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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A student who videoed a re-enactment of the `` Jena 6 '' incident apologized and said the video was not intended to make fun of the six black students arrested in the beating of a white classmate , according to The News-Star newspaper of Monroe , Louisiana . The incident involving six black students has sparked protests across the country , like this one in Washington . The video , taped by University of Louisiana-Monroe student Kristy Smith , shows students in blackface apparently acting out the beating of Jena High School student Justin Barker . One of the males in the tape runs onto the beach acting as if he is holding a noose , and three others -- covered in river mud -- pretend to knock him to the ground , punch and kick him . At least one racial epithet can be heard . It was unclear when the video was made . Smith said she taped it on the banks of the Red River in Alexandria , Louisiana , and posted it on her Facebook page , according to The News-Star . The page has since been made private , but the video was posted on YouTube and The Smoking Gun . Watch Jena 6 re-enactment '' More than 500 people attended a forum held Tuesday night at the university in response to the video , a university statement said . `` The majority ... decided not to let the actions of a few define the entire student body . '' Vice President of Student Affairs Wayne Brumfield told students `` there are no words to express the dismay at what happened in that video ... We 're here tonight because the action of one or two set our university in motion . '' In a Tuesday interview with the News-Star , a tearful Smith denied being racist . `` This is so not me , '' she said in the Wednesday article . `` It was n't that we were making fun of the Jena 6 incident . We were just fed up with it ... I have just as many black -LSB- friends -RSB- as I do white friends . '' School administrators are reviewing the incident for possible disciplinary action from ULM 's Office of Judicial Affairs , university spokesperson Laura Harris said . Smith and another participant in the video are ULM students , Harris said . The beating of Barker followed an increase in racial tensions in Jena , Louisiana , including at least two fights , sparked originally when three white teens hung nooses from an oak tree on the grounds of the town 's high school . The six black teens arrested in the beating were initially charged with attempted murder . Those charges , later reduced and moved to juvenile court , focused nationwide attention on Jena and led about 15,000 protesters to the town to participate in a march on the youths ' behalf . Smith did not respond Thursday to an e-mail from CNN . Harris said she has left the ULM campus and returned home . Smith told the News-Star she has taken the video off her Facebook page and has apologized to Facebook groups and bloggers . She said she is getting threats that have prompted her to delete her e-mail address and has had to keep her cell phone off . `` My dad 's back home dying of cancer , and I ca n't call him , '' she said . Brumfield told students at Tuesday 's forum that Smith `` is suffering terrible shame right now . '' ULM asked Facebook and YouTube to remove the videos , Brumfield said , but it was still available on YouTube as of Thursday afternoon . Brumfield also created his own Facebook account to respond to the video . University President James Cofer has directed that educational materials be developed for students , especially freshmen , on cultural sensitivity and racial diversity , according to a university statement . `` We are naturally appalled , and we intend to face this matter directly by gathering our community together and exploring these difficult issues , '' Cofer said in a statement . Students at the forum offered ideas for strengthening racial unity on the campus of about 8,500 students . `` What we 're doing here right now is a very important thing , '' said Ma ` ya Blount , a ULM junior from New Orleans , according to a university statement on the forum . `` Racism does n't get resolved when people hush up about it and sweep it under the rug . It only gets resolved when we talk about it in an educated manner ... As long as we continue to do this , maybe 10 , 20 years from now , race wo n't be so much of an issue . We need to talk about it in a positive manner . We can only learn from this . '' E-mail to a friend . | Student tells News-Star of Monroe , Louisiana , she was n't making fun of `` Jena 6 '' Kristy Smith posted tape on her Facebook page ; it has since been removed . Hundreds meet on University of Louisiana-Monroe campus in response to video . Six black students , dubbed `` Jena 6 , '' accused of beating white student . | [[0, 15], [217, 263], [1721, 1783], [845, 961], [2761, 2831], [1090, 1218], [147, 214], [278, 359], [2363, 2421], [2430, 2453], [2363, 2406], [2412, 2453]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The nation 's foreclosure crisis threatened a high-profile victim this week : TV legend Ed McMahon , best known as Johnny Carson 's sidekick on `` The Tonight Show . '' Ed McMahon and his wife , Pam , talk to CNN 's Larry King about their mortgage problems . The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that McMahon was $ 644,000 in arrears on a $ 4.8 million loan for a home in Beverly Hills , California , and his lender had filed a notice of default . McMahon and his wife , Pam , appeared on CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' on Thursday night to talk about their financial woes and other topics . Some highlights : . Larry King : What did happen , Ed ? Ed McMahon : It 's a combination , it 's like a perfect storm . Economy problems . Selling the house right now is a tremendous operation ... . We 've had this house on the market for two years . We 've shown it , I do n't know how many , 50 organizations or people . Nobody has made an offer . I mean , it 's just a lovely home . I hate to leave it . I want to keep the home . I want this all to work out . Watch McMahon tell King what went wrong '' King : And the payments , you ca n't make -- what 's the problem ? Ed McMahon : Well , if you spend more money than you make , you know what happens . And it can happen . You know , a couple of divorces thrown in , a few things like that . And , you know , things happen . You want everything to be perfect , but that combination of the economy , I have a little injury , I have a situation . And it all came together . King : Did you break your neck ? Ed McMahon : I broke my neck . I had a fall . ... King : Has that stopped you from working ? Ed McMahon : Oh , sure . You know , you ca n't work with this -LSB- brace -RSB- around your neck . And I have to wear this . King : But , Pam , the assumption is that the McMahons are multimillionaires and multimillionaires -- how much behind are you , $ 644,000 , right ? That 's what 's reported ? ... If you 're a millionaire , should n't you be able to pay $ 644,000 ? Pam McMahon : I think over the years , you know , it 's just a kind of a combination of maybe Ed working so hard and not kind of looking at proper management , which happens a lot . ... Because you 're a celebrity , people think you have a lot more than you have . And you always want to take great care of all of your friends and your family and everybody , and you do . And you do n't , and I think , you know , we did n't keep our eye on the ball . We made mistakes . King : And are they foreclosing ? Pam McMahon : Yes , they are . ... King : So you will lose this home ? Ed McMahon : It 's possible , yes . But now , I 'll tell you what 's happened , oddly enough . Today , all kinds of wonderful things have happened . New things have happened . And new interest in this house . Where the house had no interest , now there 's all kinds of , tons of interest . So who knows what 's going to happen . I 'm optimistic . ... King : Ed , why have you gone public ? Ed McMahon : Well , I figured I wanted to , in a sense , speak for the million people you mentioned -LSB- facing foreclosure -RSB- . I heard that figure today and I just could n't believe it . Anyway , the million people that now have foreclosure signs on their house , or nearby . And I just want to give them hope , give them optimism , give them some kind of guidance . Get the best corrective people you need around you . Keep working on it . Do n't stop . There 's a lot of people that are hard workers , did everything right , did n't do anything wrong , and all of a sudden , they 're in this boat . And I speak for all of them , as far as I 'm concerned . | Ed McMahon in danger of foreclosure on his multimillion dollar home . Home has been on market for two years with no offers , McMahon tells Larry King . McMahon blames bad economy , broken neck for difficulty making payments . TV legend says he wants to speak for all who are in danger of losing homes . | [[812, 863], [936, 962]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One 12-year-old Virginia boy was playing baseball when it happened . Lightning strikes Las Vegas in 2006 . Already this month 11 people have been killed by lightning in the U.S. . The same week , a 33-year-old man was struck while jogging in Texas , a 70-year-old California woman was hit while doing yard work and a Kentucky man , 44 , fell victim while waiting under a tree for a ride . They are among 11 people killed already this month by lightning strikes in the United States , according to the National Weather Service . `` Lightning is very random in terms of fatalities , '' National Weather Service lightning safety expert John Jensensius told CNN . `` We normally see a good amount of lightning in June , but this is unusually high . There really is no good explanation of why that 's the case . '' Six of the 15 lightning-strike deaths in the U.S. so far this year occurred in California , Texas and Florida , with the rest scattered through the South , Midwest and West . No deaths have occurred in the Northeast so far , `` likely due to the cool , damp pattern we 've seen in New England , '' Jensensius said . `` There have been less severe thunderstorms there . '' Summer is the deadliest season for lightning strikes because of the frequency of thunderstorms and the fact that more people are outdoors . This week , the first official week of summer , marks `` Lightning Safety Awareness Week '' for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration -LRB- NOAA -RRB- . The agency 's message is `` When Thunder Roars , Go Indoors . '' That 's because all the people killed by lightning in the U.S. so far this year -- and the 28 killed in 2008 -- were outdoors . Taking shelter under trees offers little safety -- nearly one-third of the people killed by lightning last year were under a tree when they were hit . More than 400 people in the U.S. are hit by lightning each year , according to the National Weather Service . Lightning , on average , kills more people than hurricanes and tornadoes combined -LRB- among all weather-related fatalities , only floods kill more -RRB- . While not all injuries result in death , many victims are left with devastating and permanent disabilities . You may remember that as a child you were told to count the seconds between a lightning flash and thunder to see how far away the lightning was . But by the time you calculate it , it may be too late . Sometimes thunder and lightning can happen simultaneously . Despite its `` Sunshine State '' nickname , Florida receives more cloud-to-ground lightning than any other state in the country , according to data from NASA satellites . But Florida does not receive the most lightning in the world . According to NASA research , that dubious honor goes to the Democratic Republic of Congo , with 158 strikes per square kilometer each year . Thunderstorms occur in Central Africa year-round . Here are some commonly asked lightning questions : . How powerful is lightning ? According to the National Weather Service , `` each spark of lightning can reach over five miles in length , soar to temperatures of approximately 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit and contain 100 million electrical volts . '' Can wearing rubber shoes protect you from lightning ? No . That 's a myth , and there are lots of them out there . For facts on lightning safety , visit http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/ . | Eleven people have been killed already this month by lightning strikes in the U.S. All the U.S. 's 15 lightning deaths this year occurred in the South , Midwest and West . Summer is the deadliest season for lightning because of the frequency of storms . This week , the first official one of summer , is Lightning Safety Awareness Week . | [[126, 198], [423, 500], [829, 938], [946, 1003], [1201, 1340]] |
LAVONIA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sonya Savage 's back door opens to a cozy wooden porch that serves as a shelter for her 9-year-old son 's bicycles and spare parts . Residents of Beaver Creek in Lavonia , Georgia , say they had no idea a neighbor was holding his family captive . A 30-foot tract of red clay and splotchy crab grass separates her mobile home from the home of Raymond Daniel Thurmond , a residence so rank and squalid that it forced a seasoned police investigator to vomit upon entering . Another officer donned a gas mask just to walk inside . Savage and her neighbors say they had no clue that Thurmond , 36 , had a wife , let alone four kids ; they were also oblivious that Thurmond may have held the five hostage in the three-bedroom mobile home for three years . `` My son , he 's a little bicycle mechanic . He 's always in the backyard , and he do n't recall ever seeing nobody over here , '' said Savage , 29 , who also has a 4-year-old daughter . `` Usually I 've got a yard full of kids , but I 've never seen any of those kids come out and play . '' Savage recalls speaking to Thurmond once , after someone stole one of her son 's bike tires . Thurmond kindly told Savage he had n't seen anything suspicious . `` He was nice , polite , seemed like a normal guy , '' she said . Watch a walk-through of the filth '' Alma Medina , the property manager for the 100-unit Beaver Creek mobile home park , lives three doors from what is now a crime scene . She remembers Thurmond was a polite fellow . He always called her `` Miss Alma '' when he dropped by the office to explain that his rent was late , a routine occurrence that eventually led Medina 's maintenance man to a foul discovery . She occasionally saw Thurmond mingling with other tenants , but she never saw his family . The only indication that one existed , Medina said , was that he and his wife both signed a lease August 22 , 2005 , and noted on their application that they had three sons and a daughter . `` I never saw them outside , never , '' she said . See what the trailer looked like '' Lavonia , a city of about 2,000 on Interstate 85 , about five miles from South Carolina and the sprawling Lake Hartwell , is not the best place to keep secrets . The locals know each other , if only by face , and the police chief personally directs school traffic and walks the entire town daily to check on local businesses . The self-professed `` big-time small town '' has its share of crime , but has n't seen a murder in six years . Lt. Missy Collins , the investigator who had Thurmond arrested Tuesday after a two-week investigation , said her husband used to work with Thurmond at a pump-manufacturing facility in nearby Toccoa . Chief Bruce Carlisle remembers seeing the burly 6-foot-4 Thurmond around town , at hardware and grocery stores . He generally wore shorts , work boots and a tank top or sleeveless shirt . Carlisle and Thurmond were n't acquainted , but the chief heard he was always cordial . `` You never saw anybody with him , '' the chief said . Authorities never had a problem with Thurmond until August 4 , when Collins received a call from a women 's shelter . `` They said they had a mother and four kids , and apparently they 'd been kept at home , and there was some abuse allegations and the dad would n't let them leave , '' Collins said . Collins interviewed the women and children , who all gave the same story : Thurmond had forced the wife , three sons -LRB- 9 , 13 and 14 years old -RRB- and his 12-year-old daughter to remain inside . Police are still investigating how . Medina on Wednesday provided CNN a tour of the trailer that revealed a hasp , used to secure a door with a padlock , that had been fastened to the mobile home 's back door . Holes on the inside of the front door and on one of the children 's bedroom doors indicate hasps had been placed there as well , Medina said . Collins said police are not sure if padlocks were the only way Thurmond imprisoned his family . There is no indication Thurmond had any accomplices , but he was prone to bouts of rage . Collins said Thurmond had once allegedly raped his wife with the children in the next room . Watch Collins explain how Thurmond instilled fear '' `` The entire family lived in fear of this man , '' the investigator said . `` Just his presence alone was enough for them to comply . '' They had never left the trailer except for a few hours in April , when Thurmond allowed them to visit his in-laws in North Carolina . Collins said the wife 's parents had been sending the family money and threatened to cease sending cash if their daughter and grandchildren did n't visit . The wife 's mother answered the phone Wednesday , but said she had been told not to speak to the media . It is unclear by whom . Her parents ' names are being withheld to protect the woman 's identity . Collins said she is not certain exactly what emboldened the family to flee the filthy trailer , but the mother told police that Thurmond had said he was leaving her for another woman . He 'd be back in a few days , he told her , and he 'd left some food for them , Collins said . The food was insufficient , Collins said , but she is not sure if it was hunger or ire over the mistress that provided the impetus to leave -- `` only the mother could really tell you why . '' When Collins interviewed the family , all but one of the children were pale and thin , she said . Only one , the 14-year-old , had ever attended school , and though the mother said the other children were home-schooled , the children told Collins that Thurmond would n't buy them school supplies . When Collins visited the home , the only educational implement she found was an old dictionary , she said . After interviewing the family , Collins launched a manhunt that ended without incident Tuesday at Thurmond 's workplace , a poultry processing plant in neighboring Stephens County . About the time Collins kicked off her hunt for Thurmond , Medina was growing frustrated that he had n't paid his rent . On August 6 , after Thurmond had n't responded to a notice on his door threatening eviction , Medina sent her maintenance man to the mobile home . He returned disturbed and told Medina he had n't entered the home , she said . `` I want you to see this with your own eyes , '' she recalled the maintenance worker telling her . `` You better wear some shoes and gloves or something . '' The kitchen floor was rotted . Heavy , brown stains covered both toilets . There were anthills under a mattress in the master bedroom . Roaches freely roamed the inside of the refrigerator , and maggots owned the stove . There were several piles of trash , including one reaching the laundry room ceiling and a mound of Diet Mountain Dew bottles between a recliner and the living room couch . Tufts of human hair were scattered on the kitchen floor among bags of fetid trash . Watch how the home remained squalid after a week of cleaning '' Collins said she went behind an adjacent mobile home and vomited when she and another officer first opened the door . This was after the windows had been opened to air out the residence . Collins said she had never experienced such a stench -- this from a police investigator who as recently as last week rode in an ambulance with a corpse that had been pulled from a burning building . When Collins went in the bathroom and pulled back the once-clear-but-now-chocolate-brown shower curtain , it revealed so many roaches that the bathtub floor appeared to be moving . On Wednesday , after a week of cleaning that has already yielded two Dumpsters of trash , dozens of roaches still scurried across the floor and walls . A stench still lingered , and a film of bug feces covered the kitchen counters . Medina said she has to gut the entire trailer and replace the floor , walls and ceiling before she can rent it again . Collins said rebuilding the family may take more work . As of Thursday morning , Thurmond still did n't have an attorney and no bail hearing had been set , Collins said . In an interrogation after his arrest , Thurmond seemed `` even-tempered '' and did n't behave like someone being charged with rape and a host of other felonies , Collins said . Though he was not forthcoming and admitted nothing during the interview , Collins said , one aspect of his behavior stoked her suspicion . `` If I had been arrested and had n't done anything , my first reaction would be , ` Where 's my wife and kids ? ' '' Collins said . `` He did n't even ask until he was behind bars . '' | Neighbors say they saw Daniel Thurmond on occasion but never his wife , kids . Investigator says wife , children fled after Thurmond said he had a mistress . Lavonia a small town where police chief directs school traffic , patrols town on foot . Thurmond charged with rape , cruelty to children , false imprisonment . | [[564, 641], [1022, 1056], [1780, 1806], [644, 663], [4975, 5059], [2298, 2348], [2298, 2314], [2353, 2411]] |
ROME , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Scientific tests prove bones housed in the Basilica of St. Paul in Rome are those of the apostle St. Paul himself , according to Pope Benedict XVI . Pope Benedict XVI looks at the tomb of St. Paul at the Basilica of St. Paul in Rome in 2007 . `` Tiny fragments of bone '' in the sarcophagus were subjected to carbon dating , showing they `` belong to someone who lived in the first or second century , '' the pope said in a homily carried on Italian television . `` This seems to confirm the unanimous and undisputed tradition that these are the mortal remains of the Apostle St. Paul , '' Benedict said in Sunday 's announcement . The tomb also holds `` traces of a precious linen cloth , purple in color and laminated with pure gold , and a blue colored textile with linen filaments , '' the pope said . The tests were carried out by inserting a probe into a small opening in the sarcophagus , `` which had not been opened for many centuries , '' the pontiff said . The probe `` also revealed the presence of grains of red incense and traces of protein and limestone . '' Separately , archaeologists have uncovered an image of St. Paul which `` could be considered the oldest icon of the apostle known to date , '' the Vatican 's official newspaper reported Sunday . The painting , in the St. Tecla Catacomb , is `` among the oldest and best-defined figures from ancient Christianity , '' according to the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology , L'Osservatore Romano reported . St. Paul is one of the most significant figures in Christianity . Originally a persecutor of early Christians , he became a follower of Jesus after seeing a vision on the road to Damascus , according to Christian tradition . `` Saul , Saul , why are you persecuting me ? '' the vision of Jesus asks Paul , using the apostle 's birth name , in the Acts of the Apostles . Saul then took the name Paul and became a missionary . His letters , or epistles , to early Christian communities around the Mediterranean form a significant portion of the New Testament . Paul was beheaded by Roman authorities sometime between 65 and 67 A.D. , according to the Catholic Church . He was buried a few miles away , and when the Roman Empire stopped persecuting Christians some 250 years later , the Emperor Constantine had a basilica built over his grave . It currently lies under a marble tombstone bearing the Latin inscription PAULO APOSTOLO MART -LRB- Apostle Paul , martyr -RRB- , according to the Web site of the basilica . A papal altar stands over the tombstone , which is visible through a window-like opening , the Web site says . Monday marks the end of a year of celebration in honor of the 2,000 th anniversary of St. Paul 's birth . It also happens to be the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul . CNN 's Hada Messia contributed to this report . | Scientific tests prove bones are those of the apostle St. Paul , pope says . Vatican tomb also holds `` traces of a precious linen cloth '' Tests were carried out by inserting probe into small opening in sarcophagus . | [[32, 103], [664, 672], [678, 816], [838, 925]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A private funeral service for actress Farrah Fawcett will be conducted Tuesday afternoon at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles , California , according to her publicist . Actress Farrah Fawcett , known for her blonde mane and gleaming smile , died Thursday at age 62 . The family did not release any details about who would deliver the eulogy or how many people have been invited . Fawcett , the blonde actress whose best-selling poster and `` Charlie 's Angels '' stardom made her one of the most famous faces in the world , died Thursday . She was 62 , and had been battling anal cancer on and off for three years . Fawcett 's beauty -- her gleaming smile was printed on millions of posters -- initially made her famous . But she later established herself as a serious actress . She starred as a battered wife in the 1984 TV movie `` The Burning Bed . '' Learn more about Fawcett 's life and career '' She appeared on stage as a woman who extracts vengeance from a would-be rapist in William Mastrosimone 's play `` Extremities , '' a performance she reprised on film in 1986 . Other Fawcett films include `` Logan 's Run '' -LRB- 1976 -RRB- , `` Saturn 3 '' -LRB- 1980 -RRB- , `` The Cannonball Run '' -LRB- 1981 -RRB- , `` The Apostle '' -LRB- 1997 -RRB- and the Robert Altman-directed `` Dr. T and the Women '' -LRB- 2000 -RRB- . But to many , Fawcett will always be best known for the poster of her in a red swimsuit , which sold an estimated 12 million copies after its release in 1976 . CNN 's Karen Bonsignore contributed to this report . | Funeral will be held at Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles . The family did not release any details about who would deliver the eulogy . Service will be private with no indication on how many people invited . | [[0, 40], [82, 199], [342, 454], [361, 415], [342, 454]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former rugby superstar Jonah Lomu has revealed that he is poised to make a shock playing comeback at the age of 34 with French third-division club Marseille Vitrolles . Jonah Lomu pictured in action for New Zealand 's All Blacks during the 1999 World Cup in France . The giant New Zealander , who became a global name after an electrifying series of performances on the wing for the All Blacks at the 1995 World Cup , retired in 2007 after a succession of injuries hampered his attempt to return following a kidney transplant . He played 63 internationals , the last of them in 2002 , but was never able to regain his previous dominance even after regaining full health . `` Marseille Vitrolles is on the point of finalizing the transfer of the greatest legend in world rugby , '' said statement on the club 's Web site . Lomu , who is featuring in a new worldwide advertising campaign for sportswear manufacturer adidas called `` Nothing Is Impossible '' , was also quoted as confirming his desire to return to the playing field . `` I took a sabbatical year to be at my pregnant partner 's side and to fully enjoy this important moment in any man 's life , '' he said on the Web site . `` Everyone thought I had ended my playing career , but that was wrong . I still feel the desire to play and it will be me alone who decides when to call it a day . `` My ambition is to help a club like Marseille join the group of top clubs in France . '' Lomu was first diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome , a rare and serious kidney disorder , at the end of 1996 . He successfully returned to the game after treatment , but in May 2003 he was put on dialysis three times a week due to deterioration in his kidney function , with the treatment 's side effects leaving him with severe nerve damage in his feet and legs . Lomu faced life in a wheelchair if a kidney transplant was not performed , so underwent the operation . He signed a two-year contract with New Zealand province North Harbour in 2005 , and also played for Welsh club Cardiff Blues during the southern hemisphere 's off-season . However , he was unable to achieve his goal of being selected in the All Blacks squad for the 2007 World Cup in France , having suffered a shoulder injury . Lomu agreed to play in a charity match in England last year , but withdrew after injuring his ankle in training . | Former All Blacks winger Jonah Lomu to join French third-division club . The 34-year-old will play for Marseille Vitrolles after supposedly retiring in 2007 . New Zealander became rugby 's first global superstar after the 1995 World Cup . He previously returned to playing after having a kidney transplant . | [[0, 15], [42, 187], [0, 15], [42, 187], [286, 309], [316, 434], [1572, 1624]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cal Ripken Jr. will always be known for his consecutive games played streak , but it may surprise many people that just two years into his big-league career , he already was planning for life after baseball . Cal Ripken Jr. is introduced to the crowd at the 2002 All-Star Game in Milwaukee , Wisconsin . While many of the athletes who took to the playing fields of major league baseball this season only are focused on the game , Ripken began saving and planning for retirement long before his career neared its end . `` When I joined the Orioles -LSB- in 1982 -RSB- , the team was transitioning , '' said Ripken , who will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in July . `` I saw guys who were 34 , 35 , 36 years old -- still young guys -- about to get out of the game , and I wondered what will they do now ? `` It got me thinking about what I would want to do when I got out of the game . Most people do n't realize how fast the time goes , but I turned those questions on myself . '' Though he quickly points out that he did n't dwell on those questions , Ripken admits it got him thinking , and eventually planning , so that when retirement came in 2001 , the shift from baseball to business was easy . `` From the outside , I 'm sure it looked like a smooth transition just by virtue of the fact that I had another thing to go into , '' he said . `` I had prepared for what was next . '' These days , five seasons after retiring from a 21-year career he spent with the Baltimore Orioles , Ripken is a businessman , team owner , radio-show host and author . He also will be a baseball analyst for TBS , which like CNN.com is owned by Time Warner . Ripken jumped full time into his company , Ripken Baseball , without taking any break , lessening the emotional jolt of retirement . `` I did n't give myself the luxury of taking a month off -LSB- after the baseball season -RSB- , '' he said . `` I think I would have opened myself up to regret , thinking about the past . I had to get a minor league baseball team in that stadium . I just put my head down and started working . '' Ripken 's first post-baseball venture was developing a youth ballpark in his hometown of Aberdeen , Maryland , financed in part by a $ 75,000 gift from the Major League Baseball Players Association . It was presented to him the night he broke Lou Gehrig 's record for consecutive games played . Ripken was a `` rookie '' for the second time in his life , this time in business . `` I was learning all over again , learning what was important , '' he said . `` The off-season never went by so fast . I had meetings , phone calls , plans and long days in the office . `` By the time I looked up , -LSB- the Orioles -RSB- were at spring training . I did n't think , ` They left without me , ' which is what I thought I would do . '' Ripken 's latest project is a business principles book called `` Get in the Game : 8 Elements of Perseverance That Make the Difference , '' co-authored by Donald T. Phillips . The book , available April 10 , was born out a speech Ripken gave about the `` secrets '' of his success . Writing it turned out to be an emotional journey , he said . `` I got to reflect on what my parents had taught me , the values and principles , right and wrong , '' Ripken said . `` It 's good to be in touch with those things . '' The fact is , whether in baseball or business , Ripken rarely strays from the principles he learned from his late father , Cal Sr. , a former player and manager . The book is filled with anecdotes from on and off the field . Now 46 , Ripken is president and CEO of Ripken Baseball , and his brother , Bill , a former teammate , is executive vice president . The company owns minor league teams in Aberdeen and in Augusta , Georgia . The brothers also have co-written two books on baseball and co-host a baseball call-in show on weekends on XM Radio . There were reports in December that Ripken was heading a group that was interested in buying the Orioles , but Baltimore owner Peter Angelos denied that claim . `` There is no question that Cal and I have a great relationship , '' Angelos told The -LRB- Baltimore -RRB- Sun . `` He was a great player for the Orioles , and I have an affection for him . But what 's being reported , there is simply no substance to it . It has not happened . There have been no such discussions . '' Still , Ripken said he probably would `` stick his nose in '' if the Orioles became available . Ripken , who has a boy and a girl , also has ventured into children 's literature , and his first book is scheduled to be released Thursday . `` The Longest Season '' tells the story of the 21-game losing streak Ripken and his Orioles teammates endured in 1988 and teaches the lessons of perseverance . Ripken also continues his longstanding association with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America through the Cal Ripken Sr. . Foundation . The foundation says it has refurbished fields , donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the country and teamed up with Nike to help provide baseball and softball equipment to school sports programs nationwide . Asked what type of advice he would offer to young professional baseball players , Ripken said , `` Put that -LSB- huge contract -RSB- aside , save your money , that 's your nest egg . In the off-season , think about skill development or the interests you have in a small way but be very careful . `` You ca n't think too much about retirement as a young player . You have to live a narrow existence for your sport . '' E-mail to a friend . | Ripken played in 2,632 consecutive MLB games . Now runs baseball organization with brother Bill . Former shortstop has written several books , hosts radio show . | [[1418, 1428], [1519, 1586], [3786, 3903], [3809, 3811], [3812, 3853]] |
BATON ROUGE , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The case of Mychal Bell , a black teenager accused of beating a white classmate in Jena , Louisiana , will be heard in juvenile court , Louisiana 's governor announced Wednesday . Mychal Bell , 17 , is accused with five others of beating Justin Barker in a school fight . Gov. Kathleen Blanco said that she discussed Bell 's case with LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters on Wednesday , and that Walters agreed not to challenge a state appeals court ruling that dismissed Bell 's battery and conspiracy convictions . The court ruled that Bell , who was 16 at the time of the beating , should have been tried in juvenile court instead of having the case transferred to adult court . Blanco made the announcement with civil rights leaders Martin Luther King III and Al Sharpton . Last week , they led about 15,000 marchers to Jena , a town of 3,000 , to protest how authorities handled the cases of Bell and five other black teens accused of beating white high school student Justin Barker . Many said they are angry the students , dubbed the `` Jena 6 , '' are being treated more harshly than three white students who hung nooses from an oak tree on high school property . The white students were suspended from school but did not face criminal charges . The protesters say they should have been charged with a hate crime . Prosecutors originally charged all six black students with second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy . The black students now face charges of aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy in the schoolyard beating . The altercation was the culmination of racially tense events in the town , including two fights sparked by the hanging of the nooses . E-mail to a friend . CNN 's Eric Marrapodi contributed to this report . | Mychal Bell 's case will be heard in juvenile court , Gov. Kathleen Blanco says . LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters agreed to that , she said . Bell and five other black teens are accused of beating white student Justin Barker . Beating followed white students hanging nooses from a tree on school grounds . | [[315, 508], [69, 130], [223, 234], [237, 239], [242, 314], [958, 1041], [69, 130], [1144, 1164], [1169, 1223], [1597, 1612], [1672, 1692], [1701, 1731], [1682, 1731]] |
Editor 's note : Brian Levin is director of the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University , San Bernardino . Jack McDevitt is the director of the Institute on Race and Justice and Associate Dean in the College of Criminal Justice at Northeastern University . Both have testified before Congress in support of federal hate crime legislation and are co-authors of a book on hate in America , due to be published next year . Brian Levin says a new federal hate crime law is needed to combat violent incidents of bias . SAN BERNARDINO , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- America needs a coordinated and multifaceted response to combat the continuing scourge of violent hate crime like the crime committed at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on June 10 . The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act , originally introduced by Sen. Edward Kennedy a decade ago and nearly passed during the most recent legislative session , is expected to go before the Senate for a vote soon . U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder testified on its behalf Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee . It is a crucial step in the nation 's evolving response to hate crime . A hate crime occurs when an individual intentionally targets a victim or their property because of his or her actual or perceived race , color , religion , national origin , ethnicity , gender , gender identity , disability or sexual orientation . While some have argued that these kind of laws criminalize free speech , the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in the 1993 case , Wisconsin v. Mitchell , that well-drafted hate crime laws are constitutional and do not punish speech . Rather they enhance the penalties only for acts that are already considered crimes . The act is named for Matthew Shepard , a 21-year-old gay college student who was kidnapped , robbed , tortured and left to die , tied to a fence in a remote area outside of Laramie , Wyoming in October 1998 . His mother Judy has been a tireless advocate for hate crime laws and victims . The Shepard Act remedies legal loopholes in federal and state criminal law that fail to protect against bias-motivated attacks based on such characteristics as sexual orientation , gender , gender identity and disability . It also removes antiquated `` Klan era '' language that forces federal prosecutors to tie violent racial attacks to a small number of activities such as participating in a jury , voting or using hotels . As recent events have indicated , today 's violent hate offenders , unlike their predecessors , will often swing into brutal action on their own initiative without waiting for a victim to exercise a specific activity covered by old 1960s laws . However , much of the act 's potency lies not in what it punishes , but rather in its recognition of the primary role local authorities now play in combating hate crime . Nearly all hate crime investigations and prosecutions in the United States are handled by state and local authorities , such as the Boston Police or Washington , D.C. , Metropolitan Police . Gone are the days where masses of federal agents and soldiers had to swoop into states to protect new students and freedom riders from thugs in Klan-dominated municipalities . The act has a clear bias in favor of local prosecution and has restrictions that require federal prosecution only in limited cases where the leadership of the DJ approves . However , reporting data indicates that some states apparently provide limited assistance to hate crime victims . These jurisdictions report either zero hate crimes or a handful of crime to the FBI , year after year , while neighboring states with similar demographics and crime profiles report far more . A 2005 Bureau of Justice Statistics victimization study found that only a small fraction of hate crimes nationally are actually reported . Thus , there appear to be various instances where federal help or prosecution are still necessary . Today , in the midst of our economic downturn , federal authorities are needed much more to assist cash-strapped local departments , not as an unwelcome occupying force , but as a desperately needed partner to assist with forensics , technical assistance and investigations . Even in police departments with model hate crime investigative units , such as the Boston Police Department 's Community Disorders Unit , modern cases increasingly involve interstate travel or Internet hate networks , and require sophisticated ballistic and DNA testing or computer forensics . These measures may be beyond the capacity of many local police agencies , particularly in difficult economic times . The act also provides greater access to local communities for federal training programs and mediation services that can prevent hate crimes before they boil over into violence . Our research has established that hate crimes are a qualitatively unique category of offenses . Compared to non-bias motivated crimes these crimes are more likely to involve violence , injury , hospitalization , psychological trauma and a greater risk of retaliatory attacks , which can often spill across municipal borders . And while we can not say whether hate crimes overall are actually increasing , there does appear to be an increase in the most violent hate crimes . In 2007 , hate-motivated homicides claimed nine lives , up from three in 2006 , and the last year has seen a steady stream of violent plots and attacks against symbolic targets by hardened hate-mongers . Since the beginning of the year we have seen many examples of extremist crimes . Here are a few : . Brockton , Massachusetts : January 21 -- White supremacist Keith Luke 22 , allegedly kills two , rapes one , and shoots another while en route to a synagogue to kill Jews . Miramar Beach , Florida : February 26 -- Dannie Baker , 60 , a man known for anti-immigrant rantings , allegedly shoots 5 , killing two Chilean immigrants . Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania : April 5 -- Neo-Nazi Richard Poplawski , 22 , agitated over the belief that President Obama would ban guns , allegedly kills three police officers during a domestic violence call . New York : May 20 -- Four Muslim converts are arrested on federal charges relating to a plot to bomb Jewish and military targets . Pima County , Arizona : May 30 -- Leaders of the Minuteman American Defense group allegedly kill a 29-year-old Latino man and his nine-year-old daughter in an attempt to steal drugs and money to finance their civilian border patrol group . Washington : June 10 -- Holocaust denier James von Brunn , 88 , allegedly kills a security guard at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum . Two national research reports released last week document a disturbing level of supremacist activities and overall violence against a broad range of groups . Another report from the Southern Poverty Law Center counted a record number of 926 hate groups in the United States last year . But there is something more to hate crime 's harms that can not be completely captured by statistics or criminological studies . As the Holocaust Museum attack demonstrates , hate crimes threaten pluralistic democracies in a way that other crimes do not . Unlike many other crimes , they are at once discriminatory and terroristic . As law professor James Weinstein observed : `` The effect of Kristallnacht on German Jews was greater than the sum of the damage to buildings and assaults on individual victims . '' Violence and threats that destabilize the bonds between citizens and the democratic institutions that they share are worthy of additional punishment and federal assistance . Moreover , victims of hate-motivated violence are entitled to legal protection no matter where they reside . That is why over two-thirds of the American public favor hate crime laws , and why the Senate should heed their call to pass the Shepard Act . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Brian Levin and Jack McDevitt . | Levin , McDevitt : Senate to vote on Matthew Shepard hate crime bill . They say loopholes in existing laws require new legislation . They say bill would provide federal help to localities fighting hate crime . Levin , McDevitt : Hate crimes target pluralistic societies along with victims . | [[787, 829], [957, 1010], [7084, 7124], [7127, 7180], [7127, 7207]] |
BEIJING , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Had the government not delayed its controversial order that all computers be equipped with Green Dam by July 1 , the result would have been the same -- Chinese computer retailers were far from ready . The Green Dam 's developers say they 've received death threats . PC sales representatives at Bainaohui , one of Beijing 's largest electronics retailers , say their merchandise is not pre-installed with Green Dam , a Web filtering software the government said was necessary to prevent children from viewing pornography and other harmful content . Some retailers were unclear as to when the software would even be available on new units . Computer experts say manufacturers have not had enough time to pre-install new computers with the software -- which is one reason behind the government 's delay . PC companies may also be taking more time to test the software after programming errors , with the potential to make computers susceptible to hackers , were detected by University of Michigan professors . The Chinese government said that these errors have been fixed . The international backlash against the Green Dam directive may be further delaying the pre-instillation process . Twenty-two chambers of commerce and trade groups made an appeal to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao urging that he abandon the software mandate . `` China is putting companies in an untenable position by requiring them , with virtually no public notice , to pre-install software that appears to have broad-based censorship implications and network security issues , '' said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke in a press-release . With the support of U.S. trade officials , computer-makers including Dell and Hewlett-Packard are threatening to bring the matter to the World Trade Organization . Other computer manufactures , including Sony and Acer , say they are bound to comply with the Chinese policy . Domestically , Chinese Internet users are rallying against the government . Last week an anonymous group of `` netizens '' posted an open letter on Chinese blogs and forums . `` We hereby decide that from July 1 2009 , we will start a full-scale global attack on all censorship systems you control , '' the message said . The Chinese artist , activist , and architect who designed the Olympic `` Bird 's Nest '' stadium , is one of the leaders behind the cyber battle . Ai Weiwei called for his Twitter followers to boycott the Internet on July 1st . The Green Dam 's developers say they 've even received death threats . The Chinese online community has been in an uproar since the new policy became public , and a `` Declaration of Anonymous Internet Users 2009 '' circulating directly addresses government censors , said Charles Mok , chairman of the Internet Society of Hong Kong . `` They are showing altered pictures of their own face using masks like that from ' V for Vendetta ' , '' said Mok , referring to the 2005 film updating the story of Guy Fawkes , who tried to destroy Parliament building in England in the 17th Century . `` It says , ` We 're behind the mask ; if one of us falls down , ten others will join . ' '' Mok also questions the true intent of the Green Dam software . `` On its black list are 2000 words related to pornography and 6000 other types of politically sensitive key words like ` Falun Gong ' , '' he said , referring to the banned Chinese religious group . `` That ratio alone makes it obvious what 's behind it . '' Sharp criticism of the software partially stems from fears that the software will simply further strengthen the government 's control and censorship of the media . Yet the government said it is simply acting in response to parental complaints about the negative affects of the Internet on children . Responding to reporters ' questions , foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang acknowledges the controversy over the software in and outside China . `` However , '' he said in a regular press conference last week , `` no matter how many different views there are , the Chinese government assumes the responsibility to protect our youth from unhealthy information on the Internet , and so do various social circles and enterprises . This is the essence of this problem . '' The government said it is simply providing the software free of charge , as a pre-installed file on computer hard drives or as a CD , to give users to choice to install the software . China is not the first country to try to censor the Internet ; Iran , Myanmar , even France and Germany in various ways attempt to put limits on the blogosphere . But analysts doubt whether this particular policy can even be enforced . Said Victor Gao , a former government functionary who now heads a policy think tank : `` The government always has its own views , but whether they are able to execute it to the detail and push it through the country is another issue . '' Watch why the filtering software mandate has been postponed '' The extent to which the software 's can block harmful content is still in question . Unofficial tests by Internet enthusiasts showed that while Green Dam considered a cartoon of a cat in blue clothes safe , pictures of Garfield the Cat were sometimes blocked by the software because it is programmed to categorize images with large areas of `` yellow '' as pornographic . Over at Bainaohui , a hub of computer and Internet commerce in central Beijing , many salespersons seem oblivious to the new government edict . `` I think I 've read something about it on line , '' said one . And what do they think of Green Dam ? `` I have no idea since I have not used it yet , '' said a seller of computer software . Worried ? `` I do n't think there would be any impact , '' replied another . Meantime , Bainaohui 's robust IT business continues unimpeded . CNN 's Kevin Voigt contributed to this report . | China extends deadline for Internet filtering software to accompany PCs . International backlash , unreadiness of retailers may be reasons behind the delay . Government says Green Dam software is designed to block porn . Critics say software can block all non-government sanctioned content . | [[1107, 1220], [4906, 4968]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- NASA and Japan improved our world view this week , or at least our view of the world . This image using ASTER imagery shows the Himalayan glaciers in Bhutan . The American space agency and Japan 's Ministry of Economy , Trade and Industry have released a new digital topographic map of Earth that accurately portrays more of our planet than ever before . The new map consists of 1.3 million images taken by NASA 's Terra satellite that have been pieced together to form a unified picture of the planet . The images were taken by a Japanese imaging instrument called the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer , or ASTER . `` This is the most complete , consistent global digital elevation data yet made available to the world , '' said Woody Turner , a program scientist at NASA headquarters in Washington . The map covers more than 99 percent of Earth 's land mass from north of the Arctic Circle to south of the Antarctic Circle . During February 2000 , space shuttle Endeavour mapped about 80 percent of the planet 's surface . `` The ASTER data fill in many of the voids in the shuttle mission 's data , such as in very steep terrains and in some deserts , '' said Michael Kobrick , a shuttle project scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena , California , which manages the program . `` NASA is working to combine '' the new data with that from the shuttle and other sources `` to produce an even better global topographic map . '' | New digital topographic map reveals more of Earth than ever before . Images were taken by Japanese imaging instrument on NASA satellite . Map consists of millions of satellite images to form unified picture of planet . | [[178, 236], [239, 310], [272, 310], [316, 373], [523, 577], [548, 664], [272, 310], [316, 373], [374, 416], [398, 449], [423, 522]] |
