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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Drug violence in the Mexican state of Chihuahua left 24 people dead in the span of 24 hours this weekend , the state attorney general 's office said Sunday . The killings were scattered over four locations throughout the state , with eight dead in Juarez , 10 killed in the capital of Chihuahua , five killed in Cuauhtemuc and one killed in Parral . All the slayings occurred in public places , with the killings in Cuauhtemuc occurring in a bar , said Carlos Gonzalez , a spokesman for the Chihuahua state attorney general . The killings took place between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning , Gonzalez said . The victims -- all male -- ranged in age between 18 and 25 years old . No other details about the killings or the victims were immediately available . `` This is an indicator of the incrementally increasing war between the two cartels battling for Juarez Plaza , the state 's drug trafficking corridor , '' Gonzalez said , referring to an ongoing battle between the Sinaloa and Juarez cartels for dominance in the area . Juarez Plaza is a major thoroughfare through the area . `` I ca n't give you a reason why the violence is picking up the last week of April going into this month , '' Gonzalez added . Some Mexican news organizations have reported that the Sinaloa Cartel had defeated the rival Juarez organization but Gonzalez said , `` There is no winner to this war . '' The spate of weekend killings followed another bloody week in the Ciudad Juarez area . On Wednesday , at least 15 people were killed in drug-related violence in Juarez , authorities said . The slayings included four people whose bodies were found at one location , another three -- one of them a woman -- who were found slain at a second location , and another eight victims who were killed at a bar , police spokesman Jacinto Seguro said . On Tuesday , 10 people were killed , Seguro said , including three who were shot outside a supermarket . Another victim was killed outside a shopping mall . In all , 25 people were killed between Tuesday and Wednesday , Seguro said . Ciudad Juarez is the most violent city in Mexico , with more than 2,600 drug-related deaths in 2009 . No official numbers are available for this year , but more than 500 killings have been reported by local media . Some reports have the figures as high as 810 in Juarez this year . According to a report released in April by the Mexican government , Chihuahua state is Mexico 's hardest-hit state by drug violence , with 6,757 people killed since the start of the drug war at the end of 2006 . | Killings scattered over four locations throughout Mexican state of Chihuahua . All the slayings occurred in public places , including a bar . Violence result of battle between two cartels , said attorney general 's spokesman . | [[177, 245], [1599, 1705], [1851, 1861], [1864, 1885], [369, 411], [419, 464], [1759, 1784], [1789, 1809], [937, 953], [956, 1053]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tiger Woods admits his personal problems are affecting his game , but the world 's top golfer refused to blame media intrusion on his life for his disastrous return to the PGA Tour this week . Woods defied expectation when he tied for fourth on his comeback last month at the Masters , one of golf 's four major events , but struggled at the Quail Hollow Championship in North Carolina as he missed the halfway cut for only the sixth time in 14 years as a professional . On Friday , he slumped to a seven-over-par 79 that saw him miss the weekend rounds by eight shots -- and a massive 17 behind leader Billy Mayfair . It was his second-worst single-round score behind the 81 he carded at the 2002 British Open , and his highest 36-hole total meant he missed the cut in a non-major for the first time since 2005 . The 34-year-old , who took a five-month break from playing following the scandal over his admitted marital infidelities , admitted he was feeling pressure due to continued questioning about his private life . `` Well , I get asked every day . Every day I do media , I get asked it , so it does n't go away . Even when I 'm at home , paparazzi still follow us , helicopters still hover around , '' Woods told reporters in quotes carried by his personal Web site . `` Does it test you ? Yes , of course it does . Is that any excuse ? No , because I 'm out there and I have the same opportunity as everybody else here in this field to shoot a good number , and I did n't do that . '' Woods will hope to address problems with his game ahead of the Players Championship at Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida starting next Thursday . `` It 'll be interesting because I 'll probably get home and hit balls on the range , and I 'm going to have to get up there to Ponte Vedra a little early to putt because Isleworth is all torn up , '' he said . `` My short game was terrible . I three-putted there twice back-to-back , and you ca n't do that . I did n't get up-and-down at six and chipped the ball off the green at seven . Those shots , you 're just throwing away shots when you do stuff like that . `` You have to let it go . It 's like baseball , you go 0 for 4 two days in a row like I did , you 've got a whole new tournament next week , which is great . '' While Woods struggled at Quail Hollow , the 43-year-old Mayfair shot his second successive 68 to claim a one-shot lead from Argentina 's Angel Cabrera . Last year 's Masters champion , who played his first two rounds with Woods , fired a 67 featuring an eagle , four birdies and two bogeys . Current Masters champion Phil Mickelson also carded 68 to be in a tie for third another shot back on 138 along with fellow Americans J.P. Hayes -LRB- 64 -RRB- , Dustin Johnson -LRB- 65 -RRB- and Paul Goydos -LRB- 70 -RRB- . Meanwhile , England 's Mark Foster will take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the Spanish Open in Seville . The world No. 363 , seeking his second victory on the European Tour , carded a three-under-par 69 in his third round on Saturday . Spanish duo Alvaro Quiros -LRB- 67 -RRB- and Carlos Del Moral -LRB- 70 -RRB- were tied for second along with Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin -LRB- 71 -RRB- . | Tiger Woods admits personal problems are affecting his golf , but refuses to blame media . World 's top golfer misses cut at a U.S. PGA Tour event for first time since 2005 . He shot seven-over-par 79 at Quail Hollow , the second-worst score of his career . Woods will line up again at the Players Championship at Ponte Vedra next week . | [[19, 63], [38, 82], [89, 211], [736, 832], [212, 217], [344, 472], [490, 499], [502, 535], [516, 535], [541, 621], [638, 729], [2283, 2320], [2323, 2435], [1514, 1654]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Here 's a solid bet : At a few minutes after 6 p.m. on Saturday , Chef Jo-Jo Doyle will have goosebumps on his arms , and he 'll be in dire need of a nap . The 35-year-old chef will have been at Churchill Downs since 5 a.m. , working with his teams to prep , among other Southern treats , 1,892 sheets of Derby Pies , 18,000 barbecue sandwiches , 9,700 pounds of chicken , 11,520 Niman Ranch sausages -LRB- including a bourbon version specially made for the event -RRB- and 120,000 mint juleps to be served to more than 150,000 guests at the 136th annual Kentucky Derby . This is n't Chef Doyle 's first time around the track , though . He 's worked in the Churchill Downs ' kitchens for four years , and this is his second stint as executive chef . He 's learned to pace himself . `` It 's basically like a family reunion , '' Doyle told CNN . `` The food is coming in waves all day long . There 's breakfast , then second breakfast , then first lunch ... we 're taking our hats off to Grandma here . You do n't know what to do with yourself , so you just keep eating , '' Doyle said . Behind the scenes , hopefully , things will gallop right along . Read preview of the Kentucky Derby . `` I thrive on the energy in the kitchen , and I 've learned it 's like climbing a mountain . We train , test , pace , work and plan , '' he said . That 's especially important this year , with his addition of some innovative new dishes alongside his family 's classic succotash recipe and the track 's standard barbecue , hot dogs and shrimp salad . The Alabama native collaborates closely with nearby farmers to be able to introduce some fresh -- as in picked 15 to 20 minutes earlier -- new flavors in the form of `` living greens , '' which are sponge-grown lettuces plucked from their roots right before they 're served alongside Kentucky blue cheese . And `` Oh my goodness ! '' he raves about local tomatoes from Kentucky Hydro . `` Fresh is best . I 'm taking what chefs are doing every day . I 'm just doing it for thousands and thousands of people . '' He 's also thrilled to be working with meat supplier Niman Ranch , which raises all their animals hormone-free , humanely and sustainably on family farms . Now about those juleps ... The track 's staff will go through approximately 475,000 pounds of shaved ice , 7,800 liters of bourbon and 2,250 pounds of mint to quench loads of thirsty racegoers . Doyle notes that everyone has their own method . Some people use simple syrup , and others steep mint on their bourbon . But when the silver cup is in his hand , he 'll grab a quantity of fresh Kentucky mint and , `` I muddle really well with sugar -- which does a really good job of releasing the oils . And I like crushed ice because it makes it cold quicker . '' And he 's got his crushing method down cold . No `` chewy '' little bits for him ; he takes a couple of cubes in the palm of his hand and strikes them with the back of an ice cream scoop . So when does he finally get a chance to chill out ? He 'll step out of the kitchen , right before post time and listen to the crowd sing `` My Old Kentucky Home . '' It 's his favorite part of the whole day , and he gets goosebumps every time . The moment it 's all over , it 's back to the races . He assesses the day 's performance and begins planning next year 's menu , without pausing to take a victory lap . Like he says , `` Not everyone gets to be the chef at Churchill Downs . '' Here are a few of the recipes used by Kentucky Derby fans : . Simple Mint Julep . Ingredients : 1 tsp sugar , handful of clean mint leaves and additional mint sprig , crushed ice , 3 oz of bourbon . Note : Juleps are traditionally served in silver cups because they retain an even chill . If you do n't have one , a chilled tumbler will do just fine . Spoon the sugar into the bottom of the cup . Place the leaves on top of the sugar and crush , pushing down and twisting with a muddler or wooden spoon until slightly pulped . Fill the cup with crushed ice , pour the bourbon over the ice , garnish with the mint sprig and serve . Kat 's Bourbon Slush . Bourbon slush was standard on party buffet tables when I was growing up in Fort Thomas , Kentucky , but I 've rarely -- if ever -- seen it served outside of Northern Kentucky . That 's a real shame . Here 's a fairly standard recipe that packs a solid , sneaky alcohol wallop , as it goes down so very smoothly . It 's easy to double , triple or quadruple , but fair warning -- you can never have enough on hand , because no one ever has just one . My husband and I sampled it at our annual Derby Day party as well as our wedding . Now guests to subsequent soirees barely say hello upon arrival . Even the most demure bee-line for the freezer to scoop out a drink and then start in with the pleasantries . Ingredients : 12 ounces of lemonade , frozen concentrate ; 6 oz of orange juice , frozen concentrate ; 2 cups sugar ; 2 cups hot strong tea ; 2 cups bourbon ; 7 cups water ; ginger ale or lemon-lime soda to taste . In a lidded , freezer-proof container or two -LRB- Tupperware and Rubbermaid pitchers work well -RRB- , stir together all ingredients except ginger ale until thoroughly blended . The concentrate should not be prediluted with water , and plain tea like Lipton or Red Rose works well . Place the container -LRB- s -RRB- in the freezer overnight or for at least 4-6 hours depending on the make and model of your appliance . It should be firm all the way through , but it will not freeze completely solid . Scoop around half to three quarters of a cup of the slush into a tumbler , top with ginger ale or lemon-lime soda to taste and serve . And did I mention how sneaky it is ? Keep an eye on your guests , lest they slip too far into the slush pile . Note : Do n't splurge on the good stuff for this . Save your Woodford and Booker 's for sipping and juleps -LRB- and hand your Van Winkle on over this way -RRB- . Evan Williams is cheap , respectable and gets the job done . | Chef Jo-Jo Doyle has worked at Churchill Downs ' kitchen for four years . `` The food is coming in waves all day long , '' Doyle says . Track 's staff will go through approximately 475,000 pounds of shaved ice . | [[656, 658], [662, 717], [864, 909], [1090, 1105], [2254, 2331]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When the January 12 earthquake hit Haiti , I watched hour upon hour of coverage on CNN . Like everyone else in the world , I saw images that were among the most horrifying caused by a natural disaster in our time . I had never been to Haiti at the time . Like many , I have friends and even family members of Haitian descent . But what occurred to me and most others were the questions : `` How could this happen and be so destructive ? '' `` Why the lack of infrastructure ? '' `` Why the lack of preparation for disaster ? '' No country could be totally prepared for that kind of disaster , but Haiti and its people seemed to be particularly disadvantaged against Mother Nature 's might . Click to find out more about CNN documentary `` Rescued '' I immediately got on my computer and began doing research , reading about Haiti 's history . Admittedly , my American history dates were a bit foggy , so I tried to give myself a brief refresher . In school , we learned very early on about the abolition of slavery and Abraham Lincoln . But I was never taught that there was a small black nation in the Caribbean that had defeated Napoleon 's army in 1803 . That was the same year the French decided to sell their only other colony in the Western Hemisphere : Louisiana . Had the slaves , led by Toussaint L'Ouverture , not overthrown the French Army in Haiti , would the French have sold Louisiana to the United States ? The Louisiana Purchase instantly doubled our country 's size . Now , I have spent my time in Louisiana . I graduated from Louisiana State University . But I never linked these two events . I am sure historians do , but does the average American know that the Haitian revolution possibly played a large role in the history of the United States of America ? So , I ask myself , had Toussaint L'Ouverture not lived , would America be the America it is today ? If his army and the slaves had not defeated the French , would the French have wanted to sell their only other colony , so close to Haiti ? So , the earthquake made me begin to read about history and look at events a little more closely . I do not understand why a country so close to some of the richest economies in the world could be in this position . I am not a political person by nature . But it does make you wonder how politically and historically , Haiti 's own government and those of nearby countries have shown no accountability . That same day , I began to get calls from many organizations , people I do business with , friends asking for financial assistance and donations . I kept responding : `` Get back to me on what to do for the children . '' `` Call me on what we can do with the schools . '' `` Can someone find me someone dealing with the orphan situation ? '' `` Are these kids going to be out on the streets being sold into God knows what ? '' I continued to be overwhelmed with requests , and to be honest , was very concerned about people taking advantage , or looking for their `` moment in the spotlight to look like a savior , '' or that conversations seemed premature or were losing focus on the big picture . You could not be human and look at the images and hear the stories and not feel helpless and complete empathy for those who were suffering . Amid the chaos of what was unfolding on television , I tried my best to put myself in the place of the people and children who were living this reality . What does it feel like to lose a family member , or many family members and friends all at one time ? Parents ? Children ? What does it feel like to be trapped inside a building that has fallen around you , in many cases for days , waiting for someone to find you and dig you out . What does it feel like to be hungry and without water for days at a time , not knowing if you will ever taste anything again ? Now , months later : What does it feel like to be abandoned ? What does it feel like to have a leg amputated , no parents , and live in a tent outside an orphanage that you can not go inside ? I can only imagine . I can not walk in the shoes of those who lived it . I also realized that I know nothing about emergency response , foreign aid or medical care . What I do know is that I can be effective in keeping the light on a problem -- a problem that will not be solved for a long , long time . This is a country full of young children who will be permanently affected by this catastrophe . It is our responsibility to help Haiti solve this problem , as long as it takes to do it . We must not only rebuild the country , its roads , its buildings and its government . We also have to rebuild its children . It is an emergency to get these children back in schools . It was already an emergency before January 12 , when a large percentage of children were not in school . It is an emergency to protect their human rights , it is an emergency to give them health services and prevent diseases that have long-term impact . We must treat these children like children . They need music and arts and sports . They need trained teachers who can educate and protect them during the school day . They need to have safe places to play . They need access to computer labs , technology and modern education tools . I decided this is what I would focus on . How could I lead in contributing for immediate needs -- but also for those that linger ? A bed to sleep in and a roof over their heads . Schools . Computers . Teachers . Books . Soccer fields . Basketball courts . Parks . That is it . Our team traveled to Port-Au-Prince and Jacmel over the past few weeks , and we are returning again this month . We have joined in partnership with the United States Foundation for the Children of Haiti . The team met with the most amazing woman , Gladys Thomas , who has been serving the children in her homeland of Haiti since 1981 . Thomas has led the foundation in developing a full spectrum of services for the growing number of children brought into her care . We will support her organization and work to support La Foundation Pour les Enfants d'Haiti , a nonprofit and nongovernmental Haitian organization . Our foundation O'Positive , along with Greenhouse International , will support the ongoing need to rebuild the infrastructure and buildings for School of Good Shower , Hope Hospital and Children 's Hope Village , which both serve Haitian orphans in her care . O'Positive and I will also be working on a partnership with Save the Children and Harvard University Innovation Lab in Haiti to help provide infrastructure and quality education , teacher training and supplies the children need to succeed . So many people have already given so much . But this effort is just beginning . It has been four months since that horrible day . One-third of a year . Thousands of children are sitting in tents each day , with nowhere to go and nothing to do . It is easy to forget about what is no longer on the front page or staring you down on your TV or computer . We get back to our normal lives . But remember , these children can not resume their normal lives . We must not forget that in order to rebuild Haiti , we must rebuild its youth . We must not leave them behind . Their lives can not end at the hands of an earthquake . Let 's find the light in the storm , and build a future for the children . The opinions in this commentary are solely those of Shaquille O'Neal . | Shaquille O'Neal saw images from Haitian earthquake and asked `` How could this happen ? '' O'Neal : He and others knew little about Haiti and its slave revolution 's impact on U.S. It 's essential for Haiti 's future to remember its children , make sure they thrive , O'Neal writes . Learn about Haiti 's orphans on CNN 's documentary `` Rescued , '' Saturday at 8 p.m. ET . | [[407, 424], [407, 413], [420, 431], [1630, 1634], [1660, 1796]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Myanmar 's Supreme Court rejected Friday an appeal by pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi to overturn her house arrest . A diplomat who attended the hearing and spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that the appeal was unsuccessful . Suu Kyi , 64 , has one final avenue for appeal to a special court in Myanmar 's new capital , Naypidaw . The Nobel Peace Prize laureate 's house arrest was extended by 18 months last August after an incident in which uninvited American John Yettaw stayed at her lakeside home . Myanmar 's ruling military junta accused Suu Kyi of breaching the terms of her house arrest . She has been imprisoned or under house arrest for much of the past two decades , since her party the National League for Democracy won a landslide election victory in 1990 . The junta has never recognized the results , but has promised to hold fresh elections this year , although no date has yet been set . Suu Kyi is disqualified from standing because she was married to a foreigner . The NLD has still to clarify whether it will participate in the vote . CNN 's Dan Rivers contributed to this report . | Myanmar 's Supreme Court rejects appeal by democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi . Suu Kyi had sought to overturn her house arrest . Suu Kyi has one final avenue for appeal to a special court . Her house arrest was extended in August after an uninvited American stayed at her home . | [[0, 15], [19, 110], [111, 141], [259, 266], [274, 350], [364, 466], [455, 466], [476, 536]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A suspect charged in the failed Times Square car bombing is a Pakistani who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in April 2009 and used to work as a financial analyst in Connecticut . Faisal Shahzad , 30 , most recently of Bridgeport , Connecticut , was arrested Monday night at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York as his flight to Dubai was about to take off , law enforcement officials said . Federal authorities had put him on a no-fly list earlier in the day , with investigators having determined that he had purchased the vehicle used in Saturday 's failed bombing attempt , FBI Deputy Director John Pistole said Tuesday . Customs and Border Protection agents reacted quickly to the name match and made the arrest , Pistole said . Shahzad has been charged with five counts in connection with the case , according to documents filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in New York . According to the documents , he admitted to law enforcement officials that he attempted to detonate the bomb and that he recently received bomb-making training in the Waziristan region of Pakistan . Also according to the complaint , Shahzad returned to the United States via a one-way ticket from Pakistan on February 3 . He had told immigration officials upon his return that he had been visiting his parents in Pakistan for the previous five months , the complaint said . Shahzad has a Karachi identification card , a sign of Pakistani residency , and his family is from northwestern Pakistan , according to Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik . His father is a retired senior officer in the Pakistani Air Force , Shahzad 's cousin , Kafayat Ali , said on Tuesday . The father , Bahar Ul Haq , a former air vice marshal , lives in the Peshawar suburb of Hayatabad in Pakistan . Shahzad came to the United States and attended college , earning a bachelor 's degree in computer applications and information systems from Connecticut 's University of Bridgeport in 2000 . He earned an MBA at the school in 2005 . He started working as a junior financial analyst for Affinion Media Group in Norwalk , Connecticut , in 2006 , leaving voluntarily in June 2009 , according to Affinion spokesman Michael Bush . Before what the court document says was Shahzad 's trip to Pakistan , he lived in Shelton , Connecticut . A woman who said she had lived next door to him in Shelton told CNN on Tuesday that the man she knew did n't say much and claimed to work on Wall Street in New York . `` He was quiet . He would wear all black and jog at night . He said he did n't like the sunlight , '' Brenda Thurman said . She said Shahzad , his wife and two children and his wife 's two sisters lived next to her for about three years , moving out in July 2009 . People whom she believes were plainclothes law enforcement officers appeared to be staking out the house Monday , Thurman told CNN affiliate WTNH-TV . The neighbor said she often saw Shahzad leaving the home in the morning and returning in the evening . She also saw him in his yard with his children , a boy and a girl , and the family usually wore traditional Muslim attire , she told WTNH-TV . She said she never suspected he might be involved in a possible terror attack . `` I did n't think he was capable of doing something like that . ... I 'm very shocked , '' she said . Thurman said her daughter often played with Shahzad 's daughter , but she herself did n't have much contact with the family . Shahzad 's wife spoke English , but was apparently so insecure about her language ability that she told people she did not , Thurman said . `` I never knew she spoke English until it was time for her to move , '' Thurman said . Shahzad 's wife told Thurman in July 2009 that the family was moving to Missouri . A few weeks after they left their home , the lender foreclosed on the property and changed the locks , the neighbor said . At the Bridgeport residence where authorities say he lived most recently , agents with the FBI and local police , including members of a bomb squad , conducted a search , and investigators removed filled plastic bags . Cell phone calls conducted for the purchase of the vehicle used in Saturday 's bombing attempt helped lead police to the suspect , law enforcement sources said . Sources said investigators got cell phone information from the daughter of the Nissan Pathfinder owner . She sold the vehicle to Shahzad on behalf of her father . She had been talking on the phone to Shahzad in arranging the purchase of the SUV , which was advertised for sale on Craigslist . The Nissan Pathfinder was parked in Times Square containing propane tanks , fertilizer and gasoline on Saturday night . After police retrieved the vehicle identification number of the Pathfinder , they located the registered owner of the vehicle . The sources said the owner 's daughter had met with Shahzad at a Stratford , Connecticut , grocery store , for the sale . Shahzad took the car for a test drive in the parking lot and bought the vehicle for $ 1,300 in cash . Bridgeport is a working class city of 130,000 on Long Island Sound , 66 miles northeast of New York City . Per capita income there is 26 percent below the national average , and 27 percent of its residents are foreign-born , more than twice the national average , according to the U.S. Census Bureau . CNN 's Deborah Feyerick , Drew Griffin , Joneil Adriano , Samson Desta , Reza Sayah , Jim Kavanagh and the CNN Wire Staff contributed to this report . | Suspect in bombing attempt made Pakistan trip in 2009 , court documents say . Court documents : Suspect admits receiving bomb-making training in Pakistan . Faisal Shahzad often wore black and jogged at night , ex-neighbor in Connecticut says . Phone calls related to purchase of vehicle led investigators to suspect . | [[2222, 2289], [2292, 2311], [767, 774], [839, 861], [942, 1111], [2513, 2555], [4120, 4178], [4215, 4248]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For most of American history , a Supreme Court with no Protestant Christian judges would have been unthinkable . Nearly three quarters of all justices who 've ever served on the nation 's high court have been Protestant . And roughly half of all Americans identify themselves as Protestant today . But since John Paul Stevens announced his retirement last month , legal and religious scholars have begun entertaining the unprecedented prospect of a Supreme Court without a single Protestant justice . Besides Stevens , who is Protestant , the current Supreme Court counts six Catholics and two Jews . `` It 's an amazing irony given how central Protestantism has been to American culture , '' said Stephen Prothero , a religion scholar at Boston University . `` For most of the 19th century , Protestants were trying to turn America into their own heaven on Earth , which included keeping Jews and Catholics from virtually all positions of power . '' Many religion scholars attribute the decline of Protestants on the high court to the breakdown of a mainline Protestant identity and to the absence of a strong tradition of lawyering among evangelical Protestants . `` Mainline Protestantism is n't a pressure group , '' said Prothero , `` It 's not like the National Council of Churches is lobbying Obama to get a Lutheran appointed to the Supreme Court . '' And while Judaism and Catholicism have their own sets of religious laws that date back millennia , many branches of Protestant Christianity do not . For much of the last 150 years , evangelical Christianity has stressed an emotional theology of `` heart '' over `` head '' -- not a recipe for producing legal scholars with eyes fixed on the Supreme Court . `` Evangelicals have put more effort into getting elected than in getting onto the bench , '' said Michael Lindsay , a Rice University professor who has studied evangelical elites . `` Electoral politics is more similar to the style of rallying of around revival campaign than it is to the arduous journey of producing intellectual giants that could be eligible for the Supreme Court . '' President Obama is expected to nominate Stevens ' replacement early this month . Of the three candidates who are reported to lead Obama 's short list , two -- Solicitor General Elena Kagan and federal appeals judge Merrick Garland -- are Jewish , while one , federal appeals judge Diane Wood , is a Protestant . Obama 's first Supreme Court appointee , Sonia Sotomayor , is Catholic . One explanation of Catholics ' and Jews ' high court hegemony is that members of both traditions have long pursued legal degrees as a way to assimilate into a majority Protestant country . `` Most American Catholic law schools were not formed to be elite institutions of lofty legal scholarship , but as way to respond to the fact that other law schools were excluding Catholics , '' said Richard Garnett , a professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School . `` It was a vehicle to get Catholics into the middle class . '' `` Early on , those schools admitted a lot of Jewish students who were being discriminated against , '' Garnett said . Today , Catholic law schools at Georgetown University , Fordham University , and Notre Dame are considered among the best in the country . Evangelical Protestant colleges , meanwhile -- including Regent University and Liberty University , founded by Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell , respectively -- have opened law schools only since the 1980s . And law schools with Protestant roots -- like Harvard and Yale -- shed their religious identities a long time ago , part of the broader fading of a distinct mainline Protestant identity in the U.S. . Some legal and religious scholars say the dearth of qualified evangelical candidates for the Supreme Court came into sharp relief in 2005 , when President George W. Bush nominated White House counsel Harriet Miers to the high court . An evangelical Christian who the White House promoted strenuously among evangelicals , Miers ' nomination was brought down largely by conservatives -- nonevangelicals , mostly -- who said she was not qualified for the position . In the last couple of decades , however , more evangelicals have begun pursuing legal degrees , including at elite colleges . `` There are now vibrant Christian fellowships at Harvard and Yale , '' said Lindsay . `` Ten years from now , it will be entirely possible to see an evangelical Protestant on the Supreme Court . '' Rachel Heflin , a senior at Patrick Henry College -- a Virginia school whose students are mostly evangelicals from homeschooling backgrounds -- said many of her friends are heading to law school next year . `` When your circle of friends is comprised of aspiring lawyers , the joke is about who 's going to make it to the high court first , '' said Heflin , an evangelical Christian who will be attending George Washington University Law School on scholarship . Which means that a Protestant Supreme Court resurgence may not be too far off . | Current Supreme Court has six Catholics , two Jews and one Protestant . Absence of a strong tradition of lawyering among evangelical Protestants . Only one of the Supreme Court candidates on Obama 's short list is a Protestant . More evangelicals have begun pursuing legal degrees in the last few decades . | [[558, 619], [2277, 2339], [2359, 2369], [2378, 2405], [2419, 2436], [970, 1184], [2378, 2405], [2419, 2436], [4167, 4196], [4209, 4292]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Inter Milan stayed on course for the treble after beating Lazio 2-0 on Sunday to open up a two-point gap over Roma in the Serie A title race . It completed a superb week for Inter , who reached the final of the Champions League with an aggregate win over Barcelona on Wednesday . They also face Roma in the Italian Cup final next Wednesday having leapfrogged the capital side with their latest victory . Lazio , fighting a relegation battle , were no match for Jose Mourinho 's high-flyers , who are bidding for a fifth straight league title . Argentine defender Walter Samuel headed in the opener just before halftime from a Wesley Sneijder cross . Inter continued to press after the break and Thiago Motta scored the second from a Maicon corner in the 70th minute . Roma had briefly led Serie A after their 2-1 win at Parma on Sunday with both teams now having two matches left to press their title claims . Earlier , Sampdoria and Palermo both won to stay locked in the battle for the fourth and final Champions League qualifying place . Sampdoria , who lead Palermo by two points , beat already relegated Livorno 2-0 while the Sicilians beat Siena 2-1 . The defeat sends Siena down . In other games , Napoli and Juventus booked Europa League places . Napoli won 2-1 away to Chievo while Juve dropped to seventh , but secured their spot with a 1-1 draw at Catania . At the other end of the table , Bologna drew 1-1 with Atalanta to improve their chances of surviving the drop . In the Netherlands , FC Twente sealed the Dutch title with a 2-0 win over NAC Breda to leave them one point ahead of Ajax , who beat NEC Nijmegen 4-0 . It is a remarkable triumph for a side managed by former England boss Steve McClaren who could not match the spending power of their Amsterdam rivals . Bryan Ruiz and Miroslav Stoch scored the Twente goals to clinch the championship and a Champions League place . | Inter Milan beat Lazio 2-0 to regain lead in Serie A from Roma . Inter can win the treble after reaching the final of Italian Cup and Champions League . FC Twente seal Dutch title after 2-0 win over NAC Breda . | [[19, 96], [0, 15], [97, 161], [19, 96], [1500, 1518], [1521, 1553], [1584, 1607], [1840, 1850], [1857, 1914]] |
New Orleans , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The edges of the massive Gulf Coast oil slick grazed the barrier islands off Louisiana 's Chandeleur and Breton sounds Tuesday as the company responsible for cleaning up the spill faced tough questions from members of Congress . With a damaged undersea well still spewing crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico , Louisiana 's coastal parishes made new plans to keep the oil from moving into Lake Borgne and Lake Pontchartrain , which flank New Orleans . Winds that complicated efforts to fight the spill died down Tuesday , making cleanup work easier , Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry said . `` It 's a gift of a little bit of time , '' she told reporters . `` But I 'm not resting . '' The spill threatens wildlife , beaches and livelihoods along the Gulf Coast . Already federal officials have banned fishing in the affected area until at least May 12 , curtailing a commercial seafood industry that brings in about $ 2.4 billion to the region every year . The leading edge of the slick was reported to be lapping at the edge of Louisiana 's Chandeleur Islands early Tuesday , Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said . `` Let 's make no mistake about what 's at stake here . This is our very way of life , '' Jindal told reporters . `` This is our fishing communities , these are some of our coastal communities . We 're talking about keeping this oil out of our fragile wetlands . '' But as of mid-afternoon , no oil had been found washed up on the islands , said Doug Suttles , chief operating officer for BP , which owns the damaged well . `` To give you a sense of our ability to respond , we launched 22 vessels , '' Suttles told reporters at a news conference in Mobile , Alabama . Twelve of those vessels were shrimp boats whose skippers have volunteered to assist in the cleanup , he said . `` They 've been in the area ever since trying to locate that oil and make sure it actually does n't reach shore , '' Suttles said . The edge of the slick was reported to be about 20 miles off the Mississippi Coast , and Landry said it was about 30 miles off the shores of Alabama . Suttles said BP workers expected to close off one of the three leaking points Tuesday , but added , `` I do n't believe that will change the total amount of oil that will be leaked . '' Stephen Herbert , chef and owner of Abita Springs Cafe on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain , said the potential impact was `` tremendous . '' But Herbert , who holds a degree in fish biology and lived in the marshes for 10 years before entering the restaurant business , expressed surprise that the story has become a national one . `` I 'm really astounded that the rest of the people in the United States really give a flip about this , '' he said . Louisiana 's coastal marshlands have been shrinking at the rate of two football fields a day for a quarter-century , he said , `` and nobody gave a flip about that . '' Herbert 's 16-table restaurant , located 25 miles from New Orleans , specializes in Cajun food , and at least half of his orders are for meals that contain fish . In anticipation of rising prices , he ordered an extra gallon of shucked oysters and another case of shrimp , but that was all his refrigerators could store , the 56-year-old restaurateur said . The estimated 210,000-gallon-per-day flow of oil from the damaged well continued unabated Tuesday , 12 days after the drilling rig Deepwater Horizon sank off Louisiana . The break in the winds kept the slick from advancing much toward the coast , but Jindal said the weather is expected to turn unfavorably Thursday . The first oil was not expected to reach the shores of the U.S. mainland for another three days , Suttles said . As owner of the well , BP is responsible for the cleanup and its costs . It blames Transocean , which it hired to drill the well , for the failure of a critical piece of equipment that was designed to shut off the well in case of emergency . Across the Gulf Coast , emergency workers and volunteers helped string floating booms across inlets and beaches in an attempt to fend off any advancing oil . Chocolate-colored streaks of oily water could be seen off Dauphin Island , on the Alabama coast . And crew boats that normally supply oil wells were laying booms around Ship Island , off the shores of Mississippi and about 10 miles north of the spill 's leading edge . But Capt. Louis Skrmetta , who runs excursions out to the Mississippi Sound barrier islands , said efforts to protect the islands and waterways were inadequate . He said Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour -- who called the spill `` a manageable problem '' Monday -- was doing less to combat the oncoming slick than his counterparts in Alabama and Louisiana . KNOE : Community rallies around rig families . `` The governor 's leaving it up to BP . They 're just not doing enough , '' Skrmetta said . BP hopes to place a four-story-high metal container over part of the leaking drill pipe , a step it says could corral about 80 percent of the leaking oil . The oil would then be pumped to a drill ship on the surface . Suttles said the 70-ton box could be ferried out to the site of the leak by midnight Wednesday , but it will take another two days to place the device on the seabed . Then it must be connected to the drill ship . `` Hopefully , we 'll be operational within about about six days , '' he said . Hundreds of thousands of feet of booms have been strung around the estuaries of southeastern Louisiana , Mississippi , Alabama and far western Florida in recent days . But an aerial tour conducted by the Coast Guard on Tuesday showed some have already given way , and high winds in recent days have driven oil past others . The Deepwater Horizon caught fire April 20 and burned for two days before sinking , with 11 workers presumed dead . Executives from BP and Transocean Ltd. , looked `` like deer in the headlights '' when they briefed members of the House Energy and Environment committee about the accident and response on Tuesday , said Rep. Joe Barton , R-Texas . KATC : Gulf shrimp season to temporarily close . Barton is a strong supporter of offshore drilling , and told reporters he did n't want the accident to reverse support for more exploration off the U.S. coasts . But he said he had hoped for `` more concrete '' answers from the oilmen . `` I have concerns in this particular case about the attention to safety , the attention to maintenance , the attention to using best available control technology and best monitoring practices , '' Barton said . Rep. Edward Markey , D-Massachusetts , said the situation could get dramatically worse . `` One of the questions which I asked was what would happen if a worst-case scenario did unfold ? '' he told reporters after the hearing . `` I was told that the amount of oil per day could actually rise from 5,000 to 60,000 barrels of oil a day , although in a worst-case scenario , the most likely number was in the 40,000 barrel range , which only reinforces the necessity of us acting as quickly as possible , for BP and all responsible , for shutting off this catastrophic leak of oil . '' But Dave Nagel , the executive vice president of BP America , said the company is `` doing everything we can to respond to this incident . '' `` That 's our complete focus right now -- to stop the leak at the scene , to disperse the oil the best we can and protect the beaches and mitigate the impact , '' he said . `` That 's what we 're doing . '' That may not be enough to satisfy lawmakers , said Sen. Bill Nelson , D-Florida . `` Privately , I 've gone up to some senators who have been for drilling and I have sarcastically said to them , in a whisper , ` Drill , baby , drill , ' and they roll their eyes as if in mock horror at the possibilities of what could happen as a result of this disaster . '' CNN 's Mark Biello , Dave Rust and Tom Watkins contributed to this report . | Oil laps islands that hold national wildlife refuge , says Louisiana governor . `` Our very way of life '' is at stake , Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal says . The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig caught fire April 20 ; burned for two days before sinking . 11 workers presumed dead in incident . | [[999, 1028], [1042, 1116], [1119, 1153], [1119, 1153], [5716, 5758], [5716, 5737], [5763, 5797], [5716, 5737], [5783, 5797], [5800, 5815], [5716, 5737], [5783, 5797], [5800, 5815], [5805, 5831]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A male University of Virginia lacrosse player was charged with first degree murder Monday after a member of the school 's women 's lacrosse team was found dead in her apartment , police said . Police were initially called to the off-campus apartment by a roommate who reported `` a possible alcohol overdose , '' said Tim Longo , chief of police in Charlottesville , Virginia . `` It was quickly apparent to them this young lady was the victim of something far worse , '' Longo said . Police identified the dead student as Yeardley Love , 22 , a senior from Cockeysville , Maryland . Investigators `` fairly quickly '' focused on George Huguely from Chevy Chase , Maryland , as a suspect , Longo said . Huguely , a senior , is on the men 's lacrosse team and was charged with murder , he said . Police are interviewing friends of Love and Huguely to determine what their relationship was , he said . `` That she appears now to have been murdered by another student compounds this sense of loss by suggesting that Yeardley died without comfort or consolation from those closest to her , '' University of Virginia President John Casteen said . `` We know no explanation of what appears now to have happened , '' he said . | Yeardley Love , member of Virginia 's women 's lacrosse team , found dead in apartment . George Huguely , member of school 's men 's lacrosse team , charged with murder . Police interviewing friends to determine what relationship between Love , Huguely was . The lastest on the investigaton on tonight 's `` Nancy Grace '' , HLN 8 p.m. ET . | [[0, 15], [49, 163], [0, 15], [141, 195], [722, 729], [743, 773], [722, 729], [778, 801], [814, 906]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Spain striker Fernando Torres may not be fit for the start of the World Cup , according to his English club Liverpool . The forward scored 18 goals in 22 games in the Premier League before his season was cut short by a knee injury . Torres had surgery to repair a torn cartilage in April and is now racing to be fit for Spain 's opening game at the finals with Switzerland on June 16 . Peter Brukner , Head of Sports Medicine and Sports Science at Liverpool , says the 26-year-old may not have recovered in time to launch his country 's charge for the trophy . He told Liverpool 's official Web site : `` You ca n't be absolutely certain of anything but at this stage , if he continues to progress the way he is , he should be fit to play at some stage during the World Cup . `` Whether he 'll be fit for the first game or not is uncertain . We 're anxious not to hurry him along too much because we want the long-term benefit , but we 're aware he 's got the short-term goal of playing in the World Cup . '' Meanwhile , Germany coach Joachim Loew has been dealt a double blow ahead of the World Cup after goalkeeper Rene Adler and midfielder Simon Rolfes were ruled out of the tournament through injury . Adler has been told he needs surgery on a rib injury , aggravated while playing for his club Bayer Leverkusen during their weekend German Bundesliga draw with Hertha Berlin . He has been the country 's number one since Robert Enke committed suicide in November 2009 , and has nine caps to his name . `` This was the hardest decision of my life , '' Adler told the German Football Association 's Web site . `` The pain is so great that I would not have been able to perform at my best over the longer term both in training and during matches . `` In such a long and intensive tournament , that is unacceptable . You need players who are totally fit . '' Rolfes , who also plays for Leverkusen , has been out of action since an operation on a knee injury back in January and will not be adding to his 21 caps at the finals in South Africa . He said : `` I am very pleased with the healing process but it is now definitively clear that the World Cup finals for me make no sense . `` My plan is now to look to start the new Bundesliga season fully fit . Missing out on the World Cup is not easy . It only remains for me now to wish the team every success in South Africa . '' Meanwhile , striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has been left out of Holland 's provisional World Cup squad , but coach Bert Van Marwijk says it does n't necessarily spell the end of his World Cup dream . The 33-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward is currently playing for Hamburg in the Bundesliga . `` As for Ruud , I 'm giving myself until May 11 to decide , '' Van Marwijk was quoted as saying in a story on FIFA 's Web site . `` I 'm leaving him until that date to convince me that he is sufficiently in shape to take part in the World Cup . '' | Spain striker Fernando Torres may not be fit for start of World Cup . Germany goalkeeper Rene Adler to miss tournament due to a rib injury . Midfielder Simon Rolfes also ruled out with a knee injury . Striker Ruud van Nistelrooy told he can still make Dutch squad for finals . | [[0, 15], [19, 94], [1028, 1037], [1040, 1146], [1225, 1373], [208, 251], [1151, 1224], [2407, 2436]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Floyd Mayweather will cement his position as the most bankable boxer in the world in Saturday night 's non-title welterweight fight against fellow American Shane Mosley in Las Vegas . The 33-year-old , whose nicknames include `` Money , '' has already generated $ 292 million in revenue in six pay-per-view fights for broadcaster HBO , from 5.5 million buys . He is expected to take home $ 58.5 million for himself if the battle with veteran Mosley achieves two million subscribers . Mayweather is already fourth on the broadcaster 's all-time list behind Oscar De La Hoya -LRB- $ 610.6 million on 12.6 million buys from 18 events -RRB- , Mike Tyson -LRB- $ 545 million on 12.4 million buys , 12 bouts -RRB- and Evander Holyfield -LRB- $ 543 million on 12.6 million buys , 14 fights -RRB- . De La Hoya and Tyson have both retired , while the 47-year-old Holyfield last month kept alive his unlikely dream of winning the world heavyweight title for a record fifth time by claiming the little-regarded WBF crown in front of just 3,000 people in Vegas . Mayweather 's 2007 victory over De La Hoya earned a record $ 120 million for a single pay-per-view event from 2.15 million buys , and HBO told CNN that his fight with the 38-year-old Mosley is set to qualify as a true `` megafight . '' `` In boxing , megafights are those that reach one million buys , '' HBO Pay-Per-View senior vice-president Mark Taffet said . `` By every indicator -- ticket sales , closed circuit television sales , views of video on the Internet , and the number of viewers of HBO 's 24/7 series -- Mayweather-Mosley is on track to becoming a true PPV megafight . `` Whether on television , radio , newspapers , magazines , Internet , Facebook , MySpace , iTunes , Youtube , HBO , or at retail stores across the country , fans everywhere are surrounded by this great event . The Mayweather-Mosley buzz is everywhere . '' Mayweather is undefeated in 40 fights , and has won six world titles at five different weights . However , he has lost his No. 1 ranking as the highly-regarded Ring Magazine 's world 's top pound-for-pound boxer to rival Manny Pacquiao . The two were due to clash earlier this year but the Filipino pulled out due to Mayweather 's demands for Olympic-style blood-testing . `` Floyd Mayweather is a bonafide PPV superstar , '' Taffet said . `` He is one of most prolific performers in PPV history . `` But it takes two to make a true megafight and , like Floyd Mayweather , Shane Mosley is a future Hall-of-Famer and one of the most recognizable boxing stars of this era . Shane is a critical ingredient in the megafight status of Mayweather-Mosley . `` While Shane and Floyd definitely have very passionate fan bases in their hometowns -LSB- Lynwood , California and Grand Rapids , Michigan respectively -RSB- , both Mayweather and Mosley are national figures with broad and diverse fan bases throughout the entire U.S. `` As the ` Who R U Picking ? ' polls indicate , fans everywhere are talking about this matchup and it is virtually a 50-50 split as to who the fans think will win . '' While many pundits expect Mayweather and Pacquiao to agree to fight by the end of this year , the American has taunted the Filipino by saying he is not enough of a box office draw . Pacquiao 's fights with De La Hoya and Juan Marquez brought in significantly fewer buys than Mayweather 's clashes with the duo . `` He needs to learn how to do numbers like I 'm doing , '' Mayweather , who shunned the chance of winning the WBA belt against Mosley as he did not want to pay the sanctioning fees , told Boxingscene.com . `` He needs to step his game up . I 'm not worried about this -LSB- Mosley fight -RSB- . I know I 'm going to do crazy numbers . I should walk away with about $ 40 million . With or without Pacquiao I 'm going to be able to go out and make $ 20 million or $ 30 million a night . '' | Floyd Mayweather is fourth in all-time list of revenue earners in pay-per-view fights . Saturday 's non-title fight with Shane Mosley will push him past $ 300 million mark . Mayweather 's 2007 win over Oscar De La Hoya most lucrative event in boxing history . The 33-year-old opted out of title fight as he did not want to pay WBA sanctioning fee . | [[503, 597], [1070, 1197], [3552, 3595]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cristiano Ronaldo continued his sensational scoring form with a hat-trick on Wednesday night to keep Real Madrid 's Spanish title hopes alive going into the final two matches of the season . Real trail Barcelona by one point after matching the defending champions ' 4-1 victory over Tenerife the night before , coming from behind to defeat European hopefuls Mallorca . While world player of the year Lionel Messi took his tally to 44 goals with two more on Tuesday , Ronaldo