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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nearly a decade ago , a group of Saudis and other men from the Middle East came to the United States to carry out the worst terrorist attack on the U.S. Not a single one had American citizenship . Almost nine years after the September 11 attacks , the threat of another major terror strike is still a concern , but where the threat is coming from has changed . A growing number of American citizens and longtime residents of the United States are becoming radicalized enough by al Qaeda 's extremist ideology to kill their fellow Americans , counterterrorism officials say . A growing number are also learning the bomb-making skills necessary to become potentially dangerous terrorists , the officials say . They are training in the mountains of Waziristan in northwestern Pakistan , where al Qaeda still enjoys significant safety . That 's where , according to the U.S. government , alleged Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad was trained by the Pakistani Taliban , a group with close ties to al Qaeda . Shahzad 's case has strong similarities to that of another American who plotted with terrorist groups in Pakistan to attack the United States . His name is Bryant Neal Vinas , a Catholic convert to Islam from Long Island , New York , who became radicalized , traveled to Pakistan to join up with al Qaeda and helped Osama bin Laden 's terrorist organization plot a bomb attack on New York City . When news of Vinas ' arrest broke last summer , family members , friends and terrorism experts where dumbfounded by how a studious , middle-class , baseball-loving , all-American kid and onetime U.S. Army recruit could end up plotting to kill in the name of al Qaeda . CNN 's investigation into Vinas has resulted in an intimate portrait of a homegrown terrorist , charting the disturbing story of a young American 's obsessive quest to join al Qaeda . Watch a preview of ` American al Qaeda ' Vinas ' case sheds significant light on why Shahzad and an increasing number of other young Americans have become seduced by al Qaeda 's ideology . Both Vinas and Shahzad were well-integrated into American life before becoming radicalized . Both traveled to the heart of al Qaeda 's operational command in Pakistan 's tribal region along the border with Afghanistan . And both allegedly met with the most senior leaders of the Pakistani Taliban in the weeks before allegedly plotting against the United States . `` Bryant Neal Vinas is almost a poster child for the process , the unremarkable nature of the people who might go through this process and , frankly , the potential to link up to al Qaeda and the danger that presents , '' according to Mitch Silber , the director of intelligence analysis for the New York City Police Department . Several top U.S. counterterrorism officials had the same message : Americans radicalized at home and trained in Pakistan represent a new and disturbing threat to the American homeland . The changing face of terrorism . `` In the 9/11 world and in the immediate aftermath , the theory was and the reality was that a terrorist attack , if it were to occur again on U.S. soil , would be someone coming from abroad and coming in to the United States , '' Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said . `` That paradigm has changed , and there are now individuals in the United States , some who have grown up here and are American citizens . ... They have n't done anything to violate the law , but yet they have become radicalized to the point of violent extremism and to the point of ... considering coming back to the homeland and conducting an attack of some sort . '' In the last year , there have been 16 cases of Americans or American residents implicated in Islamist terrorism , a surge in such cases . The Times Square plot is case No. 17 . These cases include the plot last September by Denver taxi driver Najibullah Zazi to conduct multiple suicide bombings on subway cars in New York City , an al Qaeda plot described by U.S. officials as the most serious on U.S. soil since 9/11 . Like Vinas and alleged Times Square bomber Shahzad , Zazi and two associates allegedly received terrorist training in the tribal areas of Pakistan . `` Radicalization is definitely on the rise in the United States , '' said Silber of the NYPD , adding that there 's `` a new wrinkle '' to that radicalization : `` For years , many of these people almost exclusively sought to fight overseas , -LSB- but -RSB- now , we 're seeing individuals looking to target the United States itself . '' Counterterrorism officials believe that interactive online social media sites and a new generation of charismatic English-speaking preachers have helped al Qaeda and other terrorist groups spread their ideology into the United States like never before . But not only radical online preaching has caused increasing concerns . CNN investigations have revealed that radical preachers are attempting to spread al Qaeda 's message on the streets of American cities , including even on Times Square in New York . Two New York City-based groups -- The Islamic Thinkers Society and Revolution Muslim -- have come under particular scrutiny because of their attempts to spread al Qaeda 's ideology in the United States . CNN investigations have revealed that Vinas hung out in Islamic Thinkers Society circles in New York before leaving to fight jihad in Afghanistan . U.S. counterterrorism officials tell CNN they believe he was radicalized by spending time with the group . While the Islamic Thinkers Society and Revolution Muslim have few full-time members and their public rallies are sometimes sparsely attended , they have thousands of followers online , many of them American . And counterterrorism officials believe they often organize meetings in private . `` In a sense , they are almost bug lights for aspiring jihadists , '' Silber said . `` They 've got an anti-Western , anti-democratic , anti-U.S. , pro-al Qaeda message . '' One of the followers of Revolution Muslim 's website was `` Jihad Jane , '' the avatar of Colleen LaRose , a Pennsylvanian woman charged in March for allegedly plotting to murder a Swedish cartoonist . The Islamic Thinkers Society , like Revolution Muslim , is still active . Last month , outside the Israeli Consulate in New York , it protested U.S. support for Israel . After the rally , Islamic Thinkers Society spokesman Abu Mujaddid said the group planned to step up its activities in New York and was successfully recruiting new followers . Mujaddid , who said he believed the United States was at war with Islam , refused to give his real name . Breeding ground . While it is still unclear whether Shahzad had radical associates in the United States , U.S. counterterrorism officials are concerned that others like him may be being radicalized through personal contact with proselytizers . Most serious plots directed at the West in the last six years saw plotters either trained or directed by established jihadist groups in Pakistan , according to a recent study conducted for the New American Foundation . In recent months , videos have emerged purporting to show two Americans fighting with militants along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border . One of the alleged Americans , going by the name Sayfullah Amriki , was featured with his face blurred in a video produced by the propaganda arm of the Islamic Jihad Union , an al Qaeda-affiliated Uzbek group . In the video , Amriki said he was not the only American who had joined up with militants in the area . He also made a plea in English for new recruits to fight American forces in Afghanistan . `` We must rush to the lands to jihad . It is an obligation on us , '' he said . `` How can we lose when we wish for death ? '' But it 's what happens when fighters like Amriki come home that most worries U.S. counterterrorism officials . | More Americans are turning to radical Islam , U.S. counterterrorism officials say . Homeland security secretary : This is a `` paradigm shift '' since the days just after 9/11 . Times Square bomb suspect Faisal Shahzad allegedly trained in Pakistan . His case is similar to that of Bryant Vinas , subject of CNN 's `` American al Qaeda '' | [[380, 527], [561, 593], [1957, 2060], [3204, 3258], [852, 856], [903, 982], [4104, 4199], [1023, 1090]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dear Mr. President : How good of you , sir , to have personally telephoned two New York heroes whose timely diligence prevented a lunatic from causing a catastrophe in Times Square . We New Yorkers are happy to hear you called Mr. Lance L. Orton Sr. and Mr. Duane Jackson to thank them for their vigilance . But there is a third vendor , Mr. President , whom you forgot to call . His name is Alioune B. Niass , and he is an immigrant from Somalia who said he was the first person to notice the smoking Nissan Pathfinder . `` I thought I should call 911 , '' Niass later told a reporter , `` but my English is not very good and I had no credit left on my phone , so I walked over to Lance , who has the T-shirt stall next to mine , and told him . He said we should n't call 911 . Immediately he alerted a police officer nearby . '' Here in New York , Mr. President , we are not particular about which one of these great New Yorkers saw that deadly car first , alerted the police and prevented a disaster . The Big Apple has a big heart , and the magnificent city of New York has room for plenty of heroes . But we are also very fair people . So we would be grateful if you could kindly call Mr. Niass and thank him for us . There is another reason besides fairness . Mr. Niass is a Muslim from Somalia , and some of us Muslim-Americans have a suspicion that your staff might not have brought him to your attention because the idea of a Muslim hero in New York does not quite dovetail with the stereotype . If there is an American of Muslim descent who commits , or tries to commit , a criminal act , as Faisal Shahzad apparently did , we Muslims feel we are all suddenly suspects . We feel we need to explain ourselves . Yet if there is a hero among us whose love for our city does not fit the stereotype , he is ignored . This is not fair , and we believe you , as our president , can do much to alleviate this burden on us and our children . Imagine millions of Muslim children who go to school across America every day , just like your own children . Imagine how proud they would feel if you were to call Mr. Niass . That pride of place , that we and our children deserve , would go a long way to alleviating the pain of the bigotry and racism that is aimed at us . We too would feel at home here and be even more diligent in safeguarding and protecting our cities from criminal atrocities . You recall , Mr. President , during your presidential campaign you were , and still are , repeatedly `` accused '' of being a Muslim -- as if being a Muslim were a crime . We were hoping every time you denied being a Muslim that you would add , `` and if I were a Muslim , there is nothing wrong with it . '' Finally , it was former Secretary of State Colin Powell who came out and said so when answering people who claimed you are Muslim : `` He 's a Christian ; has always been a Christian . But the really right answer is , ` What if he is ? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country ? ' '' We were relieved and grateful . We , too , Mr. President , are America . We have our share of criminals amongst us , as do any other people . But we are not all terrorists , and we are tired of feeling false guilt or shame every time a criminal among us does something insane and stupid . We are ordinary people -- soldiers and scientists , scholars and students , homemakers and teachers , businessmen and lawyers , physicians and engineers , greengrocers and vendors . And you are our president too . We who claim Mr. Niass as one of our own also have a dream . We dream that our children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the faith of their forefathers but by the content of their character . When the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. -- the visionary who said these immortal words I paraphrase -- uttered that phrase for the first time in 1963 , scarcely anyone could have imagined that you would be our president today . But now you are and can do your share to change perceptions . It is possible that a Muslim might become president some day . For all we know , that president might be an American kid of Afghan , Pakistani , Arab , Iranian , Somali , or Indonesian parentage who is reporting to school this morning . Imagine how proud she would be if you were to call Mr. Niass today and thank him . His business is located on the corner of 45th and Broadway , two tables down from Lance 's . I can give you his phone number . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Hamid Dabashi . | Hamid Dabashi lauds president for calling two street vendors who reported Times Square car . But , Dabashi says , a third vendor , a Muslim immigrant , says he was first to spot Pathfinder . Muslim-American hero defies the `` terrorist '' stereotype , he writes . Dabashi : Muslim Americans living with prejudice would be buoyed by Obama calling him . | [[340, 363], [467, 474], [479, 507], [484, 549]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Italian manager Gianfranco Zola has been sacked by English Premier League club West Ham , while former England boss Steve McLaren has joined German side Wolfsburg . The Hammers announced in a statement on their official Web site that they had terminated Zola 's contract after a season in which they finished just one place above the relegation zone . West Ham 's new owners , David Gold and David Sullivan , who took control of the club in January , made clear there would be changes at the end of the season , and they have been true to their word . The official statement read : `` West Ham United confirm that they have terminated the contract of Gianfranco Zola . `` The Board of Directors would like to thank him for his contribution and wish him well for the future . The Club will now be focusing its efforts on seeking a replacement . '' Meanwhile , ex-England coach Steve McLaren has been confirmed as Wolfsburg 's new coach . McLaren led Dutch side FC Twente to their first ever league title last season and will become the first English coach to take charge of a German side . A statement on Wolfsburg 's official Web site said : `` Steve McClaren is to take over as new trainer at VfL Wolfsburg . The 49 year old will start work on July 1st under a two year contract to keep him in Wolfsburg until June 30th 2012 . '' Former Netherlands and Ajax coach Marco van Basten has ruled himself out of the running to become the next boss of Italian giants AC Milan . Media reports in Italy claim current coach Leonardo will leave the club in the summer but according to the UK Press Association , Van Basten told Italian television that a serious ankle injury would rule him out of contention . He said : `` I am still not ready . I still have an ankle problem and I must resolve it . I ca n't do a big job like that of a coach as for that your mind has to be clear . `` I have read the reports about Milan and me . It 's a good idea . Milan and the people of Milan are kind to me , but right now I have this problem with my ankle and it does n't seem right to see a coach limp on the pitch . '' | Gianfranco Zola has been sacked by West Ham United . Ex-England coach Steve McLaren has left FC Twente for German club Wolfsburg . Italian media claims Marco Van Basten has ruled himself out of the AC Milan job . | [[0, 15], [35, 106], [571, 598], [601, 687], [109, 183], [866, 875], [878, 955], [1108, 1158], [1161, 1228], [1350, 1437], [1491, 1519]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac has selected captain Michael Essien and defender John Mensah in his preliminary 29-man World Cup squad despite the duo still recovering from injuries . Midfielder Essien has not played for his English club Chelsea since December , when he suffered a hamstring injury before breaking down with a knee problem at the Africa Cup of Nations the following month . Mensah , who also plays in England on loan with Sunderland , has been sidelined with a calf injury arising from a physical complication which has plagued him in recent years . Midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng , who also plays in England , was named by the Serbian coach on Tuesday despite still waiting for his nationality switch to be approved . Blog : `` Dynamite '' Drogba will explode at World Cup . The Portsmouth player was born in Germany , who he has represented at under-21 level , but has a Ghanaian father and his uncle has played for the Black Stars . Rajevac has recalled Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari , who was dropped for the Africa Cup of Nations in January after deciding not to play in a friendly against Angola . New Ivory Coast manager Sven-Goran Eriksson named a predictably talent-laden 30-man squad , with his side favored to be the continent 's best prospect in South Africa . The Elephants , who face Brazil , Portugal and North Korea in Group G , can call upon the English Premier League 's top scorer Didier Drogba and his teammate at champions Chelsea , Salomon Kalou . The midfield ranks include Barcelona 's Champions League winner Yaya Toure , Hamburg 's Guy Demel and Cheick Tiote of Dutch champions FC Twente . Former England and Mexico coach Eriksson , who took over from Vahid Halilhodzic after a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations campaign , also has England-based defenders Emmanuel Eboue , Kolo Toure , Abdoulaye Meite and Steve Gohouri . Cameroon coach Paul Le Guen has given Rigobert Song the chance to appear at his fourth World Cup after naming the 33-year-old defender in his 30-man squad . Veteran midfielder Geremi , who also plays in Turkey , may play at his second tournament while Benoit Assou-Akotto is recalled after missing the Africa Cup of Nations through injury and his fellow Tottenham defender Sebastien Bassong is included too after being omitted for the Angola event by the Frenchman . Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto'o will continue as captain , having replaced Song when Le Guen took charge last year . South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira named Benni McCarthy in his 29-man squad after the striker was dropped by predecessor Joel Santana and has struggled with injury since moving to English club West Ham in January . The Brazilian picked 10 Europe-based players , including captain Aaron Mokoena and midfielders Kagisho Dikgacoi and Steven Pienaar , but Nasief Morris of Spanish club Racing Santander missed out . Nigeria coach Lars Lagerback has given Nwankwo Kanu the chance to earn his third World Cup appearance despite the 33-year-old striker 's limited opportunities with English club Portsmouth this season . Kanu 's clubmate John Utaka has been recalled in the 30-man squad after being dropped by the Swede 's sacked predecessor Amodu Shaibu , while midfielder Jon Obi Mikel is included despite missing the end of Chelsea 's season due to minor knee surgery . Goalkeeper Bassey Akpan and Peter Suswan were the only Nigeria-based players selected . Algeria coach Rabah Saadane had yet to name his squad . | Ghana captain Michael Essien included in 30-man provisional World Cup squad despite injury . New Ivory Coast boss Sven-Goran Eriksson makes no surprises in his selection . Cameroon defender Rigobert Song the chance to appear at his fourth World Cup . Nigeria striker Nwankwo Kanu in contention to earn his third World Cup appearance . | [[1929, 1937], [1954, 2047], [1145, 1234], [1891, 2047], [1929, 1937], [1954, 2047], [2896, 3097], [2935, 2947], [2952, 2986]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- England coach Fabio Capello has been forced to go back on his previously iron-clad rules in selecting his preliminary squad for the World Cup in South Africa . The Italian has always said he would not pick players who are injured or out of form , but has brought Liverpool 's Jamie Carragher out of international retirement to bolster his defensive options as cover with injury-prone captain Rio Ferdinand and Ledley King also in the 30-man line-up . Neither Carragher nor versatile Tottenham star King have yet played for Capello , who retained his midfield mainstay Gareth Barry despite the Manchester City player being in doubt for the June 12 opener against the United States due to injury . Carragher made himself unavailable in 2007 after not being often used by previous managers Sven-Goran Eriksson and Steve McClaren despite being regularly named in squads . Blog : Will `` the Force '' be with Capello at World Cup ? Capello also asked Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes to become available again following his own international retirement in 2004 , but the 35-year-old turned down the opportunity . `` He said no , he preferred to stay with the family . But I tried , '' Capello told the UK Press Association . Liverpool fullback Glen Johnson was named despite being sidelined with injury , while striker Emile Heskey retained his place although he has not been a first-choice selection for his club Aston Villa . Key forward Wayne Rooney was named despite his niggling groin problem , with Tottenham 's Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch taking the other striking spots along with Sunderland 's 25-goal Darren Bent . Winger Aaron Lennon was included after only recently returning with Tottenham after a long-term absence , as was fellow right-sided player Shaun Wright-Phillips despite his failure to win a regular place at Manchester City , who also have 22-year-old Adam Johnson in the squad . Midfielder Joe Cole also got the nod , having last played for England in 2008 , after a strong end to a season that saw him on the fringe of league champions Chelsea 's first team . Italy 's 2006 World Cup-winning coach Marcelo Lippi has stuck with the players who qualified for South Africa in his 30-man squad , resisting suggestions that he should bring in-form Roma striker Francesco Totti out of international retirement . Totti 's on-loan teammate Luca Toni also missed out along with veteran Juventus forward Alessandro Del Piero , with Villarreal 's Giuseppe Rossi one of seven strikers named . Inter Milan 's controversial Italy under-21 forward Mario Balotelli missed out as Fabio Quagliarella -LRB- Napoli -RRB- , Vincenzo Iaquinta -LRB- Juventus -RRB- , Antonio Di Natale -LRB- Udinese -RRB- , Marco Borriello -LRB- Milan -RRB- , Alberto Gilardino -LRB- Fiorentina -RRB- and Giampaolo Pazzini -LRB- Sampdoria -RRB- were picked . Lippi omitted his former Juventus player Nicola Legrottaglie despite the defender being included in a recent 29-man training squad . France coach Raymond Domenech left out young Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema in his 30-man selection , while the omission of veteran midfielder Patrick Vieira means Thierry Henry is the only survivor from the 1998 World Cup-winning squad . Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri also missed out , but four of his clubmates in England -- Gael Clichy , William Gallas , Abou Diaby and Bacary Sagna -- were included . However , defender Gallas has been warned by Domenech that he must prove his fitness , having been sidelined since March with a leg injury . Veteran Netherlands striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy has missed out on a place in coach Bert van Marwijk 's 30-man , potentially signaling the end of the 33-year-old 's international career . Van Nistelrooy left Real Madrid to join German club Hamburg to revive his hopes following a serious knee injury , but Van Marwijk said the player had not returned to a high enough level to be selected . `` I told him that we have followed him closely and admire his commitment and dedication to get to the World Cup , '' Van Marwijk told AD Sportwereld . `` I believe that Ruud is fit , but after his lengthy knee injury he does not have time to get back to his old level . '' Dutch champions Twente have only two players in the squad , which features 14 overseas-based names . Feyenoord defender Giovanni van Bronckhorst , 35 , has announced he will retire after the month-long tournament . Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz named a 24-man squad due to doubts over a couple of players including Real Madrid defender Pepe , who has only just returned to training after being sidelined since December . Goalkeepers Beto and Daniel Fernandes were named as deputies to Braga 's Eduardo despite not playing in any of the qualifiers , but there were no other surprises for the 2006 semifinalists , who will be led by Real superstar Cristiano Ronaldo . Spain coach Vicente del Bosque is giving injured stars Andreas Iniesta , Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabregas every chance to be fit , naming the key trio in a 30-man squad including five goalkeepers . Uncapped Barcelona No. 1 Victor Valdes and Atletico Madrid 's 19-year-old David De Gea were selected along with Real Madrid 's Iker Casillas , Liverpool 's Jose Reina and Diego Lopez of Villarreal . Barcelona winger Pedro Rodriguez , Osasuna defender Cesar Azpilicueta and Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez were named despite having won only under-21 caps . Barca 19-year-old Bojan Krkic , who missed Spain 's Euro 2008 success at his own request due to fatigue , has again been omitted . Slovakia defender Martin Skrtel , Filip Holosko and fellow striker Robert Vittek were named in a 29-man squad by coach Vladimir Weiss despite their recent injury problems . Liverpool 's Skrtel has not played for three months since breaking a bone in his foot , while Holosko is struggling to get over a broken leg suffered last year and Vittek -- who is also based in Turkey -- has had a knee problem . Weiss also selected his 20-year-old son and namesake Vladimir of English club Manchester City , who as loaned to Bolton this season . Serbia coach Radomir Antic named just five home-based players in his 30-man squad , with six from English Premier League clubs including key defender Nemanja Vidic of Manchester United . Slovenia boss Matjaz Kek kept faith with the players who helped the small East European nation qualify for the second time when he named his 30-man squad . Denmark coach Morten Olsen picked Thomas Sorensen in his 26-man squad despite the goalkeeper suffered a dislocated elbow on duty with English club Stoke last month . Olsen , who won more than 100 caps as a player and took Denmark to the 2002 World Cup , gave defender Patrick Mtiliga his first call-up since his debut in November 2008 . Greece coach Otto Rehhagel has picked Christos Patsatzoglou and Giorgos Seitaridis despite the duo 's struggles with injuries this season . The German selected nine overseas-based players including qualifying campaign top scorer Theofanis Gekas of Hertha Berlin , Celtic striker Georgios Samaras and Liverpool defender Sotiris Kyrgiakos . Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld named an experienced 23-man squad for the finals , with seven players in reserve . The German has stuck with the likes of Blaise Nkufo of Dutch champions Twente , fellow striker Alexander Frei and midfielder Hakin Yakin , who are all 30 and above . Defender Philippe Senderos was included despite his lack of action with English club Arsenal , while Sampdoria midfielder Marco Padalino and Kosovo-born Swiss under-21 international Xherdan Shaqiri were also included . | England coach Fabio Capello brings Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher out of retirement . Italian names 30-man provisional World Cup squad featuring several injured players . Italy coach Marcelo Lippi omits veterans Francesco Totti , Luca Toni and Alessandro Del Piero . Spain name injured stars Andreas Iniesta , Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabregas . | [[179, 190], [264, 342], [6367, 6458], [2112, 2131], [2244, 2357], [2358, 2393], [2399, 2466], [4884, 5013]] |
-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- May 10 , 2010 . Download PDF maps related to today 's show : . • United Kingdom • Iceland • Georgia . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT . THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED . CARL AZUZ , CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR : Environment , economy , elections , education . All E words , and all part of this Monday edition of CNN Student News . From the CNN Center , I 'm Carl Azuz . First Up : Oil Spill . AZUZ : First up , officials are moving on to plan C to try to stop the oil that 's gushing into the Gulf of Mexico . They 've tried remote controlled subs . They 've tried a giant dome . We 're gon na have more on that in a second . What is plan c ? A lot of junk ! Basically , you stuff the leak with trash and try to clog the thing up . So , what about the containment chamber , the giant dome they were planning to drop over the leak ? The thing did n't work . Crystals formed on the dome and made it float . Officials have n't totally given up on the idea , but they 're considering other options , including junk . As this oil spill starts to wash ashore , meanwhile , it could have a huge impact on several industries . About 40 percent of the country 's seafood harvest comes from the Gulf Coast . Fishermen , dock workers , restaurant owners : All of them could be affected by this , as supplies go down and prices go up . The biggest challenge is how to get all of this oil under control and then to get the oil out of the water . Allan Chernoff shows us how the government gets ready for these kinds of situations . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- . ALLAN CHERNOFF , CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT , NEW YORK : When trying to clean up a giant oil spill , how does the oil industry know exactly what to do , what techniques are going to work ? The research is done right here at OHMSETT , the Oil and Hazardous Materials Simulated Environmental Test Tank . This facility is run by the Interior Department 's Minerals Management Service , and it is the largest of its kind in the entire world . UNIDENTIFIED MALE : Fire in the hole ! CHERNOFF : Oil sprays into the water , a slick forms and expands , but it 's all intentional . Here , the government creates controlled oil spills in a giant tank more than two football fields long . Operators create ocean wave conditions , then they use various techniques to clean it all up . There are three primary plans of attack for cleaning oil spills in the water : burn the oil , apply chemical dispersants to break it down , or manually remove it . All three are at work in the Gulf of Mexico . Today , cleanup experts are practicing manual techniques to remove oil . Taking oil off the surface of the water is kind of like peeling the filling off of an oreo cookie ; you 're skimming it . And that 's what all these various devices do . They skim the oil off the water . Depending upon the grade of oil , how heavy it is , you use a different type of skimmer . At OHMSETT , all different types of oil are sprayed into the tank from a moving bridge . Workers can test skimmers , various dispersants , even burning , all in a safe , enclosed environment that simulates the ocean 's salinity and even its wave patterns . We all know oil is lighter than water . That 's an advantage when it comes to cleaning up a spill , because the oil sits on top of the water . Using those booms , oil can actually be pushed into that skimmer , and then it 's sucked up using this giant vacuum . Cleanup workers from private industry , government and 24 countries around the world have come here to practice and research such techniques , including responders trying to clean the Gulf of Mexico right now . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- . Unemployment Numbers . AZUZ : We will continue to keep you updated on that story . Now , to unemployment . Last month , the U.S. unemployment rate went up , from 9.7 percent to 9.9 percent . Some experts are actually saying that 's a good sign . What ? The unemployment rate includes people who are actively looking for a job . Let 's say you 're out of work . In March , you 're so discouraged that you do n't think it 's worth it to even look for a job . In that situation , you 're not part of the unemployment rate . Then in April , you think there 's a better chance of finding a job , so you start looking . Now , you are included in the rate . So , according to some experts , the fact that unemployment rate went up , means that more people are feeling more optimistic about the economy . But the bottom line is , there are still more than 15 million Americans out of work . Shoutout . TOMEKA JONES , CNN STUDENT NEWS : Today 's Shoutout goes out to Mrs. Robbins ' contemporary issues class at Meadow Heights High School in Patton , Missouri ! Who lives at 10 Downing Street in London ? Is it : A -RRB- Sherlock Holmes , B -RRB- Queen of the UK , C -RRB- UK Prime Minister or D -RRB- U.N. Secretary-General ? You 've got three seconds -- GO ! 10 Downing Street is the UK prime minister 's home and office . That 's your answer and that 's your Shoutout ! UK Election . AZUZ : The question is , who is going to live at 10 Downing Street ? The UK is trying to figure that out after last week 's parliamentary elections . None of the parties got a majority of seats . So now , a scramble is on . In the UK , people vote for members of parliament . Whichever party wins a majority of the seats in parliament gets to form the new government , and that party 's leader usually becomes prime minister . Gordon Brown has held that job since 2007 . He heads up the Labour Party . But they only got 29 percent of the vote in last Thursday 's election . The Conservative Party , which is led by David Cameron , got 36 percent . Over the weekend , Brown and Cameron both met with Nick Clegg . He is in charge of the Liberal Democrat Party , which got 23 percent of the vote . Clegg could form a coalition -- basically , sort of team up -- with either the Labour Party or the Conservative Party and then together , form a majority . Volcano Ash . AZUZ : Well , we 're staying in Europe . An ash cloud from a volcano is causing problems for airplanes . And if that story sounds familiar , it 's because it is ! This is the same volcano and the same problem . It 's in southern Iceland under a glacier ; it 's been erupting since last month . The problem is the ash that you are seeing right here . If this ash gets into a jet 's engine , it can cause the engine to fail . Back in April , concerns about the ash shut down air travel across most of Europe for nearly a week . This weekend , several hundred more flights were canceled , and some officials closed airports in Italy , Spain and Scotland . Word to the Wise . RICK VINCENT , CNN STUDENT NEWS : A Word to the Wise ... zero tolerance -LRB- noun -RRB- a policy of strictly enforcing rules and laws , without making exceptions . Zero Tolerance . AZUZ : The state of Georgia , where we are , has a zero tolerance policy about weapons in school : any kind of weapon -- gun , knife , chain -- strictly forbidden on campus . A 14-year-old student named Eli Mahone was recently affected by this . He could n't find his backpack one morning . You 've probably experienced that yourself . So , Eli grabbed another backpack to use for the day , and he got to school before he found out that the backpack had a knife in it . It was a two-and-a-half inch blade that he uses when he goes fishing . ELI MOHONE , ARRESTED UNDER ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY : I get to school . I mean , it was just like a regular day . I went to reading and , I do n't know , one of my friends told me , `` Is that yours ? '' And when I looked down , there was a knife on the ground and it was mine . AZUZ : Eli took the knife and turned it in himself to the principal 's office . But here 's where zero tolerance kicked in , and Eli got in serious trouble : the policy does not allow school administrators to consider the circumstances . So , following that policy , school officials and police treated this as a crime . And a teen who 'd never broken the law before was arrested and sent to a youth detention center . Eli was also expelled from the school , and he had to go to an alternative school with students who 'd committed serious crimes . AIMEE HENSLER , ELI MAHONE 'S MOTHER : It was basically like standing outside your body watching as it was going on . I mean , I never imagined seeing him handcuffed and put in the back of a police car . AZUZ : Eli 's mom got in touch with a state senator . He crafted a bill that would relax Georgia 's zero tolerance policy . The bill passed the state House and Senate ; it 's waiting for the governor 's signature . As far as zero tolerance policies go , a local judge says they are effective in fighting certain types of crimes , but critics argue they go too far in schools . Blog Promo . AZUZ : What do you argue about zero tolerance policies ? It 's a new week ; we have a new post up on our blog at CNNStudentNews.com . What do you think of zero tolerance policies ? If they 're effective ? Are they worth it ? Or do you think they go too far . Tell us on our blog . The address : CNNStudentNews.com . The rule : first names only . Before We Go . AZUZ : We 've stuffed a lot in today 's show , but hopefully you have room for just a bit more . A lot more . But it 's worth it . This might be the world 's biggest burger . 590 pounds ! A Canadian chef concocted this creation . Of course , he had to use a special grill , one that has a forklift inside to flip the patty . Sure , he 's trying to break someone else 's record , but it 's to raise money for a charity . Goodbye . AZUZ : So if they were to ever meat , the old record holder might grill him for a while , but we doubt he 'll have any beef with the new guy . Whoo ! All right , we 're having fun with this story . You guys have an excellent day . We 're looking forward to seeing you tomorrow when CNN Student News returns on HLN , online or on iTunes . We 'll see you then ! | Check out how the U.S. government trains to fight oil spills . Find out why an election turned into a scramble in Britain . Hear about a controversy involving a zero tolerance policy . Use the Daily Discussion to help students understand today 's featured news stories . | [[1495, 1580], [5154, 5234], [5281, 5287], [5290, 5308]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tiger Woods was forced to pull out of the final round of the Players Championship at Sawgrass on Sunday with a neck injury . Woods lasted until the seventh hole before calling it a day . He was two-over for the round and two-under for the prestigious tournament , but trailing the leaders , when he quit . South African Tim Clark eventually won the ` fifth major ' with a superb five-under-par 67 to close on 16-under 272 . `` I 've been playing with a bad neck for a while , '' Woods told gathered reporters . `` I might have a bulging disk . They want me to get a picture on it next week . `` I 've been playing through it . I ca n't play through it any more , '' he said . `` I know playing does n't help it , '' he added . Woods revealed he had been troubled by the pain before last month 's Masters , where he finished tied for fourth . It was his first tournament of the year after a self-imposed exile following his revelations of marital infidelities . The world number one was in action again at the Quail Hollow tournament in North Carolina last week where he easily missed the cut after two sorry rounds . `` I 'm having a hard time with the pain , '' Woods said . `` There 's tingling down my fingers , just the right side . Setting up over the ball is fine but once I start making the motion , it 's downhill from there . '' Woods is under pressure for his world number one spot from Phil Mickelson , who won the Masters and has been in tremendous form on the PGA Tour . The 34-year-old last pulled out of a tournament in 2006 at the Nissan Open in Los Angeles when he had flu . If the injury proves long-standing it could affect his build to the second major of the season , the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in mid-June . Mickelson could have leapfrogged Woods if he had won the Players , but he shot a closing 74 to tie for 17th . England 's Lee Westwood led going into the back nine on the final day , but a series of lapses , including a double bogey on the notorious short 17th , ended his hopes . Clark , who was winning for the first time on the PGA Tour , charged through the field to set the clubhouse target , with Australian Robert Allenby finishing second , one shot behind , after failing with birdie attempts on the final two holes . | Tiger Woods pulls out of Players Championship at Sawgrass with neck injury . World number one says he may have a bulging disk problem . Woods was playing only third event of the year after a sex scandal . NEW : Tim Clark of South Africa win the tournament after superb five-under 67 . | [[0, 15], [19, 143], [533, 562], [325, 415], [389, 442]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ash from an Icelandic volcano is continuing to affect European flights on Monday , delaying transatlantic aircraft and threatening flights over parts of Ireland and Portugal . Eurocontrol , the agency that manages European air travel , said : `` During the afternoon , areas of higher ash concentration could move in a north-easterly direction from the Atlantic into the Iberian Peninsula . '' Ryanair , the budget airline , canceled 18 flights on Monday as it expected the airspace surrounding Kerry airport in the southwest of Ireland and Faro airport in Portugal to be affected by the ash cloud . Ryanair said in a statement on its Web site : `` Passengers are strongly recommended to check their flight status before they go to the airport . '' Eurocontrol said much of the high-concentration ash cloud over continental Europe had dispersed and that despite the delays , all European airports were open on Monday afternoon . The UK Civil Aviation Authority said that transatlantic flights were still rerouting around ash that was lying between 20,000 to 35,000 feet in the atmosphere . A CAA spokesman told CNN : `` The ash cloud is slowly disappearing , it 's descending and dispersing , there is n't one big cloud ... it 's ash in the air over a very large area . Transatlantic flights are rerouting around it , causing delays . '' Eurocontrol said it expected approximately 28,500 flights within the European area , which is about 500 below average for a Monday at this time of year . Italian airports in Milan , Pisa and Florence as well as six airports in Scotland were closed over the weekend because of the ash cloud . Volcanic ash can be a serious hazard to aircraft , reducing visibility , damaging flight controls and ultimately causing jet engines to fail . The problems began in mid-April , when the volcano beneath the Eyjafjallajokull glacier in southern Iceland erupted and sent a cloud of ash into the atmosphere , closing most of Europe 's airspace for six days . | Eurocontrol : Ash from Icelandic volcano could affect Irish and Portuguese airspace . UK airport authority : Transatlantic flights facing rerouting and delays . Volcanic ash reduces visibility , can lead to engine failure . | [[0, 99], [0, 15], [102, 194], [195, 206], [209, 219], [255, 259], [262, 409], [576, 618], [1831, 1899], [1912, 1951], [0, 15], [102, 194], [948, 1043], [990, 1011], [1017, 1108], [1289, 1334], [1289, 1310], [1337, 1353], [0, 99], [1649, 1746], [1649, 1661], [1751, 1791], [1831, 1899], [1912, 1951]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Move over , Emma . There 's a new queen in town . Isabella dethroned Emma as the top name for girls born last year , according to the Social Security Administration 's annual list of most popular baby names , released Saturday . Jacob , on the other hand , held on as the most popular boy 's name for the 11th year in a row . The Social Security Administration started compiling name lists in 1997 . And as in years past , the influence of pop culture is reflected in the names picked for newborns . The boy 's name that rocketed up the list the fastest is Cullen -- the name of the lead character in the popular `` Twilight '' book series . Cullen 's girlfriend in the books is Bella , short for Isabella . On the girls ' side , the fastest riser is Maliyah , an altered version of the name of President Obama 's daughter Malia -- which also is among the top 10 fast risers . But parents are equally quick to drop celebrity-inspired names once they think the popularity is passe . Among the biggest drops last year were Mylee and Miley , as in singer Miley Cyrus . Also on the outs : Lindsay and Jonas -LRB- think actress Lindsay Lohan and the band Jonas Brothers -RRB- . Meanwhile , Barack continued to move up the list . Sixty-nine Baracks were born in 2009 , the agency said . As always , religious names retained their popularity -- even if some were somewhat unconventional . Among the popular names are Nevaeh -LRB- heaven spelled backward -RRB- for girls , and Messiah for boys . The 10 most popular girls ' names , in order , are : Isabella , Emma , Olivia , Sophia , Ava , Emily , Madison , Abigail , Chloe and Mia . The 10 most popular boys ' name , also in order , are : Jacob , Ethan , Michael , Alexander , William , Joshua , Daniel , Jayden , Noah and Anthony . | Isabella has replaced Emma as the most popular name for newborn girls in U.S. Jacob remains most popular name for baby boys for the 11th year in a row . Cullen became popular , inspired by the character is the `` Twilight '' series . Lindsey and Jonas are on the outs . | [[69, 118], [248, 253], [259, 273], [276, 344], [519, 560], [573, 633], [1090, 1101], [1104, 1191]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A voluntary recall has been issued for more than 40 over-the-counter drugs for children , including Tylenol and Motrin , because they do n't meet quality standards . `` This recall is not being undertaken on the basis of adverse medical events , '' McNeil Consumer Healthcare said in a statement Friday . `` However , as a precautionary measure , parents and caregivers should not administer these products to their children . '' FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg gave a similar recommendation in a statement Saturday , saying , `` we want to be certain that consumers discontinue using these products , '' though she called the chance for serious health problems `` remote . '' `` Some products in the recall may have a higher concentration of active ingredient than specified while others may have inactive ingredients that do n't meet testing requirements , the company said . The company said it issued the recall after consulting with the Food and Drug Administration . The affected brands include : Tylenol Infants ' Drops , Children 's Tylenol Suspensions , Children 's Tylenol Plus Suspensions , Motrin Infant Drops , Children 's Motrin Suspensions , Children 's Zyrtec Liquids in Bottles and Children 's Benadryl Allergy Liquids in Bottles . The drugs were made in the United States and distributed to Canada , the Dominican Republic , Dubai , Fiji , Guam , Guatemala , Jamaica , Puerto Rico , Panama , Trinidad & Tobago and Kuwait . `` There are a number of other products on the market , including generic versions of the recalled products , which are intended for use in infants and children and are not affected by the recall , '' the FDA said Saturday in issuing guidance to parents . More details are available by calling 1-888-222-6036 or visiting McNeil 's website . | Children 's Motrin , Tylenol among drugs being recalled for failing to meet quality standards . Recall not based on adverse health effects , company says . Drugs were made in United States , distributed to other countries . | [[0, 15], [19, 137], [140, 184], [994, 1021], [1024, 1269], [185, 262], [880, 898], [1270, 1310], [1270, 1279], [1315, 1461]] |
