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PARIS , France -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- French Internet users who download files illegally could have their service cut off under a new law enacted by the French government . French filmmaker Luc Besson attended the vote passing the new law into action . The `` three strikes and you 're out '' law will see violators getting up to two warnings before their Internet service providers could be allowed to cut service for as long as a year . The tough new legislation sailed through the French Senate this week , even as opponents promised to continue to fight it in the courts . The law sets up a special government anti-piracy agency to monitor `` internauts , '' as French Internet users are called . It will ensure users are paying for movies and music that they download . While there are countries with stricter penalties such as jail time , in France opponents of the law are angry that the new government agency will be outside the judicial process . That means it can disconnect Internet service without oversight . Opponents of the law worry the government agency could be packed with over zealous enforcers who will side with filmmakers and the recording industry , or even invade the privacy of Internet users . The legislation has split France 's political opposition , which protested against the new law . The political left -- traditionally supported by performers and artists -- found that on this issue the creative types were on the government 's side , seeing the legislation as a way to protect the intellectual rights that are the foundation of their livelihood . Though the new law still faces a court test and may not be compatible with European legislation , the government plans to have the agency up and running by next year . | French Internet users downloading files illegally could have their service cut off . New law enacted by French government could see users banned for year . Special government anti-piracy agency to monitor violations . | [[34, 55], [60, 84], [0, 5], [8, 30], [91, 133], [124, 168], [573, 631], [589, 653]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka said Sunday they have `` decided to silence our guns '' as government forces closed in on their last stronghold . Sri Lanka 's defense ministry says this handout photo shows troops with a captured Tamil Tiger craft Thursday . It is not the first time the rebels have called for an end to fighting when backed into a corner by the Sri Lankan military . But should they follow through on their announcement , the decision would potentially end a bloody 25-year civil war in the country . `` This battle has reached its bitter end , '' Selvarasa Pathmanathan , a spokesman for the rebels said in an `` urgent statement '' posted Sunday on Tamilnet.com , a pro-rebel Web site . `` It is our people who are dying now from bombs , shells , illness and hunger . We can not permit any more harm to befall them . We remain with one last choice -- to remove the last weak excuse of the enemy for killing our people . We have decided to silence our guns , '' he said . Sri Lanka 's President Mahinda Rajapaksa is expected to announce that `` military operations '' against the Tiger rebels have ended in an address to the nation from Parliament on Tuesday , the government said Sunday . The rebels -- formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam -LRB- LTTE -RRB- -LRB- LTTE -RRB- -- have fought for an independent state for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka since July 1983 . As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began . Government forces have trapped the remaining rebels in a small stretch of land in the north of the country -- and possibly thousands of civilians with them , an international aid worker in the country told CNN . The civilians are `` under intense fire '' and `` essentially on their own '' in the area , which the government says contains only rebels , the aid worker said . The Tigers themselves claim 25,000 civilians are dead or dying , a rebel identified as Col. Soosai said in a statement on Tamilnet.com . Independent confirmation was not possible since media are not allowed into the area . Reports indicated fighting had intensified as troops scrambled to clear a remaining 1.2 square kilometers before the government could announce that military operations had ended . The army destroyed six Tamil Tiger boats and killed 70 rebels in a lagoon on the western edge of a no-fire zone early Sunday , Sri Lanka 's Media Center for National Security said . Sri Lanka 's prime minister warned Saturday that his country `` stands on the brink , '' as its soldiers cornered Tamil Tiger fighters in an assault which the United Nations fears is trapping more than 50,000 civilians on a small plot of coastal land . Government troops seized the last remaining coastal stretch under the control of Tamil Tiger rebels , the Ministry of Defense said Saturday . 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 international aid worker said the United Nations was expecting about 20,000 of them to arrive in refugee camps Sunday . There were no medical services in the no-fire zone , the aid worker said . Watch aid agencies fear for Sri Lanka '' The Media Center for National Security claims 50,097 have come out of battle zones . Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa returned from Amman , Jordan , on Sunday . Rajapaksa was attending a summit of developing nations and 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 , '' Rajapaksa said . Journalist Iqbal Athas contributed to this report . | Soldiers have cornered rebels in assault that has trapped 50,000-plus civilians . Tamil fighters have called for an end to fighting before when backed into a corner . Rebels have fought for an independent state for minority Tamils since 1983 . As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began 25 years ago . | [[1495, 1601], [2547, 2603], [2593, 2603], [2610, 2707], [281, 351], [1231, 1244], [1328, 1424], [462, 540], [1433, 1494]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Maybe marriage to Kate Winslet is n't all that bad . Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski star as a couple on the road in the comedy `` Away We Go . '' After cruelly dissecting marital malaise in `` American Beauty '' and again , just six months ago , in `` Revolutionary Road , '' Winslet 's husband Sam Mendes takes a slightly more optimistic view of family life in the edgy comedy `` Away We Go . '' Not that he 's offering a whole-hearted endorsement of the institution . Burt and Verona -LRB- John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph -RRB- are n't legally bound -- she staunchly resists his repeated proposals -- but nevertheless they 're a couple about to go nuclear : She 's six months pregnant . He sells insurance to insurance companies . She 's an illustrator with a lucrative line in anatomical drawings . Nevertheless , they 're struggling to make ends meet . `` Are we losers ? '' wonders Verona -LRB- only she uses a more colorful expression -RRB- . `` We have cardboard windows ... I think we must be . '' Insomuch as they have a plan at all , it hinges on the support they 're expecting from Burt 's doting parents . So it 's a nasty wake-up call when Jerry and Gloria -LRB- Jeff Daniels and Catherine O'Hara -RRB- announce they 're taking off for a new life in Belgium -- yes , even before the baby 's out . There is a silver lining : Realizing they no longer have any reason to stay , Burt and Verona decide to widen their horizons . They could move to Arizona where Verona 's sister lives . Burt has a job prospect in Madison , Wisconsin . Or they have college friends in Montreal . Their destiny awaits them , all they have to do is go out and find it . And away they go . Although the couple racks up a good few miles in their search for home , the movie does n't betray much interest in location . Arizona is hot and arid . In Montreal they pour gravy on French fries . Do n't expect cultural insights . It 's never explained how these stragglers can afford such speculative wandering , and when they do find their dream home it 's mystifying that it has n't occurred to them before . Still , the movie 's loose-limbed , spontaneous quality is a good part of its appeal , and a refreshing change of pace from other movies by Mendes , whose artfully designed compositions often seem self-conscious and painfully detached . In keeping with Indie-wood 's vogue for shuffling snide satire and sentimentality -LRB- see `` Juno '' and `` Little Miss Sunshine '' -RRB- , `` Away We Go '' presents its trepidatious travelers with half a dozen starkly contrasted parental figures , including Allison Janney 's monstrously vulgar alcoholic , Maggie Gyllenhaal 's radical earth-mother -LRB- who has shortened her name to `` LN '' -RRB- , and Paul Schneider as Burt 's rawly dumped brother , who wonders aloud if it would be wrong to tell his daughter her mom has been murdered . There 's a level of bile here that some audiences may find alienating -- I ca n't see it being a big hit in Phoenix -- but Dave Eggers ' and Vendela Vida 's writing is a cut above the average , and it 's performed with gusto . They may not be the most dynamic duo to hit the road , but the relationship between Burt and Verona feels touchingly true . Burt is a boy still trying on manhood for size -LRB- with a beard for extra emphasis -RRB- , and though we 've seen Krasinski do this before , he seems to have fine-tuned the performance to the point where he could very happily play it for the next two decades . Unlike his character , he 's an actor who has found himself . Maya Rudolph is the joy of this picture . Give or take her role in Altman 's `` Prairie Home Companion , '' the `` Saturday Night Live '' star has n't made much impact in movies before now . With her frazzled , freckled face , she 's not the glamour girl who would normally be shoe-horned into the romantic lead , but she seizes her chance and runs with it . Mendes brings out a more thoughtful and nuanced presence than the brittle comedienne , and Rudolph makes you consider how rarely we see a real woman at the center of things . Even her occasional tentativeness works for the part . Verona is so fresh and alert , she ca n't help but doubt herself as they trail from one family disaster to the next and wonder what kind of parents they are going to make . It 's an uneven picture about the bumps in the road , and not immune to the odd dramatic shortcut or jocular cheap shot . But it does catch an anxiety that will be acutely familiar to anyone contemplating imminent parenthood , and -- in a beautifully judged cameo by Melanie Lynskey -- the deep anguish of someone who has had that