MUMBAI , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Bollywood 's recent financial growth has been as dizzying as the swirling dancers , colorful costumes and pulsating music that typify the industry 's films . Mumbai 's once booming flamboyant Hindi-language film industry is hit hard , as overseas investment dries up . Foreign money has poured into Mumbai 's flamboyant Hindi-language film industry , which churns out more than 1,000 films each year . Twice as many films as Hollywood -- and for a fraction of the cost . But a financial drama has arrived on the movie sets and production suites of India 's largest city courtesy of the world economic downturn and a producer 's strike -- fewer films are being made ; less tickets are being sold and money is suddenly tight . `` It 's become more difficult now to green light films ; to be able to think of developing films , '' Nikhil Advani of People Tree Films who works as both a producer and a director told CNN . `` Today you think twice how you 're going to be able to put that thing together before you commit any money to it . '' It 's the new reality : Money that was gushing into the market from abroad to finance films a year and a half ago is now just trickling in . Production of Bollywood movies has only just resumed , having ground to a halt for seven weeks due to a producer 's strike . The strike is finally over , but money is still tight and this is affecting the number of films going into production . `` The number of movie projects has come down by almost 30 percent , '' Farokh Balsara , a partner at business consultants Ernst & Young told CNN . Balsara heads Ernst & Young 's media and entertainment division in Mumbai and looks at trends in the market . What 's more , after several years of fast-rising film revenues due to India 's exploding middle classes who were willing to spend , Bollywood finds itself back on a budget . If you do n't have a solid financial plan these days , getting funding for a film is nearly impossible . Throwing around a known filmmaking family name and getting a star signed up wo n't cut it anymore . `` The easy finance is a thing of the past , '' Balsara told CNN . Some producers are asking big name talent to take a cut in their pay or at least get paid on the `` backend . '' In other words , waiting until the movie releases -- if it does well you get a piece of the pie ; if not , you eat it . In some cases , accountants are actually on movie sets crunching numbers daily to make sure the budget is on target . `` They are getting into daily audits , '' Balsara said . The thought of an accountant on set might make some producers shudder , but many believe the slowdown has done Bollywood a favor . `` Is that a good thing or a bad thing ? '' says Advani of the changes the slowdown has forced on the way he produces upcoming films . `` I think it 's a very good -LSB- thing -RSB- . '' He currently has several in the works : an animated film in post-production called `` Ab Dilli Door Nahin '' and a gritty action-packed thriller `` Basra , '' named after the Mumbai street term for heroin . The slowdown has made Bollywood focus on making better , not more movies , according to Advani : `` I do n't call it a credit crunch , I call it a credit correction . `` I think what has happened is it 's corrected itself , because I think Bollywood or the Indian film industry was going absolutely crazy last year . '' Mairi Mackay contributed to this story . | The economic downturn and a producer 's strike have hit Bollywood financially . Foreign money pouring into Mumbai 's film industry a year ago is now trickling in . It 's harder to get funding for films , and accountants are on set auditing daily . Some producers are positive , saying Bollywood needs to make fewer , better films . | [[505, 668], [303, 382], [1096, 1101], [1107, 1170], [1072, 1093], [1175, 1212], [762, 814], [1946, 1995], [2396, 2409], [2412, 2468], [2517, 2551]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Brazilian playmaker Kaka was officially presented as a Real Madrid player , after being handed the number eight jersey in front of thousands of supporters and a huge media contingent at the club 's Bernabeu stadium on Tuesday evening . Kaka parades his new Real Madrid jersey after completing his $ 92 million transfer to the Spanish giants . An estimated 50,000-strong crowd , almost three times the anticipated number , turned up to watch the ceremony as Kaka was unveiled as Madrid 's latest addition by club president Florentino Perez and honorary president Alfredo di Stefano . Latest transfer gossip and rumors . Kaka , who completed his medical earlier in the day having landed in the Spanish capital in the morning , has penned a six-year contract and has cost Madrid a reported $ 92 million . There had been speculation that Kaka would be handed the number five shirt that Zinedine Zidane had once worn for Madrid , but the new arrival will instead take up the number eight shirt formerly worn by Fernando Gago . The presentation took place on a stage erected on the Bernabeu pitch that also included Madrid 's record nine European Cup trophies , a giant screen and with a backdrop of four huge images showing club legends Raul , Juanito , Di Stefano and Zidane . The 27-year-old Kaka , who was named player of the tournament after helping Brazil win the Confederations Cup in South Africa over the last few weeks , told supporters : `` Today is a very happy day for me . `` I 'm very happy because this new stage of my career will be at Real Madrid . I hope to write my name into the history of this club with many victories and successes . '' Kaka was the first signing confirmed by Madrid after Perez returned to the club presidency at the start of June . Soon after bringing in the Brazilian , Perez also agreed a world-record 80 million euros fee with Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo . That deal was finalized on Friday night and will come into effect from Wednesday , with Ronaldo , who like Kaka will be tied to the Spanish giants until 2015 , being presented on July 6 . Aside from Kaka and Ronaldo , Madrid also struck a deal to sign Valencia defender Raul Albiol last week for a fee believed to be around 13 million euros , while the likes of Franck Ribery , David Villa and Xabi Alonso are all being linked with moves to the Bernabeu as Perez relaunches the famous ` galacticos ' policy that he presided over during his first tenure at the club . Then , while president from 2000-06 , Perez sanctioned the big-money signings of superstars such as Zidane , David Beckham , Luis Figo and Ronaldo , a policy that reaped indifferent rewards with Madrid winning seven trophies under Perez in total but none in his final three years . | Kaka is unveiled as a Real Madrid player after completing his move from Milan . The Brazilian playmaker is handed the No. 8 shirt in front of thousands of fans . 27-year-old just helped Brazil to victory in the Confederations Cup tournament . | [[255, 361], [0, 15], [44, 92], [95, 254], [362, 394], [441, 513], [948, 1040], [1292, 1314], [1319, 1441]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In death , Michael Jackson is topping charts all over the world again . Stores around the globe are seeing a surge in sales for Michael Jackson 's music . Jackson 's albums hold the top nine positions of Billboard 's `` Top Pop Catalog Albums '' chart , according to Nielsen SoundScan sales data released Tuesday . Jackson 's albums are not eligible for the current Billboard 200 chart , which is for newer albums . But if they were eligible , his record sales would bounce the Black Eyed Peas ' current No. 1 album to fourth place , Billboard said . Jackson 's albums `` Number Ones , '' `` The Essential Michael Jackson '' and `` Thriller '' all sold more than 100,000 copies last week , close to 20,000 more copies than the Black Eyed Peas ' `` The E.N.D. '' Scores of listeners have downloaded Jackson 's music on iTunes as well . Jackson 's songs were on the Top 10 download lists in 21 countries , according to iTunes ' Web site early Wednesday . Watch crowds pack Apollo Theater for Jackson tribute '' In the United States and United Kingdom , Jackson 's introspective song , `` Man in the Mirror , '' was No. 1 in iTunes downloads . In France and the Netherlands , `` Billie Jean '' was No. 1 . In Sweden , `` Smooth Criminal '' was in the top spot , while pop fans in Luxembourg preferred `` Earth Song . '' Of the 22 countries that iTunes tracks , Japan was the only one without a Jackson song in its Top 10 . Jackson had 25 songs on the Top 75 `` Hot Digital Songs '' chart , according to Billboard . Twenty-one of the songs were solo tunes , while the other four included Jackson 's siblings . | Michael Jackson 's music sales are soaring after singer 's death . Three of Jackson 's albums all sold more than 100,000 copies last week . Listeners worldwide have also downloaded Jackson 's music on iTunes . | [[91, 173], [667, 706], [781, 843]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- France has awarded its highest decoration to veteran CNN correspondent Jim Bittermann . CNN 's Jim Bittermann at the special ceremony in Paris where he was made a chevalier . At a special ceremony presided over by the Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner in Paris Tuesday , Bittermann was presented with the `` chevalier '' -LRB- knight -RRB- of the National Order of the Legion of Honor . Bittermann , CNN 's senior European correspondent based in Paris , said : `` For the past 30 years , I 've been explaining France and the French to the rest of the world . '' During his career with CNN in Paris Bittermann has covered the death of Princess Diana , the last days of Yasser Arafat , the French triumph at the 1998 World Cup and the Concorde air disaster . He joined CNN from ABC News , where he was a Paris news correspondent from 1990-1996 ; before that Bittermann was a European correspondent for NBC News . He began his career in broadcast journalism in 1970 in Milwaukee . Founded in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte to recognize outstanding accomplishment , the chevalier is given annually to around 3,500 Frenchmen and women -- but few non-nationals . Of the 13 honorees this year from outside France , two are American . Previous non-French recipients include former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower , fillm legends Charles Chaplin and Orson Welles and Norman Schwarzkopf , who led allied forces against Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein during the first Gulf War . Apart from his work for CNN , in recent years Bittermann has been a featured speaker at journalism events such as the International Diplomacy Institute , as well as lecturing and moderating panels at the World Economic Forum in Davos . In 1999 Bittermann was appointed a professor at the American University of Paris , teaching courses broadcast news , writing and production and politics and media among others . | Only two Americans are set to be award the rank of chevalier this year . Jim Bittermann , a journalist for nearly 40 years , joined CNN in 1996 . First awarded by Napoleon Bonaparte to recognize outstanding accomplishment . | [[1172, 1200], [1223, 1241], [997, 1074]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sen. Hillary Clinton will stop telling an emotional story about a uninsured pregnant woman who died after being denied medical care , Clinton 's campaign said . Sen. Hillary Clinton was repeating a story she heard from someone on the campaign trail . A hospital has raised questions over the accuracy of the story , and Clinton 's campaign has said although they had no reason to doubt the story , they were unable to confirm the details . In the story , Clinton describes a woman from rural Ohio who was making minimum wage at a local pizza shop . The woman , who was uninsured , became pregnant . Clinton said the woman ran into trouble and went to a hospital in a nearby county but was denied treatment because she could n't afford a $ 100 payment . In her speeches , Clinton said the woman later was taken to the hospital by ambulance and lost the baby . The young woman was then taken by helicopter to a Columbus hospital where she died of complications . Watch why the story is raising questions '' The New York senator heard the story during a campaign visit to a family 's living room in Pomeroy , Ohio , in late February . Bryan Holman was hosting the candidate and told Clinton the story . She has repeated it frequently since then . As recently as Friday night in Grand Forks , North Dakota , Clinton said she was `` just aching inside '' as she was listening to the story . `` It is so wrong , in this good , great and rich country , that a young woman and her baby would die because she did n't have health insurance or a hundred dollars to get examined , '' she said . While Clinton never named the hospital in her speech , the woman she was referring to was treated at O'Bleness Memorial Hospital in Athens , Ohio . The hospital said the woman did indeed have insurance , and , at least at their hospital , she was never turned away . Hospital Chief Executive Officer Rick Castrop in a statement said , `` we reviewed the medical and patient accounts of the patient '' after she was named in a newspaper story about Clinton 's stump speech . `` There is no indication that she was ever denied medical care at any time , for any reason . We clearly reject any perception that we ever denied any care to this woman . '' A hospital spokesperson confirmed to CNN the woman had insurance . She said the hospital decided to come forward after people in the community began to question if they had denied her care . Clinton 's speech accurately reflects what she was told that day , but the campaign admits they were not able to confirm the account . Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said , `` She had no reason to doubt his word . '' `` Candidates are told stories by people all the time , and it 's common for candidates to retell those stories . It 's not always possible to fully vet them , but we try . For example , medical records are confidential . In this case , we tried but were n't able to fully vet the story , '' he said . Elleithee added , `` If the hospital claims it did n't happen that way , we certainly respect that , and she wo n't repeat the story . '' `` She never mentions the hospital by name and is n't trying to cast blame . She tells this story because it illustrates the point that we have a very serious health care problem in America . That 's a point very few people will dispute . '' E-mail to a friend . | Clinton had been repeating a story she heard about an uninsured pregnant woman . In the story , the woman was denied treatment , later died from complications . Hospital says woman had insurance , was never denied care . Clinton campaign says they had no reason to doubt the accuracy of the story . | [[0, 15], [19, 109], [180, 269], [215, 222], [227, 269], [1219, 1262], [83, 109], [114, 150], [926, 945], [952, 979], [1750, 1803], [1812, 1838], [1841, 1868], [2107, 2151], [2171, 2248], [2209, 2248], [2293, 2318], [153, 179], [339, 414], [2578, 2613], [2616, 2656]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Summer excursions seem out of reach to many struggling young professionals , and the faltering economy is n't helping . But one New York City company , offering trips aimed at the young and thrifty , is capitalizing on the urbanite 's desire to get away -- and finding success despite the downturn . A group of Urban Escapes NYC hikers stops for a snack during an expedition in New York 's Harriman State Park . As a slightly broke young professional myself , with a taste for adventure but living in a very expensive city , the idea behind Urban Escapes NYC was intriguing . The company offers an array of activities -- from short hiking , sky diving or canoeing trips to international journeys that combine various activities . On the company 's user-friendly Web site , I scrolled through the offerings . There were trips ranging from one-day hiking or fruit-picking excursions priced at around $ 60 to $ 800 weeklong international expeditions . The average trip includes ground transportation , the cost of the activity , guide fees , equipment rental and meals . Jumping out of planes put the company 's founder and CEO , Maia Josebachvili , 25 , on the path to becoming a business owner . While attending Dartmouth College , Josebachvili developed a passion for sky diving . To pay for the pricey dives , she began to lead trips for her friends and her friends ' friends . Soon she realized that the people she was guiding were outside of her original social network , and an idea began to emerge . After graduating from Dartmouth and working as a trader on the New York Stock Exchange , Josebachvili decided working in the concrete jungle was not for her . At 24 , Josebachvili started a business out of something she had been doing for years during college -- leading outdoor adventure trips . The company launched in early 2008 , just months before the economy tanked . `` I started to wonder if this is really going to work , '' Josebachvili said . But with trips designed with budget and value in mind , the suffering economy did not stunt the business . Josebachvili said the company was able to break even within six months . The business relies on social networking avenues for promotion , and word spread rapidly . It also quickly developed a reputation as a great way to meet people and make new friends . `` I was the market , '' Josebachvili explains , `` My friends were the market . Anyone just out of college working on Wall Street did n't have the time to plan and research the trips . There is no shortage of those kinds of people in New York . '' After perusing the site , I rather nervously picked a $ 59 six-mile hike . This may not sound so cheap , but after factoring in the planning of the trip , transportation , gas , experienced guides and a post-hike discount at a local restaurant , the value becomes apparent . I had n't been hiking in years and still am sadly out of shape . My imagination ran wild with images of young , sporty folks racing up high peaks as I huffed and puffed behind . Terrifying . After a rainy start to the morning , our upbeat guides for the day , director Bram Levy and guide Roget Lerner , drove a group of 12 north of the city to Harriman State Park . They encouraged us to get to know each other and joked that we would be quizzed on it later . Waiting to get into the van , I asked a man standing next to me why he was on the trip . `` I moved from San Francisco a year ago , '' public relations professional Michael Lindenberger said . `` I need some trees . '' After an hourlong drive , we arrived at our hiking destination . Levy and Lerner checked our sneakers , water supply and told us a bit about how the day was going to unfold . And then we began the hike . Throughout the day , there was lots of laughing , squealing and helping each other over rocks and through slick patches of mud . I was surprised how quickly a team mentally developed among the group . We were all strangers , but after a day of hiking , I knew everyone 's name , profession and a good deal more . And this was no accident -- the guides were deliberately networking and bonding us together . Jen Badali , a city transit planner , was on her third trip with Urban Escapes . `` I went by myself my first hike , '' she said . `` It was fun to get away and do something different . '' She said she still keeps in touch with people she met on the other excursions . `` I made some good friends out of it , '' she said . At the end of the day , sweaty , sore and smiling , I realized why Urban Escapes NYC was defying the recession . With a plethora of affordable outdoor excursions , cheerful guides and a youthful mindset , the company was the ideal destination for an urban professional with a slim wallet . | Urban Escapes NYC offers trips aimed at the young and thrifty . Day trips out of New York start at about $ 60 ; company also offers trips abroad . Urban Escapes NYC founder , 25 , was a stock trader before starting company . The company was able to break even within six months , founder says . | [[189, 225], [1996, 2040], [604, 723], [884, 976], [2094, 2166], [2112, 2166]] |
DENVER , Colorado -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Serving time for lesser crimes , Scott Kimball is leading investigators to bodies . Scott Kimball is currently serving a 48-year sentence on theft and habitual criminal convictions . Partly mummified bones thought to be those of his uncle , Terry Kimball , were discovered Monday in a remote Rocky Mountain pass near Vail , Colorado . DNA tests are pending to confirm the victim 's identity , and the cause of death is pending a forensic examination , authorities said . Terry Kimball is one of several suspected homicide victims associated with Scott Kimball since his jailing in 2008 . He is serving a 48-year sentence in state prison in Fairplay , Colorado , on theft and habitual criminal convictions . Kimball will also serve a 70-month federal sentence on firearms charges after the state sentence . The firearms charges led to Kimball 's 18th conviction . However , Kimball probably will not be charged in any of the deaths . Sources with knowledge of the cases said Kimball 's December 2008 plea to theft and habitual criminal charges , and the 48-year sentence , was part of a deal that included revealing the locations of the bodies . Authorities wanted to give victims ' families resolution . Without his cooperation , authorities doubt they have enough evidence to convict him . Earlier this year , Kimball revealed where the remains thought to be his uncle 's were , according to law enforcement sources close to the case . However , the search was delayed until snow had melted . The FBI would not confirm that Kimball , 42 , identified the site . However , FBI spokeswoman Kathleen Wright said , `` we went to -LRB- a -RRB- specific location for a specific reason . It was n't random . '' Terry Kimball , 60 at the time , was last seen with Scott Kimball in September 2004 , according to a 2007 federal search warrant affidavit . Scott Kimball told his wife that his uncle had won the lottery and left for Mexico with a stripper , the affidavit said , but FBI investigators think Kimball killed his uncle and dumped his body in Vail Pass , more than 100 miles from the home they shared in a Denver suburb . In March , Kimball accompanied FBI investigators to southeastern Utah to search for the body of Leann Emry , who was 24 when she vanished after departing on a camping trip in 2003 . FBI agents found Emry 's remains shortly after Kimball returned to jail . Kaysi McLeod was 19 when she disappeared in 2003 . McLeod , the daughter of Kimball 's ex-wife , was last seen getting a ride to work from Kimball , according to the 2007 affidavit . In fall 2007 , a hunter found her remains in northwest Colorado . Kimball is also suspected in the disappearance of exotic dancer Jennifer Marcum , who disappeared in 2003 , according to the affidavit . Sources close to the investigation say they think Kimball killed Marcum and buried her body near Rifle , Colorado . Authorities have not found her remains . `` We are continuing to look for Jennifer , and we will leave no stone unturned , '' Wright said . Kimball drew the FBI 's attention in 2002 while jailed for writing bad checks . Kimball offered authorities information about his cellmate , Steven Ennis , who was suspected in a drug ring , according to the 2007 affidavit . After Kimball served his sentence , the FBI began paying him as an informant . Kimball was supposed to report back to the FBI on Marcum , Ennis ' former girlfriend , when she disappeared . The FBI would not reveal how long or how much Kimball was paid . He was arrested again in March 2006 near Palm Springs , California , after a police chase and standoff . | Habitual felon likely to avoid charges in presumed murders of four people . Scott Kimball 's plea deal includes revealing location of bodies , sources say . Authorities say all four people were last seen with Kimball . | [[508, 566], [532, 624], [910, 969], [1121, 1127], [1133, 1181], [1328, 1345], [1348, 1473]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The CEO of Southwest Airlines said Friday he has ordered an investigation into charges the discount carrier flew airplanes that were n't properly inspected for safety . Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly tells CNN the airline is surprised at FAA charges . Gary Kelly said Southwest was caught off guard when the Federal Aviation Administration notified it on Thursday that it may be hit with a record $ 10.2 million federal fine for alleged violations involving fuselage crack inspections . Kelly called the fine `` unfair '' and `` unprecedented . '' The FAA on Thursday accused Southwest of operating the 47 airplanes last year without conducting mandatory checks for fuselage cracking . The airline has 30 days to respond . Kelly told CNN safety was never an issue . `` In this particular situation , we identified a gap in our documentation . We voluntarily reported that to the FAA . We worked out with the FAA how to fix that problem , and we fixed it , '' he said on CNN 's `` American Morning . '' Asked why , then , the discount carrier was called on the carpet , Kelly replied , `` We were surprised yesterday to get that notification by the FAA as well . The Wall Street Journal yesterday reported as late as last month the FAA said that it had no safety issues with Southwest Airlines . '' `` I 've ordered an investigation as to exactly what happened in this event , '' Kelly said . `` It occurred in March of 2007 . These aircraft are inspected inch by inch . In this particular incident , over 99 percent of the inspections were completed , according to documentation . '' Watch what 's raising concerns about Southwest '' He said that after fuselage cracks were discovered in about half a dozen of the airline 's 737s , 47 planes were reinspected over a 10-day period . Boeing Inc. , the plane 's manufacturer , which was contacted when the problems arose , said that at no time were the cracks unsafe , Kelly said . `` Cracks do occur . That 's why we do inspections . '' He said Boeing issued a release Thursday saying Southwest `` acted responsibly , and at no time were the aircraft operated in an unsafe manner . '' The FAA issued a statement saying that Southwest improperly inspected the planes for cracks , then allowed them to fly an additional 1,451 flights , knowing they were n't airworthy . Kelly was asked about FAA allegations that an inspector knew about the problems , but continued to allow the planes to be flown . He did n't answer the question directly , saying the airline has an ongoing relationship with the federal agency and there is a complicated system of inspections . `` Our interpretation of the guidance that we got from the FAA at the time was that we were in compliance with all laws and regulations , '' Kelly said . `` I think the FAA has a different view of that today , and that 's something that we 're investigating as well . But the important point is that at no time were we operating in an unsafe manner , and I think our history proves it . '' Calling the situation detailed in the FAA documents `` one of the worst safety violations '' he has ever seen , Rep. James Oberstar , D-Minnesota , is expected to convene a hearing to ask why the airline may have allegedly put its passengers in danger . He heads the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee . Watch passengers react to the charges '' The FAA documents allege that Southwest flew at least 117 of its planes in violation of mandatory safety checks . The 117 number includes the 47 planes alleged to have flown without fuselage checks and 70 additional planes allegedly flown without mandatory rudder inspections . In some cases , the documents say , the planes flew for 30 months past government inspection deadlines . It should have grounded them until the inspections could be completed . The planes were `` not airworthy '' according to congressional air safety investigators . Southwest Airlines , which carried more passengers in the United States than any other airline last year , said in a written statement Thursday that it looks forward to making details of the case public -- saying those details will support the airline 's actions . The documents were prepared by two FAA safety inspectors who have requested whistle-blower status from Oberstar 's committee . The two inspectors have been subpoenaed to testify before the committee . The whistle-blowers say FAA managers knew about the lapse in safety at Southwest , but decided to allow the airline to conduct the safety checks on a slower schedule because taking `` aircraft out of service would have disrupted Southwest Airlines ' flight schedule . '' Laura Brown , an FAA spokeswoman , told CNN that the administration has taken action and that a supervisor who was in charge of overseeing Southwest is `` no longer in a supervisory position . '' The mandatory checks for fuselage cracks were required after the cabin of an Aloha Airlines 737 tore apart in midair in 1988 , killing a flight attendant . The incident was blamed on cracks in the fuselage that grew wider as the plane underwent pressure changes during flight . Southwest Airlines has never had a catastrophic crash . E-mail to a friend . CNN 's Drew Griffin and Scott Bronstein contributed to this report . | Southwest Airlines CEO says airline was surprised at FAA charges . FAA charged Thursday that Southwest skipped mandatory inspections of 117 planes . Southwest CEO Gary Kelly says safety was never compromised . FAA has started process to fine a record $ 10.2 million over 47 fuselage inspections . | [[197, 282], [241, 282], [283, 394], [1100, 1113], [1116, 1192], [115, 196], [335, 429], [2164, 2310], [3391, 3504], [3421, 3504], [754, 788], [335, 429], [395, 478], [1665, 1812], [1678, 1760], [1763, 1812]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michael Jackson was an international superstar , and many in the black community herald him for breaking down racial barriers in the music industry . Michael Jackson was one of the first black global superstars . `` Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of color way before Tiger Woods , way before Oprah Winfrey , way before Barack Obama , '' said the Rev. Al Sharpton . `` Michael did with music what they later did in sports and in politics and in television . And no controversy will erase the historic impact . '' As the Jackson 5 , Michael Jackson and his brothers `` became a cutting-edge example of black crossover artists , '' said Mark Anthony Neal , a professor of black popular culture at Duke University 's Department of African and African American Studies . `` You basically had five working-class black boys with Afros and bell bottoms , and they really did n't have to trade any of that stuff in order to become mainstream stars , '' Neal said . Young Michael Jackson was the first black `` bubblegum teen star '' in the vein of Monkees singer Davy Jones , Neal said . Jackson continued as a pioneer in the black culture when he broke barriers by appearing on MTV , and by breaking sales records with the 1982 album , `` Thriller . '' Timeline : The life of a `` King '' '' `` At the time that he releases ` Thriller , ' I always argue that MTV was arguably the best example of cultural apartheid in the United States , '' Neal said . The former president of CBS Records , Walter Yetnikoff , remembered with scorn that MTV would not play `` Billie Jean '' or `` Beat It '' because it billed itself as a rock station . Looking back on that era , a 1991 Los Angeles Times article quoted MTV founder and then-CEO Robert Pittman as saying the channel 's format did n't lend itself to other musical styles , including R&B and country . And Pittman accused his critics of attempting to impose their musical pluralism on the channel 's die-hard rock fans . But Yetnikoff said he threatened to pull videos of his other artists unless MTV played Jackson 's videos . Watch Yetnikoff talk about getting Jackson 's videos played '' Soon Jackson 's videos were heavily in rotation on MTV . Showcasing a black artist paved the way for the popular show , `` Yo ! MTV Raps , '' and other black artists , Neal said . In turn , Jackson became one of the first African-Americans to be a global icon . He also influenced a new generation of black musicians , including Usher , Ne-Yo and Kanye West , according to Joycelyn Wilson , a professor of African-American studies at Morehouse College , who specializes in popular culture and hip-hop studies . Slideshow : Michael Jackson and his music '' Changing appearance . Jackson 's changing physical appearance in the past two decades led to criticism he was trying to be less black . `` Here 's a man who started off looking very typically African-American and ended up looking like something few people would have recognized early in his career . His nose was trimmed , his lips were different ... his skin was different , '' said Cheryl Contee , who writes as Jill Tubman on Jack & Jill Politics , a blog centered on African-American issues . `` The only thing that seemed to almost stay the same were his eyes , '' said Contee , who also called Jackson `` a genius and more than a trailblazer . '' `` I think -LSB- it -RSB- troubled a lot of people that he left his skin color behind and seemed somehow to be ashamed of who he was -LSB- when -RSB- he was born , '' Contee said . But during a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey , Jackson shot down rumors that he was dying his skin to make it lighter . He told the talk show host that he had vitiligo , a disorder that destroyed his skin pigmentation . Black popular culture professor Neal said Jackson 's physical changes did not reflect his life on the whole . `` I think if you solely pay attention to Michael Jackson 's physicality , you actually miss something that 's much more complex . ... Michael Jackson artistically and aesthetically never turned his back on blackness . His work was always in conversation with black culture both in the United States and more globally , '' said Neal . Neal said Jackson 's changes were not to deny blackness , nor to become more white . `` This was somebody who most of his career we read as being asexual . And I think that many of the changes to his face , particularly his skin tone , he was almost trying to achieve an a-raciality , '' said Neal . Contee upset some commenters on her blog when she highlighted both the positive and negative aspects of Jackson 's life , or what she termed his `` mixed legacy . '' `` Some people were very offended that I would dare to mention some of the unfortunate aspects of his later years , '' she said . `` But others -LSB- acknowledged -RSB- that they had mixed feelings about his legacy and what that meant to African-Americans . '' | Jackson 5 went mainstream and maintained black identity , professor says . MTV did n't play videos of black artists before Jackson . Expert : Despite his changing appearance , he was always in touch with black culture . | [[2719, 2740], [4020, 4035], [4053, 4103]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michael Jackson 's memorial service will take place Tuesday morning in the Staples Center , the 20,000-seat coliseum in downtown Los Angeles where Jackson rehearsed his show the night before he died , according to a person who has been briefed by a representative of the family . Michael Jackson was rehearsing at Los Angeles ' Staples Center . His memorial will now be there . No other details about the service , set to begin at 10 a.m. Tuesday , have been revealed . Thursday , CNN learned the family trust created by Jackson to receive all of his assets includes his mother , his children and a list of charities , according to a person with direct knowledge to the contents of the trust . Katherine Jackson 's 40 percent share would go to Michael Jackson 's three children after her death , the source said . The children -- ages 7 , 11 and 12 -- will also share 40 percent of the estate 's assets and the remaining 20 percent will benefits charities designated by the executors of the will , the source said . Jackson 's will did not specify where he wished to be buried . Many of his fans had hoped they 'd get a chance to pay last respects at Neverland Ranch , which Jackson purchased in 1987 , filled with animals and amusement rides , and named after the fictional world in J.M. Barrie 's `` Peter Pan . '' Planning had been under way for a motorcade to carry Jackson 's body from Los Angeles to the ranch in Santa Barbara County , California , which state and local officials suggested would be difficult and costly . A public viewing at the ranch on Friday also had been under consideration , law enforcement sources said . Gregory Son , a 31-year-old musician , was among many fans who had planned to ride to the ranch to say goodbye to Jackson . `` I think he was a modern-day prophet , '' Son said outside Grauman 's Chinese Theater in Hollywood . `` We kind of lost our father . '' DEA joins investigation . On Wednesday night , a federal law enforcement official said Wednesday night that the Drug Enforcement Administration had joined Jackson 's death investigation , once again fanning speculation that drugs may have been involved in the pop icon 's passing . Two law enforcement officials separately confirmed the DEA probe , saying agents would look at various doctors involved with Jackson , their practices and their possible sources of medicine supply . Neither official wanted to be identified because they could not comment publicly on the matter . Officially , a DEA spokeswoman referred questions to the Los Angeles , California , police department -- which would not confirm the involvement . `` We routinely offer assistance to any agency regarding the Federal Controlled Substance Act , '' said Sarah Pullen of the DEA . `` However , at this time , we have nothing further to comment about the death of Michael Jackson . '' Speculation about the role of drugs has been swirling since Jackson died on June 25 at his rented estate in Holmby Hills . The cause of his death , at age 50 , was pending toxicology results . On Wednesday , police released a car belonging to Jackson 's cardiologist , Dr. Conrad Murray . They had impounded the vehicle Friday , saying it might contain evidence -- possibly prescription medications . Police did not say whether they found anything . Murray 's lawyers issued a statement , asking the public to reserve judgment about the cause of death until the coroner 's tests are complete . `` Based on our agreement with Los Angeles investigators , we are waiting on real information to come from viable sources like the Los Angeles medical examiner 's office about the death of Michael Jackson , '' the statement said . `` We will not be responding to rumors and innuendo . '' The comments were in reaction to a claim by a nutritionist who said Jackson suffered from severe bouts of insomnia and pleaded for the powerful sedative , Propofol , despite knowing its harmful effects . `` I told him this medication is not safe , '' said Cherilyn Lee , a registered nurse . `` He said , ' I just want to get some sleep . You do n't understand . I just want to be able to be knocked out and go to sleep . ' '' Will nominates Jackson 's mother as kids ' guardian . Meanwhile , details of Jackson 's will -- written on July 7 , 2002 -- showed that the singer estimated his estate to be worth at least $ 500 million . In it , he nominated his mother , Katherine Jackson , as the guardian of his three children . If his 79-year-old mother is not living , `` I nominate Diana Ross as guardian , '' Jackson stated . Singer Ross , 65 , is a lifelong friend of Jackson 's . The will said Jackson `` intentionally omitted '' his former wife and the mother of his two oldest children , Debbie Rowe . It will be up to a court to decide who gets custody of the children , ages 7 , 11 and 12 . Rowe has not publicly indicated whether she will challenge the Jacksons for custody . The two men whom the will named as executors immediately filed a request to take control of the estate . One is John Branca , who represented Jackson from 1980 until 2006 and was hired again before the singer 's death . He helped acquire Jackson 's music catalog , which is worth millions . The other is music industry executive John McClain , a longtime Jackson friend who has worked with him and his sister Janet . The men said in their filing in Los Angeles Superior Court that control of the estate would allow them to tend to Jackson 's numerous outstanding debts , legal cases and business obligations . Judge Mitchell Beckloff held an emergency hearing Wednesday morning and decided there was no urgency to replace Katherine Jackson -- whom he appointed temporary administrator earlier this week . Another hearing has been set for Monday . -- CNN 's Drew Griffin , Kathleen Johnston , Michael Carey , Paul Vercammen , Carol Cratty and Kara Finnstrom contributed to this report . | NEW : Michael Jackson trust includes mother , children , charities . Michael Jackson memorial to be Tuesday at L.A. 's Staples Center . The Drug Enforcement Administration has joined Jackson 's death investigation . Speculation about the role of drugs has been swirling since Jackson died . | [[514, 522], [525, 660], [624, 660], [663, 737], [0, 11], [63, 133], [1942, 1967], [1968, 1986], [1989, 2127], [2161, 2223], [2900, 3022]] |
TEHRAN , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Three leading Iranian reformists who have rejected the results of last month 's election questioned the legitimacy of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 's government Wednesday . Mehdi Karrubi is vowing to `` stand by the people and the revolution , until the end of my life . '' This comes as Ahmadinejad is set to take office at the end of the month . Presidential candidate Mehdi Karrubi wrote a letter in his party 's newspaper , saying he would not recognize the government and vowing to `` stand by the people and the revolution , until the end of my life . '' His statement prompted Iran 's government to block publication of the newspaper . Read Karrubi 's letter PDF . Ahmadinejad 's main political rival , Mir Hossein Moussavi , also released a statement Wednesday criticizing the government and its crackdown on the media , which he said has created a `` bitter , coup d'etat atmosphere '' in Iran . `` We will stand firmly in order to preserve this valuable accomplishment -LSB- revolution -RSB- , '' Moussavi said . `` Unless we succeed in this , this government will not have legitimacy . The system and the heritage of the Islamic revolution are the fruits of our 200-year-old struggle against oppression . `` Read Moussavi 's statement PDF . Iran 's former reformist President Mohammad Khatami called on Iranians to keep up the struggle , noting that `` all doors are not yet closed . '' Read Khatami 's letter PDF . `` We must not lose our social capital this easily , '' Khatami told progressive Iranian newspaper Tahlile Rooz . `` I know Moussavi as one of the faithful , original and valuable capitals of our revolution , and considered his return to the political scene as a great chance . '' In a separate posting on his Web site , Khatami accused the government of having restricted communications in the country . `` The state-owned media outlet shows the same scenes over and over again , in order to provoke people 's feelings , '' he said . `` Where was this media outlet when tens of people were killed and hundreds of people beaten ? '' In his statement , Moussavi called for the release of jailed reformists and said he will participate in the creation of a `` legal organization '' that will release proof of fraud in the June 12 presidential election and take its case to the courts . He said the current political issue is a `` family dispute '' and cautioned against asking for outside help , warning , `` We will regret it . '' `` Many '' have asked Moussavi to end his struggle and `` close my eyes , '' but he warned , `` If we do not stand our grounds now , then we will have no guarantees that we wo n't be at this exact point in the future , face to face with the bitter events of this election . '' Karrubi called the actions of the government before and after the controversial June 12 voting `` the foundation for the annulment of the elections , '' according to a copy of his letter on the party newspaper 's Web site . `` I will not recognize the legitimacy of the government which has resulted from this process , '' Karrubi said in the letter . The 72-year-old cleric also said he `` will not participate in any of its processes , in any way '' and said he is `` ready to cooperate with pro-change people and groups . '' Karrubi 's party , Etemed Melli , said Iran 's Ministry of Culture and its attorney general prevented the publication of its newspaper because it carried the letter . He and Moussavi have questioned the legitimacy of the vote count of the presidential election that gave Ahmadinejad an overwhelming victory . That outrage sparked bloody street protests and a clampdown on international media coverage , as well as access to certain Web sites . At least 20 protesters were killed in the chaos and more than 1,000 were detained in Tehran , the head of Iranian internal security forces Brig. Esmaeil Ahmadi said , according to Iranian state-run media reports on Wednesday . The actual death toll may be higher , but restrictions on media have made it difficult to verify . Human Rights Watch on Wednesday called on Iran to release prominent Iranian reformist Saeed Hajjarian , who has been imprisoned since June 15 . He is one of several jailed reformists accused of orchestrating the post-election violence in Iran . Hajjarian , 55 , was severely disabled after he was shot in the head in a 2000 assassination attempt that left him confined to a wheelchair with severe brain and spinal cord injuries . His wife , Vajiheh Marsoussi , is a physician and has visited Hajjarian in Tehran 's Evin prison . She told Human Rights Watch that his medical condition was `` deteriorating severely . '' Meanwhile , questions surrounded an announcement in government-run Iranian media that Ahmadinejad canceled his trip to Libya on Wednesday . The trip , which had not been finalized , was canceled because of the president 's `` huge workload '' at home and `` other priorities , '' Iran 's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said , according to the Iranian Students ' News Agency . Four days after the controversial election , Ahmadinejad went to Russia to meet with leaders there , where he was welcomed as the `` newly re-elected president of Iran '' despite the ongoing street protests . He returned to Iran that same day . Ahmadinejad will be sworn in before parliament Sunday , July 26 , according to Iranian media reports . He will participate in a ceremony officiated by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a couple of days later , and then his second term will officially begin . | NEW : Former President Khatami accuses government of restricting communications . Mehdi Karrubi says he will not recognize government . Mir Hossein Moussavi criticizes government 's crackdown . | [[1742, 1779], [1782, 1865], [382, 418], [462, 562], [2995, 3048], [706, 741], [772, 860]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- There are likely to be two hot-button issues in Judge Sonia Sotomayor 's Supreme Court confirmation hearings as senators gauge not only her positions but also some controversial comments she has made . Judge Sonia Sotomayor would be the first Hispanic woman to serve on the Supreme Court . Issue No. 1 : Abortion . It is the traditional hot-button issue in Supreme Court confirmation hearings . In a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll taken May 14-17 , 68 percent of Americans say they do n't want the court 's Roe vs. Wade decision giving constitutional protection to abortion rights overturned . The margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points . Sotomayor was raised Catholic . If she is confirmed , six out of the nine justices on the high court will be from the faith . Catholics make up about 25 percent of the U.S. population . Of the 110 people who have served on the Supreme Court , 11 have been Catholic . Five of those justices -- Samuel Alito , Anthony Kennedy , Antonin Scalia , Clarence Thomas and Chief Justice John Roberts -- are currently on the court . Read more about the justices on the court '' Barbara Perry , a government professor at Sweetbriar College , said she sees Catholics as swing voters with a base of socially conservative principles , and therefore attractive for Republican presidents . Catholic League President Bill Donohue said Catholics have conservative credentials on issues such as abortion , without the political baggage of terms such as the `` religious right '' or `` evangelicals . '' `` Is it safer to nominate a Catholic as opposed to an evangelical to get votes ? I think the answer is decidedly yes . '' Court observers wonder what , if anything , six Catholic justices would mean for Supreme Court decisions . The five Catholics on the bench concurred in a 2007 decision , Gonzales v. Carhart , which upheld a state ban on late-term abortions . Sotomayor has faced few abortion cases , and no tests on issues such as gay rights or the death penalty . However , Donohue expects a Justice Sotomayor to lean more left than her fellow Catholics on the court . Watch more on the issues confronting Sotomayor '' `` I think she 's more reliably liberal , '' Donohue said . Issue No. 2 : Same-sex marriage . Four states -- Connecticut , Iowa , Maine and Massachusetts -- allow same-sex couples to wed. . New Hampshire could soon follow with legislation pending before the state Legislature . Vermont has also legalized same-sex marriage . Same-sex couples in California , however , suffered a defeat Tuesday when California 's Supreme Court upheld the Proposition 8 ballot initiative in 2009 that outlawed same-sex marriage . The state had previously allowed such marriages after the same court ruled that , `` An individual 's sexual orientation -- like a person 's race or gender -- does not constitute a legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold legal rights . '' On Tuesday the court said : `` Our role is limited to interpreting and applying the principles and rules embodied in the California Constitution , setting aside our own personal beliefs and values . '' Recent CNN polling has shown that a majority of Americans are against legal recognition of same-sex marriage . Fifty-four percent of Americans questioned in an April 23-26 CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll said marriages between gay or lesbian couples should not be recognized as valid , while 44 percent said they should be considered legal . But there was a gap between the opinions of younger and older people , with younger people far more likely to approve of same-sex marriage . In fact , 58 percent of people age 18 to 34 said same-sex marriages should be legal . Among people ages 35 to 49 , 42 percent agreed , as did 41 percent of 50 - to 64-year-olds . Twenty-four percent of people 65 and older agreed . The survey 's sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points . But is marriage a right under the federal Constitution ? The federal courts have not ruled on that . `` That 's an issue that may well come up within the federal courts ... almost certain to do so , '' Justice Samuel Alito has said . Will Sotomayor set aside her personal beliefs and values ? Maybe . A recent clip of Sotomayor has surfaced that is being used by opponents to prove their belief she will rule a certain way . `` The court of appeals is where policy is made . And I know , I know that this is on tape , and I should never say that . Because we do n't make law , I know , '' she said at a 2005 conference at Duke University . `` OK , I know , I know . I 'm not promoting it , and I 'm not advocating it . '' Read about Sotomayor 's key rulings '' Another comment that could be scrutinized during the Senate hearings is from 2001 , when Sotomayor said the gender and ethnicity of judges does and should influence decisions . `` I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who has n't lived that life , '' she said . That comment has outraged conservative critics such as the group Judicial Watch , which said that if confirmed , Sotomayor may rule more on the basis of racial identity than law . `` It is outrageous and racist on its face , and if a nominee that had conservative credentials made a similar although reverse statement they would be laughed at . They would never be put on the court , '' said Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch . But one liberal academic said too much is made of these comments and not enough of Sotomayor 's legal opinions . `` I do n't think having a particular background is going to cash out as having a particular ready style or opinion , '' said New York University Professor Kenji Yoshino . `` If you actually read over 400 opinions that she has written , you will see she is a judge 's judge . '' One case that will get greater scrutiny is Sotomayor 's role in dismissing the appeal of 19 white and one Latino firefighters from New Haven , Connecticut . They claim they were denied a promotion despite doing better on exams , because not enough minority candidates qualified . Sotomayor was one of a three-judge panel who in a one-paragraph summary sided with a lower court . Other judges on the court criticized the decision , arguing it failed to grapple with questions of exceptional importance . `` In a case like this where there are important competing concerns , it is important for the appellate court to explain the basis of her decision , '' said Case Western Reserve University professor Jonathan Adler . He said it was as if the court wanted to `` make the case go away or brush it under the rug . '' The Supreme Court decided it would hear the firefighters ' appeal . Legal analysts said they expect Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee will want to ask Sotomayor about her role in that case , as well as her comments about ethnicity and the bench . That , coupled with her views on abortion and same-sex marriage , could electrify an already heated debate over her nomination . Soon there will be even more known about Sotomayor . Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy , D-Vermont , and Jeff Sessions of Alabama , the committee 's ranking Republican , on Wednesday released the bipartisan questionnaire the Senate Judiciary Committee has asked Sotomayor to complete . Once the questionnaire is completed and returned to the committee , copies will be made available online and in print . CNN 's Lisa Dejardins contributed to this report . | Judge Sonia Sotomayor nominated to be the next Supreme Court Justice . Sotomayor likely to face hot-button issues in Senate confirmation hearings . She has also come under fire for controversial statements , rulings . | [[0, 26], [36, 138], [184, 231]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's that time of year for seasonal trips to the movies , and to celebrate , the Screening Room is taking a look back at our favorite family hits over the years . The best of Spielberg : `` E.T. '' is our perfect family movie and perfectly captures childhood . From blockbuster to blockbuster , these are the films with something for everyone . They 've got to be live action -- we 've covered animated films before -- and family friendly . Do n't agree ? Think we 've missed one ? Post your comments to the Screening Room blog and we 'll publish the best . Read other CNN viewers ' favorite and worst family films , and tell us yours >> . 1 . E.T. : The Extra-Terrestrial -LRB- Steven Spielberg , 1982 -RRB- Spielberg 's magic captures a perfect moment in childhood . We laughed and wept as his ugly little critter from outer space stole our hearts , while the kids fell firmly on the cute side of annoying . And oh , the music ... 2 . Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory -LRB- Mel Stuart , 1971 -RRB- Gene Wilder 's whacked-out Willy Wonka adds a pinch of sinister to Roald Dahl 's anarchic sweet treat , while the ignoble exits of Veruca Salt , Augustus Gloop and Mike Teevee were delicious . 3 . Babe -LRB- Chris Noonan , 1995 -RRB- `` That 'll do , pig . '' Babe is wide-eyed with wonder in Dick King-Smith 's touching tale of a lonely little sheep-pig . Comic relief from the ewes , subtle special effects and a heartwarming turn from James Cromwell as Farmer Hoggett make this a magical tale for all . 4 . Bugsy Malone -LRB- Alan Parker , 1976 -RRB- Jodie Foster and Scott Baio -LRB- Yes , Chachi from `` Happy Days ! '' -RRB- star in this glorious escapade set in a musical world of pint-sized gangsters and mini-molls . Al Capone for the kids ; just watch out for the splurge guns ... 5 . Oliver ! -LRB- Carol Reed , 1968 -RRB- Jack Wild is delightful as the Artful Dodger , Ron Moody 's devilish Fagin glints with avaricious greed and Shani Willis shines as poor , ill-fated Nancy . But it 's Oliver Reed 's dark and sinister Bill Sykes who stayed with us -- and left us wanting more . 6 . Back to the Future -LRB- Robert Zemeckis , 1985 -RRB- Christopher Lloyd 's mad professor , a Delorean-cum-time machine , rock 'n' roll and a convenient bolt of lightning see Biff the bully get his come-uppance . All that , and a skateboarding Michael J. Fox ? Mr Zemeckis , you spoil us ! 7 . Home Alone -LRB- Chris Columbus , 1990 -RRB- Macaulay Culkin 's abandoned little boy sees off bungling burglars Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern with a series of eye-watering stunts . It proves just how great a child actor Culkin was ; pity the unpopular babysitters who became the victims of copycat pranksters ... 8 . Ghostbusters -LRB- Ivan Reitman , 1984 -RRB- Bill Murray , Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis blast ghostly green monsters to oblivion in this slime-filled romp around NYC , while taking time out to annoy Sigourney Weaver en route . Who you gon na call ? 9 . The Muppet Movie -LRB- James Frawley , 1979 -RRB- Kermit and Co. 's roadtrip to Hollywood is a fabulously fuzzy tale of friendship and following your dreams , but the Muppet Movie 's not just for kids : there 's cameos a-plenty -LRB- Bob Hope , Steve Martin , Richard Pryor , ORSON WELLES ! -RRB- for Dad and smart one-liners by the bucketful for Mom . 10 . Harry Potter -LRB- Various , 2001-present -RRB- The Hogwarts trio 's wizarding adventures , backed by a cast plump with the best of British actors . Fast-paced plots , spellbinding special effects and magical sets , but be warned : it 'll have the li'l critters pestering you to go to boarding school ... And our favorite hide-behind-the-sofa moments ... The Wizard of Oz -LRB- Victor Fleming , 1939 -RRB- `` I 'll get you , my pretty , and your little dog , too ! '' Margaret Hamilton 's green , cackling Wicked Witch of the West is hell-bent on revenging the death of her sister and getting those ruby slippers ; she 'll use deadly poppies and flying monkeys to do it . Terror as a rite of passage . Chitty Chitty Bang Bang -LRB- Ken Hughes , 1968 -RRB- With his battered top hat and lank hair , Robert Helpmann 's creepy Child Catcher prowled from Vulgaria into our nightmares , hoping to catch a whiff of his prey with his unfeasibly long nose . The only film character to give the Wicked Witch of the West a run for her money . Star Wars -LRB- George Lucas , 1977 -RRB- Darth Vader may cast a formidable shadow , but it 's the sound of his labored breathing that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up -- as it gets closer , closer , closer ... Ghostbusters -LRB- Ivan Reitman , 1984 -RRB- Rule 475 of Surviving the Movies : Never go into the basement ! The thick silence in New York 's Central Library masks a phantom infestation -- and they 're not going quietly . As the gray-haired librarian switched to shrieking ghoul , a generation of children was put off reading for life . Jurassic Park -LRB- Steven Spielberg , 1993 -RRB- And again , it 's the sound effects that make the Velociraptors so scary -- as the frighteningly intelligent pack of lizards hunt for Lex and Tim among the kitchen workbenches , their hissing grows ever nearer ... Do n't agree ? Think we 've missed one ? Sound off and read others ' thoughts in the Screening Room blog . E-mail to a friend . | CNN 's The Screening Room picks the top 10 live-action family films . `` E.T. , '' `` Willy Wonka '' and `` Babe '' head the list . Hide-behind-the-sofa moments include `` The Wizard of Oz , '' `` Jurassic Park '' Think we 've missed one ? Post your comments to the Screening Room blog . | [[476, 501], [502, 547], [5217, 5242], [5243, 5248], [5257, 5308]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The second cut in U.S. interest rates in as many weeks is putting further pressure on the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council to reconsider their currencies ' peg with the dollar ; and none more so than Qatar . Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad tells MME Qatar has not made any decisions regarding dropping the dollar-peg . The small emirate has the highest inflation rate in the region , and it threatens to spiral further northward as its government brings Qatari interest rates into line with the U.S. . The Qatar Central Bank lopped half a percentage off its deposit rate after the Federal Reserve sought to stave off recession in the U.S. with an emergency cut of 75 percentage points on January 22 . Eight days later , the Fed moved again , this time with a cut of half a percentage point to take U.S. interest rates to three percent . After the first cut , MME 's John Defterios sat down for an exclusive television interview with Qatar 's Prime Minister , Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Al Thani , who is also the emirate 's Foreign Minister , and controls Qatar 's sovereign wealth fund through the Qatar Investment Authority -LRB- QIA -RRB- . John Defterios started by asking Sheikh Hamad whether the sharp decline in U.S. interest rates was putting too much pressure on Qatar 's dollar-peg . -LRB- HA -RRB- : Oil and gas are saleable in dollars , but most of our imports are not in dollars but in Euros or Asian currencies . All of these currencies went 40 percent to 50 percent above the level which we experienced two years ago . For us , there is a pressure . We know that a decision needs to be made by the Fed because of the situation on the stock market in the United States ; it might be a wise decision . But for countries like the GCC and Qatar , especially Qatar , it puts us under pressure on how to deal with inflation and our currency , which is undervalued already by at least 35 percent . -LRB- JD -RRB- : What is your instinct telling you , to go to a basket of currencies to buffer this fall of the dollar ? -LRB- HA -RRB- : We are studying all options at the moment , but what I can say is that at the GCC meetings in December the agreement was to hold onto the dollar and to see . Every country has to see its way out of this , but only after a consultation with the GCC . For us , our wish is that it 's a policy to be taken by the whole GCC , to either basket or revalue our currency . I can not see a decision . Even in Qatar , we have no decision up to now . -LRB- JD -RRB- : At the December meeting there was a commitment to move forward with the single currency , realistically by 2010 , or is that just a target ? -LRB- HA -RRB- : It 's just a target . I do n't think we will reach that target . -LRB- JD -RRB- : What is a realistic timeline ? -LRB- HA -RRB- : Well , first we need all of us to agree . Most of the GCC countries agree about the currencies but we would like to do it together , and some would like to wait . We can not put a target on when it will be done . -LRB- JD -RRB- : President Bush , during his swing through the Gulf States , was asking the producers to put more oil on the market because of the U.S. recession that may be pending . Is it time for OPEC to put more crude oil onto the market ? -LRB- HA -RRB- : Is there is excess oil to be put on the market ? I am not sure there is more oil . I think all countries at the moment are pumping their capacity , if we are talking in real terms . If we are just telling the market there is some excess if something happens , then that is another situation . In my opinion everyone is at full speed , enjoying high prices , but there is no excess capacity immediately . Maybe there is 200,000 to 300,000 extra with one of the producers , but no more than that . -LRB- JD -RRB- : We have seen oil stabilize around $ 80 per barrel right now . That seems to be the new floor . Can we get to $ 100 per barrel and use that as a new floor within the next 12 months ? -LRB- HA -RRB- : Well , anything is possible , but with the slowdown in the United States , and I do n't know what effect in Asia , $ 70 or $ 80 is more likely than $ 100 this year . Unless the situation changes in the economy , which from what we hear can not be changed so quickly . -LRB- JD -RRB- : We have seen a huge debate over the last four weeks about sovereign wealth funds and President Bush has actually gone to put tighter controls and a greater review of these funds . Do you think it 's correct to provide greater scrutiny to the funds going into the United States and perhaps into Europe ? -LRB- HA -RRB- : I 'm surprised about these talks . We know these talks were more serious six months ago . But after the crisis I think most of the sovereign wealth funds , which have helped in the United States and elsewhere in Europe , this has been welcomed by the government . They are talking about this fund coming from a different space , from another space , and taking over the market . First of all , we are not politically ambitious to play a role in these companies . We do not want to take over companies . Maybe some , but not all . -LRB- JD -RRB- : I have talked to both the OECD and the International Monetary Fund and there is discussion about establishing a set of rules to adhere to for these funds . Would you go to a set of rules that were international in terms of the outlook as opposed to country by country ? -LRB- HA -RRB- : If it is an international rule done by an international body and consulting all the countries , yes . But if there is one country that wants to set its own rules , we will respect their rules as a country , but we have other options to invest somewhere else . -LRB- JD -RRB- : You have a very good dialogue with the White House . Were you surprised by President Bush 's actions ? -LRB- HA -RRB- : Well , I do n't know exactly what he means by this , but let us wait and see what will come . E-mail to a friend . | MME speaks exclusively with Qatar PM Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Al Thani . Sheikh Hamad says Qatar has n't made a decision regarding the dollar-peg . Expresses surprise over talks suggesting greater controls on sovereign funds . On oil capacity : `` I am not sure there is more oil '' , prices of $ 70 - $ 80/bbl likely . | [[866, 885], [888, 985], [234, 347], [275, 347], [2478, 2509], [4589, 4603], [4606, 4640], [3338, 3371], [3800, 3863], [4116, 4166], [4080, 4159]] |
MIAMI , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An internationally known Catholic priest sometimes called `` Father Oprah '' has been removed from his posts in Florida after published photos showed him lying down bare-chested in an embrace with a woman on a beach . The photos of the Cuban-American priest appeared on the cover of this week 's TV Notas magazine . The Rev. Alberto Cutie -LRB- pronounced koo-tee-AYE -RRB- -- who got the nickname `` Father Oprah '' because of the advice he gives on Spanish-language media -- remains a priest . But he was relieved Tuesday of his duties at St. Francis De Sales Church in Miami Beach , Florida , and at the Radio Paz and Radio Peace networks , said a `` deeply saddened '' Miami , Florida , Archbishop John C. Favalora . The photos of the Cuban-American priest appeared on the cover and on eight inside pages of this week 's TV Notas magazine . The cover says in Spanish : `` Good God . Padre Alberto . First photos of a priest ` in flagrante ' with his lover . '' In a message posted on the Miami archdiocese Web page , the archbishop apologized to parishioners and radio listeners for what he called a `` scandal . '' `` Father Cutie made a promise of celibacy and all priests are expected to fulfill that promise with the help of God , '' Favalora said . `` Father Cutie 's actions can not be condoned despite the good works he has done as a priest . '' Cutie apologized in an online statement Tuesday , saying he `` wants to ask for forgiveness if my actions have caused pain and sadness . ... I assure you that my service and dedication to God remain intact . '' Watch pictures that led to priest 's dismissal . '' Other media outlets throughout Latin America , including the official Notimex news agency in Mexico , picked up the story on Tuesday , and it became an Internet sensation . Cutie has millions of followers in the Spanish-speaking world . `` We got a bunch of calls from sobbing women , '' said Miami archdiocese spokeswoman Mary Ross Agosta . Archdiocese officials declined to say where Cutie was Tuesday or what his new assignment might be . A woman who answered the telephone Wednesday at St. Francis De Sales said , `` He is no longer here . '' The identity of the woman in the photos remained publicly unknown Wednesday . Cutie was ordained in May 1995 and was the first Catholic priest to host a daily talk show on a major secular television network , his information on the LinkedIn online professional network says . In addition to his TV and radio appearances , he has written newspaper advice columns and a self-help book , `` Real Life , Real Love . '' He was president and general director of Pax Catholic Communications , home of Radio Paz and Radio Peace in Miami . CNN 's John Zarrella and Arthur Brice contributed to this report . | Miami archbishop apologized for what he called a `` scandal ' The Rev. Alberto Cutie says his `` service and dedication to God remain intact '' Priest wrote self-help book `` Real Life , Real Love '' | [[1000, 1012], [1056, 1151], [1533, 1599], [2522, 2584]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sri Lanka 's prime minister warned Saturday that his country `` stands on the brink , '' as its soldiers cornered Tamil Tiger fighters in an assault that is trapping more than 50,000 civilians on a small plot of coastal land . Sri Lanka 's defense ministry says this handout photo shows troops with a captured Tamil Tiger craft Thursday . The United Nations estimated the number of civilians , who were trapped on about 1.5 square miles -LRB- four square kilometers -RRB- of land . Government troops seized the last remaining coastal stretch under the control of Tamil Tiger rebels , the Ministry of Defense said Saturday , marking a possible end to more than 25 years of fighting in the island nation . The seizure marks the total capture of coastline territory previously controlled by the rebels , it said , after army divisions advanced from the north and south to link up . An army source told CNN that about two square kilometers in the region remain to be captured , and that military officials expect that to happen in a couple of days . The rebels -- formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam -LRB- LTTE -RRB- -- have fought for an independent state for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka since 1983 . As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began . `` Sri Lanka stands on the brink , '' Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickremanayake said in a written statement . Watch aid agencies fear for Sri Lanka '' `` We have called repeatedly for the violence to cease . The humanitarian agencies must be granted access to civilians caught in the crossfire of a dreadful conflict . Watch iReporter Thileepan 's footage of the `` safe zone '' '' `` We are backing U.N. efforts to secure an orderly end to the conflict . The LTTE must lay down its arms and allow civilians to leave . Sri Lanka must understand that there will be consequences for its actions . '' No formal declaration of victory is expected at least until Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa returns to the country from Amman , Jordan , where he is attending the World Economic Forum . In an address to the summit in Amman on Saturday , Rajapaksa said the Sri Lankan armed forces had defeated the rebels . `` I will be going back to my country Sri Lanka that has been totally freed from the barbaric acts of terrorism of the LTTE . This freedom comes after 30 long years . '' `` Our economic prosperity must essentially rest upon global peace and stability . Terrorism has for decades denied us this right . All eleven countries gathered here today have suffered the effects of terrorism , some more than others . `` Terrorism has raised its ugly head in different forms from time to time and destroyed all development initiatives in most of our countries '' he said . On Friday , the Navy arrested the wife of Soosai , a leader of Sea Tigers -- the ocean-going arm of the rebel group . His daughter and son-in-law were also arrested . Navy officials , quoting those who were arrested , said Tigers leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is believed to be inside the area of the latest fighting . Other sources have said he has escaped . CNN 's Iqbal Athas contributed to this report . | No formal declaration of victory expected until President Mahinda Rajapaksa returns . PM : Country is on the brink , we have called for violence to stop . Rebels have fought for an independent state for minority Tamils since 1983 . Navy officials : Tigers leader Velupillai Prabhakaran believed to be in area of fighting . | [[0, 15], [47, 102], [1307, 1339], [1457, 1513], [1490, 1513], [1065, 1078], [1097, 1236], [2947, 2961], [2998, 3098]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- With an unbroken chain of blockbuster hits under their belt -- including `` Toy Story , '' `` Finding Nemo , '' `` The Incredibles , '' `` Cars '' and many others -- the talented team of men and women who work for Pixar seem to have the Midas touch . An elderly balloon salesman uproots his house with the help of thousands of balloons in `` Up . '' Their latest endeavor , `` Up , '' follows the life of Carl Fredricksen , a balloon salesman who has recently lost the love of his life , Ellie . Now in his golden years , Carl decides it 's finally time to make Ellie 's lifelong wish come true -- to visit Paradise Falls in South America . He quickly becomes aware he has a stowaway : Russell , a young Wilderness Explorer who 's trying to earn one more merit badge . It 's the unusual form of transportation that Carl chooses that creates the backdrop for this week 's `` The Scene . '' Watch the balloons take off '' CNN traveled to Emeryville , California -- the site of the famous Pixar campus -- and sat down with actor Ed Asner , who lends his voice to Carl ; technical director Steve May ; and co-director Pete Docter to get behind The Scene . Ed Asner : Well , the first 10-15 minutes , that 's a grabber . Nobody can resist it . Steve May : Even though we have a cartoony world , you are trying to make the audience believe that the world and the characters exist . The biggest challenges were a flying house that flies underneath a big canopy of balloons . So , if we can kind of capture that on the computer and animate our balloons to look believable too , then the audience will believe that the house can fly . Pete Docter : There is an amazing group of computer scientists that really approach these things both as an artist but also as a scientist . May : You have thousands of balloons that all interact with each other , and all the balloons have strings , so this is a very complex animation problem . Docter : They think about the physics of the balloons . They bump into each other , they can turn wind up or down so they can dynamically move , and then you get the strings that attach those balloons to the house . It 's a fairly complex mathematical problem . We tried to make things more like a window you look into , opposed to things coming out at you . May : And then when Russell is on the front porch of the house and you look down and see how far down it is , the audience is scared . Docter : This one I really feel close to , and weirdly , even though it 's a film about a 70-year-old man who floats his house away , I feel it 's a really personal film . | `` Up '' is latest Pixar animated film ; concerns an old man seeking adventure . Key scene involves attaching balloons to his house , taking off into sky . `` Up 's '' makers say animators , programmers had to pay attention to physics and art . | [[1395, 1486], [1423, 1486]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When a film cast includes names like Ben Stiller , Robin Williams and Owen Wilson , a bit of improvisation on set is to be expected . Ben Stiller and the gang are back in `` Night at the Museum : Battle of the Smithsonian . '' `` I think the movie is really only 25 percent scripted , maybe even less than that , '' said Shawn Levy , director of the new film `` Night at the Museum : Battle of the Smithsonian , '' which boasts those comedic actors and several others . `` It just so happens that the scenes that get some of the biggest laughs are the improvised scenes , so it feels like more than that , but we had a very good script and it 's still very much there . '' The sequel to 2006 's `` Night at the Museum '' welcomes back the trio and director as well as other original cast members , including British actor Ricky Gervais , while also adding fresh faces such as Hank Azaria -LRB- as a villainous pharaoh -RRB- and Amy Adams -LRB- as Amelia Earhart -RRB- . Watch the group laugh about the film '' The new romp features Stiller 's character , security guard Larry Daley , in action at the Smithsonian , where some of the pieces from the Museum of Natural History -- the setting for the original movie -- are now being housed . Story writer Robert Ben Garant said watching the actors take the script and run with it was painless . `` It 's always hard to watch bad actors improv on your skit , '' Garant said . `` But when it 's Ben Stiller and Jonah Hill and Hank , it 's such a pleasure because it always starts with the idea of our script and sometimes they stick to the words , but most of the time they do stuff much , much funnier and weirder . It 's really great to watch . '' Owen Wilson is back as Jedidiah the miniature cowboy , who is now being held hostage at the Smithsonian . Azaria turns up the mean as Kahmunrah , the bitter brother of the pharaoh from the last film . Azaria said he thoroughly enjoyed his turn as the film 's resident bad guy . `` When the villain is this ridiculous , it 's fun , '' Azaria said . `` When he actually has a sense of humor and self-awareness , and goes from frivolous to really mean bully . '' `` In the end I had to be forced to do the mean stuff because I always wanted to do the silly stuff , '' he added . `` But watching it ... I enjoyed the mean stuff the most . '' Even with the good times on set , filming at the iconic Smithsonian was a monumental task , given that it was n't always closed while the actors worked . Stiller said the crowds who watched the movie making magic were respectful and quiet during filming , often breaking into applause after a scene . `` We were n't really doing much , it was just the best audience in the world , '' he said . `` So it was sort of like doing a live show at the Smithsonian . '' Funny man Stiller even got to monkey around on set -- literally . In this film , there were two simians that took on the actor in a scene that found him getting the short end of the branch . `` I basically get slapped by both of them , but I am not allowed to slap them back because of animal rights , so I have to slap a dummy or a tennis ball when they 're off-screen , '' Stiller told the British newspaper , The Mirror . `` It 's a weird experience . '' Robin Williams , who is recovering from heart surgery , said he was excited to return as Theodore Roosevelt -- this time with a twist . `` I got to play two versions of Teddy Roosevelt , '' Williams said . `` One , the Teddy that was in the first movie and the other was kind of a brassy , bitchy Teddy and the one that 's a bust of Teddy Roosevelt . '' With so many comics on board , it ca n't help but be a zany ride . Wilson said he believes those good times will translate to the audience . `` Shawn was really great about kind of letting people try things , '' he said . `` So it just had that kind of spirit on it where everybody was having a good time . I think you kind of feel it when watching the movie . '' Director Levy said the actors were n't the only ones who had fun . It 's not every day a crew has access to the secret life of a museum , especially the Smithsonian , and Levy immersed himself in the privilege . `` It 's such a fun world to explore , it 's so dynamic , and the possibilities are literally endless , '' he said . `` I just love telling these stories . '' Since filming was such a blast , might there be a `` Night at the Museum 3 '' in the works ? `` Ask me after Memorial Day , '' Levy said , laughing . | `` Night at the Museum : Battle of the Smithsonian '' reunites cast and director . Director says cast improvised much of the film . Movie is sequel to a 2006 film . Ben Stiller got into a slap fest with a pair of monkeys . | [[103, 132], [136, 152], [2880, 2892], [2895, 2951], [3008, 3047]] |
BUENOS AIRES , Argentina -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It is the most popular photograph in history : Argentine revolutionary Ernesto `` Che '' Guevara stares pensively at the horizon , his steely eyes shielded behind a thick beard and his trademark beret . The shot -- taken by Cuban photographer Alberto Korda in Havana on March 5 , 1960 -- turned the charismatic and controversial leader into a cultural icon . Che 's image , here advertising soda , is still seen around the world . Now , nearly a half-century later , the photograph is used by communists and capitalists , Marxists and marketers to sell ideas . In his new book , `` Che 's Afterlife : The Legacy of an Image '' -LRB- Vintage Books -RRB- , journalist Michael Casey examines how this photograph came to take on a life of its own and become the most reproduced photograph in the world . `` The Korda photograph can be seen on t-shirts , beach towels and condoms , even , '' he said . `` And it is in all corners of the world . You can find it in East Timor , parts of Africa , Israel , as well as Lebanon . You can see it in the United States and here in Latin America . And what this book is trying to do is discover why . What made this thing so big ? So universal ? '' The life of Che , the Argentine-born doctor turned revolutionary , has been well documented since his death in a Bolivian jungle in 1967 . Countless books have been written about his role in leading Fidel Castro 's Cuban revolution and translated into dozens of languages . Hollywood has given Che the treatment twice : in 2004 's `` Motorcycle Diaries '' and last year in a two-part biopic starring Benicio Del Toro . Last month , `` Che : The Musical '' premiered at the Konex Cultural Center in Buenos Aires . What Casey -- the Buenos Aires bureau chief for Dow Jones Newswires -- discovered during three years of investigation throughout Latin America for the book , was that Korda 's image became so popular because it was promoted by people from all walks of life , including Castro , pop-artist Andy Warhol and countless students from Paris , Berkeley and beyond , who embraced the image as a symbol of rebellion during an era when the world was aching for change . `` Whether or not people believe in Che 's hard-line version of Marxism , they want hope , '' Casey said . `` They want hope and beauty -- and somehow both of those things are encapsulated in this image . And so you get people investing their dreams in it . I think that is at the heart of it , with all these other forces : political , artistic , marketing , economic , all coming together in a way that really makes it a ubiquitous brand . '' Watch author Michael Casey discuss the Che Guevara image '' The brand , Casey writes , is the `` quintessential post-modern icon '' but may be surpassed by a newer image : artist Shepard Fairey 's Barack Obama `` Hope '' poster , which Obama used during his run to the White House . `` I think that Obama is extremely cognizant of the power of images , '' Casey said . '' -LSB- The ` Hope ' -RSB- poster is very much caught up in some of these forces that moved Che forward . They are very different people , obviously , but that 's only part of the point . `` Part of the point is that the U.S. is engaged in a battle of brands , always has been . ` Uncle Sam vs. Che ' if you really want to boil it down to what Latin America and its ugly history in part has been , '' he said . `` So , part of the United States ' battle to improve relations with the region is improving its image . And in some respects you now have an alternative brand with Obama . The previous brand did not sell very well in Latin America . The new brand is getting off to a much better start . '' So while U.S. relations with Latin America , and much of the world , look to be changing , it 's safe to say that the Che image -- and its ability to mean all things to all people -- will likely always stay the same . | Photo of revolutionary Che Guevara is the most reproduced image in history . Michael Casey examines how photo became `` quintessential post-modern icon '' The picture was taken on March 5 , 1960 by Cuban photographer Alberto Korda . The image is now seen around the world , on everything from t-shirts to condoms . | [[44, 88], [403, 415], [445, 474], [605, 620], [699, 843], [2719, 2731], [2734, 2778], [247, 321], [332, 402], [403, 415], [445, 474], [844, 918], [948, 983]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Of all of the calculations Zainab Ibrahim made during her accounting career in Baghdad , this one was a snap . Iraqi refugee Zainab Ibrahim lives in a modest , sparsely furnished apartment outside Atlanta , Georgia . After a bullet whizzed by her head and death threats showed up at her doorstep , it was time , she figured , to leave . She went to Jordan four years ago and arrived last June at her ultimate destination -- the United States . Once a target of insurgents because her job at the Iraqi Finance Ministry involved working with the U.S. military , Ibrahim is now trying to avoid another pitfall -- falling through the cracks of America 's recession . She and thousands of refugees across America who fled war and persecution just ca n't seem to find full-time jobs in a weak economy . And that just does n't add up for Ibrahim , who has bachelor 's and master 's degrees in accounting from Baghdad University and risked her life for the U.S. government . `` It 's everybody 's dream being in the United States . I thought I would get the opportunity I always dreamed about , '' she said in fluent English in her sparsely furnished apartment outside Atlanta , Georgia . `` I 'm really shocked . I found out everything is slow . '' View video highlights from her interview '' The recession has made life tough nationwide for refugees . `` It 's the most challenging time I 've seen and I 've been doing this work for 25 years , '' said Robert J. Carey , vice president of resettlement and migration policy at the International Rescue Committee , one of several nonprofit organizations that the U.S. government pays to resettle refugees . Lavinia Limon , president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants , says , `` it 's a significant problem . '' `` All refugees are required to become self-sufficient in a very fast time period . Our program is designed with that in mind . There is n't a long-term basis of support , '' said Anastasia Brown , director of refugee programs for the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops . `` What we have right now is a situation where it 's becoming more and more difficult to find employment in a very short time period . '' The U.S. government resettles a limited number of refugees each year . They have full legal rights to live and work in the United States and can apply to become U.S. citizens after five years . Both the U.S. State and the Health and Human Services departments pay for limited refugee services . The State Department allocation for living expenses per refugee on arrival to the country is $ 450 , a sum the department calls `` modest . '' Individual refugees also are eligible to get eight months of cash assistance and medical assistance under the HHS ' Office of Refugee Resettlement . Depending on states ' eligibility requirements , refugee families could be eligible for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families and Medicaid . State governments stipulate welfare benefit cash levels . There are five years ' worth of social services , such as English language instruction . Refugee agencies across America pursue various state and federal programs that can help newcomers stay afloat , but they say they rely more and more on private donations to help provide food , clothing , money and furniture . That increasing reliance on community support shows that the U.S. program for resettling refugees needs reform , resettlement agencies argue . Three agencies -- Church World Service , Episcopal Migration Ministries , and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service -- said in a recent statement that `` the recession is making it harder for refugee newcomers to find jobs within 180 days of arrival as the program prescribes . '' They said the government 's `` one-size-fits-all '' approach -- the $ 450 per refugee and eight months of limited cash assistance plus food stamps and Medicaid -- `` reflects neither what resettlement actually costs nor the importance the U.S. refugee program holds in U.S. foreign policy , '' they said . The public-private partnership that has been the `` genius '' of the U.S. program has `` fallen out of balance , '' with the private sector is bearing much of the cost , these agencies say . More than 60,000 refugees were admitted to the United States during the fiscal year 2008 , according to figures from the State Department 's Bureau of Population , Refugees and Migration . The largest number was from Burma , with 18,139 . There were 13,823 from Iraq . Traditionally , refugees -- no matter their skill level -- have had a better chance of landing menial jobs , in places like hotels or restaurants or in plants with low-paying and arduous jobs . Now refugees are competing with Americans for low-paying jobs . Many are having a hard time finding the non-skilled positions . Refugee support agencies are scouring the job market , exploring job opportunities on farms as well as work in other sectors of the economy , said Carey , the International Rescue Committee senior vice president . He 's also chairman of the Refugee Council USA , a coalition of non-government organizations helping refugees . `` For the first time I 'm aware of , '' he said , `` large numbers of refugees are receiving eviction notices . '' It 's even hard for those refugees who go places where they have friends , relatives or members of their same faith . In San Diego , California , Iraqi Chaldean Christian refugees are facing strains despite having access to an established Chaldean community , said Michael McKay , refugees services department director of Catholic Charities in San Diego . There 's `` great competition '' for jobs , from menial to highly skilled . Several Iraqis in San Diego have even talked about returning to Iraq . Yet some communities still have those one or two big employers with jobs well-suited to newcomers . In Bowling Green , Kentucky , refugees from Burma , Burundi , Iraq , Cuba and Bhutan have over the years found low-paying factory jobs that Americans shun , such as work at a Perdue Farms chicken processing plant , said James Robinson , executive director of The Bowling Green International Center . How long will that last ? `` We 're good now , '' said Robinson . `` But you never know what tomorrow will bring . '' Back in Atlanta , Zainab Ibrahim makes no bones about how she feels : She wants work in her field , as an accountant , not just any job . But she knows she has to recalibrate her goals . She worked from September to November as a foreign language specialist with the U.S. Army in Mississippi , working with soldiers before they deployed to Iraq . During tax season this year , she worked another temporary job , as an assistant office manager and tax preparer for the Tax Service of America Inc. . Yet to her dismay , she has been unable to find what she covets -- a full-time job . She has produced a resume , gone to job fairs , and applied for clerical and administrative full-time jobs at places like hotels . She mines the job sites on the Web every day , using a computer at the public library because she ca n't afford Internet or cable service at home . David Oliver , the IRC job developer who works with her , said `` the recession is a big factor '' in her predicament . She is competing with other Americans for jobs and , he said , `` I think employers prefer to take somebody whose work experience is recognizable . '' Along with refugee cash assistance and food stamps , Ibrahim saved money from her part-time jobs , and her family in the Middle East is ready to help her as they did when she lived in Jordan . Living frugally , she has been able to pay $ 600 a month to rent her sparsely furnished apartment . She has a $ 60 a month phone bill and a fluctuating power bill that once reached $ 240 a month . There 's $ 50 to $ 60 a week in food and then gas for her car . Ibrahim 's money is running out , and she wonders whether she will be able to pay her next month 's rent . Oliver says there 's help , such as IRC emergency funds and local rent assistance , but Ibrahim yearns to support herself , to pay her own way . Her struggles disappoint Louis Culpepper , president and chief executive officer of Culpepper & Associates Security Services in Atlanta . Ibrahim worked for his firm in Baghdad , and Culpepper called her a `` real go-getter . '' `` I really feel bad about it that someone who put her life on the line ca n't get a job , '' he said . Ibrahim exudes optimism and determination despite her frustrations . She reminds herself that she survived the war and is still living a dream in America . And she applied for a job not long ago . `` Keep your fingers crossed , '' she said . | More than 60,000 refugees were admitted to the U.S. in FY 2008 . Finding jobs proves difficult as U.S. economy in downturn . State Department allocation for living expenses per refugee on arrival is $ 450 . Charities , churches can take up the slack but they are feeling the recession pinch . | [[4250, 4338], [4250, 4275], [4341, 4438], [682, 726], [756, 815], [2086, 2093], [2112, 2220], [2519, 2617]] |
PHNOM PENH , Cambodia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cambodia has sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council to call attention to its continuing standoff with Thailand over an ancient border temple on disputed land . Cambodian soldiers stand guard near Preah Vihear temple , close to the Thai border . The country is not asking for U.N. intervention , said Information Minister Kheu Kanharith . Rather , the letter that Cambodia 's permanent mission in New York submitted to the chairmen of the Security Council and the General Assembly is meant to draw attention to a crisis that entered its sixth day Sunday . The two countries agreed to meet Monday to defuse tensions -- even as each side continued to amass more troops to the site of the Preah Vihear temple . Both Cambodia and Thailand lay claim to the 11th century temple , which sits atop a cliff on Cambodian soil but has its most accessible entrance on the Thai side . The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962 . Thailand claims , however , that the 1.8 square mile -LRB- 4.6 sq. km -RRB- area around it was never fully demarcated . Thailand further says that the dispute arose from the fact that the Cambodian government used a map drawn during the French occupation of Cambodia that places both the temple and the surrounding area in that country 's territory . Earlier this month , the United Nations approved Cambodia 's application to have the temple listed as a World Heritage Site -- places the U.N. says have outstanding universal value . The decision re-ignited tensions , with some in Thailand fearing it will make it difficult for their country to lay claim to disputed land around the temple . Opposition parties in Thailand used the issue to attack the government , which initially backed the heritage listing . A Thai court overturned the pact , prompting the resignation of Thailand 's foreign minister , Noppadon Pattama . He had endorsed the application . Cambodia , meanwhile , is preparing for general elections on July 27 . And Prime Minister Hun Sen , who has been in power since the mid-1980s , has portrayed the U.N. recognition as a national triumph . The current flare-up began Tuesday , when Cambodian guards briefly detained three Thais who crossed into the area . Once they were let go , the three refused to leave the territory . Cambodia claims Thailand sent troops to retrieve the trio and gradually built up their numbers . Thailand denies the charge , saying its troops are deployed in Thai territory . Each side has asked its troops to withhold fire unless they are fired upon . So far , the only casualty has been a Thai soldier who was injured Tuesday by a landmine -- possibly left over from the time the Khmer Rouge occupied the area . The Khmer Rouge , a radical communist movement that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 , won power through a guerrilla war . It is remembered for the deaths of as many as 1.5 million Cambodians . -- Journalist Soeum Yin contributed to this report . | Cambodia : Letter to Security Council meant to ` draw attention to crisis ' The two countries agreed to meet Monday to defuse tensions . Both Cambodia and Thailand lay claim to 11th century Preah Vihear temple . The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962 . | [[41, 214], [610, 689], [762, 825], [926, 1001]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- On a plot of soil , nestled against the backdrop of skyscrapers in downtown Atlanta , Georgia , a group of residents are turning a lack of access to fresh produce into a revival of old traditions and self-empowerment . Urban farming is a way for African-Americans to connect with the earth , says Cashawn Myers of HABESHA . HABESHA Gardens is one of many urban gardens sprouting up around the country . Fruits and vegetables are thriving in this community garden located in an economically depressed area of the city known as Mechanicsville . But the garden serves an even greater purpose . The harvest helps feed some of the neediest members of the neighborhood . `` It 's a reawakening going on . It 's almost like it 's a renaissance , '' says Cashawn Myers , director of HABESHA Inc. . `` There 's a Ghanaian proverb that says Sankofa . Sankofa means return to your past so you can move forward . Even if you look at coming over here during our enslavement , we were brought here to cultivate the land because that 's something we did on the continent . So really , that 's what many of the people are doing now , '' he said . Myers believes urban farming is a way for many African-Americans to reconnect with their past . iReport.com : Show us your urban farm . `` They are going through a process of Sankofa and going to what they traditionally did , which is connect to the Earth so they can move forward and grow , '' he says . But HABESHA Gardens is n't unique . Former pro basketball player Will Allen , who is considered to be one of the nation 's leading urban farmers and founder of Growing Power Inc. , estimates that there are hundreds of thousands of urban gardens in inner cities across America . Urban farms help feed people , sustain neighorhoods '' `` It 's beyond a movement at this point . Its more like a revolution , '' says Allen . Both Allen and Myers agree that the boom in urban farming for African-Americans is born out of necessity and not just echoing traditions . `` Minority people are affected by poor food , more than any other groups , '' and many inner cities lack access to quality fruits and vegetables , Allen says . `` Our food system is broken . '' `` When you 're poor , when you do n't have access to resources , you have to create your own , '' says Myers . `` So this is a way for people of African descent to use their creativity to grow their own food . '' Many poorer communities do n't have full-scale grocery stores . Allen charges that companies have red-lined those areas and wo n't build stores there . So community activists like Myers have taken up the fight . '' -LSB- Starting -RSB- community gardens in local communities , specifically in urban areas , is important , so you create your own food security network , '' says Myers . `` You 're not relying on large grocery stores to provide food for everyone because if those grocery stores have problems , your access to food is done . '' HABESHA Gardens makes the fresh food accessible to people in Mechanicsville by opening up the garden to people in the community every Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. `` We invite people from the local community here , the immediate community but also from the greater Atlanta community ... to come out , work in the garden ; learn , reconnect with the Earth and also be able to take food home with them after the harvest . '' In addition to providing food for those that work in garden , HABESHA partners with organizations such as the Atlanta Community Food Bank and the MLK Senior Center to provide food from the garden to the hungry and elders in the community . HABESHA is more than just an urban garden . HABESHA , an acronym for Helping Africa By Establishing Schools at Home and Abroad . The organization mentors young African-Americans by sending them on a yearly trip to Ghana and educates the youth in Mechanicsville through the garden 's after-school program called Sustainable Seeds . `` Not only are we teaching them about agriculture , -LSB- we 're -RSB- teaching them about solar technology , rainwater catching , '' Myers says . `` A majority of the food that was planted here was done by the youth in the after-school program . They helped to build the shed , they helped to build the greenhouse , they helped to build the shade nursery ... They are very much a vital part of the process that goes on here . '' Malik Parks , 12 , is a member of HABESHA 's mentoring program . `` Well , it feeds us . That 's a big thing -- to know that we 're helping the earth . Us planting it , that gives us exercise ; then also , eating it gives us nutrients , '' says Parks . Sporting a `` Black to Our Roots '' T-shirt , Parks is already well aware of the higher purpose he and HABESHA have with their garden . `` I believe to some , its hope . I know there are a lot of people over here that live in poverty . I know you can come and pick food , so that 's food for them , '' Parks says . `` So it 's hope to stay alive longer and be energized and do what you have to do to get back on your feet . '' Myers , who is his mentor , agrees . `` We encourage the people in the community to come , be a part of the process of growing the food , so it 's more empowerment than it is giving as charity , '' says Myers . And with urban farms like Will Allen 's becoming half-million dollar enterprises in Milwaukee , Wisconsin , Chicago , Illinois , and many other farms in New York City and Detroit , Michigan , urban gardening is spreading like the roots of the vegetables they grow . `` This has become a multicultural , multigenerational movement , a revolution , '' says Allen . `` This is n't just the hippies and tree huggers . Everyone is getting on board . It 's really exciting . '' | HABESHA Gardens is one of many urban farms sprouting up around the country . Cashawn Myers says it 's important for urban areas to create their own food sources . HABESHA offers mentoring programs , harvests food to feed the local community . Allen : Urban farming is a ` multicultural , multigenerational movement , a revolution ' | [[361, 415], [387, 439], [628, 701], [2984, 3111], [3467, 3644], [5564, 5642]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Before lighting up that patriotic sparkler this weekend , remember to play it safe . The Consumer Product Safety Commission uses mannequins to show the dangers of fireworks . That was the message from the Consumer Product Safety Commission Tuesday , which put out an early July Fourth holiday warning urging families to put safety first when celebrating with fireworks . `` We know that 70 percent of all -LSB- fireworks-related -RSB- accidents occur between June 20 and July 20 , '' commission head Inez Tenenbaum said during a demonstration of fireworks safety on the National Mall . `` This is the time of year that people are using fireworks . '' Tenenbaum noted that the largest number of young people injured by fireworks are between the ages of 14 to 17 . Learn more about fireworks-related injuries '' According to the latest report from the CPSC , there were seven fireworks-related deaths and roughly 7,000 reported injuries in 2008 . Tenenbaum stressed that parents should always supervise young people around fireworks and that consumers should only buy legal products . Watch the CPSC warnings about fireworks '' `` Never pick up a firework that is a dud -LSB- and -RSB- has n't fired , because it might go off in your hand , '' she added . After Tenenbaum spoke , government lab technicians demonstrated some of the potentially deadly consequences that can result from a failure to observe basic firework safety . Using mannequins posed in typical outdoor settings , the technicians showed how a simple sparkler often used by children can easily cause clothing to catch fire . They also demonstrated the explosive power of cherry bombs , among other things , using them to blow up large watermelons . In another setting , they showed how professional-grade and illegal fireworks often use faster-burning fuses , which do not give the person lighting enough time to get away . `` Parents need to exercise caution and make certain they 're buying fireworks that comply with their state and local and county ordinances , '' Tenenbaum warned . | Consumer Product Safety Commission put warning on fireworks out Friday . 70 percent of fireworks accidents occur between June 20 and July 20 , says CPSC . Largest number of young people injured by fireworks are between 14 and 17 . | [[231, 277], [286, 330], [1113, 1155], [205, 277], [401, 544], [681, 792], [724, 757], [702, 736], [758, 792]] |
