] |
[
"14",
"19",
"19 people",
"14",
"violating a midnight curfew",
"19",
"there were \"multiple\" arrests early Sunday for disorderly conduct and violating an 11 p.m. curfew.",
"Chicago,"
] |
question: At least how many were arrested for violating NY park curfew early Sunday?, answer: 14 | question: What number of people were arrested in Washington, D.C.?, answer: 19 | question: How many were arrested in Washington?, answer: 19 people | question: What number of people were arrested in for violating New York park curfew?, answer: 14 | question: What has been the reason for arresting 14 people in New York?, answer: violating a midnight curfew | question: All together, how many people has been arrested in D.C.?, answer: 19 | question: What did the police spokesman say in Chicago?, answer: there were "multiple" arrests early Sunday for disorderly conduct and violating an 11 p.m. curfew. | question: Where did police say there were multiple arrests?, answer: Chicago,
|
New York (CNN) -- Police in New York and Virginia are searching for a 22-year-old Virginia Commonwealth University student who went missing days after arriving in New York City to celebrate New Year's Eve, according to authorities.
Ian Hunter Burnet left Richmond, Virginia, on a bus bound for New York on December 26, according to his father, Mark Burnet. He planned to stay with a fellow VCU student and her friend in an apartment on 139th Street near Riverside Drive in Harlem, his father said.
"He went up just to have a post-Christmas tourist visit to New York City and celebrate New Year's Eve. He was intending to have a short time there and then return back to Virginia," Burnet said.
According to his father, his son and a friend had made plans to hang out together back in Virginia on January 2, but Ian Burnet never made it back. The last communication he had with his son was December 28.
"I received a routine type of text talking about touring in New York," he said.
Some other news outlets have reported that Burnet told friends he was not having a good time in New York, but his father told CNN that was something he had not heard.
"I wish I knew more," he said, "If I did, I might be able to understand what happened."
What investigators do know is that the friends with whom Burnet was staying say they last heard from him on December 30.
"Ian was communicating via text with them and the last bit of information that we had was that he was just stepping out to go out for the evening. And we don't have any information other than that," said Burnet's father.
"It's very frustrating," said New Kent County Sheriff Farrar W. Howard Jr., whose Virginia office is leading the investigation in conjunction with Virginia State Police and the New York City Police Department. "Nobody has seen him since the 30th."
The NYPD is directing all media inquiries to the New Kent County Sheriff's Office.
Mark Burnet said that Ian, who graduated as valedictorian from New Kent County High School and was on a full scholarship to study engineering, was looking forward to classes starting back at VCU on January 17.
He said Ian had lived on his own for years, was independent and would have no reason to simply run away.
According to Mark Burnet, his son's roommate from school told him that she and Burnet had planned their courses for next semester together and that he was excited to finish his degree.
Authorities retrieved Burnet's phone at the apartment where he was staying, but for Burnet to be without his phone is not uncommon, according to his father.
"He didn't really like talking on the phone. He would send texts and surf the Web, but he didn't like to carry a lot of valuables on his person," Mark Burnet said.
Authorities say Burnett did take his driver's license and credit cards with him the last time he left the Harlem apartment.
"Who knows what's going through a 22-year-old's head?" said Burnet's father, "but he would not want us to worry; if he was out there, he would get in touch with us."
Friends, family and supporters held a candlelight vigil in Virginia on Tuesday night for the missing Eagle Scout. Ian's ex-girlfriend, Meaghan King, attended.
"He has always had a good head on his shoulders, [he is] probably one of the sweetest people I have ever come in contact with," she said.
Burnet's parents set up a Facebook page, which is drawing in tips for police, as well as volunteers.
"There's a lot of people out there trying to look on the streets and see what's happened, but the fact is we just don't know, and we're really trying to find someone who might know," said his father.
"I'm hoping that those people
|
[
"who stayed with friend",
"What are was Burnet?",
"When was he last heard from?",
"who is 5 feet, 10 inches",
"Where had he stayed?",
"What age was Burnet?"
] |
[
"Ian Hunter Burnet",
"valedictorian from New Kent County High School and",
"December 28.",
"Ian Hunter Burnet",
"with a fellow VCU student and her friend in an apartment on 139th Street near Riverside Drive in Harlem,",
"22-year-old"
] |
question: who stayed with friend, answer: Ian Hunter Burnet | question: What are was Burnet?, answer: valedictorian from New Kent County High School and | question: When was he last heard from?, answer: December 28. | question: who is 5 feet, 10 inches, answer: Ian Hunter Burnet | question: Where had he stayed?, answer: with a fellow VCU student and her friend in an apartment on 139th Street near Riverside Drive in Harlem, | question: What age was Burnet?, answer: 22-year-old
|
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