prospect snatched away . More often than not , and where it really counts , `` Away We Go '' hits home . `` Away We Go '' is rated R and runs 98 minutes . For Entertainment Weekly 's review , click here . | John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph star as a couple expecting a baby . Their onscreen relationship feels touchingly true . Director Sam Mendes brings out a great performance from Rudolph . Movie 's loose-limbed , spontaneous quality is a good part of its appeal . | [[3181, 3245], [2112, 2117], [2120, 2196]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Chris Brown song called `` Not My Fault '' was recorded three years ago and is not about Rihanna , its producers said . Chris Brown pleaded guilty in an assault case regarding his ex-girlfriend Rihanna . The music appeared online Tuesday , a day after the singer admitted guilt to assaulting Rihanna , his former girlfriend . Brown 's record label also said the music was not `` new . '' Although Brown accepted a plea deal in which he could avoid jail time , any appearance that he is not remorseful could be damaging , since the judge is not bound by those terms when she sentences him in August . The song , which appeared on YouTube , includes the line `` It 's not my fault , right ? '' The publicist for the Neptunes , a music producing duo that has worked in the studio with Brown , said the music was a demo recorded three years ago . She said they do not know how the song made its way onto YouTube . Jive Records , which distributes Brown 's music , said `` there are no ` new ' songs from Chris Brown currently being promoted by Chris or his record label . '' `` There are several old demos circulating that are being falsely promoted as new material from Chris , '' a Jive Records statement said . In the song , Brown sings : . `` I picked up the paper and the headline reads , it says ` singer brokenhearted in some satin sheets . ' And I 'm like , why ? We had a hell of a time . '' `` When I first met you , I told ya that you 'll be safe . In the midst of arguing something , falls to the floor and breaks . You look down and see what you dropped , oh , it 's your heart . '' `` Shortie 's caught up from a long night . She 's ready to fall but she 's all right . That 's just something that can happen when you put it down . She 's caught up , it 's not my fault , right . '' `` You see , her mama called me , really steamed . She said ` My daughter wo n't eat and she do n't sleep . She just cries . ' '' Brown was arrested in connection with an altercation that began with an argument with Rihanna inside a rented Lamborghini on a Hollywood street in February . Prosecutors agreed to recommend five years of probation and 180 days of community service for Brown in exchange for his guilty plea on one count of assault with the intent of doing great bodily injury . | Chris Brown song `` Not My Fault '' appeared online Tuesday . Song was recorded three years ago , has nothing to do with Rihanna , say producers . Brown agreed to a plea deal Monday in case involving ex-girlfriend Rihanna . | [[44, 69], [71, 88], [250, 283], [646, 682], [685, 734], [0, 40], [80, 117], [145, 165], [738, 768], [836, 882], [841, 888], [166, 249], [443, 564]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cleanup efforts unfolded Monday in Pakistan 's largest city , Karachi , after torrential monsoon rain over the weekend killed dozens , cut power to 15 million and broke a 32-year record . Pakistanis push a stranded auto-rickshaw along a flooded street in Karachi on Sunday . Officials combed the city looking for bodies . The health department confirmed 32 deaths and said it received reports of more . `` Most of them are either from drowning or they were deaths when the walls or roofs of their houses collapses , '' said Dr. A.D. Sajnani of the health department . `` The entire city is disrupted , '' said Muhammad Aly Balagamwala , a Karachi businessman . `` Most places lost power for 28 to 30 hours , and some are still without power . The rain flooded offices . We lost water . Everything is shut down . '' Many residents took to the streets to protest the massive power outage in the southern city . They threw rocks at the offices of the power company and burned tires . `` I guess there comes a point you just snap and you ca n't take it anymore , '' Balagamwala said . `` To the credit of the government , a lot of cleanup work has been done since last night . '' The rain began Friday night , and by Sunday the city had received almost 9 inches -LRB- 22.9 cm -RRB- , the most since 1977 , said Mayor Syed Mustafa Kamal . Storm drains overflowed , water-logging streets and alleyways . Monsoon rains sweep across the subcontinent from June to September . While they bring much-needed relief to often-parched farmlands , they also leave a trail of landslides , home collapses and floods that sometimes claim dozens of lives . | By Sunday , Karachi had received almost 9 inches -LRB- 22.9 cm -RRB- of rain , mayor says . Last time city received as much rainfall was in 1977 , mayor adds . Deaths mostly from drowning , wall or roof collapses , health department official says . | [[1229, 1296], [422, 462], [466, 532]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A fan of English football club Arsenal has been injured after the bus he and other supporters were traveling in was ambushed before the sides ' Champions