-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- With car companies going in into bankruptcy and shedding famous names left and right , it 's important to remember that today 's automotive titans started out as tiny startups , not unlike Silicon Valley entrepreneurs . General Motors was almost called International Motors Co. . Names like Ford , General Motors , Chrysler , Toyota and Porsche call to mind the huge corporate successes of the past and the great automotive families that survive today . But behind every brand name , there is a flesh-and-blood inventor , entrepreneur or industrialist . Most of the time , they gave their name to the companies . And that fame was often about all they ended up with . David Buick , who invented the overhead valve engine , founded the Buick Motor Car Co. in 1903 . William C. Durant , the industrialist who would eventually found GM , took over the company in 1904 , when it ran into financial trouble . Buick stayed on as a director , but left in 1908 , never making much money from the enterprise . He reportedly died in 1929 , unable to afford one of his cars . Durant kept the name for one of his company divisions and for the car , even though he worried that people might pronounce it `` Boo-ick , '' according to one author . Strangely enough , the man who practically created General Motors single-handedly never really liked the idea of a ` Durant ' car . In another example , Robert Hupp invented the Hupmobile , ' a two-seat runabout , in 1908 . But he sold his stock in his Hupp Motor Car Company in 1911 . He turned around and founded the Hupp Corp. that same year . Investors in his first firm took him to court to make him drop the `` Hupp '' from his new company 's name and they won . His own automotive glory quickly faded , although the Hupmobile survived until the 1940s . Swiss-born Louis Chevrolet 's experience was similar . Durant brought him into a new car-building venture in 1911 , hoping to trade on his fame as an absolutely fearless race car driver . Chevrolet left the company in 1913 , apparently unable to make the adjustment from racing to building production vehicles . But its name stuck to the new Chevrolet vehicles ; Durant reportedly liked its musical lilt . It could also work the other way around . In 1925 , Walter P. Chrysler got the naming rights to the Maxwell Motor Co. after he and another industrialist steadily bought up shares in the firm over a two-year period . Things turned out a little differently for Henry Ford . He suffered the ignominy of being booted from an early auto company that bore his own name . But his revenge was sweet . The Henry Ford Company , which traded freely on Ford 's early fame as an inventor , fired him in 1902 `` because he was spending all his time developing a race car , not a passenger car , '' according to the Encyclopedia of American Business and Biography . AOL Autos : Ford 's ` Wonder Woman ' engineers most important new car . After Ford was gone , the company was renamed Cadillac , after Antoine Laumet de la Mothe Cadillac , the French nobleman who founded Detroit in 1703 ; his heraldry became the model 's badge and the company became a part of General Motors in 1909 . After his firing , Ford quickly found investors to help him found his own firm , the Ford Motor Co. , in 1903 . He introduced the company 's first new vehicle , the Model and followed it up with other low-cost vehicles , including his greatest achievement , the Model T , in 1908 . Its price tag started at $ 850 and fell steadily as Ford introduced more production innovations . The young firm became phenomenally successful . AOL Autos : 10 classic American rides . In the 1920s , he got the chance to buy the five-year-old Lincoln Motor Co. out of bankruptcy . It was then owned by one of the very people , Henry Leland , who fired him in 1902 . Then he used the former aircraft company to launch his own line of luxury cars bearing the Lincoln name . For its part , General Motors almost did n't get the name it bears today . Durant actually incorporated his company under the name `` International Motors Co. '' , in New Jersey in 1908 . But his attorney advised him that it would be easier to raise capital under a new name . `` We might use ` United Motors Company ' were it not for the fact that there is already a United Motor Car Company in that state , '' the attorney wrote . `` We suggest the name General Motors Company , as we have ascertained it can be used . '' A newly coined French word , auto-mobile , inspired many vehicle names of the early years . Inventor Ransom E. Olds filed a patent for an `` auto-mobile '' during the mid-1890s . Names like Bugmobile , Locomobile , Hupmobile , and of course , the Oldsmobile , could not have come along without it . The origins of some names can be tricky to trace . The first use of Jeep , for instance . is shrouded in mist . Jim Allen , the author of a book called `` Jeep , '' concludes that it 's based on early World War II slang for `` a new , unproven recruit or a new unproven vehicle . '' It was n't until 1950 that Toledo-based Willys-Overland , Inc. , one of the producers of the early four-wheel-drive vehicle , trademarked the term . Many of the names were not originally associated with the auto industry . The Toyota name came from the Toyoda loom works in Kariya , Japan ; When it turned to car production , the Toyoda family changed the 'd ' to a ` t ' to make it simpler and more elegant in Japanese script . AOL Autos : Top 10 best car names . There 's little doubt about other brand names . Pontiac was an offshoot of the Pontiac Buggy Co. , a horseless carriage manufacturer named after a renowned Indian chief . Mechanic Soichiro Honda started producing motorized bicycles after the devastation of World War II and eventually graduated to cars . AOL Autos : Pontiacs we 'll never forget . Volkswagen , a response to Adolf Hitler 's call for a car for the common folk , means ` people 's car ' in German , evidently beating out the prototype 's name , ` Strength through Joy , ' for the honors . In 1917 , the Rapp Engine Works became known as the Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH , or Bavarian Motor Works -LRB- BMW -RRB- as the four-year-old airplane engine firm diversified into motorcycle engines , with a stylized white propeller against a blue sky as its logo , according to some authorities . The first BMW cars were produced 11 years later . The legendary Jaguar name is considered one of the best sports car names of all time . It beat out a long list of lackluster animal names compiled by a British ad agency in 1935 . In 1939 , Ford struck gold with Mercury , the fleet-footed messenger of the gods . It tapped into Greek and Roman mythology for the name , just as it did for the similarly styled Lincoln Zephyr , the god of the wind , three years earlier . Some other storied automotive brands are based on acronyms . Fiat stands for Fabbrica Italiani Automobili Torino , or Italian Automotive Works Turin . Similarly , Saab stands for Svenska Aeroplanaktiebolaget , or Swedish Aeroplane Ltd. , hearkening back to the automaker 's origins as an aircraft company . Ford might have done better with an acronym in 1958 . The Edsel was conceived as a new , distinct Ford Motor Co. brand , with its own models , badge and division . The mission was to take on GM 's Oldsmobile . After considering thousands of suggestions , Ford named the new brand after Edsel Ford , Henry Ford 's only child . He had been a major styling influence within the company and was its president at his fathers death in 1943 . The name Edsel was an immediate letdown . Ford stock fell 10 points on the day it was announced . One disenchanted executive predicted that the name alone would cost the new vehicle 200,000 units in sales . AOL Autos : Best and worst automotive designs of all time . Its name was n't the sole reason for its failure . It did n't help that the country was in recession or that the new car seemed based on Ford and Mercury models . But all that did n't stop Edsel from entering the vocabulary as an idea or project fated to failure . | David Buick invented the overhead valve engine , founded Buick Motor Car Co. . Fearless race car driver Louis Chevrolet 's name stuck for its musical lilt . The Henry Ford Company fired its namesake who later started Ford Motor Co. . Toyota name came from the Toyoda loom works in Kariya , Japan . | [[693, 704], [711, 745], [693, 704], [748, 789], [1873, 1879], [1934, 2005], [2496, 2563], [5279, 5320]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Giant rocks came tumbling down a snowy Colorado mountainside early Monday , punching gaping holes in the interstate below , the Colorado Department of Transportation said . The rock slide at Glenwood Canyon halted travel on Interstate 70 between Glenwood Springs and Dotsero , about 18 miles east , according to the department . Glenwood Springs is about 120 miles west of Denver . It is unclear when construction crews will complete enough work to open at least part of the roadway . About 20 boulders struck the interstate shortly after midnight , the transportation department said . They ranged from 3 feet to 10 feet in diameter , with the largest weighing an estimated 66 tons , the department said on its Web site . About eight holes or dips were left on the interstate . Road underwiring was exposed and rock crumbles surrounded the damage , the department said . The largest hole measured 20 feet by 10 feet -- bigger than a full-size SUV . Rocks were scattered over a 100-yard stretch of the road . A steel guard rail and median barrier were also damaged . The damage resembles a major rock slide in the area back in 2004 , the department said . | Rock slide at Glenwood Canyon halts travel on I-70 between Glenwood Springs and Dotsero . It 's unclear when crews will complete enough work to open at least part of the roadway . Transportation department : About 20 boulders rolled down mountain shortly after midnight . Rocks were from 3 feet to 10 feet in diameter ; about 8 holes or dips left on the interstate . | [[192, 293], [401, 503], [420, 503], [19, 92], [504, 566], [569, 605], [0, 15], [95, 140], [606, 652], [742, 797]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Security forces have arrested 11 al Qaeda suspects in the Yemeni capital , the nation 's official news agency reported Thursday . One man was killed in the operation , according to a security source cited by SABA . Yemeni authorities have threatened punishment for people who harbor suspected terrorists . The warnings are part of a crackdown on alleged al Qaeda hideouts since the attempted bombing of an American airliner in December , according to SABA . The suspect in the failed attack , Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab , spent time in Yemen and is said to have acquired the explosive device from someone in that country . Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula -LRB- AQAP -RRB- has claimed responsibility for the plot . The Obama administration has recognized the risks posed by Yemen becoming a failed state and voiced support in its struggles against terrorism . Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also has pressed Yemen to implement key reforms and shore up its faltering economy . `` Yemen 's challenges are not going to be solved by military action alone , '' she said at a recent meeting of Western powers and Arab nations . `` Progress against violent extremists and progress toward a better future for the Yemeni people ... will also depend on fortifying development efforts . '' | Yemen has threatened punishment for people who harbor terror suspects . The warnings are part of a crackdown on alleged al Qaeda hideouts . Obama administration has recognized risks posed by Yemen becoming a failed state . | [[234, 290], [284, 290], [295, 324], [325, 454], [734, 878], [774, 783], [793, 878]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Oklahoma 's governor Tuesday declared states of emergency in 56 counties following a string of deadly tornadoes and severe storms that swept through the area the day before . Gov. Brad Henry took an aerial tour of one of the hardest hit areas Tuesday afternoon . `` I lost track of the number of damaged and destroyed homes that we saw , '' Henry said . `` Literally hundreds and I think thousands of homes have received damage in these storms , and many , many of those homes have been destroyed . '' Are you there ? Send images , video . `` Even though central Oklahoma was the hardest hit , this storm really was a statewide event , and there is damage and destruction throughout the state , '' he said . The governor said that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano assured him `` that FEMA would act very , very quickly on our request for a presidential disaster -LRB- declaration -RRB- and federal aid . '' Meanwhile , a maze of downed power lines and wrecked homes in parts of Oklahoma City , Oklahoma , hindered search-and-rescue efforts Tuesday as authorities worked to ensure no more victims of Monday 's tornadoes lay in the rubble . The state Department of Emergency Management lowered its death toll from five to two , saying that three children had been erroneously reported dead . The children are in critical condition , the state said . Their mother was one of the two dead . More than 100 people were treated for various injuries , the state said . Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said 80 homes and businesses in the city were destroyed by the storm , which he called `` probably the most significant '' to hit during his seven years in office . The storm system that swept through the state on Monday spawned multiple tornadoes and dropped softball-sized hail . More bad weather was on the way Tuesday , and the National Weather Service warned Oklahomans to prepare for severe storms Tuesday afternoon and early evening . Tornado watch in western Oklahoma . Officials said they planned to release more detailed damage estimates Tuesday and decide how to manage cleanup efforts in areas where tornadoes left behind snapped utility poles , downed trees and severely damaged homes . In Norman , Oklahoma , south of Oklahoma City , mobile homes were blown to pieces in one neighborhood , where debris littered yards and streets alongside large trees ripped straight from the ground . Watch iReport video of tornado in Norman , Oklahoma . Norman resident and CNN iReporter Erica Loftis said she spotted the funnel cloud from Interstate 40 while headed to her parents ' home and could see it headed toward the home when she arrived . She and her parents took shelter in a small cement room with steel doors , where they could feel their ears popping and hear the storm ripping away parts of the house around them . `` You could feel the pressure - it was scary , '' Loftis said . Outside , the sound of `` screeching metal '' filled the air , she said . Afterward , all the home 's windows were broken , its chimney was blown into a neighbor 's yard and the garage door was sucked in . In addition , a boat from a nearby marine store ended up in one of their trees , she said . And 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 . But motorists who pulled off the interstate to take cover were ushered into 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 . Love 's employee Charlescie Greenway said she and two other women made it to one cooler before the twister hit . `` 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 . '' Cornett said quick thinking by the truck stop 's employees saved people inside . `` They were all huddled into a cooler and all walked out alive , '' he said . More than 65,000 homes and businesses were without power throughout the state , emergency management officials said . Nearly 15,000 homes were without power in Norman alone , according to Oklahoma Gas & Electric . The Lake Draper Water Treatment Plant , which provides about half of Oklahoma City 's water , was also without power , City Manager Jim Couch said . Because of the outage , city officials placed a ban on outside watering for 48 hours , he said . `` It 's unknown when that power will be restored , '' he said . `` Major transmission lines in the area have been damaged . '' State emergency officials said more than 100 homes were destroyed and another 70 sustained major damage . Additionally , 43 businesses were destroyed . CNN 's Tyson Wheatley contributed to this report . | NEW : State officials lower death toll from five to two . Storm destroyed more than 100 homes and 43 businesses . Truck stop east of Oklahoma City destroyed by direct hit from tornado . More than 65,000 homes , businesses without power throughout the state . | [[1170, 1247], [1264, 1320], [469, 517], [938, 947], [983, 1022], [1492, 1565], [1530, 1593], [4799, 4904], [4830, 4904], [4905, 4917], [4920, 4950], [3217, 3270], [3221, 3255], [3273, 3318], [3221, 3255], [3321, 3393], [4211, 4288]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A pregnant bartender says she is fighting to keep her job at a gentlemen 's club in New York . Jennifer Paviglianiti , of Centereach , N.Y. , claims her employer , Café Royale , discriminated against her because of her pregnancy . She filed a claim with the EEOC earlier this month . Paviglianiti says she feared how her boss would react to her pregnancy and wanted to wait a few months to tell him . However , John Doxey found out before she could tell him , and that 's when Paviglianiti claims her job became threatened . Up until she became pregnant , the 29-year-old says she had been one of the club 's most popular bartenders . Read the complaint . She says she `` bonused 9 times '' since August and it was only toward the end of her pregnancy that she asked for different hours . Due to the tough economy , Paviglianiti says she needed this specific bartending job and feared she 'd soon be out of work . To protect herself , she decided to secretly record her boss on tape . On those recordings Doxey can be heard saying , `` Customers do n't wan na come in and see a pregnant woman behind the bar ! '' These recordings were also submitted in her EEOC discrimination claim . In other recordings , Doxey is heard suggesting that Paviglianiti 's appearance is hurting business . `` Maybe they do n't go there because the bartender is pregnant and does n't look sexy . '' Workplace attorney Robin Bond said it 's within Doxey 's right to do this if employees were informed that they had to maintain a specific `` sexy look '' to qualify for the job . In this case , that means Paviglianiti would have had to be hired as a `` model and a bartender '' and get a written agreement to this -- as is done in the casino industry , Bond said on HLN Prime News with Mike Galanos . When asked by Galanos if she signed any paperwork of that sort , Paviglianiti said , `` not at all ... nothing . '' Paviglianiti was taken off the bartending schedule for a few weeks , during which she hired an attorney . She later returned to the club as a cashier but claims she made much less than she did as a bartender . However , Doxey 's attorney says this proves she was never fired and her job duties were only adjusted to accommodate her pregnancy . `` My client declines to comment on pending legal action except to say it considers that Ms. Paviglianiti allegations are without merit , '' attorney Robert F. Milman said in a statement . `` Ms. Paviglianiti was not terminated from her employment , she presently is on maternity leave and she has the right to return to work upon the conclusion of her leave . '' Paviglianiti is due to have a baby girl this week . | Jennifer Paviglianiti says boss reduced hours , put her on cashier because of pregnancy . In EEOC complaint , Paviglianiti , 29 , says she is making less money because of demotion . `` Maybe -LSB- customers -RSB- do n't go there because the bartender is pregnant , '' boss says in recording . Boss ' attorney says her job duties were adjusted to accommodate her pregnancy . | [[114, 151], [161, 180], [168, 180], [197, 249], [250, 302], [2021, 2024], [2069, 2124], [168, 180], [197, 249], [1024, 1029], [1043, 1049], [1053, 1126], [1052, 1064], [1091, 1126], [1315, 1394], [2135, 2258]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When writer-actor John Leguizamo shows up to do a show in New York , fans outside the theater are surprised to see him ride up on a bicycle . `` People go , ` Hey , John , I thought you 'd be in a limo . ' `` This is my limo , my green limo . I 'm saving the planet for your kids and your grandkids , '' says the performer , who has starred in award-winning one-man shows on Broadway and appeared in dozens of films and TV shows . Biking gets you places faster , reduces your carbon footprint , lowers noise , makes you fit and lowers your stress level -- unless you get impaled on the door of a suddenly opened cab or cut off by a guy from New Jersey . Leguizamo thinks urban biking is a form of transportation that dramatically improves the environment and riders ' physical and mental health . New York City 's government shares Leguizamo 's enthusiasm about biking , having added 200 miles of bike lanes in the past three years . The city says it has seen a 45 percent increase in commuting by bike . Leguizamo took CNN on a tour of his favorite biking spots and shared his thoughts about the best way to get anywhere fast in the nation 's biggest city : . CNN : How long have you been biking ? Leguizamo : I started biking when I was 7 years old , and I 've been biking in Manhattan ever since I got that first bike . I grew up in Queens . Jackson Heights , East Elmhurst , Astoria , Corona , I started going to high school in Manhattan when I was 15 , and I moved to Manhattan when I started going to NYU . In high school , on the weekends I would bike to Central Park over the 59th Street bridge . Very Paul Simon and Garfunkel . At NYU , my bike was stolen . The pole I locked it to was a fake pole , and I came back and the pole was gone . I thought at first that I had chained my bike on a different block , but then I realized there was a hole in the concrete . CNN : Why should people bike ? Leguizamo : There are a lot of great reasons . First of all , we all want to lower our carbon footprint , and this is one of the great ways , reduce pollution , reduce traffic , reduce noise pollution , improve your heart with reduced stress . When you 're out there , it makes you friendlier . You get a little bike rage , but that 's only when people cross you . I usually get to places with a lot of great energy and a lot more relaxed . I just saw this old good lady , she must have been in her late 60s , and she had like an adult tricycle , and she had her guitar in the back and a loud horn , and she was smiling and biking down Fifth Avenue . It was great . And for a lot of people who ca n't run , biking is a lot less stress on your knees . CNN : What are the biggest risks of biking in New York City ? Leguizamo : Kamikaze cabs , buses , tourists , people from New Jersey . A Jersey plate will always try to cut you off for sure . And you know Miami and Connecticut plates are always going to go way slow , but that 's not as dangerous . And then the crazy pedestrian that comes out between two big vans that block the view , that jump out . There 's more danger for them than for you , but you do n't want to hurt nobody , either . Opening the door on the street side , my God , that 's the most dangerous : passengers opening up the street door instead of the curb door . That should be taught in school . That should be part of your SATs . It 's amazing too the amount of cursing you hear from drivers , bikers , cabbies . You learn to curse in every language . CNN : How can you get started biking ? Leguizamo : Start slowly in parks until you get maximum skill , and then start taking less busy streets . Just go slow . Do n't try to race . If you go slow , you will learn all the urban tactics that you need for biking in Manhattan . You will learn that people are going to do the craziest things . People are going to cut you off . Expect the unexpected at every second . You got ta look for potholes , doors swinging , pedestrians . It 's a massive amount of focus . But the fact that you survive and you 're home , you feel incredible . And it 's so great . It relieves so much stress . I always lose weight . It keeps my cardio up , too . Every time I get tested , they say , `` You have the heart of a 20-year old . '' They 're not talking about my liver . CNN : What about the equipment you need ? Leguizamo : Get a recycled bicycle , recycle a bicycle , you know , something old and beat up . If you ca n't and you 're too high-maintenance , get something really fancy and wreck it . Get sandpaper and a screwdriver , and you got to mess it up . Because if it looks shiny and nice , no matter what massive lock you have , somebody 's going to cut it . If you recycle a bicycle , you get the cheapest lock , and you do n't have to carry that massive chain that will weigh you down . You got to have some rain fenders , some rain guards , or then you can only bike and be messy . You ca n't bike in your suit as much if it rains . And if you 're going to ride at night , you 've got to have lights , either on your bike or your helmet . I like it on the helmet because people can really see you . And get a front light and a back light . And you need something for the hem of your pants . Either tuck them in your sock or get one of those little pant grips . When I do n't pay attention , my jeans have gotten caught many times on the chain . Wear elbow pads , wrist guards , a Kevlar vest . It 's Manhattan . Although we 're not the murder capital any more . Is it Philadelphia ? Or Arkansas ? CNN : What about the tourists who come to New York ? Should they try biking at all ? Leguizamo : No , not in Manhattan . You have to know what you 're doing . You can bike on the West Side Highway . That 's good for kids and tourists . In Manhattan , you need to know the terrain . You got ta be alert and know what those signs of danger are . If you 're a tourist , you 're going to be looking at the Empire State Building . `` Look at how big and beautiful all those Art Deco buildings are . '' All of a sudden : Pow . Crash . | John Leguizamo thinks urban biking is a winner all-around . It cuts carbon emissions , saves time , improves health . New York added 200 miles of bike lanes , saw 45 percent increase in bike commuting . Added benefit : `` You learn to curse in every language '' | [[459, 465], [491, 520], [725, 739], [745, 824], [2042, 2107], [884, 896], [906, 947], [825, 852], [899, 961], [962, 1032], [976, 1032], [3469, 3507]] |
Islamabad , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The identity and nationality of an alleged al Qaeda operative arrested in Pakistan remained shrouded in mystery and conflicting information Monday , a day after Pakistani officials said one of the FBI 's most wanted terrorists was in custody . A Pakistani military official said Monday that the man arrested is a foreign operative linked to al Qaeda . The official did not specifically describe the man as American and gave no further details . On Sunday , a senior Pakistani government official said that Adam Gadahn , a U.S.-born spokesman for al Qaeda , had been arrested . A second senior Pakistani government official later confirmed Gadahn 's arrest . But a U.S. intelligence official said there appeared to be no validity to the reports that Gadahn was in custody . Other U.S. officials also said they had no indication Gadahn had been captured . U.S. counterterrorism officials said Monday they had received no indication from Pakistan that any American had been arrested . One official said there was `` no validity '' to reports that Gadahn was arrested . Another called the reports `` bogus . '' News reports Monday cited Pakistani officials as saying that a different man , believed to be an American member of al Qaeda , had been arrested . But U.S. counterterrorism officials said the United States has not heard of the person , who was identified in some reports as Abu Yahya Mujahdeen al-Adam , an American born in Pennsylvania . One official said the reports coming out of Pakistan were a `` real head scratcher . '' Rick Snelsire , a spokesman for the U.S. embassy in Pakistan , said Monday that the embassy had not received any information about an American being detained by Pakistani security forces . Gadahn , 31 , also known as Azzam the American , was indicted on charges of treason and providing material support to terrorists in 2006 . The U.S. government has offered a $ 1 million reward for information leading to his capture . He is the first American charged with treason since 1952 . Reports of an arrest Sunday came hours after Islamist Web sites posted video of Gadahn praising a November massacre at Fort Hood , Texas . On the video , Gadahn said the Army major charged with gunning down 13 people `` lit a path '' for other Muslim service members to follow . Authorities have targeted several key Islamist figures in Karachi -- the heavily populated port city and financial capital of Pakistan that , for some time , has functioned as a hideout for Taliban and al Qaeda sympathizers . A city of 13 million -- with some estimates saying there are 100,000 new arrivals a month -- Karachi has seen an influx of Pashtuns from the tribal border region with Afghanistan . Many fled there during fighting and Pakistani military offensives in the Northwest Frontier Province and Waziristan , making Karachi a comfortable place for the Taliban to blend in and count on a network of supporters . CNN 's Reza Sayah , Nic Robertson and Adam Levine contributed to this report . | On Monday , Pakistani military official said foreign operative linked to al Qaeda arrested . Official did n't describe man as American , gave no further details . On Sunday , officials from Pakistan government said Adam Gadahn had been arrested . U.S. officials : Reports that Gadahn is in custody do n't seem valid , are a `` real head scratcher '' | [[72, 122], [284, 370], [331, 391], [1160, 1293], [392, 454], [392, 404], [459, 484], [485, 494], [497, 616], [2055, 2118], [702, 783], [1022, 1078], [1106, 1143], [1486, 1570], [1504, 1570]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- British world champion Amir Khan retained his World Boxing Association -LRB- WBA -RRB- light-welterweight title on Saturday night with a clinical stopppage victory over challenger Paulie Malignaggi at Madison Square Garden , New York . The 23-year-old Khan , who was making his big-fight debut on American soil , impressed throughtout with his speed and power before eventually stopping his opponent in the 11th round of the 12-round contest . Khan , who was ahead on all three of the judges scorecards when the referee stopped the fight one minute and 25 seconds into the round , improves his record to 23-1 , while Malignaggi -- who lost to Khan 's compatriot Ricky Hatton in 2008 -- was slumping to the fourth defeat of his career . There had been bad blood between both fighters and their respective camps in the lead-up to the contest , including a scuffle during the weigh-in , but the actual bout passed off without any incidents of that nature . Former Olympic silver medallist Khan told ESPN : `` I 'm making 140lb easy , I feel strong . `` I 'm not leaving 140lb until I unify the title . Until I 'm number one I 'm not going to leave this division . '' `` We stuck to the game plan , we knew Paulie is a very awkward fighter , he 's a great boxer , great at moving . `` We had to break him down slowly , we did n't want to run in there trying to knock him out because we would have got caught with shots . I knew in the last few rounds I was hurting him and all I had to do was put the pressure on him . '' | British world champion Amir Khan retains his WBA light-welterweight title . The 23-year-old Khan stops American Paulie Malignaggi in the 11th round . The Madison Square Garden fight marked Khan 's big-fight debut on American soil . | [[0, 15], [52, 142], [255, 275], [386, 462], [255, 275], [282, 329]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Britain 's new Cabinet held its first meeting Thursday and promptly agreed to a five-percent pay cut for all new ministers , Downing Street said . Tackling the country 's debt crisis is a top priority for new Prime Minister David Cameron , who took office Wednesday . The decision means all members of the new Cabinet -- including Cameron -- will be paid five-percent less than their predecessors in the government of Gordon Brown , Downing Street said . The reduction in Cabinet minister salaries alone will save taxpayers about # 50,000 -LRB- $ 73,800 -RRB- this year , Downing Street said . The Cabinet also agreed to a ministerial pay freeze for the lifetime of the current Parliament , which is not scheduled to have elections again for another five years . The salary cuts and pay freeze will save approximately # 3 million -LRB- $ 4.4 million -RRB- over the life of the Parliament , Downing Street said . Every member of Parliament receives a basic annual salary of # 65,737 -LRB- $ 97,105 -RRB- . Those who are members of the Cabinet receive an additional salary on top of that , with the amount depending on their position . The additional salary can range from about # 69,000 to about # 134,500 -LRB- $ 101,500 to $ 198,000 -RRB- . For Cameron , the pay cut means he will earn # 142,500 -LRB- $ 210,000 -RRB- in his role as prime minister , compared to the # 150,000 -LRB- $ 220,000 -RRB- earned by Brown , his office said . That 's on top of the salary he receives as a member of Parliament , representing the constituency of Witney , about 65 miles northwest of London . | Tackling the country 's towering budget deficit is a priority for UK 's new government . Cabinet members have agreed to take a five-percent pay cut . Salary cuts and pay freeze will save approximately # 3 million . | [[183, 273], [9, 32], [95, 158], [367, 374], [378, 466], [491, 605], [799, 891]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The FBI in Seattle , Washington , is looking into allegations of civil rights violations in the case of a police officer caught on video kicking a Latino detainee , an agent said Wednesday . The preliminary inquiry comes a day after the NAACP sent a letter to the King County prosecuting attorney 's office requesting Seattle police Detective Shandy Cobane be charged with malicious harassment , a hate crime . Video captured by a freelance video photographer April 17 shows Cobane using racial slurs against the detainee and kicking him in the head , and another officer stomping on his leg while he is lying face down on the ground without handcuffs . The second officer was identified this week as Mary Lynne Woollum , Seattle police said . The detainee was released after officers determined he was a not a suspect in an armed robbery , according to CNN affiliate KOMO . `` We give officers guns , batons and badges with the hope that they will not violate our public trust , with the hope that they will enforce the law , provide public safety and honor the Constitution , '' James Bible , president of the Seattle chapter of the NAACP , said Tuesday in denouncing the police officers ' actions . `` In this specific case ... the Constitution was violated in a most egregious way . ... We have no choice but to request that charges be filed . '' FBI Special Agent Fred Gutt told CNN Wednesday that investigators will gather information on the incident and send it to the Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Department of Justice . `` They will then decide if a formal investigation is warranted , '' he said . Cobane issued a tearful apology Friday after the video was shown on local news stations . In the statement , Cobane called his comments `` offensive and unprofessional '' and said they `` do not reflect who I am or what I am as a person nor as a member of the Seattle Police Department . '' Cobane , a 15-year veteran , and Woollum , a veteran of more than 10 years , have been placed on administrative reassignment while investigations are under way , according to Seattle police . CNN 's Melanie Whitley contributed to this report . | A freelancer caught the April 17 incident on videotape . Video shows officers kicking and stomping a detainee , shouting racial slurs . Agent : FBI will gather info to send to the Justice Department 's Civil Rights Section . `` The Constitution was violated in a most egregious way , '' Seattle NAACP president says . | [[430, 568], [123, 163], [150, 181], [430, 568], [1370, 1551], [1417, 1475], [1422, 1435], [1480, 1551], [1246, 1305]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Manny Pacquiao is threatening Floyd Mayweather Jr. with legal action following a row over drugs testing which leaves their proposed super-bout next year in doubt . Pacquiao is refusing to agree to a demand by the Mayweather camp to undergo Olympic style blood-screening in the run up to the fight , which is penciled in for the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on March 13 . Boxing commentators had suggested that the war of words was a pre-fight tactic by the Mayweather camp and his promoter , Golden Boy Promotions , to unsettle the Filipino , who has hit back with an angry statement on his personal Web site . `` Enough is enough . These people , Mayweather Sr , Jr , and Golden Boy Promotions , think it is a joke and a right to accuse someone wrongly of using steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs , '' it read . `` I have tried to just brush it off as a mere pre-fight ploy but I think they have gone overboard '' Pacquiao , who became a five-weight world champion by beating Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto in November , claimed he would now be calling in the lawyers . `` I have instructed my promoter , Bob Arum , head of Top Rank Inc , to help me out in the filing of the case as soon as possible because I have had people coming over to me now asking if I really take performance-enhancing drugs and I have cheated my way into becoming the number one boxer in the world . `` I maintain and assure everyone that I have not used any form or kind of steroids and that my way to the top is a result of hard work , hard work , hard work and a lot of blood spilled from my past battles in the ring , not outside of it . `` I have no idea what steroids look like and my fear in God has kept me safe and victorious through all these years . '' The row started earlier this week when Mayweather 's promoters Golden Boy Promotions went public with their demands for blood-testing , as mandated by the United States Anti-Doping Agency -LRB- USADA -RRB- and making it a condition before the super-fight went ahead . But Pacquiao 's trainer Freddie Roach said this was not necessary under the rules governing fights in Nevada and was mind games by the Mayweather camp . `` We have passed every test ever given to us . We go by the commission rules , since when does the fighter make up the rules ? , '' he said . Mayweather himself has largely kept his counsel but told the Golden Boy Promotions Web site that he hoped his possible opponent would change his mind . `` I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken , because frankly I do n't know anyone who really does , '' Mayweather said . `` I hope this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests , which were good enough for all these other great athletes , to be performed by USADA . '' But Pacquiao in his message posted on Christmas Day showed little sign of extending the festive spirit to the unbeaten Mayweather . `` To Floyd , despite all these accusations , may your Christmas be merry and I will see you in court , soon , '' he added . | Manny Pacquiao threatens Floyd Mayweather and his camp with legal action over a drug-testing row . Pacquiao is angered by demands that he submit to blood-testing in the build-up to a proposed bout . He claims to have instructed his promoter Bob Arum to file a law suit as soon as possible . A welterweight match between Pacquiao and Mayweather is slated for Las Vegas on March 13 next year . | [[19, 87], [75, 122], [939, 947], [1041, 1089], [75, 122], [183, 247], [19, 87], [1091, 1122], [1159, 1199], [303, 317], [324, 383]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Manny Pacquiao is aiming to deliver a knockout blow to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the U.S. courts after filing a lawsuit against the American and his connections over claims he used performance-enhancing drugs . The lawsuit , lodged in the Las Vegas district court on Wednesday , names Mayweather , his father Floyd senior , former boxing star Oscar De La Hoya and fellow Golden Boy Promotions executive Richard Schaefer . `` Calling a professional athlete a cheater is the most serious charge one can make , '' the lawsuit says , `` and in today 's world , accusing an athlete of using performance-enhancing drugs -- however baseless and lacking in evidence -- is toxic . '' The Filipino fighter , who has won world titles at five different weights , was slated to fight Mayweather on March 13 next year in a money-spinning bout in Las Vegas . But he was infuriated by the insistence of Mayweather 's camp that he undergo Olympic-style pre-fight blood testing and the alleged implication that he had used illegal drugs . Pacquiao posted a Christmas day message on his personal Web site , saying he would take legal action and has now followed through on the threat . Top lawyer Daniel Petrocelli is representing him and outlined the substance of their case . `` Manny Pacquiao 's achievements come from God-given talent and an indefatigable work ethic -- not steroids , '' he told gathered reporters . `` He can not and will not allow others to deliberately misrepresent his years of hard work and tarnish his reputation . '' The lawsuit seeks damages in excess of $ 75,000 dollars and also cites interviews given in various publications that appeared to question the fairness of Pacquiao 's pre-fight preparation . Mayweather 's connections attempted to diffuse the situation in a statement issued earlier this weak on the Golden Boy Promotions Web site . `` Let it be very clear that nobody from Team Mayweather or Golden Boy Promotions is accusing Pacquiao of anything , '' it read . `` But the reality seems to be that for whatever reason Pacquiao does not want to participate in random blood testing , which has already been deemed a harmless procedure that many current athletes are subjected to prior to and during competition , '' it added . Many viewed the war of words between the respective camps as a pre-fight war ploy to boost interest , but the row over dope testing may well have derailed one of the richest fights in boxing history , with huge pay-per-view revenues forecasted . The Los Angeles Times reported on Wednesday that Pacquiao 's promoter Bob Arum was pessimistic about a March showdown between the two fighters . `` This is only my opinion , but I do n't see the fight happening now , '' he was quoted . Positions are hardening ... Manny 's fit to be tied . He 's very angry . '' Arum was also reported to have opened negotiations with World Boxing Association super welterweight champion Yuri Foreman to fight Pacquiao . | Manny Pacquiao files lawsuit in Las Vegas against Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his connections . Filipino boxing hero is angered by alleged claims that he used performance-enhancing drugs . Mayweather 's camp want both boxers to submit to Olympic-style dope testing in build-up to proposed fight . Pacquiao is angered by this insistence and warned on Christmas Day that he would go legal . | [[19, 128], [0, 15], [114, 189], [228, 293], [296, 312], [190, 227], [525, 539], [574, 630], [1005, 1037], [2803, 2821], [928, 1009], [865, 922], [1038, 1046], [1105, 1183], [2803, 2821]] |
-LRB- Mashable -RRB- -- Social media management company Vitrue released a free tool Thursday , the Social Page Evaluator , designed to help marketers get a better understanding of a Facebook page 's value . Just submit a Facebook page URL and the app will come up with a valuation based on factors like number of fans , number of posts per day , number of interactions and so forth.ssss . It 's a cool -- if not completely scientific -- way to gauge the potential value of your Facebook page to advertisers . The formula used by the Social Page Evaluator is related to the formula that Vitrue released last month to estimate the relative value of Facebook Fans to big brands . The tool , which was built over 63 hours in a Startup Weekend-style project , is adjustable and interactive . For instance , the base rate of Earned Media Value -LRB- or CPM in more traditional terms -RRB- is $ 5 , but this can be adjusted to a higher or lower value depending on the brand in question . Likewise , there is a `` Fan-tasize '' section that lets you manipulate other features like number of posts per day , engagement level and Fan count to see how that affects the valuation . You can also compare a Facebook Page with up to three other brands at a time and view a Page 's value history . In addition to the valuation data , there is also a list of best practices for getting the most out of your Facebook Page . So how accurate is this tool ? It 's difficult to determine , as it is based on a formula that , while derived from a study of large brands , is obviously not going to be applicable to all companies . Still , it 's a fun , easy way to get an idea of the factors that impact a Facebook Page valuation . It 's also a good stepping stone for marketers to start thinking about the potential advertising power of a Facebook Page . What do you think of the tool ? Let us know ! © 2010 MASHABLE.com . All rights reserved . | A new app helps marketers get a better understanding of a Facebook page 's value . Submit a Facebook page URL to see a valuation based on factors like number of fans . The tool , built in a Startup Weekend-style project , is adjustable and interactive . | [[0, 20], [123, 206], [95, 98], [132, 206], [389, 401], [441, 508], [1745, 1831], [207, 238], [269, 319], [677, 752], [755, 786]] |
Kenner , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A `` black rain '' of drilling fluid and a roar of escaping gas erupted from the doomed Deepwater Horizon shortly before the explosion that sank the oil rig , the captain of a nearby ship testified Tuesday . Alwin Landry 's supply vessel Damon Bankston was alongside Deepwater Horizon at the time of the blast . Landry said the first sign of trouble was when drilling `` mud '' -- a mixture used to pressurize and lubricate the drills -- began falling onto the stern of his ship . `` We essentially closed the wheelhouse doors . I went to the port side , and I looked out up at the derrick . That 's when I see the mud coming out of the top of the derrick , '' Landry told investigators Tuesday . When he radioed the rig 's bridge , Landry said , its captain told him there were problems with the well and he should move his ship away . Seconds later , he said , he heard `` the percussion and the slight flash of green '' of an explosion . Deepwater Horizon sank April 22 , two days after the explosion . The blast left 11 people aboard the rig presumed dead and uncorked a gusher of oil that has been spewing an estimated 210,000 gallons -LRB- 5,000 barrels -RRB- of crude oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico . Landry 's testimony came on the first of two days of hearings by a joint Coast Guard-Interior Department panel . His ship picked up the rig 's survivors , and Landry said the rig 's captain , Curt Kutcha , told him he had tried to activate a `` kill switch '' that would cut off the well before abandoning the structure . The crew did not know whether it was working when they fled the burning rig , Landry told investigators . The federal Minerals Management Service , the Interior Department agency that oversees offshore oil exploration , inspects drill rigs once a month , MMS inspector Eric Neal told the panel . Test results from the rig 's blowout preventer , a massive device meant to cut off the well in an emergency , and drilling mud weights are reviewed as part of that process , he said . Neal inspected the rig April 1 and found no violations , he testified . But he did not inspect the preventer 's emergency disconnect system , he said . The companies involved in the drilling process are blaming each other for the disaster . The chairman of well owner BP 's American subsidiary , Lamar McKay , told a U.S. Senate committee Tuesday that rig owner/operator Transocean was responsible for the rig 's operation and for testing its blowout preventer . But Transocean CEO Steven Newman told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that the well 's cementing , or the casing that holds the well in place , must have failed . BP , as the well 's owner , was responsible for designing the casing , while oilfield services contractor Halliburton performed the cementing . `` Without a failure of one of those elements , the explosion could not have occurred , '' Newman said . And Halliburton 's chief safety and environmental officer , Tim Probert , told the committee that responsibility lay with either Transocean or BP . During the cementing of the well , Halliburton simply followed BP 's instructions , he said , and the blowout preventer was Transocean 's responsibility . | Alwin Landry 's supply vessel was alongside Deepwater Horizon at time of blast . Landry said first sign of trouble was when drilling `` mud '' began falling onto his ship . Captain radioed rig 's bridge and was warned he should move his ship away . Rig sank April 22 , two days after explosion ; 11 presumed dead ; oil still gushing into Gulf . | [[246, 349], [350, 415], [362, 428], [397, 415], [452, 518], [630, 693], [735, 768], [771, 782], [785, 874], [159, 172], [178, 194], [979, 1010], [1013, 1043], [1044, 1110], [1044, 1053], [1102, 1126]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Frustrated Democrats went to the Senate floor Friday to seek Republican approval for a long list of administration nominees currently blocked by controversial secret holds placed by GOP senators . But a Republican senator objected to each of them as they came up . `` Most of the people on the list , we do n't know why they 're sitting there . We do n't even know who 's making them sit there , '' complained Sen. Claire McCaskill , D-Missouri , who is spearheading Democratic efforts to banish secret holds . `` Enter stage left , the anonymous hold . Or as I like to call it , nobody can blame me cause they do n't know who I am . '' McCaskill said the delay in approving these nominees is particularly agonizing because most of them passed out of committee with little or no opposition . `` If there is a legitimate complaint or grievance against any nominee , I think any senator has a right to be heard and appeal to the body for a vote , '' Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois , the number two Democrat , said Thursday . `` But secret holds , I think , have become a reprehensible part of the process here and need to end . '' Sen. Tom Coburn , R-Oklahoma , was the lone Republican on the floor Friday during the nearly two-hour debate on the issue . He objected to Democratic requests to approve the nominees not because he personally opposes them but `` as courtesy to people on my side of the aisle who have problems with some of these nominees . '' Coburn said Republicans have a right to a public debate on nominees they oppose and Democrats are trying to get around that by seeking unanimous consent to quickly confirm them . In fact , Coburn won praise from McCaskill because she said he is the only Republican senator who has made his holds public . Democrats are especially upset because they think most Republicans are getting around a Senate rule adopted three years ago that requires senators to make public their holds once they 've had them in place for six legislative days . Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse , D-Rhode Island , called the practice `` hold-laundering , '' which is when senators rotate a secret hold off to one another before hitting the six-day trigger for making their names public and thereby keep a hold in place indefinitely . Republicans do n't deny using the method but argue it 's allowed by Senate rules which could be changed if Democrats want . `` If they think the rule needs to be tightened up they can offer to change the rule , '' suggested a GOP leadership aide . In fact , Democrats said an effort is under way to offer an amendment to the financial regulations bill currently on the floor to shorten the six-day window to two days . Democrats complain the secret holds keep the Obama administration from being able to effectively govern and point to one nominee , Michael Huerta , to be the No. 2 official at the Federal Aviation Administration , as an example of a key appointee stalled by an anonymous senator . At a news conference on Thursday , Durbin said that Republicans that day had finally lifted a hold and approved the nomination of a top National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration official only after feeling pressured because of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico . `` If they 're going to move this appointee ... because of an oil spill , what does it take to move the deputy administrator of the FAA in charge of air safety , '' Durbin asked . `` Fill in the blanks . '' Asked about Democratic concerns over the issue earlier this week , Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky acknowledged , `` We 've always had a challenging environment in the Senate with regard to the confirmation of executive branch appointments . This administration 's been treated about the same as previous administrations in terms of the pace of confirmations . '' Democrats disputed that notion and cited figures suggesting Obama 's nominees are moving slower than George W. Bush 's at this time in his presidency . A top Republican senator accused Democrats also of using rotating holds . `` What I have run into in trying to get a bill or an amendment in the Senate in the past is the same practice , '' said Sen. John Thune of South Dakota , the fourth-ranking Republican in the Senate . `` Where the Democrats would have a hold on it and you try to trace it down and you kind of have an idea of who it might be and you go to them , -LSB- they respond -RSB- ` No I do n't , ' and nobody ever knew because it was just rotated around . '' | Senate Democrats seek approval of nominees they say GOP is blocking . Republicans do n't deny holding up process , argue it 's allowed by Senate rules . Democrats say secret holds keep Obama administration from being able to effectively govern . Republicans say Democrats use the same tactic . | [[30, 153], [2284, 2324], [2284, 2295], [2329, 2364], [2703, 2831], [3999, 4072]] |