is proving to be just as important to Real 's chances . The Portugal forward , who became the world 's most expensive player when he signed for $ 130 million from Manchester United in pre-season , has now scored 36 times this campaign . He followed up his double from Sunday 's last-gasp 3-2 victory against Osasuna with another superb solo display , canceling out Aritz Aduriz 's 16th-minute header with an opportunist effort 10 minutes later as he beat goalkeeper Dudu Aouate to a long ball by Sergio Ramos . Ronaldo put Real ahead 11 minutes after halftime with his 24th league goal this season , again combining with Ramos as he chested down the Argentine 's pass and prodded the ball past Aouate . He made it 3-1 with 18 minutes to play as he skipped past two defenders on the left-hand edge of the penalty area and calmly slotted a low right-foot shot past the keeper to seal his first treble for the club . Gonzalo Higuain capped the victory 10 minutes later with a superb deft chip over Aouate after running clear for his 26th goal in La Liga this season , putting him behind only Messi 's 31 . This weekend , Real will host Athletic Bilbao while Barcelona travel to Sevilla , who reclaimed fourth place from Mallorca with a 5-1 victory at Racing Santander . Striker Alvaro Negredo followed up his weekend double with two more goals as Santander , who had Mohamed Tchite sent off for two bookings after he made it 3-1 on the hour , were left just a point above the bottom three . Eighth-placed Athletic Bilbao failed to return to the top six after a 1-1 home draw with Malaga , who moved above Santander on goal difference . Atletico Madrid kept up the fine end-of-season form that has seen Real 's city rivals reach the finals of the Europa League and Copa Del Rey by defeating second-bottom Valladolid 3-1 . Goals from Juanito , Jose Manuel Jurado and Diego Forlan put the ninth-placed hosts 3-0 up before a 78th-minute consolation by Jonathan Sesma as relegation-threatened Valladolid suffered a first defeat under former Spain coach Javier Clemente . Deportivo La Coruna were leapfrogged by Atletico after losing 3-1 at Osasuna , and now can not qualify for the Europa League . Real Zaragoza moved five points clear of the bottom three with a 1-0 win at home to Espanyol , who are a point above in 13th place , thanks to a second-half penalty from in-form striker Adrian Colunga . | Cristiano Ronaldo scores his first hat-trick for Real Madrid in 4-1 win at Mallorca . Portugal forward has now netted 36 times in his first season for Los Galacticos . Real reduce Barcelona 's Spanish league lead to one point with two games to play . Sevilla reclaim fourth place from Mallorca with 5-1 victory at Racing Santander . | [[19, 111], [1239, 1241], [1315, 1407], [550, 570], [691, 730], [155, 209], [210, 282], [330, 387], [1669, 1676], [1683, 1719]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- You know it 's a recession when leggy Las Vegas showgirls ca n't sell enough tickets to stay in business . Las Vegas showgirls strut their stuff in Les Folies Bergere , which is closing after 50 years . That 's what 's happening to `` Les Folies Bergere , '' a revue modeled after its famous namesake in Paris , that has run in Vegas for nearly 50 years . The curtain will go down on the act for the last time on March 28 , according to the Tropicana Las Vegas , where the show runs on the Strip . The hotel 's Web site trumpets that the `` timeless musical extravaganza embodies the very essence of sexy , classic Las Vegas entertainment . '' The classic show opened on Christmas Eve 1959 after being imported from Paris , according to the hotel . Scandalous when it opened , it was known for its leggy , topless dancers wearing huge feathered headdresses , high heels , and not much more . `` Folies Bergere enjoyed an amazing and unprecedented run on the Las Vegas Strip , '' according to Ron Thacker , president of Tropicana Las Vegas . `` We are extremely proud to have been part of such an iconic Las Vegas production and offer a sincere thank you to the cast , crew and support staff for their many years of excellence . '' The closing is an example of how the economic downturn has struck Sin City . Tourism and real estate -- two key industries in Las Vegas -- have plunged . Hotels have slashed prices to keep bringing in visitors , but that has n't helped keep Les Folies Bergere running . | Les Folies Bergere show in Las Vegas to close after 50 years . Curtain at Tropicana Resort on the Strip goes down for last time March 28 . Show , imported from Paris , opened on Christmas Eve 1959 . It was known for its leggy , topless dancers wearing huge feathered headdresses . | [[167, 185], [194, 221], [320, 374], [375, 440], [663, 740], [663, 703], [743, 767], [768, 822], [825, 898]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cristiano Ronaldo scored a late headed winner as Real Madrid stayed a point behind leaders Barcelona in the Spanish title race after a dramatic 3-2 win over Osasuna on Sunday night . Real had to come from behind twice in the Bernabeu with former World Player of the Year Ronaldo grabbing a double . Trailing by four points after Barcelona 's 4-1 win over Villarreal on Saturday , Real made a disastrous start as a poor back pass by Raul Albiol allowed in Carlos Aranda to give Osasuna an early lead . Ronaldo then came to the rescue for the first time as he equalized with a fine strike from just outside the penalty area , but Real were soon behind again as Krisztian Vadocz struck home Osasuna 's second . But with time running out in the first half , Marcelo headed Real level again . Osasuna refused to lie down and substitute Masoud Soleimani missed the easiest of several chances for the visitors as Real pushed forward for a winner . The game appeared to be headed for a draw , which would have severely dented Real 's title hopes with games running out , until Ronaldo popped up to score an 89th minute goal from a cross by Gonzalo Higuain . A double from Lionel Messi had helped Barca to rebound from their Champions League exit at the hands of Inter Milan to leave them on course to defend their La Liga crown with a fine win over Villarreal . In other action on Sunday , Alvaro Negredo scored two penalties to give Sevilla a 3-1 win over Atletico Madrid to lift them into the fourth and the final Champions League place . The match was a forerunner to the Copa del Rey final later this month . Atletico , who are also in the Europa League final , fell behind to a Luis Fabiano strike after five minutes . Tiago Cardoso equalized for Atletico who were then undone by Negredo 's two spot kicks . A double from substitute Nicola Zigic saw Valencia beat Espanyol 2-0 to keep a tight hold on third place . Getafe were held goalless by Valladolid and Tenerife beat Racing Santander 2-1 but remain in the drop zone as Malaga drew 1-1 with Sporting Gijon . | Cristiano Ronaldo scores twice including a late headed winner for Real Madrid . The 3-2 win lifts Real to within a point of leaders Barcelona in La Liga . Sevilla beat Atletico Madrid 3-1 to boost Champions League hopes . Valencis consolidate third place with 2-0 win over Espanyol . | [[19, 201], [281, 317], [520, 640], [1373, 1398], [1401, 1483], [1423, 1551], [1824, 1930], [1866, 1930]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Some of the worst flooding the mid-South has seen in decades is thought to be responsible for at least 11 deaths in Tennessee , the Nashville and state emergency management offices said Sunday . Five of the deaths were in Davidson County , which encompasses Nashville , according to the Nashville mayor 's Office of Emergency Management . The rains have closed interstate highways , displaced thousands from their homes , prompted evacuations of hotels and nursing homes and turned city streets and parking lots into raging rivers . Parts of the state have been drenched with up to 20 inches of rain , with more expected . iReport : Experiencing the Tennessee floods ? Send photos , video . On Sunday night , multiple vehicles were trapped by water on Interstate 40 with water rising around them and with authorities working since the afternoon to get to the cars , according to the Office of Emergency Management . Authorities have recovered bodies from a flooded house in Nashville and from an upside down vehicle floating on a flooded road , among other places , the mayor 's office said in a release Sunday night . Two young men who 'd gone tubing on a flooded creek on Sunday evening were missing , the mayor 's office said . Also on Sunday night , authorities were working to evacuate more than 500 residents from the MetroCenter in north Nashville . `` All of our major creeks and the Cumberland River are near flood level , if not at flood level , '' Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said at a press conference Sunday , referring to the waterway that bisects Nashville . `` The ground is entirely saturated , and the rain continues to fall . There 's nowhere for the water to go . '' The western two thirds of Tennessee has seen between 6 and 20 inches of rain since Saturday , with flooding spreading to Kentucky on Sunday . In Nashville alone , more than 600 people were rescued from the water this weekend , Dean said . Dean said Sunday that more rain has fallen in Nashville in the last 24 hours than has ever been recorded in the city . Video : Nashville resident captures ` practically a class two rapids ' on her neighborhood streets . `` We are still at this point in rescue stage and will be until the water begins to subside , '' he said . Dean urged residents to stay home Sunday and , if they could , to skip work on Monday , when Nashville schools will be closed and public transportation will be suspended . Two of the three temporary shelters -- which can each house 200 people -- opened by the Nashville mayor 's office had reached capacity by Sunday evening . The Red Cross reported approximately 400 people in 22 shelters throughout Tennessee . The floods shut down parts of interstates 24 , 40 and 65 around Nashville on Saturday and Sunday . The floods left 36,000 houses around Nashville without power on Sunday , while all Davidson County residents were asked to use water for essential purposes only after flooding closed one of the city 's water treatment plants . Flooding also led to the evacuation of three area nursing homes , affecting more than 250 patients , Dean said . Opryland Hotel expected to lose power Sunday night and staffers planned to ask their guests to evacuate , according to Janel Lacey , a spokeswoman for the Nashville mayor 's office . While some streams around Nashville were starting to recede on Sunday , the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was planning to release dammed upstream water Sunday night , which could cause more flooding around Nashville , city emergency management chief Stephen Halford said . The water needed to be released to keep the Army Corps equipment safe , Halford said . The National Weather Service issued a civil emergency message Sunday to central and western Tennessee , telling people to stay off roads because too many are closed and people are getting stranded . The weather service also issued a flood emergency Sunday for much of central Kentucky -- where tens of thousands were trying to get home after this weekend 's Kentucky Derby -- and in south central Indiana . In Louisville , Kentucky , the National Turnpike and Gene Snyder Freeway were closed on Sunday . In addition to flooding fatalities , one Tennessean died over the weekend in a tornado in Hardeman County , the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said Sunday . The mayor 's Office of Emergency Management in Nashville announced Sunday night that it had confirmed five fatalities in Davidson County -- which encompasses Nashville -- thought to be flood-related . | NEW : Bodies recovered from a flooded house and an upside down vehicle on a flooded road . NEW : Multiple vehicles trapped by rising water on Interstate 40 . NEW : Two young men who 'd gone tubing on a flooded creek were missing . Flood emergency issued Sunday for central Kentucky and south central Indiana . | [[935, 1002], [1012, 1061], [4332, 4468], [710, 725], [728, 784], [790, 814], [1138, 1220], [1803, 1845], [3863, 3882], [3888, 3948]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- What really motivates us ? And what motivational techniques lead us to work smarter and live better ? Those are questions that behavioral scientists around the world have been exploring for the past half-century . Their answers might surprise you . In laboratory experiments and field studies , a band of psychologists , sociologists and economists have found that many carrot-and-stick motivators -- the elements around which we build most of our businesses and many of our schools -- can be effective , but that they work in only a surprisingly narrow band of circumstances . For enduring motivation , the science shows , a different approach is more effective . This approach draws not on our biological drive or our reward-and-punishment drive , but on what we might think of as our third drive : Our innate need to direct our own lives , to learn and create new things , and to do better by ourselves and our world . In particular , high performance -- especially for the complex , conceptual tasks we 're increasingly doing on thejob -- depends far more on intrinsic motivators than on extrinsic ones . Read more about Daniel Pink 's talk at TEDGlobal2009 . With these conclusions in mind , here are a few ways to tap your third drive and enlist the science of motivation at work , with your children and in your personal life . WORK : Try a FedEx Day . The Australian software company Atlassian has an ingenious method for stoking innovation . Once a quarter , on a Thursday afternoon , they allow their developers to work on anything they want , any way they want and with whomever they want . The only requirement is that people have to show what they 've created to the rest of the company at a fun and spirited meeting 24 hours later . Atlassian calls these sessions `` FedEx Days '' because people have to deliver something overnight . These one-day bursts of autonomy have produced an array of fixes for existing software and ideas for new products that might not have emerged otherwise . This is n't management through carrots and sticks . It 's innovation through autonomy . You can give this a whirl at your organization . Set aside an entire day when employees can work on anything they choose , however they want , with whomever they 'd like . Make sure they have the tools and resources they need . And impose just one rule : People must deliver something -- a new idea , a prototype of a product , a better internal process -- the following day . The results might amaze you . CHILDREN : Give your children an allowance and some chores -- but do n't combine them . In the peculiar world of human motivation , sometimes adding two positives can give you a negative . Take the case of chores and allowances . Both are good . Chores show kids that families are built on mutual obligations and that all members need to help each other . Allowances teach kids to be responsible for , and manage , their own money . But combining the two is a big mistake . By linking money to the completion of chores , parents turn an allowance into what I call an `` if - then '' reward -LRB- as in `` If you do this , then you get that . '' -RRB- The science is very clear that `` if-then '' rewards , while effective in some circumstances , can trigger an avalanche of unintended consequences . In this case , the carrot of payment sends kids a clear -LRB- and clearly wrongheaded -RRB- message : In the absence of cash , no self-respecting child would willingly set the table , empty the garbage or make her own bed . It converts a moral andfamilial obligation into just another commercial transaction -- and teaches that the only reason to do a less-than-desirable task for your family is for payment . So keep allowance and chores separate , and you just might get that trash can emptied . Even better , your kids will begin to learn the difference between principles and payoffs . PERSONAL : Find your sentence . Clare Booth Luce , one of the first women to serve in Congress , once said , `` a great man is a sentence . '' What she meant was that anybody who ever achieved anything of enduring significance was n't running in 17 directions at once . Those who leave left a lasting imprint -- not just on their country , but also on their families and communities -- are animated by a singular purpose . One of the best ways to find your purpose is to ask yourself a variation of Luce 's question : What 's my sentence ? When all is said and done , how to do you wanted to be remembered ? How will the world be different because of your presence on it ? Your sentence need not be George Washington-esque in its scope . -LRB- `` He led a revolution from tyranny and helped guide a young democracy . '' -RRB- Maybe it 's `` she served every patient who came into her office whether or not that person could pay . '' Maybe it 's `` he taught two generations of children how to read . '' Maybe it 's `` she raised four children who are now happy and healthy adults . '' There are few better navigational tools than to find your North Star of purpose . So ask yourself : What 's my sentence ? You might find the answer motivating . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Daniel Pink . | Our traditional idea of motivation is to reward good behavior with money , Daniel Pink says . He says research shows that carrot-and-stick motivators work only in limited circumstances . He says many people motivated by need to be creative , productive , independent . He says managers and parents can adopt better ways to motivate . | [[2990, 3034], [528, 596], [3161, 3259]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The medals have been presented , the caldron extinguished and the crowds dispersed , but there 's one record from the 2010 Vancouver Olympics that may have been overlooked : Most condoms distributed at a Winter Games . It 's hard to say this conclusively , and judges from other host cities may demand a recount , but Clay Adams of Vancouver Coastal Health said the word on the public health street is that Vancouver is king of the prophylactic winter rings . Over the course of 17 days , the health agency doled out 100,000 condoms , supplied by the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control . And after buzz , some based on rumors , grew that there was a shortage -- `` We were not getting calls from people saying , ` Help , I need condoms , ' '' Adams laughed -- an emergency shipment of 8,500 additional rubbers came in from the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research . Some media outlets reported that the supply was strictly for Olympic and Paralympic athletes and officials , totaling about 6,500 people according to the Vancouver Organizing Committee . That would suggest an average of at least 15 condoms per person , and rampant sex of Olympic proportions . But Adams , spokesman for Vancouver Coastal Health , clarified and said the free condoms were available not just to athletes and game officials . They were on the cruise ships that housed security , support staff and volunteers . They were in washrooms at public venues , including the downtown pavilions where visitors gathered for free concerts . They were handed out by volunteers and readily available in clinics . The mass distribution of rubbers was part of a greater effort to improve HIV and AIDS awareness , Adams said . Lots of people do n't have the same kind of access to public health messages about disease prevention , and `` when you 've got a global audience like this , it 's a huge opportunity to educate the world , '' he said . Since the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona , Spain , condoms have been distributed free to athletes . About 40,000 of the original 100,000 in Vancouver were for those staying in the athlete villages in Vancouver and Whistler , Adams said . How many of them were actually used is an impossible question to answer . Some say condoms were snagged as souvenirs , although Adams said they were not branded with Olympic rings . He said he did hear stories of athletes from countries with inferior condoms stuffing their suitcases with the coveted rubbers . But no matter what happened to the condoms , the public health effort in Vancouver is one that makes him proud . `` Indications are that Vancouver topped the podium for Winter Olympics , '' Adams said . `` Although we recently heard that they issued 35 million condoms for Mardi Gras in Rio , so I suppose we all have a long , long way to go to reach that mark . '' | Other may want a recount , but it seems Vancouver 's tops for Winter Games condoms . More than 100,000 rubbers were distributed ; 8,500 more were sent as backup . Since 1992 Barcelona Olympics , condoms have been free for athletes at games . Health official proud of distribution , but hears Rio gave out 35 million at Mardi Gras . | [[280, 330], [426, 478], [2603, 2674], [479, 505], [508, 551], [508, 511], [536, 551], [554, 615], [768, 784], [788, 894], [1938, 1981], [1984, 2040], [2535, 2602], [2705, 2780]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A month after announcing plans to expand offshore drilling , President Obama visited ground zero of the Gulf Coast oil disaster and warned that residents could be facing a `` potentially unprecedented environmental disaster . '' `` The oil that is still leaking from the well could seriously damage the economy and the environment of our Gulf states and it could extend for a long time . It could jeopardize the livelihoods of thousands of Americans who call this place home , '' Obama said Sunday in Venice , Louisiana . The president reiterated that oil company BP is responsible for the leak and will foot the cost of the cleanup . He pledged to `` spare no effort to respond to this crisis for as long as it continues . '' Obama 's remarks were a stark contrast from his late March proposal to open swaths of U.S. coastal waters in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico to oil and natural gas drilling . Obama said then that the decision did not come lightly , but it was one that he approached with confidence . `` The bottom line is this : Given our energy needs , in order to sustain economic growth and produce jobs , and keep our businesses competitive , we are going to need to harness traditional sources of fuel even as we ramp up production of new sources of renewable , homegrown energy , '' he said as he unveiled his plans . Obama said the federal government would begin the process of leasing some areas off the coasts of Virginia , Alaska and possibly Florida to oil companies for drilling . New offshore drilling in most U.S. waters has been banned since the early 1980s , when mounting public pressure pushed lawmakers into action . A disastrous oil spill off the California coast in 1969 sparked protests that grew into a broader environmental movement , which eventually forced a drilling moratorium . But as the environmental impact of the Gulf Coast spill comes ashore , the appetite for Obama 's offshore drilling plan and the enthusiasm from administration officials appear to have subsided . CNNMoney : Oil spill may threaten offshore drilling plans . `` All he has said is that he 's not going to continue the moratorium on drilling , '' White House senior adviser David Axelrod told ABC 's `` Good Morning America '' on Friday . `` No domestic drilling in new areas is going to go forward until there is an adequate review of what 's happened here and of what is being proposed elsewhere . '' Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Sunday that moving ahead on offshore drilling is `` going to require a balancing act . '' `` That is a national security concern because we have to do better to lessen our dependence on foreign oil . But it has to be done safely . It ca n't be done at the risk of having to spend billions of dollars cleaning up these spills , '' she said on NBC 's `` Meet the Press . '' And Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Sunday that the Gulf Coast disaster `` sends out the clarion call that we need to diversify our energy resources . '' `` Our intention is to move forward thoughtfully , looking at how we can protect the resources of the United States and making thoughtful decisions , '' he said on CNN 's `` State of the Union , '' noting that deep-water drilling has been done thousands of times without incident . Time.com : Obama promises help , but containing spill is still talk . Obama said Friday he still believes that domestic oil production is an important part of the strategy for energy security , but he added , `` I 've always said it must be done responsibly , for the safety of our workers and our environment . '' The president ordered Salazar to conduct a review of the oil spill and report back in 30 days on what precautions , if any , should be required to prevent future accidents . Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida has asked Obama to shelve his proposal , at least until the cause of the current spill is fully investigated . In a letter to the president , Nelson also said he would file legislation `` that would , for the time being , prohibit the Interior Department from acting on your administration 's plans to expand offshore drilling , including seismic testing and other exploratory operations . '' Florida Gov. Charlie Crist , who in the past has been a proponent of offshore drilling , told NBC 's `` Meet the Press '' that such drilling has `` got to be tabled , for sure . '' White House press secretary Robert Gibbs indicated last week that Obama 's offshore plans are n't set in stone . `` I think our focus right now is , one , the area , the spill , and two , also to ultimately determine the cause of it and see the impact that that ultimately may or may not have , '' he said , noting that Obama 's announcement was the beginning , and not the end , of a longer process . CNNMoney 's Steve Hargreaves contributed to this report . | Obama says Gulf Coast oil spill is a `` potentially unprecedented environmental disaster '' In late March , Obama announced plans to expand offshore drilling . Administration officials insist priority is to get to the bottom of the current spill . Spokesman says Obama 's announcement was the start , not the end , of longer process . | [[80, 95], [151, 244], [248, 258], [295, 368], [1851, 1915], [0, 15], [27, 77], [4095, 4117], [4124, 4151], [4694, 4704], [4714, 4800], [4694, 4696], [4707, 4800]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- 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 '' -LRB- Walking Man 1 -RRB- , 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 '' -LRB- `` Boy with Pipe '' -RRB- , 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 . | `` Nude , Green Leaves and Bust '' sells for $ 106,482,500 , the most ever paid for single work of art . The 1932 painting shows Picasso 's muse and mistress , Marie-Therese Walter . Previous record was $ 104 million for Alberto Giacometti 's `` L'Homme Qui Marche I , bronze '' | [[0, 24], [47, 96], [175, 258], [719, 739], [791, 842], [1283, 1345], [1346, 1492]] |
Venice , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama said Sunday his administration has mounted a `` relentless response '' to the oil spill unleashed by the sinking of an offshore drill rig in the Gulf of Mexico . Obama met with local , state and federal officials involved in the cleanup in southeastern Louisiana , the closest stretch of coastline threatened by the massive spill . Afterward , he said that despite `` the most advanced technology available , '' the spill may not be stopped for many days . `` I 'm not going to rest , and none of the gentlemen and women who are here are going to rest or be satisfied , until the leak is stopped at the source , the oil on the Gulf is contained and cleaned up and the people of this region are able to go back to their lives and their livelihoods , '' he said . `` We will spare no resource to clean up whatever damage is caused . '' Obama met with the commandant of the Coast Guard , Adm. Thad Allen ; EPA administrator Lisa Jackson ; Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal ; and the presidents of several parish governments after arriving , White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said . The president 's briefing included an update on the procedures being attempted to cap the well and the economic and environmental impact of the spill , Gibbs said . After landing in New Orleans , Louisiana , on Sunday , Obama joined Jindal on a two-hour drive to Venice , a staging ground for efforts to fight the growing slick . Appearing on CNN 's `` State of the Union , '' Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano , Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Allen warned that the leaking oil from a rig explosion could continue for weeks with dire consequences . `` It potentially is catastrophic , '' Salazar said . `` I think we have to prepare for the worst . '' That would mean oil damaging sensitive coastal wetlands and industries , including a vital fishing sector that was damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 . Obama initially planned to fly over the affected area by helicopter , but weather conditions prevented the flight . Before his trip , Cabinet officials warned he would find a dire situation . Officials warn of possible catastrophe . Salazar blamed the explosion that caused the spill on a failure in rig technology intended to prevent so-called blowouts . `` There is no doubt at all here that what has happened is the blowout prevention mechanism at the bottom of the well ... is defective , '' Salazar said . `` While there have been blowouts in the past , we have never seen anything that has been quite of this magnitude . '' The well is owned by oil company BP . Lamar McKay , president of BP America , told ABC 's `` This Week '' that the company does n't know why the blowout preventer failed . All three officials interviewed by CNN repeatedly emphasized that BP is legally responsible for spill and clean-up efforts . They avoided direct criticism of the company , but said BP must do more to try to cap the gushing well . Allen called the spill `` one of the most complex things we 've ever dealt with , '' and said it was impossible so far to predict how much oil will eventually leak . `` If we lost a total well head , it could be 100,000 barrels or more a day , '' he said . BP said two Louisiana communities , Venice and Port Fourchon , will likely be the first places hit by the oil slick . Nearly 1 million feet of booms have been deployed in an effort to protect precious estuaries and wildlife , even as thousands of barrels of crude oil continued gushing into the water . Drilling new wells to stop the flow would take a month or two , and it was unclear if the leak could be contained or slowed before then . WDSU : Rush to save Lake Pontchartrain . McKay said the company is building a containment system to prevent the leaking oil from spreading , but it may take another six to eight days to deploy it . Meanwhile , the company is working to battle the slick offshore and to clean up any oil that reaches the coast . `` We 're still working hard , still working hard on the blowout preventer and see if we can actuate this piece of evidently failed equipment , '' he said . But he compared that to `` doing open-heart surgery at 5,000 feet in the dark with robot-controlled submarines . '' Sen. Mary Landrieu and Rep. Charlie Melancon , both of Louisiana , said they want the government to put more pressure on BP to find a solution . `` Our government needs to get somewhere between ` drill , baby , drill ' and ` spill , baby , spill , ' '' Melancon said on CBS ' `` Face the Nation . '' Landrieu told the same program that the government should force BP to immediately start drilling remedial wells at the site `` and hope that one can fix this . '' The slick has already taken a toll on life along the Gulf Coast , bringing fishing and tourism to a halt in many places and threatening to cripple those industries for weeks to come . `` I 'm pretty much on pause right now . ... It 's just a big waiting game , '' said David Boola , a fisherman who operates boat trips for tourists out of Venice . WDSU : Oil spill causes empty shrimp nets . Allen noted BP was deploying its top technology such as the remote operation vehicles , which the government does n't have . At the same time , Napolitano and Salazar said the Obama administration had reacted quickly to what they called an escalating situation . Napolitano noted the incident was first an explosion and fire , with a search-and-rescue effort for missing rig workers . It then worsened when the rig sank two days later , followed by the increasing oil leak , she said . While BP was the first responder , the Coast Guard reacted right away to the situation and deployed 70 vessels and 1 million feet of boom for possible service , Napolitano said . Salazar noted that the Obama administration has ordered inspections of `` blowout preventers '' on other Gulf rigs . The government 's job was to `` keep the boot on the neck '' of BP to ensure it meets its obligations in stopping the spill , dealing with the oil slick and paying for all costs and damages . Also on the CNN program Sunday , Florida 's Republican Senate candidate Marco Rubio called the oil slick a `` crisis '' but withheld judgment on the administration 's response . According to Rubio , it appeared that much of the early information provided to the federal government by BP had been `` either inaccurate or shortcoming . '' In recent days , Rubio said , `` We 've seen the administration move aggressively , and I hope aggressively enough . '' BP partnered with government officials to hold town hall meetings throughout the region Saturday to respond to concerns about the spill 's consequences . But Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal suggested the response to the oil slick has so far been inadequate . `` We continue to be concerned with BP 's ability to respond to this incident , '' he said . Environmentalist Richard Charter of the Defenders of Wildlife organization said the oil leak could cause damage that would last decades . `` This event is a self-feeding fire , '' Charter said . `` It is so big and expanding so fast that it 's pretty much beyond human response that can be effective . `` You 're looking at a long-term poisoning of the area , '' he said . `` Ultimately , this will have a multidecade impact . '' The oil spill started April 20 , after an explosion on the BP contractor Transocean Ltd. 's Deepwater Horizon drilling platform . Eleven oil-rig workers remain missing and are presumed dead . The rig sank April 22 about 50 miles off the southeast coast of Louisiana , and the untapped wellhead is gushing oil into the Gulf of Mexico . About 1.6 million gallons of oil have spilled since the explosion , the Coast Guard said Saturday . | NEW : President Obama briefed on procedures used to cap well , impact of the spill . NEW : `` We will spare no resource to clean up whatever damage is caused , '' Obama says . Gov. Bobby Jindal : Residents can see the spill , which BP could not contain last week . Venice and Port Fourchon expected to be the first areas affected . | [[1128, 1190], [1173, 1277], [0, 6], [9, 34], [38, 141], [819, 872], [816, 821], [857, 884], [3238, 3298], [3246, 3271], [3301, 3355]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Actress Lynn Redgrave died Sunday after a seven-year battle with breast cancer , according to her family . Redgrave , 67 , was surrounded by her children at her Connecticut home when she died , the family said in a statement Monday morning . The star of stage , film and television was twice nominated for an Academy Award : for best actress in 1966 for her role in `` Georgy Girl '' and for best supporting actress in the 1998 film `` Gods and Monsters . '' `` She lived , loved and worked harder than ever before , '' the family said . `` The endless memories she created as a mother , grandmother , writer , actor and friend will sustain us for the rest of our lives . Our entire family asks for privacy through this difficult time , '' the statement said . Redgrave is from `` a family of actors , embracing as it does more than five generations , '' she wrote on her official website . She is the younger sister of Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave and the aunt of the late actress Natasha Richardson . Her parents , Sir Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson , were British stage and film actors . Her paternal grandparents , Roy Redgrave and Margaret Scudamore , were stage and silent film actors . Redgrave teamed with daughter Annabel Clark in 2004 to produce the book `` Journal : A Mother and Daughter 's Recovery from Breast Cancer . '' `` I thought I was living very fully before this happened , '' she said in 2005 . `` But in comparison , no , I really was n't . I was n't taking the time to notice things . I did n't see things as brightly or as sharply or as memorably as I do now . `` I really do n't let a moment slide by . I just do n't . It 's a big price to pay , is n't it , to have to have cancer to learn that ? But it is in the end , I have to say , a price worth paying , '' Redgrave said . Redgrave 's professional acting debut was in 1962 at London 's Royal Court Theatre in a production of `` A Midsummer Night 's Dream . '' A year later , she was invited to join Britain 's National Theatre for its inaugural season under the direction of Sir Laurence Olivier , according to her personal biography . Her first film performance came in `` Tom Jones , '' a 1963 movie co-starring Albert Finney and her mother . Redgrave 's `` Georgy Girl '' role three years later , opposite James Mason , earned her a best actress Golden Globe and the Academy Award best actress nomination . Her portrayal of a wisecracking young woman was a box office hit . Other early film roles included `` The National Health , '' `` Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex , '' `` The Happy Hooker '' and `` Getting It Right . '' Redgrave enjoyed a revitalized film career late in life . She won a second Golden Globe and her second Oscar nomination for her comedic role in `` Gods and Monsters . '' She continued to make movies despite her illness , including her last film role in `` Confessions of a Shopaholic , '' which hit theaters a year ago . Redgrave debuted on Broadway in 1967 in `` Black Comedy . '' The first of three Tony nominations came in 1976 for `` Mrs. Warren 's Profession . '' She was nominated again for her Broadway roles in `` Shakespeare for My Father '' in 1993 and `` The Constant Wife '' in 2005 . She teamed with her sister Vanessa Redgrave on the London stage in `` Three Sisters '' in 1991 . The sisters worked together the same year in a television version of `` Whatever Happened to Baby Jane ? '' Her three Emmy nominations all came for TV work in the 1980s , including an episode of `` House Calls '' in 1981 , `` The Shooting Company '' in 1982 and `` Walking on Air '' in 1987 . CNN 's David Daniel contributed to this report . | Actress had fought breast cancer for seven years . She was nominated for Academy Award in 1966 and 1998 . `` She lived , loved and worked harder than ever before , '' family says . | [[0, 15], [19, 97], [261, 310], [321, 341], [261, 300], [311, 341], [2718, 2826], [0, 15], [100, 125], [478, 490], [478, 484], [493, 498], [478, 484], [503, 533], [536, 556]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- I spent a restless night , worrying that another man-made disaster might devastate my beloved hometown , New Orleans , just as its post-Katrina motto `` Recover , Rebuild , Rebirth '' was becoming real . The oil spill could n't come at a worse time . Everybody was so up , waiting for the inauguration of our newly elected Mayor Mitch Landrieu . The BP oil spill threatens New Orleans and the entire Gulf Coast in a way that 's more insidious than Hurricane Katrina . After all , the failure of the levees and the response from the previous administration , widely criticized for incompetence and indifference , followed an act of nature : the destruction , immediate ; the impact , obvious ; and the pain and suffering , visible to all . The BP disaster has only one cause : human greed , and the almost inevitable result , negligence . The immediate tragedy was that 11 people died . But the destruction that will result from BP 's `` crude river '' will be long-term and the impact far from obvious . The `` crude river '' will spawn streams of suffering : economic , environmental and emotional . So as the `` Big Muddy '' fights the `` Big Cruddy , '' how do we assess the players ? And what actions should be taken against rigged disasters , both once and future ? First , we must hold BP accountable and responsible . Was it an accident ? Only if we define `` accident '' as negligence . The failure of the `` shear ram , '' the set of steel blades intended to slash through a pipe at the top of a well and close off the flow of crude , should not have surprised BP or the corporations that work for it . Eight years ago , the Minerals Management Service found that 50 percent of the shear rams tested failed . So calling the failure of the `` last resort device '' an accident is like calling the damage caused by a drunken driver an accident . Failure to take the proper precautions is not an accident ; it 's negligence . BP has rightly accepted responsibility . We may grant the company a skeptical benefit of the doubt regarding its willingness to pay for the cleanup and the damages . We should , however , monitor its PR-to-payout ratio . But we should not lose sight of the role of companies like Halliburton , under investigation because it was responsible for the cement seal that apparently leaked ; Cameron International , which supplied the rig 's blowout prevention system ; or Transocean , which manufactured the rig . As the federal government begins its investigation , it should ask not only who was negligent , but why . To what extent did profit preclude prudence ? Since BP ca n't contain the spill -- rather , the river , which is what it really is -- government at all levels must do what it 's supposed to do , and do it right . For example , officials should carry out Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser 's plan to deploy local fishermen with booms on movable platforms in the Gulf , ready to `` draw a line in the sand , '' depending on how the oil moves . Gov. Bobby Jindal has approved . Already the response from the Obama administration exceeds that of the federal response to Katrina , and the oil has n't yet begun to cause the catastrophic damage we all fear . The morning after the explosion , Deputy Secretary of the Interior David J. Hayes was sent to the Gulf . The morning after the explosion , Deputy Secretary of the Interior David J. Hayes was sent to the Gulf . President Obama began monitoring the situation , staying in contact with the governors of the five Gulf states , making sure every available resource be at their disposal and ordering a coordinated Cabinet-level response . Here are a few authorizations the president has made , before his personal visit . • The U.S. Coast Guard ; the Departments of Homeland Security , Commerce and Interior ; and the Environmental Protection Agency immediately began directing and overseeing BP 's response . • The Navy is using advanced technology and working with the Coast Guard to contain and disperse the oil . • The Departments of Homeland Security and Interior will be investigating the cause and inspecting all platforms and rigs in the Gulf . • The secretary of defense is authorizing the Louisiana National Guard to help communities in the cleanup and to protect critical habitats from contamination . But Obama has to let people know what 's being done , what will be done , and that he takes this personally . He needs to express , perhaps as only he can , that the federal government gets it . He gets the plight of the fishermen , the restaurants , the waiters , the taxi drivers -- the economic ripple effect and the environmental tide of disaster . This is a visual and visceral crisis . If he handles it right , it will be known as a sign of Obama 's competence . Obama ca n't split the sea , but he must help to plug the Gulf . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Donna Brazile . | Donna Brazile : Oil spill comes as her hometown of New Orleans is on the mend . Brazile : Greed , negligence caused BP oil spill , death toll ; suffering to be long-term . 50 percent of `` last resort devices '' that did n't work this time failed in 2002 tests . Besides BP , she writes , companies behind failed device must come under scrutiny . | [[909, 1022], [1631, 1646], [1649, 1736]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thousands of people across the globe took to the streets on Saturday in annual demonstrations for May Day , the annual event marked by demonstrations demanding better working conditions . Known as International Workers ' Day , the holiday draws thousands to peacefully protest . Others , as in Athens , Greece , clashed with police amid growing anger over the government 's stiff plans to grapple with the country 's debt . About 12,000 people in Athens were on the streets , waving red flags and at times surging toward a line of police , who wore helmets and carried riot shields . Those disturbances led to injuries and arrests . A satellite truck was torched and two ATMs , the glass frontage of a bank and a car were damaged . In Russia , more than 2.5 million people participated in traditional May Day celebrations in 900 cities and towns , the country 's trade union federation said . The largest gatherings took place in Krasnodar , Yakutsk , Vladivostok , Izhevsk , Moscow and St. Petersburg . The people spoke out in favor of decent salaries and stable employment . Watch May Day demonstration in Paris , France . According to CNN sources and state-run news reports , there were many demonstrations . Turkey : . For this first time in 30 years , tens of thousands of union members and leftist political activists gathered for the first legally sanctioned May Day celebration in Istanbul 's central Taksim Square . Germany : . Several protesters were detained after clashes with police in Hamburg . Seventeen police officers were reportedly injured when confronting demonstrators who they said were throwing rocks and setting garbage cans on fire . Cuba : . A throng marched through Revolution Plaza in Havana . Crowds are usually big in Cuba on International Workers ' Day but government officials said the turnout was a signal to Washington that the country is unified and supports its leaders . United States : . Several dozen cities braced for protests against Arizona 's controversial new immigration law . Asia : . Thousands gathered in several Asian cities for its annual May Day demonstrations . They demanded improved working conditions and wage increases . Clashes between police and protesters were seen on TV . Iran : . Protests popped up at the Labor Ministry , where demonstrators clashed with police and shouted `` Death to the dictator . '' CNN 's Diana Magnay , Ivan Watson , Yesim Comert , Azadeh Ansari and Maxim Tkachenko contributed to this report . | International Workers ' Day draws thousands of demonstrators annually . Truck torched ; ATMs , front of bank and car damaged in Athens , Greece . More than 2.5 million people participated in May Day celebrations in Russia . In the U.S. , several dozen cities braced for protests against Arizona 's new immigration law . | [[0, 15], [56, 124], [127, 168], [246, 297], [1198, 1230], [1741, 1802], [2050, 2132], [652, 694], [697, 750], [763, 864], [1945, 2040]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- LeBron James has been named the NBA 's Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row after claiming 116 of a possible 123 first place votes . It gave him a landslide win over the runner-up , Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder , who had just four first place votes , with Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers in third . The media panel , who decide the prestigious award , had no hesitation in opting for James , whose outstanding play has lifted the Cleveland Cavaliers into the second second round of the playoffs . They beat Boston Celtics in game one of the best-of-seven series with game two on Monday . `` To be MVP is definitely an honor . It 's a humbling experience , '' James told the NBA official Web site . `` To receive that while you are trying to win a championship , you have to balance it out . I 've been able to do that so far . '' Orlando center Dwight Howard was fourth overall . James , who is determined to finally land the NBA championship with the Cavs after a series of near-misses , has averaged just shy of 30 points per game , with 7.3 rebounds and 8.6 assists this season . It helped Cleveland to a league-best 61 wins in the regular season and left him a near-certainty for the MVP honor . He is only the 10th player to win it twice in consecutive seasons , joining greats such as Michael Jordan , Wilt Chamberlain and Magic Johnson . `` I 'm just trying to do my job , '' James said . `` Hopefully I can add onto that championship list of names and pass it on to someone when I 'm done . '' | LeBron James named NBA Most Valuable Player for second year in a row . Cleveland Cavs star gains 116 out of a possible 123 first place votes . James is determined to bring the NBA Championship to Cleveland . | [[0, 15], [19, 140], [0, 15], [19, 140], [0, 9], [108, 164], [931, 936], [943, 1007]] |
-LRB- CNET -RRB- -- The imagined inventions of Victorian-era French novelist Albert Robida may be coming closer to reality . Who , you ask ? Robida was an illustrator and writer for popular science-fiction magazines , and is sometimes compared to Jules Verne . In his 1890 novel `` Le Vingtieme siecle . La vie electrique , '' he described something called a `` telephonoscope . '' Since then , we 've seen telephonoscopes -- basically videophones -- in everything from `` The Jetsons '' to `` Blade Runner . '' What we have n't seen is the videophone in our living rooms . That may finally be changing . The common use of videophones could happen through three technologies that separately are n't exactly considered bleeding edge today : high-speed Internet , a television , and Skype . Samsung says it will put the VoIP calling service Skype as an application on its televisions , allowing phone calls to be made on camera right from a couch , just like Jane Jetson talking into her TV set . The Samsung Skype-enabled TV follows similar announcements from Panasonic and LG at the Consumer Electronics Show in January . The models will range from to $ 1,200 to $ 2,000 for Panasonic 's set . Samsung and LG have not yet announced how much they will charge . The Skype on TV application should work similarly on all three models , which in turn should closely mimic the version of the application that many people use to make free PC to PC calls , or for a fee , PC to landline . Skype accounts are free to set up and can be activated using the TV 's remote control right on the screen . The video calls will also be free , as will voice calls between Skype users . Using Skype to call traditional landline and mobile phones is a few cents per minute . Calls can be answered while watching a program , but it 's not yet possible to both talk and continue to watch uninterrupted . By the time these models actually hit stores in late spring there should be three TV makers offering Skype on their TVs . And not just any three TV makers , but the world 's largest overall -LRB- Samsung sells practically one of every five TVs sold -RRB- , the leader in plasmas -LRB- Panasonic -RRB- , and LG , which is close behind Samsung , selling 15 percent of all TVs . While Robida wrote about the idea , AT&T did the most to advance the idea from the pages of Victorian sci-fi to actuality . Unfortunately its 1960s videophone system , known as the Picturephone , was a bust . Few ever signed up for the service because you had to reserve call times and pay a whopping $ 16 per minute . The idea , however , was at least on the right track : making videophones accessible to normal folk . Today teleconferencing is a common tool for companies to put employees in different locations virtually , if not physically , in the same conference room . But the high cost of the fancy systems from companies like Cisco and Hewlett-Packard does n't make them consumer-friendly . Cisco also announced at CES it would be offering a home version of its telepresence software sometime this year , and did not yet mention a price . Videophones for the home have never really caught on in the way they have at businesses . Even versions of the concept built into a corded telephone did n't really generate much excitement . Usually this was a small screen attached to a phone base station and conversations had to take place wherever the phone was plugged in , which tended to be places like a dresser or a kitchen counter . Video calls today can be made online . They 're easy and cheap , and of course do n't require the purchase of an pricey new TV . A computer with a built-in Webcam and a voice-over-IP service like Skype or a chat application like Yahoo Messenger usually suffice , but it is still an activity that 's attached to a computer , and therefore going to be intimidating to people who either do n't like or have trouble with technology . TVs are far more accessible though . Now with major companies like Samsung , Panasonic , and LG pushing the idea of the TV as videophone , the concept does at least have the chance to catch on . Consumer surveys show that people are beginning to buy Internet-connected TVs , which allow not just Skype calls , but also other activities on the TV that are normally confined to the computer . That includes accessing Internet radio and video streaming from services like Pandora and Netflix , and social sites like Twitter , Facebook , and Flickr . A survey of 800 U.S. consumers who bought TVs in January found that 27.5 percent of them have connected their new sets to the Internet , either through the TV itself or via an external device such as a game console or digital video box , according to iSuppli . And of those , almost 42 percent recently purchased a Web-connected TV . And Skype likely wo n't be a brand new concept to a lot of those new TV owners . Skype already has over 521 million registered accounts , so there 's a built-in audience who is already signed up and knows how to use it . But the quality may not be what some people expect , says DisplaySearch analyst Paul Gagnon . `` Teleconferencing is inherently kind of a low-quality experience , especially in a consumer home . On a computer it works OK , but blown up to the size of the TV , I was n't terribly impressed with some of the demos at CES , '' he said . And quality aside , even in terms of logistics , there 's a lot to consider . Even with an Internet-connected TV , you still need a decent Internet connection , and for a two-way video call , you have to have people on the other end with the same set up . In other words , `` it 's really early , '' Gagnon said . Time will tell if videophones are just a fad or about to become an integral part of the modern idea of the `` connected living room . '' The tools are there , but it 's entirely possible that people do n't want to use their TVs like that . Either way , even if the latest incarnation of Robida 's telephonoscope does n't gain widespread acceptance , he still has a decent track record for his prognostications . Other things he predicted in the same 1890 novel ? The use of submarines , helicopters , and biological warfare . © 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. . All rights reserved . CNET , CNET.com and the CNET logo are registered trademarks of CBS Interactive Inc. . Used by permission . | High-speed Internet , television and Skype could combine to create videophone . Samsung says it will put VoIP calling service Skype as application on its televisions . `` Teleconferencing is inherently kind of a low-quality experience , '' analyst says . | [[789, 881], [995, 1012], [1013, 1023], [5124, 5224]] |