League clash in Rome , Wednesday night . Winners : Arsenal beat Roma 7-6 on penalties after one of their fans was injured before the game . A spokesman from the British Embassy in Rome told CNN the fan was understood to have suffered wounds to the leg -- but it was unsure if he had been stabbed or injured by broken glass . The spokesman said the mini bus , which was not an official tour bus , became lost near the stadium and `` ended up at the wrong part of the ground '' . Roma fans nearby set about attacking the bus , the spokesman said . `` They smashed the windows and then one of them managed to get on the bus . This appears to be where the injury occurred , '' he said . Police were quick to arrive and the bus managed to move on to safety , where the fan was treated for the wound , he said . The visiting side went on to win the tie 7-6 on penalties after Roma won the game 1-0 , leaving the two-match tie level 1-1 on aggregate . Arsenal had distributed a booklet to its estimated 3,500 traveling fans warning that they were `` at risk '' if they traveled alone to the Stadio Olimpico . The booklet warned supporters to stay clear of areas that were known gathering points of Roma 's `` Ultra '' fans -- a group known for creating conflict with rival supporters . Last month ten football fans were shot dead in the south of Nigeria on the way to support their team . The victims were traveling supporters of the Ocean Boys Football Club in Nigeria . Also in February , one fan was killed and at least 40 more injured when violence broke out at football matches across Brazil . In 2007 , Manchester United fans were injured after violence in two separate incidents with Roma fans when the teams met in Rome . In 2003 five England fans suffered gunshot wounds during a violent incident in Zurich , Switzerland , before the side played a Euro 2004 qualifier with Liechtenstein . | Fan injured during ambush on bus before Champions League game in Rome . Arsenal bus attacked when it arrives at wrong part of Stadio Olimpico . Windows on bus smashed by Roma fans and one fan enters bus . Arsenal go on to win match 7-6 on penalties after it finishes 1-1 on aggregate . | [[106, 210], [241, 253], [276, 329], [619, 667], [739, 763], [773, 812], [241, 299], [996, 1077], [996, 1013], [1084, 1134]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Richard Strandlof said he survived the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon . He said he survived again when a roadside bomb went off in Iraq killing four fellow Marines . He 'd point to his head and tell people he had a metal plate , collateral damage from the explosion . Richard Strandlof says he did n't mean to cause harm when he lied about being a military veteran . Crowds ate up his story . He canvassed Colorado appearing at the sides of politicians . Inspiring and seemingly authentic , he spoke on behalf of veterans at the state Capitol . It turns out the whole thing was a lie . He was n't at the Pentagon . He was never a Marine . He never served his country . He never graduated from the Naval Academy . He claimed his name was Rick Duncan . He formed a group called the Colorado Veterans Alliance , and the FBI is now investigating whether he embezzled money as a result . Watch Strandlof defend himself '' Where was he on 9/11 , the day he said he witnessed heroism firsthand ? `` I was in San Jose , California , watching it in horror on TV with a few other people , '' Strandlof told CNN 's Anderson Cooper . He was at a homeless shelter at the time . Strandlof denies being a pathological liar . He says he suffered from `` some severely underdiagnosed mental illness '' and that he got caught up in the moment around `` people who are passionate and loved what they did . '' He told CNN he had put on a `` production , which I 'm sorry for . '' `` Hopefully the people that I hurt can in some way gain closure from that , and I myself do n't know what I can do short of leaving them alone and not being in their lives , to make that happen , '' Strandlof said . He said he 's not sure exactly how he 's hurt people . `` It 's not for me to say , and time will tell , '' he said . Hal Bidlack , a former Air Force lieutenant colonel , is one of those people . He ran for Congress as a Democrat and had Strandlof appear with him . Bidlack is n't too happy . `` Once one lie fell apart , the whole series of things ... just cascaded into an ocean of lies , '' he said . Bidlack was at the Pentagon when it came under attack on September 11 , 2001 . He now realizes that Strandlof stole portions of his own story . `` Now that we know he 's a lying fraud , '' Bidlack said , `` I think he was just parroting my own story back to me . '' `` There are an awful lot of things that he kept straight to try to fool an awful lot of people for an awful long time . '' Doug Sterner has catalogued hundreds of people claiming to be military veterans who never served in the military . He says it 's typical for those perpetuating the hoaxes to claim mental illness . `` I do n't buy that , '' Sterner said . `` What he was doing was looking for a cause to promote himself . I see this repeatedly . I 've had a hundred cases just this year like Rick Strandlof 's . ... What they 're doing is building a kingdom of self and feeding their own ego . '' Sterner has pushed for a federal database listing the names and citations of all decorated military veterans