New Orleans , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- BP will try again within the next day to cap a well that has gushed millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico , the energy company said Friday . The latest attempt will involve inserting a tube into a ruptured pipe , collecting oil and sending it to a vessel on the surface , said Mark Proegler , a BP spokesman . The insertion tube was on the sea floor , and engineers planned to move it into place later in the day , Proegler said . The company has lowered a smaller containment dome for use if the insertion tube does not stem the flow of oil into the water , Proegler said . But Adm. Thad Allen , commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard , said twice Friday that the containment dome , referred to as a `` top hat , '' was the first choice , followed by the insertion tube . Officials could not explain the discrepancy . Neither procedure would be a permanent solution , Allen said Friday in Mississippi . The procedures , he said , `` will reduce the leakage , not stop the leakage . '' The ultimate solution , Allen said , will be achieved by relief wells that are being drilled near the leak site . Those will take weeks , if not months , to complete , BP has said . After much discussion over whether the use of subsea dispersants could cause ecological damage , Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry said Friday that officials have concluded that it `` is an option we can consider and will move ahead with . '' The decision was made after the results of three tests were analyzed , she said . `` This is not a decision that was made lightly , but it is a series of tradeoffs . You 're really trying to minimize the impact on the environment as best as possible . '' Doug Suttles , BP 's chief operating officer for exploration and production , said the company has spent more than $ 450 million responding to the spill and that more than 14,000 people are involved in the effort . To date , more than 1.2 million feet of boom have been deployed and another 400,000 feet of boom have been staged for deployment , he said . In all , the company is trying to accumulate 3.5 million feet of boom . The forecast this weekend and early next week `` looks very favorable to use all tools , '' he said , citing burning , skimming operations and use of surface and subsurface dispersants . Suttles said the spill has had `` limited impact '' on shore , with oil being found in four locations in Louisiana , two in Alabama and one in Mississippi . In Washington , President Barack Obama criticized executives from BP and two other companies for blaming each other for the catastrophe . `` It is absolutely essential that , going forward , we put in place every necessary safeguard and protection so that a tragedy like this oil spill does not happen again , '' Obama said after meeting Friday with Cabinet members to discuss the spill . Read about oil spill responses . `` This is a responsibility that all of us share , '' Obama said . `` The oil companies share it . The manufacturers of this equipment share it . The agencies in the federal government in charge of oversight share that responsibility . I will not tolerate more finger-pointing or irresponsibility . '' BP 's efforts to plug the leak come amid growing concern that the company has been low-balling how much oil has poured out of the well . Rep. Edward Markey , D-Massachusetts , sent BP a letter Friday asking for details from federal agencies about the methods they are using to analyze the oil leak . Markey , who chairs a congressional subcommittee on energy and the environment , said he would launch a formal inquiry after learning of independent estimates that are significantly higher than the amount BP officials have provided . `` The public needs to know the answers to very basic questions : how much oil is leaking into the Gulf and how much oil can be expected to end up on our shores and our ocean environment ? '' Markey said in a letter to BP . `` I am concerned that an underestimation of the flow may be impeding the ability to solve the leak and handle management of the disaster . '' Track the oil spill . BP has said since the April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drill rig that about 5,000 barrels -- or 210,000 gallons -- have been pouring out of the well a day . The company says it reached that number using data , satellite images and consultation with the Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . `` I think that 's a good range , '' Suttles said Friday . But a researcher at Purdue University said BP 's estimate is low . Associate Professor Steve Wereley said that about 70,000 barrels of oil are leaking each day , based on an analysis of video of the spill . `` You ca n't say with precision , but you can see there 's definitely more coming out of that pipe than people thought , '' he said . `` It 's definitely not 5,000 barrels a day . '' A BP executive rejected that assertion Friday . `` Well , that 's not what our experts , multiple experts , not only from BP , and the industry say , '' said Bob Dudley , BP managing director for the Americas and Asia . `` This crude is what 's called a light-sweet crude . It has lots of gas and when it comes out , it expands very rapidly , a little bit like bubbles in a soda pop . So it 's very difficult to look at it and say that the volume will be much higher . We certainly do n't see that at the surface . '' The dispute over the size of the leak caps a week in which congressional committees grilled executives from BP and two other companies : drilling contractor Transocean Ltd. , which owned the rig , and oilfield services contractor Halliburton , which was responsible for cementing the well shut once drilled . The companies blamed each other . BP pointed to Transocean , which said BP was responsible for the wellhead 's design and Halliburton was responsible for the cement finishing work . Halliburton , in turn , said its workers were just following BP 's orders , but that Transocean was responsible for maintaining the rig 's blowout preventer . iReport : Send your photos , videos . Obama took exception Friday . `` I did not appreciate what I considered to be a ridiculous spectacle during the congressional hearings into this matter , '' the president said . `` You had executives of BP and Transocean and Halliburton falling over each other to point the finger of blame at somebody else . The American people could not have been impressed with that display , and I certainly was n't . '' Obama said the federal government also was taking responsibility for its role . `` For too long , for a decade or more , there 's been a cozy relationship between the oil companies and the federal agency that permits them to drill , '' Obama said . `` It seems as if permits were too often issued based on little more than assurances of safety from the oil companies . `` That can not and will not happen anymore . To borrow an old phrase , we will trust , but we will verify . '' As a result , Obama said , the Mineral Management Service will be restructured , with the part of the agency that permits oil and gas drilling and collects royalties separated from the part of the agency in charge of inspecting the safety of oil rigs and platforms and enforcing the law . `` That way , there 's no conflict of interest , real or perceived , '' Obama said . In addition , Obama said , the administration has ordered immediate inspections of all deepwater operations in the Gulf of Mexico , and no drilling permits will be issued until a 30-day safety-and-environmental review is completed . Obama also announced a new examination of the environmental procedures for oil and gas exploration and development . Learn more about efforts to stop the leak . BP , the Coast Guard and state and local authorities have scrambled to keep the oil from reaching shore or the ecologically delicate coastal wetlands off Louisiana . They have burned off patches of the slick , deployed more than 280 miles of protective booms , skimmed as much as 4 million gallons of oily water off the surface of the Gulf and pumped more than 400,000 gallons of chemical dispersants onto the oil . On Friday , the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration closed off to fishing another part of the Gulf of Mexico over which the federal government has jurisdiction . NOAA has now closed 19,377 square miles -LRB- 50,187 square kilometers -RRB- , which is 8 percent of the Gulf area within 200 miles of the coast , called an exclusive economic zone . The closed area a week earlier had been 4.5 percent . Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the April 20 explosion at the rig , which sank two days later . Eleven workers are missing and presumed dead . CNN 's Eric Fiegel , Brian Todd and Ed Lavandera contributed to this report . | NEW : Subsea dispersants ` an option we ... will move ahead with ' 14,000 people involved in clean-up and efforts to stop the leak . 1.2 million feet of boom deployed to prevent oily water from reaching shore . Obama critical of company executives for trying to shift blame to one another . | [[1220, 1314], [1317, 1416], [1363, 1459], [1718, 1730], [1796, 1932], [1933, 1940], [1943, 1996], [7950, 7954], [7994, 8042], [2490, 2503], [2506, 2558], [2583, 2627], [2563, 2627], [5748, 5781], [6127, 6156], [6352, 6435]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Admitted killer John Albert Gardner III bowed his head and wept at his sentencing Friday as the parents of his teen victims called him a monster and coward for raping and murdering their daughters . At the end of the hourlong hearing , the convicted sex offender was sentenced by Judge David Danielsen to three consecutive terms of life without parole for murdering Chelsea King and Amber Dubois and attacking a jogger . The case has sparked calls for tougher penalties against sex offenders . Dressed in a green jailhouse jumpsuit , his gaze on the floor , Gardner became emotional as the parents took turns attempting to articulate the agony of their losses before a packed courtroom in San Diego Superior Court . The themes of their statements alternated between celebrations of the teens ' lives and expressions of rage directed at Gardner . `` Look at me , '' Kelly King , Chelsea 's mother , tearfully demanded of her daughter 's killer after taking the podium . She paused and waited as a red-faced Gardner slowly lifted his eyes , casting a quick glance at her before shutting them . `` What I feel is so much deeper than I ever dare to express in a public forum . There are things I 'd like to say , but to protect my son and to maintain the dignity of my family , my words will be far too mild to adequately speak the disgusting truth about you , '' she said tearfully , trembling as she spoke . `` Chelsea was a sweet , loving and innocent soul who could not have fathomed the wretched piece of evil that ended her beautiful life on that day . '' Gardner , 31 , pleaded guilty April 16 to raping and murdering the San Diego-area teens in a deal with prosecutors that spared him the death penalty . He also pleaded guilty to assault with intent to commit rape of a jogger who managed to fight him off . CNN does not name survivors of sexual assault . The young woman also addressed Gardner in open court Friday . `` As a runner , I 've always gloried in the peace that comes in the utter solitude of a long run , '' said the woman , who was attacked in December 2009 . `` In a single instance , this man took from me the safety and solitude of my own mind . '' She said it was important for her to appear in court to represent the slain teens , despite the `` pain and guilt '' she feels as a survivor . `` I came here to stand today as a witness for Chelsea and Amber . I came to watch as justice is served for the horrifying acts he has committed , '' she said , fighting back tears . `` I come here today for all the women who have ever been victims of violence , to ask with Chelsea and Amber 's voices to remove this man from our world , to make us a little safer by locking him up permanently . King was also running on a trail near the Rancho Bernardo Community Park on February 28 when Gardner attacked her and dragged her to a remote area , according to court documents . He raped and stabbed the 17-year-old and buried her body in a shallow grave . He was arrested three days later , after his DNA was matched to semen found on her clothes . During the emotional hearing , Gardner was called an animal , monster and sociopath . King 's father , Brent , said the most appropriate name for the registered sex offender was `` coward . '' `` As I thought about what I would say to you today , I realized that names like ` monster and ` animal ' in a perverse way let you off the hook . You knew what you were doing when you chose to wait for and corner Chelsea , '' King said . `` The most fitting name for you is ` coward . ' You are not a man . You are just a weak , pathetic coward who preys on unsuspecting young girls half your size . You are evil not because of some sickness or disease , so do n't blame anything or anyone for your crimes . You intentionally chose evil and now you have to live with that evil festering inside you and eating you up as you rot in a prison cell for the rest of your life . '' Dubois , 14 , was last seen alive walking to Escondido High School on February 13 , 2009 . She was considered a missing person for more than a year , until Gardner led authorities to her remains in March -- after his arrest in King 's death -- in exchange for assurances that it would not be used against him in court . Gardner admitted to raping and stabbing Dubois and burying her in a shallow grave in a remote area near Pala , according to court documents . Without the plea deal , San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said last month , her office did not have enough evidence to charge Gardner in the death of Dubois . After 15 months of wondering about her daughter , Dubois ' mother said knowing her fate brought little closure . To understand her grief , Carrie McGonigle said , you had to know Dubois for the loving and gentle-hearted person known to friends and family -- a bookish animal lover who chose Barnes and Noble over the mall . `` The day she was abducted her backpack was filled with valentines for her friends and joy in her heart because she was carrying a check to adopt a baby lamb for a school project . To appreciate the profound kindness and love that has been stolen from my life , you only need to understand how truly excited she was about the opportunity to nurture another living thing . '' In addition to the victim impact statements , the King family also submitted a video of their daughter 's friends describing the vivacious teen 's gift for bringing intense passion to music , athletics and personal relationships . `` The thing I love most about Chelsea was the conviction and passion for everything she did and everyone she loved , '' one male friend said . Not long after Gardner 's arrest , King 's parents vowed to push for tougher sentencing guidelines for violent sex offenders and more intensive monitoring of parolees . California 's `` Chelsea 's Law '' calls for life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for any forcible sex crime against minors that includes one or more aggravating factors , including the victim 's age or whether the victim was tied , bound or drugged . The bill also would institute more intensive monitoring of parolees and lifelong GPS tracking in some cases . Gardner 's history with the state parole board also led Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to order a review of the system . He was paroled on September 26 , 2005 , after serving five years for two counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14 and one count of false imprisonment for attacking a 13-year-old neighbor . In September 2007 , he incurred a parole violation when his parole agent found that the college he was living near had a day care center and he was asked to move . When it was determined that he had found compliant housing , he was discharged from parole and removed from GPS monitoring on September 26 , 2008 . Speaking to the court , Dubois ' father lamented that the justice system did not heed the warning of a doctor who recommended that Gardner receive as much prison time as possible before his incarceration in 2000 . '' ` The defendant does not suffer from a psychotic disorder . He is simply a bad guy who is inordinately interested in young girls , ' '' Dubois said , quoting a report from psychiatrist Matthew Carroll , who evaluated Gardner . `` Again , I can not help to ask on behalf of my family , who is at fault here ? Is it this cold , heartless monster , is it the failures in the law enforcement systems or perhaps it is even us who have not forced and held accountable the people and the organizations who are supposed to protect us from these predators ? '' Echoing statements he made at Gardner 's plea hearing , Brent King said his family would have preferred the death penalty , but knew it was an `` empty promise '' in California . The father also laid blame on the killer 's mother for not ensuring that he was registered at her address , a condition of his parole , or notifying police of his residency when the girls went missing . `` Your mother , Cathy Osborne , knew what you were capable of and did nothing to protect us from you . She knew who you were after you violently beat and tried to rape that poor 13-year-old girl a decade ago , '' he said . `` She harbored you , indulged you and put every child in our community at risk . ... Ms. Osborne , you have Chelsea 's rape and murder and our pain on your soul . '' Mary Duval , chief executive officer for the Sex Offender Solutions and Education Network , an advocacy group for registered sex offenders , said anger-induced legislation is not the answer . `` If the current reform efforts focus on punishing and restricting all former sex offenders instead of those who are the most dangerous , the goal of protecting children will once again be foiled due to anger , fear and misinformation ruling the day , '' she said . `` The facts of the Chelsea King and Amber DuBois cases should be enough to persuade politicians and the families to look for better answers . '' | John Albert Gardner gets three consecutive terms of life without parole , waives appeals . Gardner , 31 , took plea deal in April in murders of Chelsea King , Amber Dubois . He also pleaded guilty to assault with intent to commit rape of a third woman . Gardner 's case sparked calls nationwide to toughen sex offender laws . | [[218, 252], [255, 439], [1577, 1584], [1592, 1691], [1728, 1730], [1736, 1776], [440, 512]] |
Bangkok , Thailand -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The bitter standoff between government troops and Red Shirt protesters in downtown Bangkok worsened Friday , the day after the wounding of a key protest leader aggravated the already deep tensions permeating the Thai capital . Hospital officials reported 16 people died in confrontations Friday in Bangkok , an urban fortress under siege and beset by gunfire , tear gas and stone-throwing . That followed the death of one person Thursday . The unrest boiled over after Thai authorities set a new deadline to seal off the Bangkok intersection where protesters have gathered by the thousands for the past month . In addition to the deaths , more than 140 people were wounded in the violence , including four non-Thais -- a Pole , a Canadian , a Liberian and a Myanmarese . A government official said Thai forces were slowly getting control of the downtown area , with video footage showing soldiers shooting rounds toward the area with protesters . Among those wounded on Friday was a journalist from a French television station who was shot in the leg . What are protests about ? The government said it was forced to take action after demonstrators disregarded an ultimatum by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to vacate the intersection by Wednesday . Panitan Wattanayagorn , the acting government spokesman , said on Friday security forces who have been the objects of attacks have no choice but to respond . He told reporters that forces have been dutifully following the rules of engagement , which allows them to use live ammunition to protect themselves and their comrades . He assured Bangkok residents and foreigners there that the forces have no intention of harming anyone . The government , he said , is `` very confident '' it will be able to `` stabilize the situation '' and get it `` under control very soon . '' Also , he said the prime minister is looking forward to working with others in hammering out reforms . The United Front for Democracy , the formal name of the Red Shirt opposition , has been demanding that Abhisit dissolve the lower house of Parliament and call new elections . The Red Shirts support former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra , who was ousted in a bloodless military coup . Tensions ramped up when Maj. Gen. Khattiya Sawasdipol -- a renegade general better known as Seh Daeng , which means Red Commander -- was shot and wounded by a sniper 's bullet on Thursday , an action that left him in critical condition . Seh Daeng was shot in the head while being interviewed by journalists in makeshift barricades set up by protesters . Thomas Fuller of The New York Times told CNN that the opposition leader was looking at him and answering questions when `` the bullet hit him in the forehead , from what I could tell . '' Reporter : Bullet ` felt like it grazed my head ' `` It looks like the bullet came over my head and struck him . I do n't have any way of confirming this beyond what I remember from the scene , but it felt like it grazed my head , '' he said . Fuller , who said bamboo pikes and rubber tire barricades have been formed as a makeshift encampment by the protesters , said the opposition figure was facing out of the barricades and into Bangkok 's business district of tall office buildings . `` He was standing in the same location for a while when I was talking to him but he was moving around , he was gesticulating , '' Fuller said . `` He was n't standing still , he was bobbing his head . '' iReport : Are you there ? Send your images , video . Seh Daeng did not appear to be armed or have bodyguards , but was dressed in camouflage jacket and a floppy hat , Fuller said . Seh Daeng is a controversial public figure , even within the protest movement , Fuller said . Some Thai opposition leaders see him as an impediment to a peaceful resolution to the political stalemate that has gripped Thai politics , the reporter said . `` He 's a renegade in sort of all senses , '' Fuller said . `` He 's a renegade from the army , a hardliner within the protest movement . He told me today he thought they -LRB- other opposition leaders -RRB- were being cowardly and he wanted to carry on . '' | NEW : Hospitals say 16 people have been killed in Bangkok violence . Red Shirt leader `` Seh Daeng '' is hospitalized after being shot earlier . Government says troops are regaining control of downtown area . | [[265, 343], [2346, 2355], [2370, 2383], [2387, 2395], [2400, 2441], [809, 917]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- World champions Italy meet France Tuesday at Euro 2008 in a rematch of the 2006 World Cup final and the 2002 European Championship final -- but with very different consequences . Italian players train Monday in Zurich ahead of their showdown with France . With both sides still seeking their first win of the tournament , defeat for either in Zurich would mean certain elimination from Group C and an ignominious return home for the losing squad . Should Romania beat the Netherlands -- who are expected to rest key players having already qualified for the quarterfinals -- in the group 's other match in Berne both sides face elimination regardless of the result . French coach Raymond Domenech and Italian counterpart Roberto Donadoni could also find their jobs on the line if their players fail to meet the expectations of two countries steeped in footballing success . Going into the tournament , both the Azzurri and les Bleus -- who also met twice in qualifying -- had been considered among the favorites despite being placed in the toughest group . But shock defeats against the Dutch -- 3-0 and 4-1 respectively -- and failure to beat the defensively minded Romanians has left them scrambling for survival . `` Nobody would have thought that Italy-France would be a last-ditch match , '' said Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon , whose penalty save against Romania kept his country 's slim hopes of making the last eight alive . `` Before the European Championship , this was supposed to be the biggest match of the group . '' Either Italy and France could advance if they win and Romania are beaten or held to a draw by the Dutch . Italy could also sneak through with a score draw if Romania lose . Who will win Tuesday 's crunch match between France and Italy ? Have your say . `` We know what 's at stake and we 're ready to put our hearts and souls into it . For us , this is already a final , '' said Donadoni , who replaced Italy 's World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi following Italy 's win on penalties over France two years ago . `` Both sides will be extremely motivated and will try to win . It should be exciting . I ca n't wait for the game to start . '' Admitting that both sides ' fate was out of their own hands , Domenech recognized that France 's qualification hopes hung by a thread with the Dutch unlikely to chase victory against a Romanian side they failed to beat in qualifying . `` They -LRB- the Netherlands -RRB- wo n't play with as much energy as they did against us and Italy , '' said Domenech following his side 's defeat by injury . `` It 's very difficult to imagine Holland beating Romania now ... We have to forget the other game completely . We still have a tiny chance but it will only happen if we win our game . '' Domenech is still without veteran midfielder and captain Patrick Vieira of Italian champions Inter Milan , who has failed to feature in the tournament since picking up a thigh injury in training two weeks ago . Lyon striker Karim Benzema was tipped to return to the side after missing the game against the Netherlands . Italy could recall forward Antonio Cassano in place of veteran Alessandro Del Piero while AC Milan midfield pair Gennaro Gattuso and Massimo Ambrosini could also return to the starting lineup . Romanian coach Victor Piturca said he expected a tough match against the Netherlands despite the Dutch having already sealed their place in the last eight and Romania 's victory over Marco van Basten 's side in Bucharest during qualifying . `` We had some experienced players who knew Dutch football well and that helped us with our tactics against them in the qualifiers , '' said Piturca . `` However , that was n't a good time for the Netherlands whereas right now , unfortunately for us , they are in extremely good form ... We know the different scenarios but by the end of the game I hope we will have qualified because we deserve it . '' The runners-up in Group C will face Spain , the winners of Group D , in Saturday 's quarterfinal in Vienna . The Dutch 's next opponents will be the determined by the result of Wednesday 's clash between Russia and Sweden . | France face world champions Italy at Euro 2008 with losers going home . Both sides face elimination if Romania beat the Netherlands in other group game . Italy to put `` heart and souls '' into winning the match , coach Donadoni says . French coach Domanech admits French hopes of qualifying are `` tiny '' | [[341, 466], [1808, 1890], [1840, 1890], [1393, 1456], [2261, 2397], [2708, 2735]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A ubiquitous Olive Garden TV commercial shows a picturesque cooking school in Italy as a voice croons words like `` artisanal '' and `` fonduta '' and smiling chefs in starched whites coats taste tomato sauce straight from a simmering pot and kiss their fingertips with glee . TV-watching skeptics turned to social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook to question the popular Italian chain 's claim of `` culinary inspiration '' from Tuscany . Is this Culinary Institute of Tuscany , a bona fide bastion of learning ? Or is it just an advertising fib ? Yes , Virginia , there is an Olive Garden Culinary Institute of Tuscany -- though the ownership is somewhat shared . The Institute opens its doors to approximately 100 of the best-performing chefs and managers of U.S. Olive Garden Restaurants each winter for 11 weeks . It began these authentic Italian cooking lessons in 1999 . `` During the rest of the year , the property , named Riserva di Fizzano , is a bed and breakfast , complete with the Rocca delle Macie winery , a guest house , a pool and a restaurant , '' Mark Jaronski , director of media and communications for Darden Restaurants , told CNN . Olive Garden is a member of the Orlando-based Darden family of restaurants alongside Red Lobster , LongHorn Steakhouse , The Capital Grille , Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52 . Olive Garden Head Chef Romana Neri runs the school in Italy . `` Chef Neri is an executive chef who lives in Tuscany , '' Jaronski said , adding Neri supports the chain 's Executive Chef Paolo Lafata when he 's at the Tuscany property . Culinary pilgrimages to learn the cuisine of foreign countries are nothing new for many chefs and restaurateurs : Julia Child went to France , Rick Bayless to Mexico . The skepticism from viewers comes when a chain restaurant asserts authenticity . Specialties inspired by the Culinary Institute of Tuscany are marked on Olive Garden 's menu with a special Culinary Institute of Tuscany seal : including the likes of Chianti Braised Short Ribs , Grilled Shrimp Caprese and Smoked Mozzarella Fonduta . Members of the public can also take part in a similar one-week learning experience under the Tuscan sun at the 11th-century , 450-acre property -- if they win the restaurant 's sweepstakes . Judith Wilson of Spanish Fork , Utah , 40 minutes away from the closest Olive Garden , was one of the 2009 contest winners . After hearing about the contest , she made daily entries and won . `` The cooking school took us in , and every day gave us lessons on all the different olive oils , cheeses , wines and how to complement your dinner with these choices , '' Wilson said . In the institute 's off-season , the Riserva di Fizzano 's restaurant , the Relais-Agriturism , serves up traditional Tuscan fare to the public . The Riserva also organizes cooking courses to educate visitors on Tuscan cuisine . Culinary institute skeptics or not , people are still embracing the `` hospitaliano '' -- Darden Restaurants reported in March that their fiscal third quarter U.S. same-restaurant sales increased 1.5 percent at Olive Garden . | The Olive Garden TV commercials are true ; restaurant has cooking school in Italy . Olive Garden Culinary Institute of Tuscany holds 11-week classes in Winter . The rest of the year , Riserva di Fizzano is a B&B with a winery and restaurant . Public can attend shorter classes if they win Olive Garden sweepstakes . | [[695, 847], [910, 937], [940, 954], [982, 1110], [2247, 2287]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Home favorite Rafael Nadal was watched by a galaxy of football stars as he reached the third round of the Madrid Open with a straight sets win over Ukrainian qualifier Oleksandr Dolgopolov on Wednesday . Real Madrid stars past and present Cristiano Ronaldo , Raul and Zinedine Zidane were courtside at the Caja Magica to see the world number three battle to a 6-4 6-3 win . The second seed , who did not have things all his own way against Dolgopolov , will now face giant U.S. star John Isner , who struggled past Colombian qualifier Santiago Giraldo 1-6 7-6 6-3 . Nadal is playing on home clay in his final tournament before the French Open where he hopes to regain the title , won last year by Roger Federer and claim his fifth grand slam triumph at Roland Garros . Earlier , world number five Andy Roddick 's preparations for the second grand slam of the year suffered a setback as he was forced to pull out of his match against Spain 's Feliciano Lopez with a nasty stomach bug . `` I got here , and then on Sunday night through Monday evening I was up with a stomach virus . I was up for 24 hours vomiting , sweating , the whole deal , '' Roddick told the official ATP Tour Web site . Roddick has not played since winning the Miami Masters last month and said the illness had come at just the wrong time . `` It 's very bad timing . I would 've taken this virus any time in the last five weeks instead of now , but I guess that 's the way it goes sometimes , '' he said . `` Playing well in Paris is n't totally out of the question , it 's just going to be a little tough , '' he added . In the evening session , Britain 's Andy Murray , seeded third showed improved form on clay with a 6-3 6-3 win over Juan Ignacio Chela , his fourth straight win over the Argentine . `` I was pleased with the win , '' said Murray . `` I served well and was able to move him around the court . '' Meanwhile , Munich Open winner Mikhail Youzhny made an early exit to Latvian Ernest Gulbis 7-6 6-4 and 15th seed Stanislas Wawrinka set up a third-round showdown with world number one and Swiss compatriot Roger Federer after beating Leonardo Mayer , who was down 6-4 4-2 when he retired . | Rafael Nadal reaches third round of the Madrid Masters with straight sets win . Nadal was watched by Real Madrid football stars as he beat Oleksandr Dolgopolov . World number five Andy Roddick suffers illness scare ahead of French Open . Third seed Andy Murray beats Juan Ignacio Chela in straight sets . | [[0, 15], [33, 222], [0, 15], [33, 222], [223, 392], [788, 795], [798, 1003], [1613, 1635], [1638, 1660], [1663, 1704]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Air Force Lt. Col. Ken Bourland hugged his wife , Peggy , goodbye and headed out for his two-day mission . The date was January 12 , and the destination was Haiti . Neither knew it would be the last time they 'd see one another . Upon his arrival in Port-au-Prince , Ken Bourland sent his wife an e-mail saying he had settled into his hotel room . Ten minutes later , Peggy Bourland and the couple 's three sons began watching television back in their suburban Fort Lauderdale , Florida , home . That 's when the news broke : Haiti had been struck by a major earthquake . She describes the panic that set in . `` I sent him another e-mail , you know , ` Please tell me you 're OK ' , '' she recounted to CNN . `` And , at that point , I did n't get anything back . '' The ensuing minutes and hours turned to days of waiting . `` It was painful not knowing , '' she said . `` But not knowing , you still had hope . You still had hope that he could possibly be under there just surviving , just doing everything he could to survive . '' Eventually , Peggy Bourland began to fear the worst . Lt. Col. Ken Bourland worked at the Caribbean desk at the U.S. Southern Command . His job involved helping the Haitian military with security issues concerning both countries , such as combating illicit drug trafficking , uncovering money laundering and distributing humanitarian aid . Bourland had been to Haiti previously , and this trip was to be a 48-hour mission escorting a new commander to meet his Haitian counterparts . His e-mail to his wife of five years was titled , `` Wow . Haiti . '' `` He actually had seen what true poverty was . And it was a life-changing experience for him , '' Peggy Bourland recalled . `` And he said that he wished that my son , Chance , and I could have been there to see it . I could tell from his e-mail he was moved , beyond words , at what he 'd seen , '' she said . Army Lt. Col. Chris Thomas worked with Ken Bourland at Southern Command . The two traveled to Haiti together and were in their respective rooms at the Hotel Montana when it came crashing down . `` We arrived Tuesday morning , met with the ambassador at the embassy , and got briefings , '' Thomas told CNN in an interview at Southern Command 's headquarters in Miami , Florida . `` Ken and myself then went back to the Hotel Montana , and that was the last time I saw him , '' Thomas said . Thomas stayed on the hotel 's top story , in a fifth-floor corner room . Ken Bourland 's room was on the second floor . Thomas recalled the horrible events of that afternoon . `` I was standing in the middle of the room , and the building just erupted , '' he said . `` The room just shook so violently , and the noise was deafening , '' he said . `` I rushed to the door , and the door and the wall fell on top of me . As the building pancaked , I guess I rode it down . '' Thomas suffered a broken arm , a separated shoulder and a torn ligament in his knee . But in the immediate aftermath of the quake , no word from Bourland . After two weeks , Peggy Bourland was emotionally exhausted from waiting and worrying . She took a military plane to Haiti to stand near where her husband was last seen alive . `` I just felt like , if that was going to be where he took his last breath , that I owed it to him and our kids to be there , to see it , to pray for him , '' she said . Once she got back home , she continued to wait for word about her husband 's fate . Eventually , `` they called , '' she said , tearfully recalling the moment when she got the definitive word that her husband had died in the earthquake-ravaged Hotel Montana . Immediately following the phone call , she worried , `` Oh my gosh , how am I gon na make it through this ? What am I gon na tell my boys ? You know , how am I going to explain this to them ? '' Bourland served in Iraq in 2004 . His safe return there holds a certain irony for his wife . `` To make it home from a real war zone , and be taken like that . It 's just ... it 's hard , '' she said . `` He was honest , confident , '' she said of her late husband . ` He was very dedicated . '' Peggy Bourland is unsure of `` where I go from here . It 's still just kind of , every day I get up , take a deep breath and ask , ` How are we gon na get through today ? What are we gon na do ' , '' she wonders . `` Never , never ever would I be prepared for this . '' `` It 's so vivid in my mind , him giving me a hug , kissing the boys , '' Peggy Bourland said . `` I still see him walking out the door Sunday on his trip . And you know , ` Bye ! See you when I get back . Love you ! Love you , too ! ' '' Asked about the necklace she wears , she said , `` This is Ken 's wedding band , one of the things they identified him with . I wear it around my neck , to keep him close to my heart , always . '' | Air Force Lt. Col. Ken Bourland was among those killed in January 's Haiti earthquake . Bourland died inside the quake-ravaged Hotel Montana . Bourland 's wife went to Haiti to stand near where her husband was last seen alive . Peggy Bourland says she 's `` unsure '' what the future holds . | [[554, 601], [3563, 3658], [3139, 3187], [3174, 3227], [4150, 4180]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Food fanatics may recognize John Besh from his stints on TV shows like `` The Next Iron Chef '' and `` Top Chef Masters , '' but New Orleans residents know the Louisiana-raised chef and ex-Marine as an evangelist for local food culture . After Hurricane Katrina devastated his city in 2005 , Besh rallied the teams at his flagship restaurant August to feed the Police Department , National Guard troops , evacuees , refugees and medical personnel . He also set up field kitchens for rural parish residents after hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008 . Besh 's 2009 love letter to his city 's distinctive cuisine , a nearly 400-page volume of recipes , photographs , stories and field guides to local ingredients entitled `` My New Orleans '' was recently named best cookbook of the year by the International Association of Culinary Professionals . With his region 's foodways again in peril , Besh spoke with CNN about what 's at risk from the Gulf Coast oil spill and what U.S. eaters can do to help . CNN : From a food perspective , what 's at stake ? John Besh : We have a rig that 's about 45 miles off the southern tip of Louisiana -- that little bit of land that just happens to be some of the most incredibly rich marshland , which feeds an enormous ecosystem . So , some of the most fragile land on the face of the earth -- at least in North America . Two-thirds of the production of seafood from the lower 48 states comes from this ecosystem . It all begins with the micro-organisms in the marsh grasses at the mouth of the Mississippi River . There are other rivers there , too , but it 's the mighty Mississippi that feeds it all . We have to act swiftly , as if we were going to war . We have to protect this coastline . There are not just jobs ; there are communities and cultures . Family-owned restaurant fears ` devastating glob ' CNN : How will this affect the local economy -- especially the shrimpers ? Besh : One thing in particular that 's been a real slap in the face to the American shrimper is the rapid importation , unchecked , of foreign shrimp flooding our market . We do n't know what waters they come from , we do n't know what they were fed . We really know very little about their origin . Yet we accept them with open arms in our country -- a lot of time using slave labor to process these things that we 're feeding our children and eating in our massive chain restaurants . These shrimpers , these communities have been through hurricane after hurricane . They really got back on their feet themselves -- very resilient people . And now we 're dragging our feet -- this slow , very delayed response to the waters . We 're talking about this ecosystem that 's a source , that 's a $ 2.9 billion a year industry just in our region for shrimp and oysters and crab -- along with some fin fish production . This whole industry -LSB- is -RSB- on the verge of collapse if we do not act swiftly . CNN : What can Americans outside the Gulf Coast do to help ? Besh : We need people to really be unified about this . It 's more than just about a job . Because it 's really about a culture . We need to preserve our environment . -LSB- President -RSB- Obama was put in office for the very things he claims to have espoused , yet now we 're seeing that administration really dragging their feet with this one -- and that 's a huge shock to all of us . And that 's why we 're asking everybody out there -- call your representatives , call your senator , call whoever . Make noise . One thing you can do right now is eat American shrimp . CNN : How can diners make sure it 's domestic ? Besh : Each state has its own laws , but in many , grocery stores have to label the origin of the shrimp . Demand domestic shrimp . Demand great domestic oysters . Demand , demand , demand , and they will have to supply it in order to pay their bills . CNN : What can chefs do ? Besh : Chefs should be very mindful of the origin of their seafood . We still have a lot to work on . We have a lot to clean up . But perhaps we can still salvage that culture and the industry . Not to mention all the environmental effects . CNN : What are you doing at your own restaurants like August , La Provence and Lüke ? Besh : We 're focused on supporting oyster families -- like P&J Oysters -- and local shrimpers by buying from our shore -- at least stabilizing as best we can the few people who are out there and able to make a living at it . And we have an active feeding arrangement going on . We 're taking food down to the mouth of the river when the mitigation stabilizes . Like just when we were rebuilding after Katrina , we 'll come and rebuild the restaurants -- we 're going to feed you . You want to come save our environment ? We 're going to feed you . CNN : What does the future hold for Gulf Coast cuisine in light of this disaster ? Besh : We have no idea what we 're dealing with yet because BP tells us one thing , the government tells us another . Even those reports have been skewed -- it may be up to five times worse than what our government is even saying . Right now , there 's just this big question and our question is not to cast blame right now . Let 's just deal with it . Let 's bring in all of our resources -- the Department of Defense if need be -- because we 're an incredible country . We can do so much . I love America and I 'm not against oil . But we 've got to figure out how to handle crises like this before they become crises . That 's my plea to everybody . Get out there and get involved . Make it known that we 've got to save the Gulf . | Chef John Besh : We should wage campaign to save Gulf Coast from oil slick . Need to protect `` most incredibly rich marshland , which feeds an enormous ecosystem '' He says not just jobs are at stake , but also communities and cultures . He urges Americans to demand U.S. shrimp at grocery stores and restaurants . | [[5547, 5595], [5566, 5595], [1160, 1178], [1184, 1245], [1211, 1245], [1254, 1283], [1774, 1810], [3056, 3090], [3518, 3573], [3729, 3753]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Much of the Central Plains and Midwest braced for another day of potentially severe weather as residents of Oklahoma cleaned up from a deadly outbreak of tornadoes this week . The National Weather Service said severe thunderstorms were possible Wednesday across large sections of Oklahoma , Kansas and Missouri , as well as parts of Arkansas , Kentucky , Illinois and Indiana . The Storm Prediction Center in Norman , Oklahoma , forecast an outbreak of powerful thunderstorms in the late afternoon and into the evening -- some with large hail . The deadly storm system that swept through Oklahoma on Monday spawned multiple tornadoes and dropped softball-sized hail . Two people died and more than 100 people were treated for various injuries , the state Department of Emergency Management reported . Gov. Brad Henry took an aerial tour of one of the hardest hit areas Tuesday afternoon . `` I lost track of the number of damaged and destroyed homes that we saw , '' Henry said . `` Literally hundreds and , I think , thousands of homes have received damaged in these storms , and many , many of those homes have been destroyed . `` Even though central Oklahoma was the hardest hit , this storm really was a statewide event , and there is damage and destruction throughout the state , '' he said . The governor said Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano assured him `` that FEMA would act very , very quickly on our request for a presidential disaster -LRB- declaration -RRB- and federal aid . '' iReport : Are you there ? Share photos , video . State emergency officials said more than 100 homes were destroyed and another 70 sustained major damage . Additionally , 43 businesses were destroyed . | Oklahoma expected to see more severe weather on Wednesday . Last storm system brought multiple tornadoes , softball-sized hail . Hundreds of homes have been damaged by storms . | [[0, 15], [58, 110], [195, 396], [229, 396], [397, 434], [448, 537], [114, 194], [564, 652], [564, 625], [657, 686], [1027, 1034], [1037, 1093], [1035, 1093], [1572, 1677], [1603, 1677]] |
New Orleans , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A mechanical problem prevented BP from inserting a tube into a ruptured pipe that would help siphon off oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico , BP official Doug Suttles said Saturday . Suttles said the device was hoisted back to the surface Friday for readjustments and the company expects to have it working by Saturday night . The plan is for the mile-long tube to collect the oil and send it to a surface vessel . Millions of gallons of crude have gushed into the Gulf since the fiery explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig more than three weeks ago . Suttles , BP 's chief operating officer for exploration and production , cautioned that the method is designed to contain the flow , not stop it . The tactic was dealt a setback Friday night when the frame holding the insertion tube shifted and prevented the surface vessel from connecting to it , Suttles said . Meanwhile , Suttles said the application of underwater dispersants -- a tactic approved for use Friday -- `` appears '' to be working . `` The oil in the immediate vicinity of the well and the ships and rigs working in the area is diminished from previous observations , '' he said after flying over the area Saturday . He did not provide further details . What are oil dispersants ? The Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday that the decision to use subsea dispersants is an `` important step '' at reducing potential damage from the spill , because dispersant can be more effective underwater than on the ocean 's surface . Oil dispersants are chemicals that can break the oil down into small drops and prevent it from reaching the surface or the shore . Dispersants are generally less harmful than the oil itself , which is highly toxic , and they biodegrade more quickly , the Coast Guard said . The underwater gusher began after an April 20 explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon . The explosion and subsequent fire caused the Deepwater Horizon to sink two days later , prompting oil to begin spilling from the well . BP was leasing the rig from Transocean . On Saturday , the Department of Homeland Security released a letter from Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar addressed to BPchief executive Anthony Hayward , calling on the company to state its `` true intentions '' for compensating those affected by the spill . `` The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill may prove to be one of the most devastating environmental disasters this nation has ever faced , '' said the letter , which was dated Friday . `` As one of the responsible parties for this event , BP is accountable to the American public for the full clean-up of this spill and all the economic loss caused by the spill and related events . '' What can BP do to combat growing oil spill ? The letter also asks BP to confirm it will not `` seek reimbursement from the American taxpayers , the United States government or the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund for any amount . '' There was no immediate response from BP . | NEW : BP official says use of underwater dispersants `` appears '' to be working . BP says it will try again Saturday night to insert tube . The method is designed to contain the flow , not stop it , BP official says . | [[930, 939], [942, 996], [1036, 1065], [617, 624], [627, 687], [690, 763]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The economy of Thailand -- whose growth this year so far has belied its political ails -- is now seeing more of a direct impact as protests grow increasingly violent . Thai Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij told CNN the protests have taken between 0.3 percent and 0.5 percent off the nation 's gross domestic product so far this year and have had an `` incalculable impact on investor confidence . '' The protests could shave as much 2 percent of GDP if it continues through the rest of the year . `` The longer it lasts , the greater the risk of violence breaking out -- which has proven to be the case , '' said Korn . `` Once violence breaks out , the potential impact on the economy is all the more greater . '' One person died from clashes Friday and two were in critical condition , a local hospital director said . All three were shot . A rebel red shirt leader who was shot Thursday while being interviewed by Western journalists was also in critical condition . On Friday afternoon , government troops were tightening around a protester encampment as shots rang out around the area . The typically bustling downtown area of Bangkok has shuttered its businesses as Red Shirt protesters occupied a 3-kilometer wide area near the business district . The 1,700 shops and 10 hotels in the area are losing an estimated $ 6 million a day . One in six of Thailand 's 61 million citizens live in the Bangkok area . Tourism , which makes up about 6 percent of the Thai economy and employs more than one million people , has been hardest hit by the protests that began in March . Banyan Tree Holdings , which owns several resorts in Thailand , projects that bookings and residential sales will take a hit this year . `` Unless there is a resolution to the Thai political situation soon , there is no clear visibility on the Group 's performance for the rest of the year , '' Chairman Ho KownPing said Thursday in a statement . `` Clearly the impact on the economy has been the impact on tourism , '' Korn said . `` Obviously pictures that are appearing on TV screens across the world has obviously spooked potential tourists . Several governments have issued travel warnings for Thailand as a whole and we 've seen bookings disappear at least for the months of June and July . '' The government still predicts the Thai economy will grow at least 4.5 percent this year . The World Bank had earlier predicted that Thailand -- the second largest economy in Southeast Asia -- will grow 7 percent this year . Foreign investors had been bullish on the Thai economy . But in recent weeks , the investment tide has turned . Overseas investors shed $ 130 million in the month of April , according to the Thai Stock Exchange . That sell-off has escalated in the past week as foreign investors sold off $ 584 million in Thai shares the past six sessions , Reuters reported . Korn said there was little disruption to business outside the immediate vicinity of the protests . `` Those who invested in Thailand generally invested in areas outside of Bangkok , and they have been in no way undermined by the ongoing protests ... so from that perspective it 's been pretty much business as usual , '' Korn said . `` That 's why the economy has kept humming along for that reason , '' Korn said . `` But the protests definitely have an impact on confidence and will definitely have an impact on the decision-making process for investors . '' CNN 's Dan Rivers , Andrew Stevens , Pamela Boykoff and Kevin Voigt contributed to this story . | The economy of Thailand is losing steam as protests grow increasingly violent . Once the darling of foreign investors , there is now a massive sell-off of Thai shares . Downtown Bangkok businesses are estimated to be losing a total of $ 6 million a day . | [[150, 186], [2783, 2831], [1276, 1361], [1329, 1361]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Utah prosecutors announced Friday that they expect to file murder charges against the mother and stepfather of a 4-year-old boy whose disfigured body was found this week in a canyon near Salt Lake City , Utah . Local police said Ethan Sloop 's body was buried in a shallow grave after he had been severely beaten , according to CNN affiliate KUTV . Nathan Sloop , 31 , and Stephanie Sloop , 27 , are being held without bail at a Davis County , Utah , jail . Davis County prosecutor Troy Rawlings said local authorities expect to charge the couple with aggravated murder , child abuse , obstruction of justice and the desecration of a dead body . If convicted , they could both face the death penalty . Authorities delayed an expected filing of charges on Friday , Rawlings said , because `` we do n't want to make any mistake in our charging decision . '' But `` make no mistake : We intend to file formal charges with the court once the evidence we need to substantiate the crimes ... is obtained and submitted and processed . '' Rawlings said he anticipated that charges would be filed in the `` not too distant future . '' Ethan 's father , Joe Stacy , was required by a divorce settlement to send him to spend the summer with his mother , KUTV reported . Joe Stacy and Stephanie Sloop were officially divorced April 28 . Ethan arrived in Utah on May 1 . He was locked in his bedroom while the Sloops were married May 6 , according to court documents reviewed by KUTV . Ethan , who had been beaten by this time , died three days later at the couple 's home in Layton , KUTV reported . Stephanie Sloop reported Ethan missing May 10 ; his body was found the next day . `` It 's like a nightmare come true , '' Brenda James , a friend of Joe Stacy 's , told KUTV . `` I believe that -LSB- Nathan Sloop -RSB- does not deserve to take another breath . '' | Charges planned against the mother , stepfather of 4-year-old boy found dead . Ethan Sloop 's body buried in shallow grave after severe beating , police said . Nathan Sloop , 31 , and Stephanie Sloop , 27 , are being held without bail at Utah jail . Authorities expect to charge couple with aggravated murder , other charges . | [[19, 115], [58, 146], [127, 146], [153, 220], [1050, 1141], [1064, 1141], [230, 297], [248, 331], [1492, 1497], [1500, 1532], [368, 407], [415, 467], [19, 115], [58, 146], [477, 664], [520, 664]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Progressive Catholic groups vented outrage Friday over the decision of a Roman Catholic school in Massachusetts to rescind the admission of an 8-year-old student because his parents are lesbians . `` The idea that a child might be punished because he does not live with his two biologic parents is antithetical to notions of Christian charity