MOSCOW , Russia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Russian serial murderer dubbed the `` Chessboard Killer '' was given the maximum sentence of life in prison Monday and ordered to undergo psychiatric therapy for a string of at least 48 murders that terrorized Moscow for years . A Moscow jury convicted Alexander Pichushkin last week of 48 murders and three attempted murders . Pichushkin claimed he had actually committed 60 murders , though prosecutors were unable to find evidence to prove that . Pichushkin earned the nickname `` Chessboard Killer '' for saying he had intended to kill one person for each of the 64 squares on a chessboard . In ordering Pichushkin to receive compulsory psychiatric therapy , the judge said the defendant has a mental disorder but is still sane and can not avoid responsibility for his crimes . Throughout his trial , Pichushkin gloated over his crimes and ridiculed the police case against him . `` I was dismayed my work had been attributed to others , '' Pichushkin said . `` In one week , I killed two people . If they had n't caught me , I would have never stopped . Having caught me , they saved many lives . '' Watch video report on serial killer Alexander Pichushkin . For years until his arrest in June 2006 , Pichushkin kept Moscow on edge , stalking the heavily forested Bitsa Park on the city 's southern outskirts and preying on the homeless and elderly . Pichushkin claimed to have committed all but one of his murders in the park . He lured his victims with the promise of alcohol and , after getting them drunk on vodka , he beat them to death and dumped their bodies in the park . It led Russian media to give Pichushkin his other nickname , the `` Bitsa Maniac . '' Over the years , Russian police recovered dozens of corpses , some with sticks and vodka bottles rammed into their skulls . But the crucial lead came in 2005 , when a woman Pichushkin worked with at a vegetable store was found dead . She had left a note at her home saying she was going for a walk with him . Pichushkin said he had been aware of the note but killed her anyway . E-mail to a friend . CNN Correspondent Matthew Chance contributed to this report . | Moscow court sentences serial killer to maximum sentence of life in prison . Alexander Pichushkin was found guilty of killing 48 people . He was ordered to undergo psychiatric treatment at the prison . | [[9, 25], [75, 151], [9, 31], [156, 230], [214, 230], [236, 265], [266, 364], [9, 31], [156, 230], [633, 697]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Early in Michael Mann 's vivid , incisive , but half-cocked gangster opus `` Public Enemies , '' Johnny Depp 's John Dillinger returns to jail a few scant months after leaving it . Johnny Depp plays the charismatic John Dillinger in `` Public Enemies . '' Only this time he 's just visiting -- and he 's taking his friends out with him . It 's an audacious opening gambit , and when the getaway gets messy -- one of the gang panics and soon bullets are flying all over the place -- we glimpse another insight into what makes Dillinger tick . As he clings to a wounded comrade for dear life , and stares death long in the face , he has to make a decision : What to do with the guy who panicked and brought this upon them ? Dillinger lets him go . Based on Bryan Burrough 's well-sourced account of the Depression-era crime wave that gave rise not only to Dillinger , but also to a whole gallery of criminal poster boys -- Machine Gun Kelly , Pretty Boy Floyd , Baby Face Nelson , the Barker gang , Bonnie and Clyde -- `` Public Enemies '' whittles the book down to its most dramatic duel : the nationwide manhunt for Dillinger presided over by J. Edgar Hoover -LRB- a knockout Billy Crudup -RRB- and led by his Chicago , Illinois , bureau chief , Melvin Purvis -LRB- Christian Bale -RRB- . Dillinger and Purvis assumed folk-hero proportions in their day . According to Burrough , when newsreels showed Dillinger -- public enemy No. 1 -- he was applauded more loudly than the president . A 20th-century Jesse James , he was an underdog with a reputation for fairness . It was said he never killed anybody , and he was gallant and jocular with members of the public , once offering his overcoat to a kidnapped bank teller he had taken as a human shield . The role is tailor-made for a self-styled rebel like Depp . He understands the outlaw 's swagger , the ferocity that sits hand in glove with his soft-spoken sensitivity . All the romance in the picture comes from Depp : the graceful ease with which he vaults a bank railing , his astonishing self-confidence and his dedicated courtship of hat-check girl Billie Frechette -LRB- an eager Marion Cotillard -RRB- . She 's swept up less by the high life he promises than the passionate conviction of his pitch . Burrough paints Purvis as an ineffectual , even inept agent who was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to nab Floyd , Nelson and Dillinger . The movie has no truck with such revisionism , but betrays little interest in Bale 's dour , narrow lawman . The film 's parallel cop-and-robber structure recalls Mann 's modern classic , `` Heat . '' Purvis and Dillinger meet only once -- to talk -- and then face off just once more , at the climax , to kill and be killed . If the confrontation of Bale and Depp does n't pack the same iconic punch as `` Heat 's '' Al Pacino and Robert De Niro , the -LRB- entirely fictitious -RRB- exchange in a Midwestern jail cell remains central to the film . At one point , Dillinger reprimands Purvis for shooting down Pretty Boy Floyd , extending the poetic license still further -- as a point of historical fact Floyd died several months after Dillinger , and though Purvis was at the scene he almost certainly did n't pull the trigger . But Purvis did coordinate the execution of John Dillinger , an assassination as much as it was an attempted arrest , and maybe the nastiest crime in the picture . So when the incarcerated Depp advises the smug Bale that he should find a different line of work for his own peace of mind , his words carry a certain weight . Still , the movie 's resolve to take Dillinger at face value feels a bit perfunctory , even old hat . At 140 minutes it takes a long time to find its rhythm ; indeed , this is one film that would be better if it were 20 minutes longer . Still , there 's little here that Arthur Penn did n't anticipate 40 years ago in `` Bonnie and Clyde , '' except maybe the intriguing idea that organized crime pulled the plug on the old-style go-it-alone bank robber in a belated attempt to forestall Hoover 's dream of a federal law enforcement agency . For all its loving period detail , the movie scarcely notices the desperate poverty of the times . Shot largely on high definition video , `` Public Enemies '' does n't look like the old gangster films -- it looks like TV . The images gain in immediacy what is lost in luster , but left this spectator looking for more texture , more depth -- more heat . iReport.com : Depp 's best film ? One of the new Hollywood 's last great stylists , Mann is well aware of the sacrifice involved in this transition . You can see it in the loving way he pictures Johnny Depp 's doomed Dillinger watching Clark Gable 's doomed gangster embrace his fate in `` Manhattan Melodrama '' while Purvis and his deputies assume their places outside Chicago 's Biograph Theater . There is something ritualistic about this sequence , as if Dillinger divines some measure of grace from the screen , and we congregants also play our part . The faces change , but it 's the same old movie we remember . | `` Public Enemies '' is a solid gangster flick that 's not quite great , says Tom Charity . Film stars Johnny Depp as bank robber John Dillinger . Depp is terrific , Christian Bale as FBI man is more colorless . | [[200, 271]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michael Jackson fans who purchased tickets for his final concerts will receive a full refund or , if they chose , a commemorative ticket , the concert promoter said Tuesday . A fan shows off the first ticket bought at the O2 Centre in London for one of Michael Jackson 's concerts . `` The world lost a kind soul who just happened to be the greatest entertainer the world has ever known , '' said Randy Phillips , president and chief executive officer of AEG Live . `` Since he loved his fans in life , it is incumbent upon us to treat them with the same reverence and respect after his death . '' Fifty sold-out Jackson concerts were scheduled for the O2 Arena in London , starting July 13 , with admission costing at least $ 105 . The shows were billed as the final concerts of his career and were called `` This Is It . '' Tell us what you think -- would you take the ticket or the refund ? Fans who decide they would rather have a souvenir will receive a ticket conceived by Jackson . There are eight designs that include holographic images of the entertainer on the front . Images of the tickets will be available on michaeljacksonlive.com in coming days , according to the promoter . Refunds will be processed by the issuing ticketing agencies -- See , Ticketline , Ticketmaster and Viagogo . Billboard magazine has estimated that $ 85 million in tickets were sold for the concert series . Additional packages , merchandise and secondary market sales could have raised the total to $ 115 million . AEG Live declined to comment on the figures . Jackson was expected to earn $ 50 million from the London shows . He died Thursday in California after his doctor found him in bed not breathing , but with a slight pulse . Efforts to revive the 50-year-old singer failed and he was pronounced dead at a Los Angeles medical center . | `` This Is It '' ticket holders who choose a souvenir will get tickets conceived by Jackson . Fifty sold-out Jackson concerts were scheduled to start July 13 in London . Jackson was expected to earn $ 50 million from the London shows . | [[930, 956], [964, 1001], [964, 1024], [634, 707], [634, 665], [710, 726], [1586, 1643], [1633, 1651]] |
PANAMA CITY , Panama -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ricardo Martinelli , the multimillionaire owner of a supermarket chain , was inaugurated as president of Panama on Wednesday . Ricardo Martinelli is a pro-business conservative who defeated a candidate from the ruling center-left party . National Assembly President Jose Luis Varela performed the swearing-in and placed the presidential sash on Martinelli , a pro-business conservative who defeated a candidate from the ruling center-left party in May . The citizens of Panama `` want things to be done differently , '' Varela said at the inauguration . `` An attitude of change starts today . '' In his first speech as president , Martinelli promised a smaller government budget but raises for public workers . Public safety , an issue that the outgoing administration of Martin Torrijos struggled to maintain , will be a priority , Martinelli said . `` Our prisons will be rehabilitation centers , not schools for criminals , '' he said . Panama will also work with Mexico and Colombia to combat drug trafficking in the region , Martinelli said . Among the dignitaries at the inauguration was deposed Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya , who was ousted in a military-led coup Sunday . The Organization of American States has condemned the coup , and Zelaya has continued to carry out his presidential duties . The son of Italian immigrants , Martinelli , 57 , is a self-made businessman who is chairman of the Super 99 supermarket chain , one of the largest private companies in Panama . The U.S.-educated president previously served as minister and chairman of the board of directors of the Panama Canal Authority and formerly was director of social security for Panama , according to his Web site . Martinelli won the presidency with 60 percent of the votes in a race against ruling-party candidate Balbina Herrera . | NEW : Deposed Honduran president attends ceremony . Supermarket chain owner Ricardo Martinelli inaugurated . Martinelli promises smaller government budget , raises for public workers . New president says Panama will fight drug trafficking in region . | [[1089, 1180], [637, 669], [672, 719], [637, 669], [672, 682], [724, 751]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Australia 's reputation as the happy-go-lucky country was turned on its head in the late 1990s as the usually safe streets of the Victorian capital were transformed into a gangland war zone . Police investigate the scene where Des Tuppence Moran was killed in Melbourne in June 2009 . Melbourne 's `` underbelly '' of organized crime suddenly became public . Men hungry for easy money , power and control of the state 's lucrative illegal amphetamines trade were prepared to do whatever it took to be the boss of the underworld . Violence erupted between two families -- the Morans and the Williams . Police say both had trafficked drugs in Melbourne for years and for a while had been associates . But as public demand for amphetamines grew , the rivalry increased with both camps desperate to secure the market . On one side was the Moran family -- brothers Jason and Mark , father Lewis and matriarch Judy Moran . The brothers were notorious for their short tempers and relied on violence to achieve what they wanted . On the other was Carl Williams and his crew . He began as a small-time drug dealer but would become Australia 's most notorious serial killer . Watch how a feud between two families has spawned a TV miniseries '' His lieutenant was Andrew `` Benji '' Veniamin -- a tattooed former kick boxer who would become Williams ' main hit man -- but eventually became a victim of the gang wars himself . The feud began on October 13 , 1999 , on Carl Williams ' 29th birthday . The Moran brothers accused Williams of undercutting them , by selling cheap pills on the street . They allegedly shot Williams in the stomach . But this did n't frighten him . Instead , Williams planned his revenge , sparking a public underworld war that would leave police , the legal system and politicians struggling to cope . Eight months later , Mark Moran was gunned down outside his home while he put out the rubbish . Then in 2003 , in the most horrific of all the gangland murders , Jason Moran and his associate Pasquale Barboro were gunned down in the front seats of a van in the car park at a children 's football game . Five children were sitting in the back seats . Witnesses described the shooting as disgusting and callous . At Jason 's funeral , his mother made a graveside threat . Leaning over the coffin , Judy Moran said `` all will be dealt with my darling . '' But it did n't end there . A year later , Judy 's husband was murdered . Crime patriarch Lewis Moran , who was facing drug charges , was shot dead while drinking at his local pub . Victoria Police Commissioner Simon Overland said `` regardless of anyone 's circumstance in life no one deserves to die in this fashion . It 's outrageous this is happening in Melbourne . '' But it was n't just the Moran family that was wiped out . Over the course of nine years , 30 people were killed in this high-profile turf war . Matriarch Judy Moran expressed her sorrow and loss : `` I 've lost 3 members of my family , lots of close friends and I feel for their families as well . '' Williams was now in control of Melbourne 's illegal drug trade . He had amassed millions of dollars , power and a reputation -- and believed he was untouchable . He referred to himself as `` The Premier '' because , as he told the Australian newspaper The Age , `` I run this f -- ing state . '' But the law would finally catch up with Carl Williams . Victoria 's Purana police task force had spent years investigating the drug kingpin and they finally had enough evidence to arrest Williams , charging him with multiple murders . In 2007 , he pleaded guilty to four of them , including the murders of Mark and Lewis Moran . Police say Williams was connected to at least 10 underworld murders and would have kept killing if he had not finally been jailed . He is serving a more than 30-year prison sentence . The war inspired a smash hit television series in Australia called `` Underbelly . '' However , when it was released at the beginning of last year , the 13 episode mini-series was banned from being shown in Melbourne because of the possible impact it would have on related criminal trials . It aired in Victoria once the trials were completed . Just when police thought the underworld killings were over , another member of the Moran family was shot dead in June . But in a surprising twist , this was not a gangland hit -- apparently the enemy was from within . Family matriarch Judy Moran was arrested as an accessory to the murder of her brother-in-law , Des Tuppence Moran . Police say she has had no comment about the charges . Police claim there was bad blood over money , but it marks the end of one of Australia 's best-known criminal dynasties . `` Fact is almost stranger than fiction with what we 've seen '' said Victoria Police Commissioner Overland . `` If you were a scriptwriter and sat down and wrote this stuff you 'd probably say : ` Look , no , it 's a bit far fetched . No one will believe it . ' '' | War erupts between two families -- the Morans , Williams -- over drug trade . One man shot in van with kids , another while taking out garbage . Thirty people killed in the high profile turf war . War inspires smash hit television series called `` Underbelly '' | [[549, 586], [1185, 1300], [1838, 1856], [1859, 1933], [1934, 1946], [1949, 1997], [2000, 2107], [2822, 2907], [1185, 1300], [3874, 3933]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michael Jackson suffered from severe bouts of insomnia and pleaded for a powerful sedative despite knowing its harmful effects , a nutritionist who worked with the singer said Tuesday . Cherilyn Lee is a holisitic health practitioner and has been in healthcare for 23 years , her Web site states . Cherilyn Lee , a registered nurse and nurse practitioner who first met Jackson in January to treat his children for a common cold , said she rejected his requests for Diprivan and informed him of the side effects . `` I told him this medication is not safe , '' Lee said . `` He said , ' I just want to get some sleep . You do n't understand . I just want to be able to be knocked out and go to sleep . ' '' `` I told him -- and it is so painful that I actually felt it in my whole spirit -- ` If you take this you might not wake up . ' '' According to the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners , nurse practitioners `` provide high-quality healthcare services similar to those of a doctor . '' They can also prescribe medications , according to the academy 's Web site . CNN could not independently verify whether Lee worked with Jackson . When asked about Lee 's account , Jackson family attorney Londell McMillan said : . `` I wonder why someone would make a comment about drugs when they have n't seen him take the drug or anyone who administered it . '' The drug , known by its generic name Propofol , is administered intravenously as an anesthetic during surgeries . Watch nurse describe Jackson 's drug request '' An initial dose puts a person to sleep . An overdose can lead to cardiac arrest , doctors say . Jackson died June 25 at the age of 50 . Authorities are awaiting toxicology results to determine what killed him . Lee is licensed as a registered nurse , according to the California Board of Registered Nursing Web site . According to her Web site , she is a proponent of alternative medicine that uses a holistic approach . Lee said that four days before Jackson 's death , she received a call from a Jackson staff member who said the singer felt that one side of his body was cold ; the other hot . `` I could hear Mr. Jackson saying in the background , ` Please have her come see me now . Can she come now ? ' '' Lee , who was in Florida at the time , said she told Jackson 's staffers to take him to a hospital . `` I was really afraid because of the symptoms they were telling me , '' she said . `` It could have meant something going on in the nervous system or something cardiovascular . '' After his death , Lee said she did n't go to the authorities . `` When I saw it on the news , I really did n't know what to do , '' she said . `` I was saddened . I heard there was a physician there . '' Lee also could not say why Jackson would call on her , when the last time she saw him was three months ago . `` The only think I can think of is he recalled the symptoms I was telling him , '' she said . But , she added , she did n't know of any doctors who would have given him the drug . `` I asked him , ` What doctor gave you this drug ? ' '' she said , when the singer initially brought up the medicine . `` He told me , ` Oh it was a long time ago . ' '' Dr. Rakesh Marwah of the anesthesiology department at the Stanford University School of Medicine said Propofol can lead to cardiac arrest , which is suspected in Jackson 's death . `` Propofol slows down the heart rate and slows down the respiratory rate and slows down the vital functions of the body , '' he said . | NEW : Lawyer : Nurse never saw Jackson take , be administered drug . Jackson said `` I just want to be able to be knocked out and go to sleep , '' nurse said . Cherilyn Lee : I told Jackson `` if you take this you might not wake up '' Sedative Jackson requested given through IV as anesthetic during surgeries . | [[615, 625], [630, 661], [686, 744], [1517, 1561], [753, 763], [839, 876], [1403, 1448], [1451, 1516]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Barely six months after being crowned the winner of `` American Idol , '' David Cook has released his self-titled debut album . David Cook recently released his debut album , which includes songs about his family . The Missouri native -LRB- no relation to the author of this article -RRB- described the recording process as `` squeezing a year 's worth of work on a record into 2 1/2 months . '' But he 's very happy with the result . `` It 's a very accurate definition of where I 'm at , where I was and where I want to be , '' he said . Cook sticks to his rock roots on the release , eliciting help from ex-Soundgarden member Chris Cornell to write the lead single , `` Light On . '' He also keeps loved ones close : The track `` Heroes '' is a tribute to his family . `` Permanent '' -LRB- which Cook describes as having a `` delicate and lullaby feel '' -RRB- and `` A Daily AntheM '' -LRB- `` sing-alongy and grandiose '' -RRB- acknowledge his older brother , who is battling brain cancer . The latter song was written three years before Cook 's `` Idol '' run , when he was cutting his teeth as a grass-roots rocker . Watch David Cook show his chops '' Cook , 25 , dropped by CNN 's New York offices -LRB- with his mother , Beth Foraker , in tow -RRB- to talk about keeping creative control , losing his privacy and his responsibility as Idol No. 7 . The following is an edited version of that interview . CNN : You were very involved in the making of your debut album , were n't you ? David Cook : Yeah . Out of 12 songs on the record , I wrote or co-wrote 10 , and the label was even kind enough to let me get involved with the art direction on the record . So it was a busy summer . CNN : You actually have a degree in graphic design , do n't you ? Cook : I spent five long years at the University of Central Missouri . It should 've been four , but I enjoyed college a little bit more than I should have . CNN : There 's skepticism that American Idols have very little control over the music they ultimately make . That was n't the case for you ? Cook : Well , I ca n't speak for anybody else except myself , and I guess in that sense , I lucked out . I mean , 19 -LSB- Entertainment -RSB- and RCA really -LSB- gave -RSB- me a little bit of carte blanche to allow me to make a record that is me . And to that end , I think we managed to pull something really cool off . CNN : What was your approach with the music ? Cook : I tried to put music down on this record that -LSB- translated -RSB- live . I want these songs to make people feel things and invoke certain responses in an audience . And so it 's a lot of very epic choruses and open bridges and stuff like that . Something that will give a show some room to meander and feel like a unique experience for everybody . CNN : -LSB- Lead single `` Light On '' -RSB- debuted on the Billboard charts at No. 17 , and then several weeks later -- about four -- it dropped to No. 80 . Was that discouraging ? Cook : No , not really . I think , for us , it 's all about the long-term results . And I feel like the song seems to be getting speed now , especially with the record coming out . It just feels like everything 's headed in the right direction , so I 'm definitely not one to hang my head on immediate results . I 'd rather the song hit No. 1 four months from now if it 's gon na do it . I 'm just excited to get this record out . I 'm excited to have people hear it . CNN : When you were catapulted to fame , did you ever experience any self-doubt or feelings of insecurity ? Cook : I 'll be the first to admit there are -LSB- musicians -RSB- out there who are way better than me . I feel almost a responsibility to do everything that I can with this on their behalf as well as my own . But I 've always been a confident person . I feel like I know why I 'm here , I know what put me here . It 's just a matter of trusting it and going with it . CNN : All this talk about you and -LSB- `` American Idol '' runner-up -RSB- David Archuleta being mortal enemies is absolute garbage , is n't it ? Cook : It is . David is one of the most unassuming , down-to-earth people I think I 've ever met . It seems like he has no idea he was even on the show , let alone did well . And I find that really endearing . He 'll be the first to congratulate you . He seems to just appreciate every moment . CNN : You seem to be a very private person . Has all this attention been a little intrusive ? Cook : In a sense , yeah . It 's a little strange to go from toiling in obscurity to having to worry about walking out of a restaurant and -LSB- seeing -RSB- who 's going to shove a camera in your face and all that . But it comes with the territory , and if dealing with that on occasion allows me to make music that I want to make ... then , I 'll take it . | David Cook became the seventh `` American Idol '' in the spring . Cook wrote or co-wrote most songs on debut , even helped design art . Cook and `` Idol '' runner-up David Archuleta get along fine . | [[1602, 1694]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Amid all the talk about storm clouds gathering over the U.S. economy , it 's easy to forget there are other places in the world where the sun is still shining . A shortage of housing is contributing to an inflation rate of almost 14 percent in Qatar . Take Qatar , for example ; a small emirate in the Gulf whose economy is booming . When the final figures come in , Qatar 's economy is expected to have grown 17.8 percent in 2007 . Qatar National Bank predicts growth to slow in 2008 , but at 16.5 percent who could complain ? Well , consumers for one . While growth has steamed ahead , so has inflation . At the end of 2007 , Qatar 's official inflation rate was nearing 14 percent -- the highest in the region . Three major factors are contributing to Qatar 's soaring inflation rate : High levels of government spending ; growing demand for housing , which is pushing up house prices and rent , and the riyal 's peg with the dollar , which is pushing down interest rates . The U.S. Federal Reserve exacerbated the latter problem by slashing U.S. interest rates twice in the past eight days to three percent . Gulf States with currencies linked to the U.S. dollar were under pressure to follow suit . Qatar reduced its deposit rate to 3.5 percent , but left its lending rate at 5.5 percent . Liz Martins , Head of MENA , Business Monitor International says Qatar is facing a serious problem . `` You 've huge a amount of monetary easing and if you think that that 's not even going to feed through properly for six to nine months then , you 've got a really dangerous inflationary outlook , '' she says . `` The only policy option really that they have is to revalue the exchange rate . '' Kuwait did just that in May , ditching the dollar-peg for a basket of currencies , and speculation is growing that other GCC -LRB- Gulf Cooperation Council -RRB- countries will do the same . Tristan Cooper , Vice President and Senior Analyst at Moody 's Middle East , says the argument for revaluation is becoming more convincing . `` The economic justification for revaluation is growing stronger as inflation multiplies and the government increases expenditure . '' He says any move by Gulf governments to curb public spending would not be welcomed by locals facing higher living costs . In Qatar 's instance , new housing stock is expected to come onto the market to help ease inflation in the rental market . `` There is some hope that prices will begin to slow as that supply comes onto the market , but that 's not guaranteed , '' Tristan Cooper says . So that leaves a currency revaluation . `` The easier policy option would presumably be to revalue , but that also has political difficulties . It involves to some extent coordinating with GCC members . '' In the past , Saudi Arabia has ruled out any change to its dollar-peg . Qatar has made it clear that it prefers any move to be made with a GCC consensus . In an interview with Marketplace Middle East , Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Al Thani said that the emirate is `` studying all options '' in relation to the dollar-peg . `` Every country has to see its way out of this , but only after a consultation with the GCC , '' he said . `` For us , our wish is that it 's a policy to be taken by the whole GCC , to either basket or revalue our currency . I can not see a decision . Even in Qatar , we have no decision up to now . '' This week , one of Qatar 's leading economic advisors was quoted as saying any policy change would have to be substantial . In an interview with Reuters news agency , Ibrahim Al-Ibrahim said , `` change should be major ; minor change wo n't solve the problem . '' He ruled out any potential moves to float the Qatari riyal . `` As a small country we can not float our currency ... it has to be tied , '' he said . One of the main reasons GCC members are reluctant to abandon their dollar link is because they 're working towards their own monetary union . A policy diversion now may make it more difficult to unite again under a common currency by the nominated deadline of 2010 . There 's widespread skepticism that that deadline can be reached . `` The timeframe of 2010 is rather unlikely now , and the project itself seems to be facing increasing difficulties given the pressure on individual states to go their own way and revalue , '' Tristan Cooper says . E-mail to a friend . | Qatar 's economy is booming , but emirate has the highest inflation rate in Gulf . Two recent cuts in U.S. interest rates putting pressure on Gulf currencies . Qatari PM says `` studying all options '' on dollar-peg , GCC consensus ideal . Members reluctant to drop the dollar-peg despite growing inflationary pressure . | [[1033, 1036], [1052, 1131], [1132, 1159], [1186, 1205], [2849, 2931], [2878, 2931], [2932, 2976], [2979, 3117], [3836, 3914]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- What 's a July Fourth celebration without fireworks ? Many cities across the United States will find out Saturday . Milwaukee holds its lakefront show on July 3 , so as not to compete with surrounding communities . As municipalities grope for ways to shore up budgets , expensive pyrotechnics displays are becoming the latest victims of the economic downturn . `` They need to have things in the community like that to keep things going . So I 'm sad to see it going , '' said Seth Stolz , of Flint , Michigan , which will go without its traditional July Fourth explosions in the sky this year , according to CNN affiliate WJRT . He was accustomed to watching the show from his home . The Greater Flint Arts Council puts on the show every year , and when the city and county said they could n't afford the $ 40,000 for the Flint Fireworks Festival , it was canceled last month . Private donors tried to save it , but the mayor expressed concerns that safety measures might be overlooked if the event was hastily organized , WJRT reported . Watch how town brings bikinis into the mix '' `` Yeah , a very hard decision to make , '' Greg Fiedler with the arts council , told the station . In Florida , Miami-Dade County canceled one of its two shows to save about $ 40,000 , CNN affiliate WPLG reported . The Monterey , California , City Council in April also nixed its show and accompanying lawn party to save about $ 150,000 . `` Although the 4th of July festivities are a very popular community-wide event , we can not recommend continuation of this costly one-day event during a fiscal downturn , '' a city staff report said . In Illinois , CNN affiliate WLS-TV reported that Harvey , Berwyn , Elgin , Gurnee and North Riverside had canceled their shows . Blue Springs , Missouri , a suburb of Kansas City , also 86 ` ed the pyrotechnics to give the city `` some immediate budget relief , '' city officials told CNN affiliate KCTV . The American Pyrotechnics Association says that despite the economic challenges , fireworks display companies are working with their clients to make sure the shows go on . Communities are also finding alternative funding or cutting back to make sure the sky rockets light up their July Fourth sky . The nation hosts about 14,000 fireworks shows each Independence Day , according to the association , and the majority of shows will prevail because communities `` realize the importance of continuing this annual tradition of providing their citizens with free entertainment to celebrate our freedom and independence , '' Julie Heckman , the group 's director , said in a statement . `` The industry has been tested time after time and each challenge unites the industry , makes it stronger , and ensures that communities do not go dark on Independence Day , '' Heckman said . iReport.com : How are you celebrating the Fourth of July ? The Illinois towns of Elmhurst and Wooddale could n't foot their own shows , so they chipped in funds for the show in nearby Bensenville , WLS reported . Evanston , Illinois , had to shorten its show , and North Aurora forewent its own show in favor of bolstering the celebration in neighboring Aurora , CNN affiliate WGN reported . Tucson , Arizona , canceled it 's $ 55,000 fireworks display to save money , but CNN affiliate KGUN reported Friday that private donors stepped in to save the celebration . Joliet , Illinois , almost canceled its 63rd annual skyrocket display because businesses were n't able to send their customary donations . The show had a $ 23,000 price tag , but local businesses could muster only about $ 14,000 , according to WGN . City residents were not content to go without fireworks Saturday . `` It 's a tradition in Joliet . It 's an American tradition . You ca n't give up on that , '' said Robert Svarz , who has been attending fireworks shows in Joliet for 50 years , according to WLS . Residents scraped together the remaining $ 9,000 to make sure the city staged its show , which draws thousands to Joliet Memorial Stadium and the surrounding parking lots each year . `` Not only did they send in contributions , but they all sent notes on how important it was to keep this thing alive , '' Russ Slinkard , CEO of the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce , told WLS . Despite Chicago 's budget crisis , a spokeswoman for the mayor 's office told WGN that there will be no cutbacks to the Windy City 's fireworks display . Fireworks also will be part of Milwaukee , Wisconsin 's , celebration , as U.S. Bank has sponsored the hourlong , lakefront show for the past few years . The city holds its show the day before Independence Day to not compete with surrounding communities ' shows . Middletown , Connecticut , also held its celebration early , on Thursday -- but for a different reason . Holding the celebration on Saturday would have meant $ 20,000 in overtime pay for city workers , on top of the $ 65,000 bill for the actual show , Mayor Sebastian Giuliano told CNN affiliate WTNH-TV . Rescheduling the celebration had an added bonus : Businesses that usually close for the holiday were able to cater to the crowd of about 15,000 . At least one community had no problem finding the funds for this year 's festivities . In fact , Olive Branch , Mississippi , more than tripled its budget , according to CNN affiliate WPTY-TV . The town seemed split over the move . While one resident said it would be `` unfair '' to deprive the town of the show , another said upping the fireworks budget from $ 10,000 to $ 35,000 seems irresponsible , WPTY reported . So , what about people who do n't live in towns like Olive Branch ? What are their options when their fireworks shows are canceled ? Well , they can always enjoy a show in another town , or -- as Blue Springs Mayor Carson Ross suggested to KCTV -- put on their own show . Watch the safeguards you should take '' Blue Springs is one of the few western Missouri towns that allows residents to shoot their own fireworks , and indeed , the American Pyrotechnics Association reported last month that the popularity of backyard fireworks had more than doubled since 2000 . However , those who are n't mindful of the laws in their city could find the economic downturn taking an even greater toll . Milwaukee Alderman Bob Donovan told CNN affiliate WTMJ-TV that the city is serious about stopping backyard fireworks . Because no one respected the ban last year , the city is `` going to hit them in the pocketbook , '' he said . The fine for each citation ? $ 676 . | The nation hosts about 14,000 fireworks shows each Independence Day . Many shows have been canceled or downsized because of frail city budgets . Joliet , Illinois , residents chipped in money to put on show , station reports . Mississippi town gets mixed reaction to tripling its fireworks budget , station reports . | [[2252, 2319], [2252, 2291], [2322, 2350], [3301, 3392], [3908, 3994], [5255, 5312], [5352, 5389]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Video of a fresh-faced Susan Boyle confidently singing a Barbra Streisand track to a room full of football fans in 1984 has been unearthed . Susan Boyle as she looked during a performance filmed at a Scottish football club in 1984 . The `` Britain 's Got Talent '' singing sensation , looking trim and a bit like Abba 's Anni-Frid Lyngstad , is invited on to the stage at Motherwell FC 's Fir Park Social Club to take part in a singing competition between rival fans by a man wearing a checked coat and bow tie . Boyle , who had to wait 25 more years to be catapulted into the spotlight via her television appearance in front of Simon Cowell last month , quickly chats with the band before they launch into a low-key , lounge-style version of Streisand 's `` The Way We Were . '' Boyle , her hair style a classic 1980s perm , confidently looks down the barrel of the camera , giving meaningful expressions as she moves slowly round the stage . Watch latest Boyle video . At one point she even takes the hand of a pearl-necklace wearing middle-aged woman in the front row and sings directly to her . Watch how things have changed in Boyle 's hometown '' When she finishes , the crowd breaks into rapturous applause and Boyle gets a peck on the cheek from the MC before slipping quietly back to her table in the smoke-tinged room . The video became public Friday after it was handed to Scotland 's Daily Record newspaper . Gerry McGuinness , 61 , who watched Susan sing live that night and kept the video , told the Record that he remembered the evening clearly . Watch Boyle sing on Larry King '' `` I can remember that she was a shy young girl , but also very attractive back then -- she turned a few heads when she came into the club . `` Even back then , I do n't think anyone expected too much from her because she was so shy , but when she began singing people took notice . '' The 47-year-old Boyle 's appearance on `` Britain 's Got Talent , '' where she sang `` I Dreamed a Dream '' from the musical `` Les Miserables , '' has now been viewed more than a 100 million times on YouTube . Watch Larry King interview Susan Boyle '' She famously told the show 's hosts that she had never been kissed and lived alone with her cat in Blackburn , West Lothian , Scotland . The world 's media beat a path to her home , from where she even appeared on CNN 's `` Larry King Live . '' Boyle has been installed by bookmakers as the favorite to win the show which , as part of the first prize , includes the right to perform in front of the queen . | New video of Susan Boyle singing to room full of football fans unearthed . 25-year-old footage taken at Motherwell FC 's social club . Boyle , sporting a perm and looking trim , belts out Barbra Streisand track . Singing sensation was catapulted into spotlight after TV appearance last month . | [[0, 15], [28, 138], [0, 15], [117, 159], [0, 15], [28, 138]] |
TOKYO , Japan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Even in the midst of Japan 's deepest economic recession since World War II , the country 's love hotel industry is thriving . The Style A hotel in Tokyo offers amenities . `` I 'd hate to use the term `` recession-proof , '' but it 's certainly proven very resilient over the last six to nine months , '' said Steve Mansfield , CEO of New Perspectives , which operates six love , or `` leisure , '' hotels in Japan . One of them , the Bonita Hotel in Isawa , boasts a 257 percent occupancy rate . Rooms can be rented for three to 24 hours . Mansfield 's company estimates the industry in Japan pulls in $ 40 billion a year in revenue . `` It 's a natural human desire . Even these days , on the weekend , every love hotel is full of people -- it 's hard to get in . You can never stop sexual desire , '' said a woman with her boyfriend in Tokyo , who laughed in embarrassment when asked for her name . Love hotels fill a need for privacy in a country where high population density often means couples have little time alone . Rooms offer a broad assortment of features , including karaoke machines , PlayStation game consoles , DVD players , a variety of cosmetics , customized condoms and indoor-outdoor Jacuzzis . Watch Morgan Neill 's report from inside a love hotel '' Though required by law to have a front desk , most can be rented and entered without talking to a clerk . The days of Japanese being ashamed to enter love hotels are coming to an end , though , Mansfield said . `` Seventy-five percent of our guests are members of our points program , '' he said . `` They carry our points cards , they collect points and they receive gifts . That 's something people are very comfortable with , and I think that reflects the customers that we attract . '' Takashi Yamamoto , who designs love hotels in Tokyo , agreed . `` The bad image that love hotels had has faded over time . Also , customers started to raise their voices and became more selective about choosing hotels . In response , management has improved . '' The flashiest love hotels are found in Osaka , including a Hello Kitty-themed hotel and one with a room featuring a merry-go-round . Tokyo hotels tend to be tamer , focused on winning customers with amenities . The Style A Hotel , for example , offers a suite for $ 190 that includes a full-size Jacuzzi and a private sauna . Though young couples make up the majority of customers , they are not the only ones . One man , who declined to be named , said : `` I go to love hotels when I 'm drunk and do n't feel like going home . '' Whatever the reasons , the hotels have been doing well enough that Mansfield recently went to London , seeking investors to expand . `` The industry has 25,000 hotels , and through our research we 've worked out that 90 percent of owners have five or fewer hotels , '' he said . That fragmentation is a structural inefficiency in the market , he said , one he would like to help correct . | Industry has 25,000 hotels , says Steve Mansfield , CEO of a love hotel operator . Venues include a Hello Kitty-themed hotel ; another has a merry-go-round in a room . Mansfield : the industry pulls in some $ 40 billion dollars a year in overall revenues . Most customers are young people ; flashiest hotels found in Osaka . | [[2725, 2758], [2060, 2085], [2107, 2143], [2117, 2163], [2157, 2192], [606, 669], [2393, 2440]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 6.7-magnitude earthquake hit near the Greek island of Crete on Wednesday , the U.S. Geological Survey said . It struck at 12:30 p.m. -LRB- 5:30 a.m. ET -RRB- , the USGS said . It was centered about 80 miles -LRB- 130 kilometers -RRB- off the city of Iraklion on Crete , the USGS said . An earthquake with a 6.7 magnitude is capable of causing significant damage , especially in areas of poor construction . There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries . A staff member at Iraklion Airport told CNN they did n't feel the earthquake . Similar reports came from staff members at hotels just outside Iraklion and in western Crete . A spokesman at the Greek Ministry of Health in Athens , 450 kilometers -LRB- 280 miles -RRB- from the epicenter , also said he did n't feel the quake . David Booth , a seismologist at the British Geological Survey , explained that the earthquake happened deep below the sea , leading to little risk of tsunami and reducing the likelihood that people would feel tremors . -- CNN 's Claudia Rebaza and Krsna Harilela in London , England , contributed to this report . | A 6.7-magnitude earthquake hits near the Greek island of Crete . 6.7 quake can cause major damage , especially in areas of poor construction . No immediate word on casualties or damage . | [[19, 93], [307, 341], [353, 382], [19, 93], [307, 427], [307, 341], [353, 382], [428, 483]] |
TEGUCIGALPA , Honduras -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The head of the Organization of American States said Friday he has found no willingness among leaders of Honduras ' interim government to return President Jose Manuel Zelaya to power . OAS Secretary General Jose Insulza doubts Honduras ' new leaders will restore ousted President Jose Zelaya . `` They have , for the moment , no intention of reversing the situation , '' Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza told reporters . He said he had reached that conclusion after speaking Friday with members of the Supreme Court , among others . Insulza also rejected assertions by the interim government that the change in leadership was not really a coup d'etat . `` I do n't know what else you would call it when a group of military take a president out of power and sends him to another country , '' he said . At the end of Insulza 's comments , Deputy Foreign Minister Marta Lorena Alvarado said Honduras is willing to withdraw from the OAS . `` If the Organization of American States does n't deem Honduras worthy of membership of the Organization of American States , then Honduras would renounce , with immediate effect , the inter-American charter . '' Vice Chancellor Martha Lorena de Casco also said Honduras was ready to leave the OAS , which she called a political organization rather than a tribunal of justice . `` Honduras will defend its sovereignty , '' she said in a televised response . Zelaya was ousted in a military-led coup Sunday and sent to Costa Rica in his pajamas . The same day , the Honduran Congress voted to install Roberto Micheletti as interim president . That sparked international condemnation , with the OAS on Tuesday passing a resolution calling for Zelaya 's reinstatement by Saturday and threatening to suspend Honduras from the group . Zelaya has said he will return this weekend with presidents of other OAS member countries , despite Micheletti 's vow to have him arrested for violating the country 's constitution if he does so . On Friday , thousands of people assembled in front of the presidential residence in Tegucigalpa , where Micheletti praised the armed forces for their efforts and offered a different version of events . `` We must tell the world that there was no coup d'etat here , '' he said , his voice hoarse . `` It was n't a coup ! It was n't a coup ! '' He promised that the nation would revert to a democracy , but did not say when . `` Here , in front of Honduras and the entire world , I guarantee we will have free elections , as soon as we decide when , '' he said . Micheletti has promised not to run in elections slated for November . `` You may choose any candidate from any party , '' he told the crowd . `` I want to tell you that I am governing for all political parties . I am governing for the poor , for the businessmen , for the rich , for the children and for all the people of Honduras . '' Though the two sides appeared far apart , a compromise might be possible , said Jennifer McCoy , an Americas expert at the Atlanta , Georgia-based Carter Center . `` The options are that neither side backs down and that President Zelaya shows up tomorrow and the police are there waiting to arrest him . '' If Zelaya returns accompanied by international figures , the result would be `` awkward , '' she said . McCoy added there could be `` some kind of compromise , including mutual guarantees . '' One such scenario -- Zelaya 's promise not to pursue legal action against the coup plotters in exchange for their agreement to step aside and not to pursue his Cabinet ministers who are in hiding . McCoy praised U.S. President Obama for supporting Zelaya without qualification . `` By taking the principled stand for democracy that he took in this case in favor of a government that is an ally of Venezuela , he did not let politics intervene . This is a change from the previous administration , '' she said . McCoy was referring to the tacit U.S. approval that was given to the coup that in 2002 briefly toppled leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez , who has been a consistent U.S. critic . `` It helps to recuperate the pro-democracy credential of the United States in this hemisphere , '' she said . Meanwhile , Amnesty International accused the new government Friday of intimidating media workers . `` Recent reports suggest that journalists who have published news stories on the crisis or covering the issue of protests and scores of detentions have been intimidated , '' it said . `` Prosecutors have also reported threats on account of their attempts to verify human rights abuses during protests . '' At the center of the dispute was a referendum that Zelaya had vowed to carry out last Sunday even after the country 's supreme court and congress declared it would be illegal . The nonbinding referendum could have opened the door to the creation of a constitutional assembly to modify the country 's charter . Opponents accused Zelaya of having sought to rewrite the constitution to allow him to run for re-election . Zelaya denied that was his intent . However , international support for the new government has been virtually nonexistent . On Thursday , the European Union announced that all its ambassadors had left Honduras . Also Thursday , the U.S. State Department said it was suspending some aid programs to the country . Earlier , the U.S. military , which has trained Honduran forces for years , postponed some planned exercises with the Honduran military until the situation in the country settles down . Zelaya narrowly won the presidency in 2005 with 49.8 percent of the vote to 46.1 percent for Porfirio `` Pepe '' Lobo . After 18 years of nearly uninterrupted military rule , Honduras returned to civilian control in 1981 . Since then , the military has not seemed interested in holding power in the nation of more than 7 million people , about 70 percent of whom live in poverty . Military interventions were once common in Latin America , but civilian governments have held sway since the 1980s . Before Sunday , the only other barracks revolt this decade was the unsuccessful 2002 coup attempt against Chavez , when the military displaced him but backed down days later and allowed his reinstatement . CNN 's Karl Penhaul contributed to this report . | OAS head doubts Honduras ' interim leadership will restore ousted President Zelaya . Vice chancellor : Honduras prepared to withdraw from OAS . Zelaya vows to return to country despite arrest threat . | [[227, 291], [262, 335], [848, 881], [884, 981], [1196, 1234], [1240, 1280], [1245, 1253], [1264, 1282]] |
BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The ongoing presence of U.S. troops in Iraq `` shows that the -LRB- Iraqi -RRB- government and the occupation are not serious about the withdrawal , '' a key Shiite cleric in the country said Wednesday . A crowd gathers Tuesday after a deadly bombing in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk . Muqtada al-Sadr made the statement on his Web site a day after U.S. forces withdrew from Iraqi cities and towns in accordance with the security agreement between the United States and Iraq . About 131,000 American troops remain in the country , on bases and in outposts outside of population centers . `` The withdrawal should include all the occupation forces : army , intelligence , militias , and security companies and others . Otherwise , the withdrawal will be uncompleted and useless , '' al-Sadr said . `` We want a withdrawal and stopping the interference with Iraqi political , social and economic affairs , '' the statement said . Al-Sadr commands the loyalty of the Mehdi Army , one of the largest independent militias in the country . His agreement to a cease-fire with the government and its allies is considered a key factor in reducing the level of violence in the country . But he seemed to suggest Wednesday that Iraqis had the right to attack foreign forces in the country -- if not Iraqi security forces . `` If the occupation forces violate this claimed withdrawal , even with a government cover , then the people of Iraq will have all the right to express their opinion in a peaceful way , and the right to self-defense on condition of not harming the Iraqi people and the security forces , '' he said . Under an agreement signed in the waning days of the Bush administration , all U.S. forces will be out of Iraq by the end of 2011 . Most will be gone by August 2010 under the withdrawal plan laid out by President Barack Obama , Bush 's successor . The U.S. troops who remain are now tasked with supporting Iraqi troops and police , and must seek Iraqi permission to launch operations in the cities . the top U.S. general in the country said Tuesday that much of the country was safe . `` There is not widespread violence in Iraq , '' Gen. Ray Odierno told reporters in a video conference from Baghdad . `` There 's still gon na be bumps in the road . There 's still gon na be violence here , '' he added . Meanwhile , the death toll from a huge blast in northern Iraq rose to 35 , local security officials said Wednesday . The car bombing took place in a busy commercial district in a predominantly Kurdish area of Kirkuk early Tuesday evening when the neighborhood was busy , security sources said . About 17 shops and houses were destroyed and 95 people were wounded , a police official in the Iraqi city added . Kirkuk is about 378 kilometers -LRB- 235 miles -RRB- north of the capital , Baghdad . CNN 's Yousif Bassil and Jomana Karadsheh in Baghdad contributed to this report . | About 131,000 American troops remain in the country . Muqtada al-Sadr : Withdrawal should include all the occupation forces . Al-Sadr commands the loyalty of the Mehdi Army , an independent militia . U.S. must now seek Iraqi permission to launch operations in the cities . | [[515, 566], [626, 742], [966, 1012], [1897, 1912], [1979, 2048]] |
MIAMI , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's a nightmarish scenario straight out of the movies : A passenger is forced to land a plane after its pilot becomes incapacitated . Passanger Doug White landed this Super King two-engine turboprop after the pilot fell unconscious . `` Descend and maintain 5,000 . Just take your time , we 'll set you up for the airport , '' an air traffic controller says . In a calm voice , a passenger responds : `` I need to get my throttle set for this descent . I do n't know where to set it at . '' The reality was playing aboard a plane over Florida on Sunday in what the National Air Traffic Controllers Association called `` an Easter miracle . '' The incident began about 1:30 p.m. . The plane , a Super King Air two-engine turboprop with four passengers on board , was headed to Jackson , Mississippi , from Marco Island , Florida , about 18 miles south of Naples . The plane entered the jurisdiction of air traffic control at Miami Center , the facility responsible for high-altitude air traffic in southern Florida and the Caribbean , according to a statement issued by the air traffic controllers association . The pilot notified controllers that the plane was at 9,000 feet and climbing , said Steve Wallace , Miami Center spokesman for the association . However , a controller at the center tried twice to raise the pilot after that and received no response , Wallace said . Hear audiotape of emergency landing '' After a few moments , a different voice came over the radio : Passenger Doug White told air traffic controllers the pilot was unconscious and they needed help . His wife and two teenage daughters were flying home to Louisiana with him , he said . Listen to White describe seeing the pilot 's eyes roll back in his head '' He reported the plane 's autopilot was on and the plane was continuing to climb from 10,000 feet . `` I told my girls to pray hard , '' White later told CNN television affiliate WINK . White later told the Naples Daily News he has a pilot 's license and about 130 hours experience flying a single engine Cessna , but had never flown the larger , faster King Air . The difference , experts said , is not as simple as driving a different model of car . A turboprop multi-engine , Wallace told CNN , `` probably lands at a faster speed than he 's ever flown a single-engine plane before . '' White told air traffic controllers it appeared the pilot had died , according to the statement , and he reported that the plane 's autopilot was on and the plane was continuing to climb from 10,000 feet . Two air traffic controllers worked to help him disengage the autopilot , as other controllers stepped in to lighten their workload . `` Keep it coming around when you can ... the turn looks good , very good sir , '' a controller said . The controllers then turned the plane over to air traffic controllers at the airport . One of them had called a friend who was certified in the King Air planes for advice . `` They walked him through flipping the switches , turning the knobs , '' Wallace said . White , who was composed for the most part , seemed doubtful for a brief moment . `` When I touch down ... If I ever touch down , do I just kill the throttle or what ? '' he asks . The landing was successful . `` I knew we had to do something ... I knew that much , '' White told WINK . The Federal Aviation Administration has not given any of the involved air traffic controllers permission to speak about the incident , Wallace said . However , the National Air Traffic Controllers Association lauded all of those involved in landing the plane . `` If you were to ask any one of the controllers who worked this even about what happened over the skies of south Florida , they would tell you that it was just a typical day at the office and that it was merely their job , '' association President Patrick Forrey said in the statement . `` However , the actions they all took to save the passengers aboard the flight were beyond heroic . '' Victoria Moreland , spokeswoman for Southwest Florida International Airport , said the pilot 's death was confirmed after the plane landed . The cause of death was unclear , Moreland said . It 's rare for a pilot to suffer a medical emergency during flight , said Chris Dancy , spokesman for the Frederick , Maryland-based Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association . The organization issues a yearly summary of accident trends and factors based on National Transportation Safety Board reports involving aircraft of less than 12,500 pounds -- smaller than the King Air involved in Sunday 's incident . According to the most recent report , which covers the year 2007 , out of 22 million general aviation flight hours , an estimated 15 million to 20 million flights , only six instances of a pilot 's medical incapacitation were reported , he said . In four of those instances , the pilot died . CNN 's Ashley Broughton contributed to this report . | Passenger Doug White commandeers plane after pilot loses consciousness . White : `` When I touch down ... If I ever touch down , do I just kill the throttle ? '' Craft was carrying White , his wife and two daughters from Florida to Mississippi . Controllers help him turn off autopilot , land plane : `` The turn looks good , very good sir '' | [[93, 104], [115, 170], [171, 270], [242, 270], [3152, 3164], [3177, 3178], [3197, 3237], [717, 726], [791, 834], [837, 854], [1614, 1687], [93, 146], [2569, 2639], [2710, 2779]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United Nations ' refugee agency said Tuesday that more Africans have fled poverty and conflict on the continent during the first 10 months of this year than in all of 2007 . A woman who has been displaced by the current fighting in the Congo . The bulk of the more than 96,000 African refugees headed to Yemen and Italy , according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees office . The rest sought refuge in Malta , Greece , Spain and the Canary Islands , the agency said . Last weekend , at least 60 refugees died en route to Yemen , a frequent destination for Somali and Ethiopian refugees , according to Doctors Without Borders , known by its French acronym MSF . UNHCR said most of those who died were forced overboard in deep water off Yemen 's coast by smugglers who demanded more money than the $ 100 they paid for the journey . `` Those who did not or could not pay extra were severely beaten by the smugglers , '' UNHCR said in a news release Tuesday . `` Up to 40 -- mainly Ethiopians -- -LSB- were -RSB- thrown overboard despite their pleas for mercy . '' Andreas Koutepas , MSF 's field coordinator in southern Yemen , said such a high number of refugee deaths in a short period of time `` is not usual at all . '' `` For the whole of September until now , we 've had 27 dead and now suddenly we reach this number , '' Koutepas told CNN from MSF 's base in Ahwar , Yemen . `` We are quite shocked here . '' About 30,000 African refugees arrived on boats on Italy 's shores during the first 10 months of this year compared with 19,900 refugees last year , according to UNHCR . In Malta , an estimated 2,600 boat people arrived in the first nine months of this year from North Africa , compared with 1,800 last year , UNHCR said . . The agency said that from January to October this year , 509 of those attempting to make the journey to Italy and Malta died , compared with last year 's death toll of 471 . More than 38,000 people have made the perilous journey across the Gulf of Aden from Somalia to Yemen during the first 10 months of this year , a `` considerable increase from the 29,500 who made the same journey during the whole of last year , '' UNHCR said Tuesday . However , the death toll on that route has remained lower so far this year : more than 600 have died or disappeared en route to Yemen compared to 1,400 killed last year . In late September , at least 52 Somalis died when the boat smuggling them across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen broke down , and they were left adrift with no food or water for 18 days , according to the U.N. . Many are fleeing the war in Somalia , but Koutepas of MSF told CNN on Monday that he has noticed a recent increase in the number of refugees from Ethiopia . `` It used to be 10 percent of total arrival , and now it 's around 50-50 , '' he said . Yemen is a common destination for Somalis fleeing economic hardship and war because of its proximity . It is also an attractive location because Somalis receive automatic refugee status in the fellow Muslim country . New smuggling routes , including some based out of Djibouti -- which lies north of Somalia and is much closer to Yemen -- have also led to the increase in refugees , according to the UNHCR . But according to the Yemen Post , Yemen is just a stopping point for most of the refugees , who then travel on to the wealthier Persian Gulf states or Europe and the United States . Earlier this year , Yemen 's coast guard stepped up patrols of its coastline in an attempt to deter the smugglers . Some of the smuggling boats seized by Yemen 's coast guard are given to Somali fishermen who suffered losses in the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami . As part of a $ 19 million operation , UNHCR operates shelters and reception centers for the refugees in Yemen and has increased its efforts to discourage people from making the illegal crossing to Yemen . It has also sponsored training programs for coast guard personnel and other officials . MSF said the plight of the refugees has been overshadowed by the dozens of pirate attacks off Somalia 's coast that have grabbed international headlines in recent months . `` A lot of attention has been paid lately to tackling the issue of piracy in the waters off the Horn of Africa , '' said MSF Yemen mission leader Francis Coteur . `` Unfortunately , little attention is paid to the drama of the refugees crossing the same waters in horrific conditions . Much more needs to be done to address this issue . '' | More Africans have already fled poverty and conflict so far this year than in 2007 . Bulk of the more than 96,000 African refugees headed to Yemen and Italy , U.N. says . Rest sought refuge in Malta , Greece , Spain and the Canary Islands . | [[0, 15], [55, 196], [1444, 1549], [1613, 1621], [1624, 1718], [267, 342], [267, 316], [345, 406], [692, 716], [2505, 2509], [2563, 2586], [407, 478]] |
INDIO , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For some concertgoers , the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival really kicked into action on Day Two . Festival attendees enjoy the music Saturday , Day Two of the Coachella music festival in Indio , California . Day One was leisurely and pleasant -- the weather was mild , the acts were fairly mellow and the big headliner was Paul McCartney . On Day Two , someone took the dial and turned it up a notch , as the desert sun beat down a little harder , the music pumped a little louder and the crowds who packed the VIP tent threw a little more attitude . There were the usual celebrity sightings . Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon snuck in the back just as rapper M.I.A. hit the stage , Paris Hilton took in Travis Barker and DJ AM 's set in the Sahara tent and David Hasselhoff was spotted making out with a mystery lady near the restrooms . Forty-six acts performed on five stages scattered about the grassy field of the Empire Polo Club near Palm Springs , California . Massive eco-friendly art installations fashioned from scrap metal and reclaimed wood doubled as shelter from the heat , as well as mini-stages for dancers and performance artists . There was good buzz for thenewno2 , an indie-pop band fronted by Oli Hecks and Dhani Harrison , whose vocals are reminiscent of his late father , George , but warmer , and less haunting . `` It 's the first festival we 've ever played , and our 12th gig overall , '' said Harrison . `` Normally with festivals , people come to check you out , stand in the back , and then move on pretty quickly , even if they like you -- but people stayed ! It 's the best performance we 've ever had . '' Unfortunately Fleet Foxes was not so lucky . The Seattle , Washington , group 's delicate baroque harmonies were drowned out by the world music beats of Thievery Corporation 's percussion section bleeding over from the neighboring main stage , as one of their female vocalists crowd-surfed . As usual , the day 's line-up was a mix of up-and-coming indie artists sprinkled with tried-and-true veteran acts . The Killers have played Coachella in both capacities . The Las Vegas , Nevada , quartet received their first invitation from festival organizers in 2004 , the same year their debut album , `` Hot Fuss , '' was released . `` We played at 11:30 a.m. in a tent . It was 150 degrees out , and backstage , it smelled like horse droppings , '' said drummer Ronnie Vannucci , referencing the fact that there are certain consequences to holding an event on a polo field in the desert . This time , as the marquee act , The Killers enjoyed their own backstage compound decked out with a white picket fence , tablecloths and festive party lights in the shape of daisies . Palm trees gently swayed in the distance , silhouetted against the desert backdrop . You could hear the crowd going crazy for a feisty M.I.A. slotted on the main stage before The Killers . Vannucci and his three bandmates had just rolled in on their tour bus from Vegas . He spoke with CNN while warming up his hands and wrists with drumming exercises . `` With festivals , you have to realize the audience is not necessarily there to see YOU . So we 'll play some stuff off our new album , ` Day and Age , ' and work in some songs that everybody knows , like ` Mr. Brightside ' from our first album . '' Half an hour later , The Killers took the stage , opening their set with their latest hit , `` Human . '' Frontman Brandon Flowers soon had the crowd singing the along to the perplexing lyrics , `` Are we human , or are we dancer ? '' At Coachella , it does n't matter if you 're human or if you 're dancer . But if you 're dancer , you 'll probably be relegated to one of the mini-stages inside an art installation . `` The first time I heard about Coachella 10 years ago , I thought , ` That could be the cool festival here in America , '' said Vannucci . `` It 's since become a successful festival with good bands , swarms of people coming in from all over the world -- even art elements . It 's strange to think we 're headlining one night . '' | 46 acts perform on 5 stages at Empire Polo Club near Palm Springs , California . Massive art installations of scrap metal and wood shelter people from heat . The Killers enjoy backstage compound with picket fence , tablecloths , festive lights . Killers frontman Brandon Flowers has crowd singing the along to new hit , `` Human '' | [[892, 931], [920, 1006], [1022, 1087], [1022, 1202], [2579, 2588], [2591, 2593], [2612, 2762], [3474, 3560]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Bringing a growing health concern to Congress , scientists squared off Thursday over whether cell phones contribute to brain cancer . Rep. Denis Kucinich of Ohio holds a model of a 5-year-old child 's brain absorbing cell phone radiation . Studies have indicated that long-term cell phone use may be associated with brain cancer , according to Dr. Ronald Herberman , director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute , and Dr. David Carpenter , director of Institute for Health and the Environment at University of Albany . They both testified in front of the House Subcommittee on Domestic Policy . `` I can not tell this committee that cell phones are definitely dangerous . But , I certainly can not tell you that they are safe , '' Herberman said . Herberman and Carpenter cited the results from a study recently presented by Dr. Lennart Hardell of Örebro University in Sweden . The results indicated that people who use cell phones have double the chance of developing malignant brain tumors and acoustic neuromas , which are tumors on the hearing nerve . The study also said people under age 20 were more than five times as likely to develop brain cancer . But Dr. Robert Hoover , director or Epidemiology and Biostatistics Program at the National Cancer Institute , said the study has not yet appeared in a peer-reviewed journal , so has not come under sufficient scrutiny . The evidence for the connection between cell phones and cancer is inconclusive and more research is needed , he said . `` Larger studies are needed to sort out chance and bias , '' Hoover testified . Interphone , a series of multinational studies on the risk of cancer from cell phones , has not found an increase in tumors associated with the first 10 years of mobile phone use , he said . Some findings show an increased risk of tumors diagnosed on the side of the head that the cell phone is pressed against , but this pattern has not been seen consistently , Hoover said . CTIA , the International Association for Wireless Telecommunications , declined the invitation to testify , Rep. Dennis Kucinich , a former Democratic presidential candidate from Ohio , who led the hearing , said . Steve Largent , CEO of CTIA , issued a statement Wednesday saying the industry has supported scientific research on these issues and supports the Federal Communications Commision 's safety guidelines . `` The available scientific evidence and expert reviews from leading global health organizations such as the American Cancer Society , National Cancer Institute , United States Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization reflect a consensus based on published scientific research showing that there is no reason for concern , '' Largent 's statement said . The overall evidence for the cancer-phone link has not been statistically significant at a 95 percent confidence level , a standard in science , Carpenter said . But he also noted that U.S.-funded research is very scarce . `` Are we at the same place we were with smoking and lung cancer 30 years ago ? '' he asked . Carpenter and Herberman testified that the risk of brain cancer for children is far greater than for adults . Herberman demonstrated a model showing that the radiation from cell phones would penetrate far deeper into a 5-year-old 's brain than an adult 's . See models from researchers at the University of Pittsburgh '' But the incidence of brain cancer in children has not increased significantly from the late 1980s to 2005 , Hoover said . The Federal Communications Commission limits cell phone radio frequency energy emissions , called the specific absorption rate -LRB- SAR -RRB- , at 1.6 watts per kilogram , as measured over one gram of tissue . The standard was developed in 1997 in consultation with Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers , a professional association open to everyone , including manufacturers and health specialists . But the SAR standard reflects a biological response to cell phone radio frequency energy heating tissue , Kucinich said . Many experiments show that radio frequency energy does cause `` biological effects '' without heating tissue , although not all of those effects are harmful , Carpenter said . Hoover agreed that there could be such effects related to cancer risk , but they have not been properly vetted in a laboratory . The FCC itself does not have the expertise to evaluate whether this standard is appropriate protection for possible heath risks , Julius Knapp , director of the FCC 's Office of Engineering and Technology , testified . The hearing took place just a week after the Cleveland Clinic reported a study showing that keeping a cell phone on talk mode in a pocket can decrease sperm quality . Herberman had issued a warning to physicians , scientists , and staff at the University of Pittsburgh in July advising them to limit cell phone use because of the possible risk of cancer . The Israeli Health Ministry endorsed this recommendation within a week , he said . Ellen Marks of Lafayette , California , whose husband found out he had a brain tumor on his right frontal lobe in May , attended the hearing . The tumor is on the same side of his head where he held his cell phone , which he used about 30 hours per month . She believes the tumor is the result of cell phone use . `` I often threatened to throw it in the garbage , and how I wish I had , '' she said . `` This horror could have been avoided with a simple warning . '' | Studies conflict ; do not consistently show cell phones cause cancer , expert says . Expert says he can not say they are definitely dangerous or definitely safe . Children are at higher risk for cancer-causing radiation from phone , scientist says . Woman at House panel hearing says her husband 's brain cancer from cell phone . | [[67, 152], [1609, 1619], [1697, 1732], [1922, 1969], [2779, 2897], [630, 703], [710, 757], [3096, 3205], [4876, 4954], [5295, 5351], [5308, 5351]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- About 1.6 million fans registered for a chance at fewer than 9,000 pairs of tickets to Michael Jackson 's memorial service next week , organizers said . Some memorial tickets went out to `` friends and family '' on Sunday . Registration ended at 6 p.m. Saturday . Officials will now `` scrub '' all entries to eliminate duplicates and those they suspect may have been registered using software that ticket scalpers use to generate multiple hits . A random drawing will follow . The winning 8,750 registrants will receive an e-mail Sunday after 11 a.m. -LRB- 2 p.m. ET -RRB- , AEG Live said . `` I know I 'll be hitting the ` refresh ' button on my inbox over and over again , '' said Jackie Flower , an arts student in San Diego , California . The e-mail will assign the selected registrants a unique code and direct them to a designated distribution center away from the Staples Center . There , they will each receive two tickets to either the memorial service at the Staples Center arena or a simulcast of the event at the adjacent Nokia Theater LA Live , AEG said . Jackson 's family has still not announced the singer 's burial arrangements , saying only that it will hold a private ceremony ahead of the massive public memorial service Tuesday . Journalists staked out several possible burial locations . A long line of television satellite trucks remained parked outside the Hollywood Hills Forest Lawn Cemetery in case it was chosen by the family , but there has been no word from cemetery officials . Police set up metal barricades around the front lawn , creating spaces for media and fans . Two state trooper cruisers idled at the Hall of Liberty inside the grounds , which contains a 1,200-seat auditorium . Watch reporters prepare for Tuesday 's service '' The family has not decided whether Jackson 's body will be brought to the Staples Center arena , where the public ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. PT . At the time of his death , Jackson was working with a concert promotions company on 50 sold-out shows in London , England , beginning in mid-July . Also Saturday , a handful of fans milled about the Jackson family home in Encino , California , bringing flowers and taking pictures next to an informal sidewalk shrine to the pop star . Farzana Payind of Los Angeles snapped a picture of her 6-year-old daughter , Enayah . Payind said Enayah loves to dance to Jackson songs `` Billie Jean '' and `` Thriller '' and cried when she learned of the singer 's death . `` Does that mean his music died too ? '' the girl asked , according to Payind . Neighbor Michael Singer watched the activities with interest . `` This makes Elvis look like nothing , '' he said . `` When you grow up with Michael Jackson 's music pretty much your whole life , you feel like you lost a family member , and you have to go to the funeral , '' said Add Seymour of Atlanta , Georgia , who registered Friday morning and planned to fly out if picked . `` I got some frequent-flier miles just in case I wanted to do something wild and crazy -- and this is wild and crazy . '' Tickets will be handed out Monday outside the Staples Center , said Tim Leiweke , president of AEG Live . Ticketholders will also have wristbands to match their tickets , a precaution against people `` trying to take advantage '' of the system , he said . Although 11,000 seats are available for fans inside the Staples Center , another 6,500 can watch from the Nokia Theater site across the street , according to Leiweke . Police said they will close the area near the Staples Center to all those without a ticket . The family will provide a free live video feed to networks so it can be televised everywhere . `` I want to stress to those people who are coming , or are thinking about coming , to the city for this special event that you might want to consider watching this from the comfort of your home , '' said Councilwoman Jan Perry , the city 's acting mayor while Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is out of the country . The city government will provide security for the event , despite a budget crisis , Perry said . Despite the interest surrounding the service , few details have emerged . Ken Ehrlich , known for producing the Grammy Awards , is producing the memorial show , his company said . And Kenny Ortega , who was to have co-directed Jackson 's series of concerts in London this summer , will direct it . Singer Jennifer Hudson will be among the performers taking the stage , CNN has confirmed . Drug rumors swirl . Meanwhile , speculation that anesthetic drugs might have played a role in the singer 's death June 25 continued to swell Friday after a Los Angeles law enforcement source told The Associated Press that investigators found Diprivan , a powerful sedative , in Jackson 's home . Watch CNN 's Dr. Sanjay Gupta talk with physician who accompanied Jackson on tour '' Earlier in the week , a nutritionist , Cherilyn Lee , said Jackson pleaded for the drug despite being told of its harmful effects . And sources close to Jackson said Thursday that the pop icon traveled with what amounted to a mini-clinic , complete with an IV pole and an anesthesiologist who medicated the insomniac singer , during his HIStory world tour in the mid-90s . Authorities do not know what killed Jackson and await toxicology results , which are due back in two to three weeks . `` We are treating all unnamed sources as rumors . And , as we have stated before , we will not be responding to rumors or innuendo , '' said lawyers for Jackson 's cardiologist , Dr. Conrad Murray , on Friday . `` We are awaiting the facts to come out , and we will respond at that time . '' Los Angeles police have interviewed Murray , who apparently tried to revive the singer after he was found unconscious at his rented Holmby Hills estate . The department said it is now working with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the state Attorney General 's Office as it looks into Jackson 's death . `` For anything that has to do with drugs , the DEA are the experts on that , '' said Jim McDonnell , assistant police chief . `` And if you 're looking at the prescription issues , where else would you go ? '' CNN 's Susan Roesgen , Allison Blakely , Jeff King , Denise Quan , Don Lemon , Kay Jones and Drew Griffin in Los Angeles , California , and Danielle Dellorto in Atlanta , Georgia , contributed to this report . | NEW : Registration for tickets to singer 's memorial service closes . Michael Jackson 's family deciding whether to bring body to public service . Family has not announced any plans for his burial . Journalists stake out possible locations of singer 's burial . | [[1814, 1908], [1114, 1189], [1296, 1354]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Reigning hot dog-guzzling champ Joey Chestnut and nemesis Takeru Kobayashi of Japan attempted to psych each other out Thursday at the weigh-in for the 94th annual Nathan 's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest . Competitive eaters Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi take part in an official `` staredown . '' Chestnut and Kobayashi glared long and menacingly into each other 's eyes in an official `` staredown . '' At last year 's contest , 25-year-old Chestnut , a civil engineering student at San Jose State University , eked out a win over Kobayashi , 31 , in a tiebreaker after both initially consumed 59 dogs apiece . It was Chestnut 's second slim victory over Kobayashi in as many years . Kobayashi vowed he will avenge those two defeats on Saturday . He also said he no longer suffers from the `` jawthritis '' that some cited as the culprit for his 2007 defeat , which snapped his six-year winning streak at Coney Island . Chestnut , for his part , said he had no intention of ceding the coveted mustard yellow belt -- competitive eating 's answer to golf 's green jacket . He is setting his sights this year on 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes . Saturday 's competition will be partially about redemption for Chestnut , too . In May , he suffered a stinging defeat to Kobayashi in a loss he said `` really set a fire underneath me '' and `` made me hungry for this contest . '' Chestnut revealed the extreme dietary regimen he is following in the days leading up to the contest . He said he is sticking to water to make sure he is `` empty '' when the mountain of hot dogs is placed in front of him . In addition to Chestnut , Kobayashi admitted to keeping a watchful eye on 32-year-old Tim `` Eater X '' Janus , whose signature painted face was described by Major League Eating impresario Richard Shea as an attempt to mask his `` inner torment . '' In a recent trial round , Janus downed a personal-best 55 hot dogs -- a weiner 's throw from the 59 that Chestnut and Kobayashi wolfed down last year . As a lead-in to the main event , Major League Eating on Friday will hold a first-of-its-kind `` cross-species '' eating contest between three competitive eaters and three Asian elephants . MLE 's Shea described it as the realization of one of his two lifelong dreams , the other being a scenario in which a dozen competitive eaters eat the entire contents of a convenience store . Twenty finalists will compete in the championship on Saturday . They were culled from 18 preliminary contests and comprise a Who 's Who of the world of competitive eating . For people who stuff their faces with record-breaking quantities of food , many of the contestants at the weigh-in boasted surprisingly svelte physiques . Juliet Lee , a 44-year-old Maryland salon owner fresh off the feat of downing 13.23 pounds of cranberry sauce in 8 minutes , clocked in at a mere 105 pounds . Kobayashi , at 123 pounds , lifted his T-shirt to reveal the sort of chiseled abdomen one would expect at a bodybuilding competition . Others contestants were not quite as disconcertingly trim . Fearsome world matzo ball-eating champion Eric `` Badlands '' Booker tips the scales at 400 pounds . | Reigning hot dog-guzzling champ Joey Chestnut , Takeru Kobayashi have staredown . Last year Chestnut won after a tiebreaker with Kobayashi . Kobayashi vowed to avenge defeat from last year . Chestnut : Kobayashi beat me in May contest and `` set a fire underneath me '' | [[28, 111], [262, 355], [359, 393], [466, 489], [492, 512], [572, 608], [747, 809], [1280, 1286], [1289, 1341], [1342, 1394]] |
-LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- Have you ever wondered about the origins and namesakes of our favorite spreads , sauces , and dressings ? Here are a few stories that you can use to regale your friends the next time you chow down . Peppers were imported from the Mexican state of Tabasco to make spicy Tabasco sauce , giving the condiment its name . 1 . Thousand Island Dressing . Is the delicious dressing that gives a Reuben its tanginess named after an actual chain of islands ? You bet it is . The Thousand Islands are an archipelago that sits in the Saint Lawrence River on the U.S.-Canada border , and there are actually 1,793 of them , some of which are so small that they contain nothing more than a single home . So why is the dressing named after an archipelago ? No one 's quite sure . Some people claim that early film star and vaudevillian May Irwin , who summered on the Thousand Islands , named it , while others contend that George Boldt , the famed proprietor of the Waldorf-Astoria , gave the dressing its name because of his own summer place in the region . No matter who named it , it 's tough to beat on a sandwich . 2 . Ranch Dressing . Yep , the beloved dressing and dipping sauce actually got its start on a real ranch . When Steve and Gayle Henson opened a dude ranch in California in 1954 , they had an ace up their sleeves : a delicious dressing that Steve had concocted while the couple was living in Alaska . The couple did a nice business at their Hidden Valley Ranch , but guests were always flipping out over just how tasty Steve 's dressing was . Eventually , the Hensons started bottling the stuff , and the popularity grew so quickly that they had to hire a twelve-man crew just to help mix up each batch . Steve 's culinary creativity turned out to be lucrative ; in 1972 Clorox forked over $ 8 million for the recipe . Mental Floss : Foods named after people . 3 . A1 Steak Sauce . According to the brand 's Web site , A1 has been around for quite a while . Henderson William Brand worked as the personal chef for King George IV from 1824 to 1831 , and at some point during this employment mixed up a new sauce for the king to use on his beef . George IV allegedly took one bite of Brand 's creation and declared that it was `` A1 . '' Brand then left the king 's employ in order to go peddle his new sauce . 4 . Tabasco Sauce . Tabasco sauce is perhaps the most famous of all hot sauces , but where did it get its name ? When Edmund McIlhenny , a former banker , invented the sauce in Louisiana in 1868 , he did n't have a huge supply of chili peppers at his disposal . To keep cooking , he imported peppers from the Mexican state of Tabasco and slapped the region 's name on his bottles . Mental Floss : The origins of salt , pepper and other popular spices . 5 . Heinz 57 . Legend has it that Heinz 57 takes its name from H.J. Heinz 's company formerly marketing 57 products at once , and except for the number , the story holds up . Heinz 's Web site tells a story that Henry John Heinz was riding a train when he saw a billboard advertising 21 varieties of shoes . He so liked the idea he wanted to try it with his own condiment company . Thus , he started touting Heinz 's 57 varieties . There was only one catch : Heinz marketed well over 60 products at the time . So where did the 57 come from ? Heinz thought the number was lucky . Five was Heinz 's lucky number , and seven was his wife 's . He mashed the charmed digits together , got 57 , and never looked back . 6 . Tartar Sauce . Fish 's best friend is named after an alternate spelling of the word `` Tatar , '' which was how Western Europeans once referred to almost anyone of Mongolian or Turkic descent . Many of these Tatars/Tartars ran roughshod over Europe in the time of Genghis Khan , but they knew how to cook . One of the dishes they left behind , beef tartare , came back into fashion in 19th-century France . These helpings of steak tartare came with a number of garnishes , including the creamy white stuff that eventually became generically known as tartar sauce . Mental Floss : The history of utensils -LRB- spork included -RRB- . 7 . Hollandaise Sauce . Hollandaise , the lemon-butter-and-egg yumminess that Eggs Benedict ca n't live without , is n't actually Dutch . Instead , it 's one of the most well known French sauces . The sauce first appeared in French cooking in the 17th century , and is apparently named both because it somewhat resembles an old Dutch sauce and because the Dutch had such thriving butter and egg industries that provided two of the sauce 's main ingredients . For more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright , Mental Floss LLC . All rights reserved . | Thousand Island dressing is named after 1,793 islands in the Saint Lawrence River . Tabasco 's founder imported peppers from the Mexican state of Tabasco . Hollandaise is n't actually Dutch ; it 's one of the most well known French sauces . | [[518, 532], [538, 596], [227, 310], [2621, 2674], [4168, 4179], [4258, 4281], [4292, 4340]] |
NEW DELHI , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- About 13,000 employees at state-run Air India walked off the job for two hours Friday after the airline failed to pay their monthly wage . A man walks past the Air India building in Mumbai . Staff staged a strike to protest against unpaid wages . The strike was the last resort for some employees who say management failed to keep a promise to pay them Friday , said J.B. Kadian , the general secretary of the Air Corporation Employees Union . There have been strained talks between management and three unions -- that includes everyone from the cabin crew to sweepers -- after Air India told the bulk of its employees their pay would be delayed by two weeks . The unions said 13,000 employees participated in the strike but Air India did not provide a number . The walkout comes after management did not follow through on its latest verbal agreement to pay the lowest paid employees by July 3 , employees say . Employees normally get paid on the last day of the month . The lowest paid unionized employees make less than $ 100 a week . Employees said they were angered that their pay was delayed at a time when the airline has continued to buy new planes . Air India 's spokesperson J. Bhargava told CNN : `` We will not tolerate any strike . Striking employees will be subject to loss of wages and productive incentives . '' Air India is in deep financial trouble . It lost about a billion dollars last year alone . It says it is in a fight for survival due to lower volumes of passengers , the high cost of employing about 31,000 employees as well as the current world financial downturn . Analyst Kapil Kaul from the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation said Air India 's problems may stem from bad business decisions rather than the global financial downturn . `` We have seen Air India continue to get planes when they have no money to pay salaries , '' Kaul said . `` At the present time the airline does not have a well structure and realistic business case . '' Air India has asked the government to bail it out . It also said it has avoided layoffs unlike other struggling airlines around the world . | Air India employees stage flash strike after monthly paychecks were n't paid . Some airline staff had been told they would be paid by Friday , July 3 . Bosses warned most staff that their paychecks would be two weeks late . Air India tells CNN : `` Striking employees will be subject to loss of wages '' | [[129, 175], [228, 283], [241, 283], [342, 352], [360, 396], [860, 930], [615, 655], [642, 697], [1281, 1360]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Changing winter conditions are causing Scotland 's wild Soay sheep to get smaller , according to a study that suggests climate change can trump natural selection . Ca n't see me now : Climate change could be shrinking Soay sheep in Scotland . The authors of the study published in `` Science '' believe that it highlights how wide-ranging the effects of global climate change can be , adding further complexity to the changes we might expect to see in animal populations in future . `` It 's only in the last few years that we 've realized that evolution can influence species ' physical traits as quickly as ecological changes can . This study addresses one of the major goals of population biology , namely to untangle the ways in which evolutionary and environmental changes influence a species ' traits , '' said Andrew Sugden , deputy and international managing editor at Science . The researchers analyzed body-weight measurements and life-history data for the female members of a population of Soay sheep . The sheep live on the island of Hirta in the St. Kilda archipelago of Scotland and have been studied closely since 1985 . They selected body size because it is a heritable trait , and because the sheep have , on average , been decreasing in size for the last 25 years . According to the findings lambs are not growing as quickly as they once did as winters have become shorter so do not need to put on as much as weight in the first months of life to survive . The results suggest that the decrease is primarily an ecological response to environmental variation over the last 25 years . Evolutionary change , the report says , has contributed relatively little . `` Sheep are getting smaller . Well , at least the wild Soay sheep living on a remote Scottish island are . But according to classic evolutionary theory , they should have been getting bigger , because larger sheep tend to be more likely to survive and reproduce than smaller ones , and offspring tend to resemble their parents , '' said study author Tim Coulson of Imperial College London . `` Our findings have solved a paradox that has tormented biologists for years -- why predictions did not match observation . Biologists have realized that ecological and evolutionary processes are intricately intertwined , and they now have a way of dissecting out the contribution of each . Unfortunately it is too early to tell whether a warming world will lead to pocket-sized sheep , '' said Coulson . | Study of wild sheep in Scotland suggests climate change making them smaller . Authors of report suggest that climate change can override natural selection . Wild Soay sheep in remote Outer Hebrides closely studied since 1985 . | [[58, 100], [0, 15], [103, 123], [116, 123], [129, 182], [201, 261], [1696, 1726], [0, 15], [103, 123], [116, 123], [129, 182], [1033, 1081], [1103, 1154], [1743, 1797]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police in Texas used a Taser on a 42-year-old pastor and pepper spray to disperse members of his church after police said the pastor interfered with a traffic stop . Jose Moran was arrested early Wednesday morning after interfering with the duties of a public servant in the parking lot of a Webster , Texas , building that is being remodeled for the Iglesias Profetica Peniel Church , Webster police said in a written statement . Moran 's son , Omar , said his father had been trying to help . He added that his father has heart problems . Moran approached an officer who was handling a traffic stop in the church 's parking lot on Wednesday morning , police said . Moran identified himself as the church 's pastor and began yelling at the officer , police said . The officer told Moran to leave several times , but Moran did not , police said . The officer then tried to arrest him . But Moran pushed the officer and ran into the church building , police said . Moran 's son said after his father asked the officer if he could help , the officer began yelling . The son said his father went back inside the church . The officer followed him and kicked in the church door , he said . The pastor came outside , and a second officer used his Taser twice on the pastor , the younger Moran said . The son 's account differs from the police version of events . Police said Moran emerged from the church building with dozens of other people who subsequently surrounded the officer . The officer used pepper spray to disperse the crowd , the statement said . Police said Moran pushed a second officer , who had arrived for backup , when the officer was trying to arrest him . The officer used a Taser to subdue him , police said . Omar Moran said his father remains hospitalized , although police said he had been treated and released . Webster Police Chief Ray Smiley said the Taser was only used once on Moran , but that the tool causes two marks . The driver who had been pulled over was issued two citations and released , police said . | Police , pastor 's son give differing accounts of Taser incident . They do n't agree on whether Jose Moran is still hospitalized . Police say Moran interfered with a traffic stop . Police say church congregation surrounded officer . | [[1313, 1375], [76, 184], [1442, 1454], [1459, 1496]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dean Still had been researching and developing cleaner , more environmentally-friendly wood-burning stoves for almost two decades when , while working for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , he spotted a coal stove for sale on a street corner near Tibet , China . Workers at Shengzhou Stove Manufacturers prepare wood-burning stoves for firing . He had been looking for an established manufacturer who could mass-produce the more efficient , lower-emission stoves he had been developing with the Aprovecho Research Center -LRB- ARC -RRB- , a non-profit research and education center based in Oregon in the United States . `` It looked perfect . It had all the components , '' Still told CNN . `` I knew we could change it to a wood-burning stove . There was a cell phone number on the side , so I called it . '' Shen Huiyang of Shengzhou Stove Manufacturers -LRB- SSM -RRB- , based over a thousand miles away , answered . The two met and a short time later , in August 2007 , an agreement was signed between ARC and SSM . Shen 's factory began producing the new wood-burning stoves last year . Last week , the two companies were declared `` Global Energy Champions '' by the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy at a ceremony in London , England . The vast majority of the 60,000 stoves they 've sold since entering their partnership have gone to Envirofit International , a U.S.