to help put an end to such cases . He said Strandlof has robbed true veterans of their veracity . `` Doing good does not take away from the bad that he did , '' he said . `` Because of Rick Strandlof , the next global war on terrorism veteran that speaks in a school or talks to the media or gets involved in politics is going to be questioned . '' According to the Denver Post , Strandlof came to authorities ' attention first in 1997 , when he was sentenced to five years on forgery and bad-check charges . With the FBI now investigating him for fraud , he told CNN he 's innocent . `` We did not take money to use on non-veterans projects . I did not enrich myself on this . I did not gain any money from this , '' he said . That 's not the point , said Sterner . `` The one thing he robbed from every veteran that comes out now is credibility . '' CNN 's Joe Johns contributed to this report . | FBI investigating man who posed as military veteran for fraud . Man said he survived 9/11 Pentagon attack ; he was actually at homeless shelter . Richard Strandlof formed veterans group in Colorado . Former friend : `` He was just parroting my own story '' | [[3591, 3630], [19, 88], [1139, 1181], [768, 823], [2178, 2242], [2199, 2242], [2285, 2300], [2303, 2361]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former Philippine President Corazon Aquino , whose `` People Power '' movement pushed out longtime strongman Ferdinand Marcos less than three years after her husband 's assassination , has died at age 76 , her family announced Saturday . `` She was the agent of change in Philippine democracy , '' said Ray Donato , the nation 's consul-general in Atlanta . Aquino , the first woman to lead the Philippines , had been battling colon cancer since March 2008 and died of cardio-respiratory arrest at 3:18 a.m. Saturday -LRB- 3:18 p.m. Friday ET -RRB- , said Mai Mislang , a spokeswoman for her son , Philippine Sen. Benigno Aquino III . Funeral arrangements were being set up , Mislang said . Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has also announced a 10-day mourning period for the former president , said Ray Donato , the country 's consul-general in Atlanta . `` She was the agent of change in Philippine democracy , and almost all the Filipinos I know revered her during her presidency , '' Donato said . Aquino had been born into a wealthy family and was educated in the United States . She had not been involved in politics before her husband , opposition leader Benigno `` Ninoy '' Aquino Jr. , was gunned down at Manila 's airport in August 1983 as he returned from exile . The political novice took over the leadership of her husband 's movement after his death and challenged Marcos in a 1986 election , making a yellow dress her trademark and bolstered by the support of the country 's Roman Catholic churches . Marcos had been backed by the United States , the former colonial power in the Philippines , for two decades as a stalwart anti-communist . He and his wife Imelda were friends of then-President Ronald Reagan and his wife , Nancy . But widespread allegations of electoral fraud and a mutiny by the country 's military led the Reagan administration to withdraw its support , and Marcos went into exile in Hawaii . Aquino took office in a country with a $ 28 billion debt , widespread poverty and a persistent Marxist insurgency . She put in place a U.S.-style constitution that limited presidents to a single six-year term and survived seven coup attempts -- including one that was supressed with American help . She also oversaw the closure of the major U.S. military bases in the country before leaving office in 1992 . The bases had been a bulwark of American power in the Pacific since the early 1900s and employed nearly 80,000 Filipinos , but Aquino 's opponents argued the country was too dependent on the United States . Aquino announced in 1990 that it was time to begin negotiating the `` orderly withdrawal '' of U.S. forces . | NEW : Funeral arrangements are being set up , spokeswoman says . President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo announces 10-day mourning period . Aquino had been battling colon cancer since March 2008 . She took up opposition to Marcos regime after her husband 's 1983 assassination . | [[654, 692], [710, 823], [377, 383], [414, 475]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Shoulder-launched anti-tank weapons purchased by Venezuela have ended up in the hands of guerrillas , Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos said . Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro talks on the phone with President Hugo Chavez in Caracas Monday . In an interview with Caracol Radio Monday , Santos addressed local reports of anti-tank weapons manufactured in Sweden being seized from members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia , or FARC , and traced to Venezuela . `` This is not the first time that this happens , '' Santos said . `` In several operations in which we have recovered weapons from the FARC , we have found powerful munitions and powerful equipment , including anti-tank weapons , from a European country that sold them to Venezuela and that turned up in the hands of the FARC . '' The weapons have been identified as AT4 shoulder-fired rockets manufactured by Saab Bofors Dynamics in Sweden , according to Jane 's Defence Weekly . They were seized in 2008 from a