and Catholic social justice , '' said Patrick Whelan , president of Catholic Democrats , in a statement Friday . Other liberal Catholic and gay groups issued similar statements Friday , responding to news reports this week that a child accepted to St. Paul Elementary School in Hingham , Massachusetts , for the fall was told he could n't enroll after the school learned that his parents are gay . In addition to pressuring the Massachusetts school to reverse its decision and accept the student , progressive Catholic activists are attempting to do something much more dramatic : get the Archdiocese of Boston , which includes the Hingham school , to set a precedent for how the American church treats students with gay parents . In March , the Archdiocese of Denver , Colorado , supported a decision by a Catholic school in Boulder to block two students with gay parents from re-enrolling . While the Denver archbishop who backed that decision , Charles J. Chaput , may be the most outspokenly conservative bishop in the nation , progressive Catholics think they can get more moderate Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley to speak against Catholic schools rejecting students over their parents ' sexual orientation . `` I 'm very disappointed in Chaput 's actions , but he has a history of politicizing issues , '' said Chris Korzen , executive director of the progressive Catholics United , which has asked O'Malley to intervene in the Hingham case and to allow the child to attend St. Paul . `` Cardinal O'Malley understands that there 's a place to assert church teachings but that it does n't make sense to discriminate against a child because of his parents ' background , '' Korzen said . Korzen and other left-leaning Catholics said they were concerned that the Hingham school was following the example of the Denver Archdiocese in the Boulder case . `` While the relationship between the events in Boulder and Hingham -LSB- is -RSB- not known , Catholic Democrats is concerned that a narrative will develop that legitimizes the exclusion of children of same sex parents from Catholic schools , '' the group Catholic Democrats , which is based in Boston , said Friday . Conservative Catholic groups , meanwhile , have been mostly silent on the matter . `` I do n't really have a strong opinion on this one , '' said Deal Hudson , a prominent conservative Catholic activist , in an e-mail on Friday . `` It 's a matter of the individual bishop 's discretion . '' O'Malley has not publicly weighed in on the case , but the Boston Archdiocese said Thursday that the Hingham school was not acting in compliance with archdiocesan policy . `` The archdiocese does not prohibit children of same-sex parents from attending Catholic schools , '' said Mary Grassa O'Neill , the archdiocese 's secretary for education and superintendent of Catholic schools . `` We will work in the coming weeks to develop a policy to eliminate any misunderstandings in the future . '' O'Neill said that the Boston Archdiocese met with one of the child 's parents on Thursday and that it has offered to help enroll him in another Catholic school in the archdiocese . The parents of the St. Paul student have insisted on anonymity for them and their son in press reports of the situation . The Catholic Schools Foundation , a Boston-based group whose board is chaired by O'Malley , said Thursday that it would not support schools that discriminated against students based on their parents ' sexual orientation . ` '' -LSB- N -RSB- o school that promotes an exclusionary admissions policy or practice will be considered for support , '' said the foundation 's executive director , Michael Reardon , in a Thursday letter to school administrators . `` We believe a policy or practice that denies admissions to students in such a manner as occurred at St. Paul 's is at odds with our values as a foundation , the intentions of our donors , and ultimately with Gospel teaching . '' Calls to St. Paul Elementary School and church on Friday night were not returned . | Massachusetts school rescinds admission of student because parents are lesbians . Denver Catholic school recently made similar decision . Progressive Catholic groups say they have better chance with fight in Boston . | [[0, 9], [19, 180], [0, 9], [131, 215], [666, 732], [688, 737]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich remain on course for a unique treble of trophies after crushing Werder Bremen 4-0 in the German Cup final on Saturday . Bayern will now travel to Madrid for next weekend 's Champions League final against Inter Milan in confident mood , after this impressive victory over their Bundesliga rivals . The result never looked in doubt once Arjen Robben gave Louis van Gaal 's side the lead in the 35th minute . German international defender Per Mertesacker handled the ball in the penalty area and Dutch winger Robben made no mistake with the spot-kick . Ivica Olic doubled Bayern 's advantage seven minutes after the interval when poking home following a corner . And the match was over as a contest in the 63rd minute when a superb counter-attack saw Mark van Bommel play the ball through for Frenchman Franck Ribery to slide his shot coolly past goalkeeper Tim Wiese . Werder 's dismal afternoon was made even worse when former Bayern player Torsten Frings was sent offlate in the second-half after collecting two yellow cards . The icing on Bayern 's cake was provided by Bastian Schweinsteiger , who fired past Wiese after chesting down Phillipp Lahm 's lofted pass . | Bayern Munich crush Werder Bremen 4-0 to win the German Cup final on Saturday . The victory means Bayern add the cup to their Bundesliga title success last week . Bayern now have the chance to seal a unique treble against Inter Milan in Madrid next Saturday . | [[0, 5], [103, 135], [0, 15], [19, 117], [0, 15], [19, 117], [174, 189], [197, 287], [174, 180], [186, 287]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than a month after the Plastiki set sail from San Francisco , the six-person crew has made it to Christmas Island , nearly marking the halfway point of the ship 's journey to cross the Pacific Ocean . Upon their arrival , the crew was greeted at by local residents who performed cultural songs and dances , as well as offered them drinks and chocolate -- traditional treats on the Republic of Kiripbati island . The vessel embarked from San Francisco on March 20 . The arrival on Christmas Island is the first time since the ship left California that that the crew -- David de Rothschild , Jo Royle , David Thomson , Olav Heyerdahl , Vern Moen and Max Jourdan -- disembarked from their ship , constructed of more than 12,000 plastic bottles . After participating in the arrival ceremony , the crew members spoke to 1,000 high school students about the importance of recycling , and led a discussion to address the challenges the students face in their own efforts to promote sustainable practices . The crew had the additional opportunity to interact with the local community while the Plastiki was re-stocked and underwent a maintenance check and minor repairs . Also on Christmas Island , filmmaker Moen will leave the Plastiki to return to California , where his wife gave birth to their son last month . In his place , Graham Hill , the founder of environmental website Treehugger , will be joining the crew . The Plastiki has sailed 3,617 nautical miles of it 11,000-mile journey . Its final destination is Sydney , Australia . | The Plastiki crew reaches Christmas Island 39 days after it set sail from San Francisco . This is nearly the expedition 's halfway point and is the first time the crew touches land . The crew interacts with the local community and promotes their message of sustainability . | [[84, 137], [436, 488], [140, 195], [489, 683], [970, 1022], [1023, 1099], [1036, 1050], [1063, 1118]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Just one in 10 Latino high school dropouts earns a high school equivalency degree , compared with two in 10 African-American dropouts and three in 10 white dropouts , the Pew Hispanic Center said Thursday . The equivalency degree , called the General Educational Development -LRB- GED -RRB- credential , `` is widely regarded as the best ` second chance ' pathway to college , vocational training and military service for adults who do not graduate from high school , '' the center said on its website . Latinos also have a much higher high school drop-out rate than blacks or whites . About 41 percent of Latinos 20 and older in the United States do not have a regular high school diploma , compared with 23 percent of black adults and 14 percent of white adults , Pew said . Among Latinos , Pew noted , significant differences exist between those who were born in another country and those born in the United States . About 52 percent of foreign-born Latino adults are high school dropouts , compared with 25 percent of the native born , Pew said . Among Latino dropouts , about 21 percent of those born in the United States have a GED , compared with 5 percent of those born abroad , the research center said . A greater percentage of U.S.-born Latinos obtain GEDs because they are more aware of the opportunities available to them , said Richard Fry , the Pew Hispanic Center researcher who compiled the report . `` For the foreign-born , it takes them a little bit of time to learn about the GED , '' Fry told CNN . `` It takes a little bit of time to figure things out . '' Fry said he obtained the information by performing an analysis of newly available educational attainment data from the U.S. Census Bureau 's 2008 American Community Survey . That Census Bureau survey was the first to differentiate between those who graduated from high school and those who obtained a GED , Fry said . Previous surveys had lumped both categories together . The Pew analysis also found that in 2008 , Latino adults with a GED had a higher unemployment rate than those with a high school diploma -- 9 percent versus 7 percent . However , the report said , Latino full-time , full-year workers with a GED had about the same mean annual earnings -LRB- $ 33,504 -RRB- as full-time , full-year Latino workers with a high school diploma -LRB- $ 32,972 -RRB- . The Pew Hispanic Center is a nonpartisan research organization that does not take positions on policy issues . Release of the report comes amid heightened tensions over a recent Arizona law that requires immigrants to carry their registration documents at all times and allows police to question individuals ' immigration status in the process of enforcing any other law or ordinance . Opponents have called for an Arizona tourism boycott and the measure has drawn criticism from Mexico and several Latin American nations . Fry said timing of the report 's release was coincidental . `` There 's nothing magical about it , '' he said . `` The report 's been done for about a week or so and it was time to get it out the door . '' CNN 's Arthur Brice contributed to this report . | At 41 percent , Latinos have higher high school dropout rate than blacks , whites , study finds . Study finds differences between Latinos born in United States and those born abroad . For foreign-born Latinos , `` it takes a little bit of time to figure things out , '' researcher says . Pew Hispanic Center , which conducted study , says report 's timing unrelated to Arizona law . | [[534, 541], [547, 615], [616, 793], [807, 820], [823, 832], [835, 878], [865, 878], [883, 921], [1473, 1530], [1554, 1600], [197, 236]] |
Kennedy Space Center , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The space shuttle Atlantis lifted off Friday afternoon on its final planned mission . The shuttle blasted off under bright sunny skies at 2:20 p.m. . The six astronauts on board plan to deliver an integrated cargo carrier and a Russian-built mini-research module to the international space station . They also plan to bring a `` set of batteries for the station 's truss and dish antenna , along with other replacement parts , '' NASA says . In addition to the mission that got under way Friday afternoon , NASA has plans for two space shuttle missions before the program ends . This Just In : The -LRB- maybe -RRB- final flight of Atlantis . Atlantis has flown more than 115 million miles in almost 25 years , NASA says . It was the first orbiter to dock with the Russian space station , Mir . `` Atlantis has a history of being the shuttle that did the most international things , '' said Emily Nelson , lead space station flight director for the mission . `` It 's the orbiter that the Russians have known best , because it 's one that came to their space station most often , and it 's one that we used to deliver a module for them in the past . '' Atlantis also carried into orbit the Magellan spacecraft , which went on to map 98 percent of the planet Venus . It also sent the Galileo spacecraft on its way to collect data about Jupiter and its moons for eight years . | Space shuttle Atlantis lifts off Friday afternoon . Two-week mission will take crew to the international space station . Mission is one of the final three for the shuttle program . | [[77, 135], [507, 518], [524, 554]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin hit the campaign trail Friday , delivering the keynote address at a Washington fundraiser for an anti-abortion group supporting socially conservative women running for office in the upcoming midterm elections . `` All across this country , women are standing up and speaking out for common sense solutions , '' Palin said at the Susan B. Anthony List Celebration of Life breakfast . They are forming a `` new conservative feminist movement '' that will help make `` government work again for us , '' she said . The Susan B. Anthony List describes itself on its website as part of the `` nerve center of the pro-life movement and political process . '' In 2008 , the group founded `` Team Sarah , '' a coalition of women supporting Palin 's vice presidential bid . During her speech , Palin ripped abortion rights opponents in the Democratic Party who `` promised to hold firm '' during the health care debate , but ultimately backed `` the most pro-abortion president who ever occupied the White House . '' `` We wo n't forget , '' she promised . `` Elections have consequences . '' Palin mentioned , among other things , her daughter Bristol 's decision not to have an abortion after becoming pregnant at age 17 . `` It was an embarrassing time for her , '' Palin told the audience . But `` choosing life was the right road . '' Palin said national media coverage of the pregnancy `` kind of made it rough '' on Bristol and sent a not-too-subtle message to other young women that it 's easier to choose to have an abortion . Turning to other policy disputes , Palin also slammed the Obama administration 's fiscal program , declaring that `` these policies coming out of D.C. right now '' are putting the country on the road to `` national insolvency . '' She praised the conservative Tea Party movement , calling it a `` movement of the people '' that the media has unfairly characterized as a group of violent racists . `` This awakening is very , very healthy , '' she said . Palin 's speech was part of a midterm campaign swing that is scheduled to take her to North Carolina on Friday to address a National Rifle Association meeting . In addition , she will travel South Carolina to endorse GOP state Rep. Nikki Haley for governor . The state 's scandal-tarred Republican governor , Mark Sanford , is term-limited and will leave office in January . `` It is a tremendous honor to receive Gov. Palin 's endorsement , '' Haley said in a statement released Thursday . `` Sarah Palin has energized the conservative movement like few others in our generation . '' Palin has also endorsed , among others , former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina in California 's GOP Senate primary . Palin is set to release a new book in November -- `` America By Heart : Reflections on Family , Faith , and Flag . '' Her first book , `` Going Rogue , '' was a national bestseller . Palin has become one of the GOP 's biggest stars since being tapped as Sen. John McCain 's running mate during the 2008 presidential race . In addition to being an author , Palin has become a sought-after speaker and a contributor on Fox News . CNN 's Alan Silverleib , Peter Hamby and Martina Stewart contributed to this report . | Sarah Palin speaks at fundraiser for group supporting conservative women candidates . Palin attacks anti-abortion Democrats for backing President Obama 's health care plan . Palin 's appearance was part of a campaign swing that will take her to Carolinas . | [[0, 26], [93, 177], [155, 271], [825, 842], [845, 907], [2041, 2093], [2066, 2093], [2099, 2151], [2069, 2093], [2112, 2201]] |
-LRB- Mashable -RRB- -- For all their buzz and value , location-based social networks have n't really gone mainstream yet . Only 7 percent of Americans are aware of location-based social networks , according to data from Edison Research . Part of the explanation for this is that the majority of mobile users are n't using smartphones . And as a result , just 10 percent of those surveyed use mobile location services at least once a week , according to the Mobile Marketing Association 's latest Mobile Consumer Briefing survey . For smartphone users , like those of the iPhone -LRB- a popular device among early adopters -RRB- , that number jumps all the way up to 63 percent . Still , even with smartphones predicted to overtake feature phones sometime next year , there may still be adoption hurdles for location-based social networks . Here 's a look at why location-based services have n't yet hit critical mass and what those platforms are doing about it . Privacy concerns remain an issue . Kristine van Dillen , director of industry initiatives and partnerships at the Mobile Marketing Association , said location-based services are n't growing as quickly as they should be . One reason for the lag is concern over privacy and who has access to users ' data . Sites like PleaseRobMe.com , which humorously bring awareness to location-based privacy issues , may have scared some social media users from opting in . Furthermore , the use of geo-location data for commercial purposes has also raised concerns , prompting the Congressional subcommittee on Commerce , Trade and Consumer Protection to hold hearings on the issue . Concerns about loopholes in Foursquare that give others the ability to announce your check-inshave also been raised . `` There 's still a perceived risk in accessing location data , '' van Dillen said . Location-based service providers are addressing these concerns by giving consumers more control . Most current iterations of the popular location-based networks allow users to opt-out of location tagging and notifying users when their location is being shared . Consumer education is also key . Users need to know how their location data will be used , and feel comfortable that the companies that have access to it will behave responsibly , according to van Dillen . She said consumers will become more comfortable sharing information with their friends and trusted applications . Brands will view these services as less risky , and more mainstream , and new types of location-based services will come to the forefront . Where is the value ? Because of privacy concerns , it is imperative for location-based services to clearly communicate the value proposition to users . Without a clear picture of what they 're getting in return , users may be hesitant to share location data . One of the ultimate promises of location-based check-ins is more accurately targeted advertising . For some users , the privacy concerns of sharing their location might be trumped by the potential utility of receiving highly targeted advertising and promotions . However , even though Gowalla , Foursquare , BrightKite and Yelp allow for check-ins at `` places , '' rather than just map coordinates , which makes the data more valuable for targeted advertising , actual advertiser value has n't yet totally materialized . Michael Boland , a senior analyst and program director at BIA/Kelsey said check-ins represent the makings of a business model , but they have n't reached their full potential value yet because there is n't a well-defined system to buy and sell advertising . `` I think it does have a lot of staying power . We 're only going to see it grow and evolve , '' he said . For early adopters , though , the long-term promise of more value through targeted ads , coupons and deals , along with the game mechanics -LRB- i.e. , badges and `` mayor '' competitions -RRB- instituted by some networks has made location-based services worth the potential privacy headaches . As Twitter and Facebook move into the location tagging space , they might finally take the trend mainstream . During its Chirp developer conference in April , Twitter announced the launch of its annotations feature , which gives users the ability to attach metadata to tweets , including location . Facebook , meanwhile , will also reportedly soon enable members to add location details to their status updates and release an API so other apps can offer location ability to Facebook users . Each network faces the usual hurdles for location adoption . For Twitter , the biggest problem might be convincing users of the value of location-enabled tweets . Twitter has yet to clearly communicate to users what they get in return for adding location to their tweets . On their knowledge base page explaining the feature they write that location will help you `` add context to your updates and help you join the local conversation , wherever you are . '' Twitter gives an example of one user tweeting about the weather in one location , while another user tweets about traveling to that very location . Unfortunately for Twitter , compared to sites like Foursquare and Gowalla which clearly indicate the value -- every check-in is part of a game , you can find your friends , get tacit recommendations for places to go , and maybe score a deal or two -- Twitter is only communicating what feels like a very niche and impractical value proposition . Further , because location is off by default for all users , without a more clearly communicated message , the feature may remain off for many people . Facebook , meanwhile , faces the other major problem : Privacy . Because Facebook has had so many different privacy issues over the years , many users are wary of new features . And Facebook has n't always had the best track record when it comes to rolling out new features in a way that people trust . So how they roll out location to users and how well they do at making users feel that their information is safe may be make or break for location on Facebook . One thing Facebook does have in its favor is a great track record of getting people to eventually use new services en masse -- concerns or not . When Facebook launched its news feed feature in 2006 it faced a very vocal user backlash . A few months and a few tweaks later , the feature was widely used and has become an integral part of the service . The advantage for both Twitter and Facebook is that their users already have a built-in network of followers and friends , so they do n't have to sign up for a new service and start adding people to it . The location feature is simply an add-on to their existing account . `` Facebook could really be the looming giant that could wipe all -LSB- other location services -RSB- away , '' Boland said . `` Facebook has proven to have so many users who are mobile . If they turn on that feature , it 's the looming category killer . '' What remains to be seen is if the users will go for it . © 2010 MASHABLE.com . All rights reserved . | Sites and apps that let users track their locations get buzz from tech media . But the sites are not achieving mainstream popularity , according to surveys . Only 7 percent of Americans are aware of location-based social networks . Facebook and Twitter may soon popularize the idea , however . | [[55, 123], [999, 1018], [1109, 1172], [124, 195], [124, 151], [198, 238]] |
Atlanta , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Staring at the throngs of media representatives who came out to hear and see her Friday , Jessica Colotl took another step into the fight for her future . The undocumented student from Mexico whose case has become a lightning rod in the immigration debate had been released on $ 2,500 bond just a couple hours earlier . The 21-year-old student at Kennesaw State University in Georgia surrendered Friday morning to authorities in response to a warrant for her arrest issued Wednesday night by the Cobb County Sheriff 's Office . Standing nervously before the crowd , Colotl fought back tears when people cheered for her . The media bombarded her with questions as she tried to give voice to her struggle . Just a week earlier , she 'd been released from a deportation facility in Alabama after being stopped in March for a minor traffic violation . `` If I were to be deported , I 'd have to start all over again , '' she said . `` I 'm hoping for the best . '' The sheriff 's office said she gave a false address when stopped for that violation , a felony charge that her attorney denies . A spotlight has been trained on Arizona since Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law a bill that requires law enforcement officials to seek proof of legal U.S. residency from anyone whom they have stopped on suspicion of having violated the law . But advocates working with Colotl point out that a little-understood program already gives local authorities in many states the latitude to act as immigration officials -- a right that is often abused , they say . `` The future of Arizona already exists in Cobb County and Gwinnett County -LSB- also in Georgia -RSB- , '' said Jerry Gonzalez , executive director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials . Near him were other Colotl supporters , some holding signs reading `` Education not deportation . '' Under the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 287 -LRB- g -RRB- program , state and local law enforcement can partner with the federal agency to gain some immigration enforcement authority in their own jurisdictions . If they conclude that someone is in the country illegally , they can turn that person over to ICE . Last year , a change to the partnership program prioritized the detention and arrest of those who have allegedly committed crimes . The Cobb County Sheriff 's Office is one of 71 law enforcement agencies in 26 states that have entered into this partnership program , according to the ICE website . Labeling the program a `` civil rights disaster , '' Mary Bauer , legal director of the Southern Poverty Law Center , said it `` leads to racial profiling , distracts police from looking for real criminals and destroys families . '' The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia called Friday for an end to the program . `` Jessica 's case is yet another outrageous example of the unaccountable local enforcement of immigration laws in Cobb County gone awry , '' said Azadeh Shahshahani , ACLU of Georgia 's national security/immigrants ' rights project director . Colotl 's legal problems started in late March when her car was stopped on the Kennesaw State campus . Born in Mexico but living in the United States since she was 11 , she could not produce a driver 's license , so she handed over as identification an expired passport from Mexico . She was arrested the next day and turned over to immigration officials . She spent more than a month in the Etowah Detention Center in Alabama . Friends came out in force and marched on campus in her defense . Earlier this month , she was released , and her deportation was deferred for a year , which will allow her to finish her studies . She has n't returned to classes yet , but looks forward to earning her degree . `` I 'm just trying to live the American dream and finish my education , '' she said . Calling Colotl `` a symbol of what 's wrong with the immigration system , '' immigration attorney Charles Kuck thanked ICE for allowing his client to stay in the country for a year to finish her studies . He then set out to educate people about the challenges facing Colotl , providing a reason why she did not have a license . `` Jessica ca n't start the process to become a U.S. citizen because she 's not allowed to , '' he said . `` If Jessica could obtain a license , she would have . '' In a statement Wednesday night , Cobb County Sheriff Neil Warren said , `` Ms. Colotl knew that she was in the United States without authority to be here and voluntarily chose to operate a vehicle without a driver 's license , which is a violation of Georgia law . She has further complicated her situation with her blatant disregard for Georgia law by giving false information . '' As for the use of the ICE program , he said , `` I value any tool that helps me enforce the law and remove violators from our community . '' But the band of lawyers and advocates who rallied around Colotl say Cobb County is abusing its power . In a joint statement Thursday night , they voiced outrage over Colotl 's treatment and suggested that the felony charge is trumped-up . `` It is obvious from all the documents that I 've seen that she has done nothing wrong and has given her proper address to Cobb County and immigration officials , '' said Chris Taylor , Colotl 's criminal attorney . `` There has been no crime committed . '' The car 's registration simply reflected her old address , Taylor said in an interview , and she provided her new address when she was taken into custody . Taylor said he has the documents to prove this and looks forward to clearing her name . In front of the crowd that gathered Friday , he said of his client , `` She has not failed us . We have failed her . The system has failed her . '' The Cobb Immigrant Alliance likened the actions of officials to `` schoolyard bullying . '' Gonzalez , of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials , called the sheriff `` Wild-West Warren , '' saying he `` has abused his authority in this case . His actions clearly demonstrate the problems that occur when local law officers are granted authority to enforce immigration laws . '' `` Sheriff Warren has embarked on a witch hunt , wasting money and county resources for political gain , '' said Adelina Nicholls of the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights . `` This is not about public safety . '' | Jessica Colotl , an undocumented immigrant , was arrested , detained after traffic violation . In U.S. since she was 11 , she is close to graduation from her university in Georgia . `` I 'm just trying to live the American dream and finish my education , '' says Colotl . Advocates and lawyers for Colotl liken case to `` witch hunt '' and say system is flawed . | [[764, 767], [824, 884], [3177, 3181], [3196, 3240], [3782, 3849], [4899, 4920], [4925, 4946], [4887, 4920], [4947, 4985], [4986, 5021], [5024, 5068], [4986, 5021], [5024, 5028], [5073, 5121], [5742, 5769]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Filipino boxing star Manny Pacquiao says he wants one final bout as a professional and it looks set to be an eagerly-awaited match-up against Floyd Mayweather Jr. later this year . National hero Pacquiao will enter the Philippine parliament after winning a seat in this week 's elections , but has one more ambition to fulfil in the ring . `` Many fans really want me to fight Floyd Mayweather so I asked my Mama if we can give them one more fight , she said okay , '' AFP quoted Pacquiao in an interview with broadcaster ABS-CBN . `` We spoke yesterday and she said just one last fight , Mayweather . '' `` Pacman '' is rated by Ring magazine as the greatest pound-for-pound fighter on the planet after winning an unprecedented seven world titles at different weight divisions . Mayweather is unbeaten in 41 fights and is a huge draw at the box office , earning the nickname `` Money '' in amassing a fortune on his way to nine world titles in five different weight classes . The two were due to fight earlier this year , but negotiations ended acrimoniously with Pacquiao angered by the insistence of the Mayweather camp for Olympic style pre-fight drugs tests . It appeared to remain a major sticking point , along with Pacquiao 's political ambitions and the influence of his mother Dionisia , who reportedly wants her son to retire from the ring . But with leading American promoter Bob Arum pulling the strings , visiting the Philippines to watch Pacquiao campaign for the election , the fight all boxing fans want to see could now be on . The Manila Standard newspaper reported that the Dallas Cowboys Stadium , where Pacquiao had his last fight against Joshua Clottey and the MGM Grand in Las Vegas , where Mayweather was last in action , had both been booked for November 13 . | Manny Pacquiao hints at final professional bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr. . Pacquiao was speaking after winning a seat in the Filipino national parliament . Bout against Mayweather would amass huge sums in box office revenue . | [[0, 15], [19, 166], [200, 306]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Inter Milan have won the Italian Serie A title for a fifth successive season -- and the 18th time in their illustrious history -- after Diego Milito 's goal gave them a 1-0 win at Siena on Sunday . Jose Mourinho 's side needed nothing less than a victory to secure the Scudetto and they achieved that feat in the 57th-minute when striker Milito collected a pass from fellow-Argentine Javier Zanetti , before firing home a shot with the outside of his right foot . A draw would have allowed second-placed Roma to snatch the title with a win at Chievo and Claudio Ranieri 's side kept up their side of the deal with a 2-0 success . Mirko Vucinic volleyed home Daniele De Rossi 's through-ball in the 39th minute and Italian international De Rossi added a second on the stroke of half-time with a superb long-range strike . With only 45 minutes remaining of the season , Roma were in pole position to win their first title since 2001 -- but Milito 's strike ensured Inter became the first team since Juventus in the 1930 's to win five titles on the bounce . The result , which condemned Siena to relegation to Serie B alongside Atalanta and Livorno , also means Inter Milan will now face Bayern Munich in next weekend 's Champions League final in Madrid with both sides bidding for a unique treble . `` This is an incredible joy , a reward for all the hard work we 've put in over the year , '' Milito told reporters . `` From tomorrow we will think about that great Champions Lague final . '' Like the Bavarian giants , Inter have now added the league title to their domestic cup triumph -- and Saturday 's Bernabeu showdown now ensures one of the two teams will secure a rare treble of trophies this season . For Mourinho , who has overseen Inter 's last two Scudetto wins , there is the added incentive of joining a select band of coaches to have won the Champions League with two different clubs , following his success with Porto in 2004 . | Inter Milan win the Italian Serie A title for a fifth successive year after beating Siena 1-0 . Diego Milito scores the only goal as Inter add the Scudetto to their Italian Cup triumph . Roma finish two points behind in second position after a 2-0 victory at Chievo . | [[0, 15], [19, 95], [155, 216], [1028, 1036], [1040, 1074], [155, 216], [957, 1039], [1538, 1552], [1559, 1605], [1538, 1543], [1549, 1605], [573, 648]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Florida prosecutors on Thursday revealed a list of reasons they 're seeking the death penalty against Casey Anthony , who is charged with killing her daughter , Caylee . Under Florida , law , prosecutors need to raise only one of 15 possible aggravating factors to support their decision to seek the death penalty . Assistant State Attorney Jeffrey Ashton cited five circumstances , according to a document obtained by CNN affiliate WESH and other Orlando , Florida , media outlets . In death penalty cases , jurors are asked to weigh aggravating circumstances that make a crime especially heinous against mitigating factors that favor mercy , such as a lack of prior offenses . Among the legal reasons cited : Caylee 's death occurred during aggravated child abuse , was especially `` heinous , atrocious , or cruel , '' and was committed in a `` cold , calculated and premeditated manner without any pretense of moral or legal justification , '' according to the document . Caylee was also under 12 years old , and Anthony `` stood in a position of familial or custodial authority over her , '' the document states . Karen Levey , the court public information officer , could not confirm that Judge Belvin Perry Jr. received a copy of the notice . As of Thursday evening , defense attorney Jose Baez said he had not been served with the notice . In a hearing this week , Perry ordered the State Attorney 's Office to disclose the aggravating factors they intend to cite in a penalty phase if Anthony is convicted of premeditated murder . Anthony , 24 , is accused of killing 2-year-old Caylee , who disappeared in June 2008 . Her body was found that December in a vacant lot near her grandparents ' home in Orlando . Defense lawyers have said that prosecutors are seeking the death penalty to bankrupt the defense and prevent Anthony from having the attorney of her choice . The defense said that prosecutors had originally said they would not seek death in the case but reversed that position in March 2009 when they learned that Anthony had $ 205,000 for her defense . The bulk of the money came from ABC News for the licensing of photos and videos , Baez testified during a previous hearing . Anthony 's trial is scheduled to begin May 9 , 2011 . | Prosecutors cite five legal circumstances to support decision to seek death penalty . Document : Death occurred during aggravated child abuse , was `` heinous , atrocious '' Document : Caylee was under 12 , Anthony held position of custodial authority over her . If Anthony is convicted of killing Caylee , jurors have to weigh aggravators against mitigators . | [[0, 15], [51, 126], [281, 334], [335, 399], [335, 374], [402, 425], [704, 727], [730, 784], [1036, 1110], [503, 525], [528, 579], [528, 534], [554, 643]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Investigators had a `` significant break '' in tracking the salmonella outbreak when they found the bacteria on a jalapeño pepper imported from Mexico at a Texas food supplier , the Food and Drug Administration announced Monday . The FDA has discouraged all consumers from eating raw jalapeño peppers . The FDA also warned consumers not to eat fresh jalapeños and products made with fresh jalapeños . The discovery may provide a clue to the source of a recent outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul . The bacteria have sickened more than 1,200 people in 42 states , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . `` One of the jalapeño peppers has tested positive with a genetic match to the Saintpaul strand , '' said Robert Tauxe , deputy director of the CDC 's Division of Foodborne , Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases . Consumer Tips Blog : Hold the jalapeños He said officials are `` looking at the chain that the peppers would have passed through to decide if any of them are a point of contamination . '' Watch more on the salmonella outbreak '' Tauxe called the discovery a `` significant break . '' `` While this one sample does not give us the whole story , this genetic break is very important , '' he said . `` This will hopefully help us pinpoint the source of this outbreak . '' The bacteria were found at a distribution center in McAllen , Texas , and the distributor has agreed to recall the products . Although the pepper was grown on a farm in Mexico , Tauxe said , investigators are not yet certain where the bacteria originated . Read food safety tips '' `` This does not mean that the pepper was contaminated in Mexico , '' he said . `` We are n't only looking for the source , but the reason for the spread -LSB- of the outbreak -RSB- . '' The news comes just days after the FDA lifted its ban on consumption of certain raw tomatoes . The FDA has not ruled out tomatoes as the source of the original outbreak , but investigators have determined that tomatoes currently in fields and stores are safe , Dr. David Acheson , the FDA 's associate commissioner for food protection , said Thursday . Learn about the differences between salmonella and E. coli '' The FDA is still investigating fresh tomatoes as a possible source of the outbreak . It is possible that tomatoes were paired with another food that was contaminated , Tauxe said . Watch more on the FDA investigation '' Before Monday 's warning , the agency had discouraged high-risk people -- elderly people , infants and those with impaired immune systems -- from eating serrano and jalapeño peppers . Two elderly men with pre-existing conditions died while infected with Salmonella Saintpaul , and the FDA said the infection could have contributed to their deaths . | NEW : Discovery called a `` significant break '' in outbreak investigation . Strain is Salmonella Saintpaul , which has sickened hundreds recently . CDC : Pepper grown in Mexico , but origin of bacteria uncertain . Bacteria were found at distribution center in McAllen , Texas . | [[30, 109], [53, 159], [1048, 1140], [431, 524], [525, 587], [1520, 1585], [1329, 1398]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former Mexican senator was reported missing on Saturday , Mexico 's attorney general 's office said . The case has rocked Mexico , with President Felipe Calderon saying he is closely monitoring the investigation into the disappearance of the former official , Diego Fernandez de Cevallos Ramos . The attorney general of the state where Fernandez de Cevallos was reported missing said that authorities have no clues as to his whereabouts . Fernandez de Cevallos was last seen on the ranch of his home in Pedro Escobedo , in central Mexico 's state of Queretaro , the country 's official Notimex news agency reported . The attorney general 's office said that Fernandez de Cevallos ' vehicle was located on his ranch and that `` in the place where the car was located , some of his belongings were found and there were traces of violence . '' Queretaro attorney Arsenio Duran said the former legislator had arrived alone at his La Cabana ranch , as he usually did , at approximately 11 p.m. Friday -LRB- midnight ET Saturday -RRB- and that it was presumed that he was kidnapped in the driveway of his property , Notimex reported . Duran said that around 7 a.m. Saturday -LRB- 8 a.m. ET -RRB- relatives of the former legislator noticed that the door to his truck was open , Notimex reported . Outside the vehicle were discarded glasses , pens and scissors ; inside were traces of blood . The federal attorney general 's office has declined to call the case a kidnapping . Queretaro authorities are investigating the case , the attorney general 's office said . A statement on the Mexican president 's website said that Calderon `` from the first hours of the morning , has been in constant communication with the attorney general and with the secretaries of Interior and Public Security , '' about the investigation . The statement said that Calderon has `` communicated with one of the two children of Fernandez de Cevallos , who is facing this difficult situation with integrity , to offer his solidarity and the necessary backing to successfully locate Fernandez de Cevallos . '' The missing legislator was a senator from PAN , Mexico 's National Action Party , and is a former presidential candidate . The statement on Calderon 's website called Fernandez de Cevallos `` a key politician in the Mexican democratic transition . '' CNN 's Esprit Smith contributed to this report . | NEW : Discarded items were found outside ex-Senator 's car ; inside were traces of blood . NEW : Federal attorney general 's office has declined to call the case a kidnapping . Diego Fernandez de Cevallos Ramos , a former Mexican senator , is missing . Ex-senator was last seen on the ranch of his home , Notimex news agency reports . | [[751, 760], [789, 822], [1376, 1405], [1406, 1489], [1406, 1444], [1458, 1489], [460, 490], [496, 538], [460, 481], [491, 538], [541, 580], [583, 637], [1131, 1149], [1292, 1310]] |
-LRB- Mashable -RRB- -- It was speculative before given the lack of independent confirmation , but now apparently Apple has gone on record to confirm that the original deal signed with AT&T for iPhone exclusivity back in 2007 was a five-year deal . That means at least some legal hoops would need jumping through if we 're ever going to see that oft-rumored Verizon iPhone before 2012 . Engadget reports that court documents filed by Apple in a California class-action suit confirm the original AT&T exclusivity deal had a five-year duration . The suit , ongoing since 2007 , claims that Apple and AT&T were exerting a monopoly over iPhone service by surreptitiously locking iPhone buyers into renewing contracts with AT&T once their initial two years was up . On the flip side , there are a number of reasons such a contract might be amended or canceled , so it 's not exactly a total given that the iPhone wo n't appear on another carrier before 2012 . But given the original terms , it could require some tricky negotiation or legal fancy footwork to get there . Moreover , the class-action suit also alleges an illegal monopoly over the iPhone App Store , which the court ruled substantial enough to move forward . On both fronts then -- consumer market and legal proceedings -- it will be fascinating to watch for further details on when the AT&T iPhone exclusivity curtain might drop or even be forcibly struck down . Do you think we 'll see the iPhone come to another carrier before 2012 ? © 2010 MASHABLE.com . All rights reserved . | Apple signed a five-year deal with AT&T for iPhone exclusivity back in 2007 , court documents show . Lawsuit claims that Apple and AT&T exerted a monopoly over iPhone service . But the iPhone could possibly still appear on another carrier before 2012 . | [[114, 119], [139, 248], [387, 543], [409, 543], [544, 573], [576, 751], [1424, 1496], [1437, 1496]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Professor Peter Furth has ridden his bicycle to work at Northeastern University each day for the past six years . The two-mile trip through the Boston suburb of Brookline , Massachusetts , is usually without incident . Furth 's journey is worlds apart from his former Boston commute , which for 13 years was a battle with drivers who wanted him on the sidewalk . `` I 've had motorists that drive a couple of inches from my elbow , trying to scare me , '' he said . Furth would catch up with drivers at stoplights and ask them whether they knew how close they 'd come to hitting him . Invariably , they would say , `` Yes , move over . '' It 's a cultural thing , he said . In the town of Cambridge , motorists see bicyclists all over the place and are considerate . In Brookline , only every now and then does someone honk or yell . In the southern part of Boston , it 's not quite war , but the relationship is n't very friendly . Although the street signs say `` Share the road , '' there 's still a long road to travel before that sign reflects the reality , bicyclists say . Motorists often see bands of bikes on the streets on the final Fridays of each month as cyclists across the nation gather for evening group rides called Critical Mass. . The purpose , advocates say , is to make cars and trucks more aware of bicyclists . But to some drivers , Critical Mass participants are nothing more than spandex-wearing , stop-sign-running Lance Armstrong wannabes who slow traffic . ` They think they own the road ' It 's somewhat symbolic of the tension on the roads . `` The roads were made for cars , '' KTAR-FM radio guest host John Hook said in Phoenix , Arizona , last month . `` And bicyclists share the road , but sometimes they think they own the road . '' One caller to the program was a long-haul truck driver who accused many bicycle riders of failing to respect the law and not riding with the flow of traffic . A caller who identified himself as Jeff said he witnessed an incident in which a pack of bicyclists almost hit a car that had the right of way . Then the riders screamed at the motorist . `` I actually think the bikes are more disrespectful to the cars than the cars are to the bike , '' Jeff said . The number of cyclists is increasing . Although bike sales took a dip during the recession of 2009 , more than 18 million were sold each year for the seven previous years , according to the National Sporting Goods Association . About 27 percent of adults in the United States bike at least once a summer , according a survey released in 2008 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration . Most bicyclists ride for recreation or exercise , while a small percentage ride to work . In Portland , Oregon , which is ranked second on Bicycling magazine 's list of Top 50 Bike Friendly Cities , more than 6 percent of residents commute by bike to work . That 's up from 1 percent two decades ago . See a map of the top 10 bike-friendly cities . Things are looking up , at least in the eyes of cyclists . Many cities are putting in bike lanes and paths . Google adds bike routes to maps . More than $ 730 million in federal stimulus funds has been allocated for bike and pedestrian projects , according to AmericaBikes.org . Washington is getting into the act . U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood drew cheers from the cycling world in March when he blogged that the administration was `` integrating the needs of bicyclists in federally-funded road projects '' and advising state departments of transportation to treat biking and walking `` as equals with other transportation modes . '' That drew an outcry from industry , which saw the new policy as taking money away from large transportation construction needs . `` Treating bicycles and other non-motorized transportation as equal to motorized transportation would cause an economic catastrophe , '' Carter Wood , a senior adviser at the National Association of Manufacturers , told The New York Times . `` If put it into effect , the policy would more than undermine any effort the Obama administration has made toward jobs . You ca n't have jobs without the efficient movement of freight . '' Five blocks of controversy . Michael Ritchey is an avid biker and believes that bike lanes are good idea . He just thinks the project to add them to a five-block stretch of Hillsborough Street in Raleigh , North Carolina , is folly -- and dangerous . Hillsborough Street is one of the main arteries in Raleigh and borders the northern part of North Carolina State University and its 30,000 students . There are bars and shops and small restaurants . And lots of cars . The city , working with the state , has decided to redo the four-lane road , and when the project is done , there will be two lanes for cars , a center median and bike lanes on each side . Ritchey , who owns Global Village Organic Coffee and is a weekend cyclist , fears that bikers will get hurt . `` They are putting -LSB- the bike lanes -RSB- in the wrong place , '' he said . `` It 's more of a symbolic gesture . '' And it does n't help that the relationship between cars and bicyclists in the city is `` antagonistic at best , '' he said . Ritchey is worried that distracted college students wo n't be on the lookout for bikers and someone will get hurt when a car door opens at the wrong time or someone texting will have an accident -LRB- he 's seen that twice with cars -RRB- . He said one of his business neighbors opposes the projects because he fears that he will lose parking spaces in front of the bar . City councilwoman Nancy McFarlane points out that the bikers are already there on Hillsborough and other in-town streets , and the city of 348,000 is growing quickly . Many people are moving into the downtown area , and last year , the city revised its comprehensive plan . `` The old one was all about the car , and we want to become a multimodal city , '' she said . `` That includes bikes , buses and light rail . '' Steve Waters is one resident in favor of bike lanes . The freelance programmer works at home and uses his bike for short errands . He said that although some Hillsborough Street business owners might be concerned about losing money because of less car traffic , the opposite is likely to happen . `` It enhances the local economy , '' he said . `` It 's all about creating options . '' Bicycling.com : The best road bikes of 2010 . Not every street should get a bike lane . Although opponents say the money is better spent on other road projects , cycling advocates say the lanes are needed to make the roads safer and less congested . Denver , Colorado , is ranked 12th on Bicycling magazine 's list . The city has little room for new roads , municipal bike planner Emily Kreisa said . She said Denver is interested in using bicycles to eliminate congestion and to help the environment , but they do n't just add a bike lane anywhere . Bicycling.com : Five cities to watch . `` We look at the traffic volume , the turning issues and how much room we have in the right of way , '' she said . `` In choosing any kind of -LSB- project -RSB- , the first thing is what is the connection to the system , then what is the characteristic of the road and then how do we need to provide for the cyclist . '' Denver received $ 250,000 of stimulus money for cycling projects and is going to add 11 miles of bike lanes . The city is using its own funds to paint sharrows -LRB- painted bike symbols on the asphalt with arrows showing cyclists the way -RRB- to connect the roads of the network . Kreisa , who bikes 10 miles to work , says Denver is by far the easiest place she has commuted on two wheels . `` I 've had one person honk at me and one person tell me to move over to the right , '' she said of her two years in the city . `` There are a lot of active people here who are also cyclists . '' | Number of U.S. bicyclists is increasing , according to government study . More than $ 700 million in stimulus funds is being used for bike and pedestrian projects . Critics question project in North Carolina that would add bike lanes to busy street . Cities should choose wisely where to add lanes , paths , expert says . | [[2246, 2284], [3136, 3237], [3136, 3185], [3240, 3271], [6445, 6486]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Days of violent unrest in the Thai capital have left dozens dead and hundreds injured as security forces clash with anti-government protesters . The latest victims include a key opposition leader , Maj. Gen. Khattiya Sawasdipol -- a renegade general better known as Seh Daeng -- who died days after being critically wounded by a sniper 's bullet . But the current crisis follows a months-long standoff between Thai authorities and protesters opposed to the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva . The protesters -- known as the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship -LRB- UDD -RRB- -- support Thaksin Shinawatra , who was prime minister from 2001 to 2006 , before he was ousted in a bloodless coup . What is happening now ? The latest violence follows a government pledge to hold an election in November in an attempt to halt the protests . However , amid ongoing anger over a crackdown by security forces last month and a refusal by the protesters to comply with a deadline to vacate the district of Bangkok they have been occupying for weeks , authorities say the election date is now under threat . Prime Minister Abhisit declared a state of emergency April 7 , hours after anti-government demonstrators -LRB- known as `` Red Shirts '' for the clothes they wear -RRB- stormed the country 's parliament . Three days later , the deadliest clash in more than a decade between protesters -LRB- in this case the Red Shirts -RRB- and the military erupted , leading to the deaths of more than two dozen demonstrators and military forces . Violence erupted again last week when protesters once again ignored an ultimatum to end their occupation in downtown Bangkok by Wednesday . Seh Daeng 's subsequent shooting by an unknown assailant raised tensions further and at least 35 people have been killed and 240 wounded in the latest wave of unrest . The government has imposed a state of emergency in 22 provinces and metropolitan Bangkok . What happens next ? Authorities have urged protesters to evacuate the protest area by Monday afternoon or face up to two years in prison for violating the order . But around 5,000 protesters remained on the streets in defiance of the authorities . On Sunday protest leaders offered to resume talks with the government in U.N.