Gulfport , Mississippi -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ben Stone knows quite a bit about disasters . Five years ago , a 28-foot storm surge from Hurricane Katrina flattened his house and almost wiped out his hometown of Gulfport , Mississippi . Now , if a rapidly growing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico comes ashore -- as some expect -- Stone will be able to see it from the front porch of his newly-built house . `` You can get mad about this , '' he said . `` I 'm very disturbed about it . '' Like residents along the coast of Alabama and Florida Panhandle , it is a waiting game for Gulfport . Already a heavy smell of oil hung over the Mississippi beaches . `` This could not have happened at a worse time in our history , '' said John Kelly , the town 's chief administrative officer . The city has undertaken half a billion dollars in new construction since Katrina . Of that , $ 30 million is being spent on developing the harbor -- the third largest container port on the Gulf Coast . `` Well , it if it threatens the commercial sea lanes , that 's a concern because if ships do n't come in and ships are n't able to go out , that stops commerce , '' said Donald Allee , the CEO of Mississippi State Port Authority . Equipment operator Daniel Schepens knows all too well what that will mean . After Katrina , he was out of work for a month . He is worried the fallout from the spill could be worse . `` No ships , the warehouses are empty , no trucks , no imports , no exports , '' he said . Federal officials closed a portion of the northern Gulf of Mexico to fishing Sunday , curtailing a billion-dollar business as high winds and choppy seas hampered efforts to corral a rapidly growing oil spill . The spill cast a pall over the annual Blessing of the Fleet in Bayou La Batre , Alabama , one of many towns that make their living from the Gulf . Republican Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana attended a boat blessing in St. Bernard , Louisiana , where fishermen have observed the tradition for decades to usher in the shrimp season . `` Louisianians are resilient and understand that in times like these , it is our traditions that tie us closer together and provide the strength we need to face the challenges ahead , '' he said . `` This tragic oil spill has reminded everyone about the valuable connection between our residents and our wildlife , fisheries and coastline . '' In Venice , Louisiana , a rain-spattered President Obama told reporters his administration has launched a `` relentless response '' to the spill , but said the problem might not be solved for `` many days . '' A ruptured undersea well off Louisiana is spewing about 210,000 gallons -LRB- 5,000 barrels -RRB- of crude a day into the Gulf of Mexico , and efforts to shut off the flow have been unsuccessful since the late April explosion that sank the drill rig Deepwater Horizon . The leading edge of the slick has grown closer to the coast of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle . Adm. Thad Allen , the commandant of the Coast Guard , told CNN 's `` State of the Union '' that the slick was still nine miles off the Louisiana coast , but seas of 6 to 10 feet have made deploying booms to fend the spill off the coast `` somewhat problematic . '' Oil giant BP , which owns the well at the heart of the problem , said it had prepared massive boxes to be lowered over the leak points , but deploying them would take about a week . The minimum 10-day fishing restriction imposed Sunday by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration covers an area between the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana to the waters off Florida 's Pensacola Bay . `` Balancing economic and health concerns , this order closes just those areas that are affected by oil , '' NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco said in a statement announcing the decision . `` There should be no health risk in seafood currently in the marketplace . '' The Gulf Coast 's commercial fishing industry brings in about $ 2.4 billion to the region . Thomas Rodi , the Roman Catholic archbishop of Mobile , officiated at Sunday 's event in Bayou La Batre and said the spill could have `` widespread effects '' on the area -- `` not only the livelihood of people , but an entire way of life . '' Among those taking part in the blessing was Maurice Ryan , who said , `` You have to put your trust in someone . '' `` I really feel like , with the church and the bishop , I 've got my life in good hands , '' Ryan said . `` BP certainly is n't helping me . '' The oil spill started April 20 , after an explosion on BP contractor Transocean Ltd. 's Deepwater Horizon drilling platform that left 11 men presumed dead . About 1.6 million gallons of oil have spilled since the explosion , the Coast Guard said . `` This event is a self-feeding fire , '' said Richard Charter of the environmental group Defenders of Wildlife . `` It is so big and expanding so fast that it 's pretty much beyond human response that can be effective . '' The spill will have `` a multidecade impact '' -- a `` long-term poisoning '' of the area , he said . Booms were strung across the mouths of delta estuaries in Louisiana and inlets along the Mississippi coast . In Alabama , National Guard troops helped lay them out off Dauphin Island , at the southern end of Mobile Bay . In Pascagoula , Mississippi , a steady stream of customers stocked up on bags of freshly boiled crawfish , oysters and shrimp . The weekend trade was good , but owner Keith Delcambre said he was worried about the future if the oil slick hits the coast . `` All I know is seafood , '' he said while sorting crawfish in a small workroom behind the kitchen . `` I do n't know what we 'll do if this hits . It feels like a hurricane is coming , but what can you do to stop oil ? '' The cause of the blast on the Deepwater Horizon remains unknown . BP says a device known as a `` blowout preventer '' failed and has not responded to repeated attempts to activate it using remotely operated submarines . Frustration with BP was growing across the Gulf states , and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has said the company 's response has been inadequate . But BP America 's president , Lamar McKay , told ABC 's `` This Week '' that its focus `` is dealing with the source of the oil , dealing with it on the surface , and dealing with it on the beach or the marsh if it occurs . '' McKay said the company has built a containment system to prevent the leaking oil from spreading . But it may take another six to eight days to deploy that system , which is made up primarily of massive boxes designed to capture the crude . BP spokeswoman Marti Powers said the company is trying to use remote-controlled submarines to shut off the well at the ocean floor , about 5,000 feet below the surface , and spreading dispersants on and under the water to break up the slick . The company has put out about 300,000 feet -- roughly 60 miles -- of floating booms to keep the oil away from ecologically sensitive shorelines , she said . But she said efforts to skim oil off the surface were put off because of bad weather . `` We 're hampered because the weather is so bad . Some of the vessels ca n't get out , '' she said . `` So that slows us down a little bit . But they are still making the effort . We did get some photos back this morning that showed quite a bit of success . '' CNN 's David Mattingly , Brian Todd , Sarah Hoye , Mark Biello and Richard Lui contributed to this report . | Heavy smell of oil already hangs over Mississippi beaches . A portion of the northern Gulf of Mexico is closed to fishing . BP said it has prepared massive boxes to capture leaking oil . | [[611, 650], [1489, 1572], [3219, 3231], [3284, 3353], [6490, 6568], [6555, 6600]] |
Livingston , Wisconsin -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's the end of the day in rural southwest Wisconsin , and the Trocke family wanders through a ditch along a county road , their eyes fixed on the earth . Dan and Laurie Trocke , and their three kids , are on a mission for fragments of rock that came from about as far away as one can imagine . `` We 're not finding a lot , but that 's beside the point really , '' Laurie Trocke says . `` We 're not professionals . It 's purely for fun . '' It all began the evening of April 14 , when what looked like a giant fireball came crashing through the atmosphere . `` It just lit up the whole sky , '' she says . `` You thought it was thunder and lightning , but it just kept going and going and going . '' `` It really did n't sound natural , '' Dan Trocke adds . What they were witnessing was a meteor -- and a pretty spectacular one at that . Watch the video . Michael Farmer , whom the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago , Illinois , calls the `` world 's top meteorite hunter , '' said that as soon as he saw video of the display , he hopped a flight to Wisconsin . `` Most of them do n't make a light show or a sound show , '' Farmer said . `` When this one came in , the energy released was like nuclear bomb-type energy . ... -LSB- I knew -RSB- there would be thousands of pieces on the ground . '' By definition , those pieces are what scientists call meteorites : the remnants of the meteor that do n't burn up along the journey and instead make it all the way to the ground . Farmer headed to the sleepy Wisconsin village of Livingston , which was about to become ground zero for the latest meteorite hunt . Livingston , with a population of 597 , was the town nearest to where the otherworldly bits were turning up . Soon , everyone wanted a piece of the action -- from internationally known experts to the locals , like 7-year-old Jackson McCluskey . Jackson , along with dozens of other students at Iowa Grant Elementary School in Livingston , learned about the meteors from geologists and meteorite-hunting experts at a school assembly . Later that day , the kids combed the school grounds for meteorites during recess . McCluskey found a rock that one of the experts confirmed was a meteorite , weighing 35 grams . He sold it to a collector , but they would n't say for how much . On average , prices for pieces of this particular space rock have been set at about $ 10 to $ 20 per gram , according to Farmer . He added that a meteorite 's worth can vary , depending on the amount of buzz surrounding an event and how much media attention has been devoted to it . It 's easy to compare it all to a mini gold rush . Most folks are n't hunting with the mere hopes of winning bragging rights . Brian Nodolf , who lives on a farm near Livingston , said his wife found a meteorite weighing about 100 grams . `` I 'm told it 's worth maybe a thousand dollars , '' Nodolf said . So far , about two dozen pieces had been found , one expert hunter said . But there 's no way of knowing for sure , since many do n't announce it when they do find one . But what do the residents think about the influx of people to their small town ? They 've welcomed them with open arms -- primarily because it 's a boost to the economy . Who needs a government stimulus when you 've got money falling from the sky ? `` We 've gotten business we never would have had , '' said Tom Brown , village president . `` I mean , who was going to come to Livingston ? It 's off the map . '' Tim Loeffelholz , owner of The Friendly Place , a local gas station and convenience store , says business is up by about 30 percent since folks started finding meteorites . `` It 's what we needed , a little boost , '' Loeffelholz said . `` It 's been great for the town , great for the whole area . '' His store has become a pseudo-trading post , where people looking for or wanting to sell meteorites have put their contact information on signs along the counter . If and when the Trocke family gets their hands on a meteorite , they say it wo n't be from a want ad . They 'll do it all on their own . As 11 - year-old Connor put it , `` It 's a sense of pride to find one . '' | Livingston , Wisconsin , is the town nearest to the April 14 meteor strike . The sleepy village has seen an influx of meteor hunters . First-grader found 35-gram meteorite during recess , sold it for an undisclosed amount . The meteor fragments can sell for between $ 10 and $ 20 a gram . | [[1665, 1675], [1705, 1774], [1582, 1592], [1601, 1664], [2182, 2276], [2210, 2276], [2343, 2353], [2356, 2448]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Governments and charities have spent billions to try to wipe out poverty , but award-winning economist Esther Duflo says we really do n't know if that money has been well spent . But as a result of Duflo 's pioneering work , we may be getting some answers to that question . The Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor has led the way in showing how the scientific method can be applied to determining what policies actually work . Duflo last month won the John Bates Clark Medal , which is awarded to an American economist under the age of 40 who has made the `` most significant contribution to economic thought and knowledge . '' In her talk at the TED2010 conference in Long Beach , California , Duflo pointed out that Africa has received a great amount of development aid , but the African economies have not made a lot of progress in improving their gross domestic product . `` If we do n't know whether we are doing any good , we are not any better than the medieval doctors and their leeches . Sometimes the patient gets better , sometimes the patient dies . Is it the leeches ? Is it something else ? We do n't know . '' Read more about Esther Duflo on TED.com . In three areas , Duflo said her research techniques can help answer vital questions : . • Giving away bed nets treated with insecticide to prevent the spread of malaria works , despite fears by some that free nets would not be valued by recipients and might be used instead as fishing nets . • If you want to enhance the effectiveness of the educational system in a developing country , you can sometimes have a great impact by indirect means . For example , if the nation is one where children suffer from intestinal worms , spending $ 100 on deworming the children can be many times more effective in getting them educated than simply spending the $ 100 on paying for teachers , school meals and other school expenses . • In the Indian state of Rajasthan , Duflo found that by creating a monthly camp and giving away kilo-sized bags of lentils , there was a significant increase in the number of parents who brought their children to be immunized with potentially life-saving vaccines . Duflo said , `` It 's not the Middle Ages anymore . It 's the 21st century . And in the 20th century , randomized , controlled trials have revolutionized medicine by allowing us to distinguish between drugs that work and drugs that do n't work . And you can do the same randomized , controlled trial for social policy . You can put social innovation to the same rigorous , scientific tests that we use for drugs . '' | Esther Duflo : We do n't know if billions in aid to fight poverty actually worked . She says scientific method can determine which policies work . Duflo received award as most accomplished American economist under the age of 40 . | [[98, 197], [914, 958], [1137, 1153], [1154, 1156], [294, 458], [294, 321], [362, 458], [98, 197], [459, 506], [476, 508], [515, 570]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Her adopted brood included a Russian immigrant who had lost an eye to cancer and a family whose father was killed by a suicide bomber on a bus . Clara Chaya Hammer , a Jerusalem great , great-grandmother who endeared herself to thousands by making sure the city 's needy received a proper meal on the Jewish Sabbath , died in March just shy of her 100th birthday . Known around the world as `` The Chicken Lady of Jerusalem , '' Hammer spearheaded a fund that provided free chicken to her charges every week -- or a substitute , if they happened to be vegetarian . She once quipped , `` Just because they 're vegetarian , I do n't have to punish them . '' One of Hammer 's daughters and great-granddaughters will carry on `` The Chicken Lady 's '' legacy . `` We decided in the family we have to continue what she started 30 years ago , '' said daughter Chana Homnick in Jerusalem . `` We 're continuing the Clara Hammer Chicken Fund to feed over 250 families . '' The monthly butcher bill tallies about $ 10,000 . Hammer , a widow and retired Hebrew teacher , made it her job to give the neighborhood butcher plenty of business . It all began when she stood in line at the butcher shop to buy chicken for the Sabbath herself . She noticed a young girl in front of her receiving a plastic bag full of chicken fat and skin . Curious , she asked the butcher : `` How many cats or dogs does that family have ? '' He explained the family had many children and the father was on dialysis . They had run up a tremendous bill , so the butcher just gave them fat and skins for a soup for Friday dinner and a cholent , or stew , for Saturday lunch . Hammer declared : `` You give them every week two chickens and a half kilo of turkey , and I will pay for it . '' Soon the butcher , rabbis , social workers and friends began telling her of other families who needed help , and the fund grew . At first , Hammer 's family helped her foot the bill . Then the cause took wing , with donors from around the world sending money . All received a handwritten thank-you card from Hammer and a copy of an article about the effort . For nearly 30 years , Hammer single-handedly ran the operation from her dining-room table . She would have been 100 on May 19 . Born in Russia in 1910 , she survived a pogrom in the Ukraine and fled with her family to Romania . Enduring hunger , illness and imprisonment , they made their way to Palestine and lived in a tent for three years . With no hospital care available , they were advised to leave for the United States . Her mother , who had contracted tuberculosis , died two years later , when Hammer was 14 . Decades later in Israel , Hammer reflected : `` I have a tremendous amount of sympathy , what we would call ` rahmanut , ' for people who are hungry , thirsty , in pain , have any type of needs . '' Among her many awards were an honorary `` doctorate in kindness '' from Yeshiva University at age 98 and the Jerusalem Prize for Good Citizenship at age 90 . `` My mother did so many wonderful things for so many people . Instead of being called ` The Chicken Lady , ' she should be called ` The Mitzvah Lady . ' The main thing is she wanted everyone to feel good . She was very special , '' said Homnick , one of Hammer 's three daughters . Other survivors include nine grandchildren , 35 great-grandchildren and 24 great , great-grandchildren . Ralph Resnick , a nephew in Los Angeles , California , remembers Hammer as a larger-than-life personality . `` I think the ripples of her mitzvah , of her good deed , have emanated far and wide . It 's a wonderful lesson of how something like that can start and influence so many people -- and not just the people she helped . It 's almost like ` Pay It Forward . ' It really happens in real life too . `` I wish she had lived to 100 . '' | As a child , Clara Chaya Hammer endured hunger and imprisonment . As an adult , `` Chicken Lady of Jerusalem '' provided Sabbath meals to thousands in need . Family will continue charity work Hammer single-handedly started 30 years ago . | [[2361, 2403], [164, 182], [257, 334], [384, 412], [445, 545], [675, 775], [793, 796], [812, 853], [2133, 2152], [2155, 2224]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Maryland funeral home has lost its license after investigators found about 40 bodies stacked on top of each other , leaking fluid , in a garage , a state official said . The state Board of Morticians and Funeral Directors revoked the license of Chambers Funeral Home & Crematorium in Riverdale , Maryland after an April 26 visit to the site . Hari Close , president of the the state funeral board , told CNN Tuesday that some of the bodies were cadavers who had been donated to a local university for research . Other bodies came from other funeral homes , Close said . The bodies were supposed to be cremated , but investigators were alarmed at how they were stored in the garage while they awaited cremation . `` Even somebody who donates their body to science , they still should be treated with dignity , '' said Close . `` Not to mention the health and safety issues with the body fluids flowing out . '' William Chambers , co-owner of the funeral home , told CNN-affiliate WJLA said that he hopes to work with the state to resolve the alleged violations . When investigators inspected the funeral home they were warned by an employee , who told them , `` Do n't get upset about all the bodies in there , '' according to documents released by the state funeral board . Inside the room was a `` large pile , approximately 12 by 12 feet , of body bags containing human remains strewn on the floor of the garage in front of a removal van . There was visible leakage from the body bags as well as a pungent odor , '' the documents said . `` The investigator also observed writing on some of the body bags , '' they said . `` However , fluid leakage from the body bags caused the writing to smear and become illegible . As a result , it was not immediately possible to determine the identity of the remains . '' There will be a hearing at the end of the month to determine whether the funeral home will get its license back , Close said . CNN 's Patty Lane contributed to this report . | Investigators found about 40 bodies stacked atop each other awaiting cremation . Maryland board revoked license of Chambers Funeral Home & Crematorium . Room contained body bags of human remains strewn on the floor of the garage . | [[0, 15], [19, 105], [70, 150], [0, 15], [19, 105], [191, 314], [1295, 1375], [1366, 1462]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It was my first chance to spend some quality time at dinner with First Lady Michelle Obama , so I decided to do what my pal Ali Velshi would probably do in the same situation : get her hooked on Twitter . I was sitting with the first lady and Jay Leno at the head table for Saturday night 's White House Correspondents Association Dinner because I 'm a member of the association 's board , a front-row seat to the slew of celebrities who walked up to gawk at Mrs. Obama and the president , who was a few seats from me . Teen sensation Justin Beiber , famous-for-being-famous Kim Kardashian , comedian Chevy Chase and actor Morgan Freeman all walked up to the rope line separating the head table from the rest of the ballroom to send the first couple a shout-out . I was snapping pics of the celebrity parade on my iPhone and posting them to my Twitter account , @edhenrycnn , during dessert , just a few minutes before the president and Leno would take their turns at telling some jokes . Leno , a social media skeptic , finally turned to me with squinted eyes and said in a conspiratorial tone , `` Are you tweeting right now ? '' I confessed to Leno that I was , sparking Mrs. Obama to ask me whether journalists find value in social media or whether it 's mostly trivial . I said I find it helpful to get feedback , good and bad , from people who follow my tweets . When Mrs. Obama mentioned that she had never tweeted , I noted that the president had sent out his first tweet a few months ago from a Red Cross account to promote relief to Haiti and wondered aloud : `` Why do n't you send out your first tweet on my iPhone ? '' The first lady laughed and said her press staff would n't be happy if she went rogue like that . Besides , she said , White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs would have to sign off first . Noting that Gibbs was sitting at the other end of the head table , I stood and told the first lady I 'd ask him . To my surprise , Gibbs instantly told me it was a fun idea , on one condition : I had to first send out a tweet saying he had endorsed it , so that colleagues on Mrs. Obama 's staff were not blindsided . I typed out a tweet saying , `` i am trying to coax First Lady to do her first ever tweet . Gibbs @presssec just gave his blessing . '' Then I walked back to Mrs. Obama to tell her the good news . But she told me good-naturedly , `` Gibbs did not say that ; you 're lying ! '' I assured the first lady I would not tell her a fib , which prompted Leno to jump to his feet to say he 'd go get Gibbs to sort this out once and for all . A laughing Gibbs came over and advised the first lady it would be a harmless exercise , but she was skeptical until the commander in chief finally weighed in . Hearing the light-hearted argument playing out a few seats down , the president asked , `` What 's going on ? '' The first lady explained her dilemma , but the president waved his hand as if to say `` no big deal '' and told her to go for it . I handed the first lady my iPhone , but it quickly became apparent that she had very little experiences with this smartphone . Like many people , she said , `` How do you type on this ? '' Gibbs , who was looking over our shoulders , suggested that I type it out , so I told Mrs. Obama to start dictating the note . I started my typing `` from flotus , '' as in `` first lady of the United States . '' She joked about the pressure of coming up with something interesting to say . She started simply with how she was at the dinner and dictated , `` this is officially my first Twitter '' and added her thoughts about the comedy acts about to perform . I knew Mrs. Obama should have called it her first `` tweet , '' but I did n't want to be in the uncomfortable position of correcting the first lady -- my mom would be appalled -- and sounding like a tech know-it-all . She asked Gibbs for his opinion on what she had dictated , and he said the proper way to say it was that it was her first tweet . Mrs. Obama grilled me on whether Gibbs was right , and I said he was but I did n't want to be the one changing her words , so she politely asked me to change it so that she sounded as hip as possible . The final version , for the history books : `` from flotus : ` here at dinner this is officially my first Tweet . i am looking forward to some good laughs from the potus and jay ' '' . Some of my followers were particularly amused that Mrs. Obama referred to her husband as `` the potus '' -- as in the president of the United States -- and started re-tweeting it . It also got me a few more followers , which brings me back to Ali Velshi . On our daily segment on his show -- the `` Ed Henry Segment , '' of course -- Velshi and I tease each other about necktie choices and who has more people following our tweets . For the record , I have 12,313 followers as of this morning . Velshi seems stuck on 11,025 . So let me take this opportunity to encourage the first lady to set up her own Twitter account . I bet it will be a smart way for her to push her initiatives , just as former first lady Laura Bush now has a Twitter account to help sell her memoirs and talk up her pet causes , too . Besides , I 'm hoping Mrs. Obama will follow me , and not Velshi , since I hooked her up with her first tweet . | CNN 's Ed Henry sat at main table with Jay Leno , Obamas at dinner . Mrs. Obama asks if journalists find value in social media or if it 's mostly trivial . Henry encourages first lady to tweet from his phone , gets permission from Gibbs . `` Flotus '' tweet is picked up by other users . | [[1162, 1163], [1195, 1305], [1601, 1658], [1769, 1777], [1780, 1851], [2262, 2302]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The city councils in two of Arizona 's largest cities have voted to file suit over the state 's controversial new immigration law , which allows police to ask anyone for proof of legal U.S. residency . The Tucson City Council voted 5-1 to file suit , and the city council in Flagstaff approved a similar measure 7-0 . Both votes occurred Tuesday . Members of the Phoenix Suns basketball team , meanwhile , plan to wear jerseys that say `` Los Suns '' in a playoff game Wednesday as `` a way for our team and our organization to honor our Latino community , '' managing partner Robert Sarver said in a statement . Opposition to the law continued Wednesday , with some civil rights and labor organizations saying they will announce a boycott Thursday . Joining in Thursday 's announcement will be the National Council of La Raza , which bills itself as the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States ; the Asian American Justice Center ; the Center for Community Change ; the Service Employees International Union ; and the United Food and Commercial Workers , the groups said in a release . Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed the immigration measure April 23 . It is scheduled to go into effect this summer . Critics say the law will lead to racial profiling . Brewer and others who support the law say it does not involve racial profiling or any other illegal acts . The city councils said they passed the measures because of concerns over enforcement costs and negative effects on Arizona 's tourism industry . Opponents of the immigration law have called for a boycott of Arizona tourism and urge that no one engage in any commerce with businesses located in the state . In Tucson , council member Regina Romero introduced a motion for `` the city attorney to bring a legal challenge '' because the immigration bill is `` a bad law , which could cost the city millions of dollars in lawsuits and is unconstitutional . '' `` This bill opens the door to racial profiling , and it puts Latinos in Arizona in automatic suspect mode , '' Romero said . Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup said up to 38 percent of retail sales in the city come from legal Mexican visitors . The state immigration law threatens those businesses , Walkup said , just when `` the city is just beginning to recover from the economic downturn . '' The Mexican government issued an advisory to its citizens last week to avoid travel in Arizona . The Organization of American States expressed its concern about the law last week , and presidents of South American countries meeting in Argentina for a gathering of the Union of South American Nations condemned the law Tuesday . Well-known Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes recommended this week that dark-skinned people , men with mustaches , women who use shawls , or anyone who does not speak English well should not go to Arizona because the state has `` officially declared itself racist , '' the government-run Notimex news service reported Wednesday . The Phoenix Suns basketball team also criticized the new law . `` The frustration with the federal government 's failure to deal with the issue of illegal immigration resulted in passage of a flawed state law , '' managing partner Sarver said . `` However intended , the result of passing this law is that our basic principles of equal rights and protection under the law are being called into question , and Arizona 's already struggling economy will suffer even further setbacks at a time when the state can ill-afford them . '' | NEW : Civil rights and labor organizations say they 'll announce boycott on Thursday . Tucson and Flagstaff vote to file suit against Arizona 's new immigration law . Law allows police to ask anyone for proof of legal U.S. immigration status . Critics say it will lead to racial profiling ; supporters disagree . | [[681, 769], [0, 15], [58, 148], [102, 105], [115, 148], [157, 220], [1266, 1317], [1981, 2028]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Manchester United returned to the top of the English Premier League with a 3-1 victory over in-form Tottenham on Saturday but the champions ' title hopes suffered a blow with the news that top scorer Wayne Rooney may miss the rest of the season . The England striker sat out the home win , which put United two points clear of Chelsea , with a groin injury suffered in training and he may miss the final two matches of the season . England coach Fabio Capello will be hoping that United take no risks with the 34-goal forward , who will be one of his key players at the World Cup in South Africa starting in mid-June . `` I think he 'll probably take two to three weeks to recover , '' United manager Alex Ferguson told match broadcaster Sky . `` We 'll try to get him back , he 'll obviously be desperate to get back himself . We 'll just have to wait and see . '' Earlier this month , Rooney made a sooner-than-expected return from an ankle injury to play in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal against Bayern Munich , then missed the 0-0 draw with Blackburn before a below-par outing in the 1-0 win over Manchester City that kept his side in the title race . United face mid-table Sunderland and Stoke in the climax to the season as the club seek a fourth successive league crown , while Chelsea hosts Stoke on Sunday before a trip to Liverpool and a home clash with lowly Wigan . Tottenham , who upset third-placed Arsenal and Chelsea in the two preceding matches , have not beaten United since 1989 and have not defeated one of the `` big four '' away from home in 66 matches . Harry Redknapp 's team still retained fourth place in the table as Manchester City drew 0-0 at Arsenal in Saturday 's late match . The Londoners looked like matching United at Old Trafford when defender Ledley King equalized in the 70th minute , but Portugal midfielder Nani snatched victory for the hosts with a delightful chip on 81 and then won a penalty for Ryan Giggs ' second spot-kick of the game five minutes later . The 36-year-old Giggs had never scored a penalty in his near 600-game career for United , but coolly took over Rooney 's duties in the 58th minute after Benoit Assou-Akotto brought down Patrice Evra in the box . United lost Evra to the lingering effects of his pre-match illness and winger Antonio Valencia went off with injury , while Spurs rallied with the return of England midfielder Aaron Lennon from long-term injury as a substitute . Defender King headed in Gareth Bale 's corner as United fullback Rafael strayed from his position on the post and could not clear the ball to give the visitors hope of a point . But Nani raced onto substitute Federico Macheda 's pass to beat goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes with an exquisite finish , and the Brazilian was again beaten by Giggs after a clumsy challenge from behind by Wilson Palacios . Manchester City trail Tottenham by a point in the battle for the fourth Champions League place , with the two teams to meet in their penultimate game of the season on May 5 . City boss Roberto Mancini surprisingly left Emmanuel Adebayor on the bench after the Togo striker 's ill-advised goal celebrations in front of his former club 's fans when the teams last met in the league in September . Adebayor made an impact when he came on in the second half , but the match was most notable for a season-ending shoulder injury suffered by City 's Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given that allowed Gunnar Nielsen to become the first Faroe Isander to play in the Premier League . The 23-year-old was largely untested as Arsenal 's faint title hopes were finally extinguished , with the Londoners now seven points behind United with two matches left . Nielsen may have to fill in for the rest of the season , with Given 's deputy Stuart Taylor injured and England international Joe Hart on loan at Birmingham . City next take on sixth-placed Aston Villa , who can keep their own Champions League hopes alive with victory at home to Midlands rivals Birmingham on Sunday . West Ham moved six points clear of the relegation zone with a 3-2 win over fellow strugglers Wigan that keeps Gianfranco Zola 's team in the top flight for another season . Captain Scott Parker struck a 77th-minute winner from long range as West Ham recovered from an early own-goal by United States defender Jonathan Spector , with Brazilian striker Ilan and Czech midfielder Radoslav Kovac putting the London side 2-1 up at halftime . Colombia striker Hugo Rodallega leveled seven minutes after the interval with a bundled effort as Victor Moses flicked on a cross from first-goal provider Ben Watson , but Kovac headed against the bar before midfielder Parker celebrated his return from suspension with a fine winner . The result sent third-bottom Hull down to the second division after the Yorkshire side lost 1-0 in an ill-tempered home clash with Sunderland that saw both teams reduced to 10 men . Darren Bent put Sunderland ahead in the seventh minute from close range after strike partner Kenwyne Jones headed Alan Hutton 's cross into his path for the England World Cup hopeful 's 25th goal this season . Hull should have leveled after the club 's former defender Michael Tuner brought down Geovanni , but Jimmy Bullard hit the post with his penalty attempt . Hutton was sent off just before halftime following an ugly exchange with Hull striker Jozy Altidore , which saw the Scot receive a headbutt after throwing the ball in the face of the United States international , who was also red-carded . Wolverhampton Wanderers will be safe for a second season in the Premier League if fellow promoted side Burnley fail to beat Liverpool on Sunday , having moved eight points clear of the second-bottom side with a 1-1 draw at home to Blackburn . Blackburn captain Ryan Nelsen put the visitors ahead in the 28th minute , with the New Zealand defender diverting in Morten Gamst Pedersen 's corner , but substitute Sylvain Ebanks-Blake headed an 81st minute equalizer from Stephen Ward 's cross . Relegated bottom club Portsmouth came from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw at Bolton , as Ivory Coast striker Aruna Dindane netted a second-half double for the FA Cup finalists to cancel out first-half efforts by Kevin Davies and Ivan Klasnic . | Manchester United return to top of English Premier League with 3-1 win over Tottenham . Top scorer Wayne Rooney may miss rest of season after sitting out match with injury . Champions United two points clear of Chelsea , who host Stoke on Sunday . Tottenham retain fourth place in table as Manchester City draw 0-0 at Arsenal in late match . | [[19, 86], [203, 265], [266, 308], [397, 450], [294, 306], [315, 353], [1618, 1700], [1685, 1748]] |
OSLO , Norway -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A week of events to mark the presentation of the Nobel Peace Prize to former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari continues Thursday with a stellar concert in Oslo to be broadcast on CNN.com Live . Former Finnish president Martii Ahtisaari was cited for his work in Namibia and Aceh , Indonesia . Actors Michael Caine and Scarlett Johansson are due to host the gala event which features performances from Diana Ross , operatic quartet Il Divo and Swedish singer-songwriter Robyn . The concert will be carried by CNN.com live beginning at 2 p.m. ET Thursday -LRB- 7 p.m. GMT Thursday -RRB- . In an interview Wednesday , Ahtisaari called for a fresh Middle East peace initiative and warned that western powers risked losing credibility unless they acted to solve the conflict . Ahtisaari told CNN 's Jonathan Mann that peace was a `` question of will . '' `` All conflicts can be settled and there are no excuses for letting them become eternal , '' said Ahtisaari , who was cited for his work promoting Namibian independence in southern Africa and for his `` central role '' promoting peace in the conflict-stricken Indonesian province of Aceh . `` It is simply intolerable that violent conflicts defy resolution for decades , causing immeasurably human suffering and preventing economic and social development . '' Ahtisaari said that finding a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians was crucial to the future development of the entire Middle East and Muslim world . `` As Western nations we are losing our credibility ... because we ca n't keep on talking , year after year , that we are doing something . And no one sees any results , '' he said . `` People are suffering on both sides , and the saddest thing is that if we do n't help the parties to solve those problems that are in the way of getting the agreement in the Middle East , the situation will become even worse for both parties . '' Ahtisaari also called for fresh efforts to eradicate world poverty : `` We must all be able to contribute to our future and to the future of our communities . If the present trend continues , we will be faced with a situation where hundreds of millions of young people will be out of work in countries that are in the early stages in development . `` If nothing is done , we will be creating an effective breeding ground for crime , instability and war . '' | Nobel Peace Prize events continue with gala concert in Oslo , Norway . Scarlett Johansson , Michael Caine to host ; Diana Ross to perform . Concert will be broadcast live on CNN.com Live at 2 p.m. ET -LRB- 7 p.m. GMT -RRB- . Former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari was presented with prize Wednesday . | [[7, 29], [128, 194], [169, 228], [328, 402], [328, 371], [380, 511], [169, 228], [512, 550], [7, 13], [50, 127], [229, 313]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- They are everywhere , Haiti 's precious and beautiful children . They make up more than a third of the country 's 10 million-plus population . You see them on rooftops -- where there are rooftops -- flying kites . You see them gathered in small circles on the ground -- where the ground is not muddy -- playing marbles . You see them skip around where the ground is muddy , sometimes bathing in water from manholes . You see them link hands and run in a circle while singing a song associated with the won , the Haitian equivalent of `` Ring Around the Rosie . '' You see them fight for a turn at jumping rope . You see them twirl a bicycle wheel with a bent rope hanger and in that act you can see the dream of one day actually driving the rest of the bike , or a motorcycle , a car or an airplane . You see them carry gallons and buckets of water on tiny heads that have no place to rest . You see them suddenly appear in the middle of Port-au-Prince 's impenetrable traffic and , dressed in dirty rags , plop an even dirtier rag on the hood of your car . You see them file in and out of the same traffic wearing striking school uniforms with different color plaid tops . Sometimes you see them wearing their Sunday best in the middle of the week . For more about CNN 's `` Rescued '' documentary , read here . You see them packed into tents made of sticks and bedsheets -- and if they 're lucky , tarp or plastic -- and some of them appear listless , their bloated bellies and reddened hair competing for your attention . If you say hello , some will answer you but they will avoid your gaze , both out of respect for you and shame at their condition . You see them stand in lines , backs straight even while the sun beats down on their heads and sweat rolls down their faces , as they wait for a bottle of water or a plate of food . You see them wobble on makeshift crutches for their newly amputated limbs even as they wince from pain that even some adults would find difficult to bear . Nevertheless they are children , Haiti 's future . The January 12 , 2010 , earthquake changed their lives . Many watched loved ones die , lost family members and other caretakers , one or both of their parents , siblings . Many were stuck in the rubble of their homes and were rescued several days later . Yet in spite of everything , they dream , they laugh , they live , they love . Like most other children , they adore seeing their faces reflected in the back of a digital camera . `` Madame , Madame , '' they will say respectfully if they want to ask or tell you something . During such a conversation , I tell a little girl who is the same age as my eldest daughter , Mira , `` At home I have one exactly like you . '' `` There is no one exactly like me , '' she replies . She 's right . No child is exactly like any other , but all children want and need some basic things : food , shelter , safety , education , love . Ti moun se richès , says the Haitian proverb . Our children are our treasures . Some of them are diamonds in the rough . Some of them are brilliant , nearly illuminated beings . Now some are also scarred , both physically and psychologically . In one large tent city , I find the 7-year-old son of a man I knew growing up . The boy is in the camp with his mother while his father is in Miami , Florida , with his baby sister , whose hip was broken during the earthquake . `` I sleep during the day , '' he says , `` because the thieves come at night . '' The child he plays with most often is an orphan who was taken in by a neighbor . After the earthquake , people kept asking me , `` Why do n't we see Haitians adopting Haitian kids ? Why is it always the blan , the foreigners , the missionaries ? '' Many Haitians adopt informally . If they did n't you would see many more abandoned children on the earthquake-ravaged streets of Haiti 's capital and in the countryside . Some kids do fall prey to the local restavèk system of child labor , but others are taken into loving homes , sharing equally the little bit their guardians have . Haiti 's children have suffered more than any child , or adult , should have to , yet they still represent the best that Haiti has to offer . The potential for a better country rests on their shoulders . The survival of Haiti 's children means the survival of Haiti . Their success guarantees the country 's future . Like children all over the world , Haiti 's children are resilient and brave , but they are also children , our children . If , as the African proverb states , it takes a village to raise a child , it will take several villages to raise these children . When it was discovered that the `` orphans '' who were being taken to the Dominican Republic by the 10 Idaho missionaries had parents , some people asked me how Haitian mothers and fathers could simply give their children away . I offered them the answer that a mother who turned her child over to an orphanage years ago recently gave me . `` It 's like the way they were cutting up people 's limbs to save their lives after the earthquake . I cut my heart out by letting my child go . Even if it means I have to cry every single day for the rest of my life , I want my child to have a future . '' That future sometimes seems illusive . But it is as real as the children themselves . Worn out perhaps , but not totally defeated , dreaming , laughing , playing , living with a glint of hope and promise in their eyes . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Edwidge Danticat . | Edwidge Danticat says Haiti 's children are brave and resilient . She says they have endured great hardship since the earthquake . Danticat : The survival of Haiti rests on the childrens ' shoulders . CNN report on Haiti 's children , `` Rescued , '' airs Saturday , May 8 at 8 pm ET . | [[4283, 4346]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- White House advisers are considering recommending alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed be tried in a military court instead of a civilian one in New York City , a senior administration official told CNN on Friday . In November , Attorney General Eric Holder announced his intention to try Mohammed in a New York civilian court . `` I am confident in the ability of our courts to provide these defendants a fair trial , just as they have for over 200 years , '' Holder said last month . `` The alleged 9/11 conspirators will stand trial in our justice system before an impartial jury under long-established rules and procedures . '' A firestorm of opposition erupted from both New York officials and top Republicans after Holder 's announcement . New York police have estimated the cost to the city would exceed $ 200 million per year in a trial that could last years . They have said , among other things , that they would need to install more than 2,000 checkpoints in Lower Manhattan . Also , some congressional leaders have argued Mohammed should not be entitled to all the protections and privileges a defendant receives in civilian court . Last month , several lawmakers tied funding to close the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , to holding a military trial for Mohammed and other suspected terrorists . To try Mohammed and others `` as common criminals , giving them the constitutional rights of American citizens in our courts , is justice according to ` Alice in Wonderland , ' '' said Sen. Joe Lieberman , a Connecticut independent . Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-South Carolina , argued that `` our military justice system is best able to protect the American people . '' Holder said last month the Justice Department `` will have to take into account '' the views of other political leaders and residents . `` At the end of the day , wherever this case is tried , in whatever forum , what we have to ensure is that it 's done as transparently as possible and with adherence to all the rules . '' White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Friday the administration was evaluating its options `` based on New York City logistical and security concerns . '' Gibbs and senior presidential adviser David Axelrod have said previously that President Obama believes the trial should take place in a criminal court instead of before a military tribunal . The senior administration official emphasized that no final recommendation has been given to the president and therefore no final decision regarding the 9/11 terror trial has been made . The official said administration advisers hope a decision will be made before the president leaves for an overseas trip on March 18 . Progressive activists blasted the potential administration switch . `` If this stunning reversal comes to pass , President Obama will deal a death blow to his own Justice Department , not to mention American values , '' said Anthony Romero , executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union . `` If the president flip-flops and retreats to the Bush military commissions , he will betray his campaign promise to restore the rule of law , demonstrate that his principles are up for grabs and lose all credibility with Americans who care about justice and the rule of law . '' | Obama administration insisted 9/11 trial in New York would be symbol of U.S. rule of law . New York officials do not want Khalid Sheikh Mohammed tried in Manhattan . Republicans want military , not civilian , trial . Recommendation would mean Obama administration reverses itself on two fronts . | [[111, 155], [1198, 1215], [1288, 1361]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man coolly and calmly approached the screening area outside the Pentagon Thursday evening and opened fire , grazing two Pentagon police officers before they returned fire , critically wounding him , officials said . The incident happened at 6:40 p.m. , when the man wearing a coat -- with `` no real emotion in his face '' -- approached the officers outside the Pentagon Metro station , said Pentagon Police Chief Richard S. Keevill . `` As the officers started to ask him for his pass to get into the Pentagon , he drew a weapon from his pocket and started shooting immediately at the officers '' from a few feet away , Keevill told reporters . `` He drew a gun and just started shooting immediately . '' The two Pentagon Force Protection Agency officers returned fire with their semi-automatic Glock .40 - caliber weapons and the suspect , thought to be a U.S. citizen , was critically wounded , Keevill said . He praised the police officers for acting `` quickly and decisively to neutralize him as a threat '' without hurting anyone else . Asked how many shots were fired , he said , `` Many . '' Keevill would not identify the man . The Pentagon Force Protection Agency is the Pentagon 's police department . Pentagon entrances were locked briefly but all were reopened with the exception of the Pentagon Metro entrance , the Pentagon said in a statement . Lisa McDonald , a spokeswoman for George Washington Hospital , said three people were being treated there -- both officers and the suspect . The Pentagon police department , the Arlington County Police Department , U.S. Secret Service and the FBI were all involved in the investigation , Keevill said . The Pentagon is one of the largest office buildings in the world with three times the floor space of New York 's Empire State Building , according to its official Web site . Some 23,000 military and civilian employees work there . Are you there ? Send images , video . Though it contains 17.5 miles of corridors , a person can walk between any two points in the World War II-era building in no more than seven minutes . CNN 's Mike Ahlers , Larry Shaughnessy and Jeanne Meserve contributed to this story . | NEW : Suspect shot at officers at Pentagon screening area , police said . NEW : Suspect was injured in return fire from two officers . Pentagon police say one person is in custody . Three people being treated at George Washington Hospital . | [[727, 844], [1383, 1396], [1446, 1523]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Faisal Shahzad had two faces , investigators and people who knew him say . He was a suburban father in Connecticut , married to an American citizen educated in Colorado . Wife Huma Mian , pretty and smiling in a Facebook picture , wore a traditional Muslim head scarf and posted on her page that she loved to shop . Shahzad , a Pakistani who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in April 2009 , worked as a financial analyst in Connecticut before leaving that job last June . His neighbors describe him as quiet and nice , but a little odd -- a man who liked to jog at night wearing all black and who once remarked that he did n't like the sunlight . Shahzad is suspected of trying to blow up a Nissan Pathfinder in Times Square on Saturday . He was arrested Monday night at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York as his flight to Dubai was about to take off , law enforcement officials said . Shahzad , 30 , has been charged with five counts in connection with the case , according to documents filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in New York . The documents say he admitted to law enforcement officials that he attempted to detonate the bomb and that he recently received bomb-making training in the Waziristan region of Pakistan . Shahzad returned to the United States via a one-way ticket from Pakistan on February 3 , according to a criminal complaint . He told immigration officials upon his return that he had been visiting his parents in Pakistan for the previous five months , the complaint said . Shahzad has a Karachi identification card , a sign of Pakistani residency , and his family is from northwestern Pakistan , according to Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik . His father is a retired senior officer in the Pakistani Air Force , Shahzad 's cousin , Kafayat Ali , said on Tuesday . The father , Bahar Ul Haq , a former air vice marshal , lives in the Peshawar suburb of Hayatabad in Pakistan . Pakistani authorities in Karachi picked up for questioning Iftikhar Mian , the father-in-law of suspect Faisal Shahzad , and Tauseef Ahmed , Shahzad 's friend , on Tuesday , two intelligence officials said . An intelligence source said Wednesday that a different associate of Shahzad also was detained on Tuesday . That associate allegedly was instrumental in making possible a meeting between Shahzad and at least one senior Taliban official in Pakistan last July , a senior Pakistani official said Wednesday . It 's unclear where Faisal Shahzad 's wife , Mian , is now , although he told immigration officials in February that she was in Pakistan . Shahzad came to the United States and attended college , earning a bachelor 's degree in computer applications and information systems from Connecticut 's University of Bridgeport in 2000 . He earned an MBA at the school in 2005 . He started working as a junior financial analyst for Affinion Media Group in Norwalk , Connecticut , in 2006 , leaving voluntarily in June 2009 , according to Affinion spokesman Michael Bush . In October 2008 , Shahzad reported getting married to Mian , who graduated from the University of Colorado-Boulder with a degree in degree in business with emphasis in accounting , university spokesman Bronson Hilliard said . A student from 2000 to 2004 , Mian lived in a dorm the first few years , and then in family housing with her sisters her last two years at the school . Mian 's Facebook page , which has apparently been disabled , had a picture with her smiling and wearing a hot pink head scarf . Shahzad , Mian and two children and Mian 's two sisters lived in Shelton , Connecticut , for about three years , moving out in July 2009 , according to neighbor Brenda Thurman . Mian spoke English , but was apparently so insecure about her language ability that she told people she did not , Thurman said . `` I never knew she spoke English until it was time for her to move , '' Thurman said . Thurman saw him in his yard with his children , a boy and a girl , and the family usually wore traditional Muslim attire , Thurman told WTNH-TV . Thurman said her daughter often played with Shahzad 's daughter , but she herself did n't have much contact with the family . `` He also came out and played with them on occasion . He really loved his kids , '' Thurman told CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' on Tuesday . She said Shahzad gave her daughter an old computer of his . Investigators were in the process of confiscating the computer on Tuesday , she said . Shahzad 's wife told Thurman in July 2009 that the family was moving to Missouri . A few weeks after they left their home , the lender foreclosed on the property and changed the locks , Thurman said . At the Bridgeport , Connecticut , residence where authorities say he lived most recently , agents with the FBI and local police , including members of a bomb squad , conducted a search , and investigators removed filled plastic bags . CNN 's Deborah Feyerick , Jim Spellman , Drew Griffin , Joneil Adriano , Samson Desta , Reza Sayah , Jim Kavanagh and the CNN Wire Staff contributed to this report . | Faisal Shahzad lived in suburban Connecticut , wife posted on Facebook . Documents : Shahzad admitted he got bomb-making training in Pakistan . Neighbors say Shahzad was pleasant but odd , once remarking he did n't like sunlight . | [[94, 133], [921, 928], [1000, 1022], [1092, 1261], [543, 555], [617, 666]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- 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 could n'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 have n'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 senior Taliban leaders , the official said . Rehan is believed to have links to the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed , which is close to al Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban , the official said . Several officials in Karachi said Rehan was picked up in Karachi 's North Nazimabad district . They said others were taken into custody for questioning on Wednesday , but could not say how many , who they were or where they were seized . A senior U.S. official said investigators were looking into possible links between Shahzad and Pakistani groups and had found none , `` but that does n't say there is no connection . '' The official added that there was nothing to indicate Shahzad is from an extremist family . Asked whether Shahzad was a `` wannabe '' who may be inflating his contacts , the source said , `` It is going to take a little more time for the investigation to gel . '' Investigators have uncovered no evidence that Shahzad had U.S.-based associates related to the plot , a federal law enforcement official said Wednesday . Investigators believe he handled the logistics himself , from purchasing the car to buying the materials for the bomb , the official said . Investigators are looking for any associates who may be overseas , the official said . The federal law enforcement official said Wednesday that Shahzad was still cooperating with the FBI and had waived his right to a lawyer . The official did not provide details about what Shahzad has been saying . The official acknowledged that the FBI lost contact with Shahzad while conducting surveillance of him prior to tracking him down aboard a plane set to take off from New York 's John F. Kennedy International Airport , but the official did not say for how long . The official said agents had not wanted to tip off Shahzad that he was under surveillance , that the situation involved multiple locations and that Shahzad was aware of news reports that a suspect had been identified . `` There were a lot of traps out there to catch him if he did flee and , in the end , it worked , '' said the official . Shahzad , a 30-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Pakistan , was arrested late Monday at JFK airport after boarding a flight bound for Dubai , United Arab Emirates . His final destination was to have been in Pakistan . When authorities did track him down , Shahzad apparently was unsurprised . `` Are you NYPD or FBI ? '' he asked . A Customs and Border Protection agent exposed his badge and said , `` CBP , '' an administration official said . In Washington , State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters that `` the Pakistanis are fully cooperating in the investigation . They recognize , as we do , that this is a shared responsibility and a shared threat . '' The charges paint him as a terrorist who received explosives training in Pakistan 's volatile Waziristan region , where government forces have been working to root out Taliban militants . The Pakistani Taliban , a major militant group in the region , praised Shahzad but denied any link to him . Read complaint filed in federal court Tuesday -LRB- PDF -RRB- . Shahzad has been charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction , acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries , and three other counts in connection with the incident . If convicted , he faces up to life in prison . Shahzad admitted he drove a Nissan Pathfinder into Times Square on Saturday night and attempted to detonate the vehicle , which was packed with gasoline , propane tanks , fireworks and nonexplosive fertilizer , according to a complaint filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in New York . Court documents said that , after receiving bomb-making training in Pakistan , Shahzad returned to the United States via a one-way plane ticket February 3 . Upon his return , Shahzad qualified for secondary , or more detailed , screening under Customs and Border Protection criteria and was interviewed , the administration official said . He told immigration officials that he had been visiting his parents in Pakistan for the previous five months , according to the documents . He also told officials that his wife remained in Pakistan . CBP , following protocol , sent a report to the FBI and other intelligence agencies that included Shahzad 's passenger information , the official said . Included in that report were phone numbers associated with his travel , when he bought his ticket , and when he filed a customs form , the official said . Last weekend , as they investigated the failed bombing attempt , FBI agents turned up a telephone number but no name in connection with Shahzad 's purchase of a Nissan Pathfinder . When agents searched databases containing the numbers called by or to that phone , they found the number on the CBP report , the official said . That is how they came up with Faisal Shahzad 's name . The court documents show that Shahzad apparently maintained contact with people in Pakistan after returning to the United States . He received 12 phone calls from his country of birth in the days leading up to the incident -- five on the day he bought the Nissan Pathfinder used in the attempted attack . Those calls ceased three days before the failed bombing , the documents show . Authorities began focusing on Shahzad after tracing the sale of the Pathfinder to him . Shahzad has a Karachi identification card , a sign of Pakistani residency , according to Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik . Shahzad 's father , Bahar Ul Haq , is a retired senior officer in the Pakistani Air Force . The former air vice marshal lives in the Peshawar suburb of Hayatabad , according to Kafayat Ali , whose father is a first cousin of Shazad 's father . Shahzad lived at his father 's house in Hayatabad when his father was posted in Peshawar , Ali said . Shahzad , his elder brother Amir and their two sisters moved with the father and received their education in the cities where the father was assigned . Ali said Shahzad 's hometown is Mohib Banda , a village about 78 miles -LRB- 124 kilometers -RRB- northwest of Islamabad , Pakistan . Ul Haq has farmland in Mohib Banda , and Shahzad and his siblings visited there during vacations and to attend relatives ' weddings . Ali said Amir is a mechanical engineer living in Canada , where he is married and lives with his family . Both sisters are married ; one is a doctor and the other is a housewife . CNN 's Susan Candiotti , Deb Feyerick , Elise Labott , Reza Sayah and Samson Desta contributed to this story . | NEW : Isuzu driven from Connecticut to Times Square day before planned attack . NEW : Shahzad accidently left keys to the Isuzu inside the bomb-laden Pathfinder . Shahzad felt Islam was under attack , source says . `` The dynamic appeared to have changed in the last year , '' official says . | [[238, 305], [621, 675], [1467, 1542], [392, 409], [556, 573], [772, 789], [955, 972], [1574, 1591], [2381, 2482], [2445, 2482], [3042, 3059], [2819, 2838], [2858, 2913], [2916, 2938], [4340, 4359], [4488, 4507], [5470, 5489], [5557, 5576], [6368, 6390], [8626, 8645]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The suspect in the killing of a University of Virginia student was arrested in a 2008 incident in which he threatened a police officer and was shocked with a stun gun , according to a police statement . George Huguely , 22 , was arrested on suspicion of murder Monday , hours after a roommate found Yeardley Love 's body in her off-campus apartment in Charlottesville , Virginia . Huguely , who was also a UVA student until resigning after his arrest , and Love played on the men 's and women 's lacrosse teams , respectively . CNN affiliate WDBJ got a police statement recounting an encounter between an intoxicated Huguely and Lexington , Virginia , Police Officer R.L. Moss . Affidavit : Lacrosse player killed in fight after breakup . According to the statement , Moss came across Huguely as he stumbled into traffic outside of a fraternity house at Washington and Lee University in Lexington . After ignoring the officer 's calls to stop , Huguely was approached by Moss who , after speaking with Huguely , decided to arrest him for public drunkenness , the statement says . At that point , Huguely started making threats , including death threats , against the officer , according to the statement . `` He became more aggressive , more physical towards me , started to calling me several other terms that I 'm not going to state now , '' she told WDBJ . Moss got into a brief `` tussle '' with Huguely before resorting to her stun gun to get him under control , the statement says . At a court hearing the next month , Moss wrote she was surprised to learn that Huguely was so intoxicated that he did n't remember being shocked with the stun gun or threatening the police officer . Court records show that Huguely pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and public intoxication , WDBJ reported . He was given a suspended jail sentence and a fine . | George Huguely , 22 , arrested in death of Yeardley Love ; both played lacrosse at UVA . Huguely previously arrested in 2008 incident in which he threatened a police officer . Officer from 2008 incident said she was forced to use stun gun on Huguely . Court records show Huguely pleaded guilty to resisting arrest , public intoxication . | [[222, 236], [239, 241], [244, 286], [0, 15], [65, 113], [98, 113], [123, 153], [1099, 1112], [1115, 1193], [98, 104], [123, 125], [158, 185], [1379, 1383], [1427, 1459], [1447, 1484], [1707, 1797]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- There are few sports that are so dominated by a single person like the way the women 's pole vault is ruled by 26-year Russian Yelena Isinbayeva . Eyes on the prize : Yelena Isinbayeva has often complained about a lack of real competition in her event . Every time the world and Olympic champion competes it is expected that she will spring to new heights and push women 's pole-vaulting to new levels . She has broken the world record 16 times , almost equaling the feat of the great Sergey Bubka , who broke the men 's outdoor pole vault record 17 times between 1984 and 1994 . Since jumping to her first world record in 2003 and becoming the first woman to jump over 5-meters in 2005 she as also become something of a glamorous sporting celebrity . After setting five new world records in 2005 , it took almost three years for her to set a new mark of 5.04 m in July 2008 , a fallow period that made her pursuit of world records a personal matter . After setting her world record mark in July this year at a competition in Monte Carlo , she told press : `` I wanted to improve my personal best and that 's what I did . I see this world record as a personal one . '' A driven and focused competitor , she has also become famous for her coolness under pressure . Before her latest world record jump she was driving around the track in the back of a vintage car with sprinter Asafa Powell , while her fellow competitors had already started the competition . Not shy of media and publicity , her sporting achievements , athleticism and looks have made her a pin-up for women 's athletics and attracted a number of big-name sponsors . While her achievements can be allied to that of Bubka it has been noted that her media - and sponsor-friendly attitude makes her more akin to compatriot Maria Sharapova . Her celebrity status is a world away from her modest background . Born in Volgograd in 1982 it was only until a couple of years ago that she lived with her parents and younger sister in the city of her birth , before moving to Monte Carlo . She trained first of all as a gymnast until the age of 15 when her coach decided she was too tall . Commentators and fellow competitors have noted that her gymnastic training has helped give her an extra edge in the event . After defending her title in Beijing , her place in the sporting pantheon of great female athletes seems secure . While emulating Bubka , Isinbayeva has said before that closing the gap between the heights the men and women can jump is another of her personal challenges , and with her own talent and the help of Bubka 's former coach she may go a long way towards achieving that . | World and Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva dominates her sport . Has broken the world record 15 times since 2003 ; first woman to clear 5m . Media-friendly looks and talent have made her very bankable sports start . | [[86, 89], [94, 165], [273, 422], [651, 705], [599, 675], [706, 709], [718, 770], [1510, 1605], [1510, 1559], [1610, 1651]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A London department store has started selling coffee for $ 100 a shot . Civet cats : The coffee beans are collected from the animal 's faeces . If the price sounds unappealing , shoppers also have to overcome the unusual method of cultivation , which sees the coffee beans harvested from the feces of an Indonesian jungle cat . Even so , the Peter Jones store says the luxury blend -- called Caffé Raro -- is one of the world 's rarest and most premium coffees . Made by the Italian company De Longhi , Caffé Raro combines Jamaican Blue Mountain and Kupi Luwak , two extremely rare coffees . The beans of Kupi Luwak are harvested after being ingested by civet cats , and only about 260 kilos -LRB- about 573 pounds -RRB- of the coffee is produced each year . `` The cats select the best beans to chew . It 's rather like a natural filtering process , '' said Carie Barkhuzen , a spokeswoman for the upmarket store in London 's upmarket Sloane Square . The coffee , which went on sale Thursday , is available at $ 100 for a shot at the Peter Jones Espresso Bar , or shoppers can buy 100g -LRB- 3.5-ounce -RRB- packs of the coffee beans to take away for the same price . Watch some willing to try the coffee , others not '' `` It 's not exactly flying off the shelves -- it 's very expensive , after all -- but customers are buying it , '' Barkhuzen said . The proceeds from the coffee sales will go to charity . E-mail to a friend . | Peter Jones department store in London selling coffee shots for $ 100 each . Blend is a combination of Jamaican Blue Mountain and Kupi Luwak . Kupi Luwak coffee beans are harvested from the dung of Indonesian jungle cat . | [[0, 6], [9, 32], [45, 107], [988, 1000], [1031, 1095], [539, 596], [121, 179], [267, 278], [287, 363], [628, 700]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lionel Messi netted a double as Barcelona moved ever closer to retaining the Spanish league title with a 4-1 win over Tenerife at the Nou Camp on Tuesday night . The strikes were the 30th and 31st for the La Liga top scorer and the victory puts the pressure on arch-rivals Real Madrid for their tricky trip to Real Mallorca on Wednesday . It left Barcelona four points clear of Real , who must win their game in hand to keep their own title hopes alive . Argentina ace Messi put Barcelona ahead after 17 minutes and added a second in the final minute to seal victory against relegation-threatened Tenerife , who stunned the champions by equalizing just before half-time through Roman Martinez . It followed a mistake by home captain Carles Puyol , but Barca upped the pace after the break with goals from Bojan Krkic just after the hour mark and substitute Pedro Rodriguez giving them a comfortable cushion . Messi 's late goal gave the scoreline a flattering look in a match played in driving rain , as Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes conceded . `` It was a difficult night due to the weather and the fixture list is already taking its toll but we gave our all , '' Valdes told AFP . `` It is a very competitive league and we have won our game and now we just have to wait . '' Barcelona will be hoping Mallorca can come up trumps with their strong home record because they face a tough trip to Champions League hopefuls Sevilla on Saturday . Meanwhile in other action on Tuesday , Valencia clinched their place in the Champions League qualifying round , by clinching third spot , with a 3-1 home win over bottom club Xerez . Spanish international Juan Mata equalized a first half goal for Xerez with a superb free kick then added a second after the break . Mata then set up David Silva for Valencia 's third . | Lionel Messi scores 30th and 31st league goals of the season for Barcelona . 4-1 win over Tenerife boosts Barca 's chances of retaining La Liga title . Real Madrid must win at Real Mallorca on Wednesday night to keep their hopes alive . | [[19, 180], [181, 258], [19, 180]] |
Editor 's note : The staff at CNN.com has recently been intrigued by the journalism of VICE , an independent media company and Web site based in Brooklyn , New York . VBS.TV is Vice 's broadband television network . The reports , which are produced solely by VICE , reflect a very transparent approach to journalism , where viewers are taken along on every step of the reporting process . We believe this unique reporting approach is worthy of sharing with our CNN.com readers . Viewer discretion advised . Brooklyn , New York -LRB- VBS.TV -RRB- -- Recently , VBS headed to Naples , the capital of the Campania region in southern Italy , to shoot two documentaries about the Camorra , the most powerful but least understood of the Italian crime cartels . One piece was about the peculiar world of the Camorra 's homegrown Neapolitan pop stars , known as Neomelodics . The other , excerpted here , focused on the environmental emergency brought on by the Camorra 's manipulation of garbage disposal in the region . Each proved to be a strange and infuriating experience . The daytime hours were spent visiting housing blocks where every family had reported at least one case of cancer because of illegal toxic waste dumps behind their homes . Our evenings , however , were spent at town square celebrations sponsored by the Camorra two blocks away and attended by the same families we had met earlier that day . The Camorra , it was suddenly clear , was dumping toxic waste in people 's backyards and then hosting Neomelodic pop concerts in their front yards . See the rest of Toxic : Napoli at VBS.TV . Today , the Camorra 's Naples is Italy on steroids , and it 's the result of a marriage of convenience between two powerful Italian forces . Neapolitans we met were , on the one hand , fed up with the garbage situation . On the other , very few had any interest in pointing fingers at the Camorra . The Gerlando family is a prime example . On one of the last days of our shoot , we spent an afternoon with sheep farmers Patrizia and Mario Gerlando at their home in the Campanian countryside . The Gerlandos were forced to leave their home in the town of Acerra -LRB- a suburb of Naples -RRB- because all of their sheep were mutating and dying due to the high levels of dioxin in the pastures where they grazed . Despite Acerra being the most well-documented case of the Camorra 's involvement in Campania 's environmental crisis , after the cameras were packed away , Mario and Patrizia told us that the Camorra had nothing to do with anything and that it would take someone like Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to come fix the situation . | VBS finds documenting powerful Italian crime cartel `` strange , infuriating '' Cartel 's control of garbage disposal has resulted in environmental crisis . Mutated animals , high cancer rate among consequences of years of pollution . | [[1014, 1070], [1014, 1018], [1026, 1070], [908, 1013]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's difficult to overestimate Quincy Jones 's contribution to American music . Over the last 60 years he has excelled as a musician , composer , record producer , arranger , conductor and media company executive . Quincy Jones has won 27 Grammy awards during his extraordinary career . In a career studded with landmarks , Jones produced Michael Jackson 's multi-platinum albums `` Off The Wall , '' `` Bad '' and `` Thriller '' -- the best selling album of all time -- and produced and conducted `` We Are The World , '' one of the biggest-selling singles in history . Quincy Delight Jones Jr. , known to his friends as `` Q , '' was born on March 14 , 1933 , in Chicago . He moved to Seattle as a child and began playing trumpet aged 12 . When he was 14 he befriended a young Ray Charles , who taught him how to arrange music , and Jones was soon playing bebop in nightclubs , backing up the likes of Billie Holiday . In 1951 , Jones won a music scholarship at prestigious Schillinger House , in Boston , but he abandoned his studies to tour with bandleader Lionel Hampton . By the mid-50s , he was arranging and recording for the likes of Sarah Vaughan , Duke Ellington and his old friend Ray Charles . In 1956 he toured with Dizzy Gillespie 's Big Band , recording his first album as a leader in the same year . In 1957 , Jones moved to Paris to study music composition and theory , taking a job with Mercury Records ' French distributor to pay for his studies . After a European tour proved a financial disaster , the president of Mercury offered him a position at the record label and Jones soon became vice-president at the company . In the 60s , Jones worked as a conductor and arranger for Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald . He also began scoring music for films , including `` In the Heat of the Night , '' `` In Cold Blood '' and `` The Pawnbroker , '' which featured his hit `` Soul Bossa Nova , '' later re-used as the theme to the `` Austin Powers '' movies . Jones would go on to score 33 movies during his career and he also composed the themes for TV shows such as `` Ironside , '' `` The Bill Cosby Show '' and `` Roots , '' which earned him an Emmy award . Having made his name as a composer and arranger in the 70s , he moved away from jazz to record a series of hit albums of his own soulful music . See photos of Quincy in Seattle '' Jones 's career was dramatically put on hold in 1974 , when he suffered a severe aneurysm , but it did little to stall his incredible drive . In the 80s , as well as producing three Michael Jackson albums and `` We are the World , '' he co-produced and scored the Steven Spielberg movie `` The Color Purple , '' and formed multi-media company Quincy Jones Entertainment . In his role as CEO he was executive producer of TV series `` The Fresh Prince of Bel Air '' and published `` Vibe '' and `` SPIN '' magazines . His 1989 album `` Back On The Block '' won Album Of The Year at the Grammys and 1993 's `` Miles and Quincy Live At Montreux '' , featuring Jones conducting Miles Davis , earned another Grammy . All in all , Jones has won 27 Grammys , been nominated for seven Academy Awards , and has added to his business interests with Quincy Jones Media Group and Qwest Broadcasting . Perhaps because of his own upbringing in tough neighborhoods in Chicago and Seattle , Jones has long been involved in social activism . He supported Martin Luther King 's Operation Breadbasket , which promoted economic development in the inner cities , and worked on Reverend Jesse Jackson 's People United to Save Humanity project . Jones founded the Listen Up ! Foundation , which has worked on youth projects in Los Angeles and South Africa , and he helped launch the We Are the Future project , which helps children in poor and conflict-ridden areas . He is also one of the founders of the Institute for Black American Music -LRB- IBAM -RRB- , which raises money to establish a national library of African-American art and music . Over the course of his incredible career , Jones somehow found the time to marry three times and father seven children . In 1990 , his life was chronicled in the movie `` Listen Up : The Lives of Quincy Jones '' and in 2001 , Jones published `` Q : The Autobiography of Quincy Jones . '' Watch Quincy Jones on My City_My Life '' Of his own career , which has taken him from being a teenage musician in the clubs of Seattle to a world-famous music mogul , Jones says , `` You have to turn all of your drunken dreams into sober realizations . I think I was blessed with the ability to see things and make them happen before everybody else saw them . '' | Quincy Jones has excelled as a musician , composer and record producer . He produced Michael Jackson 's `` Off the Wall '' , `` Bad '' and `` Thriller '' albums . He has won 27 Grammys and been nominated for seven Academy Awards . He set up the Listen Up ! Foundation , which works on various youth projects . | [[100, 234], [2198, 2256], [2520, 2530], [2544, 2606], [235, 306], [3100, 3126], [3102, 3107], [3119, 3168], [3600, 3629], [3614, 3642], [3649, 3709]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Chelsea King , 17 , was a straight-A student , a high school track star and she loved to volunteer . Now , she 's been killed , the latest victim of what you could call `` junk justice . '' When Chelsea went running in a San Diego , California , park , it 's doubtful she had any idea that another young female runner had been attacked in that very same park just a couple of months before . That first victim said she feared her attacker was going to rape her . She managed to get away by elbowing the large man in the nose . If there were falling rocks in that park , a warning sign would be up . If a hungry coyote had been spotted scrounging for food , a warning sign would tell you . But there was no warning at all that a human predator , on the hunt for young women , might be in the park . If there had been a sketch of this suspect , or a warning posted , Chelsea might not have gone running alone there . Police said DNA on Chelsea 's underwear led them to 30-year-old John Gardner III . They showed his picture to the first runner and she said , `` He 's the same guy . '' Now he 's been charged with Chelsea 's rape and murder . The suspect was a registered sex offender . In 2000 , he lured a 13-year-old girl into his home on the pretext of watching the movie `` Patch Adams . '' Once he got her inside , he molested her and beat her to a pulp before she escaped . Before Gardner was sentenced , a psychiatrist warned that he showed no remorse and would likely attack a young girl again . He recommended `` the maximum sentence allowed by law . '' The courts sentenced Gardner to six years ; he got out after five . Five years for pummeling a 13-year-old girl in the face and fondling her . That is `` junk justice . '' If Gardner had been prosecuted to the full extent of the law then , he would have been behind bars when Chelsea went for a run on February 25 . Her grieving mom spoke directly to this point to Larry King Thursday night ... `` I mean how many times do our daughters need to be raped before we put these monsters behind bars forever ? I just do n't -- I do n't get it . Change has to be made . And I know that there are people out there that are -- that are trying to , you know , get this change in place . And Brent and I are committed for the rest of our lives to be a part of that . '' We need to switch our focus from punishment to prevention . Our system only kicks into high gear after the fact . In this case , a warning sign , something that simple , would have cost a fraction of the millions it might take to prosecute and house the killer . A warning sign that a woman had been attacked in the park could have possibly saved Chelsea 's life . In California , for every one parole officer there are 70 criminals . Companies like Google , FedEx , and eBay use high-tech systems to track packages and information . We already have the technology in the form of ankle bracelets to track the sex predators so why not use it ? Think about this . We can carefully track the delivery of a package across the country but do n't keep track of a sex offender who weighs more than 200 pounds . It 's time that we demand the most basic freedom of all , and that is freedom from fear . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jane Velez-Mitchell . | Jane Velez-Mitchell : Chelsea King , 17 , was straight-A student , track star , volunteer . Velez-Mitchell : Chelsea killed in a park where a young woman had been attacked earlier . Author thinks suspect , a sex offender , should have been in jail longer for crime . She writes : If suspect had been in jail , if a sign warned of earlier attack , Chelsea might be alive . | [[0, 15], [39, 90], [95, 119], [209, 269], [287, 410], [2619, 2661], [2604, 2705], [1160, 1203], [2604, 2705]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Inter Milan took the first step toward becoming the only Italian team to clinch a hat-trick of titles in one season by beating 10-man rivals Roma 1-0 in the final of the Italian Cup on Wednesday night . Diego Milito 's first-half goal was enough to separate the two teams , who are only two points apart in the race for the Serie A title with two games to play . The Argentina forward fired his 26th goal this season five minutes before halftime to give Jose Mourinho his second trophy since taking charge of the Italian league leaders two years ago . Milito ran onto a fine pas from midfielder Thiago Motta , who made some amends for his red card in the second leg of the Champions League semifinal against Barcelona , and shrugged off a challenge to blast a shot past Roma goalkeeper Julio Sergio . Roma , who won the cup in 2007 and 2008 but saw city rivals Lazio lift the trophy last season , were reduced to 10 men with two minutes to play when veteran striker Francesco Totti received his second booking in the space of 25 minutes . Totti , usually the team 's captain , had come on as a substitute at halftime . Mourinho had to make an early change when Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder went off injured in the fifth minute , to be replaced by young striker Mario Balotelli . Milito had the ball in the net in the 17th minute , but it was ruled out for offside . Meanwhile , Marseille won the French league title for the first time in 18 years with a 3-1 victory against Rennes on Wednesday night . The home victory put coach Didier Deschamps ' team eight points clear of Lille and Auxerre with two matches to play . Lille claimed second on goal difference with a 2-0 win at Toulouse , while Auxerre lost 2-1 at fourth-placed Lyon . | Inter Milan take first step to becoming only Italian team to clinch a treble of titles in a season . Diego Milito nets only goal in the 40th minute as Inter beat Roma 1-0 in Italian Cup final . Roma reduced to 10 men when Francesco Totti is booked twice in the second half . Marseille win French league title for the first time in 18 years with two games to play . | [[19, 88], [36, 134], [67, 152], [222, 290], [820, 824], [916, 955], [944, 947], [956, 1057], [362, 381], [1389, 1398], [1401, 1524], [1621, 1642]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 19-year-old Jordanian bent on committing `` violent jihad '' was arrested Thursday after undercover FBI agents foiled his attempt to bomb an office tower in Dallas , Texas , authorities announced late Thursday . Authorities say a suspect tried to set off a bomb attached to a vehicle at the base of the Fountain Plaza tower . Federal officials said Hosam Maher Husein Smadi , who entered the U.S. illegally and lived in Texas , tried to set off an improvised explosive device attached to a vehicle at the base of the 60-story Fountain Plaza office tower . Counterterrorism officials arrested Smadi on Thursday before publicly disclosing a similar , but unrelated , terrorism sting arrest in Springfield , Illinois , Wednesday . A federal law enforcement official familiar with the cases said authorities feared word of the Illinois arrest could tip off the Texas suspect of an undercover sting operation . In a criminal complaint filed with Smadi 's arrest , counterterrorism officials said the suspect had been under `` continuous surveillance '' because of oft-stated determination to inflict damage and death against the United States , which he deemed to be an enemy of Islam . `` The identification and apprehension of this defendant , who was acting alone , is a sobering reminder that there are people among us who want to do us grave harm , '' said James Jacks , the top federal prosecutor in Dallas . After casing a Wells Fargo Bank in the office tower in July , Smadi told an undercover agent he would target the facility , according to authorities . Initially Smadi told the agent he wanted to conduct the bombing on September 11 , but decided to wait until Ramadan ended September 20 , authorities said . `` Unbeknownst to Smadi , the FBI ensured the -LSB- vehicle-borne IED -RSB- contained only an inert/inactive explosive device , which contained no explosive materials , '' the Justice Department said in a written statement . Smadi will make his first court appearance before a federal magistrate judge in Dallas on Friday . The charge of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction carries a potential sentence of up to life in prison and a $ 250,000 fine . Justice Department officials said the Dallas case was unrelated to the similar FBI sting in Springfield , Illinois , a day earlier when FBI undercover agents foiled a plot to bomb that city 's federal building . In neither case did authorities find ties to known terrorist groups . | Authorities : Man , 19 , tried to set off bomb at the base of 60-story office tower . Hosam Maher Husein Smadi arrested Thursday . Authorities : FBI ensured device was n't explosive after learning of Smadi 's plans . Smadi had revealed plans to an undercover FBI agent , authorities say . | [[121, 195], [244, 293], [260, 357], [381, 405], [460, 587], [1504, 1509], [1566, 1592], [588, 678], [1442, 1501], [1504, 1563], [1730, 1748]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- So , let 's say you 're flying into town for the beginning of your trial and you 're running a little late . What do you do ? A. Call the Court . Or , . B. Ask your twin brother to go to court and pretend he is you . It does n't appear to be a difficult question , but in Clearwater , Florida , one defendant made the wrong choice , and two brothers are now in jail . According to court officials , 40-year-old Matthew Mauceri was due in court Tuesday morning for the beginning of his trial on scheming-to-defraud charges . But , court officials said , he was flying in from out of town and when he realized he was n't going to make it on time , he called his twin brother , Marcus , for help . So , Marcus Mauceri showed up in the courtroom of Judge Joseph Bulone , with Marcus claiming he was Matthew , according to the officials . It was Matthew Mauceri 's defense attorney who judged that something was amiss , court officials said , and he alerted Bulone . In the judge 's chambers , defense attorney James Thomas told Bulone he had represented both brothers previously , and that the right brother might not be present in court . Bulone put Marcus Mauceri under oath , and according to court transcripts , Marcus swore that he was Matthew . The judge launched a quick investigation . `` One of our fingerprint technicians was called by the judge to do a print comparison , '' said Sgt. Tom Nestor of the Pinellas County Sheriff 's Office . `` They made a comparison and said , ` No , this is not Matthew , ' '' Nestor said . Bulone then appointed a public defender for Marcus and , according to a court transcript , declared , `` I 'm just going to find that by Marcus pretending to be Matthew ... that perpetrates a fraud upon the court . '' Marcus Mauceri was charged with criminal contempt and sentenced to 179 days in jail . Marcus told the judge he would appeal , and that he would hire his own attorney . `` As usual , perpetrators of crimes do n't usually think the consequences through , and as is often the case , it does n't work out for them , '' court spokesman Ron Stuart said . Later , Matthew Mauceri appeared and was cited for failure to appear and contempt of court . His $ 100,000 bond from his original case was revoked . Court officials said the twins were remanded to the county jail -- in separate cells . | Man running late for trial asks twin brother to stand in for him , officials say . Defense lawyer realizes something amiss , alerts judge , who calls in fingerprint analysts . Marcus Mauceri charged with criminal contempt , sentenced to 179 days in jail . Brother Matthew Mauceri , the latecomer , cited for failure to appear and contempt of court . | [[172, 235], [665, 691], [703, 713], [719, 733], [824, 852], [860, 895], [900, 939], [1309, 1395], [1768, 1817], [1768, 1782], [1822, 1853], [1768, 1817], [2117, 2122], [2125, 2175]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Grand Ole Opry House is closed for repairs after record amounts of rain sent water 2 feet above its historic stage , damaging instruments , memorabilia and archival tapes at the country music landmark . Gaylord Entertainment Chief Executive Officer Colin Reed said he did not know how long the facility will be closed . The neighboring Gaylord Opryland Resort , a 2,881-room hotel , also is closed for restoration but will be open before the end of 2010 , he said . `` We 're going to do everything in our power to restore the stuff that 's been damaged by water , '' Reed said Friday . He said that quick thinking by Opry management Sunday saved much of the memorabilia there . Shows scheduled at the facility will move to other Nashville venues during repairs , he said . Massive flooding has caused more than $ 1.5 billion in property damage in the Nashville area , city officials said Friday . Investigators were still searching for two people reported missing and surveying the damage in the city and surrounding Davidson County . The flooding damaged at least 1,952 residential properties , city officials said in a statement . Cleanup crews have collected about 80 truckloads of debris from flooded neighborhoods . Most of the water that inundated several neighborhoods in Nashville receded by Friday , seven days after heavy rain swelled the Cumberland River . One of the city 's main water treatment plants remained closed because of the flooding Friday , prompting officials to tell residents to put off washing dishes and to limit toilet flushing . Last weekend 's storm system devastated Tennessee and neighboring states , leaving at least 31 people dead in three states , authorities say . Twenty-one people have been confirmed dead in hard-hit Tennessee . One person died in a tornado in Hardeman County that was spawned by the storms , according to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency . The same storm system killed six people in Mississippi and four in Kentucky , emergency management officials said . The death toll could rise as rescue crews continue to search for several people who have been reported missing , including two kayakers in Kentucky and several people in Tennessee , officials said . `` Nashville has obviously been hard-hit , and it 's a well-known city , but there are so many other counties in the state and areas ... that have been hit very hard as well , '' Gov. Phil Bredesen said Thursday morning . `` A lot of people who did n't have flood insurance , because they never thought floodwaters would ever come anywhere near their home , are really looking at a total loss of their home , '' he said . `` It 's very tough on a lot of people right now . '' The federal government has declared 27 Tennessee counties disaster areas . CNN 's Martin Savidge contributed to this report . | Unclear when country music landmark will reopen , Gaylord Entertainment CEO says . Record amount of flooding drenches stage , damages instruments and memorabilia . Massive rainfall in Nashville area causes more than $ 1.5 billion in property damage . Floods leave 31 dead , others missing in three states as waters recede . | [[226, 342], [0, 15], [33, 94], [72, 193], [0, 15], [140, 225], [535, 585], [797, 889], [1583, 1611], [1658, 1705], [1726, 1792], [2047, 2126], [2108, 2157]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Karen Richardson may not have known where she would end up , but she has always known that with hard work , anything is possible . Karen Richarson , a White House staffer , says anything is possible in America . Richardson , 30 , works as a White House staffer on what the Obama administration sees as the most pressing issue of the day : health care reform . She meets with President Obama several times a week and expresses the same kind of determination and sense of hard work to her job . `` You have to continue to plow forward and just keep working until it gets done , '' she explained . `` I stay focused on the job at hand and I 'm committed to getting this done . '' Richardson did n't always want to work at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue . As a student at Howard University , a historically black college , she developed a passion for international affairs and originally wanted to follow the path set by another African-American woman . `` Watching -LSB- former Secretary of State -RSB- Condoleezza Rice at the prime point of her career , -LSB- I began -RSB- thinking , ' I can do this . ' '' So Karen moved to Italy and started working for UNICEF . But then she got a call from someone asking if she might be interest in interning for `` this new guy , Barack Obama . '' Watching the news from abroad , she did n't know much about Obama , a senator at the time , except that he was the guy `` with Kenyan roots , '' as she put it . So she decided to put her dreams of international field work on hold and give Capitol Hill a try . `` I thought , ` Well , I 've never done anything on Capitol Hill , I 've never worked over on Capitol Hill . ' '' Karen recalled , `` So this would be a great opportunity and let me just go see what this is about and learn as much as I can while I 'm there , '' What was supposed to be a six-month internship with Obama 's Senate office became a full-time position after only three months , and she followed that trail all the way to Pennsylvania Avenue . Although Karen 's journey to the White House was never `` inconceivable '' to her , she still takes time to appreciate how far she has come . `` I do n't want to lose sight of what it took to get here , what it means to be here and what an extraordinary honor it is to be working for President Obama , '' Richardson said . `` I have those moments every day and I really do try to remind myself every single day why I 'm here and what an extraordinary privilege it is . '' She also tries to go back to her alma mater to speak to students , particularly African-Americans who might not think they , too , can work at the White House someday . `` It gives me the opportunity to go back and speak about my path because it can inspire them , '' Richardson explains . `` It 's changing a perspective for them in light of what it is they can achieve . '' `` The American dream is accessible to anybody , '' Karen said . `` Your options and the possibilities in life are really limitless . '' | Karen Richardson , 30 , is a graduate of Howard University in Washington . Richardson says she was inspired by former Secretary of State Rice . She originally worked for Obama 's Senate office and later on his campaign . Richardson : `` I do n't want to lose sight of what it took to get here '' | [[2171, 2226]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United Kingdom spent a second day suspended in uncertainty Saturday as leading politicians met to resolve a national election that failed to yield an outright winner . Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg , whose party came in third after Thursday 's voting , held meetings with fellow party members Saturday to discuss a possible deal with either of the two largest parties , Labour and the Conservatives . Clegg also met with Conservative leader David Cameron Saturday night , local media reported , while a broader meeting between Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Party is scheduled for Sunday morning , a Liberal Democrat spokeswoman told CNN . During a break in the talks with his own party , Clegg addressed hundreds of protesters in London who were demonstrating in favor of proportional representation , a system supported by the Liberal Democrats . Send iReport your stories , videos , photos . The Lib Dems say the current electoral system is unfair and leaves them under-represented in Parliament . They say the number of seats they have in the House of Commons fails to reflect the number of votes they won across the country , and they believe each party 's allocation of seats should reflect the percentage of the national vote they get . For example , the Conservatives got 36 percent of the vote and 306 of the 650 seats in Parliament . Under proportional representation , they would have gotten 234 seats . The Lib Dems got 23 percent of the popular vote but won only 57 seats . Proportional representation would have given them about 150 seats . `` I never thought I 'd see Londoners protesting for proportional representation , '' Clegg said . `` Take it from me , reforming politics is one of the reasons I went into politics . I campaigned for a better , more open , more transparent new politics every single day of this general election campaign . `` I genuinely believe it is in the national interest , it is in the interest of everybody in Great Britain , to use this opportunity to usher in a new politics . '' Before he went into the meeting with members of his party Saturday morning , Clegg said `` politicians have a duty to speak to each other . '' `` People deserve a good , stable government , and that 's why I 'm very keen that the Liberal Democrats should enter into any discussions with other parties , as we 're doing , in a constructive spirit , '' he explained . What happens next for UK politics ? The Liberal Democrats planned to meet with the Conservative Party at 11 a.m. -LRB- 6 a.m. ET -RRB- Sunday , according to a Liberal Democrat spokeswoman . When asked , a spokeswoman for the Conservative Party declined to give a timeframe for a possible deal . Why UK politics needs to get used to horse trading . British Prime Minister Gordon Brown , who leads the Labour Party , and the Conservatives ' Cameron both offered on Friday to form an alliance with the Liberal Democrats as they jostled for power after the election in which the Conservatives gained the most seats in the House of Commons . Clegg told reporters Saturday morning that he remained focused on four priorities as he discussed the idea of a deal with another party : tax reform , education reform , a `` new approach '' to the economy , and `` fundamental political reform . '' Full election coverage . `` It 's precisely those four changes which will guide us in the talks ahead , '' Clegg said . In an e-mail to Conservative supporters on Saturday , Cameron made a case for the party to work with the Liberal Democrats . `` I ... believe there are many areas of common ground between us and the Liberal Democrats -- such as the need for education reform , building a low-carbon economy , reforming our political system , decentralizing power , protecting civil liberties and scrapping ID cards , '' Cameron wrote . It 's unclear how far Cameron will go on the Liberal Democrats ' main priority , electoral reform . But he said in his e-mail that he is willing to compromise on some issues . `` There are also areas where I believe we in the Conservative Party can give ground , '' he wrote , `` both in the national interest and in the interests of forging an open and trusting partnership . For example , we want to work with the Liberal Democrats to see how we can afford to reduce taxes on the lowest paid . '' Brown , who remains prime minister even though Labour lost its parliamentary majority , said Friday that he would be willing to negotiate with any party leader . What role does the queen play now ? Official returns Friday showed it would be impossible for any one party to get a majority of seats , resulting in what is known as a hung parliament . The Conservatives came in first , with at least 306 seats in the 650-seat parliament , followed by Labour with at least 258 . The Liberal Democrats came in third , with at least 57 . The Conservatives must forge some kind of deal with a smaller party in order to reach a voting majority in Parliament , and they are most likely to turn to the Liberal Democrats , analysts have said . Parties smaller than the Liberal Democrats hold too few seats in Parliament for them to be realistic choices for the Conservatives , analysts have said . It 's also easier for the Conservatives to seek a partnership with just one party rather than many , said Joe Twyman , director of political polling at YouGov . Such a partnership , however , does not necessarily have to take the form of a coalition , Twyman said . `` My personal opinion is that the most likely scenario is the Conservative Party forming a minority government and going into some sort of leg-by-leg association with the Liberal Democrats , '' Twyman told CNN on Saturday . `` The Conservatives hope that will give them the support they need to get across their economic policies , which are the most pressing . '' Anger at polling stations . Though they are dubbed the kingmakers , because their support could be crucial to either of the two big parties , the Liberal Democrats also do n't have much room to play with , Twyman said . The last time Britain had a hung parliament was in February 1974 , when Edward Heath 's Conservatives gained more votes but fewer seats in Parliament than Labour . Unable to form a deal with the Liberal Party , the Conservatives stayed on in a minority government , but found themselves back at the polls by October . `` As the Lib Dems are reported to have significantly less financing than the other two parties , they would have the most to lose from another election being called very soon , because elections are an expensive business , '' Twyman said . CNN 's Melissa Gray , Richard Greene and Paul Armstrong in London contributed to this report . | No party won a clear majority in British election , resulting in hung parliament . NEW : Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg speaks to protesters . Liberal Democrats plan to meet with the Conservative Party Sunday . Conservatives refuse to give a timeframe on any deal . | [[119, 207], [4670, 4719], [546, 648], [2483, 2588], [2637, 2647], [2650, 2741]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Conflicting reports emerged Sunday about whether Adam Gadahn , a U.S.-born spokesman for al Qaeda , has been arrested in Pakistan . A senior Pakistani government official told CNN that Gadahn was arrested Sunday in Karachi , and a second senior Pakistani government official later confirmed the arrest . But a U.S. intelligence official said there appears to be no validity to the reports that Gadahn was in custody , and other U.S. officials also said they have no indication that Gadahn has been captured . Reports of the arrest came hours after Islamist Web sites posted video of Gadahn praising the November massacre at Fort Hood , Texas . On the video , Gadahn said the U.S. Army major charged with gunning down 13 people `` lit a path '' for other Muslim service members to follow . Gadahn , also known as Azzam the American , has routinely posted lengthy videos on Islamist online forums . In 2006 , he was indicted on charges of treason and providing material support to terrorists . The U.S. government has offered a $ 1 million reward for information leading to his capture . Authorities have targeted several key Islamist figures in Karachi , the populous port city and financial capital of Pakistan . For some time , it has functioned as a hideout for Taliban and al Qaeda sympathizers . One of the figures , top Taliban leader Agha Jan Motasim , was arrested on Friday . Motasim 's capture came on the heels of the arrest of the Taliban 's No. 2 figure and overall military commander , Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar . Last month , Taliban and government sources confirmed that Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud had died . A government official told CNN Mehsud died as a result of a January 14 unmanned drone attack in North Waziristan ; other sources said Mehsud died near the city of Multan in central Pakistan while on his way to a treatment center in Karachi . A city of 13 million -- with some estimates of 100,000 new arrivals a month -- Karachi as seen an influx of Pashtuns from the tribal border region with Afghanistan . Many fled there during fighting and offensives in the Northwest Frontier Province and Waziristan , making it a comfortable place for the Taliban to blend in and count on a network of supporters . `` I think its become apparent ... that al Qaeda does n't really have a base of sanctuary inside Afghanistan , at least not one where its leaders feel safe , '' CNN 's Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson said . `` They 've taken to hiding inside Pakistan . '' Gadahn 's reported presence in Karachi `` is an indication of how easily it is for al Qaeda sympathizers and Taliban sympathizers to hide in that city , '' Robertson said . Gadahn , 31 , grew up on a California farm and was home-schooled until 17 . A year later he moved in with his paternal grandparents , who were secular Jews . He converted to Islam at the Islamic Society of Orange County , California , but was banned from the mosque two years later after hitting its chairman , Haitham Bundjaki . In 1997 Gadahn began working for a California charity suspected of having ties to al Qaeda . He moved to Pakistan in 1998 . His family has said they last heard from him in 2002 . In 2004 , the FBI identified him as part of an al Qaeda cell that was planning attacks aimed at disrupting that year 's presidential election in the United States . In October 2004 , he began appearing in disguise in al Qaeda videos . Gadahn dropped the disguise in 2006 . In 2008 , he renounced his U.S. citizenship and destroyed his passport in another al Qaeda video . In his video message posted online Sunday , Gadahn says Muslims should emulate the alleged Fort Hood shooter . `` I believe that defiant Brother Nidal is the ideal role model for every repentant Muslim in the armies of the unbelievers and apostate regimes , '' Adam Gadahn says in English in the video . Maj. Nidal Hasan , an Army psychiatrist and a U.S.-born citizen , is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder in the November 5 killings . Hasan is also facing 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder and is eligible for the death penalty . `` The Mujahid brother Nidal Hasan is a pioneer , a trailblazer and a role model who has opened a door , lit a path and shown the way forward for every Muslim who finds himself among the unbelievers and yearns to discharge his duty to Allah and play a part in the defense of Islam and Muslims , '' Gadahn says in the video . Gadahn also cites in Sunday 's video the U.S. and allied buildup in Afghanistan , where the United States is in the process of adding about 30,000 troops . `` It is rapidly becoming clear that this already-hot global battle is about to get even hotter , '' he says . `` This is a war which knows no international borders and no single battleground , and that 's why I am calling on every honest and vigilant Muslim in the countries of the Zionist-Crusader alliance in general and America , Britain and Israel in particular to prepare to play his due role in responding to and repelling the aggression of the enemies of Islam . '' In December , Gadahn released a video message in English offering condolences to `` unintended Muslim victims '' killed in attacks in Afghanistan , Pakistan and elsewhere . It was a rare example of al Qaeda offering condolences to the families of those killed in the group 's own attacks . CNN 's Zain Verjee contributed to this report . | NEW : Two Pakistani officials say Gadahn arrested ; U.S. intelligence official casts doubt . Report of arrest comes hour after video of U.S.-born Gadahn surfaces . Gadahn praises November massacre at Fort Hood , Texas , in video . In 2006 , Gadahn was indicted for treason and providing material support to terrorists . | [[19, 150], [151, 241], [248, 322], [327, 355], [375, 407], [3914, 4038], [602, 652], [916, 923], [926, 1010]] |