guerrilla base , the Colombian magazine Semana reported . Jan-Erik Lovgren , the Swedish official who oversees weapon exports , told Radio Sweden on Monday that his country stopped selling weapons to Venezuela in 2006 . Venezuela on Monday denied allegations that they gave the weapons to the guerrilla group . `` To me it seems that this is a new attack against our government based on lies , '' Venezuelan Minister of the Interior and Justice Tareck El Aissami said at a news conference Monday . `` We absolutely deny that our government or our institutions are providing assistance to criminal and terrorist organizations , '' El Aissami told reporters . `` It 's laughable , it sounds like a cheap film made by the American government . '' Previous instances of Venezuela 's government being accused of aiding the FARC include one last year , when the U.S. Treasury Department accused two senior Venezuelan intelligence officials and one former official of assisting the guerrillas with drug trafficking . The department froze any assets the three men may have under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibited Americans from conducting business with them . | Saab Bofors Dynamics in Sweden made the arms , Jane 's Defence Weekly says . Weapons seized in 2008 from a guerrilla base , Colombian magazine Semana says . Venezuela denies the allegations . | [[357, 397], [876, 949], [876, 902], [952, 989], [990, 1036], [1039, 1079], [1242, 1332]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Olga A. Mendez , a ground-breaking Puerto Rican politician from New York City , has died after a long battle with cancer , Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced . Mendez , widely reported to be the first Puerto Rican woman elected to a state legislature in the mainland United States , was 84 . `` Olga 's election to the state Senate as its first Puerto Rican woman was a tremendous symbol of hope for a community that now had a seat at the table , '' Bloomberg said in a release Wednesday . `` But Olga 's life was an inspiration to countless others , because the doors she bravely pushed opened stayed open for everyone else . '' Mendez served in the New York state Senate 13 consecutive terms , from 1978 until being defeated in 2004 . A long-time Democrat , she had switched to the Republican Party in 2002 and failed to win re-election to her heavily Democratic 28th district , which included East Harlem and parts of the Bronx . `` Mendez was brash , bold and aggressive because she had to be , '' New York 's El Diario newspaper said Thursday . `` She cut her teeth in the Senate and became a battle-ready politician . And she balanced what few politicians were able to do well -- an on-the-ground constituency services with the ability to achieve critical legislative negotiations . This , in a Senate that was controlled by Republicans during the entire 26 years she served . '' Bloomberg noted Mendez 's bipartisanship . `` When I first entered public service eight years ago , Olga sat me down and impressed upon me -- in her inimitable way -- the importance of reaching across partisan lines to do what 's right for your constituents , '' the mayor said . `` That 's a lesson I carry with me every day . '' El Diario noted that `` Mendez successfully fought for an increase in the state 's minimum wage , ushered in legislation that provided basic rights to migrant farm workers and secured funding for senior citizen centers . She also fought for resources for early childhood development and gained bipartisan support for affordable housing and economic development initiatives in her district . '' Born in Mayaguez , Puerto Rico , Mendez moved to the Mainland U.S. after receiving a bachelor 's degree from the Universidad de Puerto Rico in 1950 . She received a master 's degree in psychology from the Teacher 's College at Columbia University in 1960 and a doctorate 's in educational psychology from Yeshiva University in 1975 . An early widow , she had no children . Mendez underwent surgery for breast cancer in 1993 . `` Olga did n't recoil from public life or attempt to hide her condition , '' Bloomberg said . `` Instead , she shared her story and her struggle with others . '' | Mendez said to be first Puerto Rican woman elected to a state legislature in U.S. She died after a long battle with cancer , Mayor Bloomberg says . Mendez served in the New York state Senate 13 consecutive terms . A long-time Democrat , she had switched to the Republican Party in 2002 . | [[187, 193], [196, 240], [187, 193], [212, 300], [218, 307], [0, 24], [101, 148], [151, 186], [657, 720], [733, 763], [785, 835]] |