-based non-profit organization which markets the stoves in India , supported by the Shell Foundation . Others are sold in Argentina , Chile , the Marshall Islands , Madagascar , South Africa and Tanzania . Shen said : `` We have produced coal stoves for many years , and it is wonderful to be able to use our experience to make a wood stove that brings benefits to so many people . '' The pair won $ 65,000 to develop the scheme which Still says will be spent on research and development , and to employ more sales people . `` What I 'm doing now is talking to the U.N. , to relief agencies , just anybody in the world who might have an interest in burning wood more cleanly , and using less of it , '' he said . The principle behind the stove is simple . With a better insulated combustion chamber , the fire requires less wood and burns hot enough for the smoke to combust as well , which means far fewer emissions . According to the World Health Organization , about half the world still cooks with biomass or coal , using open fires or traditional stoves . The resulting emissions cause indoor air pollution , leading to pneumonia , chronic respiratory disease and lung cancer . This indoor air pollution causes 1.6 million deaths a year , primarily among children and women . The emissions also contribute to climate change , and the collection of firewood contributes to deforestation and erosion . ARC say tests performed on the stoves indicate major breakthroughs for both the environment and health in the developing world . The stoves reduce the use of wood for fuel by up to 50 percent , and cut carbon monoxide emissions by up to 70 percent compared to a traditional fire . | U.S. research center , Chinese stove manufacter win joint environment award . They make stoves that use less wood , reduce carbon monoxide emissions . Since 2007 , they have sold 60,000 stoves in India , Argentina and Chile . Currently talking with the U.N. and relief agencies about potential deals . | [[9, 32], [72, 157], [413, 506], [451, 455], [456, 580], [2313, 2340], [2956, 2998], [2956, 2966], [3025, 3054], [1312, 1329], [1339, 1376], [1954, 2012]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thirty people joined National Park Service rangers Saturday in climbing to the crown of the Statue of Liberty , the first tourists to go into the landmark 's crown since the 9/11 attacks . Chris Bartnick , 46 , and daughter Aleyna , 8 , of Merrick , New York , look out from the statue 's crown on Saturday . The New York Harbor monument was closed after the terrorist assaults on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon for safety and security reasons , the Interior Department said . `` Once again , Americans can climb to Lady Liberty 's crown and gaze out over New York Harbor , where so many of our ancestors first saw the New World and first breathed the fresh air of freedom , '' Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said as he welcomed visitors back on the Fourth of July holiday . `` This is a celebration of America and the joy of being an American . '' Visitors on Saturday were grateful they could go inside the landmark . `` It 's just basically safety for our country and at least they opened it , '' visitor Ira Semapadilla told CNN affiliate NY1 before the visit . `` That 's one thing that I was like , wow , I 'm never going to experience it . ... They ruined it for us . `` Now that it 's going to open again I 'm excited , and I 'm just really looking forward to being in there . '' Watch as CNN 's Susan Candiotti treks to top '' Gov. David Paterson , D-New York , Gov. Jon Corzine , D-New Jersey , and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined Salazar at the reopening ceremony . Even with the reopening of the monument , only a rare few will get to scale the 354 steps to the crown . Only 10 visitors are permitted to ascend the steps at any one time , meaning about 240 people can make the climb during the park 's 8:30 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. hours of operation . The opportunity to climb Lady Liberty will end again in two years , when work will begin on further safety and security upgrades . | Monument in New York Harbor closed since 9/11 attacks . Thirty people make climb to reopened crown . `` This is a celebration of America , '' Interior secretary says . | [[337, 480], [28, 137], [530, 596]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Investigators have heard a signal from the flight data recorders of the Yemenia Airways plane that crashed last week , they announced Sunday . Search parties continue their operation to locate the Yemenia Airbus A310 off the Comoros Islands Saturday . `` A signal was picked up from two acoustic transmitters from the plane 's flight data recorders during a sea search to locate the data recorders this morning , '' the French air accident investigation agency , known as the BEA , said in a statement . Commonly known as `` black boxes , '' the data recorders should contain information to help determine what caused the crash . The Yemenia Airways Airbus 310 crashed into the Indian Ocean early Tuesday , carrying 142 passengers and 11 crew members . It originated in Yemen 's capital , Sanaa , and went down just miles from Moroni , the capital of the Comoros Islands . One person , a 13-year-old French girl , survived . Bahia Basari , who lives in Marseille , escaped with cuts to her face and a fractured collarbone . Watch teen survivor from crash '' The teen 's father , Kassim Bakari , told a French radio network that his wife and daughter were flying to Comoros to visit relatives . `` When I had her on the phone , I asked her what happened and she said , ` Daddy , I do n't know what happened , but the plane fell into the water and I found myself in the water ... surrounded by darkness . I could not see anyone , ' '' Bakari told France Info . The head of the rescue team in the Comoros told French radio RTL that the teenager beat astonishing odds to survive . `` It is truly , truly , miraculous , '' Ibrahim Abdoulazeb said . `` The young girl can barely swim . '' Another rescuer told France 's Europe 1 radio that the girl was spotted in the rough sea , among bodies and plane debris in darkness , about two hours after the crash . The Airbus 310 plane tried to land at the airport in Moroni , then made a U-turn before it crashed , Comoros Vice President Idi Nadhoim said soon after the accident . A French official said the nation had banned the plane after it failed an aviation inspection in 2007 . `` Since this check-up , we have not seen the plane reappearing in France , '' said Dominique Bussereau , the transport minister . But Yemenia Airlines was not on the European Union 's list of banned airlines , he added . Passengers on the flight included 66 French citizens , 54 Comorians , one Palestinian and one Canadian , according to Yemeni and French officials . The crew was made up of six Yemenis , two Moroccans , one Ethiopian , one Filipino and one Indonesian . The Comoros Islands are between the east African country of Tanzania and the island nation of Madagascar . | Comoros Islands lie between east African and the island nation of Madagascar . Data recorders should contain information to help determine what caused the crash . Teenage girl only person to survive plane crash off Comoros islands . French , U.S. divers are helping to search for debris and bodies from the plane . | [[2616, 2722], [558, 648], [892, 902], [933, 943], [162, 270]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The court battle may finally be over , but there is still a great mystery hanging over the next America 's Cup event : What will the holders use to defend the trophy ? America 's Cup team Oracle has trialed a trimaran which it revealed in September 2008 . Established in 1851 , the America 's Cup is the oldest active trophy of any sport and by far the most prestigious match race sailing event in the world . Scheduled for February 2010 , the 33rd edition of the America 's Cup will be contested by the holders -- Swiss syndicate Alinghi , and U.S. challenger Oracle , owned by Larry Ellison . The date follows protracted court battles which saw both teams fighting over the terms of the next event . Last month 's New York Supreme Court ruling which finally decided the terms and date of the regatta also announced that the contest is to be decided in a one-off series in multihull boats . While Oracle revealed a 90 ft trimaran last year , defenders Alinghi are still building their boat for the event -- and they are refusing to give away any secrets about it . CNN 's MainSail show visited the Alinghi base in Switzerland to try to catch a glimpse of the mystery vessel -- but they came no closer to seeing the boat under construction . MainSail presenter Shirley Robertson only got as far as the compound gates in her quest to see the vessel . Watch video of CNN visiting the Alinghi team base '' The team 's design co-coordinator , Grant Simms , told CNN that the design would not be revealed until the latest possible point . `` It 's quite unusual and we are trying to keep it a secret as long as we can . `` We are hoping to stop our opponents from seeing it and reacting to it , '' he said . The design of the boat is generally a crucial part of any America 's Cup regatta -- and none more so than this one , where a different type of boat is being introduced . Also , the size and shape of the boat could indicate where the regatta may be held -- something that does n't need to be announced by defenders Alinghi until six months before it is set to begin . The cup holders can set the terms of the next defense , in conjunction with the `` challenger of record '' -- whichever team signs up as the first challenger . This is important as different locations can have a wide variety of wind strengths and sea swells , which can suit varying sizes of boat and types of sail . You can watch this month 's MainSail show in full on CNN International or on the MainSail Web site from Thursday 18th June . | Next America 's Cup to be decided between Alinghi and Oracle in February . Regatta will be contested in multi-hull boats -- trimarans or catamarans . U.S. team Oracle revealed its design of a 90 ft boat last year . CNN 's MainSail tries to get a sneak preview of the as yet unseen Alinghi boat . | [[446, 473], [476, 603], [738, 781], [843, 927], [581, 603], [606, 630], [928, 976], [979, 996], [1001, 1040], [1102, 1210]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Friday 's two-train collision killed 25 people and injured more than 130 others near Los Angeles after an engineer failed to heed a traffic signal , a spokeswoman for Metrolink commuter trains said . A commuter rail car lies on its side after a collision Friday near Los Angeles , California . The engineer was guiding the Metrolink train that slammed head-on into a freight train and is not believed to have survived , Metrolink spokeswoman Denise Tyrrell said on Saturday . `` It was human error , '' Tyrrell said , adding this was Metrolink 's belief `` barring any new information '' from an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board . NTSB spokeswoman Kitty Higgins said the agency would `` look at everything before we rule anything in or out . '' Tyrrell said the engineer , whom she did n't identify , was a subcontractor employed by another company . She said she did not have details of his record . The crash occurred about 4:30 p.m. PT Friday in Chatsworth , a northwest Los Angeles suburb . The Metrolink train had about 220 passengers and two crew members on board at the time , according to Tyrrell . Watch rescuers search for victims '' Forty-five of the injured were in critical condition , with 40 flown to hospitals , Tyrrell said . Another 50 had minor injuries , and 40 others were treated at the crash site but transported to hospitals for evaluation . `` It was like running into a brick wall at 60 miles an hour , '' an injured passenger told CNN affiliate KABC . In the minutes after the crash , passers-by joined emergency personnel in an effort to free passengers from the wreckage . On Saturday afternoon , Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said the search of the wreckage had finished . Earlier in the day , authorities were picking through the wreckage and freeing trapped bodies . Ed Winter , assistant chief of the Los Angeles County coroner 's office , told reporters two bodies -- both of females -- had yet to be identified . If the females had carried identification , it probably was lost in the crash , he said . As of 9 a.m. PT Saturday , authorities had been able to notify relatives of eight victims , he said . Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger visited the crash site on Saturday , telling reporters it was `` one of the worst train accidents in modern history in California . '' The NTSB will make a final determination of the crash 's cause . Higgins , the agency 's spokeswoman , said data recorders have been recovered from both trains , along with a video recorder from the freight train . Higgins said that out of the trains ' five crew members , four survived . Authorities will interview the surviving crew members , Higgins said . Tyrrell said a review of `` a number of programs , '' including the signal system , showed the commuter train 's engineer failed to heed a stop signal , Tyrrell said . `` We do n't know how the error happened , but this is what we believe happened , '' Tyrrell said . The wreck occurred on a curved part of the track where the speed limit is 40 mph , Tyrrell said . She said that just like road vehicles , trains are subject to signal systems . At the wreck site is a siding where one train can wait while another passes , she said . `` They receive a signal to stop and they must hold their location until other traffic has passed , '' she said . Villaraigosa praised police officers and firefighters for working under emotionally draining conditions and treating the victims with respect . `` This has been a grueling night for them , '' he said . The crash sparked a fire that impeded firefighters 's efforts to reach the front commuter car , where most of the injuries occurred , Los Angeles County sheriff 's spokesman Steve Whitmore said . The fire eventually was brought under control . `` We 've already found survivors trapped under fatalities , '' Whitmore said late Friday . Among those killed was Spree Desha , 35 , a Los Angeles police officer on her way home from work , officials said Saturday . `` It 's not unusual for us to respond to disasters , '' said Jerry Szymanski , an assistant commander for the LAPD . `` When we got here , we found it was one that hit close to home . '' Desha had `` mentored and trained a lot of the young officers in the North Hollywood area , '' Szymanski said . Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said Friday night a sheriff 's deputy was in a hospital 's intensive care unit after collapsing while conducting rescue work . CNN 's Ted Rowlands contributed to this report . | NEW : Engineer failed to heed stop signal , Metrolink spokeswoman says . NEW : At least 25 killed , 135 others injured in head-on wreck , officials say . NEW : Search for bodies and survivors has finished , Los Angeles mayor says . Passenger and freight trains collided Friday in Chatsworth . | [[0, 11], [14, 30], [95, 165], [147, 190], [193, 243], [2824, 2890], [0, 11], [74, 90], [0, 11], [14, 30], [95, 165], [1671, 1692], [1695, 1780], [363, 382], [388, 424], [970, 1028]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Janelle Monae is a girl from another planet , and she 's invading your world . Janelle Monae creates `` cool , futuristic soul with a real '80s quality , '' says a DJ . Sightings of the singer-songwriter will include this week 's `` American Idol '' finale , the Hollywood Bowl and concert stages across America this summer and TV 's Sci Fi Channel this fall . Monae insists that her real identity is Cindi Mayweather , an android traveling through space and time to escape destruction ordered because she fell in love with a human , a fatal infraction of robots ' rules . Along the way , she 's making music that moves into the future while drawing from decades past . `` It is cool , futuristic soul with a real '80s quality , '' said Garth Trinidad , a disc jockey at Los Angeles , California , radio station KCRW . Trinidad spotted Monae three years ago , and he 's been watching her like an astronomer tracking the approach of a distant comet destined to light Earth 's sky . `` I believe she 's going to be a household name in the next year or two , '' said Trinidad , a self-described `` champion of the underdog '' who is credited with giving Jill Scott and Gnarls Barkley early radio airplay . Monae -- the human -- is a striking combination of voice , style , imagination and fearlessness that defies conventional description , making it easier to buy into the fantasy of Mayweather the android . When her song `` Many Moons '' was nominated for a Grammy in December , it was in the urban/alternative category . If Monae is an android from the future , her musical programming included the past . Trinidad compared her `` very fluid , very pleasing '' voice to Donna Summer , circa 1976 . At a Los Angeles show this month , she mixed 20th-century classics with her own futuristic songs . Monae delivered a sweet version of Nat King Cole 's `` Smile '' while standing atop a barstool . Senior citizens danced the `` Twist '' when her band broke out into the Beatles ' 1964 hit `` I Saw Her Standing There . '' She loves timeless music , Monae said after her show . `` We look to a lot of people whose bodies are dead and gone , but their spirit is still with us , '' Monae said . Her choreography borrows from James Brown , Michael Jackson and Devo , with dance moves from the future . Monae -- or Mayweather -- thinks she can fly . She jumped head-first into the audience , `` crowd surfing '' the unlikely mosh pit in UCLA 's Royce Hall . Search Monae 's name on YouTube and you 'll see her jumping into swimming pools to end her shows . She climbed a tree in New York -- after her swim . Unlike some performers , her talent matches Monae 's onstage antics , Trinidad said . `` It 's one thing for her to perform a certain way , but she backs with it up with talent , '' he said . Monae 's android-on-the-run theme , reminiscent of the 1982 movie `` Blade Runner , '' reminds Trinidad `` of all the great albums from the past that had a story and concept attached . '' `` She was just kind of like bored with everything else going on , and she wanted to transcend it and tell a story , '' he said . Monae said she is not following a formula , that she is `` being led by my maker . '' `` I 'm very similar to a terminal , '' she said . Monae will inevitably capture the world 's attention because she is `` outshining a lot of what 's happening in the mainstream , '' Trinidad said . That time may be near . Sean `` Diddy '' Combs signed her to his Bad Boy Records , giving her music distribution . Coca-Cola hired Monae to sing on its `` Open Happiness '' ad campaign . It airs on this week 's `` American Idol '' finale . Her tour stops next month include at least six shows in the northeastern United States , opening for Gwen Stefani 's reunited rock group No Doubt . Monae then plays the Hollywood Bowl with the legendary jazz singer Etta James . She plays herself in two episodes of the Sci Fi Channel 's `` Stargate Universe '' this fall . | Janelle Monae popping up on commercial , on tour , on TV . Singer has alter ego : Cindi Mayweather , futuristic android on the run . Observers praise talent : `` I believe she 's going to be a household name , '' says DJ . | [[213, 392], [405, 529], [198, 212], [1028, 1097]] |
OXON HILL , Maryland -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Crew members of the Maersk Alabama , safely back in the United States after being attacked by pirates last week off Somalia , recounted their ordeal Thursday . Navy personnel recover the lifeboat from which Maersk Alabama Capt. Richard Phillips was rescued Sunday . `` They start firing before they climb , with AK-47 , '' crew member Zahid Reza said . `` I was scared for my life . I was almost close to that . And they tried to shoot me many times , '' he said , pointing to his head . `` Pointing gun all over . Here , there , in the back . '' Pirates tried three times to board the U.S.-flagged cargo ship before their fourth attempt was successful , fellow crew member William Rios said , adding that the groups of pirates were different but that he thinks they were working together . Rios said he was working on deck when he was called back to lock down the ship . Then , he said , there were gunshots , and an alarm went off to alert all crew members to wake up and get on deck . `` We went to our training , '' he said , declining to provide details : `` If I tell you all what we did , pirates , they would know . '' Watch the crew praise their captain '' The pirates intended to ask for a $ 3 million ransom , Reza said . He said he and the ship 's chief engineer took one of the pirates hostage . Reza said he persuaded the pirate -- whom he described as a young man , maybe 18 or 19 -- to trust him , pointing out that he is Bangladeshi and the pirate was Somali . `` His name is Abdul , '' Reza said . `` I told him , ` Trust me . I am Muslim ; you are Muslim . ' '' He told Abdul he would take him to the engine room to find more crew members . When they got there , the room was dark , he said , and he did n't know the ship 's chief engineer was in there . He said the chief engineer jumped the pirate first , then Reza stabbed him with his knife , and the two men tied the pirate 's hands and feet . Reza said he intended to kill the youth , but the chief engineer told him , `` No , we need him alive . '' Watch Reza talk about wanting to kill the pirate '' `` He was fighting me and chief engineer , to get away from us . A lot of yelling , shouting and screaming . '' Rios said he went to the lifeboat , where Capt. Richard Phillips was being held , to exchange Abdul for Phillips but was unsuccessful . The captain -- who offered himself as a hostage in exchange for the freedom of his crew -- was rescued by U.S. Navy SEALs on Sunday . The SEALs , on the nearby guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge , fatally shot three pirates and rescued Phillips . A fourth pirate was arrested . `` I feel great they got killed , '' Reza said . `` I am happy . '' He said he was proud of the Navy . Phillips arrived in Mombasa , Kenya , aboard the Bainbridge on Thursday . The crew arrived at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland overnight . Watch crew arrive in U.S. '' Rios said Phillips is `` outstanding ; he 's extraordinary ; he 's -LSB- a -RSB- very brave man . '' Another crew member , John White , said they were `` damn lucky to be alive . '' Rios called for more security in the Gulf of Aden . `` Put more military to patrol the waterway for us transporting material back and forth , '' he said . '' ... All the countries got to get involved with this . '' Reza echoed the call . `` I think government should get involved , '' he said . `` They should think about our safety , yes . ... This piracy is getting bigger and bigger . '' CNN 's Paul Courson , Virginia Nicolaidis and Dugald McConnell contributed to this report . | NEW : Maersk Alabama crew tell about pirates ' takeover of ship . NEW : Crew member says he gained confidence of , tried to kill pirate . NEW : `` I feel great they got killed , '' crew member says of pirates . NEW : Crew calls for international effort to secure shipping lanes . | [[1958, 1997], [2065, 2116], [360, 392], [2651, 2679], [2664, 2679], [2682, 2689]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former head of the CIA slammed President Obama on Sunday for releasing four Bush-era memos , saying the new president has compromised national security . Former CIA chief Michael Hayden said Sunday it is wrong to make interrogation methods public . Michael Hayden , who served as former President Bush 's last CIA director from 2006 to 2009 , said releasing the memos outlining terror interrogation methods emboldened terrorist groups such as al Qaeda . `` What we have described for our enemies in the midst of a war are the outer limits that any American would ever go to in terms of interrogating an al Qaeda terrorist . That 's very valuable information , '' Hayden said during an appearance on `` Fox News Sunday . '' `` By taking -LSB- certain -RSB- techniques off the table , we have made it more difficult -- in a whole host of circumstances I can imagine -- for CIA officers to defend the nation , '' he said . But Sens. Claire McCaskill , D-Missouri , and Lindsey Graham , R-South Carolina , said certain techniques should not have been allowed in the first place . McCaskill called them `` a great recruitment tool for those who want to do harm to our country . '' White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel dismissed Hayden 's assertion that releasing the memos had undermined U.S. intelligence efforts by giving al Qaeda critical new information . `` One of the reasons the president was willing to let this information out was that already the information was out , '' he said on ABC 's `` This Week . '' `` Go get the New York Review of Books . It 's there . '' Hayden said he called several senior White House officials to express his opposition before the president released the documents . Hayden also noted that four previous CIA directors , as well as current agency director Leon Panetta , opposed the release . The memos said , among other things , that interrogation tactics such as waterboarding , sleep deprivation and slapping did not violate laws against torture absent the intent to cause severe pain . Obama prohibited the use of so-called `` enhanced interrogation techniques '' such as waterboarding shortly after taking office in January . Such techniques `` undermine our moral authority and do not make us safer , '' he said Thursday , when the White House released the memos . The Obama administration has said it wo n't pursue charges against CIA officers who used those tactics against prisoners in their custody . And Emanuel told ABC that the people who crafted the policy `` should not be prosecuted either . '' But in a sharply worded editorial Sunday , The New York Times called for the impeachment of Jay Bybee , a federal appeals court judge who was a Justice Department official when he wrote one of the memos that authorized those techniques . `` These memos make it clear that Mr. Bybee is unfit for a job that requires legal judgment and a respect for the Constitution , '' the newspaper editorialized . The memos `` were written to provide legal immunity for acts that are clearly illegal , immoral and a violation of this country 's most basic values , '' it stated . Asked about that call on `` Fox News Sunday , '' McCaskill said : `` I think we have to look at it . '' McCaskill , a member of the Senate 's standing investigative subcommittee , said the Obama administration made the right decision by agreeing not to prosecute intelligence officers . But she added : `` A lawyer that 's responsible for this kind of advice that clearly went too far in terms of stretching what our law is -- it worries me that he 's sitting on the federal bench right now . '' Graham , however , said seeking to punish lawyers who advised the Bush administration `` is a very bad precedent . '' `` I think it would be disaster to go back and try to prosecute a lawyer for giving legal advice that you disagreed with to a former president , '' said Graham , a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a lawyer in the Air Force reserve . Hayden said the administration 's decision to release the Bush administration memos will make CIA officials less willing to engage in interrogation tactics now sanctioned by the federal government . `` The basic foundation of the legitimacy of the agency 's action has shifted from some durability of law to a product of the American political process . That puts agency officers in a horrible position , '' he said . `` The really dangerous effect of this -LSB- decision -RSB- is that you 'll have agency officers stepping back from the kinds of things that the nation expects them to do . ... You 're going to have this agency -- on the front line of defending you in this current war -- playing back from the line , '' he said . Hayden also said that , contrary to the assertions of many critics , the interrogation techniques in question had forced suspected terrorists to reveal valuable information and made the country safer . He predicted that the release of the memos would be `` just the beginning . '' `` There will be more revelations , more commissions , there will be more investigations , '' Hayden said . McCaskill told `` Fox News Sunday '' that the United States will be better off in the long run by clearly prohibiting interrogation techniques such as waterboarding . And Graham said that while he was concerned that the release of the memos was a `` huge tactical and strategic mistake done for political reasons , '' the decision to allow certain enhanced interrogation techniques was a mistake as well . Graham added that he always thought waterboarding `` was a procedure that would come back to haunt the country , and quite frankly it has . '' | Michael Hayden : Releasing Bush-era interrogation memos harmful . Release puts CIA officers `` in a horrible position , '' subject to political process , he says . White House chief of staff defends release , saying info was already public . Sens. Claire McCaskill and Lindsey Graham say techniques were a mistake . | [[186, 280], [281, 295], [375, 438], [1258, 1277], [1283, 1302], [4006, 4103], [4360, 4408], [5294, 5457], [1208, 1389], [956, 1012], [1034, 1107], [5442, 5525]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Singapore man undergoing treatment for cancer was detained for four hours by U.S. immigration officials after the drug he was taking caused his fingerprints to disappear . Foreign visitors undergo mandatory fingerprint screening when they enter the United States . Now , the unidentified man 's oncologist is asking patients taking the commonly used drug , capecitabine , to carry a doctor 's note when they travel to the United States . The oncologist , Eng-Huat Tan of the National Cancer Center in Singapore , described the encounter in a letter published in the current issue of the cancer journal Annals of Oncology . The 62-year-old cancer patient , identified as Mr. S , eventually was allowed to enter the United States and visit relatives after officials determined he did not pose a security threat . According to the oncologist , the patient had neck and head cancer that had spread . He responded well to chemotherapy . To prevent a recurrence , doctors placed him on capecitabine , marketed in the United States as Xeloda . One of the side effects of the drug is hand-foot syndrome . It causes the skin on the hands and feet to peel . With time , the drug can erase fingerprints . `` It is uncertain when the onset of fingerprint loss will take place in susceptible patients who are taking capecitabine , '' the doctor wrote . His patient started on the drug in July 2005 . `` However , it is possible that there may be a growing number of such patients as Mr. S. ... These patients should prepare adequately before traveling to avert the inconvenience that Mr. S was put through . '' Foreign visitors undergo mandatory fingerprint screening when they enter the United States . | U.S. immigration officials detain cancer patient who lacked fingerprints . Drug causes skin to peel , sometimes obliterates prints , doctor writes . Physician suggests affected travelers carry notes from doctors . | [[131, 134], [140, 142], [154, 192], [1118, 1168], [1169, 1178], [1181, 1214], [1339, 1360], [337, 375], [393, 418], [393, 458]] |
GAFFNEY , South Carolina -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Investigators believe the serial killer blamed for five deaths in South Carolina died in a shootout with police in neighboring North Carolina on Monday , a South Carolina state police official said . Patrick Tracy Burris , 41 , was believed to be the suspect in five slayings in South Carolina , authorities say . Tests on the gun found on 41-year-old Patrick Tracy Burris match the weapon used in the killings that have haunted Gaffney , South Carolina , since June 27 , said Reggie Lloyd , director of South Carolina 's State Law Enforcement Division . The dead suspect and his vehicle appear to match descriptions circulated by investigators in Gaffney , he said . `` We believe a killer is off the streets , '' Lloyd said . Burris was killed early Monday morning in Dallas , North Carolina , after police received a call about a possible burglary in progress , officers there said . At a news conference Monday evening , investigators described him as a `` habitual felon '' with a record in several states who was on probation at the time he was killed . When police arrived at the home , they found inside two people who lived there and a third who was an acquaintance , said Bill Blanton , the sheriff of Cherokee County , South Carolina . Police checked Burris ' background and found there was an outstanding warrant on him from a probation violation from Lincoln County , North Carolina . Watch Lloyd say why police think they 've got their man '' When police attempted to serve the warrant , Burris shot at the officers , who returned fired , Blanton said . One officer was shot in the leg and was treated and released from a hospital , police said . At a news conference Monday night , Lloyd held up what he said was Burris ' 25-page rap sheet , including a lengthy history of armed robberies , forgeries , break-ins and several other charges from several states . `` At some point the criminal justice system is going to have to explain why this individual was out on the streets -- we owe that to the victims , '' he said . About 100 investigators from North and South Carolina were working the case , Blanton said . Leaves for all members of the Gaffney Police Department and the Sheriff 's Department were canceled , their respective chiefs have said . The first shooting occurred June 27 , when peach farmer Kline W. Cash , 63 , was killed . His wife found him dead in their home , the sheriff 's office said , and Blanton said the home may have been robbed . Four days later , the bound and shot bodies of Hazel Linder , 83 , and her 50-year-old daughter , Gena Linder Parker , were found in Linder 's home , where she lived alone . Blanton said authorities are still trying to determine if anything was taken from that home . The killer 's last victim was 15-year-old Abby Tyler , who was shot last week and died Saturday . Her father Stephen Tyler , 48 , had been pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting , in their family-run furniture and appliance store . See a map of where the bodies were found '' Lloyd said investigators had evidence that put Burris at the scene of the killings , but did not know a motive . `` There 's no hard evidence as to what connections he had with this community or why he targeted these victims , '' Lloyd said . He added that the investigation is ongoing , and that officials are trying to determine what the suspect was up to between the killings and after the last the shooting . `` We do n't believe at this point anyone else was involved in the murders , but anything could turn up , '' he said . CNN 's David Mattingly , Carolina Sanchez , Richard Lui , Mike Brooks and Stan Moberg contributed to this report . | `` We believe a killer is off the streets , '' official says . North Carolina authorities shoot Patrick Burris , 41 , after he confronts police . Weapon found on man matches gun used in South Carolina killings . Killer has slain five people in Gaffney , South Carolina , area , police say . | [[712, 753], [44, 195], [367, 422], [367, 422], [358, 374], [417, 454], [44, 195], [244, 264], [285, 337]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara , a key architect of the U.S. war in Vietnam under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson , has died at age 93 , according to his family . Robert McNamara took a lead role in managing the U.S. military commitment in Vietnam . McNamara was a member of Kennedy 's inner circle during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 , when the United States and the Soviet Union stood on the brink of nuclear war . But he became a public lightning rod for his management of the war in Vietnam , overseeing the U.S. military commitment there as it grew from fewer than 1,000 advisers to more than half a million troops . Though the increasingly unpopular conflict was sometimes dubbed `` McNamara 's War , '' he later said both administrations were `` terribly wrong '' to have pursued military action beyond 1963 . `` External military force can not reconstruct a failed state , and Vietnam , during much of that period , was a failed state politically , '' he told CNN in a 1996 interview for the `` Cold War '' documentary series . `` We did n't recognize it as such . '' A native of San Francisco , McNamara studied economics at the University of California and earned a master 's degree in business from Harvard . He was a staff officer in the Army Air Corps during World War II , when he studied the results of American bombing raids on Germany and Japan in search of ways to improve their accuracy and efficiency . After the war , he joined the Ford Motor Company and became its president in November 1960 -- the first person to lead the company from outside its founding family . A month later , the newly elected Kennedy asked him to become secretary of defense , making him one of the `` whiz kids '' who joined the young president 's administration . In October 1962 , after the discovery of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba , McNamara was one of Kennedy 's top advisers in the standoff that followed . The United States imposed a naval `` quarantine '' on Cuba , a Soviet ally , and prepared for possible airstrikes or an invasion . The Soviets withdrew the missiles in exchange for a U.S. guarantee not to invade Cuba , a step that allowed Soviet premier Nikita Kruschev to present the pullback as a success to his own people . In the 2003 documentary `` The Fog of War , '' McNamara told filmmaker Errol Morris that the experience taught American policymakers to `` put ourselves inside their skin and look at us through their eyes . '' But he added , `` In the end , we lucked out . It was luck that prevented nuclear war . '' McNamara is credited with using the management techniques he mastered as a corporate executive to streamline the Pentagon , computerizing and smoothing out much of the U.S. military 's vast purchasing and personnel system . And in Vietnam , he attempted to use those techniques to measure the progress of the war . Metrics such as use of `` body counts '' and scientific solutions such as using the herbicide Agent Orange to defoliate jungles in which communist guerrillas hid became trademarks of the conflict . McNamara made several trips to South Vietnam to study the situation firsthand . He , Johnson and other U.S. officials portrayed the war as a necessary battle in the Cold War , a proxy struggle to prevent communism from taking control of all of Southeast Asia . But while they saw the conflict as another front in the standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union , which backed communist North Vietnam , McNamara acknowledged later that they underestimated Vietnamese nationalism and opposition to the U.S.-backed government in Saigon . `` The conflict within South Vietnam itself had all of the characteristics of a civil war , and we did n't look upon it as largely a civil war , and we were n't measuring our progress as one would have in what was largely a civil war , '' he told CNN . Casualties mounted , as did domestic opposition to the war . In 1965 , a Quaker anti-war protester , Norman Morrison , set himself on fire outside McNamara 's office window . In 1967 , tens of thousands of demonstrators marched on the Pentagon , which was ringed with troops . By November 1967 , McNamara told Johnson that there was `` no reasonable way '' to end the war quickly , and that the United States needed to reduce its forces in Vietnam and turn the fighting over to the American-backed government in Saigon . By the end of that month , Johnson announced he was replacing McNamara at the Pentagon and moving him to the World Bank . But by March 1968 , Johnson had reached virtually the same conclusion as McNamara . He issued a call for peace talks and announced he would not seek re-election . After leaving the Pentagon in early 1968 , McNamara spent 12 years leading the World Bank . He said little publicly about Vietnam until the publication of a 1995 memoir , `` In Retrospect . '' `` You do n't know what I know about how inflammatory my words can appear , '' he told Morris . `` A lot of people misunderstand the war , misunderstand me . A lot of people think I 'm a son of a bitch . '' | Robert McNamara was key architect of war in Vietnam under two presidents . McNamara became lightning rod for his management of that war . He was member of President Kennedy 's inner circle during Cuban Missile Crisis . | [[211, 297], [473, 546], [298, 386]] |
PHILADELPHIA , Pennsylvania -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Wendell Potter says he is finished defending the insurance industry , which he says is `` beholden to Wall Street . '' Wendell Potter once was a vice president in the public relations department for insurance giant Cigna . At a hearing last week before the Senate Commerce Committee , the former vice president of corporate communications at the insurance giant Cigna testified , `` I know from personal experience that members of Congress and the public have good reason to question the honesty and trustworthiness of the insurance industry . '' The committee 's chairman , Jay Rockefeller , D-West Virginia , told Potter , `` You are better than Russell Crowe on ` The Insider , ' '' referring to the award-winning 1999 film about cigarette company executive Jeffrey Wigand , who blew the whistle on the tobacco industry 's practices . In his testimony and during an interview with CNN , Potter described how underwriters at his former company would drive small businesses with expensive insurance claims to dump their Cigna policies . Industry executives refer to the practice as `` purging , '' Potter said . `` When that business comes up for renewal , the underwriters jack the rates up so much , the employer has no choice but to drop insurance , '' Potter said . CNN obtained a transcript of a 2008 Cigna conference call with investors in which company executives use the term `` purge . '' But in an e-mail to CNN , Cigna spokesman Chris Curran denied the company engages in purging . `` We do not practice that . We will offer rates that are reflective of the competitive group health insurance market . We always encourage our clients to compare our proposed rates to those available from other carriers , '' Curran wrote . Cigna had revenue of $ 19.1 billion in 2008 , according to the company Web site . P . `` It was almost like an electrical jolt , '' Potter said . At the event , Potter took pictures of doctors offering free health care to the uninsured . `` The volunteer doctors were seeing patients in barns , people in animal stalls , '' Potter said . `` It changed it for me . '' He says he finally decided to quit in 2007 after Cigna 's controversial handling of an insurance claim made by the family of a California teenager , Nataline Sarkysian . The Sarkysian family made repeated appeals at news conferences for Cigna to approve a liver transplant for the 17-year-old , who had leukemia . Cigna initially declined to cover the operation , then reversed its decision . Sarkysian died hours after the company 's reversal . As Cigna 's spokesman during the controversy , Potter had no role in the decision to deny coverage . But he was inundated with angry phone calls . `` After she died , my voice mail and my e-mail inbox were just filled with messages from people who were just outraged , '' Potter said . Now a senior fellow on health care for the nonpartisan watchdog group Center for Media and Democracy , Potter writes a blog on health care reform . In particular , he is keeping an eye on efforts to defeat legislation that would give Americans the option of joining a government health care plan , something he now supports . He says he witnessed how the insurance industry torpedoed health care reform efforts during the Clinton administration . `` They conduct what I call duplicitous PR campaigns . They 'll say what people want to hear , '' Potter says . `` It 's how they operate . You can not trust these guys . '' Potter is also taking aim at some of the TV commercials aired by groups opposed to changes . One such ad caught Potter 's eye . Run by the conservative organization Patients United Now , the ad says that `` now , Washington wants to bring Canadian-style health care to the U.S. '' `` Sometimes you 'll see misleading information . And sometimes you 'll see outright lies , like that -LSB- ad -RSB- is , '' Potter said , referring to the spot . Patients United Now spokeswoman Amy Menefee disagreed . `` We 're not saying there 's a Canada health care act of 2009 , '' Menefee said . `` It is a trend . It 's trending in that direction . '' Potter notes that the leading proposals for health care in Congress do not seek to set up Canadian-style health care in the United States . He says claims that overhauling the system would lead to `` rationing '' of care are missing his point . `` What we have is rationing by corporate executives who are beholden to Wall Street . And it happens all the time , '' Potter said . | Wendell Potter says insurance companies only out to please Wall Street investors . Cigna would make it hard to renew policies for some expensive clients , he says . Former PR executive left the company after teenager died awaiting transplant . Cigna says it does not purge and encourages business to compare rates . | [[15, 27], [82, 162], [4419, 4439], [4444, 4473], [1450, 1469], [1472, 1540], [1661, 1761]] |
UNITED NATIONS -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Coca cultivation and cocaine production have decreased in Colombia but increased in Bolivia and Peru , the United Nations reported . Workers help eradicate coca plantations in northwest Colombia in May . Colombian cultivation was down 18 percent , and production decreased 28 percent in 2008 , the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime said in a report issued Friday . But cultivation increased 6 percent in Bolivia and 4.5 percent in Peru , the report said . Likewise , production went up 9 percent in Bolivia and 4.1 percent in Peru . `` The increases for Bolivia and Peru show a trend in the wrong direction , '' said Antonio Maria Costa , executive director of the U.N. drug office . Much of the decline in Colombia resulted from the manual eradication of 237 acres of coca , an increase of 44 percent over 2007 , and the spraying of another 328 acres with herbicide , the U.N. said . The production level is at a 10-year-low , the report said , and the cultivation amount is down to 2004 to 2006 levels . `` This is a remarkable achievement , '' Costa said in a release . `` It means that more coca bush was eradicated in Colombia than was grown in all of Bolivia and Peru . '' The value of coca leaf in Colombia is decreasing , making it less attractive for farmers -- 20,000 fewer households grew coca in 2008 than in 2007 , a decrease of 26 percent . The drug trade also is being disrupted , the report said . In Colombia , the U.N. said , authorities seized 200 tons of cocaine in 2008 , a 57 percent increase in seizures over 2007 , the report said . Peru reported an 86 percent increase in seizures of coca base and a 100 percent increase in the seizure of cocaine . Bolivia , likewise , reported a 45 percent uptick in seizures of coca base and a 145 percent increase in the seizure of cocaine . `` Cocaine supply is shrinking , as is demand in major markets of North America while cocaine use in Western Europe has stopped growing , '' Costa said . `` This may explain why prices are up , and purity is down . This may also explain why cartels are becoming so violent . '' | Coca cultivation , cocaine production decrease in Colombia , U.N. report says . But both on rise in Peru and Bolivia , report finds . U.N. official : `` Increases for Bolivia and Peru show a trend in the wrong direction '' Production level is at a 10-year low , report says . | [[0, 30], [34, 100], [137, 166], [0, 30], [105, 134], [0, 30], [105, 134], [564, 637]] |
Editor 's note : CNN contributor Bob Greene is a best-selling author whose current book is `` When We Get to Surf City : A Journey Through America in Pursuit of Rock and Roll , Friendship , and Dreams . '' `` Tumbling tumbleweeds '' have been romanticized in song , but they 're no fun in some parts of the U.S. -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` Do we like them ? '' Patrick Victor , a game and fish commission employee in San Carlos , Arizona , repeated the question back to me as if I had proved my lunacy by asking it in the first place . `` Do we like tumbleweeds ? '' he said . `` No one likes them . They 're not like in the cowboy movies . We consider them garbage -- worse than garbage . There is nothing to treasure or cherish about a tumbleweed . '' We were talking about tumbleweeds because of a theory I had been pondering : . In this country , because of the immediacy of news , it seems as if everyone from one coast to the other is worrying obsessively about the same thing at the same time . You name it : the banking meltdown one day , the feared floods in Fargo , North Dakota , the next ; the forced ouster of the head of General Motors one morning , followed soon after by the street demonstrations in London during the Group of 20 summit . We all tend to fret together about one crisis at a time ; undoubtedly there will be something new for all of us to be nervous about together before sundown tonight . So the goal here was to come up with something utterly unlikely -- something that , in 2009 , you would n't think would bother people -- and find out if it does . Tumbleweeds . That , just picked at random , was the test case . `` They can be a pretty big problem out here , '' said Scott McGuire , a code enforcement inspector in Greeley , Colorado . `` When the wind is right , they 'll pile up right to the roofline of a house . Seriously -- people ca n't see out of their windows or even easily get out of their homes . '' There was something instructive , even -LRB- in an off-kilter way -RRB- comforting , about learning this : the affirmation that , in this increasingly monolithic country , there are still local vexations that override the breaking news bulletins on the national networks , that people in one pocket of America are routinely dealing with forces that people a few hundred miles away are blissfully unaware of . Just hearing about it makes life seem somehow more life-size . `` I meant what I said literally , '' McGuire said , continuing on his pinned-in-the-house-by-tumbleweeds theme . `` They are big and prickly -- they can blow for hundreds of miles , sometimes all the way from Wyoming . They go until the wind dies out or they run into something . That 's when people can have piles of them pressing against their homes -- when the tumbleweeds stop there . '' Tumbleweeds , if you have n't thought about them in years , may seem like a gauzy memory from old Western movies , a nostalgic high-plains symbol of desolation and loneliness . There was that campfire song by Roy Rogers and his group , the Sons of the Pioneers ; once you think of the lyrics and melody again , you ca n't get it out of your head : . `` See them tumbling down/Pledging their love to the ground/Lonely but free I 'll be found/Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds . '' But in the 21st century ? In our connected-by-broadband , addicted-to-cell phones , technologically tethered nation ? Tumbleweeds ? As something to be concerned about ? `` They 're ugly and nasty , '' said Charlene Hardin , the county manager of Roosevelt County , New Mexico . `` They can make our roads impassable . You can see 12-foot-high , chain-link fences with tumbleweeds piled all the way up to the top . They 're very flammable -- toss a cigarette , and you have a big fire . `` Tumbleweeds are more than a nuisance out here . We 'll get complaints from people who ca n't even get out of their own driveways because the tumbleweeds have them hemmed in . '' Tumbleweeds are mainly a plague in the West and Southwest : certainly not dire on the level of , say , a national security issue , but a perpetual pain in the neck . They 're a gnarled and unpleasant-looking plant , useless as a crop or nutritionally ; they dry up , separate from their roots and blow across the land , spreading seeds . They 're thorny , are often painful to the touch and can grow as big as trash bags -- it 's not uncommon to see tumbleweeds 4 feet in diameter rolling speedily along . As Velda Bucklen , who lives west of Kersey , Colorado , and who was concerned about people just heaving errant tumbleweeds off their property and thus onto nearby lawns , wrote in a letter to the editor of her local newspaper : `` They are prickly and strong . ... I have been guilty of tossing them into the street and sending them on their way . ... . Please do n't fight with your neighbors . '' The people of the United States , though , are nothing if not resourceful . Just as you may have been unaware that tumbleweeds are a contemporary problem , so you may be heartened to learn that , as always , where some people see bad news , others see opportunity . `` I thought there might be some money in tumbleweeds , '' said Linda Katz of Garden City , Kansas . She was right . She runs a company called Prairie Tumbleweed Farm -LRB- its motto is `` If they do n't tumble , we do n't sell them ! '' -RRB- , and she said she has found a steady mail-order market for tumbleweeds . `` Personally I 'm not fond of them , but apparently some people are , '' she said . `` They 're just big , rolling weeds . But people order them for wedding decorations . People order them for dances . Servicemen say tumbleweeds remind them of home . I 've taken two orders already today . '' Finding them is not a challenge : `` They just roll by the house . '' She grabs them , puts them in boxes and mails them off . And , to answer your question before you can ask it : $ 25 for a large tumbleweed , $ 15 for a small . Before we leave this topic so we can all return to more conventional news , a word from Bob Lee , director of weed and pest control in Cheyenne , Wyoming : . `` I 've seen people here who have gone away for a two-week vacation , and when they come back , there are so many tumbleweeds in front of their house that they have to chop their way to the front door . '' So , Mr. Lee , is there one stirring and inspirational parting message you 'd like to convey to people ? `` Just that tumbleweeds do n't have any redeeming features , as far as I 'm aware of . '' The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene . | Bob Greene : National issues such as economic crisis dominate news . Greene says that we quickly move from one crisis to the next . Greene : Still there are regional concerns that never get a big spotlight . Some parts of the U.S. are plagued by `` tumbling tumbleweeds '' | [[2130, 2145], [2151, 2212], [3965, 4022]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The World Bank cut China 's economic growth forecast in 2009 to 6.5 percent Wednesday , down a full percentage point from November 's projection . Workers assemble toys on a production line at a factory in Shantou , in China 's Guangdong province . Despite the downgrade , `` China is a relative bright spot in an otherwise gloomy global economy , '' said the World Bank 's David Dollar . Last week , Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao reiterated projections that the nation 's economy will grow by 8 percent in 2009 , despite doubts expressed by domestic and international economic analysts . Some have forecast growth as low as 5 percent . `` I will admit it will be a difficult job -LSB- to reach 8 percent -RSB- . This being said , I also believe with considerable efforts it 's possible for us to obtain this goal , '' Wen said at a news conference following the annual session of the country 's rubber-stamp legislature . China has seen a sharp decline in demand for its exports since November as other major economies have struggled . In February , Chinese exports plunged 25.7 percent compared with the previous year 's , Beijing reported last week . Even with the slowdown , China 's economy -- the third largest in the