Denver , Colorado -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Shay Kelley lost her marketing job she got worried . When she lost her home and her car she got mad . `` I went off into the woods and I started yelling at God , '' she says . `` I did n't know why God would lead me up to this point in my life just to have me left with nothing . '' `` I was like , ` Just tell me what my purpose is , tell me why I 'm here and if you 'll just tell me I 'll work harder than for anything I have ever worked for anything else in my entire life . ' '' Within weeks she had her answer : Travel to all 50 states in 50 weeks . Collect canned goods for charities along the way and take a ton of pictures . She has dubbed it Project 50/50 . She stayed with friends while she waited tables and got together enough money to buy `` Bubba , '' her 1984 Ford pickup truck . She packed her camera , which she calls `` Roxy , '' and her dog , Zu Zu , and hit the road . She began on New Year 's Day in South Carolina , randomly going door to door to collect canned goods . `` I set a goal of 200 cans a week , which does n't sound like a lot , but the premise is -LSB- that -RSB- doing a little bit adds up to a lot , '' Kelley says . `` After a year , -LSB- that 's -RSB- 10,000 canned food items . '' She began to meet homeless people as she dropped off the canned goods , and she says they have surprised her with their generosity . She met Donald , a retired Navy sailor , at a library in South Carolina . `` He invited me to go to lunch to buy me a hot meal because I had been eating PowerBars for three days , '' Kelley says . `` I found out after he left -- after he paid the tab and paid my meter -- that Donald was homeless , that he was actually living in the shelter . '' `` That was the first week when I learned the people with the least tend to give the most . '' Donald was one of the first people she photographed . She posts her pictures on her website and Facebook page as she goes . She has more than 1,000 Facebook fans following her travels . See more of Kelley 's photos . One of those Facebook followers is Laurie Holleman Sherrod , who contacted Kelley with an unusual request : . She asked Kelley if she could find her son , Trey . The last time she heard , he was living on the streets in Santa Cruz , California . `` I thought that 's crazy , how do you find one homeless person in an entire city ? '' Kelley recalled . But she agreed to try and sure enough a few weeks later she happened upon a nice young man on the streets of Santa Cruz . `` And then here I am sitting around the table with Trey shooting a video for his mother who lives in South Carolina . '' As with everything that has happened to her so far , she credits her faith with guiding her . `` It is so important to me that God remains in the forefront of my life , '' she says . `` He leads me . He tells me to go right or go left . I ca n't really explain that to people , but I do n't do anything , God does it all . I 'm just standing here . '' iReporter tells the story of one homeless man . Through her photos she captures people down on their luck , but not ready to give up . She says it has made her own uncertain future easier to deal with . `` I just hope that people who are in really rough situations will realize that God did n't forget about them . God is just trying to prepare them for something even bigger , even greater and even more blessed than they can even imagine . '' | Jobless and unemployed , Shay Kelley decides to embark on a new mission . Starting on New Year 's Day , she began helping the homeless . She collected canned goods , then decided she wanted to do more . Kelley is traveling to all 50 states with her camera , photographing America 's homeless people . | [[931, 977], [559, 596]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The only surviving gunman in the 2008 attacks on Mumbai that killed more than 160 people was sentenced to death by hanging on Thursday . Mohammed Ajmal Kasab , a Pakistani , was convicted on Monday of murder , conspiracy , and waging war on India . He was sentenced to death on five separate counts , and life imprisonment on five others . On receiving the sentence , Kasab lowered his head . He was silent when the judge asked him if he wanted to say anything . Kasab is the only man to have been sentenced in connection with the three-day siege in November 2008 . During the raids , 10 men attacked buildings including the luxury Taj Mahal Palace and Tower and Oberoi-Trident hotels , the city 's Victoria Terminus train station , and the Jewish cultural center , Chabad House . Kasab was photographed holding an assault weapon during the attacks . India blamed the attacks on the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba , a Pakistan-based terror group allied with al Qaeda . Authorities said Kasab was trained by the organization , which was banned in Pakistan in 2002 after an attack on India 's parliament . The group denied responsibility . Indian forces killed nine suspects in the attack . Their bodies were embalmed and kept in a hospital morgue as some local Muslim groups refused to bury them in their graveyards , saying the attackers were not true followers of Islam . An Indian official in Maharashtra state , where Mumbai is located , has said a burial took place in January this year . He did not give the date or the exact location of what he described as a secret funeral . Two Indian nationals accused of conspiracy were acquitted in the trial . The prosecutor said he would fight their acquittals . | Mohammed Ajmal Kasab sentenced to death by hanging for Mumbai attacks . Kasab , a Pakistani is only man convicted for November 2008 attacks . More than 160 people were killed during three-day siege . | [[0, 15], [108, 155], [156, 176], [181, 267], [482, 584], [488, 584], [68, 74], [80, 107]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic overcame current top-ranked player Serena Williams in an epic clash to reach the final of the Italian Open on Friday . However , hopes of an all-Serbian showdown were dashed when the return to form of another previous No. 1 , Ana Ivanovic , was ended by Spaniard Maria Jose Martinez-Sanchez in the other semifinal in Rome . Jankovic , who won the clay tournament in 2007 and 2008 , followed up her quarterfinal victory over Serena 's fourth-seeded older sister Venus by triumphing 4-6 6-3 7-6 -LRB- 7-5 -RRB- in two and three-quarter hours . The seventh seed fought back from 3-0 and 4-2 down to save a match-point in the deciding tie-breaker as she overcame what seemed like delaying tactics by the American when serving on a vital point . `` I was just getting ready to serve and I was serving and all of a sudden she was n't ready , '' Jankovic told reporters . `` For me when the server comes to play the receiver has to be ready -- that 's the rules . `` But unfortunately I had to hit another serve , regroup and refocus because I did n't want to waste my energy on that . '' Williams was seeking to repeat her 2002 Rome triumph in what was her first tournament since winning the Australian Open in late January , injuring her knee in doing so . `` I almost feel like I won that match . I ca n't be really upset , but I am , '' she said . `` I feel I should have won -- I could have won . But I ca n't beat myself up over it , I 've just come back and had n't played a match since January . '' Ivanovic , who has slumped to 58th in the rankings since winning the French Open in 2008 , was seeking to reach her first WTA Tour final since March 2009 . But she was unable to show the form that this week knocked out ninth seed Victoria Azarenka and Olympic champion Elena Dementieva as she was crushed 6-4 6-2 by world No. 26 Martinez-Sanchez . Her 27-year-old opponent followed up her own upset win over world No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki on Wednesday by reaching her third WTA Tour final . She won minor clay tournaments in Colombia and Sweden last year , and lost in the final in Barcelona the year before . Martinez-Sanchez has played Jankovic only twice , winning on hardcourt in 2001 when the Serbian retired hurt and losing on clay last year in the Fed Cup teams event . | Jelena Jankovic beats world No. 1 Serena Williams in three-set epic to reach Italian Open final . Jankovic will play Maria Jose Martinez-Sanchez , who beat her fellow Serb Ana Ivanovic . The Spaniard also knocked out world No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki earlier in the clay event . Jankovic is seeking to win tournament for the third time , having triumphed in 2007 and 2008 . | [[0, 15], [36, 172], [183, 367], [284, 377], [1902, 2005], [378, 386], [393, 433]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Conservative Party leader David Cameron said it was `` clear that the Labour government has lost its mandate to govern this country , '' as exit-poll predictions put his party on course to win more seats than it had for 80 years . He said the Conservatives had fought a `` positive and energetic '' campaign . It was clear from the results that `` the country wants change '' and `` that change is going to require new leadership . '' Exit polls suggest the Conservatives are on pace to win 305 seats -- though this would be 21 short of a majority in the 650-seat House of Commons . Prime Minister Gordon Brown gave no indication early Friday that he would step down after being returned to parliament by his constituents in Kirkcaldy , Scotland . Full election coverage . The `` outcome is not yet known but my duty . . is to play my part in Britain having a strong , stable and principled government , '' he said . `` I will not let you down . `` I am very determined and have been through quite a lot in my political career and in my personal life , and I am used to difficulties . '' If the predictions are borne out by results , the UK is heading for a `` hung parliament '' in which no single party controls an overall majority . The leader of the largest party traditionally gets the first chance to form the government and become prime minister . But if no party has a majority , the sitting prime minister has the right to stay in office and try to win a confidence motion in parliament . `` The sitting prime minister and the incumbent government are given the first chance to create a majority that commands the confidence of the House of Commons , and if they fail to do that it passes to the leader of the opposition , '' top Labour politician Peter Mandelson told CNN . Brown arrived at Labour Party headquarters in London early Friday after flying in from Scotland . He smiled and shook hands as he entered the building with his wife , Sarah , but said nothing to waiting cameras and reporters . Several high-profile incumbents lost their seats overnight , including former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith , of Labour ; Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson , leader of the Democratic Unionist party ; and Liberal Democrat Lembit Opik , who had been in parliament for 13 years . All had been implicated in last year 's parliamentary expenses scandal . Robinson 's loss could hurt the Conservatives , robbing them of a potential supporter in the Commons should the party need to form a coalition . The Green Party , which favors environmental and social justice policies , gained its first-ever member of parliament when Caroline Lucas was elected in Brighton , in southern England . There were some scenes of voter anger across the country over long lines to cast ballots or polling stations running out of ballot papers , but it was not immediately clear how widespread problems were . Anger at polling stations . `` We will be doing a serious and thorough review of this and making recommendations to parliament and the government , '' Electoral Commission Chairwoman Jenny Watson said . The United Kingdom 's system of voting is `` Victorian , antiquated , left over from an era when less people had to vote '' and not designed to cope with mass participation , she said , adding that the system is now `` at breaking point . '' It 's very unusual for no party to get an absolute majority of seats in the Commons . The last time it happened , in 1974 , voters were back at the polls within months . After the election there will be 650 seats in the Commons , four more than in the previous parliament . Voters chose representatives for only 649 seats , however , because the death of a candidate in northern England postponed that election to May 27 , local officials said . Under the British electoral system , the candidate who receives the most votes in a constituency wins . The system , known as `` first past the post , '' is praised for its simplicity and the strong ties it forms between voters and representatives , but critics dislike its failure to provide proportional representation . CNN 's Zain Verjee , Richard Greene and Paul Armstrong in London contributed to this report . | Exit poll projects David Cameron 's Conservatives winning 305 seats . Gordon Brown 's Labour Party projected to win 255 seats , Lib Dems 61 . UK heading for `` hung parliament '' in which no single party has overall majority . Brown : `` My duty is to play my part in Britain having a strong , stable and principled government '' | [[170, 244], [471, 536], [170, 244], [1170, 1201], [1192, 1215], [1225, 1271], [857, 937]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- CNN has reported President Obama has personally met with four leading candidates for the upcoming Supreme Court vacancy . The president is expected to announce his nominee in coming days so the Senate can complete the confirmation process in time for the new Supreme Court session in the fall . Justice John Paul Stevens , who turned 90 last month , announced that he will retire shortly after the Supreme Court 's term ends in late June . Here are summaries of the four people believed to be finalists for the Stevens seat , and a list of arguments for and against their nominations : . Elena Kagan . U.S. Solicitor General . Year born : 1960 . Hometown : New York -LRB- Manhattan -RRB- . Experience : Solicitor general ; Harvard Law School dean ; White House associate counsel . Education : Princeton University ; Oxford University ; J.D. , Harvard Law School . Fun fact : Former law clerk for Justice Thurgood Marshall , who nicknamed her `` Shorty '' Top cases argued as solicitor general -LRB- in support of federal laws or executive action -RRB- : . • Campaign finance reform -LRB- Citizens United v. FEC , 2009 -RRB- : Congressional efforts to restrict `` independent spending '' by corporations and unions in federal political campaigns . Supreme Court ruled against the government in January . • Terror support -LRB- Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project , 2010 -RRB- : Whether the government 's power to criminalize `` material support '' of a terrorist organization goes too far in restricting civil liberties . Supreme Court ruling pending . • Religious monuments -LRB- Salazar v. Buono , 2009 -RRB- : Can a war memorial shaped like a cross remain on government parkland , or does it violate the constitutional separation of church and state ? Justices ruled for the government , saying the cross should remain . Why she may be chosen : Her lack of a substantive paper trail on hot-button issues may blunt initial conservative criticism over where she stands on these topics . She has a reputation as a political pragmatist and consensus-builder who enjoys the support of liberal and conservative academics . That perceived ability to reach across the aisle could help Kagan on a divided high court . Her relative youth -LRB- she would be the youngest member of the court -RRB- could give Obama a longer judicial legacy . She also would provide greater gender diversity to the bench . Why she may be passed over : That lack of judicial experience may raise concerns about whether she would be a `` reliable '' vote on the left . Some liberal groups have also raised concerns that Kagan -- as solicitor general -- has articulated a more robust defense of executive power by the White House than many civil rights and human rights groups would like . Judge Diane Wood . 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals , Chicago , Illinois . Year born : 1950 . Hometowns : Plainfield , New Jersey ; Houston , Texas . Experience : Federal appeals judge ; University of Chicago law professor ; government lawyer in the Carter , Reagan and Clinton administrations . Education : B.A. , J.D. , University of Texas . Fun fact : Talented oboe player who plays in local orchestras . Top cases as federal appeals judge : . • Abortion protests -LRB- National Organization for Women vs. Scheidler , 2001 -RRB- : Wrote the opinion allowing extortion and anti-racketeering -LRB- RICO -RRB- laws to be used against a group of anti-abortion protesters . The case was reversed twice by the Supreme Court , 8-1 and 8-0 . • First Amendment -LRB- Doe v. Lafayette , 2004 -RRB- -- Dissented in a case that ruled a convicted sex offender could be banned from an Indiana city 's parks . The offender admitted observing minors there but left without molesting them . • Religious displays -LRB- Bloch v. Frischolz and Shoreline Towers Condominium Association , 2008 -RRB- : Disagreed in a ruling allowing a condominium association to prevent a Chicago family from putting up a Jewish decoration on their doorpost . Her strong dissent prompted Wood 's entire court to reconsider , which then reversed and adopted her views on the issue . Why she may be chosen : Sharp intellect and consensus-building skills have served her well on a court dominated by conservative judges . Her gender , Midwest base , non-Ivy league education and long academic record would bring diversity to the high court . She also would be the only Protestant on the bench . Wood 's working mother status would be seen as a political plus for a White House courting female voters . Why she may be passed over : Her judicial record on abortion , religion and immigration cases could present serious roadblocks . Conservatives have privately said she would be the least acceptable of the top contenders , and vow a political fight over her nomination . Her age -LRB- she turns 60 on July 4 -RRB- also could hurt her chances . Judge Merrick Garland . D.C. Circuit , U.S. Court of Appeals , Washington . Year born : 1952 . Hometown : Chicago . Experience : Federal appeals judge ; Justice Department lawyer in the George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations . Education : B.A. , J.D. , Harvard University Law School . Fun facts : Met President Richard Nixon as a 17-year-old high school student as part of Presidential Scholars program . Later , as a top government lawyer , supervised the prosecution of the Oklahoma City bombing and Unabomber defendants . Top cases as federal appeals judge : . • Terror detentions -LRB- Parhat v. Gates , 2008 -RRB- : Wrote opinion that concluded the government improperly classified a Guantanamo detainee as an enemy combatant . • Discrimination -LRB- Barbour v. WMATA , 2004 -RRB- : Allowed a Washington , D.C. , government worker to sue for disability discrimination . He was supported in the ruling by then-colleague and good friend John Roberts , now chief justice . • Environment -LRB- Rancho Viejo v. Norton , 2003 -RRB- : Parted ways with Roberts by refusing to rehear a case over federal protection for the rare arroyo toad , and sided against a California developer who challenged the Endangered Species Act . Why he may be chosen : Little controversy is noted in his personal and professional lives . Colleagues call him a brilliant legal mind , well-respected by nearly everyone . He is viewed as a liberal moderate , and many conservative activists say they could support his nomination . That tacit endorsement could erase any protracted political fight , if the White House seeks a smooth , swift confirmation . Why he may be passed over : Many liberals question his ideological credentials , and fear that as the replacement for the left-leaning Stevens , Garland could move the court incrementally to the right on a number of key issues . He would add little diversity to the court , being a white male with an Ivy League background . Judge Sidney Thomas . 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals , San Francisco , California ; he is based in Billings , Montana . Year born : 1953 . Hometown : Bozeman , Montana . Experience : Federal appeals judge ; private attorney . Education : Montana State University ; J.D. , University of Montana Law School . Fun fact : Enjoys skiing and hiking with his wife and two sons , friends say . Top cases as federal appeals judge : . • Strip searches -LRB- Bull v. City and County of San Francisco , 2006 -RRB- : Wrote opinion striking down San Francisco 's body-cavity strip search policy for all newly arrested inmates . Full appeals court later reversed . • Student rights -LRB- Harper v. Poway Unified School District , 2006 -RRB- : Supported a San Diego high school that banned a student from wearing a T-shirt reading `` Homosexuality is Shameful , '' saying such expressions are disruptive and that gay students and school personnel have a right to be free of such messages , especially in school campus settings . • Terror prevention -LRB- Public Citizen v. Nuclear Regulatory Commission , 2009 -RRB- : Dissented in this national security case , where the majority said federal regulators could not be ordered to require greater safety measures at nuclear power plants . The commission `` owes the public a rational and reasonable explanation why it would exclude from its -LSB- safety -RSB- rule consideration of terrorist air attacks , '' Thomas said . Why he may be chosen : Western roots would add real regional diversity to the court , and his home-state education may be seen as a plus for a bench dominated by Ivy leaguers . Little is known about him inside the Beltway , but colleagues praise his low-key demeanor , plain-talking intelligence and quiet sense of humor . Why he may be passed over : On a court with a majority of five white males , Thomas would not add much diversity , if the president deems that an important quality . His low profile may not give him many strong supporters among the president 's closest aides . Friends privately say Thomas himself is downplaying his chances , and that he is surprised just to be considered among the finalists and to have had a personal meeting with Obama on the vacancy . CNN Political Research Director Robert Yoon contributed to this report . | Elena Kagan known as a political pragmatist , but lacks judicial record . Confirmation battle for Diane Wood might be tough . Merrick Garland viewed as a liberal moderate . Sidney Thomas ' Western roots would add regional diversity to the court . | [[2016, 2084], [2148, 2196], [6296, 6330], [8333, 8395]] |
-LRB- InStyle.com -RRB- -- Style , beauty and a certain je ne sais quoi is in the genes for these ultra-glamorous mother/daughter duos . Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson . Goldie made a name for herself starring in romantic comedies that highlighted her sense of humor as well as her acting chops . If that sounds familiar , it 's because it 's the same exact career trajectory her gorgeous daughter Kate Hudson chose to take . Along with loads of talent , these two also share a love for a laid-back California-girl style . Blythe Danner and Gwyneth Paltrow . Acclaimed actress Blythe Danner passed along regal good looks and a whole lot of talent to her Oscar-winning daughter . The consummately chic Gwyneth Paltrow is well on her way to becoming a lifestyle guru for her generation with her tip-filled e-mail newsletter GOOP . InStyle.com : Hollywood 's hottest moms . And , although her sexy ultra-minis may seem far afield from her mother 's sophisticated suits , she draws inspiration from Blythe : `` In her , I see the incredible beauty of someone who has lived a life . '' Demi Moore and Rumer Willis . Rumer Willis scored more than just Demi Moore 's raven locks and high cheekbones -- the up-and-coming actress has an all-access pass to her mother 's killer wardrobe . Despite this shared resource , Rumer has developed her own enviable edgy-glam style , a true departure from mom 's ever-ladylike looks . Madonna and Lourdes Leon . With one of the world 's most famous women as your mom , Lourdes Leon has some pretty tall -- and expensive -- shoes to fill . But the teenager , who is helping her mum design a line of clothing for Macy 's , is out to prove she 's a creative force to be reckoned with , too . InStyle.com : Mother 's Day gifts under $ 100 . `` She reminds me of me when I was younger . She just goes for it and tries different things , '' Madonna said recently about Lourdes -LRB- aka Lola -RRB- . Susan Sarandon and Eva Amurri . Susan Sarandon and her daughter Eva Amurri have no shortage of talent or style . Eva 's racking up the acting credits with stints on Californication and How I Met Your Mother and drawing all eyes on the red carpet in boldly hued designs by pal Chris Benz . It 's no wonder Eva should befriend the fashion elite -- her mother took her to Todd Oldham and Diane von Furstenberg shows when she was just a kid . Jane Birkin and Charlotte Gainsbourg . Seeing as how her mother had an Hermes bag named after her -LRB- the Birkin -RRB- , it 's no surprise that Charlotte Gainsbourg has become a style icon herself . In addition to being a popular French actress and pop singer -LRB- another hand-me-down from mom -RRB- , Charlotte is also Nicholas Ghesquiere 's muse for Balenciaga -- check her out in the house 's new fragrance campaign . Isabella Rossellini and Elettra Wiedemann . As Ingrid Bergman 's daughter and granddaughter respectively , Isabella Rossellini and Elettra Wiedemann were born into serious Hollywood royalty . Both mother and daughter are also spokeswomen for Lancôme -- quite a distinction ! Meryl Streep and Mamie Gummer . Meryl Streep and Mamie Gummer may share the same patrician profile and wheat-blond locks , but the gifted pair are no mirror image when it comes to wardrobe . While the legendary Streep favors long , retro-inspired gowns , her ingenue daughter can be spotted out in ultra-modern little draped dresses . Mamie will have plenty of opportunities to air her style on the red carpet -- following in her prolific mom 's footsteps , she has three movies coming out this year . Bianca Jagger and Jade Jagger . As a Studio 54 fixture and '70s glamazon , Bianca Jagger set more than a few trends , much like her jewelry designing daughter Jade does now . The younger Jagger also inherited her mom 's effortlessly chic style and exotic good looks . Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise . The paparazzi descended as soon as little Suri was born and have yet to let up on the tot and her famous mother . InStyle.com : Suri Cruise 's cutest outfits . The twosome have been spotted doing everything from going to ballet class and makeup shopping to eating ice cream together . And with a side gig as a designer , Katie is teaching her mini-me to be quite the fashionista . See more mother/daughter muses at InStyle.com . Get a FREE TRIAL issue of InStyle - CLICK HERE ! Copyright © 2010 Time Inc. . All rights reserved . | Susan Sarandon and her daughter Eva Amurri have no shortage of talent or style . Paparazzi descended as soon as Katie Holmes ' daughter Suri Cruise was born . Bianca Jagger set more than a few trends , now her daughter Jade does . | [[0, 129], [556, 675], [1954, 1985], [1997, 2034], [3862, 3975], [3894, 3917], [3638, 3678]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The man credited with making Chicago 's Metra commuter train line one of the best in the country is an apparent suicide , killed Friday by the train he himself rode five days a week for more than two decades . Shortly before 8 a.m. , Phil Pagano drove to a parking lot about two miles from his home in unincorporated Crystal Lake in suburban Chicago , walked onto a track where someone had committed suicide three years ago and stepped in front of an oncoming Metra train , McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren told reporters . The train 's lone engineer `` saw a man standing on the tracks turning and looking at the train , '' Nygren said . `` There was eye contact , he felt , between himself and the victim . '' Pagano , Metra 's executive director , made no attempt to step off the tracks , and the train , which was traveling between 45 mph and 55 mph , could not stop in time , Nygren said . None of the 27 people on the train was hurt . They included 24 passengers , two Metra employees , and the engineer , a Union Pacific employee . The passengers completed their trips in taxis ; no other trains were delayed as a result of this incident , Nygren said . `` We have secured evidence at the scene and at the victim 's residence that would indicate that this was an intentional act on his part , '' he said . A deputy on routine patrol came across the body within a minute of the incident , Nygren said . He described the scene as `` very gruesome . '' Pagano 's death came a week after Metra announced it was investigating whether the 60-year-old married father of two daughters got an unauthorized vacation payout last year of $ 56,000 , said Metra spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet . It also came two hours before the Metra board was to have met to hear from an independent investigator about the allegation against Pagano , who was on paid administrative leave from his $ 269,000-per-year job . The meeting was delayed , Pardonnet said . She said the apparent suicide was out of character for a man who cared deeply for his job and his co-workers -- so much that he made sure train personnel received counseling after witnessing similar incidents . She credited her former boss with having transformed the Chicago rail system from one that in the 1980s was `` dilapidated and rundown '' to one that is now `` the top among commuter railroads . '' `` This is a man who had an absolutely impeccable record and , honestly , was viewed as probably the premiere leader of commuter rail in the country . '' Metra , for which Pagano had worked since its formation in 1984 , moves 300,000 passengers per day along 11 lines over 550 miles of track serving six suburban communities in an area the size of Connecticut , she said . Before that , he held several positions at the Regional Transportation Authority in Illinois . On-time performance , according to Pardonnet , is routinely at or above 97 percent , the best of any major city in the country and a record that area residents have grown to count on . `` We literally get e-mails from people who say , ` My train was four minutes late twice this week , and I find that unacceptable , ' '' Pardonnet said . `` He 's had a fabulous and unprecedented career and that makes it even more tragic . '' `` Phil served this agency with distinction for many years , '' Metra said in a written statement . `` Today , we shall remember the good work he achieved with our board of directors and the men and women of Metra . He was dedicated to our passengers and he always considered the men and women of Metra his family and there is a tremendous sense of loss within the agency . '' Deputy Executive Director Bill Tupper was named appointed acting executive director of Metra , which after New York is the nation 's second-largest commuter rail system , said Meg Reile , another Metra spokeswoman . The investigation was initiated after Metra officials received a tip from Greg Hinz , a reporter for Crain 's Chicago Business , about the claim , Pardonnet said . `` Phil Pagano surely did n't go to work for Metra to grab money he was n't entitled to , '' Hinz wrote Friday on his blog . `` Nor do reporters get into the news business to provoke suicides . '' He added , `` I and others I 've talked to who were involved in the matter are , frankly , rattled . Writing about this is part of my job , and the job needs to be done . But that does n't mean you do n't feel bad . I do . I am sorry it had to end this way . '' | Phil Pagano made Chicago 's Metra commuter train line one of best in country , many say . Pagano apparently killed himself by stepping in front of a Metra train . Pagano , Metra 's executive director , made no attempt to step off the tracks . `` He 's had a fabulous and unprecedented career , '' says Metra spokesperson . | [[19, 79], [397, 404], [447, 490], [734, 740], [773, 811], [1666, 1705], [3180, 3182], [3186, 3225]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Veteran goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt has received his first international call-up since 2003 as Germany coach Joachim Low named seven players from Bayern Munich in a preliminary 27-man squad for the World Cup in South Africa . The 35-year-old Butt will be competing for a starting place with Schalke 's Manuel Neuer and Werder Bremen 's Tim Wiese as Bayer Leverkusen 's Rene Adler has been ruled out with a rib injury . Captain Michael Ballack , who plays for English club Chelsea , is the only man selected who does not feature in the German Bundesliga . Stuttgart 's Brazil-born forward Cacau is included , but his former clubmate Thomas Hitzlsperger misses out despite the absence of injured Leverkusen midfielder Simon Rolfes as he has not been playing regularly for his Italian club Lazio . `` This was a very difficult decision for me , '' Low told reporters on Thursday . `` Thomas has never disappointed us and made a key contribution in helping us qualify . `` He is a reliable player , but he barely played in the last few months before he left Stuttgart and has also played very little at Lazio . '' Low will reduce the squad to 23 by the June 1 deadline for submission ahead of the tournament 's kick-off 10 days later . Butt , who has won three caps , will not be able to feature in next Thursday 's friendly against Malta as he will be needed by Bayern in the German Cup final against Bremen in Berlin on May 15 . His clubmates Holger Badstuber , Mario Gomez , Miroslav Klose , Philipp Lahm , Thomas Muller and Bastian Schweinsteiger will also sit out the Malta game in Aachen along with Bremen 's Wiese , Per Mertesacker , Marko Marin and Mesut Ozil . The 21-year-old Badstuber has yet to win a cap for Germany and made his senior debut for Bayern in the first game of this season , covering at left-back despite being a central defender . Attacking midfielder Muller , 20 , will seek to add to his sole cap after also impressing this season , scoring the first hat-trick of his career in the 3-1 win over Bochum last weekend which effectively gave Bayern the league title . Ballack will also be away playing for Chelsea in the FA Cup final on May 15 , before joining the squad in Sicily with the Werder quartet , while the Bayern players will not be in camp until after the Champions League final on May 22 . Bayern , who had eight players in the squad that finished third on home soil four years ago , can complete the first leg of a potential treble by clinching the Bundesliga title this weekend , when Louis Van Gaal 's side face bottom club Hertha Berlin . Germany will face Hungary in Budapest on May 29 and then Bosnia-Herzegovina in Frankfurt on June 3 before heading to South Africa . Germany squad : . Goalkeepers : Manuel Neuer -LRB- Schalke 04 -RRB- , Tim Wiese -LRB- Werder Bremen -RRB- , Hans-Jorg Butt -LRB- Bayern Munich -RRB- . Defenders : Dennis Aogo -LRB- Hamburg -RRB- Jerome Boateng -LRB- Hamburg -RRB- , Arne Friedrich -LRB- Hertha Berlin -RRB- , Philipp Lahm -LRB- Bayern Munich -RRB- , Per Mertesacker -LRB- Werder Bremen -RRB- , Marcell Jansen -LRB- Hamburg -RRB- , Serdar Tasci -LRB- VfB Stuttgart -RRB- , Holger Badstuber -LRB- Bayern Munich -RRB- , Heiko Westermann -LRB- Schalke 04 -RRB- , Andreas Beck -LRB- Hoffenheim -RRB- . Midfielders : Michael Ballack -LRB- Chelsea -RRB- , Marko Marin , Mesut Ozil -LRB- both Werder Bremen -RRB- , Piotr Trochowski -LRB- Hamburg -RRB- , Sami Khedira , Christian Traesch -LRB- both VfB Stuttgart -RRB- , Toni Kroos -LRB- Bayer Leverkusen -RRB- , Bastian Schweinsteiger -LRB- Bayern Munich -RRB- . Forwards : Cacau -LRB- VfB Stuttgart -RRB- , Mario Gomez , Miroslav Klose , Thomas Mueller -LRB- all Bayern Munich -RRB- , Stefan Kiessling -LRB- Bayer Leverkusen -RRB- , Lukas Podolski -LRB- Cologne -RRB- . | Bayern Munich keeper Hans-Jorg Butt named in Germany 's preliminary squad for World Cup . Butt last played for Germany in 2003 but recalled after injury to Rene Adler . Coach Joachim Low named seven Bayern players in his 27-man squad . He will reduce it to 23 by the start of June before the team go to South Africa . | [[0, 15], [43, 108], [363, 435], [112, 242], [1127, 1181], [2693, 2725]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Chelsea routed 10-man Wigan Athletic 8-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday to dethrone Manchester United as English Premier League champions . United , who needed Chelsea to slip up in the final match of the season , beat Stoke 4-0 at Old Trafford , but it proved academic as Chelsea brushed aside Wigan in ruthless fashion . First half goals from Nicolas Anelka and Frank Lampard from the penalty spot effectively sealed the title for Carlo Ancelotti 's high-scoring team , but they turned on the style after the break to delight their fans . Wigan , a man light after Gary Caldwell was sent off just before halftime in conceding the penalty , were overwhelmed as Didier Drogba hit a second half hat-trick . His strike partner Nicolas Anelka added a second , with Salomon Kalou and England left back Ashley Cole also on target . Big-spending Chelsea have had to play second fiddle while United have won three straight titles and it was a sweet moment for their captain John Terry . `` Magnificent , it 's been a hard three years to see Manchester United lift it , '' he told Sky Sports . `` It 's been up and down all year and we went away to Wigan and got beat , but after we went ahead 1-0 today it was the first time I thought that the title was ours , '' he added . Chelsea can complete the domestic double with victory over cash-strapped Portsmouth in the FA Cup final at Wembley next weekend , while for United there was bitter disappointment as they remained a point adrift . Wayne Rooney also sparked a World Cup scare when he limped out of the easy win at Old Trafford with what appeared to be a recurrence of the groin problem he first picked up at Blackburn last month . Before that , Darren Fletcher and Ryan Giggs scored before the break . A Danny Higginbotham own goal and Park Ji-sung 's late diving header doubled their advantage but it was all in vain . Rooney had gone into the match level with Drogba on 26 league goals in the race for the Golden Boot , but could not add to his tally . Ivory Coast international Drogba had been denied the chance to take Chelsea 's first half penalty as regular taker Lampard ushered him away . He openly showed his disappointment , but after the break all was forgotten as he finally got on the scoresheet , including a penalty , with Lampard this time making way as the victory was assured . Drogba 's first and Chelsea 's fifth took them to 100 goals for the season , the first time this has been achieved since the Premier League was created . But Ancelotti revealed that he had to speak with Drogba at halftime to tell him to calm down . `` It was my decision , if there was a penalty , to give it to Lampard , '' he told Press Association . `` I told him to stay calm and quiet because he 'd have opportunities to score in the second half . I said : ` Quiet . You can score in the second half . '' ' In other action on the final day of the season , Arsenal clinched third spot with a 4-0 home win over Europa League finalists Fulham while north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur stay fourth after losing 4-2 at relegated Burnley . | Chelsea thrash Wigan Athletic 8-0 to clinch English Premier League title . Chelsea dethrone Manchester United who beat Stoke 4-0 but finish one point behind . Didier Drogba with a second half hat-trick clinches award for top league scorer . Wayne Rooney limps off before the finish at Old Trafford . | [[19, 137], [268, 339], [0, 5], [89, 156], [157, 163], [231, 261], [558, 563], [659, 722], [1498, 1510], [1516, 1651]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hall of Fame football linebacker Lawrence Taylor was charged Thursday with rape and patronizing a prostitute in a case involving a 16-year-old girl , police in Ramapo , New York , said . Taylor 's attorney said the former New York Giants star denied the charges and will fight them . `` My client did not have sex with anybody . Period , '' Arthur Aidala said , adding : `` Lawrence Taylor did not rape anybody . '' Taylor appeared at an afternoon court hearing where a judge set bail at $ 75,000 . Taylor was not asked to enter a plea and left the courthouse after posting bail . Seeing television cameras outside the courthouse , Taylor said , `` I 'm not that important '' as he walked away . Taylor , 51 , was arrested in a Holiday Inn room a few hours after the alleged rape took place , according to Christopher St. Lawrence , the town supervisor and police commissioner in Ramapo , about 30 miles northwest of New York City . Police Chief Peter Brower said Taylor was charged with third-degree rape , a felony , for allegedly engaging in sexual intercourse with someone younger than 17 . Taylor also was charged with third-degree patronization for allegedly paying the underage victim $ 300 to have sex , Brower said . According to Brower , the rape charge carries a possible four-year prison term , and the patronization charge , a misdemeanor , could bring up to a year in prison . Asked whether Taylor knew that the victim was underage , Brower said `` ignorance is not an excuse '' for having sex with a minor . Aidala said after the bail hearing that Taylor `` is denying and preparing to fight each and every one of those charges . '' Aidala said that `` no violence , no force , no threat , no weapons '' was involved in the case . He noted that the rape charge against Taylor was for consensual sex with a minor and said Taylor denied it . St. Lawrence and Brower said the alleged victim , since March a runaway from New York 's Bronx borough , was allegedly brought to Ramapo by a pimp on Wednesday night . When the pimp and the girl returned to New York early Thursday , she texted an uncle who notified the New York police , St. Lawrence said . New York police arrested the pimp and called Ramapo police , and Taylor was arrested in his hotel room at around 4 a.m. , according to St. Lawrence . The alleged victim had facial injuries that police determined occurred before she entered the Holiday Inn room , St. Lawrence said . Detective Lt. Brad Weidel said police knocked twice on Taylor 's hotel door and identified themselves before entering the room . Weidel and St. Lawrence said Taylor was cooperative with authorities . Taylor was a 10-time All-Pro linebacker for the New York Giants from 1981 to 1993 after earning All American honors at the University of North Carolina . A punishing tackler and pass rusher known by his initials `` L.T. , '' he was on two Super Bowl champion teams and was inducted into the National Football League 's Hall of Fame , which noted that he `` redefined the way the outside linebacker position was played . '' However , Taylor was twice suspended by the NFL for substance abuse and battled a cocaine addiction long after retirement , resulting in several arrests and a downward spiral that he chronicled in a 2003 autobiography . After kicking drugs , he worked as a sports commentator and appeared as a contestant on ABC 's `` Dancing With the Stars '' in 2009 . Taylor and his dance partner on the program , Edyta Sliwinska , were eliminated in the seventh week of competition . Brower said that police found a bottle of alcohol in Taylor 's hotel room but that Taylor showed no sign of inebriation . Brower said that no drugs were found in the room . Mark Lepselter , Taylor 's agent , said Taylor was very upset about the charges against him . `` He 's worked very hard over the last 12 years to change perceptions about him , '' Lepselter said . CNN 's Ross Levitt and Alan Chernoff contributed to this story . | Taylor leaves courthouse after posting $ 75,000 bail . Lawyer says former New York Giant Lawrence Taylor denies charges . Former linebacker charged with rape , patronizing prostitute . Police investigating accusations involving 16-year-old runaway . | [[454, 480], [487, 517], [518, 524], [559, 599], [206, 302], [230, 280], [230, 261], [285, 302], [1542, 1616], [1582, 1663], [1765, 1873], [1779, 1809], [1850, 1873], [0, 15], [103, 137], [131, 185]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The man charged in the failed Times Square bombing was working with the Taliban movement in Pakistan , the U.S. attorney general said Sunday . `` The evidence that we have now developed shows the Pakistani Taliban directed this plot , '' Attorney General Eric Holder said , describing the investigation into suspect Faisal Shahzad during an appearance on NBC 's `` Meet the Press . '' `` We know that they helped facilitate it , we know they helped direct it , and I suspect we 're going to come up with evidence that shows they helped to finance it , '' Holder said . John Brennan , the assistant to the president for counterterrorism and homeland security , told CNN 's `` State of the Union '' that the Pakistani Taliban -- also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban , or TTP -- is closely allied with al Qaeda . The group has pledged to carry out attacks outside of central Asia , including the United States , Brennan said Sunday . Shahzad has been charged in the May 1 attempted bombing in Times Square . He was arrested while trying to fly out of New York on Monday night , two days after he allegedly attempted to set off a car bomb in Times Square . The bomb failed to detonate . It was the second case in the past six months of a bungled terrorist attack in the United States , following the failed bombing of a U.S. airliner on Christmas Day . Brennan said U.S. counterterrorism efforts had degraded the ability of groups such as al Qaeda and the Taliban to launch successful attacks . `` They 're trying to find vulnerabilities in our defenses , '' Brennan said , noting the attempts have been `` unsophisticated . '' Shahzad , a Pakistani-American , had traveled to Pakistan several times in recent years , Brennan said . `` He was captured by the murderous rhetoric of al Qaeda and TTP , '' Brennan said of the suspect . Preventing attacks by individuals , especially American citizens such as Shahzad , is a `` very difficult challenge , '' Brennan said . The case raised new questions about whether terrorism suspects should be read the Miranda warning that advises them of their rights to remain silent and obtain legal representation . Critics have accused the Obama administration of losing interrogation opportunities by giving Miranda warnings to terrorism suspects , including the alleged Christmas Day airplane bomber and Shahzad . Brennan said Shahzad was interrogated for four hours under an exclusion to the Miranda warning involving public safety . Authorities then advised Shahzad of his rights , as required by law , Brennan told the `` Fox News Sunday '' program . `` It did not impede our ability to continue to acquire very important intelligence from him , '' Brennan said . `` It was , I think , a very good example that law enforcement , operating within ... the existing system , were able to leverage the opportunities that they had to get this information . '' Also on the Fox program , Republican Rep. Peter King of New York argued a change in the Miranda warning was necessary . `` If there 's another 10 , 15 , 20 plots out there , that to me is more important to get all the intelligence we can on that , '' King said . `` So I think we may have to work on revisions . '' One idea , King said , would set up `` separate system of justice dealing with American citizens who are allied with a foreign army or a foreign enemy . '' Holder also said Sunday that he was considering possible changes to the Miranda warning . Asked whether international terrorism made the current Miranda warnings too limited , Holder told the ABC program `` This Week '' that some adjustment may be necessary . The system is working so far , Holder said , but `` we also want to ... make determinations as to whether or not we have the necessary flexibility , whether we have a system that can deal with the situation that agents now confront . '' `` We 're now dealing with international terrorism , '' Holder said , adding that his department would work with Congress `` to come up with a proposal that is both constitutional , but that is also relevant to our time and the threat that we now face . '' | NEW : Faisal Shahzad linked to Pakistani Taliban , U.S. attorney general says . Shahzad is charged in foiled Times Square car bombing . Terrorists `` trying to find vulnerabilities in our defenses , '' Obama terrorism adviser says . Debate on Miranda warning heats up in wake of bombing attempt . | [[133, 172], [53, 80], [955, 992], [955, 962], [993, 1028], [1114, 1176], [1518, 1573], [1989, 2086]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to cause substantial environmental damage along the Louisiana and Florida coastline . Here CNN 's Jim Boulden explains the circumstances behind the leak and the consequences for oil giant BP as efforts to limit the disaster get underway . What caused the oil spill ? It seems workers on the Transocean Deepwater Horizon drilling rig -LRB- not owned by BP -RRB- were attempting to cap this new exploratory well when it suffered a `` blow '' causing the fire and sinking of the rig and the rupture of the line which brings extracted oil to the shore . Investigators will want to see what caused the explosion . iReport : How is the oil spill affecting you ? What are BP 's offshore operations ? BP took over two big American oil companies in the 1990 's , ARCO and AMOCO which gives BP access to many U.S. oil fields and refineries . There has been a slew of new oil and gas finds in the Gulf of Mexico in deep water . BP , like many of its competitors , is drilling exploration wells there to gauge the oil and gas potential . The well , known as Mississippi Canyon -LRB- MC -RRB- Block 252 , is in the ` Macondo prospect ' . The well in question is 65 percent owned by BP and has other oil companies as minority partners . It 's the norm these days for competitors to invest in these speculative wells . Will BP have to foot the bill for the clean up ? BP CEO Tony Hayward has said BP will take full responsibility for the spill and that they will honor `` legitimate '' claims for compensation . In a press release Monday the company said : `` BP is committed to pay legitimate and objectively verifiable claims for other loss and damage caused by the spill - this may include claims for assessment , mitigation and clean up of spilled oil , real and property damage caused by the oil , personal injury caused by the spill , commercial losses including loss of earnings/profit and other losses as contemplated by applicable laws and regulations . '' As of May 10 , BP said the clean up has cost it $ 350 million which includes money for the failed dome , also a $ 100 million block grant to four states and $ 100 million to drill that relief well . Its not clear if BP has received any money from its partners Anadarko and Mitsui , which together control 35 percent of this particular project . BP is also expected to try and recover some costs from Swiss-based Transocean which own the rig that caught fire and sank . How much will all this cost ? The clean up and the lawsuits together could total $ 3 billion , according to a research note Friday from Bank of America/Merrill Lynch . But even that figure could be higher if the incident hits BP 's reputation to the point where other firms no longer want to do business with them or if future oil exploration is limited as a result of the spill . Will anyone face legal action over the spill ? This is the United States after all . What effect has it had on BP 's share price ? BP shares are like an oil tanker most days -- they do n't move much and tend to trend with the oil price . But BP shares have been falling for days and at last count the company 's shares have lost some 8 percent last week . Why does something like this impact on share price ? BP may have to spend billions of dollars to make this right . Also , BP could cut its very generous dividend to preserve cash , if it comes to that . The Texas City Refinery fire in 2005 has cost BP some $ 1.5 bn and counting . Will it have an impact on BP 's profits ? This was not a working well , so BP will not lose any amount of oil and gas in its portfolio . But at some point it will have to '' ` book '' the costs of all this and that will have an impact on its bottom line . Having said that , BP earns $ 5-7 billion from `` ongoing activities '' EVERY quarter -LRB- $ 27.7 billion in total for 2009 -RRB- . It had a $ 5.5 billion `` replacement cost '' profit in Q1 2010 . It can afford this . | BP took over U.S. oil companies ARCO and AMOCO in the 90s . Takeover gives BP access to many U.S. oil fields and refineries . BP shares have lost some 8 percent this week . NEW : As of May 10 , BP said the clean up has cost it $ 350 million . | [[764, 822], [825, 839], [846, 902], [3114, 3168], [3155, 3157], [3163, 3227], [2022, 2034], [2037, 2083]] |