NAIROBI , Kenya -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Al Qaeda-linked militant group waging war against Somalia 's fragile government is becoming an increasing threat to Western ally Kenya and could potentially destabilize the region with dire consequences for global security , officials and analysts warn . Al-Shabab fighters count their bullets in neighborhood of Mogadishu . Al-Shabaab , one of the strongest Islamic militias battling for control of Mogadishu , has gained ground in recent weeks , according to officials , and has started to flex its muscles beyond Somalia 's border with terror strikes , kidnappings and recruitment drives . They warn that unless the world takes action the group , which wants to impose an extreme type of Islamic sharia law , could extend its grip across parts of East Africa to gain control of a region that flanks busy shipping routes already plagued by Somali pirates . Appeals by Somalia 's government for international help to unpick its long-running civil conflict have escalated Al-Shabaad 's threats with the group behind warnings of an attack on the Kenyan capital , Nairobi . And , say experts , the group is being backed by foreign fighters -- some said to have links to Osama bin Laden 's Al Qaeda network -- a situation that draws direct comparisons with the group 's influence in pre-9 / 11 Afghanistan . `` Al-Shabaab is a threat to the whole world , '' Somali Information Minister Farhan Ali Mohamoud told CNN . `` First to Somalia , to the neighborhood , and to everywhere they have disagreed with . '' Watch more on Somalian threat '' Mohamoud , whose transitional government has largely failed in its long-term goal of reconciling Somalia 's militias , concedes Al-Shabaab is making major gains on his administration and says the global community must act to prevent their threat escalating . `` Somalia 's problems are not for Somalia alone to solve . Not only for the African Union to solve . It is a global and regional issue . We are very appreciative that the international community understands that , but they need to act now , rather than later . '' `` The issue is not Somalis taking over from other Somalis . But the issue is foreign jihadists imposing their ideas into the region . So Somalia can be a launching pad for a greater and wider jihadist issue . '' Kenyan government spokesman Alfred Mutua told CNN his country did not yet fear direct attacks from Al-Shabaab but said it was becoming increasingly alarmed about its activities and its links to foreign networks . Despite the concerns , Mutua said the problem was nothing new and while his country struggled to exert control over its porous border with Somalia , it was taking steps to limit the danger . But he warned the threat was not limited to Kenya and could have global reach . `` We do believe that Al-Shabaab poses a threat , not only to Kenya , but to all neighboring countries such as Ethiopia and Eritrea , '' he said . `` It is not just a problem that we foresee in Kenya , just because we are neighbors to them , it is a problem that we foresee that may occur to a lot of countries and also poses a threat to outside even this region , '' he added . `` Our concern is not limited to Al-Shabaab . We know that Al-Shabaab are not able to do it without foreign intervention in terms of money and weapons that they are getting from other countries . '' Ernst Jan Hogendoorn , an analyst with the International Crisis Group , told CNN that while Al-Shabaab had whipped up concerns with headline grabbing acts such as the recent kidnap of two French citizens in Mogadishu and three aid workers on the Kenyan side of the border , countries such as Kenya should pay heed . `` I think that Kenya could do a much better job . There is always the possibility that someone could sneak across the border and launch an attack against a soft target . Obviously Kenya has been the target of attacks in the past that are very , very challenging to prevent . '' But , says Hogendoorn , with an African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia proving largely ineffective , and Ethiopian military presence withdrawn in January ahead of an Al-Shabaab push , Kenyan military involvement was unlikely to offer any quick fix . `` The problem is once -LSB- Kenyan troops -RSB- are on the ground they open themselves up to guerrilla style attacks and suicide attacks that could lead to significant loss in life . '' | Experts , officials warn of growing threat from Somali militant group . Al-Shabaab is one of strongest Islamic militias battling for Mogadishu . Kenya says danger is to region and world despite threats on Nairobi . | [[0, 7], [10, 68], [118, 172], [263, 292], [363, 373], [486, 508], [1110, 1113], [1116, 1127], [2314, 2354], [2428, 2526], [383, 447], [363, 373], [376, 404], [438, 483], [897, 947], [963, 1097], [1343, 1387], [1938, 1973], [2722, 2797], [2798, 2929], [3040, 3160]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Army staff sergeant will posthumously receive the Medal of Honor after he sacrificed his own life in an effort to save another soldier in Afghanistan , the White House said Friday . By acts of `` immeasurable courage , '' Staff Sgt. Jared Monti earned the Medal of Honor , the White House said . Staff Sgt. Jared Monti will receive the medal , the nation 's highest military honor , on September 17 for his actions in combat , the White House said in a statement . His parents , Paul and Janet Monti , `` will join the president at the White House to commemorate their son 's example of selfless service and sacrifice . '' Monti , of Raynham , Massachusetts , died June 21 , 2006 , while deployed with the 10th Mountain Division , according to a Web site set up by family and friends to announce a scholarship in his honor . He was 31 when he died . Monti 's reconnaissance team occupied a surveillance position when they were attacked near Gowardesh , Afghanistan , and he was killed by enemy fire , the Web site says . The White House statement said Monti `` displayed immeasurable courage and uncommon valor -- eventually sacrificing his own life in an effort to save his comrade , '' but did not provide details