-mediated negotiations if security forces were withdrawn from the streets . But the government has not accepted the offer . A senior official told CNN that authorities were under pressure to be more decisive in taking action to end the protests and claimed the government had been showing patience and restraint . Media and analysts in Thailand say civil war may be looming , between the Red Shirts and the so-called `` multi-colored shirts '' -LRB- who support Abhisit -RRB- . They are displeased with the disruption caused by the protests . They are generally middle-class city dwellers . They are not pro- or anti-government , they simply want the government to shut down the Reds to end the violence and interruptions to daily life . The red and multi-colored shirts have clashed in Silom Road , Bangkok 's business and financial district . How will Seh Daeng 's death affect the protest movement ? CNN 's Sara Sidner said it was unclear what the immediate impact of Seh Daeng 's death would be . `` Not all the protesters followed him as some thought he was too much of a hardliner , '' Sidner said . Some protesters argue that the Red Shirt movement should negotiate with the government to reach a settlement . But militant armed factions loyal to Seh Daeng and known as `` Black Shirts '' reject negotiation and appear ready to use violence to achieve their goals . Have n't these protests been going on for a long time ? Yes , Thailand has been embroiled in political chaos for years and many here are growing weary with the instability . Ever since Thaksin came to power , there have been protesters opposing his allegedly corrupt and autocratic rule . Those protesters donned yellow shirts -LRB- the color of the king -RRB- and occupied the two main airports in Bangkok , until finally the pro-Thaksin government was brought down by a court ruling . In revenge Thaksin 's supporters copied the yellow shirt tactics and took to the streets in red shirts . Why do the sides divide on colors ? It 's an easy way for them to create an identity . It all started with the Yellow Shirts wearing a color associated with Monday , the day of the week that Thailand 's revered king was born on . That was designed to show their allegiance to the king , and more broadly the traditional elite which has dominated Thai politics for years . Thaksin 's supporters then picked a color to distinguish themselves from the Yellow Shirts . Why are they arguing ? Essentially this is a classic power struggle . It 's easy to portray this as simply rich against poor , but it is much more complicated than that , as illustrated by the fact that the Reds ' leader is in fact a multi-billionaire . Thaksin rode to power by enacting populist policies which gained huge support from the rural poor . His radical approach ruffled a lot of feathers among the elite , who felt he was in danger of becoming too big for his boots , and could erode their position . The `` civil society '' also become concerned over allegations of corruption and his brutal war on drugs , which saw summary executions . He was also criticized for his heavy handed response to violence in the Muslim-dominated south . Finally the army decided to oust him in a coup , which had the backing of the aristocratic elite and much of the middle class , who were becoming uneasy with the cult of personality growing around Thaksin . That set the stage for an embittered power struggle , between Thaksin loyalists and those loyal to the army , aristocracy and their traditional Democrat Party . So who is Thaksin ? Visionary leader or venal despot : Opinions vary , like the color of the shirts his supporters and detractors wear . If you sport red , you think Thaksin was the only prime minister to offer the rural poor a voice and real benefits ; if you wear yellow , you view him as akin to Ferdinand Marcos : greedy , self-serving and dangerous . What is not in dispute is that he won two elections , was the only Thai prime minister to serve a full-term in office and is still hugely popular . But critics say he bought his support and was only in politics to help himself . As a businessman , Thaksin made billions of dollars from his communications company Shin Corporation . In 2008 he was found guilty and sentenced in absentia to two years in prison for a land deal that enabled his wife to buy a valuable city plot for a fraction of its true value and he faces other corruption charges . More than $ 2 billion in Thaksin 's family assets are currently frozen in Thailand but there is speculation he has a great deal more money elsewhere . What are the wider implications of the protests ? If the divisions in Thailand ca n't be healed it could lead to a deteriorating security situation which would have wider implications for the region . Thailand 's relations with Cambodia are especially frosty since Thaksin was appointed economic adviser to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. The worst case scenario would see Cambodia drawn into the dispute , with Thaksin using the country as a political base , adding to the already considerable tensions on the border . Is Thailand safe for visitors ? Many western embassies have shut their doors and are warning their citizens against travel to Bangkok as violence in the city continues . `` Due to escalating violence in central Bangkok , including gunfire near the U.S. Embassy , demonstrations in Chiang Mai , and other incidents throughout Thailand , U.S. citizens should defer all travel to Bangkok and defer all non-essential travel to the rest of Thailand , '' the U.S. State Department has warned . As well as advising against travel to Bangkok , the UK Foreign Office warned of protests and violent incidents in popular tourist destinations such as Pattaya , Chiang Mai , Chiang Rai and Ayutthaya . But Bangkok 's main Suvarnabhumi airport is operating as normal it said . CNN 's Dan Rivers contributed to this report . | Thaksin supporters say that he gave the rural poor a voice and real benefits . Detractors say that as prime minister he was greedy , self-serving and dangerous . Current premier Abhisit Vejjajiva keen to show no one is above the rule of law . Current court case relates to shares transfer in Thaksin communications company . | [[6010, 6095]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` And the title of the sole Survivor of ` Survivor : Heroes vs. Villains ' goes to ... Sandra Diaz-Twine . '' With that , the winner of the 20th season of CBS ' `` Survivor '' was announced last night at the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York City . It 's been 10 years since the show crowned its first winner , Richard Hatch , earning Hatch $ 1 million , a Pontiac Aztek -- and status as America 's newest celebrity . Hatch 's fame was fickle : The celebrity spotlight , legal problems and a prison term for tax evasion took their toll on the love-to-hate-him corporate trainer . But `` Survivor '' came out of that first season as the country 's No. 1 show -- and though ratings have never hit the peaks of the frenzied summer of 2000 , it 's been an unqualified success for its network , CBS , and producer Mark Burnett . Still , 10 years ? The idea that `` Survivor '' would last a decade was not something that even host Jeff Probst would have put his money on . `` I would 've lost everything I owned today by betting that we would not still be on-air , '' said Probst . `` In fact , I was so naive to how television really worked that I just assumed because the show was really popular in the first season that it would get a second season for sure ... then I thought this will probably go on for three seasons which is pretty good . I 'll make some money , be a TV host . I had no idea we 'd be doing this 20 seasons later , '' Probst told CNN . `` Survivor '' debuted in May 2000 when Falklands War veteran and eco-adventurer Burnett bought the rights from British producer Charlie Parsons to produce the show in the United States . It was first shown in 1997 in Sweden under the name of `` Expedition Robinson . '' In an interview with Ontario 's London Free Press , CBS president Leslie Moonves remembered an early conversation with the prolific producer : `` Mark told me early on , ` This show is going to last -- do n't worry about a day job for a while . ' '' He was right . Three months later , the show -- which introduced the novel concept of a group of strangers living together in an island while vying for $ 1 million -- captured the imagination of an audience of 60 million in its very first finale . And it could not have found a more perfect winner in the skilled conniver Hatch , thereby opening up the floodgates to a new decade of reality TV . The rest , as they say , is history . Of course `` Survivor '' was n't the first of the reality TV genre -- others like PBS ' `` An American Family , '' MTV 's `` The Real World '' and Fox 's `` Cops '' were around long before . But it was the first to challenge the face of prime time TV programming and introduce reality TV as mainstream fare for audiences in America and beyond . It made celebrities out of ordinary citizens . Perhaps the biggest evidence of its success is how it is still a consistent winner in the 8 p.m. prime time slot on Thursdays -- a huge achievement considering the increasingly overcrowded reality field . `` Survivor '' stands out because it possesses the key ingredients of great storytelling , says Misha Kavka of in the Film , Television and Media Studies department at the University of Auckland -LRB- New Zealand -RRB- , who has a forthcoming book on the history of reality TV . Producer Burnett brings a brand of reality known as `` dramality '' -- a slick style of drama that is part of the show 's identity and success , says Kavka . Its editors employ strong use of visual metaphors of nature , which parallel the dramas in the tribe . For viewers , it presents a group of people facing the challenges of meeting strangers and living in the open , which functions very well as an allegory for social situations that we understand from our lives , Kavka said . `` The reason -LSB- the show -RSB- works is because we can see our own social struggles played out on the ` Survivor ' stage . We identify not with particular participants , exactly , but rather with many of the situations that arise . Much has been written about ` Survivor ' as a metaphor for office politics , and I agree that that 's certainly an aspect of it , '' she said . Probst recalls how the team had `` no idea what to expect '' when they were first reviewing tapes from the first season of `` Survivor , '' which took place in Borneo . `` And then there was this exact moment when Richard Hatch was sitting on the tree and he was saying over and over again , ` We need to talk , we need to talk . ' And Sue Hawk , the truck driver from Wisconsin , is walking underneath him and she finally says something to the effect of ` Where we 're from , we work while we talk ! ' and I think we all went , ` That 's it ! ' `` And that was the show -- how do you get along when you 're fighting for a million dollars . '' The show 's strong casting and the unpredictability of its people is a strong part of its appeal as well . Its characters are as volatile as the show 's most hated villain , Russell Hantz . There is no telling when they 'll call it quits -LRB- Johnny Fairplay -RRB- or if they 'll go on to find all the immunity idols known to man -LRB- Russell Hantz -RRB- or if they 'll step down for two doughnuts and a milkshake -LRB- Colby Donaldson -RRB- . `` No one knows where it 's going -- not even the producers , '' said Kavka . And then there 's Probst himself , the everyman host who was probably best known before the show as the emcee of `` Rock and Roll Jeopardy '' on VH1 . He 's evolved from weekly torch snuffer to skilled questioner and meticulous observer . Probst 's position in tribal councils should not be underestimated , said Kavka . `` Viewers see him at his best in the studio show at the end of a season , where he turns out to be a good study of human nature which is to say that his insights parallel our own ` intimate knowledge ' of participants , '' she said . Ultimately , `` Survivor '' speaks to some of our inner fears , said Probst . The notion of being abandoned on an island is `` like a little kid who 's separated from his mom . ... You 're stranded in a supermarket and you get that feeling of , ` Oh my gosh , I 'm alone , ' '' he said . '' -LSB- And -RSB- being voted out is the same as being laid off from your job or being picked last in a basketball game . It 's being told : ' I do n't like you . ' And the idea of ` The Tribe has spoken ' is really just another way of saying , the news is in . It 's final and it 's not good . '' But there 's the dream , too , for contestants and viewers -- the dream that you 'll be the last one standing . `` Everyone fantasizes about being in our place , '' says `` Survivor : Micronesia '' winner Parvati Shallow , `` and loves imagining what he would do in that situation . '' | `` Survivor '' debuted in 2000 after Mark Burnett brought rights from Sweden 's `` Expedition Robinson '' Show is still a consistent winner in the 8 p.m. U.S. prime time slot ratings . We can see our own social struggles played out on `` Survivor , '' commentator says . | [[1472, 1615], [2869, 2943], [3807, 3905], [3831, 3913]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Rhode Island high school that fired all its teachers in February has reached a tentative agreement with the school 's teachers union to rehire them , the union announced Sunday . The school board of the Central Falls School District , outside Providence , had voted to fire 93 staff members from its high school -- including teachers , administrators and other personnel -- over low student performance . The deal between the union and the school district allows teachers to return to work for the 2010-2011 school year without having to reapply for their jobs , though the union said Sunday that `` teachers will need to recommit to their jobs and interview with the new principal . '' The agreement , which must still be ratified by teachers , includes measures to improve student achievement , including a longer school day , targeted professional development for teachers and more after-school tutoring , the statement from the Central Falls Teachers Union said . The school district and union have been working with a mediator since March . `` There has always been agreement on these points : that we all want what is best for our students , and that significant changes are needed at Central Falls High School , '' teachers union president Jane Sessums said in the statement . `` Working together , we and the district have arrived at a solid , forward-looking agreement that provides support for our students and the tools our teachers need to help them succeed . '' A teacher ratification vote on the deal is scheduled for Monday afternoon . In a move that drew national attention , the Central Falls school board had voted 5-2 to approve a plan by the school district 's superintendent to fire its high school staff , including the principal , three assistant principals and 77 teachers . The vote came after the high school , which draws students from an impoverished enclave of Rhode Island , graduated just 48 percent of its seniors last year . Of Central Falls ' 800 students , 65 percent are Hispanic and for most of them , English is a second language . Half the students are failing every subject , with 55 percent skilled in reading and 7 percent proficient in math , officials said earlier this year . President Obama publicly endorsed the school board 's vote . `` Our kids get only one chance at an education and we need to get it right , '' he said in March . But the move outraged the school 's teachers , who argued that they 'd accepted most terms of a plan by the school district 's superintendent to improve student performance . The plan approved by the school board in February allowed teachers to re-apply for their jobs but stipulated that no more than 50 percent would get rehired . The firings would have gone into effect at the end of this school year . `` From the start , my principal concern was not who would be working at the high school , but whether the new school leadership team would have the flexibility it needed to improve student achievement , '' Central Falls superintendent Fran Gallo said in the statement provided by the teacher 's union . `` Today 's agreement provides this flexibility . '' Rhode Island officials applauded the tentative deal . `` I 'm glad both sides have ... -LSB- reached -RSB- this agreement , '' Rhode Island Education Commissioner Deborah Gist said , according to the union 's statement . `` Now it 's time to move forward and work together to make Central Falls High one of the best in Rhode Island . '' | Rhode Island high school that fired all its teachers reaches tentative agreement to rehire them . School board had fired 93 teachers , administrators and others over low student performance . The deal includes measures to improve student achievement . The agreement still must be ratified by teachers . | [[19, 45], [51, 85], [0, 15], [77, 168], [19, 45], [51, 85], [200, 253], [264, 274], [277, 411], [1572, 1581], [1613, 1819], [708, 764], [767, 847], [708, 764], [767, 847], [708, 764], [850, 927]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Condolences continued to pour in late Sunday night following the death of heavy metal rocker Ronnie James Dio , who lost his battle with stomach cancer earlier in the day . `` Today my heart is broken , Ronnie passed away at 7:45 a.m. 16th May , '' his wife , Wendy Dio , said in a message on his official website . Dio , 67 , followed Ozzy Osbourne as Black Sabbath 's lead vocalist in 1979 . `` Many , many friends and family were able to say their private goodbyes before he peacefully passed away , '' she wrote . `` Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all . '' The rock community paid tribute to Dio in messages late Sunday . `` In addition to his powerhouse vocal ability , Ronnie was a true gentleman who always emanated great warmth and friendship to us and everyone around him , '' KISS said . `` We will miss him . '' Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian called Dio 's death a big loss . `` So many memories of Ronnie . Toured together many times . He always had a kind word and a smile , and he loved the Yankees , '' Ian said . Musician Slash summed up the loss in one sentence : `` Ronnie died at 7:45 a.m. , but his music will live for eternity . '' Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx , who became friends with Dio while touring Europe , said the rocker will be missed . `` I still have this image of him standing on stage in front of 100,000 belting out ` Man on the Silver Mountain ' and remember the shivers it sent up my spine , '' Sixx said . He called Dio `` one of the kindest souls I have ever met and his talent was beyond inspirational to so many of us . '' `` Those of us that had the opportunity to know Ronnie can tell you what a wonderful and passionate man he was , '' Sixx said . Dio most recently was touring with Heaven and Hell , a version of Black Sabbath renamed for legal reasons . All shows were canceled last March because of his illness . His last public appearance was in April at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards when he accepted a vocalist of the year award for his work on last year 's Heaven and Hell album . Dio appeared frail , but he spoke while accepting his award . Born Ronald James Padavona in 1942 , Dio 's professional music career began as a high school student in the late 1950s . His 1960s rock group The Electric Elves evolved into Elf by the early 1970s , when the group played heavy blues rock . Dio 's rock became darker with his band Rainbow , which he left in 1979 to join Black Sabbath . Black Sabbath released three albums with Dio , including `` Heaven and Hell '' in 1980 , `` Mob Rules '' in 1981 and `` Live Evil '' in 1982 . Dio left that band in 1982 , but he had a brief reunion with the group a decade later . He formed the group Dio in 1982 and later Heaven and Hell . | Rock community paid tribute to Dio in messages late Sunday . Dio most recently was touring with the band Heaven and Hell . His last public appearance was in April at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards . | [[19, 128], [586, 650], [1717, 1767], [1885, 2058]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama will sign an executive order establishing a presidential commission to investigate the Gulf of Mexico oil spill , an administration official said Monday . Eight U.S. senators called earlier Monday for an independent federal investigation of whether oil giant BP violated civil or criminal laws in connection with the Gulf of Mexico oil spill . It has n't been determined when Obama will make the announcement of the presidential commission or when he 'll sign the executive order , said the official , who did not want to speak on the record ahead of an announcement . `` The commission will take into account the investigations under way concerning the causes of the spill and explore a range of issues , '' the official said . In particular , the commission 's inquiry will focus on industry practices , rig safety , regulatory regimes , federal governmental oversight -- including the structure and functions of the Minerals Management Service -- and environmental review and other protections , the official said . Last week , Obama harshly criticized the companies involved in the spill , which threatens to become one of the nation 's worst environmental disasters , and pledged to break up what he called the cozy relationship between regulators and the oil industry . In testimony on Capitol Hill , BP touted its progress toward plugging the spill , but a top Obama administration official said the disaster is far from over . Officials grilled on oil spill . `` We are in the middle of this crisis . We are not at the beginning , '' Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told a Senate committee Monday afternoon . `` We 've been at it a month almost , but we are not near the end as well . '' BP has successfully inserted a siphon into the damaged riser pipe from the underwater well at the heart of the spill . The procedure has allowed the company to collect more than 1,000 barrels -LRB- 42,000 gallons -RRB- of oil a day that would otherwise spill into the Gulf , said Doug Suttles , the company 's chief operating officer . That , combined with the use of chemical dispersants to break up the spill , has reduced the amount of oil reaching the surface , he said . `` This -LSB- is -RSB- probably the smallest amount of oil I 've seen on the surface since the effort began , '' Suttles said . The well had been spewing an estimated 5,000 barrels a day into the Gulf since late April , when the drill rig Deepwater Horizon blew up and sank about 40 miles off Louisiana . Eleven workers are presumed dead after the sinking , and the cause has not been determined . Some of the oil has washed ashore on the Louisiana coast , and tar balls related to the spill have turned up as far east as Dauphin Island , Alabama . Some estimates put the amount of oil gushing from the well far higher than the 5,000-barrel-per-day estimate made by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration a few days after the spill began . Samples taken by scientists offshore have raised concerns that large plumes of oil are settling below the surface . Samantha Joye , a professor of marine sciences at the University of Georgia , told CNN 's `` American Morning '' that the size of the suspected plumes is hard to determine . `` Nothing like it has really ever been seen in the deep water of the Gulf of Mexico before , '' she said . `` It 's not only a large feature , but it 's a very complex feature . There 's a lot of vertical structure to it . '' But federal officials said the results have not been fully analyzed . Charlie Henry , a scientific adviser from NOAA , said descriptions of `` layers of oil '' beneath the Gulf were `` totally untrue . '' `` They were able to detect what we think is hydrocarbons in the water column . It was stated as oil , but it was n't like oil you could see , '' Henry told reporters Monday afternoon . The researchers were looking into the effects of the undersea dispersants used to break up the oil near the mouth of the well , nearly a mile beneath the surface , NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco said in a statement issued Monday . But Lubchenco said the agency does not consider dispersants -- which have their own hazards -- `` a silver bullet . '' `` They are used to move us towards the lesser of two environmental outcomes . Until the flow of oil is stemmed , we must take every responsible action to reduce the impact of the oil , '' she said . Suttles said the next step in capping the well is a `` top kill '' procedure , in which a large amount of heavy `` mud '' -- a fluid used as a lubricant and counterweight in drilling operations -- is inserted into the well bore . If that succeeds , the well will be cemented shut , he said . `` That is the method we think we will be deploying later this week or this weekend , '' Suttles said . Another option -- putting debris in the well to stop the flow -- may also be utilized , he said . And once the leak is sealed , `` We intend to fill up the bottom of this well with cement and it will never be produced . '' BP , as the well 's owner , is responsible for stopping the underwater gusher and paying for the cleanup , and Napolitano said the company has paid more than $ 9.6 million so far without denying a claim . BP America CEO Lamar McKay , who appeared with Napolitano before the Homeland Security Committee , said the company was concentrating on plugging the leak and limiting the economic damage . `` We will put blame , liability , and those kind of things over to the side . That 's not our concern right now , '' he said . Large oil plumes may pose additional threat . The April 20 explosion aboard Deepwater Horizon has left BP , rig owner-operator Transocean and oilfield services contractor Halliburton pointing fingers at each other over the cause of the blast . The doomed rig 's chief electronics technician told the CBS news program `` 60 Minutes '' on Sunday that Transocean was being pushed to complete the well quickly because it was taking longer than expected -- an allegation Suttles would not discuss during an appearance on `` American Morning . '' `` I know people are talking about various things that occurred that night on the rig , but I actually have n't seen any of the results of these interviews or investigations ... I do n't actually have any knowledge that that was the case , '' he said . A top official of the Interior Department agency that oversees offshore drilling is retiring a month earlier than planned . Chris Oynes told his bosses after the Deepwater Horizon explosion that he would retire at the end of June , an administration official told CNN , but announced Monday that he would step down at the end of May instead . Oynes has been associate director of the Minerals Management Service 's Offshore Minerals Management Program since 2007 . In the past , critics have accused MMS of being too cozy with the industries it regulates . A 2008 report from the Interior Department 's inspector-general found MMS employees received improper gifts from energy industry representatives and engaged in illegal drug use and inappropriate sexual relations with them . Interior Secretary Ken Salazar last week announced he would split MMS into separate divisions -- one for regulating offshore oil drilling and the other for collecting royalties from oil companies . Salazar is scheduled to appear before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday , while Elizabeth Birnbaum , the current MMS director , will appear before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee . CNN 's David Mattingly and Eric Marrapodi contributed to this report . | 8 senators want to know if oil giant violated laws in connection with Gulf spill . On Capitol Hill , BP touts its progress toward plugging the spill . Researchers say oil could be lurking below Gulf surface in huge `` plumes '' | [[190, 378], [1311, 1339], [1342, 1390], [2973, 3088], [3036, 3088], [5576, 5621]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A statue worth more than $ 10,000 that was stolen from the Palm Beach , Florida , estate of Wall Street investment adviser Bernard Madoff has been recovered , police said Thursday . The statue was found with a message apparently aimed at the owner , who is charged with securities fraud . Palm Beach police Sgt. Chris Proscia said the 4-foot-high statue was found Wednesday morning with a message attached to it reading : `` Bernie the Swindler , Lesson : Return stolen property to rightful owners . '' The statue was stolen December 19 , eight days after Madoff was arrested in New York on suspicion of operating a $ 50 billion Ponzi scheme . He was charged with securities fraud and is under house arrest in New York while awaiting court proceedings . Police said the statue , which depicts two lifeguards sitting on a bench , was discovered undamaged in some bushes a few blocks from Madoff 's million-dollar Palm Beach estate . Watch what neighbors think of the statue case '' The note on it was signed , `` The Educators . '' The theft , which was discovered by a property manager for Madoff , is under investigation , authorities said . The investor was charged in December with one count of securities fraud . Watch Jeanne Moos report on how people are mad at Madoff '' His $ 10 million bail is secured by properties owned by him and his wife , including the Manhattan apartment and the Palm Beach estate . CNN 's Christian Chinnici contributed to this report . | Statue was reported stolen in December from Florida estate of Bernard Madoff . Statue recovered with message : `` Lesson : Return stolen property to rightful owners '' Madoff was arrested in December , accused of operating $ 50 billion Ponzi scheme . | [[201, 236], [227, 266], [331, 415], [406, 438], [475, 518], [569, 662], [1162, 1235]] |
-LRB- Health.com -RRB- -- People who take vitamin E supplements regularly for years -- whether they are smokers or nonsmokers -- may lower their risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , the lung condition that is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States . COPD includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis and is often , but not always , caused by smoking . While the risk reduction is relatively small , 10 percent , COPD is a common and life-threatening condition in which a decline in lung function can be slowed down but not reversed . COPD symptoms include shortness of breath , coughing , and fatigue . `` The effect appears to be modest . But for something for which there is n't really any effective therapy and tends to be a degenerative condition , anything that would reduce the risk even somewhat is not an insubstantial benefit , '' says Jeffrey B. Blumberg , Ph.D. , a professor of nutrition at Tufts University in Boston who was not involved in the study . The research , from the government-funded Women 's Health Study , included 39,876 women 45 years and older who were free of COPD before they were randomly assigned to take a placebo , vitamin E supplements -LRB- 600 IU every other day -RRB- or aspirin -LRB- 100 mg per day -RRB- , either alone or in combination . At the end of 10 years , 760 of the 19,937 women who took vitamin E alone or with aspirin developed COPD compared with 846 of the 19,939 who took a placebo or aspirin alone -- a 10 percent risk reduction . Vitamin E did not lower the risk of asthma , a condition associated with a higher risk of COPD . Health.com : 10 ways to have cleaner air at home . The researchers took into account factors such as cigarette smoking and age , which can affect COPD risk . The study , conducted by Cornell University and Brigham and Women 's Hospital researchers , is to be presented this week at the annual American Thoracic Society meeting in New Orleans . The idea that vitamin E can reduce the risk of developing COPD is `` biologically plausible , '' says Yvonne Kelly , Ph.D. , an associate professor in the department of epidemiology and public health at University College London . Experts believe vitamins A , C , and E -- the so-called ACE antioxidants -- combat oxidative stress in the lungs that can lead to COPD . Health.com : Eight causes of a chronic cough . Several studies have shown that these vitamins , as well as vitamin D , may help improve lung health . In a 2003 study , Kelly and her collaborators found that men and women with diets high in vitamins C and E had greater lung capacity and produced less phlegm , respectively . Phlegm production and wheezing are also COPD symptoms . One limitation of the study is that the researchers relied on the women to report whether or not they had a diagnosis of COPD , says Michael Sims , M.D. , an assistant professor in the pulmonary critical care division at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center . He points out that people with asthma may think they have COPD , or vice versa , since the symptoms are similar . In addition , early diagnoses can be inconclusive or due to lung problems that do n't turn out to be COPD . Health.com : How to buy the right air cleaner . In future studies , Sims says that the researchers should diagnose COPD using a breathing test called spirometry . `` If you showed in a similar study with a gold standard outcome -LSB- like spirometry -RSB- , among smokers and nonsmokers , that you could affect the incidence of COPD , I would imagine the committees that meet on this would take a serious look at increasing daily recommended intake -LSB- of vitamin E -RSB- for the general population , '' he says . Currently , no vitamin supplements are recommended to prevent or treat COPD . The best way to prevent the disease is to quit smoking , says Dr. Sims . About 24 million people in the U.S. have COPD -- 12 million who 've been diagnosed with the disease and another 12 million who have COPD but do n't know they have it . In the study , women who smoked were four times more likely than nonsmokers to develop COPD . Health.com :12 best COPD blogs and Web sites . The daily recommended intake of vitamin E is about 22 international units for those 14 and older , and is relatively easy to obtain from oils such as sunflower , almonds , peanut butter , and spinach . The vitamin E intake in the study was far higher , at 300 IU per day . However , Blumberg says this is within the range of most over-the-counter vitamin supplements , which deliver 100 or 400 IU daily . `` This study is still five times below the highest dose at which no adverse effect has been found , '' he says . Vitamin E intake is generally a concern only at very high doses , above 1500 IU per day . Several studies have suggested that these levels promote hemorrhaging and interfere with normal blood clotting . For this reason , high doses of vitamin E are not recommended for people taking blood-thinners such as warfarin -LRB- Coumadin -RRB- and aspirin . Health.com : Eight breathing tips for people with COPD . For people concerned about their lung health , taking vitamin E and C is not a bad idea , says Blumberg . `` If I were talking to somebody who was a former smoker and who was concerned about minimizing their risk of not only lung disease but also heart disease and cancer , then taking a supplement of C and E would be a reasonable thing to do , '' he says . In fact , anyone who thought he or she was at increased risk of COPD could potentially benefit from these supplements , he adds . Supplements of beta-carotene , which is a precursor of the antioxidant vitamin A , should be used with caution , however . While a 2006 French study found that people with diets high in beta-carotene had a slower decline in lung function over an eight-year period , heavy smokers and drinkers may not benefit . Two studies found that beta-carotene supplements increased the risk of lung cancer in people who smoked more than one pack a day and drank heavily . According to Sims , the new study offers an incentive to look closer at the potential to use vitamin E or other antioxidants to help prevent COPD . `` If it could be done with something like vitamin E , that 's a relatively low-risk intervention , that would be the Holy Grail . '' Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright Health Magazine 2010 . | Vittamin E can cut chronic obstructive pulmonary disease risk in smokers and nonsmokers . COPD includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis ; often , but not always , caused by smoking . Several studies have shown that vitamins A , C , E and D may help improve lung health . | [[0, 22], [115, 125], [129, 190], [277, 323], [277, 281], [356, 375], [2366, 2468], [2398, 2435], [2438, 2468]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` Movies are n't an actor 's medium ... actors are just color in other people 's paintings , '' Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey told CNN 's Talk Asia . `` I think there 's almost any actor whose been around for a while who can say this with absolute conviction that sometimes you go and see a movie that you 've made and you know you made a better movie than they cut . '' He has n't turned his back on his profession , but the versatile performer who won two Academy Awards for his roles in `` The Usual Suspects '' and `` American Beauty , '' has happily embraced the other challenges that have come his way . From reviving the fortunes of The Old Vic theatre in London to production credits on a number of films , acting has now become just one of Spacey 's numerous professional guises . His latest venture is appearing in a joint production in China called `` Inseparable '' featuring Daniel Wu and Chinese actress Gong Beibi . `` I think there 's no doubt that China is the next place for film -- there 's no doubt -- and that collaborations , this kind of exchange of a Western actor coming to make a Chinese film is a very exciting step , '' he said . After his Chinese experience he 'll be focusing on film until 2012 when he will then lead The Bridge Project , a transatlantic theatrical production company comprised of The Old Vic in London and Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York . The company will be bringing `` The Tempest '' to Hong Kong and Singapore in March and April . Longer term plans could see Spacey return to the stage , but as a singer . His 2005 biopic `` Beyond the Sea '' on 1950s crooner Bobby Darin was a labor of love where Spacey was able to perform the songs of one of his heroes . To promote the movie he even toured with a 20-piece big band across the U.S. `` I think it 's great that actually Vegas wants to be able to bring back the headliner , and I think the nightclub act is one of the greatest things ever . `` But that to me would be to me kind of fun to do again at some point , because I love singing and I do n't get a chance to sing as much as I 'd like , so we 'll see what happens . '' | Spacey is an Oscar-winning actor and artistic director of The Old Vic in London . He will lead The Bridge Project theatrical co-production in 2012 . Spacey would love to revive the headline nightclub act in Las Vegas . | [[813, 875], [1181, 1289]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin joined the national battle over Arizona 's controversial new immigration law Saturday , appearing with Gov. Jan Brewer in Phoenix to denounce the Obama administration 's criticism of the law . `` It 's time for Americans across this great country to stand up and say ` We 're all Arizonans now and , in clear unity , we say Mr. President , do your job , secure our border , ' '' Palin said , standing beside Brewer at a Saturday afternoon press conference . Brewer used the event to announce her first appointment to the state 's new Joint Border Security Advisory Committee and the launch of a Website to combat what she said was a national misinformation campaign about the state 's new law . Palin and Brewer , both Republicans , decried plans by opponents of the new law to boycott the state in protest . Passed in April , the law requires immigrants in Arizona to carry their registration documents at all times and allows police to question individuals ' immigration status in the process of enforcing any other law or ordinance . Critics say it will lead to racial profiling , while supporters deny that and say it is needed to crack down on increasing crime involving illegal immigrants . President Obama has criticized the Arizona law , saying that in dealing with the immigration issue , `` the answer is n't to undermine fundamental principles that define us as a nation . '' `` You can imagine if you are an Hispanic American in Arizona , your great grandparents may have been there before Arizona was even a state , but now suddenly if you do n't have your papers , and you took your kid out to get ice cream , you 're gon na be harassed , '' Obama said , referring to the statute at a April rally in Iowa . `` That 's something that could potentially happen , '' he said . `` That 's not the right way to go . '' Brewer signed a package of changes to the law shortly after it passed that she said addressed concerns about profiling , though critics said the changes made little difference . Palin joined Brewer on Saturday in denying the statute would lead to racial profiling . `` I think for most American people the reaction to that would be , ` Why are n't -LRB- police -RRB- already doing that ? ' '' the former Alaska governor said . `` And while Mexico 's president has begun to crack down on the violent drug cartels and corruption in his own country , '' she continued , `` It 's time for the United States government to enforce the rule of law as well . '' Brewer also took jabs at Obama and the federal government . `` Our border is being erased and our president apparently considers it a wonderful opportunity to divide people along racial lines for his personal political convenience , '' she said . | Sarah Palin joined Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer to defend new immigration law . Brewer unveiled new Website to educate the country about law . Critics say new law will lead to racial profiling , while supporters reject notion . | [[0, 15], [154, 258], [2071, 2158], [524, 668], [1156, 1231], [2071, 2158], [2106, 2158]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Unseeded Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai produced one of the shocks of the year on Sunday by defeating favorite Venus Williams in straight sets to win the final of the Madrid Open . The 23-year-old Rezai -- who had only claimed WTA Tour titles at Strasbourg and Bali prior to Madrid -- continued her remarkable week with a 6-2 7-5 victory , adding Williams ' scalp to her earlier surprise victories over former world number one 's Junstine Henin and Jelena Jankovic . Williams , who returns to No. 2 in the world behind younger sister Serena on Monday , lost the opening set in just 27 minutes and then failed to take advantage of a 4-1 lead in the second set . `` I just can not believe this , '' world number 24 Rezai -- who must now enter calculations for the French Open -- told reporters . `` Venus played very well and I 've always respected her as a player and a champion . I just tried my best today and it worked well for me . '' Williams , who was looking to secure her 44th career title , only converted two of her 13 break points in the match -- a statistic that contributed greatly to her defeat . | Unseeded Aravane Rezai claims victory in the Madrid Open final on Sunday . Rezai secures a stunning straight sets win over favorite Venus Williams . The success gives the 23-year-old Frenchwoman just the third title of her career . | [[0, 15], [19, 156], [0, 15], [19, 156]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The 9-year-old boy who was the lone survivor of a plane crash that killed 103 people in Libya plans to return to the Netherlands on Saturday , the Dutch Foreign Ministry said Friday . He is scheduled to leave Tripoli , Libya , at 10 a.m. Saturday and fly home with an aunt and uncle , as well as a doctor , the ministry said in a statement . Ruben van Assouw suffered multiple fractures to his legs and underwent surgery at Al Khadra Hospital , said a doctor who declined to give her name . Both of Ruben 's parents and a brother were killed in the crash , a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said . Acting on a request from the boy 's relatives , authorities do not plan to say where the plane will land , and the media will not be present when it does , the ministry statement said . `` His relatives have appealed to the media to exercise restraint and to leave Ruben and his family in peace at this difficult time , '' it said . Authorities said Ruben was the only survivor after an Afriqiyah Airways plane crashed at 6 a.m. Wednesday . The boy 's aunt and uncle arrived in Tripoli to visit him Thursday . Saif al Islam Gadhafi , the second eldest son of Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gadhafi , visited the boy in the hospital along with airline chairman Capt. Sabri Shadi , according to a statement on Afriqiyah Airways ' website . More than two thirds of the passengers killed in the plane crash were Dutch , the foreign ministry said . Passengers from Libya , South Africa , Belgium , Austria , Germany , France , Zimbabwe and Britain were also among the victims , the airline said on its website . The plane , an Airbus A330-200 , departed Johannesburg , South Africa , and was at the end of its nearly nine-hour flight when it crashed . Officials recovered the plane 's flight data recorder , but investigators are still trying to determine what caused the crash . CNN 's Stephanie Halasz contributed to this report . | NEW : Ruben van Assouw , 9 , will fly home to the Netherlands on Saturday . Dutch medical team consisting of nurse , psychologist and social worker have arrived in Libya . Plane 's flight data recorder recovered ; investigators trying to determine cause of crash . | [[0, 15], [113, 159], [1758, 1811], [1818, 1841], [1849, 1885], [1818, 1831], [1836, 1885]] |