world -- has gone from white-hot to merely robust . In 2007 , China 's gross domestic product grew at 13 percent . The two largest economies -- the United States and Japan -- are in recession . `` So a lot of things will go down in 2009 globally , '' Dollar said . `` But we see China 's contribution as being very positive in keeping many markets from going down as far as they would otherwise . '' The World Bank expects China 's economy to outgrow most others in 2009 . In November , China announced plans to inject $ 586 billion -LRB- 4 trillion yuan -RRB- into its economy to offset declines in industrial and export growth . That economic stimulus plan included the loosening of credit restrictions , tax cuts and massive infrastructure spending . | World Bank cuts China 's economic growth forecast in 2009 to 6.5 percent . Reduction is down a full percentage point from November 's projection . Last week , Chinese Premier projected nation 's economy would grow by 8 % in 2009 . China has seen a sharp decline in demand for its exports since November . | [[0, 5], [19, 79], [408, 417], [420, 527], [939, 995]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Accidents happen , said the Supreme Court , but the criminal penalties can still be tough , at least for one `` bungling bank robber . '' The case involved Christopher Michael Dean , arrested after he and a partner robbed a bank five years ago . By a 7-2 vote , the justices ruled Wednesday that the sentencing for a felon who accidentally fired a gun during a crime should be the same as if he had fired intentionally . The case involved Christopher Michael Dean , arrested after he and a partner robbed a Rome , Georgia , bank five years ago . The masked Dean had waved a gun and ordered patrons and staff to get down . While grabbing bills in one hand , the gun he was carrying in his other hand went off . The bullet hit a partition , and no one was injured . After the shot , Dean cursed and immediately ran out of the bank . Witnesses later testified he seemed surprised the weapon had gone off . Dean was charged in federal court and admitted committing the robbery . His sentence included a mandatory 10-year prison term for `` discharging '' a weapon during a crime . He appealed , saying the sentencing enhancement required proof that he intended to discharge the firearm , and his actions were accidental . But in his majority opinion , Chief Justice John Roberts said federal law `` does not require that the discharge be done knowingly or intentionally . '' In what has become a regular feature of his writing , the 54-year-old chief justice displayed a sense of creativity and sly humor in his conclusions . He openly called Dean the `` bungling bank robber '' and quoted one patron 's reaction to the bank gunshot : `` Melissa in the lobby popped up and said , ` Oh , my God , has he shot Nora ? ' '' Nora turned out to be all right . Justice John Paul Stevens dissented in the case , noting , `` Accidents happen , but they seldom give rise to criminal liability . Indeed , if they cause no harm they seldom give rise to any liability . The court nevertheless holds that petitioner is subject to a mandatory additional sentence -- a species of criminal liability -- for an accident that caused no harm . '' He was supported by Justice Stephen Breyer . Roberts , however , saved the best for last in his bench remarks , when summarizing the ruling . `` An individual who brings a loaded weapon to commit a crime runs the risk that the gun will discharge accidentally , '' he said . `` Those criminals wishing to avoid the penalty for an inadvertent discharge can lock or unload the firearm , handle it with care during the underlying violent or drug trafficking crime , leave the gun at home , or -- best yet -- avoid committing the felony in the first place , '' Roberts wrote . That brought barely contained laughter in the audience of several hundred gathered in the courtroom . | Robber appealed 10-year sentence for discharging a gun in a bank . Weapon went off accidentally , say attorneys for Christopher Michael Dean . Chief Justice John Roberts called Dean ` the bunging bank robber ' Roberts : Best way to avoid sentence for gun discharge is to leave gun behind . | [[345, 352], [357, 396], [135, 164], [1552, 1604]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Defending champion Venus Williams ensured the Wimbledon final would be another family affair with a devastating performance against Russia 's Dinara Safina in Thursday 's second semifinal . Venus dropped only one game as she crushed top seed Dinara Safina to reach her eighth Wimbledon final . Third seed Venus produced an awesome display on Centre Court , crushing world No. 1 Safina 6-1 6-0 in just 51 minutes , after sister Serena had earlier won an epic three-set semifinal against Elena Dementieva . There was no way five-times champion Venus , was being sucked into such a dogfight . Her match was a much more subdued affair as she outclassed the top seed from the moment she settled into the match , winning the first nine points and breaking the Safina serve . Safina simply could not cope with the Williams serve , with one ace in the third game clocking in at 124mph , the fastest in the women 's tournament . Safina managed to get her side of the scoreboard ticking in the sixth game but it was no consolation as Venus stepped up the power on her groundstrokes . When Venus broke the Safina serve again at the start of the second set the match was essentially over . Unforced errors sprayed from Safina 's racket throughout the second set and a double fault in the fifth game handed Williams another break of serve . The end eventually came when Safina dumped another forehand into the net to allow Venus to take the match , after which she expressed her delight at another all-Williams , all-American final on July 4 . Venus told the BBC : `` This is my eighth final and it is a dream come true to have another opportunity to hold the plate up . `` I was able to stay focused and I have so much experience on this court . But the hardest part has to come , to play Serena in the final . '' | Holder Venus Williams eases into her eight Wimbledon women 's singles final . Five-times champion crushes top seed and world No. 1 Dinara Safina 6-1 6-0 . American third seed takes just 51 minutes to set up clash with sister Serena . Serena through to fourth all-Williams final after epic win over Elena Dementieva . | [[209, 312], [240, 312], [0, 15], [19, 208], [209, 312], [240, 312], [313, 411], [439, 464], [469, 523], [465, 523]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The crown of the Statue of Liberty will re-open to tourists on July 4 , the Interior Department said Friday . The Statue of Liberty welcomes visitors , immigrants , and returning Americans . The crown was closed after the terrorist attacks of September 11 , 2001 , for safety and security reasons . The National Park Service closed the attraction amid worries that it would be difficult for visitors to evacuate quickly in the event of an emergency . Visitors must climb a narrow 168-step double-helix spiral staircase to get to the crown . Since the closing , tourists have been able to visit other parts of the statue . iReport.com : Show us your best Statue of Liberty shots . The federal government planned to give `` America a special gift '' by re-opening the crown , Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said . `` We are once again inviting the public to celebrate our great nation and the hope and opportunity it symbolizes by climbing to Lady Liberty 's crown for a unique view of New York Harbor , where the forebears of millions of American families first saw the world , '' he said in a statement . Access to the crown will be limited to 10 people at a time , guided by a National Park Service ranger . `` We can not eliminate all the risk of climbing to the crown , but we are taking steps to make it safer , '' Salazar said . The measures include raising the handrails on the spiral staircase and stationing rangers throughout the Statue to help visitors . The Statue of Liberty will be open for the next two years , then closed again for `` work on a long-term solution that will improve safety and security permanently , '' according to the U.S. Department of the Interior . A gift from France to the United States , the Statue of Liberty was dedicated in 1886 , designated as a National Monument in 1924 and restored for its centennial on July 4 , 1986 . It stands just across New York Harbor from where the Twin Towers stood . | The crown has been closed since the terrorist attacks of September 11 , 2001 . Tourists have been able to visit other parts of the statue . Access to the crown will be limited to 10 people at a time , guided by a ranger . Official : Government wants to give `` America a special gift '' by re-opening the crown . | [[219, 290], [569, 649], [589, 597], [613, 649], [1133, 1191], [1133, 1152], [1194, 1236], [708, 799]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nearly 27 years ago , amid a crowd of people in Central Park , Ruth Bendik 's wallet was stolen . The culprit is still at large , but the wallet has been found -- in the hollow trunk of a cherry tree . Nearly 27 years ago , amid a crowd of people in Central Park , Ruth Bendik 's wallet was stolen . The wallet was snatched on October 24 , 1982 , while Bendik , now 69 , was in Central Park watching the New York marathon . She went to greet runners at the end of the race and , `` when I got out of the crush of people , I realized my purse was much lighter , '' Bendik told CNN . `` I was just so grateful not to have been harmed . '' Last week , Josh Galiley , tree-care supervisor for the Central Park Conservancy , was chopping down a hazardous black cherry tree near Rumsey Playfield when he discovered her blue leather wallet in the trunk of the tree , which he estimates is around 65 years old and 50 feet high . `` I started poking in the soft stuff and this wallet turned up . Having been that low in the tree ... the location indicated it had been there for quite some time , '' Galiley told CNN . The old wallet was a unique find , he said . `` When you 're cutting a tree and it 's hollow , you expect stuff inside , shreds of material , old marbles , really just knickknacks compared to this , '' he said , `` Nothing with a story . ... We peeked in and there were dates from the early '80s . We figured this was different . '' After the wallet was recovered , Galiley said , officials were careful to inform Bendik properly . `` We thought she may not want to relive it , '' he said . Bendik sang praises for the individuals who returned her wallet , including detective Frank Irizarry , who helped track her down . `` The lengths they went to find me , the extent that they went through and the fact that they were concerned about my feelings really impressed me , '' she said . The wallet still contained her old driver 's license and credit cards , she said , although $ 20 was missing . `` Twenty dollars was a lot of money then , '' she said . After two decades , much more has changed . Referring to two of her old bank cards from Manufacturers Hanover Trust Bank and Banker 's Trust , Bendik said , `` I was shocked that both banks had closed . '' But some things have n't changed . Bendik continues to have fond memories of Central Park . The Ohio native , who has lived in New York for 40 years , still describes the park as one of her favorite areas in the city . `` It 's a public place in an impersonal city , '' she said , `` It brings everyone together in a pleasant way of reconnecting with nature and beauty . '' Today , Bendik smiles at the idea of her wallet buried in a cherry tree in Central Park for nearly 30 years , and she 's happy to have it in her hands again . `` After all these years it 's still available as a time capsule of my life . '' | Ruth Bendik 's wallet was snatched in 1982 during the New York marathon . Worker found wallet while chopping down a black cherry tree in Central Park . Wallet still contained driver 's license and credit cards , but $ 20 was missing . | [[91, 125], [230, 249], [252, 290], [293, 327], [158, 187], [191, 229], [665, 674], [677, 745], [748, 885], [1923, 1992], [1995, 2003], [2006, 2033]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mat Kearney has every right to be frustrated . Mat Kearney 's music has gotten a boost through music video channels and `` Grey 's Anatomy . '' As he walks to his tour bus behind Hollywood 's Palladium -- where he 'll play in a few hours -- he 's already had to cope with logistical snafus , shortened sound checks and general confusion . And the tour is just beginning . There are more than 30 cities and 10 weeks to come . But as he approaches the bus , he is completely overtaken by an obscure flower hanging off a fence behind the venue . `` I 've never seen anything like that , '' he says , looking at the blue-and-white bloom . `` I 've got to take one of these . '' Kearney should be smelling the flowers . His music , such as the song `` Nothing Left to Lose , '' has received consistent airplay on music TV channels -- which earned him a headlining slot on a VH1-sponsored tour -- and repeated appearances in TV and film . Most notably , `` Grey 's Anatomy '' used his song `` Breathe In , Breathe Out . '' His new album , `` City of Black & White '' -LRB- Aware/Columbia -RRB- , is out Tuesday . Watch the video for the single `` Closer to Love '' '' The Oregon-born musician , 30 , sat down with CNN to talk about his songwriting journey , combining a big sound with personal observations and a certain `` weird TV show . '' The following is an edited version of that interview . CNN : How important was Nashville , Tennessee , in your decision to be a songwriter ? Mat Kearney : The first year I moved to Nashville , I started playing these songwriter nights with people like Nickel Creek , Duncan Sheik and even Ryan Adams . ... That was the first place I really started playing music and I had to really step up my game . Really quick . Or get kicked off the stage . CNN : This whirlwind world tour you completed last year -- how did it impact this new album and you personally ? Kearney : That tour was three years long . -LSB- So -RSB- this record was a return back to community in Nashville and to sing . ... So , -LSB- the tour -RSB- created this void for wanting to connect in a local way . So many things happen when you 're not out there running and gunning . Falling in love with someone , getting your heart broken , being around friends -- that stuff can only happen when you stick around for a while . CNN : What 's the significance of the title -- `` City of Black & White '' ? Kearney : The title track I wrote in Istanbul . We stayed in this place that overlooked the Bosporus , which splits Europe from Asia . The song is about worlds colliding , being that far away from home , and also longing to be with someone you love in that distant land . ... It seemed like a good cornerstone to build the record on . CNN : You 're an avid traveler , but this record is more concerned with planting roots . How do you reconcile the two ? Kearney : I do n't think , to be a traveler , you have to reject setting roots up . That 's the fun of this whole journey for me . There are people I love in Nashville and would not want to go a day without talking to , but I want to see the world . The record is coming out of an experience of reconciling those two things . I played 275 shows for two years straight . You have to travel between those shows . So you 're gone . Some of those experiences shape the record . There 's a romantic side to it . This is n't a one-night stand record . It 's not youthful idealism that 's going after the masses . There 's some ideas of , say , that prodigal son who has walked away from you and you 're sitting there saying , `` I 'm here for you if you need me . '' CNN : The sound is big but the lyrics are intensely personal . How did you meld those ideas together ? Kearney : Yeah , it 's like the biggest song is one of the most personal . `` Fire and Rain '' -LSB- not the James Taylor song -RSB- is a crazy four-on-the-floor song , but it 's a song about someone who has left you . Something about the juxtaposition of those two seem so interesting to me . I did n't plan it . It just kind of happened . CNN : You 're one of the last musicians I have seen actually get airplay on -LSB- music television channels -RSB- , and you broke through because of it . Kearney : It 's interesting how my music has gained success being accompanied by images . When I was in college I wanted to study film . My first passion was to be a cinematographer . So maybe there 's something innate in my music where it partners well with images . It 's worked on weird TV shows where doctors are making out and people getting logs pulled out of their stomachs -LSB- laughs -RSB- . Somehow my music seems to work with that . CNN : How did your music become such an integral part of that show -LSB- `` Grey 's Anatomy '' -RSB- ? Kearney : I really do n't know . Somebody somewhere ... started using these songs and they seem to work . There are certain songs that lend themselves to images . No one 's licensing -LSB- Katy Perry 's -RSB- `` I Kissed a Girl '' and putting it in shows . That 's a narrow-focused message that does n't need much -LSB- in the way of -RSB- images . | Mat Kearney enjoys growing success ; new album is `` City of Black & White '' Kearney has earned airplay on TV , including `` Grey 's Anatomy '' Kearney likes juxtaposition of personal lyrics , big musical sound . | [[1061, 1076], [1134, 1150], [91, 184], [1206, 1230], [1296, 1360]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Darren Tuck , the man who gave police a tape depicting the rape of a 3-year-old girl , turned himself in Sunday to Nye County , Nevada , authorities . Darren Tuck turned himself in to authorities Sunday . He earlier gave police the tape of the girl . Tuck had recently given police the videotape , saying he found it in the desert , Sheriff Tony De Meo said . Police said he had the tape for at least five months before turning it in . He was being sought on a parole violation for failure to pay child support , but police -- who have said they want to question him further -- had been unable to locate him . Tuck , of Nevada , allegedly showed the tape to others , and faces between 10 years to life in prison for exhibiting pornography and one to six years for possession of child pornography , said De Meo . Tuck 's attorney Harry Kuehn said last week on CNN 's `` Nancy Grace '' that Tuck had been `` wracked by indecision '' as to what to do with the tape once he realized what it was . `` You have to consider what kind of concerns my client had , '' the attorney said . `` He 's previously dealt with the sheriff 's office in Nye County ; it was previously unsatisfactory . '' The four-year-old videotape shows the 3-year-old girl being raped in Las Vegas , Nevada . Last week , she was found safe . Now seven , the girl was found Friday with family in Las Vegas after thousands of tips poured in to police , thanks to an appeal by police to the news media to show the girl 's picture . CNN and other news organizations did so until the child was found , and De Meo asked media to stop showing the picture . `` The mother has cooperated with us , '' De Meo said . `` We believe that the mother was not aware of anything that went on with this young girl . It was very sad for her to find this out . '' Authorities have identified Chester A. Stiles , 37 , as the suspect in the tape . A resident of Pahrump , Nevada , he remains at-large , De Meo said . Pahrump is about 60 miles west of Las Vegas . Stiles was a distant friend of the girl 's family , De Meo said . Someone close to Stiles told investigators Stiles is a `` survivalist type '' and always carries a weapon , Nye County District Attorney Bob Beckett said . Todd Allen , a Las Vegas resident , told CNN he once lived with the girl from the video and her mother . He said he recognizes his old apartment from scenes in the video . He said he knows the suspect because Allen 's mother dated Stiles and the couple spent time together at Allen 's apartment . Watch Allen describe Stiles and the girl '' Allen said nobody realized the child had been abused . `` She 's what you 'd expect a little girl in elementary school to be like , '' he said . `` You would never know something like that happened . Ever . '' Allen said he never witnessed Stiles physically assault anyone . `` But I have seen him verbally and mentally assault many people , '' Allen told CNN . `` He 's good with mind games . He 's good at twisting people 's realities and manipulating people . '' De Meo addressed Stiles directly on Saturday : `` Turn yourself in to your local law enforcement agency , '' he said . `` Understand this : Law enforcement not only has a long arm , but a long memory . You will not be forgotten by members of this agency or any other law enforcement agency . '' The FBI is also seeking Stiles on state charges of sexual assault and lewdness with a minor under the age of 14 in a separate matter , De Meo said . E-mail to a friend . | Darren Tuck gave police tape depicting the rape of a 3-year-old girl , police say . Tuck said he found the tape in the desert ; he showed it to others , police say . Tuck was being sought on a parole violation for failure to pay child support . Police are still seeking another suspect related to the videotape . | [[33, 40], [45, 103], [224, 269], [270, 274], [279, 314], [1204, 1282], [270, 274], [317, 349], [629, 645], [648, 683], [455, 508]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 3-year-old boy who was taken at gunpoint from his California home nearly two weeks ago has been found , authorities said Saturday . Briant Rodriguez , 3 , was taken during a home invasion on May 3 in San Bernardino , California , police say . Briant Rodriguez was found wandering the streets of Mexicali , Mexico , by a police officer late Thursday , said San Bernardino County Sheriff Rod Hoops . After clearing paperwork with Mexican officials , California authorities reunited the boy with his mother Saturday in the border town of Calexico , Hoops said . `` We 're very happy that he 's alive , '' Hoops said . `` A 3-year-old goes missing in this country for two weeks -- sometimes it has an unhappy ending . `` This one did not . '' Watch portion of sheriff 's news conference '' The boy had been missing since May 3 , when two men armed with handguns burst into his family 's home and tied him up -- along with his mother and four siblings . The men ransacked the home before leaving with Briant , a small amount of cash and some personal property , San Bernardino sheriff 's spokeswoman Cindy Beavers said . Authorities had not caught the suspects as of Saturday evening . Hoops said authorities have information about at least two suspects -- who were captured on video at a home-improvement store near the Rodriguez home buying tape like the kind that was used to bind the family . He said the names of the suspects , and what authorities believe was a motive , are not being released because they could jeopardize the investigation . He also declined to say what relationship the suspects may have had with the family or whether the kidnapping is linked with drug crime that has run rampant in Mexican border towns in recent months . Members of drug cartels in the border region have been known to use kidnapping as a means of quick cash . `` If you take a look at the case , I 'll let you do your own homework on it , '' Hoops told reporters . Authorities from San Bernardino flew to Mexico late Friday to get Briant . Hoops said he appears to be in good health . His hair , which is shoulder-length in photographs that authorities had released , had apparently been shaved , Hoops said . Hoops said Briant 's mother is `` a Mexican citizen living here in the United States , '' but that he is unsure of her immigration status . He said Briant was born in the United States . Sgt. Doug Hubbard , who was in Calexico when Briant and his mother were reunited , called the meeting emotional . `` Tears even came to Briant 's eyes , '' he said . `` It was a beautiful thing . '' | NEW : Briant Rodriguez found wandering streets in Mexicali , police say . NEW : Boy 's tearful reunion with mother `` a beautiful thing , '' police official says . Boy had been missing since May 3 , when armed men burst into his family 's home . Suspects still on the loose as of Saturday evening , according to authorities . | [[264, 324], [16, 35], [40, 107], [153, 169], [172, 235], [639, 694], [807, 843], [851, 908], [1137, 1201]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo has been unveiled as Real Madrid 's new number 9 , in front of 80,000 passionate fans at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium , after his world record $ 130 million move from Manchester United . Cristiano Ronaldo is paraded in front of 80,000 passionate supporters at a packed Bernabeu stadium . The event marked the culmination of a two-year pursuit of the player by the Spanish club , which defied the global downturn with exorbitant spending to capture the man voted the world 's best footballer by world governing body FIFA . `` I have made my childhood dream a reality -- to play for Real Madrid , '' Ronaldo told the packed stands . `` I am just so happy to be here , '' he said to a rapturous reception from the gathered thousands . `` I really did n't expect a jam-packed stadium -- this is truly impressive . '' Watch tens of thousands greet Ronaldo '' Ronaldo is the fourth major signing of the close season by Real , as the club , fueled by the financial muscle of returning president and property magnate Florentino Perez , aims to recapture the glory that has seen them win more European Cups than any other side . The transfer of Brazil 's Kaka and defender Raul Albiol was followed by the arrival of French striker Karim Benzema from Lyon on Thursday , as Perez assembles a second wave of `` galacticos , '' following his previous success with big-names such as David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane . Benzema 's transfer fee is reported to be in the region of $ 60 million , taking Madrid 's spending to an astonishing $ 300 million this in recent months . Perez claimed Monday 's event `` might not have a precedent . '' `` We are very satisfied to know that you made the firm decision to play for Real Madrid , '' Perez said . He told Ronaldo what to expect from his new adoring fans , adding : `` They will ask of you the very best , but will also give you their all . '' The attendance at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium swamped the estimated 55,000 that watched Kaka 's unveiling last Tuesday , and is believed to be the biggest turnout for a presentation since a reported 75,000 saw the arrival of Diego Maradona at Napoli from Barcelona in 1984 . Watch fans line up before Ronaldo 's unveiling '' Earlier , Ronaldo successfully completed his medical with Madrid after landing in the Spanish capital just after midday . Carlos Diez , Real Madrid 's medical chief , told teh club 's Web site : '' -LRB- Ronaldo -RRB- is in perfect condition and very eager to start the season as soon as possible . '' Ronaldo had already undergone initial medical tests with the Spanish giants while on holiday in Portugal last month , which the player claimed at the time had gone `` perfectly '' . Diez added : `` He has an extraordinary cardiac and lung capacity . We have complemented everything that we already did in Portugal and done all the specific tests . `` Now we will be able to start working using an individual plan in order to improve his performance . For him -LRB- Ronaldo -RRB- , it 's a dream , and this dream starts to convert into reality from now . '' The number nine jersey was recently vacated by Argentine striker Javier Saviola who joined Portuguese side Benfica last month . | Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo is unveiled as Real Madrid 's new No. 9 . Ronaldo paraded in front of thousands of supporters at the Santiago Bernabeu . Real Madrid have paid Manchester United world record $ 130 million for player . | [[0, 15], [36, 102], [242, 342]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rep. Paul Gillmor of Ohio was found dead in his townhouse in Arlington , Virginia , on Wednesday , leadership aides for both the Republican and Democratic parties said . Rep. Paul Gillmor was first elected to Congress in 1988 . Gillmor , a Republican , was 68 . The leadership aides did not say how Gillmor died . House Minority Leader John Boehner , R-Ohio , told fellow congressmen on the floor of the House that their colleague died `` suddenly overnight . '' `` He was a good friend to all of us , '' said a somber Boehner . `` He 's going to be missed by us all . '' A tribute to Gillmor will be held in the House later Wednesday afternoon , Boehner said . Watch Boehner tell colleagues of death '' Gillmor , the deputy minority whip , was in his 10th term in the House , representing the 5th Congressional District in the northwest part of the Buckeye state . He was a member of the House Committee on Financial Services , and the ranking Republican on the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit . Gillmor also served on the Subcommittee on Capital Markets , Insurance and Government Sponsored-Enterprises and the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity . He was elected to Congress in 1988 , after serving in the Ohio State Senate for 22 years , where he was elected Republican leader five times . Gillmor was born Feb. 1 , 1939 , in Tiffin , Ohio . He received a bachelor of arts degree from Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware , Ohio , and a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School . In 2006 , Roll Call -- a Capitol Hill newspaper -- listed him as the 43rd richest member of Congress , with an estimated net worth of $ 6.16 million . He formerly ran a financial services company . Gillmor was also a U.S. Air Force veteran -- where he attained the rank of captain -- and ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1986 . He served in the Vietnam War in 1965 and 1966 . He was married to Karen Gillmor , vice chairman of the State Employment Relations Board in Ohio and a former state senator . Their family includes two daughters , Linda and Julie , and three sons , Paul and twins Connor and Adam . E-mail to a friend . | NEW : Rep. Paul Gillmor died suddenly during night , GOP leader says . No word on cause of death . Gillmor represented northwest area of Ohio . | [[344, 378], [390, 489], [292, 343], [734, 741], [807, 895]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four decades after he won over America with his scratchy , soulful voice and blues-inspired rock , British-born Joe Cocker is receiving an honor from the queen . Joe Cocker is being honored at Buckingham Palace for his services to music . Cocker , 63 , was set to receive an OBE , or Order of the British Empire , at a ceremony Thursday morning at Buckingham Palace . The award officially recognizes Cocker 's `` services to music . '' Prince Charles was planning to present Cocker with the honor , part of the queen 's annual birthday honors list . Famous for songs including `` You Are So Beautiful '' and his cover of the Beatles ' `` With a Little Help from My Friends , '' Cocker began his career by singing Ray Charles songs in pubs around his hometown of Sheffield , northern England in the early 1960s . Cocker toured with a string of bands , often playing American airbases in Europe , winning fans among the servicemen . The press hailed his first U.S. television performance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1969 , and the following summer , Cocker played to half a million people at the historic Woodstock rock festival in New York state . The ensuing live album `` Mad Dogs and Englishmen '' remains a Cocker classic , with songs including `` Cry Me A River '' and `` Feelin ' Alright . '' Rolling Stone magazine says Cocker 's `` gritty , powerful voice remains one of the most distinctive in rock & roll . '' A whirlwind U.S. tour after Woodstock left Cocker `` exhausted , '' according to his own Web site , and reported drug and alcohol abuse came soon after . Cocker had a top 10 song in 1975 with `` You are So Beautiful , '' but his fortunes really turned in 1982 with his No. 1 duet with Jennifer Warnes , `` Up Where We Belong , '' the theme from the movie `` An Officer and a Gentleman . '' Cocker 's most recent U.S. top 10 was `` When the Night Comes , '' written by Bryan Adams . Cocker now lives on a ranch in Colorado but still tours extensively . He has been touring Europe since June and plans shows in Sheffield and London this weekend . E-mail to a friend . | UK-born Joe Cocker receiving an Order of the British Empire . The award officially recognizes Cocker 's `` services to music '' Prince Charles scheduled to present Cocker with the honor . | [[135, 197], [275, 281], [284, 286], [289, 347], [198, 274], [404, 468], [472, 532]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mexican President Felipe Calderon 's ruling party paid the price for a weak economy in midterm elections as the opposition Revolutionary Institutional Party rolled to victories in the lower legislative house as well as state and local posts . Mexican President Felipe Calderon was n't on Sunday 's ballot and has three years left in his six-year term . With more than 99 percent of the votes counted , the PRI had 36.7 percent to 28 percent for Calderon 's National Action Party -LRB- PAN -RRB- , the state-run Notimex news agency reported Monday . The leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution -LRB- PRD -RRB- , which nearly won the 2006 presidential election , came in a distant third with 12.2 percent of the vote . In response to the defeat , PAN president German Martinez resigned from the top party post Monday . On the ballot were seats for 500 federal legislators , six governors and about 500 mayors and local legislators in 11 states . Though Calderon has three years left in his six-year term and was not on the ballot , analysts said Monday he was held responsible for Mexico 's problems amid the global economic downturn . `` He got a beating because of the economy , '' said Ana Maria Salazar , a television and radio political commentator in Mexico City . `` The government in power pays for it , '' said Peter Hakim , president of the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue . Besides the economy , Calderon has had to face the consequences of a drug war he launched that has left more than 10,000 people dead since he came to office in December 2006 . He also had to deal with the H1N1 flu pandemic that first became known in Mexico this year . The PAN has the most seats in the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies , the lower house of Mexico 's Congress , but it does not have a majority in either . The party lost its lead in the lower house , as the PRI will hold more seats when the new delegates are seated in December . No seats were at stake in the Senate , which elects its members every six years . Calderon acknowledged the setback in a late-night address to the nation Sunday . `` The federal government recognizes the new composition of the Chamber of Deputies since it is a sovereign decision of the citizens . I congratulate who they have chosen , '' Calderon said , adding he will work with the new representatives . He will have no choice but to work with the resurgent PRI , analysts said . But since the PAN did not have control of either house of Congress , Calderon has been compromising and making deals with the PRI and other parties since coming to power . `` I do n't think the job is much more difficult than it was at the outset , '' Hakim said . `` It 's all a matter of degrees . Yeah , it will make it a little more difficult . But he has had to work through negotiation anyway . '' Still , analysts said , the PRI now wields considerable more power . `` They 're in a position to run Congress , '' said Andrew Selee , director of the Woodrow Wilson Center 's Mexico Institute . By forming temporary coalitions with the Green Party and other minor parties , the PRI can block presidential vetoes , Salazar said . `` They pretty much have control over the purse , '' she said . Much more is at stake for the PRI though . After having held the presidency from 1929 to 2000 and then losing it to the PAN in the last two elections , the party is looking for a path back to power . Sunday 's results were particularly significant because the PRI finished third in the 2006 presidential election . `` The presidential campaign has started as of today , Monday , '' Salazar said . Also significant was the PRD 's apparent collapse as a major party , considering it came within 1 percent of winning the presidency in 2006 . That race was so close that the results were not verified until a controversial decision two months later . Losing candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador refused to accept the results and announced himself the winner . Fistfights broke out in the Chamber of Deputies . The PRI drew away votes from the PRD in Sunday 's election , Hakim said , noting that may help Calderon because the PRD is Calderon 's main foe in Congress . Working with a larger PRI may be easier . But Selee said Calderon is on a deadline , until the 2012 presidential race really heats up . `` His window of opportunity is for the next year and half , '' Selee said . `` The PRI wants to show that they can lead , that they 're a party of ideas . '' No one knows if the PRI is up to the task . `` The big question is whether the PRI will look forward only to the presidential elections , '' Hakim said . `` The PRI has to show that they 're responsible and capable of governing again . '' To do so , the PRI has to make sure that internal fighting over who will run as the presidential candidate in three years does not paralyze the party . `` Do n't underestimate the ability of the PRI to cannibalize itself , '' Salazar said . PRI leader Beatriz Paredes has emerged as a major power broker . As head of the party and newly elected member of the Chamber of Deputies , she will lead the PRI 's legislative efforts . That 's good for Calderon , Salazar said , because it will be `` much easier to negotiate with her than with other factions of the PRI . '' But if the PAN and PRI ca n't agree , Selee said , `` there will be a breakdown of consensus politics . '' Mexico 's leaders -- regardless of party affiliation -- also have to battle apparent disenchantment among everyday Mexicans . Voter participation Sunday was about 30 percent , officials said , but more 5 percent of those were people who `` annulled '' their ballots . They turned in a ballot but did not vote for anyone or defaced the ballot . Their intent was to show that they cared enough to vote , just not for anyone on the ballot . `` It 's a repudiation of what is going on in Mexico in general , '' Salazar said . Selee sees `` a general skepticism , '' saying , `` Mexicans have tired of where things are going . '' | NEW : German Martinez , president of PAN political party , resigns in aftermath . Felipe Calderon 's party loses lead in Mexico 's lower house . Mexican president held responsible for economic downturn , analysts say . PRI has 36.8 percent of vote to 27.9 percent for Calderon 's PAN , news agency says . | [[739, 764], [767, 838], [1838, 1880], [1052, 1155], [2429, 2444], [421, 503], [516, 567]] |
Editor 's note : On CNN 's `` State of the Union , '' host and chief national correspondent John King goes outside the Beltway to report on the issues affecting communities across the country . Christine Quinn , speaker of the New York City Council , and her partner , Kim Catullo , talk to John King . NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As she lobbies members of the New York Senate these days , the politician in Christine Quinn can understand what the gay rights activist in her sometimes can not . `` The fear of the unknown , '' is how she describes it . `` This is a vote they 've never cast before . And they do n't know how people are going to react . You are in a position where people 's reaction to you is the key to your success . And the unknown creates fear and fear often creates paralysis . '' Quinn is the openly gay speaker of the New York City Council , and a proponent of legalizing same sex marriage in New York state . `` It is really encouraging to see what 's happening around the country in places where you really would n't expect it , like Iowa , '' says Quinn 's longtime partner , Kim Catullo . `` To be in a place like New York and not have it just does n't seem to make sense . '' The New York Assembly passed legislation allowing same-sex marriages earlier this month , and the question now is whether there are enough votes in the state Senate to pass the legislation before the legislature adjourns for the year . Go behind the scenes with John King as he discusses his report from New York . Quinn , who spent time in Albany this past week meeting with undecided senators , is cautiously optimistic . `` It was amazing how much openness there was , '' she said of private meetings with lawmakers who are undecided and even a few who have said they are likely to oppose the legislation . `` We just all have to create a moment for them to step forward . So I really think it is going to happen this month , before the legislative session is over . '' Maggie Gallagher sees the Senate math quite differently . `` We are now working in 24 Senate districts , '' says Gallagher , president of the National Organization for Marriage , which opposes same-sex marriages . `` We know we have generated thousands of phone calls to legislators . I do n't think they will be passing a gay marriage bill this session . '' Watch both sides assess chances of passing same-sex marriage bill '' The New York legislation is part of a growing national debate , and one which will gain even more attention because of the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy and the nomination of federal appeals court judge Sonia Sotomayor to fill it . `` Not tomorrow . Not likely in the coming year unless the courts move dramatically faster than we are used to seeing them move , '' is how Columbia Law School Professor Suzanne Goldberg answers when asked when the issue of same-sex marriage is likely to make the Supreme Court docket . `` But certainly some time in the next couple of years we 're likely to see the Supreme Court issue a position or two on this issue . '' Goldberg knows Sotomayer well ; the judge is also a lecturer at Columbia . `` We 've never spoken about the issue , '' Goldberg told us . `` I have no inside information about her views . What I would say is that she is both a wise person and a thoughtful person and being wise and thoughtful are the right ingredients for reaching what to me is the right answer on this issue , which to me is that equality applies to all people . '' The likelihood of the issue reaching the Supreme Court in the next year or two raises the stakes in the state battles . Opponents of California 's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage vow to try again in 2010 in hopes of a different result . A new federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of California 's Proposition 8 was filed this week and could well be among the cases that make it to the Supreme Court eventually . Five states now allow same-sex marriage : Maine , Connecticut , Iowa , Massachusetts and Vermont , and the states with active debates include California , New York , New Jersey and New Hampshire . In an interview in their apartment in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York , Quinn and Catullo agreed the ideal solution for them would be federal recognition of the right of same-sex couples to marry . But the federal Defense of Marriage Act signed by President Clinton defines marriage as between a man and a woman . And President Obama says he supports civil unions and other benefits for same-sex couples but opposes marriage . `` He 's not perfect on this issue and I want him to be perfect , '' Quinn said of Obama . `` And I 'm fairly certain that pretty soon he will be perfect on this issue and what we just have to do is keep talking to him and keep educating him and keep working on him . '' `` It does n't help , '' Catullo says of Obama 's opposition . Still , like Quinn , she hopes eventually , `` he can evolve . '' Gallagher , of the National Organization for Marriage , is worried more about the high court than any pressure on Obama from gay rights activists . `` Well I do n't believe David Souter was on our side on the gay marriage issue although we do n't know for sure , '' Gallagher said . So in her line of speculating , swapping Sotomayor for Souter is n't likely to swing the court in any major way . Her major worry is if one of the more conservative judges decided to retire in the near future . `` I do n't think this one is going to tip the balance , '' Gallagher said . `` But we 're very close . We 're probably only one Supreme Court justice away from a nationally imposed right to same-sex marriage whether we like it or not . That is the ultimate game plan of the gay marriage forces . '' Catullo would prefer a conversation less political . `` I really do believe that if someone lived next to us or really knew us , it would n't be an issue at all , '' she said . `` I mean we are good people . We 're law-abiding . We 're taxpayers . We 're just an eight-year couple that 's been together a long time and we do a lot of the things that a normal couple does . There 's a lot more things in the world to worry about than the fact that we want to be married . '' | N.Y. Assembly passed bill allowing same-sex marriages ; willl state Senate pass it ? Christine Quinn , openly gay politician , optimistic ; says opponents fear the unknown . National Organization for Marriage lobbying hard against it , head thinks it wo n't pass . Proponents hope President Obama will change mind , support issue . | [[1205, 1292]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Staff Sgt. Bartek Bachleda does n't consider himself a hero , but passengers on a recent jumbo jet flight might beg to differ . Staff Sgt. Bartek Bachleda says he knew the plane he was riding in was losing fuel and videotaped the problem . One of 300 passengers on a United Airlines flight from Chicago , Illinois , to Tokyo , Japan , in April , Bachleda noticed white `` smoke '' billowing from the left side of the Boeing 747-400 jet on takeoff and then again at cruising altitude of over 30,000 feet . He said he was sure it was a leak , a big one that could lead to a potentially dangerous situation . Bachleda , 30 , should know . He serves in an air refueling squadron in the U.S. Air Force . He videotaped the midair vapor from his window seat and tried to warn a flight attendant . But at first , she paid him no heed . `` When I initially hit the call button , she thought maybe I wanted something , and she said , ` Sir , I 'm handing out drinks , I 'll be right back with you , ' '' Bachleda said . Undeterred , Bachleda called her back to his seat . `` Ma'am , '' he said . `` It 's looking bad . '' He identified himself and showed the flight attendant his video . `` I decided , if the captain does n't know about this before we go oceanic -- meaning once we fly over the ocean -- and we 're leaking this massive amount of fuel , this is going to be a bad day , '' said Bachleda , on a return trip back to Kadena Air Base in Japan , where he is stationed . This time the flight attendant took him seriously , immediately stopped serving drinks and alerted the flight crew . Watch more on the plane leak '' United Airlines spokesman Jeff Kovick said the crew was already aware of the situation and was considering what action to take when Bachleda brought it to their attention . He said the captain would never have attempted a Pacific crossing . In Bachleda 's estimation , the plane , which United said has a capacity of 373,000 pounds of jet fuel , was losing about 6,000 pounds an hour . Over the course of a 13-hour flight , the plane would have lost about 20 percent of its tank . But a former NTSB official said the plane still would have had to land because it lacked extra fuel to divert once it was over the Pacific or circle at its destination . The jet landed in San Francisco , California -- with all 300 passengers safe . | Passenger notices white smoke billowing from plane 's left side on flight to Japan . Staff Sgt. Bartek Bachleda videotapes the fumes from seat on United Airlines flight . Bachleda , who serves in air refueling squadron in U.S. Air Force , shows tape to crew . Jet lands in San Francisco ; United spokesman says pilots already aware of situation . | [[365, 409], [391, 465], [147, 157], [234, 258], [718, 769], [655, 717], [1131, 1133], [1157, 1196], [1639, 1750], [2290, 2321]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Georgian authorities foiled an attempted army mutiny that they believe was designed to disrupt planned NATO exercises in the former Soviet republic , the country 's interior ministry said Tuesday . Georgian troops take part in military exercises in January . They are to participate in NATO maneuvers this week . About 500 troops at a military base outside the capital , Tbilisi , were involved in the rebellion , said Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili . He said it was quickly brought under control , and the government reported a few hours later that the base was calm . Initial investigations suggest that Russia , Georgia 's northern neighbor and former ruler , may have had a hand in the mutiny , Utiashvili said . Russia denied involvement in the incident . `` Tbilisi has pulled yet another anti-Russian prank . ... This is not the first time we are so vocally blamed for interfering . It is typical that each time the charges become more ridiculous , '' the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement . Utiashvili claimed that Georgia had secret recordings of the mutineers saying they had `` full Russian support . '' `` We know Russia is against the planned NATO exercises in Georgia . We know they have increased the troops at the border . We do n't have 100 percent evidence right now , because the investigation is ongoing , '' he said . But , he added , until the investigation is complete , officials wo n't point a finger at Russia . On Tuesday afternoon , Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili called on Russia to stop `` provocative maneuvers '' in Georgia , according to Georgia 's English-language Prime News . Russia and Georgia fought a five-day war in August over the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia , the first time Russia sent troops abroad in anger since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 . NATO is expected to launch month-long military exercises this week in Georgia . The move has angered Russia , which accused the alliance of `` muscle-flexing . '' `` All kinds of things have been said , '' the Russian Foreign Ministry said . `` But it has never before been claimed that Russia is trying to overthrow the Georgian government with the help of the Georgian armed forces . In this regard , we once again reiterate that Russia does not interfere in the internal affairs of Georgia on principle . We do not believe in scripts imposed from the outside . '' NATO said it had no comment on the incident because it did not independently confirm the event . However , a NATO spokeswoman in Brussels said Tuesday that exercises planned for Wednesday are `` still on '' and that `` nothing has changed '' after the attempted mutiny . `` The timing chosen by Tbilisi for its latest action is telling : the day before the start of NATO exercises in Georgia , '' the Russian Foreign Ministry said . `` We strongly warned our partners that the exercises were absolutely inappropriate in the current highly charged atmosphere within Georgia and the region . Our warnings were not heeded . '' Georgia 's Utiashvili said the rebelling soldiers were heard saying they were `` unhappy with the political situation in the country . '' One person was arrested , and authorities are looking for another in connection with the attempted mutiny , Georgia 's Ministry of Internal Affairs said . The person in custody , Gia Ghvaladze , served as a major in the Special Forces Department at the now-disbanded Ministry of State Security , Georgian officials said . He is being held on charges of organizing a military mutiny . In an undercover tape released by Georgian officials , a man is heard saying , `` Russians will come . About 5,000 men , two battalions . Can you imagine ? Five thousand men . Do you know how big this is ? '' CNN could not confirm the authenticity of the tape , but the Georgian government said it implicates Ghvaladze . Authorities said they are looking for the second man , Koba Otanadze , who is wanted for his role in organizing the mutiny . Otanadze helped lead a military mutiny at the same base in May 2001 , the Ministry of Internal Affairs said . A third person -- Zaza Mushkudiani , the head of the Georgian ranger battalion -- was also being investigated , the ministry said , but it was unclear whether he was in custody . NATO is