Islamabad , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pakistan has test-fired two ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads , the military said Saturday . Both the Shaheen-1 , which can hit a target 400 miles -LRB- 650 kilometers -RRB- away , and the Ghazvani , with a range of 180 miles -LRB- 290 kilometers -RRB- , were fired successfully , Pakistan military officials said . Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani , who witnessed the event with several senior military officials , said that the nation had developed a strong nuclear deterrence capability , according to a government statement . He said that Pakistan 's armed forces were `` fully capable of safeguarding Pakistan 's security against all kinds of aggression , '' according to the statement . Gilani mentioned last month 's Nuclear Security Summit hosted by President Obama in Washington , an event aimed at enhancing international cooperation to prevent nuclear terrorism . Much of the event focused on Iran 's nuclear program , which has drawn deep concerns from the West . However , the international community also has had concerns about the stability of the Pakistani government and the security of its nuclear arsenal , questioning whether it 's safe from the hands of the Taliban . Gilani on Saturday said the world can now move `` beyond safety and security concerns , '' the statement said . `` These were laid to rest at the Nuclear Security Summit where Pakistan forcefully projected a forthright stance on the issue and the world expressed satisfaction at Pakistan 's nuclear security arrangements . '' Estimates of Pakistan 's nuclear arsenal currently range from 60 to 100 weapons . It first declared its status as a nuclear power in 1998 , testing five bombs in an exchange with its south Asian archrival , India . | Pakistan successfully tests two nuclear-capable missiles , military says . PM Gilani : Armed forces `` fully capable of safeguarding Pakistan 's security '' International community has voiced concerns over stability of Pakistan 's government . | [[40, 123], [593, 755], [606, 721], [1049, 1076], [1082, 1186]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama named Solicitor General Elena Kagan as his nominee to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court . CNN.com asked legal experts and commentators the significance of Obama 's selection , what to expect from Kagan as a Supreme Court justice and what lies ahead in the confirmation hearings . Patricia Millett , a partner at Akin , Gump , Strauss , Hauer & Feld in Washington , D.C , who co-chairs its Supreme Court practice . She has practiced extensively before the Supreme Court , where she has briefed approximately 70 cases and argued 28 cases . She spent 11 years appearing before the court as an assistant solicitor general during the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations : . While many have said that President Obama 's replacement of Justice Stevens will not affect the direction of the court , it must be remembered that Supreme Court nominations are long-term investments for a president . In that regard , Elena Kagan is an excellent investment . If she follows her predecessor 's lead , she will spend four decades serving the nation on the court . While I agree that her arrival is unlikely to shift the court 's jurisprudence significantly in the short term , she will likely remain on the court long after some of its leading conservative justices have retired . Her brilliant intellect , affable personality , persuasiveness in oral and written advocacy and proven ability to build bridges and develop common ground among very independent thinkers -LRB- such as Harvard Law School faculty -RRB- will make her a true judicial leader on the court and will ultimately have a weighty influence on the development of the law throughout her tenure . Even in the short term , her powerful reasoning and consensus-building will likely influence the outcome of some cases . Remember that 90 percent of the court 's decisions are workaday rulings that do not capture headlines , yet that is the field in which the justices ' inter-relationships and patterns of dialogue are forged . Finally , like all of the female justices who have preceded her on the court , Elena Kagan has impeccable qualifications and ability . I sincerely hope that , with her appointment as the court 's third sitting female justice and fourth in history , we will find ourselves coming to the point where the female gender of a nominee is no longer a novelty . It is past-due time for the appointment of women on the court to be accepted as a commonplace . Julian E. Zelizer , professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University 's Woodrow Wilson School in New Jersey : . With a year under his belt , we can now say that Elena Kagan is a quintessential Obamanian pick . Foremost , she has impeccable academic credentials ; Obama likes to fill positions with the best and the brightest . When she appears before the Senate , her knowledge of the law will be impressive and can put senators on the defensive . Furthermore , her positions are difficult to characterize politically . Like Obama , she is somewhat elusive . Kagan has enough on her record , such as supporting certain expansions of executive power , to concern the left and enough on her record , such as her position on military recruitment on campuses , to anger the right . This will make her more difficult for Republicans to target effectively during the confirmation hearings . Ilya Shapiro , senior fellow in constitutional studies and editor-in-chief of the Cato Supreme Court Review at the Cato Institute , a libertarian-leaning think tank in Washington , D.C. : . Kagan is not the worst choice , but other short-listers would have been better in various ways . While any Obama nominee would have similar views on hot-button issues like abortion and gay rights , Diane Wood would have been great on antitrust and complex commercial litigation , for example , and Merrick Garland would bring a stronger understanding of administrative law . Generally , there is no indication that the solicitor general is anything but a standard modern liberal , with all the unfortunate views on the scope of federal power that that entails . Another concern is her mediocre performance in her current position . I question the choice of arguments she made in Citizens United and United States v. Stevens , for example -- in the first case abandoning the court 's rationale in the precedent she was defending , in the second asserting that protection for speech varies inversely on the speech 's social value . But she may be better suited to a judicial rather than advocacy role . With Democrats holding a large Senate majority , Kagan 's confirmation is in little doubt . More interesting will be the debate over constitutional limits on government . Guy-Uriel Charles is a law professor at Duke Law School in North Carolina , where he is the founding director of the Center on Law , Race and Politics . He is Haitian-American and blogs at http://www.coloreddemos.blogspot.com/// . We know a lot about Elena Kagan 's biography and background . She was an academic , the first woman dean of Harvard Law School , worked for President Clinton , and is the current solicitor general . But we know very little about her views . With the exception of some strong comments about military recruitment at Harvard , she has not expressed or taken any positions on the significant public policy issues of the day . She has not developed or communicated any ideas about the role of the Supreme Court in a democratic society . She has not been at the forefront of legal thinking on any difficult constitutional matter . Indeed , the fact that we know so little about her views is apparently one her qualifying characteristics . Her nomination thus sends a very clear message to aspirants to the Supreme Court : If someday you wish to be nominated to the Supreme Court , say nothing of substance . We have created a process by which our most thoughtful leaders , individuals such as Harvard 's Lani Guinier , University of California Irvine 's founding dean Erwin Chemerinsky , University of Chicago 's Geoffrey Stone , Stanford 's Pamela Karlan and so many others , would be deemed unqualified for the court simply because they have dared to substantively and courageously engage the issues of their time . Would Thurgood Marshall or Ruth Bader Ginsburg be nominated under this current framework ? One wonders whether a game that promotes politics over principle is worth the candle . Ed Whelan , a former law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia , is president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington , D.C. , a nonprofit organization that describes itself as an `` institute dedicated to applying the Judeo-Christian moral tradition to critical issues of public policy . '' He served during President George W. Bush 's first term as principal deputy assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel in the U.S. Department of Justice : . President Obama claimed he was searching for a Supreme Court justice who would protect the concerns of American citizens . By that standard , Elena Kagan is a very strange pick . While American soldiers were fighting Islamic terrorists abroad and defending our national security , Elena Kagan kicked military recruiters off the Harvard law school campus . In doing so , she elevated her own ideology above what Congress , acting on the advice of military leaders , had determined best served the interests of national security . Kagan has no judicial experience , hardly any real-world legal experience and a scant record of legal scholarship . She 's been adept at cultivating the powerful , as her paid role as a Goldman Sachs adviser shows . Her primary advantages over the other contenders for the nomination were that she 's an Obama insider and that she 's largely succeeded in hiding her legal views . Her nomination deserves rigorous scrutiny . Renée M. Landers , faculty director and professor of law at Suffolk University Law School in Boston , Massachusetts : . The nomination of Solicitor General Elena Kagan for the Supreme Court reflects President Obama 's characteristic preference for caution and conciliation rather than political confrontation in dealings with Congress . First , the president is calculating that it will be difficult for the same senators who voted recently to confirm Kagan as solicitor general to decide that she should not be confirmed as an associate justice on the Supreme Court . Second , even though she does not have judicial experience like every other sitting member of the court -- and while if confirmed , she would become only the fourth woman to serve on the court -- in educational background and her work as a law professor and presidential appointee , Kagan 's experience will not add diversity to the court . Third , her views of presidential power -LRB- expressed in her writings and particularly in the path that the Obama administration has pursued on the Guantanamo detainees and on trials for those suspected of ties to terrorist organizations -RRB- would not seem to cause concerns among senators on national security grounds . As solicitor general , however , Kagan recently declined to pursue an appeal in Limone v. United States , the case in which the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit upheld a damages award of more than $ 100 million to four men who spent decades in prison because the FBI framed them for a murder they did not commit . Two of the men died in prison . Kagan 's decision indicates not only a careful review of the law , but the implicit judgment that the government can not use any and all means in pursuit of its law enforcement objectives , especially when those means involve a deliberate disregard for the rights of innocent individuals . The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors . | Obama has nominated Solicitor General Elena Kagan to fill empty Supreme Court seat . Experts weigh in on the nomination and the chances for approval . Opinions are mixed on whether she was a wise choice . | [[0, 9], [19, 28], [35, 85], [8040, 8256]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Porto striker Hulk has been called up to the Brazilian squad for friendly internationals next month against England and Oman . Hulk , whose full name is Givanildo Vieira de Souza , has starred for the Portuguese giants since joining them last year following three seasons in J-League football in Japan . He scored twice to give Porto a 2-1 Champions League win over APOEL Nicosia of Cyprus last week . Hulk will be battling for a starting place with established stars such as Kaka of Real Madrid and Sevilla 's in-form Luis Fabiano . Brazil coach Dunga is using the friendlies to try out fringe players ahead of next year 's World Cup finals in South Africa . He is also giving a chance to Liverpool 's Favio Aurelio , Lyon 's Michel Bastos and Carlos Eduardo of Bundesliga side Hoffenheim . Manchester City 's Robinho also returns to the 24-man squad after recovering from an ankle injury which caused him to miss the final round of South American Group qualifiers . But there is not place for AC Milan pair Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato while Dunga has not picked players from the domestic Brazilian league such as forner World Cup hero Ronaldo and ex-Inter Milan star Adriano . Brazil play their eagerly-awaited friendly against Fabio Capello 's England on November 14 in Doha and take on the more modest challenge of Oman in Muscat three days later . Brazil , who headed the South American qualifying group , will be going for their sixth World Cup triumph in South Africa . Brazilian squad : . Goalkeepers : Julio Cesar -LRB- Inter Milan -RRB- , Doni -LRB- AS Roma -RRB- . Defenders : Maicon -LRB- Inter Milan -RRB- , Daniel Alves -LRB- Barcelona -RRB- , Michel Bastos -LRB- Lyon -RRB- , Fabio Aurelio -LRB- Liverpool -RRB- , Lucio -LRB- Inter Milan -RRB- , Juan -LRB- AS Roma -RRB- , Luisao -LRB- Benfica -RRB- , Naldo -LRB- Werder Bremen -RRB- . Midfielders : Elano -LRB- Galatasaray -RRB- , Kaka -LRB- Real Madrid -RRB- , Gilberto Silva -LRB- Panathinaikos -RRB- , Josue -LRB- Wolfsburg -RRB- , Lucas Leiva -LRB- Liverpool -RRB- , Ramires -LRB- Benfica -RRB- , Felipe Melo -LRB- Juventus -RRB- , Alex -LRB- Spartak Moscow -RRB- , Carlos Eduardo -LRB- Hoffenheim -RRB- , Julio Baptista -LRB- AS Roma -RRB- . Forwards : Luis Fabiano -LRB- Sevilla -RRB- , Hulk -LRB- FC Porto -RRB- , Nilmar -LRB- Villarreal -RRB- , Robinho -LRB- Manchester City -RRB- . | Porto striker Hulk drafted into Brazil squad by coach Dunga . Hulk has starred for Portuguese giants since signing last year . Brazil face England in presitige friendly in Qatar and then play Oman . AC Milan pair Ronaldino and Pato remain on the sidelines . | [[0, 15], [25, 145], [146, 150], [192, 322], [0, 15], [25, 145], [1200, 1290], [1200, 1206], [1303, 1373]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Roma captain Francesco Totti scored two late goals as his side beat Cagliari 2-1 to ensure the Serie A title race goes down to the last week . But treble-chasing Inter Milan edged out Chievo 4-3 to hold a two-point lead going into the final round . Andrea Lazzari gave Cagliari the lead with a 73rd minute strike from a free kick but Tottie soon had Roma level in the Stadio Olimpico with a neat turn and shot . An 83rd minute penalty from Totti wrapped up three points in a dramatic turnaround . Inter also lived dangerously at the San Siro after a late Chievo fightback led to a nervy finish for Jose Mourinho 's men . Thiago Motta 's own goal gave the visitors the lead before Andrea Mantovani also put through his own net to see Inter level . Esteban Cambiasso , Diego Milito and Mario Balotelli then scored further goals for Inter who were in total command until late strikes from Pablo Granoche and Sergio Pellissier for battling Chievo . Inter must now beat lowly Siena in their final match to wrap up the title as they bid for a Champions League , Italian Cup and Serie A treble . `` We have a true final at Siena , '' said Inter 's top scorer Diego Milito . `` We have two days to rest and then we will prepare for this game . '' AC Milan 's poor end to the season continued as they were beaten 1-0 at Genoa . Giuseppe Sculli 's 56th-minute goal settled the match while Milan , who will finish third , had Mathieu Flamini sent-off in the closing moments . The battle for the fourth place and final Champions League spot will also go to the last weekend after fifth-placed Palermo and fourth-placed Sampdoria drew 1-1 in Sicily . Samp went ahead against Palermo through a Giampaolo Pazzini penalty in the second half but Fabrizio Miccoli equalized from the spot as well with 20 minutes left . Like Roma , they are two points adrift with a game remaining . In other action on Sunday , Atalanta 's relegation was confirmed with their 2-0 defeat at Napoli with two goals from Fabio Quagliarella . Siena and Livorno were already down . Juventus 's 3-2 defeat at home to Parma continued their poor season with a record 14th Serie A defeat and the match was marred by crowd trouble . The defeat ensures Juve will finish in seventh place and have to play in the qualifying rounds of the Europa League next season . | Inter Milan beat Chievo 4-3 to stay two points clear of AS Roma in Serie A . Roma leave it late to beat Cagliari 2-1 to keep their title hopes alive for final round . Sampdoria stay fourth after a 1-1 draw at fifth-placed Palermo . Juventus suffer record 14th defeat in a Serie A season . | [[166, 267], [73, 161], [1484, 1635], [1612, 1656], [2059, 2145]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama is `` very concerned '' about Greece 's economic crisis , sees mounting threats against the United States from non-state actors and wants to resolve the dispute with Russia over adoptions , he said in an interview released Saturday by the White House . `` I am very concerned about what 's happening in Europe , '' Obama told the Russian television station Channel Rossiya in the wide-ranging interview , responding to a question about the Greek economic crisis . `` But I think it is an issue that the Europeans recognize is very serious , '' he said . `` Greece is taking some very difficult measures -- at least they 've put forward a plan that calls for difficult measures . '' This week , Greek lawmakers approved a package of budget-cutting measures to help the country 's battered economy -- measures that were required to meet the terms of a 110 billion euro -LRB- $ 140 billion -RRB- bailout . European Union leaders called for a `` stabilization mechanism '' on Saturday in hopes of easing markets shaken by Greece 's economic crisis before they re-open Monday . Obama said the Greek crisis and the resulting global economic fallout point to a new breed of non-state-based threats facing the United States and other powerful nations . `` The real threats against Russian well-being or U.S. well-being to a large degree are at this point much more aligned than they 've ever been , '' Obama said in the interview , which was taped Thursday at the White House . `` It has to do with non-state actors . `` It has to do with the proliferation of nuclear weapons . It has to do with environmental catastrophes . It has to do with an integrated economy in which if you see a crisis in Greece taking place , that can affect world markets . '' Obama invoked terrorism as another of those threats . `` We just recently had an attempted terrorist act in New York , '' he said , referring to the failed car bombing of Times Square last Saturday , `` and it 's a signal I think that whether these activities are happening in Moscow or they 're happening in New York , that countries have to work together to make sure that these terrorists are apprehended , that their networks are destroyed , that their sources of financing dry up . '' Speaking about U.S.-Russia relations , Obama said he wants the U.S. Senate to ratify a major nuclear arms treaty between the United States and Russia before November 's midterm elections . President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty -- known as START -- in April . The agreement reduces the number of nuclear weapons held by the United States and Russia by about one-third , among other provisions . `` Our hope , '' Obama said in the interview , is that the Senate `` will be able to review it quickly . '' Speaking further about international nuclear arms reduction , Obama called North Korea and Iran `` two outliers '' but said he 's `` very heartened '' by other nations ' receptivity to his call for new sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program . Obama also said that U.S. and Russian officials are working toward an agreement regarding American adoptions of Russian children after an uproar last month over a Tennessee woman sending a 7-year-old Russian boy she adopted back to his home country . Russia said it was freezing American adoptions of Russian children after the incident , but a senior State Department official said this week that Russian authorities continue to approve U.S. adoptions . `` What happened with the small number of children who have been adversely affected is terrible , '' Obama said . `` And we ca n't minimize what 's happened . '' But Obama said that `` there have been tens of thousands of Russian children adopted by U.S. families . The overwhelming majority are leading happy , healthy lives . '' `` We want to make sure that we preserve the best of the system while eliminating these abuses , '' he said . Obama spoke in personal terms about his relationship with Medvedev , the Russian president . `` I 've been very impressed with him , '' Obama said . `` I think he is a strong leader , a good man , very thoughtful . '' `` I find it very easy to do business with him , and I think we 've established a relationship , a real trust that can be hopefully bearing fruit in the negotiations and conversations that we have in years to come . '' Obama said that he had invited Medvedev to visit the United States in June and that he hoped the trip would showcase steps the United States and Russia are taking to strengthen economic ties between the two nations . `` It 's important to recognize that the whole concept of reset between U.S. and Russian relations is not just on issues of security , '' Obama said . `` One of the things that President Medvedev and I have discussed is how can we really ramp up our commercial , our trade , our economic ties . '' | President Obama troubled by Greece 's economic woes . European Union leaders call for `` stabilization mechanism '' to ease markets . Obama seeks resolutions to nuclear arms treaty , adoption issues with Russia . | [[30, 101], [358, 366], [451, 509], [949, 1026], [949, 971], [1036, 1118], [0, 26], [178, 233], [2321, 2470]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Legendary singer , dancer , actress and civil rights activist Lena Horne , 92 , died at New York-Presbyterian Hospital on Sunday night , a hospital spokeswoman said . No other details of her death were made public . Horne was the first African-Americans to sign a long-term movie contract with a major Hollywood studio when she joined MGM in 1942 . Horne 's expressive and silky voice made her a singing star , known best for her hit `` Stormy Weather , '' after Hollywood failed to give her roles that might have made her a big screen starlet . Horne complained she was used as `` window dressing '' in white films , mostly limited to singing performances that could be easily edited out for play in southern theaters . The light-complexioned Horne refused to go along with studio plans to promote her as a Latin American . She later said she did not want to be `` an imitation of a white woman . '' Horne , whose parents divorced when she was 3 , lived a nomadic childhood traveling with her actress mother . She spent much of her time growing up in Brooklyn , New York , where she was born in 1917 . Horne was 16 when she began her show business career as a dancer at Harlem 's Cotton Club . She later became a singer there , playing to packed houses of white patrons , with band leaders Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington . She began taking singing lessons in 1935 , and eventually landed a part in the all-black Broadway production `` Dance With Your Gods . '' Her work as a feature singer with touring bands and in nightclubs increased . She became the first African-American singer to tour with a white group in 1940 , according to her official biography . Her first film role came in 1938 in `` The Duke is Tops , '' but her next movie did n't come along for another four years . She was given a screen test by MGM and signed to a seven-year movie contract after a studio scout saw her performing in a New York club . Her stepfather , Miguel Rodriguez , negotiated with MGM head Louis B. Mayer for her to never be cast as a maid or `` Tarzan extra . '' `` I think the black boy that cleaned the shoes and me were the only two black people except the maids who were there working for the stars , '' Horne said in a CNN interview . `` And it was very lonely and I was n't very happy . '' Still , Horne said she was grateful that her World War II era films -- including black musicals `` Cabin in the Sky '' and `` Stormy Weather '' -- were seen by black and white soldiers . `` But after I realized I would only go so far , I went on the stage , '' Horne said . With only subservient roles available for a black actress in Hollywood in the 1940s , Horne turned to recording top-selling songs . Horne said performing for live audiences was what she loved most . `` I 'm always happy when I 'm surrounded by people to react and feel and touch , '' she said . While traveling with a USO tour during the World War II , she walked out on a show because German war prisoners were seated in front seats , ahead of African-American troops . After the USO withdrew her from the tour , she used her own money to travel to sing for the troops . She has a son and daughter from a first marriage that ended in 1944 . Horne married again in 1947 to Lennie Hayton , who was then MGM 's music director . She kept the marriage secret for several years , since Hayton was white . When it was made public , the couple received hate mail and threats of violence , according to her biography . Radio , television , film and nightclub jobs were harder for Horne to find in the McCarthy era of the 1950s when she was blacklisted . That ended in 1956 when RCA gave Horne a new recording contract and she earned a guest spot in the movie `` Meet Me in Las Vegas . '' Horne returned to Broadway in 1957 for her first starring role there . `` Jamaica '' ran for 555 shows . She became active in the civil rights movement after she was involved in a public altercation following a racial slur in a Beverly Hills , California , restaurant in 1960 . She was an active supporter of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 's civil rights movement . Horne was there when King delivered his `` I Have a Dream '' speech on the Lincoln Memorial steps in 1963 . Variety television shows welcomed Horne as a musical performer , especially in the 1960s . She appeared on numerous episodes with Perry Como , Dean Martin and Flip Wilson . She returned to film for a final role in 1978 as Glinda the Good Witch , opposite Michael Jackson and Diana Ross , in `` The Wiz , '' an adaptation of `` The Wizard of Oz . '' She got a special Tony Award for her 1981 one-woman Broadway hit `` Lena Horne : The Lady and Her Music . '' She also won two Grammys for the recording of the show . Horne was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989 , and she also won a Grammy in 1995 for best jazz vocal performance for her album `` An Evening With Lena Horne . '' In her later years , Horne said she found peace . `` The best time in my life I guess is now because I 'm quiet and I 'm logical and I accept without flying off the handle -- sometimes I do , '' Horne said with a laugh . | She was one of the first African-Americans to sign a long-term movie contract . Horne complained she was used as `` window dressing '' in white films . She was grateful that her World War II-era films were seen by black and white soldiers . Performing for live audiences was what Horne loved most . | [[235, 337], [245, 367], [565, 675], [2310, 2315], [2318, 2450], [2434, 2496], [2716, 2765], [2742, 2782]] |
Miami , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Marie , a Haitian mother , could n't have been more grateful . `` Thank you God for TPS , '' she recently told an attorney helping her fill out forms that will protect her from deportation . She was referring to temporary protected status , which will allow her to work legally , help Haiti and support her two young children . It 's the sentiment that we hear most these days . As longtime advocates , we at Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center were gratified when the Department of Homeland Security granted temporary protected status to unauthorized Haitian immigrants after the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti . Temporary protected status will allow perhaps 100,000 Haitians to legalize their status for the next 18 months . They 'll be able get work permits and driver 's licenses and send more money to loved ones struggling in Haiti 's ruins . Such people-to-people help is one of the best forms of foreign aid . Remittances encourage Haitians to stay and rebuild Haiti , rather than attempt treacherous sea voyages that more often than not end in tragedy . Today , Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center and other pro bono groups are working furiously to help Haitians apply for temporary protected status and warn them away from `` raketè , '' scammers who will rip them off . It 's a mammoth job in South Florida , home of the nation 's largest Haitian-born population . The six-page temporary protected status application includes complicated questions and must be translated for non-English speakers . Many Haitians also need help filling out work-permit and fee-waiver forms . Without a waiver , applicants ages 14 to 65 must pay $ 470 in fees and $ 50 for a younger child . Frankly , temporary protected status is the least our government can do after decades of denying Haitians just immigration treatment . No previous administration had granted temporary protected status to Haitians despite numerous occasions when deportees would have been unsafe due to political conflict or natural disasters , conditions that typically trigger temporary protected status . Indeed , we had been actively pushing for temporary protected status since four killer storms demolished 15 percent of Haiti 's gross domestic product in late 2008 . The history of discriminatory treatment goes back much further . Since Haitians started coming to U.S. shores nearly 50 years ago , they routinely have been denied the fundamental protections promised to refugees of virtually every other nationality . Finally more attention is being paid to the need to help the Haitians . As a key neighbor , the United States needs to prepare for a long-term commitment in which U.S. Haitians play a key role . Many of these Haitians wish to travel to support relatives in Haiti and contribute to reconstruction . But for Haitians with temporary protected status , those trips could lead to dire consequences . Though they may travel legally , some may face problems coming back home and , thus , should consult with an attorney before leaving . Many U.S. citizen and resident Haitians also are trying desperately to bring relatives here from Haiti , but some face daunting delays because of archaic immigration processes . Given the substantial moral and material help that Haitians in our country offer Haiti , Homeland Security should find solutions to permit travel and expedite relative reunification . We are hopeful , too , that Homeland Security will address concerns regarding Haitians who have arrived here since the earthquake with no or improper visas . One glaring example is the dozens of Haitians who were flown here on military planes after the earthquake , only to be detained . Many lost their parents , siblings and children ; one of our clients lost his twin 9-year old daughters . Virtually all had U.S. citizen and lawful permanent resident relatives awaiting their release . Their prolonged detention only exacerbated the terrible trauma they suffered before fleeing Haiti . During their detention , most showed signs of depression , anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder . Yet Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center 's attempts to get permission for a psychotherapist to meet with the Haitians were repeatedly rebuffed . When everyone in the world was offering to help the Haitians , Immigration and Customs Enforcement kept our clients in detention for more than two months . They only released them after a front page New York Times story ran and the Haitians agreed to be deported whenever ICE wants . Haitian orphans also raise tough questions . While many caring Americans would like to adopt , there is real danger that Haitian children may be trafficked or improperly separated from their parents . For this and other thorny problems , no easy solutions exist in the midst of Haiti 's crisis . This crisis in fact has exposed cracks in our deeply fractured immigration system . We know Haiti will not be ready for an influx of deportees when temporary protected status expires in July 2011 or for a long time to come . Frankly , this country would n't have large populations of immigrants who need temporary protected status if we adjusted immigration flows to meet the real demands of its families and our economy . The best solution would be for Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration reform that includes a legalization plan and future immigrant flows attuned to the needs of our labor markets . The path to legal status should be offered , not only to Haitians , but also to millions of unauthorized immigrants without criminal records , who pay taxes , raise U.S. citizen kids and have contributed to their communities for years . Reform that calibrates incoming immigration flows to labor needs and ensures workers rights would raise wages throughout the U.S. economy . Such immigration reform could add $ 1.5 trillion to the nation 's GDP over 10 years , according to a study released in February by the think tanks Center for American Progress and Immigration Policy Center . Clearly , enforcement-only immigration policy is not enough . Piecemeal fixes have not worked . The United States needs a 21st century immigration system that will benefit all Americans . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Cheryl Little . | Cheryl Little says giving protected status to Haitian immigrants was wise . She says such status was not granted in earlier disasters . Little says further immigration changes would aid Haiti 's effort to recover from quake . A comprehensive immigration reform bill would be a major step forward , she says . | [[438, 648], [5256, 5338]] |
Pensacola , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As the `` H2O Below '' charter boat leaves the dock and heads into Pensacola Bay , it is chock full of divers . But there 's not a single paying client aboard . The boat is carrying a team of local dive industry professionals -- along with an underwater cameraman -- who arranged Wednesday 's trip to show that the Gulf oil spill has not affected the prized dive site , the USS Oriskany . `` We 're going to go out look at the ship , assess the marine life on it and find that there 's no oil anywhere around , '' said Jim Phillips , who owns a dive shop in the area . Aside from its beautiful white sand beaches , Pensacola is home to the only aircraft carrier that has been turned into an artificial reef . Divers travel from all over the world to see the USS Oriskany not just because it 's the world 's largest manmade reef . The `` Great Carrier Reef '' as it is sometimes called is also an important piece of history . `` It has a long history in the Korean War -LSB- and -RSB- it was also the last piece of American soil that -LSB- U.S. Senator -RSB- John McCain saw before he was shot down , '' said Douglas Hammock , the owner and captain of H2O . McCain 's aircraft flew off of the Oriskany in 1967 before it was shot down during a bombing mission over Hanoi , Vietnam . McCain was held as a prisoner of war until 1973 . A year before McCain 's mission , the USS Oriskany suffered an onboard fire that killed 44 sailors -- one of the worst fires to engulf a ship since World War II . In 2006 , the ship was purposely sunk in an upright position to create the reef , which has attracted nearly 40 different species of fish . The $ 20 million project was intended not only to serve as a habitat for marine life , but also to boost tourism in the Pensacola region . Now , the historical dive site is threatened by the leaking oil rig more than 100 miles away that continues to spew an estimated 210,000 gallons -LRB- 5,000 barrels -RRB- of crude into the Gulf every day . Phillips said he 's been assuring his customers that , as of now , there is no need to cancel their scheduled dive trips to the USS Oriskany , which is about an hour-long boat ride from the shore . `` The marine life in our area I 'll put it up against anywhere in the world as far as the quantity and quality and variety , '' says Phillips . As of Wednesday afternoon , the oil spill was stretched from the northeast side of the Mississippi Delta to about 60 miles off Pensacola , Florida , according to Charlie Henry of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration . Phillips said some of his clients have cancelled their dive trips , but most people are just calling and asking about the water conditions . So the Pensacola team plans to post video of Wednesday 's dive on the Internet to show people that the oil spill has not impacted this Gulf Coast community . Not yet anyway . No oil was expected to impact the shores of Pensacola beach and beyond through the weekend , Escambia County 's disaster response team said Thursday . Wednesday was a perfect day for filming an underwater dive . The Gulf of Mexico looked like a lake , the sun was bright and marine life could be seen as the boat made its way to the dive site . Sea turtles were sunning themselves on the water 's surface . A few dolphins jumped in and out of the water . In the air , the U.S. Navy 's Blue Angels team flew across the clear blue sky . As the boat anchored at the USS Oriskany site , Hammock calmly waited for the news from the divers . He had calculated that the oil was still about 90 miles away . Share your stories from after the oil spill . About a half hour after entering the water , the divers emerged . `` How was it ? '' Hammock asked . They all had similar answers . The divers say the marine life looked amazing . There were all types of tropical fish on the wreck , as well as the resident octopus , a lot of barracudas , and a sea turtle . Even better news : there were no signs of oil . Hammock is encouraged by the news , but repeated the words of so many business owners on the Gulf Coast . `` This oil will be devastating to us , '' he said . `` If this oil shows up here it will definitely shut down a big industry in the panhandle . '' | Local divers assessing the waters off Pensacola , Florida for oil . Pensacola Bay is home to the world 's largest manmade reef , a major diving spot . Oil spill is still approximately 60 miles from Pensacola 's shore . ` If this oil shows up here it will definitely shut down a big industry in the panhandle , ' says Captain Douglas Hammock . | [[827, 868], [2389, 2497], [1139, 1162], [4200, 4267]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- 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 . | Lil ' Wayne , aka Dwayne Carter , pleaded guilty in October to felony gun charges . Charges stem from his arrest in 2007 outside New York City 's Beacon Theater . Lil ' Wayne is a multiplatinum-selling and Grammy-winning rap artist . | [[83, 93], [132, 179], [217, 299], [1220, 1290], [1263, 1269], [1270, 1290]] |
Lagos , Nigeria -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nigeria 's ailing President Umaru Yar ` Adua , who gave amnesty to armed militants in the troubled oil-rich Niger Delta region , died Wednesday , the country 's information minister said . He was 58 . Yar ` Adua had not been seen in public since November , when he went to Saudi Arabia for treatment of an inflammation of tissue around his heart . He was diagnosed with that condition , acute pericarditis , last fall after he complained of chest pain . He returned to Nigeria in February but had remained out of sight . Vice President Goodluck Jonathan has served as the country 's acting leader since Yar ` Adua fell ill . Yar ` Adua took office in 2007 in an election mired in controversy and accusations of vote-rigging . `` There was ballot snatching , voters were molested , voters were beaten ... and also payment inducement to vote for certain candidates , '' said Eneruvie Enakoko of the Civil Liberties Organization , a human rights group in Lagos . The president , a soft-spoken and unassuming figure who did not bask in the media spotlight like past leaders of the West African nation , pledged to fight to improve the country of 150 million people despite the accusations . `` Our collective goal is to deliver for our children a Nigeria better , stronger , more peaceful , more secure and more prosperous than we met it , '' Yar ` Adua said . President Barack Obama issued a statement late Wednesday expressing his condolences to Yar ` Adua 's family and the Nigerian people . `` President Yar ` Adua worked to promote peace and stability in Africa through his support of Nigerian peacekeeping efforts as well as his strong criticism of undemocratic actions in the region , '' Obama said in the statement . `` He was committed to creating lasting peace and prosperity within Nigeria 's own borders , and continuing that work will be an important part of honoring his legacy . '' His election followed wide support from his predecessor , leading critics to label him a puppet of the former president , Olusegun Obasanjo . After he was elected , Yar ` Adua replaced some of Obasanjo 's top officials , including the head of the army , a move analysts said was aimed at shedding off his predecessor 's influence . One of Yar ` Adua 's biggest successes was offering amnesty to militants in the troubled oil-rich Niger Delta region , a move that brought fragile peace to the area after years of conflict . The well-armed Niger Delta rebels have been battling Nigeria 's armed forces over oil profits , which they say are unequally distributed . While he has hospitalized in Saudi Arabia , the militants called off the truce , dealing a blow to plans to end violence that has crippled oil production in the nation . Analysts say he did little to institutionalize reform in a country where two-thirds of the population lives on less than a dollar a day . `` Because many people feel disillusioned economically and as long as they have those sentiments -- I think the risk of radical uprisings in places like northern Nigeria and certainly southern Nigeria in the Delta will continue regardless of who is in power , '' said Rolake Akinola , an analyst at Control Risks West Africa . Yar ` Adua , a former chemistry teacher , was married twice and has nine children . CNN 's Faith Karimi and Christian Purefoy contributed to this report . | Nigeria 's information minister says President Umaru Yar ` Adua has died . Yar ` Adua had given amnesty to armed militants in troubled oil-rich Niger Delta region . He went to Saudi Arabia in November for heart treatment . Yar ` Adua took office in 2007 in election mired in controversy , accusations of vote-rigging . | [[181, 223], [75, 79], [86, 161], [2260, 2376], [297, 382], [660, 705], [694, 760]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Togo may be allowed to take part in the next African Nations Cup after world soccer 's governing body FIFA stepped in to mediate the row arising from the team 's withdrawal from this year 's event . The Togo Football Federation was fined $ 50,000 and excluded from the 2012 and 2014 tournaments after pulling out ahead ahead of the start of the Angola edition in January due to a deadly gun attack on the team 's bus . National captain Emmanuel Adebayor decided to quit international football due to the trauma of the incident , which saw rebels fire on his players and kill three people . Togo appealed the Confederation of Africa Football 's decision to the Sport of Arbitration for Court , with FIFA president Sepp Blatter subsequently brought in to mediate the hearing . As a result , the president of the CAF , Issa Hayatou of Cameroon , will ask the African ruling body 's executive committee to lift the ban at its next meeting on May 15 . As part of the deal , the TFF admitted that it had not complied with CAF competition regulations when it withdrew the team , known as the Sparrow Hawks . `` I am very pleased that we have been able to find a solution which is satisfactory for both parties , '' Blatter said in a statement on Friday . `` Today marks a victory for the whole football family , particularly for African football . This shows that we can solve internal disputes within the football family for the benefit of all those who are involved in our game , and in particular for the players . '' The CAS , an independent tribunal that deals with sports disputes , was also relieved that it had been able to broker a deal . `` Considering the emotional circumstances surrounding this case , it was very important for the parties to find a reasonable solution in order to put an end to their dispute , '' Secretary General Matthieu Reeb said . | Confederation of Africa Football 's president will ask for Togo 's suspension to be lifted . Togo were banned for next two Africa Cup of Nations events after January withdrawal . Togo 's team bus was attacked by rebel gunmen ahead of tournament in Angola . World governing body FIFA stepped in to mediate the row , which went to a tribunal . | [[808, 832], [851, 965], [218, 246], [270, 437], [218, 246], [270, 437], [19, 23], [39, 120], [90, 217], [717, 793]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The days are getting shorter , the nights colder , but that does n't mean that your electricity bill needs to go through the roof . In a unique experiment , the residents of Britain 's Scilly Isles are hoping to show that reducing your electricity consumption does n't have to be difficult . The Isles of Scilly is switching off power to promote energy efficiency . As part of E-Day , homes , schools and businesses on the Scilly Isles are switching off all non-essential electrical equipment to promote energy saving . The results of the experiment are being posted online in real-time . E-Day organizer , Matt Prescott said : `` The Isles of Scilly are like a miner 's canary for the rest of the UK , because of their vulnerability to sea level rise , to violent storms rolling off the Atlantic and to any major changes in the Gulf Stream . '' The islands , which lie 28 miles off Land 's End , the UK 's most westerly point , are connected to the UK mainland by a single electricity cable which means that power usage in the experiment can be measured efficiently . All of the 2000-strong community who are spread across five islands have been encouraged to join in . The energy savings made will be compared against the previous day 's usage with updates appearing online regularly . The E-Day Web site keeps track of costs and kWh usage providing up-to-the-minute information about how much electricity is being used in island-wide as well as individually monitoring Five Islands School on St Mary 's Island and the electricity consumption of one family . `` We 've fitted the family and the school with special energy monitors so they can accurately monitor what appliances use the most electricity , '' Prescott told CNN . Studies suggest that families who use these sorts of energy monitors can cut their electricity bills by up to 20 percent . At the time of writing , the family 's consumption had dropped dramatically , down 35 percent on the previous day , which Prescott estimates is a saving of around # 300 -LRB- $ 475 -RRB- on their annual electricity bill . Sadly the figures for the school and the island as a whole were n't quite so impressive . The school was up six percent on the previous day , while the island as a whole saw a two percent rise in usage . Prescott put these small rises down to the notoriously fickle British weather . `` Yesterday was lovely and sunny , '' he said . `` So far , today it has been rainy . '' The damp and gloom have meant more lights being switched on but despite these meteorological setbacks , Prescott remained upbeat about the success of the experiment . `` Before the family left home this morning they turned off everything they could , so their reduction in usage is a fantastic result , '' he said . Visitors to the the E-Day Web site can also play the `` 5 Things '' game to find out what all sorts of household appliances cost to run and how much they cost you and the environment . `` The E-Day experiment will hopefully prove that the small things can make a big difference , especially when we work together and try to save energy , '' Prescott said . Prescott is also the founder of `` Ban the Bulb '' -- an energy efficiency campaign which is helping phase out the use of incandescent light bulbs in 30 countries . The event has been organized as part of a four-day Earth Summit event which has seen the Isles of Scilly play host to fellow islanders from Samoa , The Galapagos Islands , Madagascar and the Carteret Islands -- whose inhabitants are some of the first people being displaced by rising sea-levels . | UK 's Scilly Isles take part in a day-long experiment monitoring electricity consumption . Islanders being encouraged to switch off all non-essential electrical appliances . E-Day is the culmination of a four-day long Earth Summit on the islands . | [[168, 190], [193, 295], [328, 401], [402, 555], [490, 555], [3323, 3392], [3360, 3392], [3399, 3427]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Just days before his death , the Brooklyn , New York , middle-school student who died from an antibiotic-resistant staph infection had visited a hospital with skin lesions and was treated with allergy medicine , according to the family 's lawyer , Paul Weitz . Omar Rivera , 12 , a New York seventh-grader , died of drug-resistant staph on October 14 . Omar Rivera 's mother , Aileen , took the 12-year-old boy to Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn because she had been dissatisfied with the treatment he received at a clinic , Weitz told CNN . He said the hospital treated him with Benadryl , a common anti-allergy medicine . According to hospital spokeswoman Hope Mason , Omar did not show signs of a staph infection when he was treated at the hospital . `` I can confirm the child was brought to the emergency room after midnight on Friday , October 12 . He was treated for non-MRSA-related conditions and was released , '' said Mason . `` We will be closely examining whether more could have been done to detect the infection at that time . '' MRSA is short for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus , and is responsible for more deaths in the United States each year than AIDS , according to new data . The germ resists all but the most powerful antibiotics . Omar , a seventh-grader at Intermediate School 211 , was pronounced dead on October 14 at Brookdale Hospital . Twenty-five to 30 percent of the population carry the staph bacteria -- one of the most common causes of infection -- in their bodies , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . While such infections are typically minor , invasive MRSA infections can become fatal , because they are caused by drug-resistant staph . E-mail to a friend . CNN 's Emily Kerschner and Jennifer Rizzo contributed to this report . | Lawyer : Student had visited hospital days before his death from staph infection . Hospital saw no signs of staph , treated skin lesions with Benadryl . Omar Rivera , 12 , died October 14 from infection with MRSA . MRSA resists all but the most powerful antibiotics . | [[83, 104], [109, 158], [57, 104], [119, 199], [57, 80], [240, 273], [289, 305], [336, 380], [572, 635], [701, 783], [83, 104], [109, 158], [289, 305], [336, 380], [1298, 1302], [1351, 1408], [1241, 1297]] |