Tuwaitha , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The shell of former Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein 's efforts to produce a nuclear bomb is being slowly dismantled along the banks of the Tigris River , but its radioactive legacy lingers on . The Tuwaitha research complex , about 18 kilometers -LRB- 11 miles -RRB- southeast of Baghdad , was bombed by Israel in its 1981 airstrike on Iraq 's Tammuz 1 research reactor . It was bombed again during the Persian Gulf War of 1991 , and it was looted extensively after the 2003 U.S. invasion that ousted Hussein . Now , engineers and technicians are working to dismantle the laboratories and equipment at the site , but the extensive contamination left behind complicates their work . `` It is difficult because of the destruction , '' said Anwar Ahmed , the project manager at Tuwaitha . `` This facility was bombed in 1991 . Now , finally the decision was made to decommission all the destroyed facilities . '' Workers and visitors have to wear protective suits and masks around the facility , where about 20 people are at work so far . Iraq 's ministry of Science and Technology said it is training more specialists to decommission the facility , but acknowledged the cleanup could take decades . `` We have 18 facilities in Tuwaitha , '' said Fuad al Musawi , Iraq 's deputy science and technology minister . `` We have another 10 facilities around the country . So you can imagine how long it will take . '' Iraq 's nuclear ambitions date back to the 1960s , when it obtained a Soviet-built research reactor . It built another , French-designed reactor in the 1970s . Israel 's concerns about the program led to the 1981 raid , in which Israeli pilots flew across then-hostile Jordan and a corner of Saudi Arabia to strike the facility . Despite the damage inflicted by that attack , Iraq began attempting to produce enriched uranium -- a step toward producing a nuclear weapon -- during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s , the U.S.-led Iraq Survey Group reported in 2004 . It accelerated that program after its 1990 invasion of Kuwait left it facing an international military coalition that ultimately drove out the Iraqi forces . The bombardment that accompanied the 1991 war inflicted extensive damage to the Tuwaitha plants . The U.N. sanctions and inspections imposed after 1991 forced Hussein 's government to abandon its nuclear program , the ISG concluded . After the 2003 invasion , which was launched after the United States incorrectly accused Iraq of having restarted its nuclear , chemical and biological weapons programs , nearby Iraqis inflicted further damage by looting the unguarded facility . Villagers nearby complained of symptoms that local doctors attributed to radiation sickness , particularly from using containers taken from the plant to store drinking water . The Iraq Survey Group found basements full of radioactive water in some of the buildings , and the U.S. military later spent $ 70 million ensuring the safe transportation of 550 metric tons of non-weapons grade uranium oxide -- known as `` yellowcake '' -- to Canada . Some Iraqi scientists still hope to start a civilian nuclear energy program in the future . But for now , Iraq is still grappling with the shadow of its past . | Complex at the center of Saddam Hussein 's nuclear efforts slowly being dismantled . Cleanup could take decades : Tuwaitha complex has 18 facilities . Dismantling at Tuwaitha made more difficult because of bombing , looting . Iraq began attempting to produce enriched uranium during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s . | [[11, 31], [123, 185], [1070, 1112], [1185, 1230], [1234, 1267], [464, 522], [716, 761], [2165, 2262], [1820, 1869]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A disgruntled employee shot to death the owners of a store in Boulder , Colorado , and then may have turned the gun on himself , police said Tuesday . Police found Sean Griffin , 40 , and his wife Staci Griffin , 41 , dead in a back room of the Boulder Stove & Flooring on Monday morning . Also dead was Robert Montgomery , 50 . Montgomery had a 9 mm Smith & Wesson handgun in his hand and appeared to have suffered a single gunshot wound , said police spokeswoman Sarah Huntley . The Griffins sustained multiple wounds . Montgomery told friends and wrote in a journal that he was upset over a recent change in sales commission and bonus policy at work , Huntley said . He purchased the gun on May 7 , she said . Police said Montgomery had been employed at Boulder Stove & Flooring since 2003 . A salesman and a customer were inside the store when the gunshots rang out at 11:09 a.m. . They jumped in the customer 's vehicle , drove away and called 911 , Huntley said . Police arrived minutes later to find the three dead . An autopsy will determine whether Montgomery was the shooter , but Huntley said police suspect him after finding the same kind of Cor-Bon 9 mm ammunition at his house that was used in the shooting . Police said they found 13 spent shell casings around the scene of the shootings with one round still in the chamber of the gun . No rounds were left in the magazine , they said . At his home , they found a box of Cor-Bon 9 mm ammunition with 14 rounds missing . Investigators said they found a second magazine in Montgomery 's backpack loaded with 10 rounds of Eagle brand 9 mm ammunition . At his home , they found an empty box of Eagle 9 mm ammunition . | Police find three dead in Colorado store . Employee was upset over pay policies . Gun purchased just days before shootings . | [[989, 1042], [989, 995], [1018, 1042], [541, 551], [569, 671]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For a few days there , it looked as if the typographical error was finally going to get its moment in the sun . The lowly typo -- a hastily pecked keystroke with a bad result -- has long been regarded as an irritation , a sloppy glitch , a skimmed-over eyesore . It 's really much more than that , which we will delve into in a few paragraphs . But first , the typo 's blown opportunity to gain worldwide stature : . When the financial markets were on the verge of a nervous breakdown this month , on the day the Dow Jones industrial average plummeted almost 1,000 points in 15 minutes , analysts and regulators immediately , frantically , started looking for a reason . Nothing on this scale had ever happened before . Who or what was responsible ? Initially , suspicions centered on the `` fat-finger theory . '' What this meant was that a trader with a symbolically fat finger -LRB- meaning a careless one -RRB- had purportedly entered a computer-ordered sale of billions of shares of stocks ; the theory was that when he had meant to type in `` million , '' he instead typed in `` billion . '' If this was so , it would have been the typographical error of all time : the Babe Ruth/Muhammad Ali/Frank Sinatra of typos . If one keystroke could put the world 's economy on the brink of collapse , this would mean that a typo could be as powerful as an atomic bomb . By the end of last week , it was looking as if the fat-finger typo might not be the culprit . Mary Schapiro , the chairwoman of the Securities and Exchange Commission , told Congress that while no cause for the financial plunge could be definitively ruled out , the typo-as-Armageddon was increasingly appearing to be an unlikely explanation . Drat . If a typo had been shown to have that kind of muscle , maybe the societal trend to regard typos as no big deal might have been reversed . In our computer-screen age , typos -- and their cousins , misspellings and grammatical errors -- have been given a reprieve . What once prompted people to shake their heads in stern disapproval when it appeared on newspaper or magazine pages -- a flat-out mistake , caused by lazy typing and indifferent proofreading -- produces not as much of a stir when seen on a glowing screen . The theory seems to be that , in e-mails and instant messages and various other forms of digital discourse , speed counts for more than accuracy , and those whose blood pressures rise when they see such typos are stodgy , ancient , out of touch . The contemporary attitude is : Who cares if a few words are mistyped ? But it 's a matter of discipline . It 's a matter of diligence . You may have heard the wonderful story in recent days about what happened when CNN senior producer David Daniel was walking to work at the network 's Los Angeles bureau . Daniel was striding along the Hollywood Walk of Fame , as he does each morning en route to the office , when he glanced down at a newly installed pink stone star on the sidewalk . It was a star that was going to be introduced to the public that very day . It was intended to honor the actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus . Except the name on the star was : . Julia Luis Dreyfus . No `` o '' in Louis . No hyphen . Daniel , who told me he takes pride in being a longtime copy editor , could not simply walk on by . Dismayed , he stared at the star . `` I 'm one of those annoying people who notices typos on restaurant menus , '' he told me . `` Annoying ? '' Hardly . When it comes to words , he 's a stickler , which is a fine thing to be . What he did next has elevated him into contention for patron saint of sticklers : . He phoned in a correction . He could n't let this pass . He called the people who run the Hollywood Walk of Fame , told them about their typo that was set in stone and made certain the star got fixed . `` I ca n't help it , '' he told me . `` I go crazy when I see missing apostrophes . '' He was preaching to the choir . My own obsessed-proofreader story is not quite as good as Daniel 's , but it establishes us as kindred spirits . Some years ago , during my first and only visit to Shea Stadium in New York , I was with some friends watching the Mets play the Chicago Cubs in a night game . Ryne Sandberg of the Cubs , who would go on to be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame , came up to bat . In Shea Stadium there was a huge video screen behind center field , and as each batter came to the plate a gigantic color photo of him appeared on the screen , accompanied by his name . Sandberg 's smiling face was up on the screen , all right . So was the name , in huge letters visible all over the stadium : . `` Ryan Sandberg . '' Not Ryne . Ryan . I knew I should n't say anything . I knew , in the scheme of all the world 's woes , it would make no difference . I knew I should just sit back and enjoy the ball game on a lovely , warm evening . But I could n't help myself . I sought out a front-office executive of the Mets . `` Look , '' I said , pointing to the outfield . `` What 's wrong ? '' he said . It took him about 15 seconds to figure it out . `` Oh , my , '' he said . That night was my version of the Julia Louis-Dreyfus star . At Sandberg 's next at-bat , Ryan became Ryne . A small victory for precision , perhaps . But we all take such victories where we find them . I half-wish that it had , indeed , been a typo that sent the Dow into that tailspin . It would have imbued typos with the seriousness they deserve , and would have been an inspiring triumph for sticklers everywehre . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene . | The societal trend to regard typos as no big deal is wrong , says Bob Greene . Greene : In computer age , typos , misspellings , grammatical errors are given a reprieve . CNN 's David Daniel noticed Hollywood Walk of Fame typo ; Greene spotted Mets typo . | [[2506, 2576], [1876, 2001]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- England striker Wayne Rooney is expected to be fit for the World Cup in South Africa despite suffering another injury setback on club duty with Manchester United on Sunday . The 24-year-old , who last month was sidelined with ankle damage , went off with a recurrence of his recent groin problem 13 minutes from the end of United 's 4-0 victory over Stoke . He was unable to score , finishing his European season with 34 goals and missing out on the Premier League 's golden boot award to Chelsea 's Didier Drogba , who netted a hat-trick in the 8-0 victory over Wigan that ended United 's three-year grip on the title . England coach Fabio Capello will name his provisional 30-man squad for South Africa on Tuesday , and United were quick to dispel any fears that Rooney might be not fit for his second World Cup finals appearance . `` He should be okay , '' assistant manager Mike Phelan told the UK Press Association . `` All the phone calls and all the worries we can dispel straight away . `` He should be fine . It is just a precaution and he will be looking forward to his World Cup . '' Marcello Lippi , coach of world champions Italy , will also name his preliminary squad on Tuesday . Veteran striker Francesco Totti 's chances of being called out of international retirement were seriously damaged by his red card in the Italian Cup final defeat by Inter Milan last Wednesday . The 33-year-old redeemed himself with two goals on Sunday as second-placed Roma kept the Serie A title race going into the final round of the season , but on Monday he was handed a four-match Italian Cup ban for his controversial challenge on Inter striker Mario Balotelli . Balotelli , who said Totti had abused him , was also given a one-match suspension along with Inter teammate Cristian Chivu for separate incidents . Totti won the last of his 58 international caps in the 2006 World Cup final win over France , which ended Lippi 's first stint in charge , and made himself unavailable a year after that . Totti 's Roma strike partner Luca Toni also faces an anxious wait to see if he will be included in Lippi 's squad . German media reported on Monday that his parent club Bayern Munich do not want him back despite having a contract until the end of next season , while Italian paper Gazzetta dello Sport said Roma president Rosella Sensi was unwilling to extend his stay . | Manchester United insist Wayne Rooney will be fit for World Cup despite latest setback . England striker went off in final game of Premier League season with groin problem . Italian World Cup hopeful Francesco Totti hit with four-game Italian Cup suspension . Totti was sent off last Wednesday for clash with Inter Milan 's Mario Balotelli . | [[60, 96], [193, 208], [260, 376], [1563, 1682], [1214, 1407], [1563, 1682]] |
Orlando , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has triggered heated debate about where the United States gets its energy supplies . Some say domestic drilling is necessary to avoid U.S. dependence on foreign oil . Others say the country needs to look to other fuel sources . But one man has found his own solution . Patrick Vanderwyden uses solar power to run his water heater , hot tub , air conditioner , fans , and his refrigerator at his home of 24 years . Three years ago , the self-described New Age hippie began a personal mission to cut his energy usage by switching to alternative energy . `` What I do now has an effect on future generations , '' said Vanderwyden , 49 . `` I do n't want to leave future generations with a real problem if I can help it . And I think I can . '' The sun also powers most of Vanderwyden 's transportation . On any given day the conservationist can be seen throughout town quietly driving something with pedals or an electric motor . He has a collection of recycled bikes , an electric cycle and one bike fashioned from spare parts that he calls `` Frankenbike . '' Vanderwyden carefully drives the strange-looking contraption , powered by a treadmill motor , since it can easily exceed the top legal speed of 18 mph allowed for electric bikes , he said . He also has in his arsenal of alternative vehicles a Chevrolet pickup truck with an electric motor . Vanderwyden stumbled upon the truck for sale on the internet auction site eBay . It already had been converted by a New Jersey electric company . He says he reduced his energy use by nearly 30 percent last year compared with the year before . That 's in contrast to worldwide energy consumption , which has continued to rise for decades . `` What was started in the '70s was turned off in the '80s as far as the conservation and the use of renewable energy , '' said Vanderwyden . The U.S. Department of Energy reports that demand for oil has almost doubled since 1970 and the demand will continue to increase for decades to come . Oil accounts for more than one-third of U.S. energy use . The Energy Department statistics show that in 2008 , the vast majority of America 's petroleum use went toward consumer vehicles , commercial vehicles and air travel . Fuel-efficient hybrid cars only account for a small percentage of cars sold today , although the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute predicted that by 2035 , alternative fuel cars will account for more than half of the cars bought . Critics of electric vehicles point out that electricity is mainly produced by coal-powered plants which , in turn , create large amounts of greenhouse gases . Acknowleging that concern , Vanderwyden said he reduces how often he drives his electric pickup truck . Instead , Vanderwyden drives his electric bike charged from his solar panels as often as possible . The conservationist admits his actions are extreme but says if everyone would reduce their energy use a little , `` all of us together would make an impact . '' `` I 'm sad about this oil spill , but at least it 's bringing some attention to this issue again , '' he said . `` I really hope that -LSB- it -RSB- gets people to understand that it 's our demand that ... makes them want to drill a mile deep in the Gulf of Mexico . '' | In 2007 , Patrick Vanderwyden began a mission to cut his energy use . His home is fueled by solar panels , and he owns electric vehicles charged with solar power . He said he hopes more Americans follow his example . ` It 's our demand that makes them want to drill a mile deep in the Gulf of Mexico , ' he said . | [[495, 510], [513, 632], [350, 494], [822, 829], [835, 881], [2794, 2883], [1320, 1329], [3145, 3157], [3161, 3312]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Reclusive pop icon Michael Jackson will perform 10 concerts in London in July in what he described Thursday as a `` final curtain call . '' Michael Jackson announces the London dates at the O2 Arena . The summer shows , Jackson 's first major live performances in 12 years , will take place at the 20,000-capacity O2 Arena from July 8 . Jackson , 50 , appeared in front of fans and media at the venue Thursday to announce the `` This Is It '' shows . `` These will be my final shows performing in London . `` This Is It '' really means this is it , '' said Jackson , wearing a trademark black military-style jacket with sparkling embroidery and black sunglasses . Jackson blew kisses and saluted his fans as they chanted `` Michael ! Michael ! '' `` I 'll be performing the songs my fans want to hear . I 'll see you in July and I love you so much . '' Watch Michael Jackson 's announcement '' Tickets for the shows will cost # 50-75 -LRB- $ 70-105 -RRB- and will go on sale on March 13 . Fans can pre-register to purchase tickets at www.MichaelJacksonLive.com . The O2 Arena has acquired a reputation in recent years for staging `` must-see '' musical events . In 2007 it hosted Led Zeppelin 's one-off comeback gig as well as a 21-night residency by Prince . Britney Spears , the Pet Shop Boys and Lionel Richie are among performers due to play the venue this year . Event promoter Rob Hallett welcomed Jackson 's return , saying : `` We are delighted to facilitate the return of the king of pop , long may he reign ! When Michael Jackson performs the eyes of the world will be watching . '' Jackson 's appearance Thursday was not as slick as some of his signature dance moves . The star was held up in traffic as he traveled from his central London hotel to the venue on a peninsula of the River Thames in southeast London . An exclusive video that was to be shown before his arrival on stage then failed to play on cue . Several hundred Jackson fans had waited up to five hours to show their support for their idol . iReport.com : Show us your Michael Jackson moves . `` I 'm quite excited about him coming back , '' said Lee Gibson , 36 . `` He 's got great songs despite all his issues . It 's going to be massive . '' Owen Griffiths , 29 , said : `` It will be interesting to see what he does . If he puts on a good show like he used to do back in the day it will be a turning point for him just like it was for Prince here . If he 's playing a greatest hits concert I would definitely pay # 50 to see that -- so long as it 's `` Thriller '' and `` Off the Wall '' only . '' Jackson , a child star with the Jackson Five who went on to enjoy stellar solo success with classic albums such as `` Thriller '' and `` Bad , '' has rarely been seen in public since he was acquitted on child molestation charges in the U.S. in 2005 . Timeline gallery of the highs and lows of Jackson 's life '' Rumors of financial difficulties and health problems -- in 2008 he was photographed being pushed in a wheelchair -- have swirled around the famously eccentric star in recent years . Last year he sold his iconic Neverland ranch and he has spent much of his time since his acquittal living in Bahrain . The auction house , Julien 's , is selling Jackson 's Neverland property including the gates , the singer 's famed white-jeweled glove and a stretched Rolls Royce . Watch what Jackson memorabilia is being sold '' Jackson has n't recorded a studio album since `` Invincible '' -- his 10th solo record -- in 2001 . His last major series of concerts was a world tour to promote the `` HiStory '' album in 1996 and 1997 . `` Thriller , '' released in 1982 and containing classic Jackson hits such as `` Beat It , '' `` Billie Jean '' and the title track , is the best-selling album of all time . Jackson is estimated to have sold more than 750 million albums in total . | Michael Jackson announces 10 concerts at London 's O2 Arena . Jackson called the performances a `` final curtain call '' Reclusive star rarely seen since acquittal on child molestation charges in 2005 . Rumors of financial difficulties , health problems have swirled around star . | [[9, 32], [55, 165], [176, 236], [9, 32], [55, 165], [122, 172], [2761, 2868], [2930, 2982], [3030, 3042], [3046, 3111]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- West Indies pace bowling legend Michael Holding has launched a passionate defence of Test cricket , claiming that the 20/20 version of the game is threatening to completely destroy the five-day format . Speaking exclusively to CNN , Holding -- who has just released his autobiography `` No Holding Back '' -- admitted he disliked the limited-overs game so much that he turned down television work on the recent world 20/20 championship in his native West Indies . `` I am not interested in 20/20 at all . Maybe I am an old fogey but I think it is destroying Test cricket , '' said Holding . Blog : 20/20 broadening cricket 's appeal . `` Kids should be playing Test cricket and then maybe progressing to 20/20 once established . But now , with all the money available in 20/20 , top young players are not going to be interested in playing the five-day game . `` When you can earn $ 800,000 for playing six weeks in the Indian Premier League -LRB- IPL -RRB- , why waste six years trying to earn that sort of money in Test cricket ? `` If this is n't controlled properly , Test cricket will die . When I was playing , people said : ` Test cricket is too slow , ' so they brought in 50-over one-day cricket . Now it 's down to 20-overs . What happens next ? 15 overs ? 10 overs ? . Holding also believes that Test cricket is not being helped by the way the sport 's governing body , the International Cricket Council -LRB- ICC -RRB- is managing the game . `` The ICC needs to see how football 's governing body FIFA runs things . The ICC are letting the Indian Cricket Board -LRB- BBCI -RRB- dictate how cricket is run and that is all wrong . India is where the money is in cricket at the moment but that does n't mean they should have a say in how cricket is governed . `` FIFA would n't let Brazil dictate how to run football and cricket should n't let India have more of a say just because they have money there . `` Basically , the ICC are governing cricket so badly that soon nobody will pay any attention to them at all . If Test cricket is boring it is because the ICC are handling the calendar all wrong . `` Bangladesh are playing a series in England soon , but who cares ? . Imagine there was a two-division system , six teams in each , with promotion and relegation . India to face Pakistan with the losers being relegated to Division Two -- now that would be a Test series to watch ! '' Holding also told CNN that he would suspend any player found to have been betting on matches , although would stop short of banning them for life . `` No cricketer , in fact no sportsman , should be betting on matches -- to win or lose . If there is irrefutable evidence that a player has been caught betting on matches , they have to be banned . `` However , not for life , I believe in people getting second chances , but if it happened twice -- then ban them for life . '' | West Indies bowling legend Michael Holding talks exclusively to CNN . Holding believes that 20/20 cricket is threatening to destroy the Test game . Holding also feels that the ICC should introduce a two didivisionest system . | [[222, 249], [0, 15], [51, 116], [128, 221], [0, 15], [119, 221], [552, 589]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger played down his status as an iconic rock 'n' roller during an interview to be broadcast Tuesday night , crediting his band 's longevity to luck , hard work and loyal fans . `` You know , you always need a lot of luck , '' Jagger told CNN 's `` Larry King Live . '' `` And I think -LSB- the Stones -RSB- were in the right place at the right time . And ... when we work , we work very hard . '' The Stones have been rocking for nearly 50 years , and even though its members are now at an age when most people have retired , the band shows no signs of slowing down . Tuesday marked the re-release of one of the Stones ' most famous albums , `` Exile on Main Street . '' The new album features previously unreleased tracks culled from recording sessions in a basement in France nearly 40 years ago . The album 's release coincides with a documentary , `` Stones in Exile , '' out on DVD next month . `` Exile '' is `` a special album for me , '' said Jagger . `` It 's one of the real good ones , '' he told King . `` And it 's a real favorite of people . And we do play a lot on stage of this album . So , you know , I rank it right up there . '' He said Stones fans are one reason the band is able to continue doing world tours . `` What really keeps it going is the audience , because ... you feed from the audience and their enthusiasm , '' Jagger said . `` And if you have an enthusiastic audience , you feel that ... you could give more , you know ? '' Jagger said he and his bandmates learned how to play to an audience when they first started playing small clubs in England and developed an early following . `` We had a super enthusiastic club audience , '' he said . `` And that audience really taught us how to behave , how to have , you know , repartee with the audience and so on . Even from those early days , it 's not really that different to the exchange that you get with a big audience . '' And he also gave credit to the Beatles , calling them both `` rivals '' and `` trailblazers . '' `` They were both rivals and they were also ... showing the way , '' he said . `` They were big international stars . ... Most English people have never really been stars outside of England . ... And the Beatles kind of showed that you could be international . '' Jagger told King he does n't know when the band will tour again , but promised when it does , it will be an international tour . `` It 's always worldwide , '' he said . | Rolling Stones classic , `` Exile on Main Street , '' re-released Tuesday with bonus material . `` Exile '' is `` a special album for me , '' says Jagger on CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' Jagger gives credit to the Beatles , calling them both `` rivals '' and `` trailblazers '' Jagger to CNN 's Larry King : Stones `` in the right place at the right time '' | [[619, 718], [274, 309], [960, 991], [994, 1010], [1393, 1409], [1961, 1967], [1973, 1999], [1965, 1967], [2002, 2054], [274, 309], [327, 401]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tar balls found on Florida Keys beaches Monday and Tuesday are not from a massive oil spill off the coast of Louisiana , the Coast Guard said Wednesday . `` A sampling of tar balls discovered on beaches at Fort Zachary State Park , Fla. , Smathers Beach in Key West , Big Pine Key , Fla. , and Loggerhead Key in the Dry Tortugas National Park , Fla. , were flown by a Coast Guard HU-25 Falcon jet based in Miami , Fla. , to New London , Conn. , Tuesday for testing and analysis , '' a Coast Guard statement said . `` The results of those tests conclusively show that the tar balls collected from Florida Keys beaches do not match the type of oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico , '' the statement said . `` The source of the tar balls remains unknown at this time . '' However , `` the conclusion that these tar balls are not from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill incident in no way diminishes the need to continue to aggressively identify and clean up tar ball-contaminated areas in the Florida Keys , '' said Coast Guard Capt. Pat DeQuattro , commanding officer of Sector Key West . DeQuattro authorized the use of the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund on Tuesday to begin cleanups of any oil pollution on Florida Keys shores and established a unified command made up of members of the Coast Guard , the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , the Department of the Interior , and state and local officials to manage the tar ball response , the Coast Guard said . The tar balls nevertheless have raised fears that oil from the Gulf spill is headed to the coastlines of Florida and beyond . Researchers and federal officials seem to agree that a plume of oil is being dragged into the Gulf of Mexico 's Loop Current . The current flows through the Yucatan Channel between Cuba and Mexico , and then northward , where it loops just south of the Florida Keys and travels to the west side of the western Bahamas , according to meteorologists . The European Space Agency issued a statement Wednesday saying satellite images show the oil is in the Loop Current . `` With these images from space , we have visible proof that at least oil from the surface of the water has reached the current , '' Bertrand Chapron of Ifremer , the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea , said in the statement . A new tracking forecast prepared by four experts relying on five computer models shows that part of the oil may reach the Keys in five to six days , and Miami , Florida , five days after that , Sen. Bill Nelson , D-Florida , said in a statement Tuesday . `` While I always hope for the best , this is looking like really out-of-control bad , '' Nelson said . The forecast cited by Nelson assumes the Loop Current 's persistence and does not take into account dispersion and evaporation from the oil spill , CNN meteorologist Sean Morris said . It remains to be seen how much oil has entered the current . In addition , he said , `` the Loop Current is much warmer than surrounding water , which would cause oil to evaporate at a greater rate than it is evaporating near the source of the spill . '' Also Tuesday , NOAA shut down fishing in a larger part of the Gulf over which the federal government has jurisdiction : a total of 45,728 square miles , which is 19 percent of the Gulf , NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco said . An undersea oil well has been gushing an estimated 5,000 barrels of oil a day -LRB- 210,000 gallons -RRB- into the Gulf since late April , when the drill rig Deepwater Horizon blew up and sank about 40 miles off Louisiana . Some estimates have put the amount of oil spewing from the well far higher . Eleven workers are missing and presumed dead after the explosion and sinking , and the cause has not been determined . Samples taken by scientists offshore have raised concerns that large plumes of oil are settling below the surface . But federal officials said the results have not been fully analyzed . Some of the oil has washed ashore on the Louisiana coast . The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said Tuesday that the slick was 50 miles off the Mississippi coast . Weather Underground meteorologist Jeff Masters said Tuesday that based on satellite imagery , `` the oil is definitely in the Loop Current . ... The only question is how much oil made it in . '' Others , including Lubchenco , said the oil was poised to enter the current Tuesday but had not yet done so . Once it does , scientists say it could reach Florida in as little as four and as many as 10 days . Once in the Florida Straits -- waters between Florida , Cuba and the Bahamas -- onshore winds would be required to push the oil onto shore , along with oil getting into an eddy on the edge of the current , Lubchenco said . The oil might not actually make it to Florida , depending on current patterns , Masters said . `` The currents right now in the Gulf of Mexico are changing rapidly , day by day . It 's kind of an unstable situation . '' Chanmin Hu , associate professor of optical oceanography at the University of Miami , said scientists `` do not have a very reliable , sophisticated 3-D model to capture what 's going on on the ocean bottom . '' Most efforts have been concentrated on the surface of the water , he said , and different depths have not been observed . Hu said he and other researchers are headed to the spot where the oil meets the Loop Current and will collect samples and measure water properties on Wednesday . According to the NOAA website , tar balls are remnants of oil spills . When crude oil floats on the surface of the water , it is torn into smaller patches covering a wider area by winds and waves . The oil undergoes a process called `` weathering . '' The lighter components of the oil evaporate , and heavier components are left behind . Some crude oils mix with water to form `` an emulsion that often looks like chocolate pudding '' that is thicker and stickier than the initial oil , NOAA said . `` Winds and waves continue to stretch and tear the oil patches into smaller pieces , or tar balls . '' The tar balls can travel hundreds of miles , according to the website . | Coast Guard tested tar balls from Keys , Dry Tortugas ; source is unknown , it says . Group made of federal , state , local officials created to manage response to tar balls . European Space Agency says satellite images show oil now in Gulf of Mexico 's Loop Current . Researchers headed to the spot where oil meets Loop Current to collect samples today . | [[750, 811], [3769, 3804], [1130, 1139], [1274, 1460], [1435, 1492], [1644, 1677], [1683, 1770], [1994, 2110], [2027, 2110], [2145, 2238], [5344, 5399], [5391, 5399], [5406, 5436], [5391, 5413], [5441, 5505]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pakistan on Thursday blocked access to YouTube -- a day after it shut down the social networking site Facebook -- in response to an online group calling on people to draw the Prophet Mohammed . The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority ordered operators to shut down YouTube `` in view of growing sacrilegious contents on it , '' officials said in a statement . PTA said Thursday it reached its decision after all `` possible avenues were used within its jurisdiction , including using regular channels available on the Facebook and YouTube to launch protest , to avoid appearances of derogatory material available on their websites . '' Facebook was blocked a day before `` Everybody Draw Mohammed Day , '' which was scheduled by several Facebook groups dedicated to the idea . The largest of the groups was unavailable for several hours Wednesday and Thursday . Facebook said `` a small technical issue prevented some users from accessing this page and others for a very short period of time , '' and that Facebook had corrected the problem as quickly as possible once they became aware of it . `` While it may be considered objectionable to some , the Facebook Pages and Groups in question do not violate our policies , '' Facebook global communications director Debbie Frost said . The page was online as of Thursday morning Eastern time . Frost said Facebook was `` very disappointed '' to be blocked in Pakistan . `` We are analyzing the situation and the legal considerations , and will take appropriate action , which may include making this content inaccessible to users in Pakistan , '' she said . Khoram Ali Mehran of Pakistan 's telecommunication authority said the block `` is related to the objectionable material that was placed on Facebook . '' `` We have blocked it for an indefinite amount of time . We are just following the government 's instructions and the ruling of the Lahore High Court . If the government decides to unblock it , then that 's what we will do , '' he said . The telecommunication authority has not received any complaints from Internet users about the blocking of Facebook , he said . Devout Muslims consider it offensive to depict Mohammed . There were riots around the world in response to a series of cartoons of Mohammed in a Danish newspaper in 2005 , and at least two European cartoonists live under police protection after publication of their drawings of the Muslim prophet . Mimi Sulpovar , who started one of the Facebook groups , said she read about the idea on a blog after Comedy Central bleeped out part of an episode of `` South Park '' that mentioned the prophet . `` This is meant to be in protest , '' she said . `` This is something I have felt strongly about for a long time : Bullying by certain Muslim groups will not be tolerated in a free country , '' said Sulpovar , who is American . But Ibrahim Hooper , a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations , said the idea behind the group was offensive . `` Islam discourages any visual representations of the prophets of God -- Jesus , Moses , Mohammed , anybody -- because we believe it can lead to a form of idol worship , '' he said . `` The majority of Muslims worldwide object to any representation of a prophet of God , '' he added . The idea of `` Draw Mohammed Day '' originated with a cartoonist who has since distanced herself from the idea , Sulpovar and Hooper said . `` The whole campaign has been taken up by Muslim-bashers and Islamophobes , '' Hooper said . But Sulpovar denied being anti-Muslim . `` This extends beyond being able to draw Mohammed , '' she said . `` If it 's offensive to you , that 's fine , but I do n't feel it 's right to impose your belief on others through intimidation . `` This is nothing to do with hate or bigotry , '' she said . `` Nobody is inciting violence or preaching open hatred towards individuals . '' Sulpovar said she is not a Muslim but added that she had received `` hundreds of e-mails from people trying to explain this to me . '' One group member said she saw anger and fear on both sides of the controversy but felt that free speech could not be compromised . `` This is a hot-topic debate , but so is abortion , illegal immigrants , gay marriage and politics . If we allow even a small compromise for one group , then the free speech on topics like abortion , illegal immigrants and politics can also be censored based on accusations that they cause violence or hate , '' Autumn Meadows said on CNN 's iReport . `` Hate speech is wanting a group eradicated , physically harmed or dead . I do n't think drawing Mohammed falls under that category , '' she said . `` Islam is not above criticism or cartoons . I believe in equality , and censoring Mohammed while we can draw every other figure in the world does not equal equality , '' she concluded . Sulpovar said Pakistan 's decision to block Facebook was `` ridiculous . '' Sulpovar 's group had attracted more than 9,000 fans as of Thursday morning . The page which disappeared briefly had more than 80,000 fans . Groups opposing the idea had about 68,000 fans as of Wednesday . Facebook is investigating the block , said Frost , the communications director . `` We want Facebook to be a place where people can openly discuss issues and express their views , while respecting the rights and feelings of others , '' she told CNN . `` We sometimes find people discussing and posting about topics that others may find controversial , inaccurate , or offensive . When these feelings , or any content reported to us becomes an attack on anyone , including Muslim people , it will be removed and further action may be taken against the person responsible , '' she said . | Pakistan blocks access to YouTube , a day after imposing Facebook ban . `` Everybody Draw Mohammed Day '' urges users to submit drawings of Mohammed . Devout Muslims consider it offensive to depict Mohammed . Telecommunications official says Facebook blocked on government 's orders . | [[0, 15], [40, 65], [81, 129], [656, 720], [148, 212], [2144, 2201], [2168, 2201]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sean Penn could have been walking the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival . Instead , he was under the Capitol Dome in Washington on Wednesday to testify about Haiti . Penn 's newest film , spy thriller `` Fair Game , '' will debut Thursday at Cannes , but the day before , the Oscar-winning actor was seated before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as witness to an emergency . `` I come here today in the hope that we will address with bold clarity the razor 's edge upon which Haiti lies , '' he said . He called on lawmakers to demand transparency as the island nation moves forward in recovering from the massive earthquake that struck January 12 . `` In an emergency , donors offer money and expect it to be spent helping people , '' Penn said . `` I hope we are here today to encourage just that . '' Penn , who founded the J/P Haitian Relief Organization , has been living in a tent in Port-au-Prince , helping manage one of the devastated capital 's largest camps for the displaced . The actor turned aid worker testified with experts and policymakers before a committee headed by Democratic Sen. John Kerry , co-sponsor of a bill that would authorize $ 3.5 billion to help rebuild Haiti over the next five years . About $ 10 billion in aid was pledged for Haiti over the next 10 years at a donors conference in March . Kerry said donor nations `` must now follow through and deliver the funds they have promised in a coordinated manner , and Haiti must work to improve its capacity to absorb the aid it receives . '' Former USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios offered a scathing assessment of the challenges that lie ahead in rebuilding what he called a failed state . He compared Haiti 's devastation and massive death toll of more than 200,000 to that of Chile , which suffered a stronger quake in late February but was not as badly affected . Natsios warned that programs must help end Haiti 's dysfunctional cycle by improving governance and fostering economic growth . `` I think the worst thing we can do is be nice about this and live in a Disney World assessment of what we are dealing with , '' Natsios said . `` We are dealing with one of the worst-governed countries in the world . '' | Senate Foreign Relations Committee hears testimony on quake-ravaged nation . Actor Sean Penn founded aid agency in Haiti . He and others urged U.S. donors to ask for transparency . | [[835, 839], [846, 889]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Idaho on Wednesday became the first state to pass a law saying no thanks to part of President Obama 's health care proposal . The Idaho Health Care Freedom Act says in part , `` every person within the state of Idaho is and shall be free to choose or decline to choose any mode of securing health care services without penalty or threat of penalty . '' Gov. C.L. `` Butch '' Otter , a Republican , said Wednesday he signed it because he believes any health care laws should ensure people are `` treated as an individual , rather than as an amorphous mass whose only purpose in this world is to obey federal mandates . '' Several other states may follow suit . The governor of Virginia is expected to sign a bill passed in his state last week , and according to American Legislative Exchange Council , similar proposals have made it through one chamber of the legislatures in Missouri , Oklahoma and Tennessee . While such bills have recently failed in six states , 22 additional states have seen proposals introduced . These state laws would directly conflict with the national health care bill that Democrats are trying to pass , which includes a requirement that all individuals get health coverage or face a tax penalty . Several legal analysts said if Congress enacts a national health care law , it would supersede any state laws written to block them . `` I think most of the states that are passing these laws understand that they ca n't trump federal law with state law , '' said Professor Jonathan Siegel at George Washington University Law School . `` But what they get out of it is symbolic effect . They 're sending a message to the federal politicians that they do n't like the health care mandate . '' Such state laws might not be the only legal challenge to Democratic health care legislation . Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum , a Republican , on Tuesday sent a letter to the other 49 state attorneys general , asking them to join him `` in preparing a legal challenge to the constitutionality of whatever individual mandate provision emerges , immediately upon the legislation becoming law . '' States have previously challenged federal laws and regulations in areas aside from health care . Five states have passed a Firearms Freedom Act , according to firearmsfreedomact.com , including Montana , Wyoming , South Dakota , Tennessee and Utah . The law declares that any guns that are manufactured and kept in-state are not subject to federal gun laws passed by Congress under interstate commerce authority , because the guns never crossed state lines . A number of states have also passed laws trying to wrest more control from Washington over issues such as how public lands are used or how a state 's National Guard forces are deployed overseas , according to the 10th Amendment Center , which advocates for states ' rights . While such laws may face an uphill path in court , supporters describe them as a sign of public opinion , which can still have impact . They point to last year 's announcement of federal policy on medicinal marijuana , after 14 states passed laws to allow its use . While federal drug law makes no exception to allow medicinal use of marijuana , Attorney General Eric Holder said in October that prosecuting the use of medicinal marijuana users would n't be a priority . He said the Justice Department would instead `` effectively focus our resources on serious drug traffickers , while taking into account state and local laws . '' CNN 's Brian Todd and Eric Weisbrod contributed to this report . | Idaho passes law challenging federal mandate that penalizes people who want to opt out . 22 additional states have seen proposals of opposition introduced . Legal analysts say federal law would supersede any state laws written to block them . Florida attorney general sends letters to 49 colleagues seeking to mount legal challenge . | [[941, 992], [995, 1048], [1255, 1364], [1329, 1388], [1840, 1878], [1907, 1952], [1840, 1878], [1963, 2094]] |
A Nigerian politician has been arrested for trying to smuggle almost five pounds of cocaine in his stomach in a scheme to finance his election campaign , authorities said Monday . Eme Zuru Ayortor , a 52-year-old pharmacist and a hopeful for Nigeria 's Edo State House of Assembly , was arrested at the international airport in Lagos , drug officials said . Officials became suspicious of the politician when a scanning machine in the airport revealed that he was carrying 2.120 kilograms -LRB- 4.7 pounds -RRB- of cocaine in his stomach , according to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency . Ayortor was trying to fly to Frankfurt , Germany , the agency said . `` After undergoing observation , the pharmacist turned politician excreted 100 pieces of powdery substance that tested positive to cocaine , '' the agency said in a statement . `` Preliminary check on him revealed that he was preparing himself financially for the forthcoming election into the Edo State House of Assembly . '' The suspect told authorities that he was hoping his status as a politician would help him avoid being arrested . `` We do not look at faces in conducting drug screening and we are not moved by credentials . Whoever is dealing in narcotics shall be exposed and prosecuted , '' said Ahmadu Giade , chairman of the Nigerian drug agency . | Nigerian politician tried to smuggle almost five pounds of cocaine in his stomach . Authorities said he was trying to finance his election campaign . Eme Zuru Ayortor told officials he thought his status as politician would help him avoid arrest . | [[0, 118], [110, 151], [843, 989], [885, 989], [993, 1105], [1027, 1067], [1052, 1105]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The nomination of Elena Kagan to fill the seat of retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens has caused quite a stir on the political left and right , as operatives on both sides try to ascertain exactly where she stands . But it has also opened another fissure in the complex relationship that exists between black organizational leaders and President Obama , the nation 's first African-American president . Over the past year we have seen criticisms leveled by grass-roots activists , civil rights groups and the Congressional Black Caucus . But instead of taking on the president , the beefs are largely aimed at `` those around the president . '' In previous administrations , these same individuals would n't have hesitated to call out Presidents George W. Bush , Bill Clinton , George H.W. Bush or Ronald Reagan . Why the hesitance ? Because they also understand that a direct attack on President Obama could hurt them in two ways : They could find themselves cut off from the administration or they could anger their base by making the president 's job more difficult when he is facing daily attacks from Republicans . Even among African-American commentators , columnists and radio and TV show hosts , if you are too harsh on President Obama , the backlash has been swift and vicious . The organizations know this , and trust me , the White House knows this , and has used it to its advantage . That 's why I call it the Obama-Black-Two-Step . I 've been told countless times by folks on both sides that Obama ca n't be seen as favoring African-Americans over others , and his White House has been especially scared of touching anything dealing with race . As a result , black civil rights leaders and prominent Democrats have largely bitten their tongues , unwilling to publicly take on the president and some of his decisions . Instead , they quietly fume , mumbling under their breath and offering their critiques in measured tones . Yet I have gotten the sense that black civil rights and political leaders may stop the racial solidarity and stand up on the principles they have long fought for . I 've been expressly told that some have no interest in working hard or raising money in the fall on behalf of Democrats to hold on to the House and Senate . The nomination of Kagan has become a flash point in this uneasy relationship , because this is the second time in a year that President Obama has made a Supreme Court appointment and his administration did n't seriously consider an African-American woman for the job . The nomination of Sonia Sotomayor certainly was historic in that she became the first Hispanic to sit on the high court , and it was embraced by civil rights groups . Yet this time , for highly qualified African-American female judges , such as Leah Ward Sears , the retired chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court , to never make the cut for a face-to-face interview with the president has ticked off a number of leaders I 've talked with over the last several days . What 's the big deal about including a black woman ? A Democratic pollster told me that black women have a higher voter turnout than any other ethnic-gender demographic -- 65 percent -- and it 's vital for Obama to appeal to them . When Obama was behind Sen. Hillary Clinton in the polls , it was because black women had n't embraced him yet . When they did , the race changed . The uneasiness with Kagan 's appointment among civil rights groups has focused on the hiring record of minorities during her tenure at Harvard Law School , which was followed by the White House pushing back to insulate her from criticism by saying the Harvard faculty makes the recommendations about hiring for tenured positions . They were quick to blast out blogs , columns and articles written by African-Americans at Harvard to make clear Kagan is a major advocate of diversity . When a meeting with civil rights leaders and administration officials was held at the White House on Tuesday with senior adviser Valerie Jarrett , I was told `` more listening than talking '' was done by the administration . Civil rights leaders made clear that they felt they were being taken for granted in the process , and were expected to rubber stamp the choice . When Kagan 's nomination was unveiled Monday , the only prominent African-Americans in attendance were Charles Ogletree , a Harvard professor who taught both Obamas , and Wade Henderson , president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights . That 's a stark contrast to Sotomayor 's unveiling , when a number of civil rights leaders were there to back her bid . That 's why if you look at the public statements released this week by the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund , the National Urban League and others , they are more neutral on Kagan 's appointment , saying they look forward to hearing more about her views on a variety of issues as the nomination plays out . Folks , that 's lukewarm at best . I 've heard the previous complaints that congressional and civil rights leaders have been ignored by White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel , with one saying he has never attended a meeting with them -LRB- `` Even Bush sent Andy Card to meet with us , '' one leader told me -RRB- . And that extends to others surrounding the president in various parts of the White House . `` These problems are valid and BIG , and we can not let them off the hook , '' I was told by one frustrated organizational head . Yet this time is different . White House officials would quickly suggest that they are on excellent terms with the Rev. Al Sharpton , but this goes beyond him . The Rev. Jesse Jackson is clearly on the outs with this administration , as seen in his banishment from the West Wing . But this contentious relationship is with civil rights , religious , economic and social justice officials . And it 's getting worse . One civil rights leader opined that President Obama is `` losing his emotional connection with black leadership and black voters . '' This has huge ramifications for the president and his agenda , because Democrats are facing a major battle to hold on to the House and Senate in November . A Wall Street Journal/NBC poll released Thursday shows that voters are split over who should control Congress -- Democrats and the GOP both got 44 percent . But of those most interested in the midterm elections , Republicans garnered 56 percent to 36 percent for Democrats . Yet according to a study released in April by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies , a nonpartisan think tank that focuses on African-Americans , upwards of 80 percent of black voters say they are very likely to vote in November . The group surveyed 500 African-Americans in Missouri , Indiana , Arkansas and South Carolina . What helped catapult President Obama into the White House was a high black turnout , especially in the South , and he garnered 95 percent of the black vote . A drop of 10 to 15 percent by black voters for Democrats in November would be catastrophic . As the Kagan nomination goes forward , White House officials have told me they expect no problems from civil rights groups . That may be the case . But the distance is growing between this president and what many figured are his natural allies . In a year when you have energized your enemies , the last thing you need is to push away your friends . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Roland S. Martin . | Martin : Twice Obama has n't seriously considered an African-American woman for high court . This has ticked off a number of leaders Martin has talked with . Martin : Distance growing between Obama and many of his presumed natural allies . Some leaders may not help Democratic House , Senate candidates , says Martin . | [[2476, 2561], [2729, 2742], [2938, 2986], [5443, 5496], [7222, 7268], [7278, 7315]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A year ago , football 's finances seemed to be healthier than ever , bucking the trend of global economic hardship . The total European market had ballooned to a staggering $ 20.76 billion by the end of the 2007-8 season , and clubs -- especially in England -- splashed out big in the January 2009 transfer market , with the Premier League responsible for a record-breaking $ 252 million in player purchases . Things looked good . Spanish big-spenders Real Madrid , incredibly , then beat that English figure on their own in the off-season . Recession ? Who 's buying that . But this month 's transfer merry-go-round looks like being a much more somber affair . Some big , big clubs are trying to stave off some big , big problems . Even given those rosy-looking figures of 2007-08 , the most recent available , Europe 's top clubs then still owed more than $ 6 billion according to a study by football finance expert Jose Maria Gay de Liébena , an accounting professor at the University of Barcelona . `` Clubs are getting deeper and deeper into the mire of enormous debt , and along with overvalued assets and costs that far outstrip income levels , this is the biggest of football 's ills , '' Gay de Liébena said in his report . When reports start circulating that an outfit as big as Manchester United , regularly near the top of Deloitte 's list of football 's wealthiest clubs , are considering refinancing some $ 960 million of debt with a bond issue , then you know that something is up . The Glazer family saddled United with huge debts with their 2005 takeover , and the Americans also have outstanding personal sums owed on the deal which have since increased by $ 64 million , according to Britain 's The Times newspaper . With European ruling body UEFA planning to bring in new rules governing debt and ownership from 2012 which mean clubs can not spend more than they earn , the pressure is on to find a safe financial footing . Chelsea 's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich responded last week by converting the $ 540 million he has given the English club in interest-free loans into equity . And it 's not just in England where clubs , also including the American-owned Liverpool , are battling to stay afloat in a sea of debt -- said to be around $ 4.3 billion for the whole of the Premier League , according to the Wall Street Journal . German giants Bayern Munich plan big wage cuts , according to Britain 's Guardian newspaper , and may be forced to sell star asset Franck Ribery , long a target of Real , United and Chelsea . `` We are going to try to reduce the wages , '' the Bundesliga club 's director of sport Christian Nerlinger said . `` The wages have gone through the roof and , therefore , we have got to get our message through to the players that a new contract does not necessarily mean a pay rise . '' Belgian club Mouscron has been put into liquidation after being expelled from the Jupiler League on December 28 for failing to meet financial obligations , with debts of $ 1.15 million , ending 87 years of existence . While clubs such as United and Liverpool incurred vast debts when they were taken over by new owners , player wages have long been a major item on the expenses side of the balance sheet . Portsmouth have become the poster club of failed payments in recent times , on Tuesday failing to pay their players ' wages for the fourth time this season . The English outfit is riddled with debt following two takeovers in the past six months , with former owner Alexandre Gaydamak claiming that he is still owed some $ 45 million in loans and the British tax department issuing a winding-up notice over unpaid debts . `` These chaps knew what they were getting . They must have realized there is a wage bill and the tax bill to meet every month . There are no surprises , '' Gaydamak told the www.fansonline.net Web site . The Premier League has also been forced to take action , diverting Portsmouth 's latest $ 11 million in television money to Chelsea , Tottenham and Watford -- who are all owed sums by the struggling club for player transfers . And the problem is not restricted to the upper echelons of the English game , whose only big-spenders this month may be Chelsea and Manchester City , owned by Abu Dhabi oil billionaire Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan . Second division Crystal Palace , bankrolled by millionaire Simon Jordan , have failed to make wage payments to players on time for the past two months , and four times in the last year . Lower league club Notts County were saved from oblivion in July by the Munto Finance group , who promised to take the world 's oldest side into the Premier League with a massive cash injection and the expensive acquisition of former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson as director of football . But that has fallen by the wayside with Munto selling to chairman Peter Trembling for a nominal fee , and the club again faces an uncertain future with a second winding-up order from the tax man , though Eriksson apparently remains committed to his post . Scottish clubs were last year forced to accept a far less lucrative replacement deal from Sky and ESPN following the collapse of Irish broadcaster Setanta , highlighting how precarious the existence of some leagues is . `` The economy of football is not an exception to the rule of economics , '' Gay de Liébena said . `` If one major sponsorship or television deal collapses , the clubs will sink . '' | Football 's finances may not be as healthy as previous figures have suggested . Manchester United reportedly seeking to refinance $ 960 million of debt with a bond issue . German giants Bayern Munich pledge to cut massive wage bill amid fears of overspending . Belgian club Mouscron goes into liquidation after failing to meet obligations . | [[1257, 1477], [1252, 1282], [1288, 1304], [1405, 1477], [2375, 2421], [2567, 2609], [2857, 3010], [2857, 2878], [3044, 3074]] |