expected to launch month-long military exercises this week in Georgia . The move has angered Russia , Georgia 's neighbor to the north , which accused the alliance of `` muscle-flexing . '' Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov postponed his trip to Brussels , Belgium , for the ministerial meeting of the NATO-Russia Council because of the planned NATO exercises , Lavrov told the Itar-Tass news agency . In April , Saakashvili vowed to remain in office until his term ends , defying calls by anti-government protesters that he step down . Up to 60,000 demonstrators took to the streets , blaming the president for leading the country with Russia and plunging it into a political crisis . They also were angry about rising poverty in the country . CNN 's Matthew Chance and Nunu Japaridze contributed to this report . | NEW : Georgian authorities release recording of man saying `` Russia will come '' Russia denies involvement , accuses Tbilisi of `` yet another anti-Russian prank '' Authorities believe mutiny intended to disrupt NATO exercises this week in Georgia . Russia says it disagrees with NATO plans to conduct exercises . | [[3582, 3631], [3579, 3600], [3634, 3655], [3659, 3681], [3579, 3600], [3658, 3681], [750, 793], [797, 848], [72, 166], [278, 331], [1866, 1945], [1866, 1870], [1883, 1945], [2704, 2717], [2740, 2768], [2771, 2813], [2786, 2824], [4314, 4393], [4314, 4318], [4331, 4393], [1162, 1227]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- White supremacists , Islamic clerics , a controversial Kansas pastor and a U.S. talk show host are on a list of 22 people banned from Britain for `` stirring up hatred , '' the British government said Tuesday . Jacqui Smith said she did not hesitate to name and shame those who foster extremist views . Britain 's Home Office said it decided to exclude the 22 in the last several months . The decision follows measures introduced by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith last year against people `` who have engaged in spreading hate , '' the Home Office said . The Home Office named only 16 of those on the list ; it said it was not in the public interest to disclose the names of the other six . A spokeswoman declined to elaborate on why the Home Office would not publicly identify six of the 22 . One of the most recognized names on the list may be U.S. radio talk show host Michael Savage , who is listed under his real name , Michael Alan Wiener . The conservative 's daily show can be heard nationwide in the United States . Savage is on the list for `` seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred which might lead to inter-community violence . '' Savage lashed out at Smith on his Web site , calling her a `` witch '' and asking how she knew of his show when it is n't syndicated in England . He also questioned why six names on the list were n't released and why North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez did n't make the list . In an audio clip on his Web site , Savage said he had seven attorneys working on a defamation lawsuit against Smith and encouraged his listeners to call off any travel plans to England and boycott all British products . `` She has painted a target on my back , linking me with people who are in prison for killing people , '' he said . `` How could they put Michael Savage in the same league as mass murderers when I have never avowed violence ? '' Outspoken Kansas Rev. Fred Phelps and his daughter , Shirley Phelps-Roper , are also listed for `` engaging in unacceptable behavior and fostering hatred . '' Phelps and his followers at Westboro Baptist Church oppose homosexuality . They picket the funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq , saying their deaths are God 's way of punishing the United States for supporting homosexuals . They have expressed similar views about the victims of the September 11 , 2001 , attacks and Hurricane Katrina . The church 's slogan is `` God Hates Fags . '' Phelps did not issue a response on his Web site . However , he linked to a British news story on the ban and wrote his own headline , calling Smith a `` neo-Nazi dyke '' and `` filthy God-hater . '' Former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard Don Black , who has said he despises U.S. President Barack Obama , is also on the list . Black established the white supremacist Web site Stormfront , which the Home Office called one of the oldest and largest hate group sites . Eric Gliebe , chairman of the National Alliance , one of the largest neo-Nazi groups in the United States , is on the list for `` justifying terrorist violence , provoking others to commit serious crime and fostering racial hatred . '' The Home Office cited Gliebe 's `` Web-radio broadcasts in which he vilifies certain ethnic groups and encourages the download and distribution of provocative racist leaflets and posters . '' Several Islamic clerics are also on the list , including Abdullah Qadri Al Ahdal , Amir Siddique , Yunis Al Astal and Safwat Hijazi . Prolific speaker and writer Wadgy Abd El Hamied Mohamed Ghoneim is also listed . The list includes Mike Guzofsky , the leader of a militant Jewish group . He has ties to Kahane Chai , a group that the U.S. State Department lists as a foreign terrorist organization . Russian skinheads Artur Ryno and Pavel Skachevsky are also on the list . The Home Office says they are `` leaders of a violent gang that beat migrants and posted films of their attacks on the Internet . '' Samir al Quntar , a Lebanese man who spent three decades in prison for killing four Israeli soldiers and a 4-year-old girl in 1979 , is also on the list . In an exchange with the militant group Hezbollah , Israel freed al Quntar last year for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers . Al Quntar is `` engaging in unacceptable behavior by seeking to foment , justify or glorify terrorist violence '' in order to provoke terrorist acts , the Home Office said . Nasr Javed and Abdul Ali Musa round out the 16 names made public . `` Coming to the UK is a privilege , and I refuse to extend that privilege to individuals who abuse our standards and values to undermine our way of life , '' Smith said . `` Therefore , I do not hesitate to name and shame those who foster extremist views , as I want them to know that they are not welcome here . `` The government opposes extremism in all its forms and I am determined to stop those who want to spread extremism , hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country , '' she said . `` This is the driving force behind tighter rules on exclusions for unacceptable behavior . '' | NEW : Talk show host calls home secretary `` witch '' ; reverend calls her `` neo-Nazi '' UK Home Office : 22 people banned from Britain for `` stirring up hatred '' Home Office named only 16 of those on the list . Ex-Ku Klux Klansman , Russian skinheads , radical Islamic clerics also on list . | [[1209, 1222], [1254, 1279], [2571, 2573], [2645, 2706], [148, 203], [339, 424], [507, 524], [529, 559], [1084, 1158], [588, 638], [4501, 4527], [9, 72], [105, 157], [2710, 2754], [2759, 2831], [3400, 3533], [3801, 3873]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- He 's been a homicidal singing barber in `` Sweeney Todd : The Demon Barber of Fleet Street '' and a drunken swashbuckler in `` Pirates of the Caribbean : At World 's End . '' Depp is back as bank robber John Dillinger , revered in the Depression as a modern-day Robin Hood . Now , Hollywood shape-shifter Johnny Depp is back as another unexpectedly charismatic outlaw : Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger , a character he says he 's been drawn to since he was a boy . `` I sort of had a fascination with John Dillinger when I was about 10 , 11 years old , for some reason , '' Depp told CNN . `` I always kind of admired him , oddly . '' Oddly , perhaps , because for a short but intense period between September 1933 and July 1934 Dillinger and his gang rampaged through the American Midwest , staging jail breaks , robbing banks , and killing 10 men and wounding seven along the way . Dillinger 's violent spree is the focus of gangster drama `` Public Enemies , '' the latest offering from director Michael Mann , and also starring Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard . Mann is known for his sympathetic portrayal of criminals , and Dillinger -- whose acts on the wrong side of the law led him to become one of America 's first celebrities -- is the quintessential good hood . In the 1930s , the United States was in the grips of the worst financial disaster in history -- a time when many Americans watched their life savings disappear and became jobless and hungry . Members of the public blamed banks for losing their money and politicians for failing to stop them . For many , Dillinger 's exploits represented sticking it to the fat cats , and he was idolized as a modern-day Robin Hood . J. Edgar Hoover , FBI director at the time , may have made Dillinger America 's first Public Enemy No. 1 , but the bandit was careful not to alienate the public . There is a memorable moment where he drapes a coat over a female bank hostage during a raid to keep her warm . Also , it 's said he never swore in front of women . He was always courteous even as he tried to meet his target of robbing banks in under two minutes . Crucially , he never robbed the average guy , telling him to put his money away during robberies . It is this Dillinger that Depp captures : a captivating revolutionary with the gift of gab who lit the public 's imagination , causing people to flock to cinemas to watch his exploits in weekly newsreels . Review : Depp is great in ` Public Enemies ' Of course , the dark , violent side of Dillinger 's psyche is unavoidable . Depp plumbed the depths of his own character to come up with those murkier elements . That was something that took courage , according to Mann : `` He had Dillinger in him ; that 's something I sensed . Deep in the core of Johnny there 's a toughness . '' Depp gained recognition throughout the 1990s for immersing himself in characters . He shook off an early reputation as a teen pin-up in movies like Tim Burton 's 1991 Gothic tale `` Edward Scissorhands . '' He went on to cement his reputation for unusual film choices and quirky performances in films like `` Charlie and the Chocolate Factory '' -LRB- 2005 -RRB- and `` Finding Neverland '' -LRB- 2004 -RRB- . In pictures : Johnny Depp 's iconic roles '' The 46-year-old actor says he felt a close affinity to Dillinger : `` I related to John Dillinger like he was a relative . I felt he was of the same blood . He reminded me of my stepdad and very much of my grandfather . `` He seemed to be one of those guys with absolutely no bull whatsoever , who lived at a time when a man was a man . '' `` Public Enemies '' was adapted by Mann from a nonfiction book of the same name by Bryan Burrough . Is it sozzled Captain . Jack Sparrow or smooth Donnie Brasco ? Tell us your favorite Johnny Depp character in the SoundOff box below . The `` Last of the Mohicans '' director is known for fastidious research and attention to detail , which in this case included collaborating closely with the FBI to check facts -- although Mann subsequently chose to gloss over some elements for the sake of the story . Mann filmed in many of the locations where Dillinger 's story took place almost 80 years ago , including the Biograph Theater on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago , where the bandit was finally shot dead by FBI agents as he came out of a Clark Gable movie . They also shot at Little Bohemia Lodge in Manitowish Waters in the far north of Wisconsin , the site of one of Dillinger 's most famous showdowns with the FBI . Dillinger was hiding out there after a botched robbery . When the feds finally caught up with him , two men were killed in the vicious gunfight . `` We were able to shoot not just in the actual place where this happened , but in his actual room , '' says Mann . `` There 's a certain kind of magic for Johnny Depp to be lying in the bed that John Dillinger was actually in . '' A lot of Dillinger 's success was down to superior guns and getaway cars . Depp , who has experience shooting guns from previous productions , had to learn a completely different technique for the heavy guns of the time . Depp says shooting the Thompson submachine gun was one of the highlights of the production : `` When you 've got a beast like that strapped to you and you 're emptying magazines , a 50-round drum , it 's a good feeling . '' The ride may have been thrilling for Depp but he also recognizes that the Depression-era setting has some extra significance these tight-belted times . `` You know , '' says Depp , `` We 're in the middle of a recession , teetering on a depression . It 's time to view the banks and grown-ups for what they are . '' | Johnny Depp plays charismatic bank robber John Dillinger in `` Public Enemies '' Depression-era tale of first Public Enemy No. 1 , idolized as modern-day Robin Hood . Dillinger 's gang killed 10 men , wounded seven during a spree of less than one year . Depp on Dillinger : `` I always kind of admired him , oddly '' | [[212, 254], [228, 254], [257, 311], [1692, 1740], [682, 687], [839, 930], [682, 687], [700, 738], [881, 930], [515, 516], [522, 582], [640, 641], [654, 668], [3305, 3369]] |
SEATTLE , Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A pathologist hired by the family of one of two women whose mysterious deaths in Thailand drew worldwide attention says her `` lungs were 100 percent congested , '' Jill St. Onge 's fiancee and brother said . Jill St. Onge died while vacationing with her fiance at a Thailand resort . `` He said her lung tissue was gone , '' said her brother , Robert St. Onge . The pathologist has not determined what caused her lungs to fail , he said , and a final report on her May 2 death may still be weeks away . But members of St. Onge 's family said they feel the pathologist 's findings , though preliminary , are enough to contradict public statements made by Thai investigators that St. Onge was the victim of food poisoning . `` I am 99.9 percent sure she did not die of food poisoning , '' said Ryan Kells , St. Onge 's fiancee , who was with her when she died . `` She suffocated to death . I am not a doctor , but I know when someone ca n't breathe . '' Kells and St. Onge , both artists from Seattle , were on a three-month vacation through Southeast Asia when they arrived on Thailand 's Phi Phi Island . They had gotten engaged while on the trip and were keeping friends and family up to date with their adventures . `` Having a blast , '' Jill St. Onge , 27 , wrote about the surroundings in a blog dedicated to the couple 's travels . `` Food , drink , sun and warm waters ... what else do ya need ? '' The couple 's vacation ended tragically when Kells found his fiancee in their hotel room vomiting and unable to breathe . He rushed her to a hospital where she died . St. Onge was healthy and there was no obvious explanation for her sudden death , her brother said . Just hours after St. Onge fell ill , Julie Bergheim , a Norwegian tourist who was staying in a room next to St. Onge 's at the Laleena Guesthouse , came down with similar symptoms . She also died . According to Thai media reports , police there are focusing on food poisoning as the cause of the women 's deaths . On Monday , the Phuket Gazette quoted a police commander as saying blood samples from both women indicated possible food poisoning from seafood . Still , the commander said , those results were only preliminary . `` I do n't know when the official results will be released , '' Maj. Gen. Pasin Nokasul told the newspaper . `` The lab work -LSB- is being -RSB- expedited because the embassies of the two tourists want to know the cause of death as soon as possible . '' Kells response to Nokasul 's statement was harsh . `` That she died of food poisoning is a ridiculous statement to make , '' he said , adding it is unlikely they would have been `` the only ones affected . '' Dr. William Hurley , medical director for the Washington Poison Center , is also skeptical that food poisoning could have been responsible . In food poisoning cases , he said , `` usually what kills you is the dehydration , not the toxin . '' He added , `` Food poisoning is not something that typically kills someone this quickly . It takes days . '' Ingestion of a variety of chemicals could have caused Onge and Bergheim 's sudden deaths , Hurley said , and could be consistent with the condition of Onge 's lungs . But without further information , he said , it is impossible to say what killed the two women . Kells said he thinks something in the hotel where they were where staying made Jill sick . He remembers a `` chemical smell '' in the room and thinks he avoided becoming ill because he spent less time in the room . On Saturday , the Phuket Wan newspaper reported that investigators visited the Laleena Guesthouse , taking samples and removing filters from the air conditioning units in the rooms where both victims had stayed . Rat Chuped , the owner of the hotel , told the newspaper her property was not to blame . `` There is no problem with my guesthouse , '' she said . | Seattle woman is one of 2 tourists who died of unknown causes . Family says pathologist says her `` lungs were 100 percent congested '' Thai officials have been focusing on food poisoning as cause of death . | [[10, 36], [155, 199], [178, 199], [202, 209], [719, 762], [1947, 2028], [2557, 2583]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Senate subcommittee Tuesday tackled one of the most contentious issues in U.S. sports : the fairness of the Bowl Championship Series that decides the top college football team each season . Tim Tebow , right , of the Florida Gators talks to coaches at the 2009 BCS national championship game January 8 . Convened by Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah , the hearing by the Antitrust , Competition Policy and Consumer Rights subcommittee provided a sounding board for his state 's disappointment over the inability of the undefeated University of Utah to qualify for the BCS national championship game last January . The BCS operates under an agreement among the major college football conferences that decides which teams qualify for the biggest bowl games each season , including the national championship game . It also distributes the revenue generated by the bowl games , with the participating members taking part in more of the post-season matches and taking home more money . Every season brings heated debate over the bowl lineup and calls for a playoff system similar to the ones used for every other National Collegiate Athletic Association sport , including small-college football . President Obama has joined many Americans in expressing his preference for a playoff system to decide the nation 's top college football team . Hatch complained that the BCS system denies outsiders -- such as Utah of the Mountain West Conference -- a fair chance to compete with major conferences such as the Big 12 , Big 10 , Pacific 10 and Southeast Conference for a spot in the lucrative bowl games . Last season , he said , Utah went undefeated and gained a BCS berth in the Sugar Bowl against perennial power Alabama , which it defeated 31-17 . However , the BCS ranking system prevented Utah from any realistic chance of selection for the national championship game , which pitted two teams that each had one loss on their records , Hatch said . For schools outside what he called the `` privileged conferences , '' the BCS system has `` significant and largely insurmountable obstacles to playing for a national championship , '' Hatch said . University of Utah President Michael Young complained that the BCS system both stifles competition and guarantees the majority of revenue from bowl games to the traditional powers . `` If you ca n't beat them , eliminate them , '' he said of BCS policy . In response , University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Harvey Perlman said the BCS system -- while imperfect -- is the only workable formula that ensures participation by major football powers such as his institution . The BCS recognizes the strength and depth of traditional programs , Perlman said , rejecting Young 's argument that Utah has no chance to improve its status . `` There realistically is something Utah could do , '' Perlman said . `` They could play the schedule Nebraska played . '' At the same time , Perlman said that uneven odds are part of every university 's experience at one time or another . `` It 's the same as when Nebraska walks into the NIH -LSB- National Institutes of Health -RSB- and seeks a federal grant and competes with Harvard , '' he said . `` Theoretically we have the same the chance , but do we really ? '' Two anti-trust experts provided conflicting testimony on whether the BCS system violates the Sherman Antitrust Act . Barry Brett of the law firm Troutman Sanders insisted the BCS holds what amounts to an illegal monopoly and `` uses this control to exclude all but its founding members -LSB- from -RSB- fair access to the competition and control of hundreds of millions of dollars . '' In response , William Monts III of Hogan and Hartson noted the BCS members created the national championship game and therefore have the right to determine who participates . He also warned against seeking anti-trust relief in court , saying a ruling against the BCS would end its existence without creating an alternative . `` The peculiar irony of an anti-trust claim is that it is likely to sound the death knell for the playoff system proponents want , '' Monts said . | Convened by GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah . Utah went undefeated and beat Alabama in Sugar Bowl last season , noted Hatch . But BCS ranking system kept Utah out of national championship game , he said . Teams in championship game each had one loss on their records , Hatch noted . | [[336, 383], [1654, 1674], [1392, 1471], [1786, 1897], [2445, 2521], [1867, 1897], [1906, 1962]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- AC Milan have swooped to sign Standard Liege defender Oguchi Onyewu on a three-year contract -- making him the first American to appear in Serie A since Alexi Lalas in 1996 . Onyewu will become the first American since Alexi Lalas to appear in Italian Serie A after joining AC Milan . Onyewu , who has also played in the English Premier League with Newcastle United , has moved to the San Siro on a free transfer after impressing with some superb displays during the United States ' run to the Confederations Cup final . The 27-year-old has played 38 times for his country , scoring five goals.Latest transfer gossip and rumors . `` This transaction shows once again the excellent friendly relationship between our club and Belgian club Standard Liege , particularly their executive vice-president Luciano D'Onofrio , '' said a statement on Milan 's official Web site . The six-foot four-inch player was born in Washington DC to Nigerian parents but began his club career at Metz in France in 2002 . He was loaned out to La Louviere in Belgium in 2003 and his form there earnt him a move to Liege , where he won two Belgian titles . He then joined Newcastle on loan , playing 11 league matches . However , the transfer is unlikely to appease the Milan supporters who are unhappy with the summer sale of Brazilian superstar Kaka to Real Madrid -- and the departure of coach Carlo Ancelotti to Chelsea . About 300 fans protested outside the club 's Milanello base on the first day of pre-season training on Monday , complaining at the lack of big name signings . | AC Milan swoop to sign up American international defender Oguchi Onyewu . The 27-year-old joins from Belgians Standard Liege on a three-year contract . Onyewu is the first American to appear in Serie A since Alexi Lalas in the 90s . | [[19, 111], [19, 111], [0, 15], [115, 193], [194, 249], [238, 303]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A U.S. Marine videotaped throwing a puppy over a cliff while on patrol in Iraq has been kicked out of the Corps , and a second Marine involved has been disciplined , according to a statement released by the Marines . YouTube.com removed the video for violating the Web site 's terms of use . Lance Cpl. David Motari , based in Hawaii with the 1st Battalion , 3rd Marine Regiment , is being `` processed for separation '' and received non-judicial punishment , officials said in the statement Wednesday night . The Marine Corps would not specify what that punishment was because of privacy regulations . The statement said Motari received the punishment for his role in the `` episode which generated international attention . '' The incident appeared on the Internet web site YouTube in March , sparking outrage from animal rights groups around the world . In the video , Motari is seen throwing the dog off a cliff as it yelps . A second Marine , San Diego-based Sgt. Crismarvin Banez Encarnacion , received non-judicial punishment as well . Janice Hagar , a spokeswoman for the Marines in San Diego , said Encarnacion shot the video . Marine officials at the Pentagon would not disclose the severity of the disciplinary action against Encarnacion , also because of privacy regulations . CNN did not receive a response from the Marine Corps in San Diego to questions about the case . The statement said the Marines conducted an investigation as soon as the YouTube video came to the attention of commanders . `` The actions seen in the Internet video are contrary to the high standards we expect of every Marine and will not be tolerated , '' according to the statement . On the video , Motari smiles as he is holding the puppy and then hurls the dog over a cliff . An unknown person operating the video cameras is heard laughing and another voice saying `` that 's mean , Motari . '' In a statement , the Humane Society of the United States applauded the Marine Corps ' decision to punish those involved . `` The bad actors in this case have been dealt with by the Marine Corps , which rightly recognizes that harming animals is unacceptable conduct , '' said Dale Bartlett , the group 's deputy manager for animal cruelty issues . `` Now , the Department of Defense and the Congress must step up protection from cruelty for all animals under the law governing military conduct . '' | Hawaii-based Lance Cpl. David Motari is being `` processed for separation '' Motari was seen on video tossing a puppy off a cliff while on patrol in Iraq . Second Marine , who filmed the incident , was also disciplined . | [[322, 332], [348, 386], [322, 332], [411, 450], [30, 84], [887, 899], [902, 959], [1703, 1715], [1718, 1796], [144, 193], [196, 220], [960, 998], [1030, 1062]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As Hayden Henshaw was being rushed to the doctor 's office after becoming ill , his father heard that his son 's classmates had been struck with the deadly swine flu virus like the one sweeping through Mexico . Swine flu commonly affects pigs and occasionally infects people in contact with pigs . Patrick Henshaw called his wife immediately to have Hayden checked for it . Later , they received the bad news . Hayden had become the third confirmed case of swine flu at his Texas high school . It is a virus that has killed 68 people in Mexico and infected at least eight people in the United States . Health officials arrived at the Henshaws ' house Friday and drew blood from the whole family , then told them to stay inside and away from the public , Henshaw told CNN . The whole family is quarantined indefinitely , according to CNN-affiliate KABB . Henshaw said his family was shocked when they got the news about their son . `` Stunned . My wife was having a panic attack , '' Henshaw told the affiliate . U.S. health officials have expressed concern about U.S. cases of a swine flu virus that has similar characteristics to the fatal virus in Mexico . More than 1,000 people have fallen ill in Mexico City in a short period of time , U.S. health experts said . `` This situation has been developing quickly , '' Richard Besser , acting director of the Atlanta , Georgia-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -LRB- CDC -RRB- , said Friday . `` This is something we are worried about . '' Besser said all of the eight U.S. patients have recovered . Watch for more on the U.S. cases '' New York health officials said Friday they were testing about 75 students at a school in New York City for swine flu after the students exhibited flu-like symptoms this week . A team of state health department doctors and staff went to the St. Francis Preparatory School in the borough of Queens on Thursday after the students reported cough , fever , sore throat , aches and pains . Test results are expected as early as Saturday . The new virus has genes from North American swine influenza , avian influenza , human influenza and a form of swine influenza normally found in Asia and Europe , said Nancy Cox , chief of the CDC 's Influenza Division . Swine flu is caused by a virus similar to a type of flu virus that infects people every year but is a strain typically found only in pigs -- or in people who have direct contact with pigs . There have , however , been cases of person-to-person transmission of swine flu , the CDC said . CNN 's David Alsup contributed to this report . | Texas teen is one of eight in U.S. diagnosed with swine flu . Teen 's family ordered to stay away from public . Dozens in Mexico have died from same strain of swine flu found in U.S. Officials say new strain has resisted some antiviral drugs . | [[513, 620], [513, 515], [567, 620], [726, 770], [792, 836], [99, 229], [513, 620], [516, 526], [532, 562]] |
GENEVA , Switzerland -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The number of confirmed swine flu cases across the globe kept rising Friday , but some signs of hope emerged in the battle against the worldwide outbreak . Tourists sunbathe wearing surgical masks in the popular Mexican resort of Acapulco . The World Health Organization said Friday that the number of confirmed cases stood at 367 worldwide , including 141 in the United States and 156 in Mexico . Thirteen countries have confirmed cases , the organization said . Meanwhile , researchers worked to develop a vaccine for swine flu , which is also known as 2009 H1N1 . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hopes to have a vaccine to manufacturers within a month , said Michael Shaw , lab team leader for the H1N1 response at the CDC . `` We 're doing the best we can as fast as we can , '' he said . Yet it would take four to six months from the time the appropriate strain is identified before the first doses become available , said Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny , WHO director of the Initiative for Vaccine Research . `` Of course we would like to have a vaccine tomorrow . We would have wanted to have it yesterday , '' she said . `` It 's a long journey . '' She said there is `` no doubt '' that a vaccine can be made `` in a relatively short period of time . '' The steps involved in producing a vaccine involve isolating a strain of the virus , which has already been done , and tweaking it so manufacturers can make a vaccine , Kieny said . The tweaked virus will be shipped to manufacturers , who will fine-tune it . Then come more tests before national regulatory agencies decide whether to approve a vaccine . As researchers work , at least one politician at the epicenter of the outbreak expressed optimism Friday . Authorities in Mexico are `` beginning to see evidence that the -LSB- virus -RSB- might be letting up , and the number of people who have been hospitalized has leveled out in regards to people who are contagious , at least as of yesterday , '' Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard told reporters . Watch how Mexican authorities are dealing with the outbreak '' `` We do have a problem , but I say this so that we know where we are as a city after we have done all we have done , and in what direction we are heading and how much we have progressed . And what I can say is that we are heading in the right direction . '' The WHO said Mexico has 156 confirmed cases and nine deaths . Mexican authorities say they have confirmed 16 deaths and at least 358 cases , and they suspect more than 150 deaths may have been caused by the flu . Watch Dr. Sanjay Gupta demystify pandemics '' The CDC gave the following state-by-state breakdown of the 141 confirmed H1N1 cases in the United States : Arizona , 4 ; California , 13 ; Colorado , 2 ; Delaware , 4 ; Illinois , 3 ; Indiana , 3 ; Kansas , 2 ; Kentucky , 1 ; Massachusetts , 2 ; Michigan , 2 ; Minnesota , 1 ; Nebraska , 1 ; Nevada , 1 ; New Jersey , 5 ; New York , 50 ; Ohio , 1 ; South Carolina , 16 ; Texas , 28 ; and Virginia , 2 . See where cases have been confirmed '' One death in the United States has been attributed to swine flu -- a toddler from Mexico whose family brought him to Texas for medical treatment . In a Cabinet meeting , President Obama on Friday praised the `` extraordinary '' government response to the virus but emphasized that `` we also need to prepare for the long term . '' `` Since we know that these kinds of threats can emerge at any moment , even if it turns out that the H1N1 is relatively mild on the front end , it could come back in a more virulent form during the actual flu season , and that 's why we are investing in our public health infrastructure . '' Go behind the scenes at the CDC '' He said there are indications from Mexico that `` relatively young , healthy people '' have died rather than people whose immune systems are compromised , and `` that 's why we 're taking it seriously . '' `` So I just want everybody to be clear that this is why this is a cause for concern , but not alarm . We are essentially ensuring that , in the worst-case scenario , we can manage this appropriately , government working with businesses and individuals , the private sector , and containing an outbreak , and that we can , ultimately , get through this . '' In addition to the confirmed H1N1 cases in Mexico and the United States , Canada has 34 ; Spain has 13 ; United Kingdom has 8 ; New Zealand and Germany each have 4 ; Israel has 2 ; Austria , China , Denmark , Netherlands and Switzerland each have one , according to the WHO . Learn about the virus '' Hong Kong health officials said a patient who is being treated there arrived from Mexico on a China Eastern Airlines flight that stopped in Shanghai . Denmark did not provide further details . An additional 230 cases are being investigated in the United Kingdom , and Spain has 84 suspected cases . Australia , which has had no confirmed cases , was investigating 114 . View images of responses in U.S. and worldwide '' The effects in Mexico reflect the fear and concern across the globe , including in the United States , where schools and parents are taking precautions in academics , graduations and sports because of the flu . For example , 22 students Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania who just returned from from a five-week trip to Mexico City will get their diplomas at a separate ceremony when they graduate Saturday . Texas school officials have postponed all interscholastic sports until at least May 11 . And Alabama has stopped such competitions until at least Tuesday . The U.S. Department of Education said Friday that 433 public and nonpublic schools in 17 states had been closed because of the flu outbreak . U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan noted in a news conference that the number is less than 1 percent of the nation 's approximate 100,000 schools . Earlier Friday , United Flight 903 was diverted to Boston , Massachusetts , on Friday after a female passenger started complaining of `` flu-like '' symptoms on a Munich-to-Washington flight , Logan Airport spokesman Phil Orendella said . CDC officials at a news conference Friday were asked to compare the strain with the deadly 1918 virus . `` What we have found by looking very carefully at the sequences of the new H1N1 virus is that we do not see the markers for virulence that were seen in the 1918 virus , '' said Nancy Cox , chief of the CDC 's Influenza Division . However , she added , `` We know there 's a great deal that we do not yet understand about the virulence of the 1918 virus or other influenza viruses that have a more severe clinical picture in humans . '' CNN 's Karl Penhaul , Diana Magnay , Jake Perez , Saeed Ahmed , Umaro Djau and Nicole Saidi contributed to this report . | NEW : Mexican government says 16 people have died from virus . Virus has spread to 13 countries , with hardest-hit areas in the West . U.S. Education Department says outbreak has closed 433 schools in 17 states . Vaccine could be made `` in a relatively short period of time , '' official says . | [[2447, 2523], [438, 477], [5601, 5696], [5651, 5742], [1204, 1305], [1237, 1305]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Despite crushing defeats in the last two elections , Senate Republicans have new `` energy and enthusiasm '' for winning back the majority , according to their leader , Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky . A top GOP leader says George W. Bush , politically , was a `` millstone '' around the GOP 's neck . `` President Bush had become extremely unpopular , and politically he was sort of a millstone around our necks in both '06 and ' 08 , '' McConnell told reporters Friday . `` We now have the opportunity to be on offense , offer our own ideas and we will win some . '' Many of those ideas get presented as amendments to Democratic bills , and even though they 're usually defeated , they can draw attention to GOP policy alternatives and force Democrats to take difficult votes . `` They become the way you chart the course for a comeback , which , in this country , always happens at some point , '' McConnell said . `` The pendulum swings . '' McConnell said many of the ideas for amendments come from conservative think tanks and other Republican thinkers off Capitol Hill . `` Newt Gingrich , for example , has an idea a minute . Many of those are quite good . Many of those become amendments , '' he said . McConnell also said he does n't mind the `` party of no '' label Congressional Democrats and the White House give Republicans . `` I do n't feel anyone should be apologetic for opposing a bad idea , '' McConnell said . `` I 'm not fearful of an effort to demonize dissent . '' After being labeled by Democrats the `` party of no '' for criticizing the budget without offering solutions , House Republicans said Thursday that they have come up with a plan B -- though were later criticized for a lack of details . `` Two nights ago , the president said , ` We have n't seen a budget yet out of Republicans . ' Well , it 's just not true , because here it is , Mr. President , '' House Minority leader Rep. John Boehner said Wednesday as he held up a booklet that he said was a `` blueprint for where we 're going . '' Watch GOP leaders unveil their ` leaner ' budget '' The details of the GOP budget will be presented on the House floor next week , said Rep. Paul Ryan , R-Wisconsin . `` We 're going to show a leaner budget , a budget with lower taxes , lower spending and lower borrowing , '' Ryan said . The blueprint includes familiar Republican proposals to limit `` wasteful '' government spending , cut the size of government and provide incentives to private entities to expand access to health care . It also includes a major overhaul of the tax code , proposing a marginal tax rate of 10 percent for income up to $ 100,000 and 25 percent for any income above that level . White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs laughed off the Republicans ' proposal Thursday , joking that their blueprint has more pictures of windmills than charts . `` It 's interesting to have a budget that does n't contain any numbers . I think the ` party of no ' has become the ` party of no new ideas , ' '' he said at the daily briefing . CNN contributor Paul Begala says that Republicans are simply out of ideas -- and have no one to blame but themselves . `` The Republicans are like an arsonist who complains that the fire department is wasting water . Obama is trying to handle an immediate crisis while also laying the foundation for long-term growth . The Republicans are doing neither , '' Begala said . `` They have no plan to stop the loss of jobs or to get capital markets functioning properly -- and they certainly have no plans for health care , education or energy , which are the keys to both long-term economic growth and long-term deficit reduction . '' Begala added : `` If this were ` Sesame Street , ' the announcer would be saying , ` This program brought to you by the letters G , O and P ... None of the crises the president is addressing were of his creation . All of them were created or worsened by the Republicans who ran the House of Representatives , Senate and White House for years . '' CNN 's Ed Hornick and Kristi Keck contributed to this report . | Top Senate Republican says the party is plotting a `` comeback '' Sen. Mitch McConnell says Bush was ' a millstone around our necks ' McConnell : No need to apologize `` for opposing a bad idea '' | [[234, 250], [287, 333], [1375, 1440]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- With their nation under high security alert , South Koreans mourned a former leader at a funeral ceremony Friday morning . The hearse carrying Roh Moo-Hyun 's coffin heads for Seoul at Roh 's hometown village of Bonghwa in Gimhae . Officials and dignitaries gathered in Seoul 's Kyungbok Palace to honor former President Roh Moo-Hyun , who committed suicide last week . South Koreans poured into the streets to catch a glimpse of the black Cadillac making a five-and-a-half hour journey from Roh 's home in the village of Bongha to the capital . Some bowed their heads or wept openly . Others , still stunned from the loss , stood quietly in black as the hearse drove by . Scores of Roh 's supporters handed out yellow balloons , the color associated with Roh 's political campaign . Other supporters had posters of Roh 's image that read , `` President in my heart '' and `` You are my president . '' A person who walked by Roh 's memorial site said , `` Roh understood the difficulties of normal people . We feel he acted like a shield for people with no power . He was the people 's president . '' One woman on her way to work in Seoul said : `` He was the first president South Koreans picked with their own hands . '' She was referring to the fact that Roh did n't have a big political machine behind him . He won the election in 2002 by razor thin margin and his appeal was that he related to the common person . This week has been marred by grief and tension for South Koreans as they grappled with Roh 's sudden death and renewed threats from North Korea . Following the official ceremony , Roh 's body will be taken to the plaza in front of Seoul 's city hall , where large crowds are expected to say goodbye to a beloved leader . He will be cremated later Friday and the remains carried back by hearse to Bongha . Roh , who served between 2003 and 2008 , jumped from a hill behind his house last Saturday , government officials said . His death came amid an investigation into a bribery scandal that had tarnished his reputation . However , tens of thousands of people have visited memorial shrines for Roh , laying white chrysanthemums in a traditional show of grief and leaving cigarettes on the altars to remember a man who was reported to have taken up smoking during the investigation . In a suicide note given to the media by his lawyer , Roh wrote : `` I am in debt to too many people . Too many people have suffered because of me . And I can not imagine the suffering they will go through in the future . '' Prosecutors were investigating the former president for allegedly receiving $ 6 million in bribes from a South Korean businessman while in office . Roh 's wife was scheduled to be questioned by prosecutors Saturday , and Roh was planning to answer a second round of questions next week . Why some South Koreans are angry about Roh 's death '' The investigation has now been suspended . The debate over Roh 's suicide has occupied as much column space in South Korea 's press as the recent aggressive behavior shown by the North . On Tuesday , the conservative Chosun Ilbo urged South Koreans to remember the words of the former president 's suicide note . `` Roh 's abrupt death brings home how vain the rise and fall of power is and how futile it is to nurse hatred and conflict in pursuit of them . Roh himself said in his will , ` Are n't life and death both part of nature ? Do n't blame anybody . ' He would not have wished his own death to cause more political confusion and social conflict , '' the newspaper wrote in an editorial . It also criticized prosecutors who `` seem to have worried about public consensus rather than focusing on principles . '' The left-leaning Hankoryeh called Roh 's death `` political murder , '' echoing the widespread feeling that the former president paid too high a price for his alleged crime . `` The case of late President Roh was the most unfortunate in South Korean history , brought about by the Lee Myung-bak administration , which despised the person more than the crime , '' the newspaper wrote in an editorial . The mood on South Korea 's influential blogs and message boards was somber and split between messages of comfort , dismay at Roh 's decision to end his life and angry accusations against prosecutors and the government . `` President Roh 's perseverance to provide Korea with a true democracy has come to a sudden end . We saw the grief of his demise in the eyes of millions of Koreans , '' read a message posted on the popular Daum Agora Web portal . `` Prosecutors and the police ! Are you the people of the Republic of Korea ? , '' asked another . Just before he left the presidency , Roh became the first South Korean leader to cross the demilitarized zone and meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il . He believed in the `` sunshine policy '' of his predecessor , Kim Dae-Jung , that sought to engage the north , and Roh also promised aid . CNN 's Pauline Chiou and freelance journalist Nicolai Hartvig contributed to this report . | NEW : Motorcade accompanying Roh 's body on way to the capital , Seoul . NEW : Grief-stricken S. Koreans pour out onto the streets to pay final respects . Roh Moo-Hyun took his own life amid an ongoing corruption investigation . Roh was in office between 2003 and 2008 . | [[142, 219], [4427, 4492], [330, 352], [359, 388], [1964, 2023], [1843, 1846], [1853, 1881]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A habitually violent young man was convicted Wednesday of the murder of teenage actor Rob Knox , who had starred in the latest `` Harry Potter '' film . The father , brother and mother of Rob Knox pose together after the death of the young actor . Karl Bishop , 22 , attacked Knox and four friends with two kitchen knives outside a bar in Sidcup , south east London , last May . He stabbed them 10 times in less than two minutes , the Old Bailey court in central London heard . Knox , 18 , had rushed out of the bar after he heard that Bishop had threatened his younger brother Jamie but he ended up being stabbed five times , once in a main artery . He died in hospital later that night . Bystanders said Bishop 's face was `` screwed up in rage '' as he lashed out with the two knives , the Press Association reported . Days before the attack , the actor had finished filming on `` Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince , '' due for international release in July , in which he played the role of Marcus Belby . He was set to reprise the part in future `` Harry Potter '' films . Knox 's father Colin told mourners at his funeral , including co-star Rupert Grint , that his son had been `` living the dream , '' PA said . Prosecutor Brian Altman told the court that the young actor 's promising life was ended by a `` habitual knife carrier '' who believed stabbing people was an `` occupational hazard '' and had previous convictions for knife crime . Bishop is due to be sentenced on Thursday . Knife crime in Britain is a political hot topic due to a spate of recent killings of mainly young people in major cities . UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has urged tougher sentences for those caught carrying knives . He told the Daily Telegraph last month : `` By carrying a knife you are not only endangering the lives of others , but you are more likely to be killed , or end up in jail . `` We need to change the way young people think about knives , we need families and communities working together ... to get this message across and help stamp out knife crime and get weapons off our streets . '' | Man convicted of murder of teenage actor who starred in new `` Harry Potter '' film . Karl Bishop , 22 , attacked Rob Knox with 2 knives in southeast London last May . Knife crime in Britain is political hot topic due to spate of recent killings . | [[0, 6], [9, 32], [67, 121], [105, 132], [137, 188], [762, 822], [1535, 1657]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Michael Jackson collapsed at his rented mansion last month , the singer 's arms were riddled with marks and their veins had collapsed -- both characteristics found in intravenous drug users , sources told CNN on Tuesday . A source says Michael Jackson had `` paper white skin . As white as a white T-shirt . '' The revelations add to the speculation that prescription drugs played a part in Jackson 's death on June 25 . The exact cause is pending toxicology results that are n't due for at least another week . A source involved with the investigation into Jackson 's death told CNN that Jackson had `` numerous track marks '' on his arms -- and that those marks `` could certainly be consistent with the regular IV use of a drug , like Diprivan . '' The sources did not want to be identified because the investigation is ongoing . The source said investigators found numerous bottles of prescription drugs in the singer 's $ 100,000-a-month rented mansion in Holmby Hills , but he would not confirm whether Diprivan was among them . Watch what sources say on condition of Jackson 's body '' He also cautioned that it was too soon to say whether an intravenous drip of Diprivan caused the track marks . Some appeared fresh ; others older , he said . The new ones could have resulted from the IVs that paramedics used when they tried to revive Jackson after he was found unconscious . Another source with knowledge of the case said Jackson 's veins were collapsed in both arms , suggesting frequent intravenous drug use . The first source said Jackson 's body was `` lily white from head to toe , '' perhaps the result of vitiligo -- a condition that causes the skin to lose melanin and produce slowly enlarging white patches . The second source said Jackson had `` paper white skin . As white as a white T-shirt . '' The singer also did not have any hair -- a lingering effect , possibly , of an accident in 1984 when Jackson suffered burns to his scalp while shooting a commercial for Pepsi . Also , said the second source , Jackson was emaciated -- despite the vigor he 's seen displaying in a taped rehearsal clip shot two nights before his death . The drug Diprivan , known by its generic name Propofol , is administered intravenously in operating rooms as a general anesthetic . Last week , a nutritionist -- Cherilyn Lee -- said Jackson pleaded for the drug despite being told of its harmful effects , because he had difficulty falling asleep . Sources close to Jackson told CNN that the insomniac singer traveled with an anesthesiologist who would `` take him down '' at night and `` bring him back up '' during a world tour in the mid - '90s . The California state attorney general 's office is helping the Los Angeles Police Department in Jackson 's death investigation . The office confirmed it is investigating some doctors who treated Jackson over the years . The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is also looking into the role of drugs . Los Angeles police have interviewed Jackson 's cardiologist , Dr. Conrad Murray . They impounded Murray 's car , saying it might contain evidence , possibly prescription medications . Police did not say whether they found anything . Through his lawyers , Murray has released several statements , saying he would not be commenting until the toxicology results from Jackson 's autopsy are released . Dr. Neil Ratner , the anesthesiologist who accompanied Jackson during the HIStory tour in the mid - '90s , also refused to comment , although he acknowledged Jackson suffered from a sleep disorder . CNN 's Susan Chun contributed to this report . | Source cites `` numerous track marks '' on Jackson 's arms when medics came . 2nd source says Jackson 's veins were collapsed in both arms . Sources also say Jackson was emaciated , did n't have any hair . Toxicology reports are at least a week away . | [[44, 107], [110, 152], [561, 797], [638, 688], [157, 182], [1434, 1525], [2051, 2073], [1090, 1138], [1867, 1877], [1883, 1954], [2076, 2097], [2101, 2118], [470, 560], [497, 515], [521, 560], [3259, 3265], [3300, 3401]] |
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