OFF THE BAHAMAS -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As the lights come up , Third Day lead singer Mac Powell is a little stumped . He 's asked the packed house for requests , but the band ca n't do the two of the most popular suggestions . Third Day has earned praise from mainstream publications but is still pigeonholed as `` Christian rock . '' The first is a song by another popular Christian music group , and the band has never performed it live . The other suggestion is `` Born Again , '' a ballad on their latest album . They have never played it live , either , and have not practiced it as a group in a long time . The album version also includes vocals by Flyleaf 's Lacey Mosley , and she 's not here . After a people shout out a few more suggestions , Powell looks at the band and changes plans . It 's karaoke time . One by one , they bring up fans to sing some of the oldies but goodies . The fans love it , even though the vocals are , well , not concert-worthy . It 's moments like this that make Third Day one of the most popular contemporary Christian music bands and the headliner for the 3,000 fans on this Christian-music-themed voyage , the K-Love Friends and Family Cruise . `` It 's always fun for the audience and for us , '' drummer David Carr said . `` Every now and then , we are really surprised by what we hear . Both pleasantly -- and not . '' The members of Third Day , which has won three Grammy Awards and an American Music Award , are having as much fun on the ship as any of the fans , who are getting a chance to vacation side-by-side with the rockers and 12 other bands . They have brought their families along and -- aside from playing two one-hour gigs -- have been able to be music fans , too . It 's a needed break between tours -- the next one begins March 5 -- but the band is intrigued by the fact that at both shows on the cruise , fans have demanded `` Born Again , '' which is scheduled to be the next single from their 10th studio album , `` Revelation . '' `` That 's going to go into our set list now , '' bassist Tai Anderson said . The band is also enjoying an increase in fame . In June , they became the first Christian band to make the cover of Billboard magazine . '' ` Revelation ' should appeal to Third Day 's core Christian music audience while expanding its fan base in the mainstream rock arena , '' the magazine said . The crossover success has n't materialized , but that has n't disappointed the Atlanta , Georgia-based band . They plan to continue to focus on Christian-music fans even while their new management company looks at other opportunities . `` Getting to lead people in a worship or just even entertaining them is always a reward , '' Carr said . `` I hope that Third Day continues to explore new territories as a band and still keep our core sense of who we are . '' They say they were more focused on giving their fans an album with the Southern rock sound that has made the band famous in Christian music while trying to be a little more creative . For `` Revelation , '' Third Day worked with mainstream producer Howard Benson -LRB- Daughtry , Hoobastank -RRB- in Los Angeles , California , rather than a studio in Atlanta . Anderson says the band pushed itself harder than ever , and even when the record company wanted a finished product , the group pushed back and continued to work and write songs , including the title track . The result , the band believes , is a collection of songs that is lyrically among their best tunes and musically more than what fans were expecting . Carr acknowledges that it sounds clichéd for a band member to tout their latest work as their best . Still , he says , this album is as good as any Third Day has produced . `` Having been a band as long as we have -LSB- since 1991 -RSB- and having put out as many albums as we have , it seemed really apparent that this album had to be great , '' he said . `` If you take time out of the equation and just stacked all of our albums together and set them out there and really compared them , I really feel like this is the best one . '' It 's also important to give a great concert , the band members say . In this economy , Anderson says , it 's extremely important to make fans feel like they are n't seeing or hearing the same old thing . `` No one 's gon na feel sorry for musicians , but we have to plan budgets . We 're very aware of the production , '' Anderson said . `` We 're trying to make sure we give people a good value . '' On the K-Love cruise , an annual event that has grown exponentially in popularity , the band gave fans a chance to see their new music DVD , a 75-minute production stuffed with concert footage and backstage scenes . There was a little hitch : It was n't the final edit . The band thought it had the most recent version but brought along an earlier copy and had to reburn it to get it to play on the ship 's video board . Still , the Lido Deck was packed with fans eager to get a closer look at the life of the band . Third Day also added scenes with their families to the DVD . `` Since our fans are so cool and respectful , we 'll give them that , '' Anderson said . Anderson says the band is `` antsy '' to produce new music but wants to be careful about what songs they include in their 75-minute concerts . He thinks it 's important to listen to the audience suggestions during the request periods and what the karaoke singers want to sing , as well as talking to cruisers about what tunes inspire them . He knows there are still unreleased singles from `` Revelation '' that fans coming to the arena shows are expecting to hear , and it 's now obvious that `` Born Again '' is one of them . There are other ballads he expects to click with radio audiences . `` I think we have a lot of life left in this record , '' he said . `` We came out -LSB- with singles that were -RSB- rocking . It 's when there start to be ` heart moments ' that Christian records really take off . '' | Third Day is first Christian rock band to make cover of Billboard . The musicians are determined to give fans `` a good value '' New tour for Grammy-winning band begins March 5 . | [[2118, 2125], [2128, 2206], [4427, 4483], [1759, 1786]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama tapped a former Army general Monday to lead the Transportation Security Administration . Obama nominated Robert A. Harding , a retired major general with 33 years in the Army , to become the TSA administrator . Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the nomination with Harding by her side . `` The TSA administrator is among the most important , unfilled posts in the Obama administration , '' Napolitano said . `` The president and I both believe that Gen. Harding has the experience and perspective to make a real difference in carrying out the mission of this agency . '' `` If there were ever a nominee that warranted expedited , and detailed , consideration in the Senate , this is it , '' she said . Obama announced the nomination in a White House news release . `` I am confident that Bob 's talent and expertise will make him a tremendous asset in our ongoing efforts to bolster security and screening measures at our airports , '' Obama said . `` I can think of no one more qualified than Bob to take on this important job , and I look forward to working with him in the months and years ahead . '' The TSA has been under the leadership of an acting administrator since Edmund `` Kip '' Hawley resigned at the end of the Bush administration . In September , Obama nominated Erroll Southers , a Los Angeles airport police department official , to the head the agency . But Republican Sen. Jim DeMint , R-South Carolina , spearheaded GOP efforts to block the nomination based on concerns Southers would unionize airport screeners . Southers withdrew his nomination in January after lawmakers questioned his changing explanation about a personnel action taken against him decades ago . Harding would be the TSA 's first African-American administrator . Southers is also black . Harding has served as CEO of Harding Security Associates , a defense and intelligence government contracting firm he founded in 2003 and sold in July 2009 . From 1996 to 2000 , Harding was director for operations at the Defense Intelligence Agency , where he was the Defense Department 's senior human intelligence officer . Before that , he was director for intelligence for the Army 's Southern Command . The TSA was created in the months after the September 11 , 2001 , attacks and soon took over security at the nation 's airports , including screening commercial airline passengers and luggage . CNN 's Jeanne Meserve and Mike Ahlers contributed to this report . | Nomination of Robert A. Harding announced Monday . `` I can think of no one more qualified than Bob to take on this important job , '' Obama says . Harding , who served 33 years in Army , would be the TSA 's first African-American administrator . He once was Defense Department 's senior human intelligence officer . | [[135, 168], [1014, 1029], [1033, 1078], [1075, 1108], [30, 134], [1769, 1835], [2077, 2088], [2117, 2185]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Chesley `` Sully '' Sullenberger : On January 15 , 2009 , the airline captain , along with co-pilot Jeff Skiles , guided US Airways Flight 1549 into the Hudson River , saving the lives of all 155 people on board . In his autobiography , `` Highest Duty , '' the celebrated flier wrote that the landing was not a miracle , but rather the result of decades of practice and training . On Wednesday , Sullenberger , 59 , announced his retirement . In the statement he released , he spoke of his passion for the profession , and he mentioned Skiles by name . He wrote , `` Each generation of pilots hopes that they will leave their profession better off than they found it . In spite of the best efforts of thousands of my colleagues , that is not the case today . '' Sullenberger wrote that he would remain an advocate for aviation safety and for piloting . `` I will work to remind the entire industry -- and those who manage and regulate it - that we have a sacred duty to our passengers to do the very best that we know how to do . '' Flight attendant Doreen Welsh , who served on Flight 1549 with Sullenberger , also announced her retirement from US Airways yesterday . Final flight for ` Sully ' ` Miracle on Hudson ' pilot retires . Whitney Thompson : California 's Arnold Schwarzenegger , like many governors across the nation , faces severe budget problems . Schwarzenegger has called for `` draconian '' spending cuts to deal with a shortfall of nearly $ 20 billion . The state 's public education system has been feeling the pain , and students and teachers are screaming loudly . Last fall , students held a series of protests on the UC Berkeley campus after the announcement last summer of a 32 percent tuition hike throughout the state 's university system . Those protests grew into a movement , and Thursday , rallies , marches , demonstrations and teach-ins are scheduled across the state under a `` Day of Action '' banner . There are also protests planned in more than 30 other states to fight further budget cuts , layoffs and furloughs . Whitney Thompson , 23 , from Yuma , Arizona , is a `` super-senior '' at Fresno State University . She plans to get her degree in history next fall . She is part of a statewide organization called Students for a Quality Education . Thompson will be speaking Thursday at a rally on the Fresno State campus . `` We 're being denied access to quality affordable , education , '' she told CNN on Wednesday . It keeps worsening every year . We 're paying more and getting less . They eliminated 1000 classes on my campus alone , including four I was enrolled in , and I had already paid for them . And then on top of that , I had to pay 32 percent more in tuition . '' Students across U.S. plan to protest education funding cuts . Protests of tuition increase continue on California campuses . Patricia Overy : The 40-year-old accounting technician and mother of four announced Monday at the City of Lathrop , California , council meeting that she was voluntarily giving up her job . The Manteca Bulletin reported that Overy made the decision in order to save the job of a 60-year-old coworker , Sharon Singleton . The city 's budget deficit is $ 648,000 , and Overy told CNN Wednesday that 11 city jobs needed to be eliminated . She had long discussions with her husband , Robert , about her seven years at work and how close she had become with her coworkers . `` There are a lot of mothers with kids , '' she said . `` You know what their favorite crayon colors are . You talk about what you ate for dinner . I thought that I could possibly cope with the loss of a job better than my coworkers . '' So her last day was Tuesday , and she 's looking forward to spending time with her kids -- ages 14 , 7 and 4-year-old twins -- before she looks for work again . `` I feel happy for what I did . I feel that I am so blessed , '' she said . `` I care about people , and that 's how I was raised , '' she said . `` Everyday I live my life and think about what positive influence I could have . I 'm not perfect , but I try to do my best . '' Singleton 's last day on her job would have been Thursday . The Manteca Bulletin : Worker 's unselfish act . Matthew McCabe : Reps. Dana Rohrabacher , R-California , and Dan Burton , R-Indiana , will be joined at a news conference Thursday by accused Navy SEAL Matthew McCabe , as well as more than a dozen retired Navy SEALs , to renew calls for the exoneration of the `` Navy SEAL 3 . '' In September 2009 , McCabe , Petty Officer 1st Class Julio Huertas and Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Keefe were part of the SEAL team that captured and allegedly mistreated al-Qaeda leader Ahmed Hashim Abed , considered one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq . Abed is the suspected planner behind the 2004 killing , burning and mutilation of four American contractors in Fallujah , Iraq . Abed complained to investigators that the SEALs punched him during his detention . There were arraigned in military court on charges of giving false statements to investigators and abusing Abed . In January , a judge ruled that Keefe and Huertas will have their cases heard in Iraq next month . Petty Officer 2nd Class McCabe , 24 , faces a special court martial on May 3 at the naval base in Norfolk , Virginia . The case against the Navy SEALs sparked outrage that the sailors are being tried at all for handling a suspect in the contractors ' murders , one of the most notorious incidents in the war . The killings got widespread news coverage when the burned bodies of two of the contractors were paraded through the streets of Fallujah and hanged from a bridge as their captors cheered . At today 's news conference , Burton and Rohrabacher will present signed petitions of support from more than 100,000 Americans calling for the SEALs ' exoneration . If found guilty , the SEALs face a maximum sentence of a year in a military prison , demotion to the lowest Navy rank , a cut in pay and a bad conduct discharge . Yesterday , McCabe 's attorney , Neal Puckett , told CNN that his client is pleading not guilty . `` He continues routine training where he works in the Norfolk area . He 's completely supported by the chain of command and all of the other SEALs . He 's hoping for a good outcome , '' Puckett said . `` He 's in good spirits and believes he 'll be acquitted . '' 2 Navy SEAL cases moved to Iraq . Jose Theodore : The goalie of the Washington Capitals hockey team talked for the first time this week to the Washington Post about the death of his 2-month-old son who died last August from respiratory complications . Chace Theodore was born five weeks early with a neuromuscular condition that has defied diagnosis . To breathe , he was put on a ventilator . Jose and his wife spent most of their son 's 54 days at Washington Children 's Hospital Center at a time when Jose was trying to win back his starting position with the Capitals . The newspaper reports that he had lost the position when he was replaced by a rookie last spring . Sports psychologist Joel Fish says that being a goalie requires `` the highest level of concentration and focus . '' Theodore , an intensely private athlete , said , `` I can remember sometimes , it could be a 2-2 game , and you start thinking about your son , or you start thinking about different stuff . '' After his son died , Theodore was named No. 1 goalie again , and he started a `` Saves for Kids '' campaign . He will donate $ 2 for each save , $ 100 for each win and $ 500 for each shutout during the regular season and more during playoffs to a children 's medical center . The Washington Post : Washington Capitals goalie Jose Theodore copes with the pain of his infant son 's death . What makes a person intriguing ? There are people who enter the news cycle every day because their actions or decisions are new , important or different . Others are in the news because they are the ones those decisions affect . And there are a number of people who are so famous or controversial that anything they say or do becomes news . Some of these people do what we expect of them : They run for office , pass legislation , start a business , get hired or fired , commit a crime , make an arrest , get in accidents , hit a home run , overthrow a government , fight wars , sue an opponent , put out fires , prepare for hurricanes and cavort with people other than their spouses . They do make news , but the action is usually more important than who is involved in the story . But every day , there are a number of people who become fascinating to us -- by virtue of their character , how they reached their decision , how they behaved under pressure or because of the remarkable circumstances surrounding the event they are involved in . They arouse our curiosity . We hear about them and want to know more . What they have done or said stimulates conversations across the country . At times , there is even a mystery about them . What they have done may be unique , heroic , cowardly or ghastly , but they capture our imaginations . We want to know what makes them tick , why they believe what they do , and why they did what they did . They intrigue us . | ` Miracle on Hudson ' pilot Chesley `` Sully '' Sullenberger retires . Whitney Thompson rallies against education funding cuts . Washington Capitals goalie Jose Theodore honors his dead son . | [[401, 413], [416, 428], [436, 462]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As a young working mother in the the early 1980s , Diane Wood , like many of her generation , struggled to balance work and family . The future judge and Supreme Court contender had just accepted a job teaching law in Chicago , Illinois , while pregnant with her second child . Soon after David was born , the professor went into anaphylactic shock and was rushed to the hospital with post-pregnancy complications . Despite her serious condition , she recovered quickly , but really had no choice . Friends say that with two young kids and a new job , no maternity leave was offered , and her male colleagues at work were mostly clueless over how to deal with her . `` People had no idea what to do with the fact that I had these two tiny children , '' she told an interviewer last year . Overcoming institutional and social challenges to become a nationally recognized legal heavyweight and high court contender , colleagues say , is a testament to Wood 's intellectual and personal fortitude . Her long , relatively liberal judicial record presents both a measure of certainty about the kind of justice she would become , and a political challenge getting her confirmed . `` Diane Wood is among the most respected federal judges on the left , '' said Thomas Goldstein , a Supreme Court legal analyst and founder of scotusblog.com . `` Being a woman is a political plus , but she has decided cases on abortion , affirmative action , religion , and the like . That will generate more of a political firestorm . '' Wood has sat on the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago since 1995 . Considered one of the sharpest minds on that bench , she has known President Obama from their days as part-time instructors at the University of Chicago . They have remained casual friends since then . She will turn 60 in July and is among the oldest candidates being given serious scrutiny for the high court . Aware of her liberalism , progressive groups have been quietly urging the White House to nominate Wood , saying she also enjoys the support of conservative members of her court , and would be confirmable . Wood was born in 1950 in New Jersey , and as a teenager moved with her parents to Texas , where her father worked as an Exxon accountant . After finishing first in her class at Houston 's Westchester High School , Wood had her choice of colleges , including the Ivy Leagues , but chose in-state University of Texas , mainly due to financial considerations . She was weeks from beginning graduate studies in literature at Yale when , on a whim , she pulled out and decided to take up law at UT , where her future husband was studying . If nominated and confirmed to the high court , she would be the only person on that bench without an Ivy League law degree , and the only Protestant . She clerked for Justice Harry Blackmun in 1976-77 , just three years after he issued the landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion . She was one of only three female Supreme Court law clerks that year . She later worked as a government lawyer in the administrations of Jimmy Carter , Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton . In between were brief stints in private practice and as a law professor at Georgetown and the University of Chicago , where she started in 1981 as the only full-time female faculty member . She later became associate dean and helped craft the school 's first sexual harassment policy , which took several years to implement . `` You put your batting helmet on when you go to work for the University of Chicago , '' Wood said last year . `` It 's a hard-hitting place . '' The retiring Justice John Paul Stevens also attended the school as an undergraduate , and Wood still teaches a class in civil procedure on a part-time basis . Students privately describe her courses as tough but very fair , and say Professor Wood is a knowledgeable , hands-on teacher and good listener . Twice divorced with three grown children , Wood is now married to a neurologist and lives in a Chicago suburb . Judge Richard Posner , a conservative member of the 7th Circuit and a close Wood friend , officiated at her 2006 wedding . Friends describe her as keenly interested in world affairs , and she has traveled the globe extensively promoting American concepts of the rule of law . She has made international trade her legal specialty ; she speaks French , German , and some Russian . Among her many interests are the oboe and French horn , and she is good enough to play in several area orchestras . Wood 's judicial record reflects a mainstream liberal jurisprudence , tempered by a respect for precedent and a narrow focus on the facts at hand . Absent are any detours into ideological rants and asides . In her 15 years on the court , she has often served as an intellectual counterweight to leading conservative judges Frank Easterbrook and Richard Posner . She has written more than 50 dissents , and concurrences in dozens more . She became only the second woman at the time to sit on the 7th Circuit , recommended to the job by the late Sen. Paul Simon , D-Illinois . Like many of the top contenders being considered by Obama , Wood has earned a reputation as a consensus-builder on her court . Her rulings on abortion have attracted the most criticism from conservatives . • In 2002 , she dissented from a court opinion upholding the constitutionality of an Indiana statute requiring women to wait 18 hours and receive counseling and additional information before obtaining an abortion -LRB- A Woman 's Choice-East Side Women 's Clinic vs. Newman , 2002 -RRB- . • In 1999 , she dissented from a ruling upholding the constitutionality of Illinois and Wisconsin statutes banning a late-term procedure opponents call partial-birth abortion -LRB- Hope Clinic vs. Ryan , 1999 -RRB- . The high court a year later affirmed her views , throwing out a similar restriction on the procedure in Nebraska . • In 2001 , Wood wrote the opinion upholding a lower court decision that applied anti-racketeering laws against a group of anti-abortion protesters . The case was reversed twice by the Supreme Court , 8-1 and 8-0 . The only dissent by the high court in support of Wood 's views was Stevens himself -LRB- National Organization for Women vs. Scheidler , 2001 -RRB- . Wood has expressed admiration for her former boss 's views on abortion . `` Justice Blackmun articulated in Roe , '' she wrote in a 1993 law review article , `` the important insight that a core set of individual rights exists that neither the states nor the federal government may trample . '' Hours after Stevens announced his retirement in April , abortion opponents made their intentions clear : . `` A Wood nomination would return the abortion wars to the Supreme Court , '' Americans United for Life announced in a statement . `` Judge Diane Wood would be a very polarizing and divisive nominee , '' said Carrie Severino , chief counsel at the conservative Judicial Crisis network . `` She 's got cases on abortion , the most extreme abortion cases out there , she 's got some very difficult opinions just to square with the American people . And so she is pretty far out on the left . But if that is what the president wants to go for , we are ready for a fight . '' Church-state disputes are another area that may cause difficulty if Wood is nominated . • She ruled against a church that claimed O'Hare International Airport 's acquisition of church-owned land under eminent domain laws violated the free exercise clause of the First Amendment -LRB- St. John 's United Church of Christ vs. City of Chicago , 2007 -RRB- . • She argued in a dissent that Indiana taxpayers had legal standing to challenge the legislative prayer practices in the Indiana General Assembly -LRB- Hinrichs vs. Speaker of the House , 2007 -RRB- . • She issued a dissent in favor of allowing a public university to revoke the charter of a Christian student organization that refused membership to gays and lesbians -LRB- Christian Legal Society vs. Walker -RRB- . The high court last month heard a similar case from the same group , over denial of official recognition by a California law school . And in 2008 , she dissented in a ruling allowing a condominium association to prevent a Chicago family from putting up a Jewish decoration on their doorpost . The Blochs challenged the rule against placing `` objects of any sort '' in the hallways . Mezuzahs are often placed on doors , and contain a small parchment with biblical sayings . Wood disagreed with the majority 's conclusion the rule was neutral in respect to religion . In a long , detailed dissent , she wrote : `` The -LSB- condo -RSB- Association might as well hang a sign outside saying ` No Observant Jews Allowed . ' '' She also criticized the condo board for filing an appeal accusing the homeowners of trying to get a `` pound of flesh '' from the board . She noted the phrase comes from Shakespeare 's `` Merchant of Venice , '' and refers to the shady actions of Shylock , a Jewish moneylender . `` This is hardly the reference someone should choose who is trying to show that the stand-off ... was not because of the Blochs ' religion , but rather in spite of it . '' -LRB- Bloch v. Frischolz and Shoreline Towers Condominium Assn. , 2008 -RRB- . Amazingly , because of her powerful dissent , the entire appeals court agreed to rehear the case and reversed unanimously , adopting Wood 's original position . A 2005 law school lecture also raised concerns from conservatives over her views on whether current courts should broadly interpret the original text of the Constitution , and the rights and privileges it confers on citizens . She said of the framers of the 1789 document , `` There is no more reason to think that they expected the world to remain static than there is to think that any of us holds a crystal ball , '' she wrote . `` The only way to create a foundational document that could stand the test of time was to build in enough flexibility that later generations would be able to adapt it to their own needs and uses . '' Many conservatives believe judges should adhere to the strict wording of the Constitution , and not try to read into rights that do not exist , such as , they contend , the `` right '' to an abortion . Wood was interviewed by the president last year , a finalist for the high court seat that went to Justice Sonia Sotomayor . Colleagues privately say Wood was pleased with the rapport she established in the one-on-one meeting in the Oval Office . She has given few media interviews over the years , and has been generally reticent about stating her views off the bench . When approached by CNN last year in Washington , where she had gone to meet Obama , Wood was polite but firm about her chances . `` I 'm not answering anything on that , '' she said , smiling and apologizing she could not say more . In an interview last fall with her alumni magazine , Wood said , `` As a judge you do n't campaign for such things . I 'm in the luxurious position of knowing that the people who count know that I am here , and if they are interested , they 'll let me know . '' | Diane Wood has a long , relatively liberal judicial record . Wood has sat on the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago since 1995 . Rulings on abortion , church-state disputes could result in tough confirmation battle . She speaks French , German , and some Russian ; plays the oboe and French horn . | [[4535, 4682], [4568, 4602], [4605, 4682], [1544, 1621], [1403, 1489], [5237, 5315], [7276, 7340], [4371, 4418], [4419, 4472]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tuesday marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin 's `` On the Origin of Species '' on November 24 , 1859 . All 1,250 copies of the initial print run of the book were scooped up by readers eager to see the British naturalist going rogue with his radical new theory of evolution , `` By Means of Natural Selection , or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life , '' in the book 's full title . How important is this book ? Thomas Henry Huxley -LRB- `` Darwin 's bulldog '' -RRB- proclaimed that `` On the Origin of Species '' was `` the most potent instrument for the extension of the realm of knowledge which has come into man 's hands since Newton 's ` Principia , ' '' and lamented to himself : `` How extremely stupid not to have thought of that . '' The Harvard biologist Ernst Mayr , arguably the greatest evolutionary theorist since Darwin , asserted : `` It would be difficult to refute the claim that the Darwinian revolution was the greatest of all intellectual revolutions in the history of mankind . '' The Harvard paleontologist and historian of science Stephen Jay Gould called the theory of evolution one of the half dozen most important ideas in the entire history of Western thought . Why , then , do so many Americans not accept the theory of evolution ? A 2001 Gallup Poll found that 45 percent of Americans agree with the statement `` God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so , '' while 37 percent preferred a blended belief that `` Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life , but God guided this process , '' and a paltry 12 percent accepted the standard scientific theory that `` Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life , but God had no part in this process . '' These percentages have remained largely unchanged in subsequent surveys , although most scientists would prefer that the questions were asked without reference to God since the science of evolutionary biology stands or falls on its own whether God directed the process or not , or even if there is a God or not . There are at least six reasons that make people resistant to accepting evolution . 1 . The Warfare Model of Science and Religion . The belief that there is a war between science and religion where one is right and the other wrong , and that one must choose one over the other . 2 . Belief that evolution is a threat to specific religious tenets . Many people attempt to use science to prove certain religious tenets , but when they do not appear to fit , the science is rejected . For example , the attempt to prove that the Genesis creation story is accurately reflected in the geological fossil record has led many creationists to conclude that the Earth was created within the past 10,000 years , which is in sharp contrast to the geological evidence for a 4.6 billion-year-old Earth . 3 . Misunderstanding of evolutionary theory . A significant problem is that most people know so little about the theory . In the 2001 Gallup Poll , for example , a quarter of the people surveyed said they did n't know enough to say whether they accepted evolution or not , and only 34 percent considered themselves to be `` very informed '' about the theory . Because evolution is so controversial , public school science teachers typically drop the subject entirely rather than face the discomfort aroused among students and parents . 4 . The fear that evolution degrades our humanity . After Copernicus toppled the pedestal of our cosmic centrality , Darwin delivered the coup de grâce by revealing us to be `` mere '' animals , subject to the same natural laws and historical forces as all other animals . 5 . The equation of evolution with ethical nihilism . This sentiment was expressed by the neoconservative social commentator Irving Kristol in 1991 : `` If there is one indisputable fact about the human condition it is that no community can survive if it is persuaded -- or even if it suspects -- that its members are leading meaningless lives in a meaningless universe . '' 6 . The fear that evolutionary theory implies we have a fixed human nature . The first five reasons for the resistance to evolutionary theory come almost exclusively from political conservatives . This last reason originates from liberals who fear that the application of evolutionary theory to human thought and action implies that political policy and economic doctrines will fail because the constitution of humanity is stronger than the constitutions of states . All of these fears are baseless . If one is a theist , it should not matter when God made the universe -- 10,000 years ago or 10 billion years ago . The difference of six zeros is meaningless to an omniscient and omnipotent being , and the glory of divine creation cries out for praise regardless of when it happened . Likewise , it should not matter how God created life , whether it was through a miraculous spoken word or through the natural forces of the universe that He created . The grandeur of God 's works commands awe regardless of what processes He used . As for meanings and morals , it is here where our humanity arises from our biology . We evolved as a social primate species with the tendency of being cooperative and altruistic within our own groups , but competitive and bellicose between groups . The purpose of civilization is to help us rise above our hearts of darkness and to accentuate the better angels of our nature . Believers should embrace science , especially evolutionary theory , for what it has done to reveal the magnificence of the divinity in a depth never dreamed by our ancient ancestors . We have learned a lot in 4,000 years , and that knowledge should never be dreaded or denied . Instead , science should be welcomed by all who cherish human understanding and wisdom . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Michael Shermer . | Shermer wonders why so many Americans do n't accept the theory of evolution . He comes up with six reasons why not , including misunderstanding and fear . But he says , divine creation cries out for praise regardless of when it happened . | [[1261, 1264], [1274, 1331], [2208, 2238], [2221, 2238], [2244, 2290]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Alec Baldwin closed out the Academy Awards on Sunday night by slapping director Kathryn Bigelow squarely on the backside , that pretty much said it all . It was Ladies ' Night in a Boys ' Town . Yes , the opening routine by Baldwin and Steve Martin was very funny ; there was sincerity and genuine gratitude from many of the winners ; despite weird digressions into arcane areas like sound recording , the program moved briskly enough . But did the orchestra need to follow Bigelow 's win of her long-deserved best director prize , for `` The Hurt Locker , '' by playing the old Helen Reddy song `` I Am Woman '' ? When Zoe Saldana and Carey Mulligan arrived on stage to present the Best Original Song award , did they have to be intro-ed with `` Thank Heaven For Little Girls '' ? And in addition to being groped by Baldwin , did Bigelow have to be so muscled-in-on by her fellow producers when she was picking up the best picture award for her film , `` The Hurt Locker '' ? ` The Hurt Locker ' wins six Oscars . Maybe that wacky Elinor Burkett had a point : The producer of `` Music by Prudence '' -- which had just won the Oscar for best documentary short -- barreled on stage , saying `` Let the woman speak ! '' and commandeering the mike from her director , Roger Ross Williams . She provided a classic moment of Oscar craziness and the one instance of spontaneity in an evening when all the big favorites won all the big prizes . Burkett seemed boorish , sure . But that does n't necessarily make her wrong . The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences certainly faced a dilemma this year : Vote for the future , or make up for the past . Years from now , it will probably look profoundly shortsighted that `` Avatar , '' one of the biggest movies ever -- and , more importantly , the one that indicates where movies are going -- did n't win the top prize when Hollywood had a chance to bestow it . Instead , the Oscars gave their most coveted awards to a small indie film about an unpopular war and a director whose sex had never before been honored with a best director prize . What helped make it all so complicated was not that there 's been a long , long history of overlooked genius female directors that the Oscars had to atone for . The sin at stake was -- and is -- that women simply have never been given an equal chance to direct . Predictably , Bigelow did n't have to be as good as the boys , she had to be better . And she was . But earning your Oscars and actually getting them are two different things . Fortunately for Bigelow , she had history on her side last night . James Cameron did n't . The billions being made by `` Avatar '' will probably be some consolation , but neither he nor his movie are warm and fuzzy , which is what the Academy voters like . In fact , the big-hearted , sentimental acceptance by best actor Jeff Bridges -LRB- `` Crazy Heart '' -RRB- , and the rather elegant , funny remarks by best actress Sandra Bullock -LRB- `` The Blind Side '' -RRB- , are exactly what we all want Oscar night to be . That , and a few good jokes , which is what Martin and Baldwin provided , arriving on stage after a musical extravaganza starring Neil Patrick Harris that seemed ready to recall the bad old days of producer Alan Carr and the notorious Rob Lowe/Snow White musical overture of 1989 . Looking back on Oscar 's ` train wreck ' Nothing so ghastly reared its ugly head last night , although there were a few moments of bad choices , bad manners and a strategy that was , at best , elusive . For all the changing characters and categories on Oscar-watchers ' betting pool ballots , there are certain things we bet on no matter what : one , that the show will be interminable ; two , that it will last at least until midnight -LRB- ET -RRB- no matter how they try to contain it ; and , three , that there will be moments in the show itself that , although planned by seemingly sane individuals , will be inexplicable , if not grotesque . Last night did not disappoint . While someone like poor Tivi Magnusson got drowned out by the orchestra -LRB- after he and Joachim Back won best live action short for `` The New Tenants '' -RRB- , the show 's producers thought it made perfect sense to devote relatively huge chunks of time to examining the niceties of animated short subjects or providing weary viewers the inevitable , unspeakable interpretive dance number , this one devoted to the evening 's musical scores . More painful , at least to this viewer 's eyes , was an overlong salute to the late director John Hughes , featuring a reunion of some of his more famous players , a few of whom -- Molly Ringwald , for instance , and Judd Nelson -- looked positively shell shocked . The only surprises of the night were in the best foreign film category : The Argentine `` El Secreto de Sus Ojos , '' beat out the favored `` White Ribbon , '' thus continuing the Oscar tradition of giving the foreign-film prize to something few have even seen -LRB- a foreign-film Oscar does n't do much good , one should remember , for a movie that 's already opened and closed -RRB- . The other surprise was the rudeness with which costume designer Sandy Powell accepted her `` Young Victoria '' Oscar . `` I 've already got two of these , '' she said , before dissing her coworkers and , by extension , the Academy in toto . Brusque dismissal is not a quality Oscar tolerates very well and it 's not likely Ms. Powell will be back , unlike Martin and Baldwin , who were the funniest Oscar hosts ever , proving there 's power in numbers , the sum often can be more than the parts , and that it 's always good to have an extra pair of hands , as long as they stay off Kathryn Bigelow 's butt . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of John Anderson . | Oscar had to atone for history of overlooked female directors , says critic John Anderson . Steve Martin , Alec Baldwin were the funniest Oscar hosts ever , says critic . Anderson : It will look profoundly shortsighted that `` Avatar '' did n't win best picture . Salute to the late director John Hughes was `` overlong , '' critic says . | [[2125, 2129], [2149, 2250], [2177, 2185], [2200, 2285], [5516, 5523], [5530, 5564], [1701, 1797], [4495, 4507], [4544, 4599]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- AC Milan and Roma played out a goalless draw in Italy 's Serie A in a result which does little to enhance the title ambitions of neither side . The result left Inter Milan three points clear at the top of the table and they will be able to increase that lead to six if they claim victory over Genoa at the San Siro on Sunday night . Roma began the brighter of the two sides and Cristian Abiatti saved well from a Julio Baptista shot while Daniele De Rossi screwed a shot wide when well placed . The visitors were much improved after the half-time break and controlled possession but were unable to create many chances although Marco Borriello squandered a good chance when he opted to shoot instead of passing to Klaas-Jan Huntelaar . John-Arne Riise 's dangerous cross was met by the head of Mirko Vucinic in the 74th minute but the Montenegro striker was unable to direct his attempt on goal . Brazilian Ronaldinho also went close with a header from David Beckham 's cross in the dying stages as the match ended in a stalemate . In Saturday 's other game Juventus moved back into the top four in Serie A thanks to a narrow 2-1 victory over Fiorentina at the Stadio Artemio Franchi . The Turin giants were under pressure following a defeat to Palermo last weekend and coach Alberto Zaccheroni got the response he requested from his players . Juventus took the lead through Brazilian playmaker Diego in only the second minute of the game when he took the ball round Fiorentina goalkeeper Sebastian Frey and fired home after collecting an intelligent through-ball from Antonio Candreva . Fiorentina responded positively and gained a deserved equalizer when former Juventus midfielder Marco Marchionni headed past stand-in goalkeeper Alex Manninger in the 32nd minute . Marchionni then missed a chance to put his side ahead moments before the break when he fired a shot when well placed inside the penalty area . Juventus improved after the interval and David Trezeguet tested Frey with a volley before the visitors took the lead for the second time in the 68th minute when Fabio Grosso crashed a shot into the top corner . Zaccheroni 's side could have extended their advantage in injury time but a superb double save from Frey denied Claudio Marchisio . | AC Milan and Roma played out a goalless draw in Italy 's Serie A . Juventus moved back into the top four in Serie A thanks to a narrow win over Fiorentina . Diego and midfielder Marco Marchionni grabbed the goals for Alberto Zaccheroni 's side . | [[0, 83], [1017, 1049], [1050, 1124], [1606, 1616], [1642, 1786]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A narrowly passed committee measure that recommends the United States recognize the 1915 killings of ethnic Armenians in Ottoman Turkey as genocide will likely not get a full vote in the House of Representatives , according to a senior State Department official . The official said Friday that the State Department has an understanding with House leadership on the issue , and , `` We believe it will stop where it is . '' The measure passed 23-22 in the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday . In response , Turkey ordered its ambassador to the United States home for `` consultation , '' Foreign Ministry spokesman Burak Ozugergin told CNN . The nearly century-old issue has placed both Congress and the White House in the middle of a political minefield , balancing moral considerations with both domestic and international concerns . The Obama administration had urged the House Foreign Affairs Committee not to pass the resolution , warning it could damage U.S.-Turkish relations and jeopardize efforts to normalize relations between Turkey and its neighbor Armenia . The two do not share formal diplomatic relations . Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters Friday that `` the Obama administration strongly opposes the resolution that was passed by only one vote in the House committee , and we 'll work very hard to make sure it does not go to the House floor . '' State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters ahead of the vote that the United States was concerned about the impact the vote could potentially have on U.S.-Turkish relations . Turkey , among other things , is considered a strong American ally and is home to a critical U.S. air base . Armenia 's foreign minister , Edward Nalbandian , said his country highly appreciates the committee 's vote . `` This is another proof of the devotion of the American people to universal human values and is an important step toward the prevention of the crimes against humanity , '' he said . The Armenian National Committee of America said the passage of the measure shows that `` Turkey does n't get a vote or a veto in the U.S. Congress . '' Turkish officials vehemently oppose the measure . `` Turkey is saddened by the bill that has been accepted in the Foreign Affairs Committee today -LSB- Thursday -RSB- , '' Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan 's Web site said . `` We condemn this bill that accuses the Turkish nation of a crime it has not committed . The people who support this bill have adopted a wrong and unfair attitude , ignoring the differences of opinion of expert historians and historical facts . The bill has been prepared with tangible historical mistakes regarding the 1915 incidents and with a completely subjective attitude , '' the statement said . A Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman recently issued a public warning that passage of a resolution labeling the World War I killings as genocide `` would harm U.S.