-LRB- Gannett -RRB- -- With more than a million units sold in its first month , there 's no question Apple 's much-hyped iPad is here to stay . But is this 9.7-inch touch-screen tablet as ideal for playing games as it is for reading electronic books , surfing the web , watching video or typing out homework ? Absolutely . Spend just five minutes with your fingers on a high-definition iPad game and you 'll know why it 's a winner . And hey , a 12-hour battery for gamers on the go does n't hurt either . Keep in mind the iPad will also work with most of the games already available for theiPhone and iPod Touch . Whether you already own an iPad or plan on buying one , the following are four examples of extraordinarygame applications available for purchase at the App Store -LRB- itunes.com -RRB- . Note : Most iPad games are not rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board -LRB- ESRB -RRB- , but please see our recommended age for each title below . Brothers in Arms 2 : Global Front HD -LRB- Gameloft ; $ 7.99 ; for teens ; 2.5 stars out of 4 -RRB- . The celebrated World War II action series has made its iPad debut , allowing you to battle against computer-controlled enemies in the solo story mode or online with up to five friends on a handful of multiplayer maps . Use your fingers to move your squad throughout the war-torn environments -LRB- including hot spots in North Africa , Normandy , Italy , Germany and the Pacific -RRB- , pick the best places to duck for cover and use a number of weapons , including sniper rifles , machine guns , bazookas and flame throwers . You can also hop into a vehicle , such as a tank or jeep , to press your way across enemy lines . Scrabble -LRB- $ 9.99 ; Electronic Arts ; for everyone ; 3 stars out of 4 -RRB- . This high-tech twist on the classic crossword board game can be played in one of four ways : against the game 's artificial intelligence ; versus a friend beside you in a Pass n ' Play mode ; over Wi-Fi -LRB- including social networking support , such as Facebook integration -RRB- ; or in a new Party Play mode , in which up to four players can manage their tiles on an iPhone or iPod Touch and then wirelessly play their words on the nearby iPad game board . The goal of Scrabble , of course , is to collect as many points as possible by spelling out words from letter tiles in your hand , each of which is worth a certain number of points . The player with the highest number of points at the end of the game wins . The only downside ? The relatively steep cost of $ 10 for the app . Pinball HD -LRB- GameProm ; $ 2.99 ; for everyone ; 3 stars out of 4 -RRB- . One of the most popular apps on the iPad is a nod to the ol' silver ball . `` Pinball HD , '' as you 'd expect , is a high-definition collection of pinball games for the iPad . The game ships with three tables to play on -- `` Wild West , '' `` The Deep '' and `` Jungle Style '' -- and each one boasts great-looking graphics , including support for anaglyph 3-D glasses -LRB- not included -RRB- . See the entire table in the landscape mode -LRB- holding the iPad horizontally -RRB- or by toggling between a close-up `` flying table '' view and full table view when the iPad is held vertically -LRB- slide both your thumbs up or down the screen to toggle the camera view -RRB- . With its ball physics , built-in help and a local and global high-score board , `` Pinball HD '' is a great pick for players of all ages . Angry Birds HD -LRB- Chillingo ; $ 4.99 ; for everyone ; 3.5 stars out of 4 -RRB- . One of the most popular iPhone games is now available in high-definition for the iPad , and with a few extra feathery features , too . In case you have n't played the original , a group of scheming green pigs have stolen eggs from a bird 's nest -- and now the winged warriors are calling for revenge . This physics-based puzzle game has you flinging birds out of a giant slingshot from the left side of the screen to the right , and you must aim just so , with the ideal amount of force , to destroy all the pigs within the allotted number of turns per level . Each of the five bird types have their own unique skills that can also be used to topple the pigs ' elaborate houses , leaving the swine exposed for a final blow . | The iPad 's 12-hour battery for gamers on the go makes the device perfect for games . iPads will work with most of the games already available for the iPhone/iPod Touch . `` Brothers in Arms 2 : Global Front HD , '' `` Scrabble '' and `` Angry Birds HD '' are all great buys . | [[444, 505], [519, 614]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When 3-year-old Rowan Isaacson darted away from his father and dived into a herd of grazing horses , it easily could have been the end of the small autistic boy . He was babbling under the hooves of a boss mare . Rupert Isaacson says he noticed immediate improvement in his son 's language skills when he started riding . `` I thought he was going to get trampled , '' recalled Rupert Isaacson , Rowan 's father . But the horse , Betsy , dipped her head and chewed with her mouth in submission . Isaacson , who had trained horses for a living , had never seen it happen so spontaneously . Rowan had seemingly made a connection . The Austin , Texas , family had been struggling with Rowan . His wild tantrums were nearly driving Isaacson and his wife , Kristin Neff , to divorce . All the while , little Rowan was becoming unreachable . `` He would just stare off into space , '' Isaacson said . `` I was worried it was going to get progressively worse and that eventually , he might float away from us entirely . Luckily , right about that time is when he met Betsy . '' Isaacson began riding Betsy , a neighbor 's horse , with Rowan . He says he noticed immediate improvement in his son 's language skills . Watch Rowan and Betsy '' `` He would start to answer . He would start to talk . We would do song games up there on the saddle . I would take books up there in the saddle , '' Isaacson said . Autism specialists say that horse riding can be effective in gaining access to autistic children . Experts make a distinction between the kind of recreational therapeutic riding Isaacson was using with Rowan and hippotherapy , which is a medical treatment that uses horses and is supervised by a licensed speech-language pathologist . `` People perceive it 's the interaction with the horse that 's making the change . However , the movement of the horse is extremely powerful , and it 's that movement that 's having neurological impact on the autistic child , '' said Ruth Dismuke-Blakely , a speech-language pathologist and hippotherapy clinical specialist in Edgewood , New Mexico . According to preliminary analysis of an ongoing study by Dismuke-Blakely , hippotherapy has been shown to increase verbal communication skills in some autistic children in as little as 18 to 25 minutes of riding once a week for eight weeks . `` We see their arousal and affect change . They become more responsive to cues . If they are at a point where they are using verbal cues , you get more words , '' Dismuke-Blakely said . `` It 's almost like it opens them up . It gives us access . '' She cautions that a horse 's movements can be powerful . For some autistic children , riding too long can overstimulate their nervous system , leading to more erratic behavior . On Betsy , Rowan was at ease . After about three weeks , Isaacson says , Rowan 's improved behavior was translating into the home and outside world as well . But not consistently . In late 2004 , Isaacson , a human rights activist , brought a delegation of African bushmen from Botswana to the United Nations . Among the men were traditional healers , who offered to work with Rowan . Isaacson says he was skeptical , but he had experience with the bushmen and allowed the healers to lay their hands on his son . `` I was kind of flabbergasted at Rowan 's response . For about four days while they were with him , he started to lose some of his symptoms . He started to point , which was a milestone he had n't achieved , '' Isaacson said . When the tribal healers left , Rowan regressed . Isaacson says he could n't help but wonder what would happen if he were to give Rowan a longer exposure to the two things that he seemed to have responded well to : horses and shamans . `` I know it sounds completely crazy , '' he said . `` I just had a gut feeling . '' Isaacson took his wife and son to Mongolia . `` It 's the oldest horse culture on the planet . Everyone still gets around on a horse there -- so a nomadic culture . The word ` shaman ' comes from there , '' Isaacson said , explaining his decision . `` I just thought , ` Well , what if we went there and rode across the steppe and visited traditional healers ? You know , what might happen for Rowan ? Might there be some positive outcomes ? ' '' Trekking across the Mongolian prairie on horseback , Isaacson says , Rowan 's behavior was changed dramatically . `` Rowan was not cured of autism out there , '' Isaacson stressed . `` The word ` cure ' is not in my vocabulary for this . Rowan came back without three key dysfunctions that he had . He went out to Mongolia incontinent and still suffering from these neurological firestorms -- so tantruming all the time and cut off from his peers , unable to make friends -- and he came back with those three dysfunctions having gone . '' Isaacson credits Rowan 's improvement to horses and time in nature -- and to shamanic healing , which he says he simply ca n't explain rationally . Isaacson has written a book , `` The Horse Boy , '' about Rowan 's autism . Rowan , now 7 , rides Betsy by himself . His parents never abandoned more orthodox treatments for his autism , and Rowan 's applied behavioral analysis therapist has him studying math and English at the third-grade level -- a full year ahead of some of his peers . `` He 's just becoming a very functional autistic person , '' Isaacson said . As far as the Isaacson family 's journey took them , it is the same hard slog facing millions of families gripped by autism . `` A lot of the parents go to the ends of the Earth in their own living rooms every day , '' Isaacson said . `` I mean , we had more stressful car rides to the grocery store than any of the stresses and challenges of the trip to Mongolia . '' You do n't have to get on a horse -- or plane to Siberia -- for relief . For autism families , Isaacson encourages parents to simply follow their instincts and listen to what their child shows them . `` In our case , it was horses in Mongolia and these shamans , '' Isaacson said . `` It could just as easily have been bicycles and , you know , steam trains . And if it had been , we 'd have done a steam train journey . We 'd have done whatever Rowan seemed to be showing us he wanted to do , because that was where he was intrinsically motivated . '' | Family travels across Mongolia so autistic son can ride horses , meet shaman . Experts say riding horses can be effective in gaining access to autistic children . Rowan Isaacson 's language and temper improved with horse/shaman therapy . His parents never abandoned more orthodox treatments for Rowan 's autism . | [[3838, 3882], [4285, 4335], [1419, 1517], [1442, 1517], [253, 340], [3694, 3696], [3704, 3752], [4824, 4890], [5089, 5156]] |
Port-au-Prince , Haiti -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Haiti 's capital awoke to increasing desperation Thursday morning , a day and a half after a devastating earthquake , with covered bodies piling up along streets and modern aspects of life , such as electricity , mostly missing . The streets of Port-au-Prince resembled grainy black-and-white newsreels from World War II that showed the rubble of bombed-out houses in Berlin and London . The devastation was wide and often horrific . A one-hour drive from the airport to a walled-in hotel where the CNN contingent is staying revealed the widespread destruction from Tuesday 's 7.0-magnitude earthquake . Flattened and severely damaged houses were found on every block , and the streets were choked with pedestrians and residents . They set up overnight camps and slept by the thousands in dark and crowded parks and on sidewalks , for fear of being inside if another powerful quake hit . Numerous aftershocks have rattled the capital . Sporadic gunfire was heard Wednesday night outside the hotel where CNN is lodged . Sirens could be heard at times , but the predominant sounds in the pre-dawn darkness were the shouts and screams from the thousands of people who spent the night in a dark park across the street . A rooster 's crowing could sometimes be heard above the din . After electricity in the hotel was shut off at 1 a.m. , CNN technicians worked on satellite equipment by flashlight . The hotel resembles a compound , with razor wire topping eight-foot walls and a gated parking lot , guarded by a man wielding an old shotgun . And although the hotel 's residents seemed safe , and street violence had not been seen , there was a feeling of apprehension . As dawn broke , residents wandered slowly through the streets , their destination unknown in a city with seemingly nowhere to go . Still , there were glimmers of hope that the situation was inching toward improvement . The airport , damaged by the quake , began to come back to life Wednesday . The Aeroport International Toussaint Louverture had been closed since the quake struck . But by Wednesday afternoon , the first small-plane commercial flights started to arrive . The airport picked up energy and vitality as planes carrying supplies and ferrying search-and-rescue squads began filling the tarmac . Francklin Pierre , manager for Haiti 's Copa Airlines , was in his airport office on Tuesday , sending an e-mail to a friend in Trinidad and Tobago , when he felt the tremor just before 5 p.m. . He stood up and stumbled out of his office but could not go far because the building was shaking so hard . `` It was an eternity for me , '' he said . `` That building was shaking like a paper . '' His mother and daughter survived , Pierre said , but his father is missing . `` We are all still looking for my father , '' he said . `` We ca n't reach him . We do n't know where he is . '' Lionel Isaac , director of the airport authority , said engineers will examine the structural damage Thursday to see if the terminal can be opened again . The runway and the electricity are sound , he said . If the terminal can not be opened any time soon , Isaac said , an American Airlines cargo building may be used as temporary terminal . He hopes to have 30-seat commercial airplanes flying into the airport within the next few days . Large military cargo aircraft were landing routinely and often Wednesday afternoon . Several U.S. Coast Guard and Air Force planes stood on the tarmac , their engines running the whole time . One took on a load of passengers and left . International help also started to arrive . Thirty-five members of the Icelandic Search and Rescue Team arrived aboard a large jet . `` They will stay here for as long as it takes , '' said Thorbjorn Johnsson , a counselor from the Icelandic Foreign Ministry who accompanied the team . `` We offered to help and Haiti accepted . '' A Canadian military squad also arrived to drop off supplies and a reconnaissance squad , in preparation for a disaster response team scheduled to arrive Thursday aboard a C-17 cargo plane with two helicopters on board . The Canadian crew planned to leave Wednesday night to make room for other planes on the crowded tarmac . `` Once I 've dropped that off , I 'm just taking up room , '' said Capt. Wayne Freeland , the plane 's pilot . `` I 've got to make room for everyone else . I 'm just a bus driver , my friend . '' American Airlines , which has been flying into Port-Au-Prince for 40 years , has brought in 30,000 pounds of water and food and plans to bring in more Thursday , said Art Torno , the airline 's managing director for the Caribbean . As the sun climbed into the sky Thursday , the din from the park across the street from the hotel quieted , replaced by an occasional car horn and the chattering of residents speaking their rapid-fire French patois . A small crowd of young men gathered at a concrete wall that had toppled at a home next to the hotel . Stooped over , they busted the concrete blocks into smaller chunks , their purpose in doing so not readily apparent . | Bodies pile up in streets ; residents wander , apparently aimlessly , in rubble . Many Haitians sleeping outdoors for fear more tremors will collapse buildings . But reopening of airport , arrival of aid bring glimmer of hope . Airport runway and electricity are OK , officials say ; terminal being checked for damage . | [[160, 186], [165, 271], [716, 772], [1709, 1722], [1725, 1770], [773, 777], [805, 870], [1196, 1202], [1207, 1257], [1840, 1845], [1848, 1927], [1928, 1939], [1965, 2003], [3057, 3097]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The man accused of attempting to set off a car bomb in Times Square considered other targets in and around New York before the failed attack , an investigator said . Faisal Shahzad , 30 , pondered attacks on Rockefeller Center , Grand Central Terminal , the World Financial Center and Connecticut helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky , going so far as to case some of the targets , a senior counterterrorism official with oversight of the investigation said Tuesday . Dressed in a gray sweatsuit , free of handcuffs , Shahzad appeared before a federal magistrate on Tuesday afternoon to hear the charges against him . As he walked into courtroom , Shahzad gave a slight smile to his public defender , Julia Gatto . At the end of the hearing , Gatto requested that Shahzad be served halal food -- prepared according to Islamic dietary laws -- while jailed . Gatto did not object to the government 's request that he remain in federal custody . He did not enter a plea , and Magistrate Judge James Francis set his next hearing for June 1 . Shahzad faces five counts in connection with the attempted bombing in Times Square on May 1 . He could face life in prison if convicted . The Pakistani-born naturalized U.S. citizen has been in federal custody since his arrest two days after the bomb attempt . During that time , he `` has provided valuable intelligence from which further investigative action has been taken , '' the U.S. attorney 's office said . After 15 days of questioning , Shahzad invoked his right to an attorney at Tuesday 's hearing , a federal law enforcement official said . According to court documents , Shahzad has admitted to law enforcement that he attempted to detonate the bomb and that he recently received bomb-making training in the Waziristan region of Pakistan . Attorney General Eric Holder has said Shahzad was working with the Pakistani Taliban . E-mails obtained by CNN indicate he was looking for a way to strike back against `` foreign infidel forces '' he believed were oppressing the Muslim world . In one , sent to a large group of recipients in February 2006 , Shahzad wrote , `` Everyone knows how the Muslim country bows down to pressure from the west . Everyone knows the kind of humiliation we are faced with around the globe . '' At the time , he had been in the United States for about six years , had earned his MBA and was working as a financial analyst in Connecticut . CIA Director Leon Panetta and National Security Adviser James Jones are traveling to Pakistan to meet with officials there about the status of the Times Square investigation , a U.S. official said Tuesday . They also plan to discuss efforts to prevent future terrorist attacks in their meetings there , the official added . The U.S. government wants to see continued Pakistani cooperation in determining what role the Pakistani Taliban may have played in assisting Shahzad . Washington also wants an aggressive push by Pakistani authorities to take action against al Qaeda-linked groups in the largely ungoverned tribal areas along its border with Afghanistan . CNN National Correspondent Susan Candiotti and National Security Analyst Frances Townsend contributed to this report . | NEW : Times Square bomb plot suspect Faisal Shahzad does not enter plea in hearing . NEW : His lawyer asks that he be served food prepared according to Islamic dietary laws in jail . Shahzad considered attacks on Rockefeller Center , Grand Central , investigator says . U.S. seeking Pakistan 's help in determining whether Pakistani Taliban assisted Shahzad . | [[739, 764], [767, 862], [171, 193], [194, 208], [216, 335], [194, 213], [360, 403], [2766, 2916], [2809, 2818], [2831, 2916]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The federal government moved Thursday to seize assets belonging to the Alavi Foundation and the Assa Corp. , including a Manhattan skyscraper and four mosques , citing alleged links to the Iranian government . Preet Bharara , the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York , announced Thursday 's filing of an amended civil complaint seeking forfeiture of the Alavi Foundation 's interest in the 36-story office tower located on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan . The tower is owned by 650 Fifth Avenue Company , a partnership between the Alavi Foundation and Assa Corp. , the Justice Department said . The amended complaint alleges that the Alavi Foundation provided services to the Iranian government and transferred money from 650 Fifth Avenue Company to Bank Melli , Iran 's largest state-owned financial entity . U.S. and European Union officials last year designated Bank Melli as a proliferator for supporting Iran 's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and funneling money to the Revolutionary Guard and Quds Force , considered terrorist groups by the United States . Bank Melli issued a statement last year denying involvement in any deceptive banking practices . Thursday 's amended complaint seeks forfeiture of all assets of the Alavi Foundation and Assa Corp. , including bank accounts owned by 650 Fifth Avenue Company , the Alavi Foundation and Assa Corp. ; and properties owned by the foundation in New York , Maryland , Virginia , Texas and California . It alleges that the properties were `` involved in and -LSB- were -RSB- the proceeds of money laundering offenses , '' and that the owners violated the International Emergency Economic Powers Act , executive orders and U.S. Department of Treasury regulations . `` As today 's complaint alleges in great detail , the Alavi Foundation has effectively been a front for the government of Iran , '' Bharara said . `` For two decades , the Alavi Foundation 's affairs have been directed by various Iranian officials , including Iranian ambassadors to the United Nations , in violation of a series of American laws . The Alavi Foundation 's former president remains under investigation for alleged obstruction of justice , and both the criminal and civil investigations are ongoing . '' John Winter , a New York lawyer representing the Alavi Foundation , said his client would challenge the complaint . `` We 're obviously disappointed that the government brought this action because we have been cooperating with the government since this investigation began about a year ago and we intend to litigate this matter , '' he said in a telephone interview . `` It may take some time , but at the end of this litigation , we 're of the mind that we 're going to prevail here . '' The buildings remained open and were continuing to operate as usual . `` There are no allegations of any wrongdoing on the part of any of these tenants or occupants , '' said Yusill Scribner , a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney 's Office for the Southern District of New York in a written statement . `` The tenants and occupants remain free to use the properties as they have before today 's filing . '' According to the complaint , the New York tower was built in the 1970s by a nonprofit organization operated by the Shah of Iran to pursue the country 's charitable interests in the United States . Bank Melli financed its construction in prime real estate near Rockefeller Center . In 1979 , after the Iranian revolution , the Islamic Republic of Iran established the Bonyad Mostazafan of New York , since renamed the Alavi Foundation , to take possession of and manage property it had expropriated from the former government , including the Fifth Avenue building . Calls to the Iranian Mission were not immediately returned . The mosques are in New York , Maryland , California and Texas . At the Islamic Institute of New York in Queens , two worshipers said they found out about the move Thursday as they arrived for evening prayers . The front page of the court document stating the terms of the case was tacked to the front door accompanied by a letter from the U.S. Attorney 's office to the Mostazafan Foundation . A senior Justice Department official , trying to blunt any criticism from Muslim groups , told reporters that the government is moving against the Iranian landlords of the buildings , not targeting or `` seizing mosques '' as religious-oriented facilities . The mosques just happen to be among the tenants of the buildings in question , the official said . But , in a statement , the Council on American-Islamic Relations called the move unprecedented and said it may have First Amendment implications . `` Whatever the details of the government 's case against the owners of the mosques , as a civil rights organization we are concerned that the seizure of American houses of worship could have a chilling effect on the religious freedom of citizens of all faiths and may send a negative message to Muslims worldwide , '' said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper . He said the move comes at a bad time , given the community 's fear of a backlash resulting from a Muslim psychiatrist being charged in the deadly shooting spree at Fort Hood in Texas . Relations between Iran and much of the international community have been tense in recent years over Iran 's nuclear ambitions . Iran states that it wants to develop its nuclear program solely for peaceful purposes ; the United States and a number of other countries have said they suspect the oil-rich nation is pursuing a nuclear bomb . In another U.S.-Iran development , President Obama said Thursday in a letter to Congress that the national emergency with respect to Iran that was declared in 1979 during the Iranian revolution has not ended . `` Our relations with Iran have not yet returned to normal , and the process of implementing the January 19 , 1981 , agreements with Iran is still under way , '' Obama wrote in an official `` notice of continuation '' required to extend the emergency status with Iran beyond the anniversary date of November 14 . `` For these reasons , I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared on November 14 , 1979 , with respect to Iran , beyond November 14 , 2009 . '' CNN 's Terry Frieden , Brian Todd , Deb Feyerick , Eddie DeMarche and Ross Levitt contributed to this story . | Alavi Foundation , Assa Corp. accused of transferring money to Iran . U.S. Attorney : `` Alavi Foundation has effectively been a front for the government of Iran '' Companies own 3 mosques , have interest in New York skyscraper . U.S. wants company to forfeit the mosques and skyscraper . | [[0, 24], [189, 237], [1824, 1900], [57, 186]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Firebombed . Cyberattacked . Attacked by a shouting mob . That 's what happened to Lars Vilks in the week ending May 16 . And if you think : `` Well thank goodness my week was a lot quieter , '' think again . The attacks on Vilks were an attack on you too . Lars Vilks is a Swedish cartoonist . In the summer of 2007 , he was invited to submit three drawings to an exhibition sponsored by the town of Tallerud . The exhibition 's theme : `` the dog in art . '' Vilks produced three pencil sketches of street dogs with human faces , the face -LRB- Vilks said -RRB- of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad . Even if you do n't know the rest of the story , you can easily imagine . In March , police in Ireland arrested seven people on charges of conspiring to murder Vilks . The same day , U.S. law enforcement announced the indictment of an American woman who had attempted to recruit assassins to kill Vilks . Yet Vilks has refused to be intimidated . On Tuesday of this week , Vilks appeared at the University of Uppsalla to lecture on his art and ideas . Two-hundred-fifty people passed through metal detectors to hear him speak . They never got the chance . Vilks opened his talk with a provocative short video that included an image of two nearly naked Iranian gay men wearing masks of Muhammad . At that cue , about 20 rowdies in the crowd shouted , `` Stop the film ! Stop the film ! '' The rowdies rushed toward the stage . One of them apparently struck Vilks . Police sought to restrain them . After eight or so minutes of chanting , yelling and fist-pumping by the rowdies , the university suspended the performance . You can watch the incident here in a 10-minute YouTube clip . The blogger who writes under the pseudonym Allahpundit directs attention toward two aspects of the confrontation that might be overlooked in the excitement : the ineffectiveness of the police and the passivity of a crowd of spectators who outnumber the protesters by at least 10 to 1 . Daily life in Sweden and other European countries is increasingly governed by an unwritten set of rules very different from the country 's formal law . The formal law forbids assault and upholds free speech rights . The actual rules of the game , however , concede that certain assaults and certain violations of free speech rights may proceed with impunity . Police arrested two men for disrupting the Vilks event ; both were released without charge . Impunity invites further attack . In the aftermath of the Uppsalla University incident , Vilks ' website was hacked and firebombs were planted in his house . -LRB- Two men have been arrested in connection with the firebombing . -RRB- . The authorities look the other way in hope of obtaining social peace . This policy does not work , and for two reasons : . First , the policy of impunity emboldens aggressive minorities . Instead of accepting that they must live and let live , these groups get the message they can dominate others by the threat of force . But second , the policy of impunity backfires . While the authorities want quiet , ornery individuals like Lars Vilks are delighted to bust taboos and foment the very confrontations the authorities wish to avoid . Vilks is just one of a multiplying band of deliberate provocateurs who have appeared across Europe over the past five years . Their work may not have much artistic merit , but the issue here is not art but courage . And there will always be enough courageous people to complicate badly the lives of uncourageous authorities . The irony is that these uncourageous authorities would gain much more quiet if they upheld their formal rules . When the rules are clear and enforced , almost everybody will conform to them . Expel one student for disrupting a campus event , and you are unlikely to have to expel a second . But when the authorities declare a `` moral holiday '' -LRB- to update an old phrase from the U.S. urban riots of the 1960s -RRB- , otherwise law-abiding people seize the opportunity . They commit acts of intimidation and violence they would never have dared if law-breaking had been met by immediate sanction and certain punishment . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of David Frum . | David Frum says university attack on cartoonist Lars Vilks should worry everyone . His talk was provocative , but more shocking was the crowd 's passivity as he was assaulted . Sweden , other European countries increasingly governed by unwritten rules , he says . Frum : Trading social peace for unpunished attacks allows aggressive groups to dominate . | [[1997, 2148], [2450, 2483], [2817, 2873], [2930, 3008]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Carly Fiorina , the former Hewlett-Packard CEO turned top John McCain aide , said she does n't think Sarah Palin is qualified to run a major corporation . For that matter , Fiorina said , McCain , Obama and Biden are n't capable of that kind of job either . Ex-Hewlett-Packard CEO and McCain adviser Carly Fiorina said Sarah Palin could not run a major company . The Republican presidential candidate has been trying to portray himself as someone who can fix the country 's economic woes . But that is a far different task than running a Fortune 500 corporation , Fiorina told MSNBC Tuesday . Democratic candidate Barack Obama 's camp immediately circulated copies of her words -- which did n't exactly paint their candidate in a soft light , either . `` Well , I do n't think John McCain could run a major corporation , I do n't think Barack Obama could run a major corporation , I do n't think Joe Biden could run a major corporation , '' Fiorina said . `` It is a fallacy to suggest that the country is like a company . So , of course , to run a business , you have to have a lifetime of experience in business , but that 's not what Sarah Palin , John McCain , Joe Biden or Barack Obama are doing . '' Fiorina was president of Hewlett-Packard until her high-profile ousting in 2006 after the company 's unfavorable performance . `` If John McCain 's top economic adviser does n't think he can run a corporation , how on Earth can he run the largest economy in the world in the midst of a financial crisis ? '' said Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor . `` Apparently , even the people who run his campaign agree that the economy is an issue John McCain does n't understand as well as he should . '' Watch Fiorina says Palin is n't ready for big business '' Fiorina made similar comments earlier Thursday to a St. Louis , Missouri , radio station . She was asked if she thinks Palin is qualified to run a company like Hewlett-Packard . `` No , I do n't , '' Fiorina answered . `` But that 's not what she 's running for . Running a corporation is a different set of things . '' | Carly Fiorina also tells MSNBC John McCain is n't ready to run a corporation . Fiorina was the CEO of Hewlett-Packard and is now a McCain adviser . She also says Barack Obama , Joe Biden not ready to be CEOs . | [[277, 381], [583, 611], [781, 837], [1358, 1433], [1715, 1772], [35, 93], [277, 381], [192, 204], [207, 231], [207, 276], [900, 954]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Miss USA Rima Fakih is a Muslim with Lebanese heritage , but her family is `` not defined by religion , '' Fakih said . `` I 'm an American girl , '' Fakih said . `` And just to be clear , my family comes from many different backgrounds and religions . '' The newest Miss USA , crowned last weekend , was interviewed Wednesday for HLN 's `` The Joy Behar Show . '' Fakih downplayed the significance of photographs that emerged online this week showing her dancing against a stripper 's pole . `` Everyone took them as if I was stripping , which to be honest with you was just a competition , '' she said . `` It was more of an event held by a radio station . '' THIS JUST IN : Is Miss USA a Muslim trailblazer ? The Detroit , Michigan , radio station promotion held three years ago was like a class to help women `` learn how to dance and feel sexy , '' she told Behar . The photos show her dancing in short pants . `` To be extra funny , because I 'm known to be silly , I put money in my bra , '' she said . The controversy , however , has made her name a top search term on the internet , she said . `` Yeah , I 'm the number one person on Yahoo or Google , I heard , '' she said . Cheesecake photos helped last year 's Miss USA runner-up , Carrie Prejean , become well known , but she was eventually stripped of her Miss California crown when racier images emerged . Behar asked Fakih if there were any such photos of her that might eventually surface . `` Nothing at all , '' she said . `` I 've always been known to be very respectful to my family and my reputation . '' The stripper pole photos did not upset her family , she said . `` They 're very proud of me , '' she said . `` They take it as if I 'm not up there for beauty , or to pose in a bathing suit , but for something more significant -- for being beautiful on the inside , for being wise . '' Fakih was born in Lebanon , but her family moved to New York when she was young . She moved to Michigan in 2003 , where she attended the University of Michigan . `` My family comes from a Muslim background , and we 're not defined by religion , '' she said . `` I would like to say we 're a spiritual liberal family . '' Fakih will represent the United States in the Miss Universe pageant to take place in Las Vegas , Nevada , in August . | Miss USA Rima Fakih downplays significance of photographs that emerged online this week . She says pole-dancing pictures were part of radio station promotion . She says her family is from Muslim background but not defined by religion . | [[393, 441], [430, 441], [447, 471], [462, 520], [89, 129], [2053, 2096], [2103, 2133]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Spider-Man 's alter ego can not escape the harsh realities of the current economic times and will lose his job in an issue of the Amazing Spider-Man hitting stores this week . Peter Parker , official photographer of the mayor by day and New York City crime fighter by night , is going to face new challenges , including unemployment . `` He 's going to struggle with unemployment and trying to save the city while he can barely afford to keep a roof over his head , '' said Steve Wacker , Marvel Comics senior editor . Parker has always been a grounded character with real-world problems , Wacker said . His aunt is frequently sick , he has girlfriend troubles , and he sometimes struggles to find work . In addition , Spider-Man story lines are often set against a backdrop of current events . In the near future , Parker will have to juggle paying bills and buying `` web-fluid '' and other materials to fix his superhero costume in addition to keeping his dual identities under wraps . Parker 's work history includes photographer , assistant high school coach , science teacher and scientific researcher , according to his biography on the Marvel Web site . His education includes a college degree in biophysics and some postgraduate work in biochemistry . It was at a science exhibit he attended as a teenager that he was bitten by a radioactive spider and acquired the creature 's strength , agility and weaving ability , says Marvel Comics . And although Parker has skills few other others can claim , he probably wo n't list these on his resume : superhuman strength , ability to cling to most surfaces , fast traveling ability aided by web-slinging and spider-sense danger avoidance system . The Amazing Spider-Man comic was first published in 1963 . | Spider-Man 's alter ego , Peter Parker , will lose his job this week . Parker 's going to struggle with unemployment , try to save city , pay his bills . Marvel comics tries to have story lines set against backdrop of current events . | [[0, 24], [111, 203], [204, 218], [248, 278], [304, 362], [366, 368], [372, 435], [412, 491], [823, 841], [844, 897], [747, 822]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It was the best of times in 2004 , when attorney Dave Dineen graduated from Boston University School of Law and landed a job at a top Massachusetts corporate firm , Foley Hoag LLP . Attorney Dave Dineen at his new job at Greater Boston Legal Services . By 2007 , the National Association for Law Placement was reporting the most promising year in two decades . Nearly 92 percent of graduating attorneys were employed , and the median starting salary at private practices had increased by $ 13,000 -- to a total of $ 108,500 a year . But times have changed . In the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression , the legal industry is taking an unprecedented beating from the sputtering economy and housing meltdown . Dineen , 37 , lost his job as layoffs and salary freezes have spiked at law firms across the country during the past three months . Rather than just hand out a severance package with the pink slip , Foley Hoag gave Dineen an option . He could work for Greater Boston Legal Services , a legal aid group serving people living in poverty . The firm agreed to pay Dineen about a quarter of his former salary for a year . Dineen , who needed to support his wife and a newborn daughter , accepted . `` This gave me a chance to do something different with my legal career , and help out people who generally do n't have access to public service , '' said Dineen , who now works on foreclosure cases helping victims of predatory lending . Foley Hoag is among many megafirms across the country using the economic slump as an ideal time to lend a hand to cash-strapped public interest and legal aid firms . The massive corporate layoffs and program cuts could redirect thousands of young graduates and experienced attorneys from corporate firms into the public sector , legal experts say . Once insulated , law firms are shedding young and mid-career associates at extraordinary rates . This is especially true at large corporate firms that overestimated their growth and extended too many offers to associates last fall . White & Case LLP , a leading global firm with headquartes in New York , made a second round of cuts last week . In addition to about 70 associates laid off in November , the firm last week let go of another 400 people , including 200 attorneys . Other well-known firms such Heller Ehrman LLP and Thelen Reid & Priest LLP on the West Coast have gone bankrupt in recent months . At least 2,149 attorneys have been laid off in 2009 , bringing the total to 3,045 since January of last year , according Lawshucks.com , an industry Web site tracking the slump . Hundreds more associates set to start jobs this fall are bracing themselves for rescinded offers and deferred start dates . Some students are finding their summers wide open as law firms like Luce Forward , based in California , have canceled internship programs . Amid all this dark news , there might be a silver lining . It could transform the legal profession . `` There is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity coming out of a difficult situation , '' said Esther Lardent , president of the Pro Bono Institute in Washington D.C. , who began discussions this month with at least 15 corporate firms nationwide about placing unemployed attorneys in public interest firms . The project will get under way in a few months , she said . Other firms have already encouraged attorneys to go into the public sector . Just last week , one of the largest firms in the country -- Morgan , Lewis & Bockius LLP , based in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania -- announced it will pay deferred associates graduating in 2009 a $ 5,000 monthly stipend for one year if they secure a job in the public interest field . International law giants Latham & Watkins LLP and Orrick , Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP offered incoming associates who defer employement until October 2010 a $ 75,000 compensation package . While working in public service is n't mandatory for Latham & Watkins associates , the firm said there was a `` sincere hope '' the deferred associates would `` use the intervening period to pursue a community service or other public advocacy projects of their choosing . '' Such deferral plans can save the companies about $ 100,000 per associate , and law experts expect the list of firms enacting deferral programs to grow geometrically as the economy worsens . `` Firms are doing this to be flexible and regulate their labor force because there just is n't as much work anymore , '' said James G. Leipold , executive director of the National Association for Law Placement . Corporate giants are also scrambling to find work for mid-level attorneys in the public sector . Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP , a major New York-based law firm , introduced a yearlong public service fellowship program this year that would pay current attorneys $ 60,000 a year to work in areas such as social service , community development or academia . The company hopes the program will alleviate `` significant budgetary constraints . '' `` You are n't just throwing somebody out there , '' said American Bar Association President Tommy Wells , who requested funding in President Obama 's stimulus package to help pay attorneys to work in the public sector . -LRB- The proposal was rejected . -RRB- . `` You 're meeting a real need in these tough times where you have more of a legal need and fewer resources , '' Wells said . Encouraging laid-off and deferred attorneys to go into public service is filling a desperate need at public interest firms . Public interest and legal aid firms serving the underprivileged have long been under-funded and overwhelmed with cases even in a good economy . Tightened state budgets and a decline in donations have further stretched resources for the public interest firms , forcing them to make staff cuts at a time when demand for their services is greater than ever before . At Greater Boston Legal Services , the public interest firm where Dineen arrived in January , the effects of a sick economy are apparent . Robert Sable , the public interest firm 's executive director , has already reduced staff . The agency , which handles 15,000 matters a year , expects to make more staff reductions in the coming months because of a $ 2 million funding shortfall . `` We 're burning through our reserves right now , so it 's nice to have extra help , '' said Sable , who is talking to another local corporate firm this week about taking in subsidized attorneys . Some attorneys and law students worry that paying corporate attorneys to work in public interest firms may displace those who actually wanted to work in the public sector in the first place . Jocelyn E. Getgen , who works with students at Cornell Law School , said strained legal aid organizations and nonprofits will want to take in the `` free '' labor . Nevertheless , there is little doubt that the economic free-fall is changing the ways current attorneys -- and a new generation of young attorneys -- view the field . Traditionally , law students have equated best jobs with highest-paying jobs , career counselors say . Students saddled with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt find themselves pressured to work at large firms that will pay enough to cover the bills , said Tricia McGrath , a director at Lateral Link Group LLC , a job placement agency for lawyers . Many times , going into the public sector is n't even an option , she said . `` Everyone has to rethink all the old models that we believed in , the model where you go to school and then a big firm , '' said McGrath , who graduated from Fordham University School of Law School in 1998 , a time when law jobs were abundant . Even students at top law schools are finding that their offers have been rescinded . At Harvard Law School , Mark Weber , assistant dean for career services , said he has been working with a handful of students whose job offers have been deferred . `` It can be a tremendous opportunity for the student to take that year and try something entirely different , '' Weber said . `` Hopefully within a year , the economic picture will do better . '' After not receiving a corporate firm job offer in the downtrodden industry , Scott Greenwood , set to graduate this spring from the University of Southern California 's Gould School of Law , will instead work for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development . `` I can see what it 's like to work for a regulatory agency , and that 's a different expertise that attorneys do n't always get to have , '' said Greenwood , who will begin working in Washington , D.C. , this August . `` I 've been thinking about it as a blessing in disguise . '' | At least 2,149 attorneys have been laid off in 2009 , according to Lawshucks.com . Private firms are trying to place unemployed attorneys in public interest firms . One firm will pay deferred associates $ 60,000 a year to work in the public sector . Harvard Law School assistant dean : Tough times can be `` tremendous opportunity '' | [[2430, 2481], [3122, 3137], [3144, 3278], [4778, 4795], [4801, 4844], [2975, 3055], [7923, 7976]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 4.5-magnitude earthquake struck Southern California on Tuesday evening , according to the U.S. Geological Survey . There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries . The quake was downgraded from an earlier magnitude of 5.1 . The temblor was centered 18 miles west-southwest of El Centro , California , just north of Mexicali in Mexico 's Baja California , the USGS said . It struck at a depth of 6.3 miles . `` This earthquake is within the aftershock zone of a magnitude 7.2 -LRB- earthquake -RRB- that occurred on April 4 '' near Mexicali , said Susan Potter of the USGS , adding `` this is an area that was exposed to many large earthquakes in the past . '' At least two people were killed and 100 injured in the April 4 quake . CNN 's Patty Lane contributed to this report . | Temblor was centered 18 miles west-southwest of El Centro , California . Quake was downgraded from an earlier magnitude of 5.1 . Quake was within the aftershock zone of an April 4 earthquake . | [[252, 313], [192, 251], [487, 525], [531, 567]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Politically sensitive issues such as immigration , border security , drug trafficking and trade took center stage in Washington on Wednesday as President Obama welcomed his Mexican counterpart , Felipe Calderon , to the White House . Both leaders used the occasion -- the fourth time they have met for bilateral talks -- to take sharp aim at Arizona 's new law meant to crack down on illegal immigrants . Calderon characterized the measure as discriminatory ; Obama called it a `` misdirected expression of frustration . '' The leaders criticized the law while meeting with reporters shortly after Obama , Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton rolled out the red carpet for Calderon in a formal White House arrival ceremony . U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and Mexican first lady Margarita Zavala joined their husbands for the occasion , which was to be followed by a state dinner Wednesday night . Calderon is to address a joint session of Congress on Thursday . `` Our progress today marks another step forward in a new era of cooperation and partnership between our countries , a partnership based on mutual interests , mutual respect and mutual responsibility , '' Obama said . Calderon said the United States and Mexico now face a series of common challenges , including climate change and organized crime , which is a rising threat to border stability . But what ultimately `` turns us into good neighbors '' is a common belief in `` freedom , justice and democracy , '' he said . Obama ticked through a list of items he said the two leaders had agreed upon during their meeting . On the economy , he said , they had agreed to streamline regulations while strengthening protection of intellectual property . To facilitate trade , they had reaffirmed a `` commitment to a 21st-century border that is modern , secure and efficient . '' He also pledged to expand joint initiatives promoting renewable energy and `` smart grid '' technology . Turning to illegal drug and weapons trafficking , Obama noted that his administration is now screening 100 percent of south-bound rail cargo . Moving in the other direction , Mexican authorities in recent years have seized 45,000 weapons that could be traced to the United States . Obama also cited new initiatives to cut U.S. demand for illegal drugs . `` As your partner , we 'll give you the support you need to prevail ... against the drug cartels that have unleashed horrific violence in so many communities , '' Obama told Calderon . Drug violence claimed 6,500 lives in Mexico last year . But Calderon said 90 percent of the casualties from the war on drugs are criminals fighting each other , adding that the cartels `` are not winning . '' `` The Mexican gangs are passing through a very unstable process ... and fighting each other and that explains most of those casualties , '' Calderon said on CNN 's `` The Situation Room . '' He acknowledged , however , that innocent people have also been killed . Obama also noted Mexico 's current seat on the U.N. Security Council , highlighting the two countries ' agreement on possible sanctions against Iran to stop Tehran 's current nuclear program . The issue of Arizona 's new immigration law , however , consumed most of the leaders ' time during their meeting with reporters . The measure , which will allow law enforcement officers to ask for proof of legal residency of anyone who is being investigated for a crime or possible legal infraction , has drawn widespread criticism in Mexico . Critics contend , among other things , that the law will lead to racial profiling against Hispanic residents . Later Wednesday , Calderon acknowledged that immigration is the biggest challenge Mexico is facing with the United States . `` It is provoking a lot of tensions between our people , '' Calderon said . `` This is a phenomenon that we need to solve . ... And the best way to solve that is creating new jobs in Mexico and that is exactly what we are trying to do . '' Calderon said Mexico is working to change its own immigration policies to address criticisms from officials in Texas , Arizona and New Mexico who claim they 're only trying to do in their states what Mexico is doing in the southern part of its country . Calderon said that illegal immigration has not been a crime in Mexico since last year . `` In the past , Mexican authorities were in an unfortunate way in the treatment -LRB- of immigrants -RRB- , '' he said . `` We changed already the law and that is different today . We are trying to write a new story . '' Regarding Arizona 's tough new immigration law , Calderon said the potential for racial profiling with the statute `` is against any sense of human rights . '' Obama said he thinks the Arizona law `` has the potential of being applied in a discriminatory fashion . ... A fair reading of the language of the statute indicates that it gives the possibility of individuals who are deemed suspicious of being illegal immigrants from being harassed or arrested . `` The judgments that are going to be made in applying this law are troublesome , '' he noted . Obama noted that he has directed the Justice Department `` to look very carefully at the language of this law to see whether it comports both with our core values and existing legal standards , as well as the fact that the federal government is ultimately the one charged with immigration policy . '' Obama said he 'll make some decisions about how to address the law after he gets a final report from the Justice officials . A broad coalition of civil rights groups filed a class-action lawsuit against the measure Monday , arguing that it violates the U.S. Constitution 's equal protection and free speech guarantees , among other things . In Arizona , the city councils of Tucson and Flagstaff have also decided to challenge the law in court . A majority of Americans , however , appears to back to the measure . Fifty-nine percent of adults nationwide supported the law in a May 6-9 Pew Research Center Poll . Thirty-two percent opposed it . The Arizona law , Obama asserted Wednesday , `` expresses some of the frustrations that the American people have had in not fixing a broken immigration system , and , frankly , the failures of the federal government to get this done . I 'm sympathetic to those frustrations . '' Obama repeated his call for comprehensive immigration reform but said such a measure ca n't pass without Republican support . A Mexican official familiar with arrangements for Calderon 's visit cautioned that it would be wrong to let the controversy over Arizona 's law overwhelm the rest of the visit . `` It will not define the visit or the relationship , '' the Mexican official said . `` The U.S.-Mexican relationship is much more rich and diverse than one issue . '' A senior Obama administration official , however , acknowledged that `` this is an issue that has resonated in Mexico -LRB- and -RRB- is of deep concern to the Mexican government . '' This month , Mexico 's ambassador to the United States , Arturo Sarukhan , warned of `` a worrying surge '' of anti-immigrant sentiments . He warned that the Arizona law might `` poison the well from which our two nations have found and should continue to find inspiration for a joint future of prosperity , security , tolerance and justice . '' CNN 's Charley Keyes and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report . | NEW : Felipe Calderon says immigration is biggest challenge Mexico faces with U.S. Obama and Calderon criticize Arizona law . Drug violence , trade , renewable energy also among topics . Immigration overshadows Wednesday 's state dinner , which will honor Calderon . | [[3663, 3678], [3681, 3786], [314, 318], [351, 390], [554, 633], [0, 26], [99, 222], [0, 26], [99, 222], [875, 891], [900, 954]] |
San Diego , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When five students at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill , California , taunted Latino students by wearing T-shirts bearing the American flag on Cinco de Mayo , even though administrators had told students beforehand not to wear flag clothing that day , they caused a ruckus , divided a community and reignited the culture wars . And , it turns out , they were just getting warmed up . The ruckus ensued when Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez -- apparently fearing that the boys ' fashion choices might provoke a violent response from Latino students who have developed an emotional attachment to the faux holiday as `` their day '' -- told the youths to either turn their T-shirts inside out or go home . The lads chose the latter , and were , for this act of defiance , magically transformed from bratty kids to defenders of individual freedom and innocent victims of the establishment . Why not ? Everyone else in society plays the victim . Nothing is ever anyone 's fault . Someone else is always to blame . And so why should n't these five young men get a chance to portray themselves as an oppressed minority ? This part is even more bizarre : Conservatives are defending the rights of the students because the story fits into their paranoid narrative of cultural displacement -- where the Mexican flag is supplanting Old Glory , Spanish is drowning out English , the tortilla has bread on the run , and so on and on . This is outrageous , conservatives say , as they blast school administrators by accusing them of overstepping their bounds . Conservatives take this stance , but have spent the better part of the last three decades asserting -- in legal briefs and oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court -- the power of public school administrators to maintain order and prevent disruptive behavior even at the expense of curtailing students ' First Amendment rights . In a classic and clumsy flip-flop , conservatives were against First Amendment rights for public school students on campus before they were in favor of them . You see , conservatives usually do n't give a hoot about whether students have the right to express , on school campuses , their opinion about this or that -- especially if doing so threatens to upset the social order . Now , suddenly , because of the Morgan Hill case , they 've found religion and they 're ready to side with the American Civil Liberties Union in defense of free speech rights for students ? Talk about strange bedfellows . I got a chance to see this hypocrisy up close last week when I appeared on CNN to discuss the Morgan Hill story with Kris Kobach , conservative legal analyst and law professor . Kobach defended the right of the five students to defy school administrators in exercise of their First Amendment rights to free expression . He cited case law that is almost as old as I am -- Tinker v Des Moines Independent Community School District -LRB- 1969 -RRB- . In that case , which involved high school and junior high school students who wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War and were suspended as a result , the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and declared that students do n't `` shed their constitutional rights to free speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate . '' But since Tinker , the justices have curtailed First Amendment rights of students , especially when the expression of those rights is disruptive , in three other cases : Bethel School District v Fraser -LRB- 1986 -RRB- , where the Supreme Court held that a high school student 's speech during an assembly -- filled as it was with sexual innuendo -- was not protected ; Hazelwood v Kuhlmeier -LRB- 1988 -RRB- , where the court held that schools can regulate the content of student newpapers ; and Morse v Frederick -LRB- 2007 -RRB- , where the court held that officials can restrict student speech at a school-supervised event even if it takes place off-campus . Interestingly , in the Morse case , the school administrators were represented by no less prominent a conservative than Kenneth Starr , the former Whitewater Independent Counsel . The truth is that school administrators have a greater ability to restrict the speech of their students than the government does to restrict the speech of the general public . That 's what the Supreme Court has said repeatedly in the last three decades , and that 's the way it is . Some of this should sound familiar to conservatives . This has been their argument for years . No matter how they feel about what happened at Live Oak High School on Cinco de Mayo , the least they can do is claim it . They should be proud to do so . School administrators need the power to keep order and enforce codes of decency . Just look at what just happened in another , much more offensive case of racial harassment , this one after a high school soccer game in Omaha , Nebraska . Lincoln East High School and South High School were matched up , and Lincoln East won the game 4-2 in overtime to claim the boys state championship . But now several Lincoln East students admit they made and distributed dozens of `` green cards , '' which fans threw onto the field after the game like confetti . Why green cards ? Because South 's soccer team is mostly Latino . Get it ? The students behind this ugly act have been suspended . Glad to hear it . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ruben Navarrette , Jr. . | Ruben Navarrette : Students wore U.S. flag T-shirts after school said no flag shirts . Navarrette : Was a taunt to Latinos ; principal asked them to turn shirts inside-out or go home . Conservatives hypocritical , he writes , by touting students as martyrs for freedom . He writes : They always say right of schools to maintain order trumps students ' speech rights . | [[0, 9], [115, 138], [682, 751], [1831, 1928]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A court hearing is scheduled Thursday in the case of a northern California couple accused of abducting Jaycee Dugard and holding her captive for more than 18 years in a ramshackle backyard compound . Phillip Garrido , 58 , and his wife , Nancy , 54 , are charged with 29 felony counts in the kidnapping of Dugard , who was 11 when she was snatched in 1991 from the street in front of her house in South Lake Tahoe , California . The couple has pleaded not guilty . The hearing , scheduled for 1 p.m. -LRB- 4 p.m. ET -RRB- at the El Dorado County Superior Court , is a procedural matter about witnesses in the case . Authorities say the Garridos held Dugard in a hidden compound behind their home for 18 years . She was 29 when she was found in August at the Garridos ' home in Antioch about 120 miles from her house . Garrido , a registered sex offender on parole at the time of his arrest , is accused of fathering two daughters with Dugard during her captivity . Dugard now lives in seclusion with her mother , Terry Probyn , and Dugard 's two daughters . Earlier this month , Judge Douglas Phimister denied a request by the Garridos to be able to see each other while they remain jailed . Instead , the judge ruled , the couple can have one five-minute phone conversation this month and in June . He also said that officials can monitor the calls . The judge did not offer a reason for denying the request . The prosecution had opposed the motion on security grounds . Authorities maintain Dugard does not want to speak to Garrido or his attorneys and have tried to keep her location a secret . In March , Dugard made her first public statement since the arrests of her alleged captors . `` Hi , I 'm Jaycee . I want to thank you for your support , and I 'm doing well , '' Dugard said in a home video released exclusively to ABC News . `` It 's been a long haul , '' said Dugard , `` but I 'm getting there . '' The video showed Dugard baking cookies with her mother and playing with her dogs . `` We released this video so that you can see that we are happy and well -- when we have more to share , we will , '' Probyn said in the home video . `` As a mother I am pleading for our privacy in this very public story . '' | New hearing concerns a witness in the kidnapping case . Phillip and Nancy Garrrido are accused of snatching Jaycee Dugard off street . Dugard was 12 at the time , was kept captive 18 years . Judge earlier ruled Garrido 's ca n't see each other in jail . | [[72, 218], [219, 254], [265, 331], [72, 218], [0, 15], [140, 218], [635, 729], [651, 729], [1077, 1095], [1098, 1183]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Over the past month , we 've watched from distant shores as Greece has plunged into a debt crisis . Mounting pressure from global financial markets forced Greece to begin a drastic austerity program . With a fiscal deficit of 8.1 percent of GDP and government debt of 115 percent of GDP expected this year , Greece has promised to turn itself around by 2013 . To do this , the government has adopted an ambitious fiscal consolidation program that would reduce the annual deficit by 7 percent of GDP this year , 4 percent next year , and 2 percent in 2012 and 2013 . The European Union and the International Monetary Fund have announced an extraordinary $ 1 trillion package to support the plan , and the European Central Bank has announced its own extraordinary measures . Are there lessons the United States can or should draw from the Greek situation ? First , we are not Greece . The United States is by far the world 's largest single economy . Our economy is competitive , diversified and rich in human capital and natural resources . While the rest of the world is important for our growth , our domestic market is vast , which means that , unlike Greece , we can usually rely on domestic demand to drive the economy . At their best , our financial markets are dynamic , have deep pockets and provide the liquidity for our innovative economy . We issue the world 's reserve currency , which minimizes our currency market risk . And unlike Greece , because we have currency flexibility , we can adjust the value of the dollar to improve our underlying economic performance , if necessary . But we are facing very serious fiscal challenges , too -- and for many of the same reasons as Greece . Like Greece , our fiscal path is unsustainable for as far as the eye can see . Our debt has surged far above what we have normally been able to manage . And unless fiscal policy changes , it is projected to continue heading up indefinitely . Our debt-to-GDP ratio is projected to exceed 60 percent this year , well above our average for the past 40 years -LRB- around 40 percent -RRB- and close to a peacetime high . And it 's projected to keep on rising . Like Greece -LRB- and all advanced industrial countries -RRB- , we can expect our fiscal situation to get worse in about 10 years , as the baby boomers ' retirement accelerates . In a generation , the debt is expected to be well over 150 percent of GDP . By 2050 , it 's projected to be over 300 percent and still heading upward . We can not sustain this much debt without a crisis . While the United States may have more fiscal running room than Greece , we wo n't be able to outrun our creditors if they think we ca n't manage our fiscal affairs . The impasse in Washington is giving rise to jitters that we ca n't politically solve our problems , no matter how wealthy our economy . And as the past few weeks illustrate , if we lose credibility with creditors , they may downgrade our debt , demand higher interest rates , and in the worst case refuse to hold our debt because of fear of default . Maintaining the confidence of our creditors is critical for the United States : We depend on capital inflows to close our fiscal gap because our savings rate is so low . It is harder to rebuild confidence than to lose it . Finally , as Greece so vividly illustrates , it is better act on your own timetable and according to your own priorities , rather than have actions forced upon you by financial markets . If the United States can make fiscal changes sooner rather than later , once the economy is on a stronger footing , adjustment can be more gradual and less costly . Then our citizens will be able to manage change more easily . What will it take for the United States to get its fiscal house in order ? We need a plan . As we 've seen in Athens -- and even on Wall Street over the past week -- uncertainty sows fear , panic and unrest . But our fiscal future does not have to look like this . There is a way forward . America 's first fiscal challenge is political will , not ability to pay . In partnership with the American people , U.S. policymakers need to settle on a reasonable and sensible fiscal recovery plan soon that is credible to both the markets and the ultimate financier : the U.S. taxpayer . It should be multiyear to reassure creditors and taxpayers that we can indeed manage our affairs over time and that it will not force draconian austerity , if done correctly . We need to know where we want to go and how we can get there . A clear road map for fiscal change will allow everyone to plan and manage , in contrast to the cold shower the Greeks are being forced to take . In broad economic terms , the answer is simpler than most people realize . As most experts agree , we need to put the budget on track for stabilizing the debt at no more than 60 percent of GDP when we can realistically manage change . -LRB- The 60 percent threshold still has credibility for advanced industrial countries in the global marketplace . -RRB- . Although our debt is below that now , commitments already in place will put us on a higher path , even before the baby boomers start to retire . But we need to start phasing in policy changes soon to shift to a more sustainable debt path . Much like a household budget , a fiscal recovery package also needs to be fair to succeed . Any plan needs to reflect shared sacrifice . Our fiscal problems are so big , everything has to be on the table . Just cutting spending will savage government and prevent it from delivering the things we all rely upon to live our lives and to make them better . Just raising taxes will take money from the poorest and the middle class and rob the country of needed incentives for the investments that boost higher growth . But within budget limits , we also must make sure that any fiscal package promotes our key values and needs : protecting the weakest among us and raising living standards through increasing human capital -LRB- including education -RRB- , promoting innovation and providing basic infrastructure . Ultimately , getting our fiscal house in order is about shared sacrifice -- and shared hope . Putting a fiscal recovery plan in place will hasten the recovery and make living standards higher than they would otherwise be . We do n't have to look like Greece does now . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Anne Vorce . | Anne Vorce : We 're not Greece , but we have serious fiscal woes for many of same reasons . She says our fiscal path is unsustainable and worsening , our debt is far above normal . U.S. must maintain confidence of creditors , act on its own timetable , she says . Vorce says we need a clear multiyear plan that 's credible to markets and to U.S. taxpayers . | [[882, 901], [1618, 1716], [1618, 1716], [1731, 1774], [1796, 1869], [2236, 2303], [2505, 2538], [3075, 3118], [3298, 3305], [3343, 3381], [3343, 3345], [3386, 3418], [4293, 4295], [4316, 4446], [4207, 4270], [4293, 4356], [4293, 4295], [4316, 4446]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Calling law enforcement accounts `` absurd , '' a Michigan attorney sued police Tuesday in the death of 7-year-old girl killed during a raid in Detroit . Attorney Geoffrey Fieger said members of the Detroit Police Special Response Team acted out of line when they conducted a raid on the family home of Aiyana Jones , who was severely burned and then killed by an officer 's bullet . She died Sunday . `` This type of activity by a police force is unacceptable in America , '' Fieger said at a news conference in his office . `` What is equally unacceptable is the cover-up that has occurred . '' Fieger filed both state and federal lawsuits alleging gross negligence , a violation of civil rights and a conspiracy to cover up the violation of civil rights . Detroit Assistant Police Chief Ralph Godbee has said that preliminary information indicated that officers approached the house with a search warrant for the girl 's uncle in connection with the shooting of a high school student Friday . Godbee said the officer 's gun discharged accidentally inside the home after an altercation and physical contact with the girl 's grandmother , Mertilla Jones . Jones denied such an altercation Tuesday . Fieger said he plans to file another lawsuit for false arrest and accused the police of covering up their own mistakes by blaming the family . Fieger said videotape of the incident shows that the shooting was not accidental . In an interview Monday , he told CNN affiliate WDIV that a crew was filming the raid for the A&E network 's show , `` The First 48 . '' The program documents police investigations in the first 48 hours after a homicide . Tuesday , Fieger recounted the events shown on the video that he said led to the girl 's death . At times , he had to pause , his voice drowned out by sobbing family members . Fieger said officers tossed a smoke bomb -- described by police as a `` flash bang device '' to distract occupants -- into the house , severely burning Aiyana , who was on the couch in the front room with her grandmother . She was then struck in the neck by a bullet fired from outside the house , he said . Godbee has said he does n't know how Fieger saw the video , according to WDIV . `` If Mr. Fieger has access to anything that would be evidence in this case , he should , as an officer of the court , get it immediately to the Michigan State Police , which will be investigating , '' he said in a statement . Fieger said the police and the city owe apologies to the family , especially to Mertilla Jones for trying to blame her for her granddaughter 's death . He said officers need to be held to account just as anyone else would . `` The people of the city of Detroit have got to believe the police will protect them , and not kill them , '' Fieger said . `` This is an opportunity to come together , not to tear us apart , '' he said . `` Apologize now and we can start the road to healing . '' | NEW : Attorney recounts events leading to girl 's death that he said were caught on video . NEW : Geoffry Fieger says girl was burned by flash device before being struck by bullet . NEW : Fieger calls police accounts of the raid `` absurd , '' claims cover-up . The suits claim gross negligence and conspiracy to cover up a civil rights violation . | [[1362, 1399], [1666, 1673], [1676, 1722], [1728, 1730], [1736, 1762], [322, 334], [341, 360], [365, 402], [2065, 2077], [2085, 2108], [2065, 2068], [2073, 2108], [19, 61], [1219, 1361], [1219, 1225], [1285, 1361], [545, 552], [556, 612], [644, 686], [721, 777], [1231, 1361]] |
Peekskill , New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police in Peekskill are investigating whether four men accused of brutally beating an Ecuadorian man can be charged with a hate crime , officials said . Julio Serrano , 39 , remains in critical condition after he was attacked Saturday , police said . Detective Sgt. Raymond Henderlong said police are still gathering information on whether hate was a motive in the attack in the small Hudson River town . `` We are going to exhaust every avenue to see if this was racially motivated , '' Henderlong said . `` We are looking into whether they were targeting him because of his background . '' Police said Serrano was walking near his home early Saturday when he was attacked . Surveillance video shows him staggering up a flight of stairs after fleeing his attackers , who follow and eventually ambush him as he seeks refuge in a building . Serrano suffered severe head injuries . Ronnie Juett , 23 ; Jarron Sligh , 23 ; and Keith Walker , 18 , have been charged with gang assault , police said . Jamar Walker , 19 , is awaiting arraignment in Peekskill County Court . According to the 2000 census , Peekskill has a population of about 22,000 . Nearly 22 percent is of Hispanic or Latino origin . Peekskill Police Chief Eugene Tumolo said it is possible that Serrano was beaten `` because of the fact he is a Latino male , and a lot of these people are immigrants . '' `` Even animals should n't be beaten like this . Nothing human , nothing alive should be beaten the way this poor man was . It was an incredibly cowardly and vicious attack , '' he said . In April , jurors convicted a Long Island man of manslaughter as a hate crime in the death of an immigrant from Ecuador . Jeffrey Conroy was tried in the death of Marcelo Lucero , 37 , who was fatally stabbed in the chest on November 8 , 2008 , in Patchogue . Conroy was also found guilty of gang assault and conspiracy as well as of assaulting three other Latino men on Long Island . Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center said that increasingly virulent hate speech emerging from anti-immigrant groups has a role in recent attacks on immigrants . `` This is yet another example of America 's anti-immigrant propaganda to demonize immigrants , '' Potok said . `` We 've seen these cases popping up around the nation because of this type of hate speech . Words have consequences , '' he said . | Ecuadorian man beaten Saturday in Peekskill , New York . Four men are accused in the attack . `` Nothing alive should be beaten the way this poor man was , '' police chief says . | [[193, 206], [214, 274], [1473, 1531]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The efforts by leaders of Turkey and Brazil to broker a nuclear deal with Iran reflects growing dissatisfaction with the traditional world order in which the United States is the only superpower , which they view as outdated and unjust . And their intervention on the Iran issue reflects a growing perception among many countries that the United States is unable to resolve international conflicts alone . The visit this week to Tehran by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was a rare show of personal , high-stakes diplomacy by a pair of world leaders . Turkey and Brazil hailed the agreement they reached for Iran to ship some of its nuclear fuel out of the country as a major step toward resolving Iran 's years-old standoff with the West . But it was promptly pooh-poohed by the United States , which , a day after the deal was announced , introduced a sanctions resolution to the United Nations Security Council in what was perceived widely in Ankara and Brasilia as an American snub of two close allies . The Obama administration never really supported Turkey and Brazil 's diplomatic efforts . While U.S. officials were prepared to be pleasantly surprised if Lula and Erdogan were able to produce a deal that addressed all their concerns about Iran 's nuclear program , they did n't think that it would happen and were concerned the deal would complicate efforts to pass the U.N. resolution . For Lula and Erdogan , however , the introduction of the resolution handicaps their efforts to get Iran to cooperate . Brazil and Turkey , both emerging democracies , have been eagerly flexing their muscles on the international stage for some time . Some of their reasons for pursuing a more active global diplomatic role are similar , others are quite different . Ankara 's interest in trying to mediate the standoff with Iran is primarily regional , driven by the desire to avoid a conflict on its border . Iran is also a large trading partner with whom Turkey has lucrative oil and gas deals . Iran is n't the first issue Turkey has tried to mediate between countries in its neighborhood . In 2008 Turkey led indirect talks between Israel and Syria , although there was no breakthrough . For years Turkey has sought to position itself as a bridge between East and West . Even as it plays an important role in NATO and seeks to join the European Union , Turkey has clung to its Muslim identity . This week Ankara announced its bid to host the summit meeting of leaders of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 2014 . Turkey argues it is uniquely poised to coax the Iranian regime into cooperating with the international community . Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu recently told a group of reporters in Washington that no country understands the Iranian mindset and culture like Turkey . In addition to sharing a border , he noted the two countries share a long history and that many Iranians speak Turkish , including Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad . Lula , who leaves office at the end of the year , also saw himself as the one leader who could broker a deal between Iran and the West . But his interest is largely for that of his stature and his country 's . As one of the world 's big emerging economies , Brazil and the other BRIC countries -- Brazil , Russia , India and China -- account for about half of the global growth and represent 40 percent of the world 's population . Lula has artfully parlayed his country 's newfound economic influence into a role for Brazil as a growing world power . Hugely popular at home and abroad , Lula was hailed by newspapers around the world as a talented diplomat when the Iran deal was announced . But privately U.S. officials complain that Lula is trying to play statesman at the expense of their own diplomatic efforts . `` For him it 's a brass ring , '' one senior U.S. official said . `` Iran just happens to be convenient . '' It may be a little of both . Lula has spent much of his seven-year term advocating for a greater international role for Brazil , including a permanent seat at the United Nations , which he argues is dominated by a handful of nations . He has positioned himself as a leader of Latin America 's growing leftist movement and has been able to skillfully balance Brazil 's growing partnership with Washington with warm relations with U.S. foes like Venezuela 's Hugo Chavez and Ahmadinejad . Perhaps most importantly , Lula has become a champion of developing nations , many of which have a different world view than the United States . This `` different '' world view includes the notion that sanctions are not an effective means of diplomacy and only leaders to escalation , a belief which Turkey shares . The U.S. lost much of its credibility over the war in Iraq , Guantanamo and , more recently , the world economic crisis . While Brazil and Turkey both have good relationships with the United States , they have sought to fill what they see as the leadership vacuum left by America . While Obama has made it a priority to restore U.S. prestige around the world , he faces no shortage of thorny international issues : Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan , extremism in Pakistan , the Middle East conflict and North Korea 's antics to name a few . Emerging powers like Brazil and Turkey are ready , willing and eager to help solve them if the United States will let them . | Intervention from Turkey , Brazil reflects dissatisfaction with U.S. leadership , Labott says . Brazil , Turkey tout nuclear agreement reached with Iran . The next day , U.S. introduced sanctions resolution to U.N. Security Council . For Lula and Erdogan , resolution handicaps their efforts to work with Iran , Labott says . | [[644, 832], [933, 1005], [1489, 1492], [1522, 1607]] |
New Orleans , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- BP said Wednesday that efforts to contain and clean up oil gushing from a ruptured pipe in the Gulf of Mexico have made a `` measurable difference '' even as Louisiana 's governor announced that thick , heavy oil has begun polluting the state 's wetlands and estuaries . Doug Suttles , BP 's chief operating officer for exploration and production , said at a news conference that the company is `` very pleased '' with the performance of an insertion tube that was put in place over the weekend to suck crude oil from the well and funnel it to a surface vessel . The flow rate from the tube has reached 3,000 barrels of crude -LRB- 126,000 gallons -RRB- and 14 million cubic feet of gas a day , Suttles said , adding that crews hope to increase those numbers in coming days . He said favorable weather conditions have also played a major role in cleanup efforts . About 14,000 barrels of oily water was skimmed Tuesday , and 50 percent of that mixture was oil , he said , adding that crews continue to deploy boom and conduct controlled burns . But Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana says the efforts have n't stopped oil from reaching his state 's coastline . Thicker , heavier oil than seen in previous days has blanketed some of the state 's precious interior wetlands , he said , and he called for the Army Corps of Engineers to approve an emergency permit to dredge sand from barrier islands to create sand booms as another line of defense . `` These are not tar balls , this is not sheen , this is heavy oil that we are seeing in our wetlands , '' Jindal said . Video from Pass a Loutre in Plaquemines Parish , Louisiana , showed oil with a syrupy consistency lapping against reeds in a small area of marshland after creeping past booms and barriers . `` Everything that that blanket of oil has covered today will die , '' parish President Billy Nungesser said . `` Imagine -LSB- this oil -RSB- on top of a turtle or on top of a frog , '' he said as he held a stalk of reed that coated his hands in oil . CNN iReporter Eileen Romero , touring the state 's Chandeleur Islands by boat on Tuesday , described a `` foamy sheen on top of the water '' left by the oil and dispersants , and she said she counted between 10 and 15 dead Portuguese man-of-wars trapped in debris . `` While we were out there , my nose and the back of my throat began to burn as I inhaled the putrid-smelling air , '' Romero said . Jindal compared the fight to head off the approaching oil to `` knowing your body has cancer . ... We 've got to stop this cancer from spreading -LSB- and -RSB- we 'd much rather fight it on these coastal barrier islands than inland . '' `` We need more than just boom or skimmers , '' Jinadal said . `` We need multiple lines of defense . '' iReport : Track the spill , or share your story . Meanwhile , BP said it is continuing to mobilize equipment and perform testing in preparation for the first effort to actually stop the flow of oil . Suttles said the first attempt at a `` top kill '' procedure could come as early as Sunday . In that procedure , a large amount of heavy `` mud '' -- a fluid used as a lubricant and counterweight in drilling operations -- is inserted into the well bore . If that succeeds , the well will be cemented shut , officials have said . Suttles cautioned , as he has with previous efforts , that the procedure will be performed at a depth of 5,000 feet , `` which has never been done before . '' `` We 're absolutely holding out hope that top kill works , '' said Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry . `` Everybody is anxious to see success with this intervention . ... Let 's keep our fingers crossed -LSB- and -RSB- let 's all say our prayers . '' Oil has been leaking at an estimated rate of 5,000 barrels -LRB- 210,000 gallons -RRB- a day for nearly a month after an April 20 explosion aboard the drilling rig the Deepwater Horizon . The rig burned for two days and then sank , causing the ruptured pipe . Also Wednesday , the U.S. State Department said it has been in communication with Cuban officials over the possibility of oil reaching that country 's shorelines . `` The U.S. Interests Section in Havana today delivered a diplomatic note to the Cuban Foreign Ministry informing the Cuban government about the oil spill and what we currently know about its projected movement , '' the State Department 's deputy spokesman , Mark Toner , told CNN . `` We have had working level discussions with the Cuban government to keep them informed of developments . '' The communication came after reports of oil possibly reaching the Gulf of Mexico 's Loop Current . The current flows through the Yucatan Channel between Cuba and Mexico , and then northward , where it loops and exits the Gulf just south of the Florida Keys and travels to the west side of the western Bahamas . The European Space Agency issued a statement Wednesday saying satellite images show the oil is in the Loop Current . `` With these images from space , we have visible proof that at least oil from the surface of the water has reached the current , '' Bertrand Chapron of Ifremer , the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea , said in the statement . Charlie Henry of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Wednesday that amounts of light sheen `` are feeling the effects of the Loop Current and that oil is going to move slowly '' with the current . `` We actually expect that oil to dissipate , '' said Henry , adding it was `` not an immediate threat '' to Florida or other shorelines . | Cleanup efforts have made `` measurable difference '' on ocean surface , BP says . Louisiana governor says thicker oil than previously seen has hit wetlands . BP says it hopes to begin effort to `` mud '' well shut as early as Sunday . U.S. , Cuba in communication about projected movement of oil . | [[43, 152], [146, 197], [201, 313], [1200, 1207], [1210, 1310], [1535, 1587], [3026, 3034], [3040, 3084], [4009, 4126]] |
-LRB- Mashable -RRB- -- Yesterday , Tweetie 2 for iPhone disappeared from the App Store . Its replacement , simply titled Twitter , is now available . This comes a little more than a month after Twitter acquired Tweetie from its creator , Loren Brichter . In addition to being free , the app now carries the distinction of being `` version 3.0 . '' If you were expecting a big update and iPad support alongside the new name , brace yourselves ; Tweetie -- er -- Twitter has remained relatively unchanged from its prior release . That 's not a bad thing ; as we reported in our original reviews of Tweetie 2 and Tweetie 2.1 , Tweetie is one of the best Twitter experiences for any platform and , in our opinion , was the winning app on the iPhone by a wide margin . That said , check out some of the new features and tweaks that you can find in the newly rebranded app : . • You can use Twitter without an account . Spy on your friends without having to actually use Twitter . • You can sign up for a Twitter account within the app itself , complete with Suggested User List . • The `` More '' tab has been reorganized and popular actions have been moved to the main action bar . • Search results include Top Tweets . In acquiring Tweetie , Twitter raised the ire of its developer community , who worried about what this means for their own applications now and in the future . Twitter has argued that it needs to have an official client to improve basic user experience . Earlier this month , Twitter for Android was released and RIM launched its own Twitter application for the BlackBerry . This means that the three hottest smartphone platforms all have official Twitter clients . If you never used Tweetie , we highly recommend downloading Twitter for iPhone . It 's just a great application and now that it 's free , there 's really no excuse not to give it a try . What is your favorite Twitter client for the iPhone ? Let us know in the comments below . © 2010 MASHABLE.com . All rights reserved . | The app comes a little more than a month after Twitter acquired Tweetie . Tweetie/Twitter is one of the best Twitter experiences for any platform . In addition to being free , the app now carries the distinction of being `` version 3.0 '' | [[151, 219], [195, 236], [555, 622], [625, 688], [284, 345]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Wider restrictions on fishing in the Gulf of Mexico are raising fresh concerns in an industry already hard-hit by the massive BP oil spill . With thousands of barrels of oil still spewing out of a damaged undersea well every day , the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Tuesday that it was nearly doubling the portion of the Gulf 's federal waters that are now closed to fishing . The restricted zone now pushes south and east into the heart of the Gulf -- another blow to a $ 2.4 billion industry already reeling from the nearly month-old spill . For Greg Abrams , a commercial fisherman in Panama City , Florida , that means his boats are being pushed further west to chase big catch like bluefin tuna , swordfish and mahi-mahi . `` They 'll have to go in somewhere else , probably around Galveston -LRB- Texas -RRB- , instead of coming home , '' Abrams said . `` That 'll cause some problems , but it 's better to be safe than sorry . '' Louisiana fisherman get paid for helping cleanup . Abrams owns a fleet of 14 fishing boats and hires another 41 . One of them has caught 80 tuna in a seven-day stretch off the Gulf 's Loop Current , a haul he called a `` great start '' to a seven-month season . `` Now he has to leave the current and go farther west , '' Abrams said . NOAA 's latest order extends the closed zone to a nearly 46,000-square-mile stretch , about 19 percent of the Gulf . The ongoing spill now threatens to be picked up by the Loop Current , which could spread some oil around the tip of Florida and up the U.S. East Coast . Unconfirmed reports from researchers that large amounts of oil is spreading below the surface , as well as concerns about the effect of chemical dispersants used to break up the spill , also worry people in the industry . Deborah Long , a spokeswoman for the Southern Shrimpers Association , said fishermen could face a `` multi-generational effect '' on the creatures from which they draw their living , with shrimp and bluefin tuna the two species with the most to lose . `` We 're not just worried about the shrimp stocks here , '' Long said . `` We 're worried about the entire marine food chain . '' Many areas off the Louisiana and Alabama coasts remain open to both commercial and recreational fishing as BP , the Coast Guard and volunteers try to battle the spreading slick offshore . But news accounts of the spill have prompted tourists to cancel fishing trips even in waters that are so far unaffected , said Sonny Schindler , of Shore Thing Charters in Diamondhead , Mississippi . `` The oil has n't done a thing to us -- it 's the exposure , '' Schindler said Tuesday . He added , `` Our water 's still open , we 're still trying to fish every chance we can , and we 're open for business . '' And some of those who are still able to get out on the water are now seeing buyers go elsewhere , said Bobby Lovell , a crab fisherman in Louisiana 's St. Bernard Parish . State-controlled waters near New Orleans were opened for three days starting Saturday , Lovell said . He and his father laid crab traps last weekend in Lake Borgne and came back with an ice chest full of crustaceans -- but he said many of his buyers have turned to suppliers in western Louisiana , which is n't currently threatened by the spill . Tar balls found in Florida Keys not believed to be from Gulf spill . `` I 'm stressed . I 'm pacing back and forth , and I 'm normally a calm guy , '' he said . However , `` The big wholesalers are in the same predicament I am right now , '' he said . The closures follow an April 20 explosion that sank the drilling platform Deepwater Horizon , taking 11 workers with it . Efforts to shut down the well that was ripped open by the accident have failed so far , though well owner BP says it has been able to capture some of the escaping oil and pump it to a ship on the surface . `` The fish will move . They have fins . They will travel , '' Abrams said . `` I 'm just kind of upset that they did n't have a plan B to the plan A for the cleanup , and the government was n't doing their job to keep an eye on BP . '' | New restrictions cover 19 percent of Gulf . Extension hits at deepwater fish like tuna . Shrimpers fear ` multi-generational ' impact . Spill drives buyers to new sources . | [[1822, 1834], [1892, 1968]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two teachers at a Baltimore , Maryland , high school say they were attacked by students , and one says such assaults are commonplace , according to CNN affiliate WBAL . `` No learning place should be this violent , '' art teacher Jolita Berry said of the school where she teaches . The school district says it is investigating and will take appropriate action , but both art teacher Jolita Berry and English teacher Marc Standish say the administration has failed to protect and support them . `` I looked over , and her friends were cheering her on . And before I knew it , she hit me in the face , '' Berry told WBAL . She showed the station a cell-phone video depicting what she said was a student beating her last Friday . Individuals in the video are difficult to identify , and no charges have been filed , WBAL reported . Berry said her principal told her she brought the attack on herself . `` On one hand , she told me that she is sorry that this happened to me , '' Berry told WBAL . `` But then she turned right around and told me that telling a student that I was going to defend myself was a trigger word . I triggered them . '' Berry called the administrative response frustrating . `` Too many times this has happened at this school and at other schools , and nothing 's being done . No learning place should be this violent , '' she said . Baltimore City Schools public relations department said it would have no comment beyond a statement issued by Bennie Williams , the district 's chief of staff , that says the district has `` a fundamental commitment '' to keep schools safe . `` We take any disruption of the learning environment extremely seriously and respond immediately and forcefully to any disruption . ... We are currently investigating the specific incident at Reginald F. Lewis High School to determine appropriate action . ... We are treating this incident with the utmost seriousness , '' the statement said . But the problem goes beyond one incident , Standish said . He told WBAL that students regularly issue `` very visceral threats '' against him . `` I just had a couple last week , and it 's just everyday routine , '' he said . Standish said he has filed a grievance with the district through the teachers union . Union President Marietta English met with about 20 principals Wednesday evening to discuss teacher safety . `` We really want to implement some policies that principals can follow -LSB- so -RSB- that teachers wo n't be having to be afraid to come in their classrooms or come into their schools , '' she told WBAL . E-mail to a friend . | Report : Teacher says student beat her , video put on MySpace . Second teacher says attacks at Baltimore high school not unusual . School district administration investigating incident , chief of staff says . Union chief meets with principals to develop safety policies . | [[49, 106], [640, 745], [663, 745], [113, 180], [301, 378], [1754, 1770], [1785, 1873], [1754, 1756], [1761, 1873], [2274, 2381]] |
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