-Turkish relations . '' Turkish officials have also warned that passing the resolution could hurt a historic agreement aimed at normalizing relations between Turkey and Armenia , and efforts to reopen their long-closed border . `` It would harm the normalization process , '' spokesman Ozugergin said . `` And it is wrong . The substance is also wrong . '' Turkey officially denies a genocide took place in the last days of the crumbling Ottoman Empire . Ankara instead says that Muslim Turks and Christian Armenians massacred each other on the killing fields of World War I. Historians have extensively documented the Ottoman military 's forced death-march of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Armenians into the Syrian desert in 1915 . Every April 24 , Armenians worldwide observe a remembrance day for those killed . The killings decimated the Armenian population in what is modern-day eastern Turkey . The government in the Armenian capital of Yerevan and influential Armenian diaspora groups have been urging countries around the world to formally label the events of 1915 `` genocide . '' `` I do n't pretend to be a professional historian , '' Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman , D-California , said ahead of Thursday 's vote . `` But the vast majority of experts ... agree that the tragic massacres of the Armenians constitute genocide . '' Rep. Gary Ackerman , D-New York , acknowledged that Turkey is an `` important , strong -LSB- and -RSB- necessary ally of the United States . '' But `` overriding all of that , '' he said , `` is the issue of justice and the issue of history . ... History has to be righted . '' Opponents of the resolution had expressed sympathy toward the victims of the 1915 killings , but said current political concerns took priority . Rep. Mike Pence , R-Indiana , praised the committee 's `` sincere effort '' to illuminate `` a dark chapter in history , '' but said the committee should not pass the measure . `` I do not minimize the horror that took place , '' he said . But `` now is not the time for this committee of the American Congress to take up the measure that is now before us . '' Turkey is a strategic partner of U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan , he said . Furthermore , the logistical support provided by the U.S. base in Incirlik , Turkey , is a `` staple '' of American power in the Middle East , he asserted . `` In a time of war , '' the United States should not `` take the relationship -LSB- with Turkey -RSB- for granted . '' Rep. Gerry Connolly , D-Virginia , argued that Congress should not do anything to undermine the Turkish government , which is a `` secular alternative model for the Muslim world . '' `` I hate this vote , '' he said . `` The United States has a great deal at stake in the Turkish relationship . '' Congress should n't `` pontificate on this issue '' and then pretend `` there will be no consequences , '' he warned . Last year , the foreign ministers of Turkey and Armenia signed a series of protocols aimed at establishing embassies in Ankara and Yerevan . The U.S. - , European - and Russian-backed agreement also called for the creation of an international committee of historians to examine archives and `` restore mutual confidence between the two nations . '' In October 2009 , Armenia 's president traveled to Turkey to attend a historic soccer match between the two countries ' national teams . Despite this round of `` football diplomacy , '' the diplomatic overture between the two capitals has slowed in recent months . A previous resolution recognizing the Armenian `` genocide '' was approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee In 2007 . The Turkish government protested by temporarily recalling its ambassador from Washington . The resolution did not make it to the House floor . CNN 's Ivan Watson , Elise Labott and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report . | Measure : U.S. should recognize 1915 killings of Armenians in Turkey as genocide . House committee passed the measure by one vote on Friday . Move has strained relations with crucial ally , but is hailed by officials in Armenia . `` We believe it will stop where it is , '' senior State Dept. official says of measure . | [[30, 31], [41, 177], [30, 31], [41, 177], [1225, 1337], [0, 26], [244, 293], [409, 449]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The LPGA have confirmed that 25-year-old golfer Erica Blasberg has been found dead . Blasberg has played on the LPGA Tour since 2004 , and had recently participated in her first event of 2010 in Mexico where she tied for 44th in the Tres Marias Championship . A native of California , Blasberg turned professional in 2004 and claimed one victory on the Duramed Futures Tour before qualifying for the LPGA Tour in 2005 . Blasberg 's best performance was in 2008 when she recorded a joint eighth position at the SBS Open in Hawaii -- a career-best -- and claimed over $ 113,000 prize money . The details of her death are not yet known , according to the LPGA . Blasberg 's agent , Chase Callahan of REP 1 Sports Group told the LPGA 's official Web site : `` We are devastated to learn of the passing of Erica Blasberg . `` To most of the world , Erica was known as a professional golfer , but she was more than that . She was a loving daughter to her parents and a compassionate and loyal friend . `` Erica had a good heart , was extremely kind and very thankful for what she had in her life . She lived out her dream of playing professional golf on the highest level on the LPGA Tour , allowing her to help inspire others . `` We are proud of Erica for everything she accomplished . This is a painful loss , we feel it in our hearts and we will miss her . Erica would want those close to her to celebrate the life she lived . We ask that you keep Erica and her family in your prayers . '' | LPGA Tour golfer Erica Blasberg has been found dead . 25-year-old Blasberg joined the LPGA Tour in 2005 . Blasberg 's agent says he is `` devastated '' by the news . | [[0, 15], [19, 103], [104, 151], [304, 312], [345, 438], [773, 836]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Billings , Montana , City Council will take up the issue of regulating medical marijuana on Monday night in a meeting expected to be intense in the wake of the firebombings of two of the city 's medical marijuana storefronts in the last two days . The southern Montana city 's dispensaries legally provide marijuana to medical patients who use it for maladies from glaucoma to nausea to lack of appetite . In the latest incidents , the phrase `` Not in our town '' was spray-painted on the businesses , police say . Police Sgt. Kevin Iffland said Big Sky Patient Care was hit early Sunday morning and Montana Therapeutics was the target early Monday . Both had a rock thrown through the front door , followed by a Molotov cocktail . In both cases , Iffland said , the fire was put out swiftly and damage was not extensive . Iffland said Billings police are working with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives and that the two firebombs are being handled as felony arsons carrying sentences of up to 20 years in prison and a $ 50,000 fine . The attacks on the storefronts come as the Billings City Council considers a moratorium on licensing new dispensaries while it works up a regulatory ordinance . Sixty-two percent of Montanans voted in 2004 to allow caregivers to grow marijuana for qualified patients , but the state law said nothing about distribution . In that absence , municipalities and county governments began licensing the establishments on their own . But , Iffland said , Billings was ill-prepared for the number of applications and has very little regulation in place . Billings , he said , is a town of about 100,000 and has had nearly 90 applications for medical marijuana storefronts -- and some residents are angry . He fully expected a heated council meeting . Meanwhile , investigators are still reviewing evidence in the firebombings and are working with one of the businesses that has surveillance video but is reluctant to hand over the tape because of privacy concerns . While the investigation is ongoing , police have stepped up patrols in the areas where the medical marijuana storefronts are located , Iffland said . | `` Not in our town '' was spray-painted on the businesses , police say . 62 percent of Montanans voted in '04 to allow caregivers to grow marijuana . Billings City Council is working on a regulatory ordinance . | [[429, 452], [455, 523], [1248, 1353], [1211, 1247]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tea Party activists and other conservatives are planning rallies next month in support of Arizona 's tough new immigration law , which has come under attack from Democrats , Latino groups and some maverick Republicans . But a growing chorus of conservative evangelical leaders has broken with their traditional political allies on the right . They 're calling the Arizona law misguided and are attempting to use its passage to push for federal immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants . The group , which includes influential political activists such as Richard Land , head of the Southern Baptist Convention 's public policy wing , and Mathew Staver , dean of the Liberty University School of Law , will soon begin lobbying Republican leaders in Washington to support comprehensive immigration reform under President Obama . But a big part of their job is to first persuade rank-and-file evangelicals to get on board . `` There 's a misconception among people at the grass roots that the pathway to citizenship is amnesty , and it 's not , but we have to overcome that , '' said Staver , who heads the law school at the university founded by Jerry Falwell . `` There 's a lot of work to be done . '' Staver and Land have partnered with the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez , an influential Hispanic evangelical figure , and Rick Tyler -- former House Speaker Newt Gingrich 's longtime spokesman and head of Gingrich 's new values-based organization -- to try to draft a consensus evangelical position on immigration reform . `` After securing our borders , we must allow the millions of undocumented and otherwise law-abiding persons living in our midst to come out of the shadows , '' reads a recent draft of the document , which is still being finalized . `` The pathway for earned legal citizenship or temporary residency should involve a program of legalization for undocumented persons in the United States . ... '' Many conservatives say illegal immigrants should be forced to return to their home countries and start the process of legally coming to the U.S. from scratch . Rodriguez , who heads the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference -- which represents about 16 million Latino evangelicals in the U.S. -- says he 'll soon start presenting the document to Republican leaders like Gingrich , former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio in hopes that they sign on . `` If the conservative evangelical community looks to the Republican Party and says , ` We demand integration reform , we demand a just assimilation strategy , ' that may be the tipping point in getting substantial Republican support for comprehensive immigration reform , '' Rodriguez said . The conservative evangelicals pushing comprehensive immigration reform say that undocumented workers should have to pay fines , clear background checks , learn English and take a civics class before being granted citizenship . Many evangelicals say their push for immigration reform is biblically based , citing passages urging respect for civil laws and concern for migrants and the vulnerable . `` Discussion of immigration and government immigration policy must begin with the truth that every human being is made in the image of God , '' the National Association of Evangelicals said in a recent resolution backing comprehensive immigration reform . '' ... Jesus exemplifies respect toward others who are different in his treatment of the Samaritans . '' But evangelical leaders are also working to convince Republicans that the party will lose Hispanic voters -- a fast-growing bloc -- if they take a strident line on immigration . The Southern Baptist Convention 's Land said that Hispanics , like non-Hispanic white evangelicals , generally take a conservative approach to social issues like abortion and gay marriage , but that they often vote for Democrats because of the immigration issue . `` Hispanics are hard-wired to be like us on sanctity of life , marriage and issues of faith , '' said Land , describing political similarities between Hispanics and white Southern Baptists . `` I 'm concerned about being perceived as being unwelcoming to them . '' The last time Washington attempted immigration reform , under President George W. Bush in 2007 , the project failed , largely because many conservatives and Republicans said the plan 's inclusion of a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the U.S. was tantamount to amnesty . Most major evangelical groups sat out the 2007 fight over immigration reform , but many , including the National Association of Evangelicals , which represents 30 million Americans , have since taken up the cause . Trying to apply the political lessons of 2007 , the evangelical leaders now pushing comprehensive immigration reform stress that the borders need to be secured as part of any reform package . `` I look at the Arizona law as a cry for help from a state that 's being inundated as a result of the federal government refusing to enforce its laws , '' Land said . But , he added , `` I think the Arizona law is the wrong way to attack the problem . '' Passed last month , the Arizona law requires immigrants to carry their alien registration documents at all times and allows police to question someone about their immigration status if they are in the process of enforcing some other law or ordinance . Critics of the law say it will lead to racial profiling , though supporters say a package of changes to the law signed by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer addressed those concerns . Many evangelical leaders promoting comprehensive immigration reform say the law 's passage gave new urgency to their campaign , which had been under way since last year . Rodriguez says he declined to join other Latino groups in calling for a boycott of Arizona because he thought it would alienate white evangelicals at a time when he 's trying to win their support . Still , Rodriguez and the handful of conservative evangelical leaders promoting comprehensive immigration reform have yet to persuade some of the country 's most powerful evangelical groups -- including Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council -- to come on board . `` We 've been looking into this deeply but are n't ready to discuss our position , assuming we 'll get to one , '' Tom Minnery , vice president of public policy at Focus on the Family , said in an e-mail message last week . Even if such groups join their campaign , evangelicals backing comprehensive immigration reform may face another challenge : Persuading the White House to move forward with the plan after the bruising fight over health care reform . | Some conservative evangelical leaders call Arizona 's new immigration law misguided . They want federal reform that includes path to citizenship for illegal immigrants . They 're trying to persuade rank-and-file evangelicals to get on board . Many evangelicals call push for reform biblically based ; some want GOP to woo Hispanics . | [[243, 295], [362, 404], [362, 366], [409, 481], [455, 481], [487, 542], [1804, 1959], [4420, 4464], [886, 957], [886, 909], [922, 975], [2981, 3050], [3003, 3056]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Congressional hearings into the massive oil spill growing in the Gulf of Mexico will start Tuesday , as winds continue to push the crude closer to the Mississippi Delta . BP America President Lamar McKay and Transocean President Steven Newman will appear before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in the morning and then the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in the afternoon . BP leased from Transocean the oil rig that exploded off the Louisiana coast last month , starting the spill . Senators are expected to quiz McKay and Newman about the precautions taken before the blast that set off the underwater gusher and the steps being taken to stop the spill . Experts also are expected to testify on the possible impact of the spill on fishing , tourism and local economies . Also on Tuesday , Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano plans to travel to Mobile , Alabama , `` to inspect ongoing operations to minimize the Deepwater BP Oil Spill 's impact on public health , the environment and the economy , '' the Deepwater Horizon Joint Information Center said in a statement . Napolitano and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley plan to talk with reporters late Tuesday afternoon , the center said . A change in the weather could push more oil from BP 's Deepwater Horizon site into the Mississippi Delta region and areas west of the river , according to Gov. Bobby Jindal , who called the development `` bad news for Louisiana . '' Louisiana has been mostly spared since the oil rig exploded April 20 and sank two days later about 50 miles off the southeast coast of Louisiana . The catastrophe is sending 210,000 gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico each day . Most of the slick has been centered in an area east of the environmentally sensitive delta . `` We 've said all along that the oil coming west of the river would pose a whole new set of challenges , '' Jindal said at a Monday news conference . He detailed efforts to place booms and other restraining devices into four passes near Grand Isle to prevent the oil from reaching land . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasters had warned over the weekend that the Mississippi Delta and areas to the northeast of it -- including Breton Sound , the Chandeleur Islands and the mainland behind them -- could see oil hit the coast by Tuesday . So far , the spill has had little impact on wildlife , said Mark J. Musaus , deputy director of the Southeast region for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service . Only a few birds have been taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center at Fort Jackson , Louisiana , he said . Two of them , a gannet and a pelican , were released Monday back into the wild . Another oiled pelican was still in the treatment center , as was a green heron , he said . The stakes are high for residents of coastal Louisiana who make their living from fishing in the Gulf of Mexico . The government has closed parts of the Gulf to fishing . The affected area , which is east of the Mississippi Delta , comprises about 4.5 percent of the Gulf of Mexico , NOAA said . Hundreds of thousands of feet of boom and large volumes of dispersants continued to be deployed in an effort to capture or break up the spilled oil moving toward the Gulf coastline . Thousands of workers and volunteers also have been skimming the water 's surface . | Presidents of BP , Transocean to appear before two Senate committees Tuesday . Senators expected to quiz them about massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico . Homeland security chief heads to Alabama to see efforts to minimize impact of spill . Officials worry that change in weather will push more oil into Mississippi Delta . | [[201, 356], [58, 109], [545, 613], [839, 849], [852, 937], [936, 1033], [0, 26], [103, 128], [131, 200], [1251, 1362]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At least five people were killed in Oklahoma on Monday after a severe storm system spawned multiple tornadoes across the state , the state emergency management department said . Three people died in Cleveland County , just west of Tecumseh , Oklahoma , said Albert Ashwood , director of the state emergency management department , and another was reported dead near Choctaw , east of Oklahoma City , Oklahoma . The location in Oklahoma of the fifth person who died was unknown late Monday night . Brenda Finkle , director of corporate communications for Norman Regional Health System , said the company 's hospital in Norman admitted eight patients Monday night in critical condition with crush injuries and head trauma . At least 25 other people filled the waiting room of Norman Regional Hospital with lacerations and head wounds , Finkle said , adding hospital staff expected more patients to continue to seek treatment . Another 20 people were either getting medical care or awaiting treatment at Moore Medical Center , just north of Norman , according to Finkle . OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City , Oklahoma , received two patients with broken bones , according to spokesman Allen Poston . The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management reported seven injuries . Video out of Norman showed overturned cars , snapped utility poles , downed trees and severely damaged homes . Several mobile homes were blown to pieces in one neighborhood where debris littered yards and streets alongside large trees ripped straight from the ground . A truck stop east of Oklahoma City was demolished , taking a direct hit from one of the tornadoes , according to a spokeswoman for Love 's Travel Stops and Country Stores . Motorists pulled off Interstate 40 and sought shelter in the truck stop 's large coolers and restrooms before the tornado tore the roof off the building , blew out car windows and overturned tractor-trailers , spokeswoman Christina Dukeman said . Video showed people outside the truck stop receiving treatment for minor injuries . Laura O'Leary , a spokeswoman for the Emergency Medical Services Authority , said seven people were transported from around the immediate area to local hospitals in good and fair condition , `` a miraculously low number ... considering the volume of area the tornado covered . '' Love 's employee Charlescie Greenway said she and two other women made it to one cooler before the twister tore through the building . `` The three of us were kind of trapped in there , holding the door shut , praying to God that we do n't die and that everybody else was safe , '' Greenway told CNN affiliate KWTV , adding , `` it was really scary -- the wind was like trying to pull the door off the latch . '' Sammy Ward and his partner rode the twister out in their truck in the parking lot . `` It started hailing and then it quit hailing and then all of a sudden the wind hit and it just went dark and here went everything , '' Ward told KWTV . `` Trucks went to rocking ... and next thing we know the whole roof and everything was gone . '' Ward , who said he felt `` very lucky , '' said the event lasted two to three minutes . Ashwood said crews were working to assess the damages in at least 13 counties , adding `` numerous '' homes had been affected . Are you there ? Send photos , video . The American Red Cross opened at least two shelters in McCloud , Oklahoma , and Tecumseh , Oklahoma , and continued to assess needs across the state . More than 31,000 homes were without power in the metro Oklahoma City area -- nearly 15,000 in Norman alone , according to Oklahoma Gas & Electric . Ashwood said preliminary reports out of Norman indicate the damages are `` similar to what you would see with an EF3 '' tornado , referring to the Enhanced Fujita Scale for measuring the strength of tornadoes . An EF3 is capable of producing winds up to 165 mph . CNN iReporter Rebecca Barbato said tornado sirens were going off in her neighborhood in Moore , just north of Norman , when tennis-ball-sized hail began raining down on her roof . Other tornadoes were reported in Yukon , Medford and Shawnee in Oklahoma , and in Wichita , Kansas . The storms struck around 5 p.m. CT -LRB- 6 p.m. ET -RRB- . Meteorologists warned throughout the day Monday of the potential for tornadoes . CNN 's Devon Sayers and Sarah Aarthun contributed to this report . | NEW : At least five killed in Oklahoma . American Red Cross opens up at least two shelters . Truck stop on Interstate 40 east of Oklahoma City destroyed by twister . Storms damaged homes , overturned cars , downed trees in Norman , Oklahoma . | [[0, 15], [28, 101], [3345, 3444], [1559, 1608], [1559, 1593], [1611, 1656], [2438, 2477], [0, 15], [28, 101], [1290, 1400], [1290, 1309], [1335, 1400], [1401, 1462], [1446, 1462], [1469, 1524], [1513, 1558], [3179, 3186], [3259, 3306]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The suspect in the Times Square bombing attempt was caught as he was seeking to flee to Pakistan , a nation that analyst Fareed Zakaria calls the `` epicenter of Islamic terrorism . '' `` It 's worth noting that even the terrorism that 's often attributed to the war in Afghanistan tends to come out of Pakistan , to be planned by Pakistanis , to be funded from Pakistan or in some other way to be traced to Pakistan , '' said Zakaria . He added that Pakistan 's connection with terrorist groups goes back decades and has often been encouraged by that nation 's military for strategic reasons . Faisal Shahzad , a 30-year-old naturalized citizen of Pakistani descent , had recently been trained in bomb making in Pakistan 's Waziristan province , according to a federal complaint filed in court Tuesday . CNN reported Tuesday that Faisal Shahzad 's father is a retired vice-marshal in the Pakistani Air Force . Shahzad was arrested around 11:45 p.m. ET Monday at New York 's John F. Kennedy International Airport just before he was to fly to Islamabad , Pakistan , by way of Dubai . Zakaria , author and host of CNN 's `` Fareed Zakaria GPS , '' spoke to CNN on Tuesday . Here is an edited transcript : . CNN : Based on what we know so far , what lessons can be learned from this incident ? Fareed Zakaria : This does not seem to be part of a larger and more organized effort to penetrate the United States . That does n't mean such efforts are not under way ... it does make you realize just how open we are as a country and how open we are as a society . There is always a level of vulnerability that comes from being an open society and this guy , Mr. Shahzad obviously took advantage of that openness . CNN : Apparently he traveled to Pakistan on a number of occasions . Does that signal that Pakistan is n't vigilant enough about terrorism ? Zakaria : Well it certainly signals something that we have known for a while , which is that Pakistan is the epicenter of Islamic terrorism . ... The British government has estimated that something like 80 percent of the terror threats that they receive have a Pakistani connection . So there 's no question that Pakistan has a terrorism problem . It has radical groups within the country that have the ability to recruit people and have access to resources that makes for a very combustible mixture . It should remind us that even when looking at the war in Afghanistan , ultimately the most important place where jihadis are being trained and recruited is not in Afghanistan but in Pakistan . And there 's no other part of the world where you have quite the same concentration of manpower , resources and ideology all feeding on each other . CNN : What feeds the ideology that drives the terror effort ? Zakaria : Pakistan has been conducive to this kind of jihadis for a number of reasons . For the last three or four decades , the Pakistani government , the Pakistani military has supported , funded many of these groups in a bid to maintain influence in Afghanistan , in a bid to maintain an asymmetrical capacity against India -- in other words , to try to destabilize India rather cheaply through these militant groups rather than frontally through its army . So it has found it useful to have these militant groups and to support them . It has always assumed that these groups will not attack Pakistanis and therefore was not a threat to Pakistan itself . And to a large extent that 's true , these groups by and large have attacked people in Afghanistan , India , in the West but not in Pakistan . But that is changing , because these groups are so intermingled and often sufficiently ideological , and also because the Pakistani military is beginning to take them on . But fundamentally the reason this has gone on is that there has been a policy of the Pakistani state and particularly the Pakistani military , to encourage these groups , to fund them , to ignore their most pernicious activities . And some of it goes back even further than four decades . In the 1965 war against India , the Pakistanis used Islamic jihadis ... And the great hope now is that finally the Pakistani government is getting serious about this . Frankly it remains a hope . CNN : Why do you say that it 's only a hope ? Zakaria : Over the last few years , it appears that the Pakistani government has begun to understand that these groups all meld together , that they are a threat to a stable and viable modern Pakistani state . But when I talk about the Pakistani government you have to realize that there are different elements in it . The Pakistani civilian government really does understand the danger that Islamic terrorism poses to Pakistan , but the civilian government in Pakistan appears quite powerless . Most power lies with the military . The military in Pakistan has a somewhat more complex attitude . It does believe that these militants have gone too far . It does believe that it has to take on the militants . And it has actually battled them quite bravely over the last few years . CNN : So what 's the reason for thinking the military supports militant groups ? Zakaria : It still holds within it the view that at the end of the day , the United States will leave the region and that they will have to live in a neighborhood which will have a very powerful India and an Afghanistan that is potentially a client state of India 's -- and that in order to combat this Indian domination , they need to maintain their asymmetrical capabilities , their militant groups . It is interesting to note that Ahmed Rashid , who may be the most respected Pakistani journalist , has reported on the way in which Pakistani government has thwarted and put obstacles in the way of any kind of talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban . The message it has sent to the Afghan government is very clear . If you want to have any negotiations with the Taliban , you have to understand that since we are the critical intermediary -- since the Taliban leadership all lives in Pakistan -- the Pakistani military 's terms to the Afghan government are , we want you to push back on Indian influence in Afghanistan , we want you to shut down Indian consulates in various Afghan cities . In other words , the Pakistani government is still obsessed with the idea of an Indian domination of the region , and they 're using their influence with the Taliban to try to counter Indian influence . This is the old game that the Pakistanis have played . That 's what makes me skeptical that there 's been a true strategic revolution in Pakistan ... There are still people who believe that there are good terrorists and bad terrorists , and some you can work with to further Pakistan 's goals . CNN : In the attempted car bombing in Times Square and the Christmas Day attempted bombing , you have two failed plots that do n't appear to be highly sophisticated . Does that tell us anything about the terror groups ? Zakaria : At some level , that tells you about the weakness of the terror groups . You do not have highly organized terrorist groups with great resources and capacity that are able to plan spectacular acts of terrorism the way they were in the 1990s and on 9/11 . What you have now are more isolated , disorganized lone rangers and while they 're obviously very worrying and one has to be extremely vigilant , it is also at some level a sign of the weakness of an organization like al Qaeda that it is not able to do the kind of terrorist attacks it used to . To be sure , it 's important to be very vigilant and make sure you have groups like al Qaeda on the run . But I do n't know that in a free society , you will ever be able to prevent an individual with no background in terrorism who 's broken no laws and is radicalized from attempting to make some kind of trouble . | Naturalized U.S. citizen of Pakistani descent charged in Times Square bomb probe . Authorities say he received bomb training in Pakistan 's Waziristan region . Fareed Zakaria says Pakistan has encouraged Islamic terrorist groups for decades . Zakaria : Pakistani military sees militant groups as a weapon to prevent Indian domination . | [[623, 637], [697, 772], [2520, 2569], [465, 622], [479, 541], [2789, 2868], [2869, 2903], [2933, 2969], [465, 622], [465, 467], [479, 523], [546, 622], [3128, 3241], [6372, 6456]] |
Lisbon , Portugal -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pope Benedict XVI made one of his strongest statements to date on the sex abuse scandal sweeping the Roman Catholic Church , saying Tuesday the reality he has seen is `` terrifying . '' And he distanced himself from criticism of the media by senior Vatican officials , saying the most important attacks on the church do n't come from the outside , they come from the sins of the members of the church , CNN senior Vatican analyst John Allen said . Benedict was speaking on his plane en route to Portugal , where he is making a four-day visit . He has said very little in public about the scandal , which has swept Western Europe this year , leading bishops to quit or offer to quit in Ireland , Germany and Belgium . Hundreds of people have come forward this year saying they were abused by priests or other Catholic authority figures there and in Austria , Netherlands and the United States . He said three weeks ago he was `` greatly moved '' by meeting victims of abuse in Valletta , Malta . He said he gave the victims `` assurances of the church 's action '' after the April 18 meeting . It is not clear if he plans to meet victims of abuse in Portugal , which has not been as badly shaken by the scandal as many other European countries . | Pope Benedict XVI says reality of church child abuse scandal is `` terrifying '' Pontiff says most serious attacks on the church come from within . Benedic was speaking en route to Portugal . | [[9, 33], [162, 219], [227, 229], [306, 382], [485, 540]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- This week is Nurses Week and hospitals across the country , I 'm sure , will celebrate it the same way mine does -- by not doing much . Last year we all got goodie bags that held confetti , hard candies and a small candle that was symbolic of helping us light our way . Another year all nurses who had worked five years or more got a beach towel emblazoned with the hospital logo . A beach towel ! Who would n't be excited about that , especially in land-locked western Pennsylvania ? The point is n't the swag , or lack thereof , but the paltriness of the gestures . Hospitals do not function well without nurses , and yet our institutions routinely devalue our work . A 2002 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association , led by University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing professor Linda Aiken , revealed that as hospital nurses are assigned more and more patients to care for , the number of patients who die also goes up . Aiken 's study assumed a ratio of four patients to every one inpatient nurse , and found that for every additional patient `` in the average nurse 's workload , '' the odds of a patient dying increased by 7 percent . New data just released by the same authors in Health Services Research confirms the earlier findings . In a tri-state analysis , the researchers found that adding a patient to nurses ' workloads increased patient mortality by 6 percent in Pennsylvania , 10 percent in New Jersey and 13 percent in California . The thinner nurses are spread in hospitals the greater the number of patients who die . It 's that simple . Improved nurse staffing keeps more patients alive because nurses are the canaries in the coal mine , or what Aiken 's article in JAMA called `` an around-the-clock surveillance system . '' Fewer patients per nurse means that when a patient develops a serious problem , the nurse will be more likely to notice it and have time to address it : page the doctor , make sure needed drugs get ordered , suggest appropriate scans , and above all , continue to monitor the situation -- be ready to call a condition or `` code '' if needed . Hospital patients are sicker than they were 20 years ago because advances in technology and improvements in overall care have meant that more very ill patients survive and end up in hospitals . These unstable patients can spiral down quickly . To ensure patient safety we nurses have to be vigilant , and we need time to do that well . With the advent of managed care , hospitals cut back on their nursing staffs as a way to save money and increase profitability , but that meant they cut back on patient safety , too . So , we nurses do n't want towels or party favors for Nurses Week . The best present of all would be hospital floors that always have enough nurses . A serious effort to reduce the amount of required documentation , giving us more time with patients in exchange for less time in front of the computer , would also be a welcome Nurses Week change . Or how about lunch ? Research by Dr. Ann Rogers and colleagues in the Journal of Nursing Administration in 2005 showed that nurses routinely work through their allotted lunch breaks in order to provide patient care . Indeed , on my floor , `` lunch '' often means eating in front of the computer while we chart , shoveling down food before running off to give pain medication to a patient who needs it , or putting aside all thoughts of food while helping a patient who 's `` having trouble breathing . '' Additionally , in many hospitals , nurses are not paid for the 30-minute lunch break we often work through . A quick Google search on `` nurses lunch unpaid '' turns up multiple hits detailing class-action lawsuits filed against hospitals where nurses are not paid for a 30-minute `` lunch , '' even though they spend that time working . Not paying nurses for a half-hour lunch break during which we all typically work is in conflict with the Fair Labor Standards Act , but hospitals must save millions of dollars a year by cheating nurses out of lunch . They save even more money by cutting back on nurse staffing in general . The unpaid and untaken lunch break is a symptom of nurses ' work being taken for granted . It represents the chasm separating the life and death value of our work , and the lack of institutional respect we are often accorded . Never forget that the flip side of an overworked nurse , with more patients than she can safely manage , is a dead patient who might have lived otherwise . So , what I would really like for Nurses Week is to have enough nurses to keep as many patients as possible alive . But I 'm a realist ; I 'm willing to start small . Let 's give nurses a real break during the day , or pay up for that half hour we work . This week is Nurses Week . It 's time for hospitals to stop getting a free lunch . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Theresa Brown . | Theresa Brown : This is Nurses Week , but hospitals do n't do much to honor nurses . Brown : Studies show that as hospitals cut nursing staff , more patients die . Better staffing , she writes , means more attention can be paid to patients . Best gift for nurses would be enough staff -- or at least a paid lunch , she says . | [[0, 15], [19, 76], [4778, 4804], [1566, 1574], [1579, 1584], [4067, 4071], [4093, 4139], [4367, 4489], [4385, 4451], [4472, 4522], [4533, 4593]] |
New Orleans , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- 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 power to put the planet on a smarter , safer path to a low-carbon future and to protect us and generations to come . We ask them to use it . To quote Richard B. Alley , a climate-change expert from Penn State University , `` This is real , this is real , this is real . So act now , the ball 's in your court . '' The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Tom Darden . | Tom Darden directs foundation that helps New Orleans residents rebuild their community . He says Hurricane Katrina , flooded New Orleans offer lessons for Copenhagen meeting . Darden : World is reeling from global warming ; effects will continue and we must adapt . Solutions exist , but it 's time for the international community to step up , he says . | [[385, 425], [121, 267], [922, 1065], [1269, 1273], [1279, 1309], [1310, 1312], [1346, 1377], [2496, 2570], [2496, 2570], [3836, 3875], [3851, 3888], [4132, 4220]] |
-LRB- Mother Nature Network -RRB- -- Mother 's Day poems come in all shapes and sizes . Many address the poet 's memories of his mother . Others describe the poet 's gratitude for his mother . Some are very short . Some are very long . Sometimes the mother-child relationship is complicated and the poet discusses the good times along with the bad . Other times , it 's a straightforward message of love and gratitude . If nothing else , the poet almost always acknowledges the significant role a mother plays in the lives of her children . Needless-to-say , with Mom being portrayed so many different ways in poetry , there are several avenues for approaching a selection of poems appropriate for Mother 's Day . Well , we 're here to help you . Here 's a list of selected works to get you started with Mother 's Day poems : . Mother Nature Network : Mother 's Day song guide . `` To My Mother '' by Robert Louis Stevenson . The Scottish poet evokes childhood memories in this four-line ode to Mom . It appeared `` A Child 's Garden of Verses , '' a collection of 65 poems by Stevenson first published in 1885 under the title `` Penny Whistles . '' You too , my mother , read my rhymes For love of unforgotten times , And you may chance to hear once more The little feet along the floor . `` Kaddish '' by Allen Ginsberg . Ginsberg , one of the leading voices of the Beat Generation , wrote this lengthy poem following the 1956 death of his mother . It was published as part of a collection , `` Kaddish and Other Poems : 1958-1960 . '' Its title refers to the traditional Jewish prayer recited during times of mourning . `` To My Mother '' by Christina Rosetti . Rosetti , a 19th century English poet best known for her lengthy poem called `` Goblin 's Market , '' wrote this short piece about her mother in 1842 : . To-day 's your natal day ; Sweet flowers I bring : Mother , accept , I pray My offering . And may you happy live , And long us bless ; Receiving as you give Great happiness . Mother Nature Network : Kids ' Mother 's Day crafts projects . `` Thanking My Mother for Piano Lessons '' by Diane Wakoski . Wakoski , a contemporary poet who counts Allen Ginsberg among her influences , writes of the `` beauty that can come from even an ugly past '' in this poem that recounts , among other things , the financial struggles her mother accepted in order to make sure she could pay for her child 's piano lessons . `` Mother o ' Mine '' by Rudyard Kipling . The Nobel laureate , who lived from 1865 to 1936 , wrote about the undying love of a mother in this 11-line poem : . If I were hanged on the highest hill , Mother o ' mine , O mother o ' mine ! I know whose love would follow me still , Mother o ' mine , O mother o ' mine ! If I were drowned in the deepest sea , Mother o ' mine , O mother o ' mine ! I know whose tears would come down to me , Mother o ' mine , O mother o ' mine ! If I were damned of body and soul , I know whose prayers would make me whole , Mother o ' mine , O mother o ' mine ! `` Mother to Son '' by Langston Hughes . This lesser-known piece by the Harlem Renaissance writer takes the perspective of the mother speaking to her son and telling him that `` Life for me ai n't been no crystal stair . '' It can be found in `` The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes . '' `` What I Learned From My Mother '' by Julia Kasdorf . Kasdorf is the second contemporary poet on our list . She talks about how her mother taught her to comfort those in mourning , to offer healing and `` the blessing of your voice , your chaste touch . '' Do you have a favorite Mother 's Day poem ? Let us know in the comments below . © Copyright 2010 Mother Nature Network . | Poets have long written about their mothers or to their mothers . Robert Louis Stevenson : Poem tells mother to hear `` The little feet along the floor '' Julia Kasdorf 's poem tells how her mother taught her to comfort those in mourning . Rudyard Kipling 's poem said his mother would love him even if he were hanged . | [[138, 192], [1219, 1289], [1764, 1814], [3416, 3561], [3436, 3486], [2468, 2486], [2519, 2580]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Margaret Sanger opened the first American family-planning clinic in 1916 , and nothing would be the same again . Since then the growing proliferation of birth control methods has had an awesome effect on both sexes and led to a sea change in moral values . And as I 've grown older over the past five decades -- from 1960 to 2010 -- and lived through this revolutionary period in female sexuality , I 've seen how it has altered American society -- for better or worse . On the upside , by the early 60 's The Pill had made it easier for a woman to choose to delay having children until after she established herself in a career . Nonetheless , for young women of childbearing age -LRB- I was one of them -RRB- there was a need for some careful soul searching -- and consideration about the long-range effects of oral contraceptives -- before addressing this very personal decision . It was a decision I too would have to face when I discovered I was pregnant at age 19 . Even though I was married to the baby 's father , Jim Welch , I was n't prepared for this development . It meant I would have to put my career ambitions on hold . But `` the choice '' was not mine alone to make . I had always wanted to have Jim 's babies , but was n't at all sure how he would react . At the time , we were 19-year-old newlyweds , struggling to make ends meet . But he was unflinching in his desire to keep our baby and his positive , upbeat attitude about the whole prospect turned everything around . I have always loved Jim for how he responded in that moment . During my pregnancy , I came to realize that this process was not about me . I was just a spectator to the metamorphosis that was happening inside my womb so that another life could be born . It came down to an act of self-sacrifice , especially for me , as a woman . But both of us were fully involved , not just for that moment , but for the rest of our lives . And it 's scary . You may think you can skirt around the issue and dodge the decision , but I 've never known anyone who could . Jim and I had two beautiful children who 've been an ongoing blessing to both of us . Later , I would strike out on my own , with my little ones , as a single mother to pursue a career in the movies . It was far from ideal , but my children did n't impede my progress . They grounded me in reality and forced me into an early maturity . I should add that having two babies did n't destroy my figure . But if I 'd had a different attitude about sex , conception and responsibility , things would have been very different . One significant , and enduring , effect of The Pill on female sexual attitudes during the 60 's , was : `` Now we can have sex anytime we want , without the consequences . Hallelujah , let 's party ! '' It remains this way . These days , nobody seems able to `` keep it in their pants '' or honor a commitment ! Raising the question : Is marriage still a viable option ? I 'm ashamed to admit that I myself have been married four times , and yet I still feel that it is the cornerstone of civilization , an essential institution that stabilizes society , provides a sanctuary for children and saves us from anarchy . In stark contrast , a lack of sexual inhibitions , or as some call it , `` sexual freedom , '' has taken the caution and discernment out of choosing a sexual partner , which used to be the equivalent of choosing a life partner . Without a commitment , the trust and loyalty between couples of childbearing age is missing , and obviously leads to incidents of infidelity . No one seems immune . As a result of the example set by their elders , by the 1990s teenage sexual promiscuity -- or hooking up -- with multiple partners had become a common occurrence . Many of my friends who were parents of teenagers sat in stunned silence several years ago when it came to light that oral sex had become a popular practice among adolescent girls in middle schools across the country . The 13-year-old daughter of one such friend freely admitted to performing fellatio on several boys at school on a regular basis . `` Aw come on , Mom . It 's no big deal . Everyone is doing it , '' she said . Apparently , since it 's not the act of intercourse , kids do n't count it as sex . Can any sane person fail to make a judgment call about that ? Seriously , folks , if an aging sex symbol like me starts waving the red flag of caution over how low moral standards have plummeted , you know it 's got ta be pretty bad . In fact , it 's precisely because of the sexy image I 've had that it 's important for me to speak up and say : Come on girls ! Time to pull up our socks ! We 're capable of so much better . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Raquel Welch . | Raquel Welch : The Pill has altered society in ways good and bad . An upside has been empowerment of women in life decisions . Welch : Downside is loss of caution and discernment in choice of sex partners . | [[280, 294], [418, 489], [3205, 3213], [3295, 3370]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A multistate romaine lettuce recall because of fear of contamination with a potentially deadly bacteria has restaurants east of the Mississippi River scrambling to assure customers that their salad is safe . `` We have taken the extra precaution of contacting our lettuce supply chain partners to ensure that our product meets our usual high standard of quality , '' New York-based franchise Just Salad said in an e-mail to its customers . `` We are happy to say that we have confirmed that this recall will have no effect on Just Salad 's romaine lettuce , '' the e-mail said . On Thursday , Freshway Foods in Sidney , Ohio , announced a voluntary recall of products containing shredded romaine lettuce with a use-by date of May 12 or earlier because they may be contaminated with E. coli linked to outbreak of illness . Read about recall on CNN 's This Just in . Yum ! Brands -- the largest restaurant company , and owner of popular fast food chains KFC , Pizza Hut , Taco Bell and Long John Silver 's -- said Freshway Foods is a not supplier to any of its brands . The romaine lettuce , sold under the Freshway and Imperial Sysco brands , was recalled in connection with an E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least 19 people in Michigan , Ohio and New York . Most E. coli strains are harmless , but some cause severe illness . Diarrhea , urinary tract infections , pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses are just some of the consequences of ingesting certain kinds of the bacteria . Blog : What you need to know about E. coli . The lettuce under recall was sold to wholesalers and food service outlets in Alabama , Connecticut , the District of Columbia , Florida , Georgia , Illinois , Indiana , Kansas , Kentucky , Maryland , Massachusetts , Michigan , Missouri , New Jersey , New York , North Carolina , Ohio , Pennsylvania , Rhode Island , South Carolina , Tennessee , Virginia , West Virginia and Wisconsin . Freshway Foods also advised consumers not to eat `` grab and go '' salads sold at in-store salad bars and delis at Kroger , Giant Eagle , Ingles Markets and Marsh stores in 23 states and the District of Columbia . The Freshway recall does not affect bagged and prepackaged romaine lettuce mixes sold in the produce section . `` It is important to note that bulk and prepackaged romaine or bagged salad mixes containing romaine that were purchased in supermarkets are not included in this recall ; Freshway Foods does not produce these products , '' Freshway said in a statement . Consumers with recall questions and concerns can contact Freshway Foods at 888-361-7106 or visit its website , www.freshwayfoods.com . | Just Salad sent e-mail to customers saying it confirmed safety . Freshway Foods is voluntarily recalling lettuce possibly contaminated with E. coli . E. coli outbreak has sickened 19 people in Michigan , Ohio and New York . | [[383, 458], [459, 574], [598, 609], [612, 636], [646, 686], [763, 808], [1087, 1106], [1161, 1212], [1193, 1212], [1218, 1283]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Diego Forlan scored a dramatic extra time winner as Atletico Madrid beat Fulham 2-1 in Hamburg to win the Europa League final on Wednesday night . It was the second of the match for Forlan , who had put Atletico ahead after 32 minutes with Simon Davies equalizing for the English Premier League side six minutes later . Atletico created the better chances in normal and added time with Sergio Aguero a constant threat and it was the Argentine star who set up the winner for his strike partner with four minutes remaining in the second period of extra time . He found space on the left of the Fulham defense and his low cross was diverted past Mark Schwarzer by Forlan 's clever touch which took a slight deflection off Brede Hangeland . Fulham , who had upset the odds more than once to reach the final , could not force a second equalizer and it was Atletico , so often in the shadow of their city neighbors Real , who were left to celebrate their second major European club trophy after a gap of 48 years . Fulham manager Roy Hodgson took a chance on the fitness of star striker Bobby Zamora , who is struggling with an Achilles injury that has ended his England World Cup hopes . But it was Atletico who had the best of the early skirmishes and Forlan saw an effort thud against a post . But he was on target just after the half hour mark as an Agueuro scuffed effort fell into his path and he beat Schwarzer to open the scoring . Zamora was clearly less than fully fit , but his burst caused chaos in the Spanish defense and when Zoltan Gera crossed from the right a slight deflection saw the ball fall perfectly into the path of Davies , who volleyed home . Uruguay star Forlan pulled a fine save out of Australian international Schwarzer before halftime but the other side of the break saw Davies nearly add to his tally . Zamora went off to give way to Clint Dempsey and both sides had promising attacking moments as players tired . In extra time , Atletico again looked the more threatening and when Raul Garcia cut the ball into the path of Aguero he looked certain to score but put his effort into the side netting . Penalties loomed until Aguero did superbly to keep control of the ball down the left and his cross found Forlan the more alert to end Fulham 's dream . | Diego Forlan scores both goals as Atletico Madrid beat Fulham 2-1 in Europa League final . Simon Davies leveled Forlan 's first half strike but he struck again in extra time . Atletico were winning European club trophy for the first time in their history . | [[19, 86], [71, 165], [19, 86], [197, 209], [214, 338]] |
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