of his actions . Monti 's military decorations already included the Bronze Star , Purple Heart , five Army Commendation Medals , four Army Achievement Medals , three Good Conduct Medals and three National Defense Service Medals , the White House statement said . He is survived by his parents , his sister and brother and a niece . Monti was posthumously promoted to sergeant first class . The Medal of Honor is awarded to U.S. soldiers who distinguish themselves with `` gallantry above and beyond the call of duty , '' the White House said . `` The meritorious conduct must involve great personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the individual above his or her comrades and must have involved risk of life . '' | White House : President will present medal to soldier 's parents in September . Staff Sgt. Jared Monti showed `` immeasurable courage '' in Afghanistan . White House says Monti gave his life for comrade in combat , but no other details . Much-decorated soldier was posthumously promoted to sergeant first class . | [[1054, 1143], [1054, 1069], [1225, 1265], [1581, 1638], [1581, 1586], [1613, 1638]] |
KABUL , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- International troops in Afghanistan endured another deadly attack Tuesday , a day after 10 NATO-led troops were killed in that country . The body of a U.S. soldier killed in Afghanistan arrives in the United States on Monday . A U.S. coalition service member `` died as a result of injuries '' on Tuesday afternoon in a roadside bombing attack on a convoy in western Afghanistan , the U.S. military said . This follows 10 NATO-led deaths on Monday , the highest single-day total in Afghanistan in nearly a year , according to NATO and U.S.-led coalition numbers . Seven Americans , two Canadians and one Briton died in four separate incidents Monday . On August 18 , 2008 , 10 French soldiers were killed when about 100 insurgents attacked a patrol in Kabul Province , and a British soldier was killed in southern Afghanistan when insurgents attacked a patrol with a roadside bomb . A month before that , 10 American troops were killed in two separate incidents on July 13 , 2008 . The latest deaths came as U.S. troops cranked up their fight against the Taliban , a push that includes a major Marine-led offensive against the militants in the southern province of Helmand . Roadside bombs Monday killed four Americans in the northern province of Kunduz and two in southern Afghanistan , NATO 's International Security Assistance Force said . A seventh American died in an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan , ISAF confirmed . Two Canadian air crew members and a British soldier were killed when a helicopter crashed during takeoff in Zabul province , the Canadian and British defense ministries said . | U.S. soldier killed in roadside bombing on a convoy in western Afghanistan . Follows deaths of 7 Americans , 2 Canadians , 1 Briton in separate incidents . Latest deaths come as U.S. forces ratchet up fight against Taliban . | [[266, 417], [603, 690], [808, 921], [922, 941], [944, 1020], [1214, 1324], [1382, 1451], [1471, 1593], [1021, 1081], [1047, 1101]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 90-year-old Holocaust survivor was found strangled Thursday in his Upper East Side apartment , a spokeswoman for the New York City medical examiner said Friday . Felix Brinkmann dances at a 2008 party marking his 90th birthday . Felix Brinkmann , a native of Latvia , escaped death for a year while he was in the Nazis ' Mauthausen , Ebensee and Auschwitz concentration camps . Five times he had been slated for the gas chambers , but each time he used his fluency in German to talk his way out . After the war ended , he was stunned to discover that his wife , who had also been shipped to Auschwitz , was alive and well in Poland . The Brinkmanns immigrated to America , where Felix spent years in the bar and nightclub business , co-founding in 1971 Adam 's Apple disco in Manhattan . In recent years , he had served as the real estate manager of a mixed-use building in the Bronx , working `` seven days a week , without fail , '' said his son Rick Brinkman , who spells his last name differently than his father . On Thursday , the building 's superintendent grew concerned when Brinkmann did not show up to work . He notified Brinkmann 's son and received permission to enter the father 's apartment , where he had lived alone since his wife died last year . Brinkmann 's body was found lying face down in his bedroom , his hands bound , his body showing blunt-force trauma wounds , police said . Brinkmann 's blue 2009 Honda Civic may have been stolen and a safe in his apartment tampered with , police said . A police spokesman said authorities were looking for `` a man and a woman '' in connection with the homicide . Rick Brinkman speculated that the killing was random in nature . `` Anybody who knew him really liked him , '' the son said . `` He was not the kind of guy who had enemies . '' | Felix Brinkmann , a native of Latvia , was a survivor of three concentration camps . Brinkmann spent years in the nightclub business after he and his wife immigrated . He had lived alone in an Upper East Side apartment since his wife died last year . Police : `` Man and a woman '' being sought in connection with the homicide . | [[693, 700], [709, 760], [1212, 1215], [1238, 1294], [1547, 1657], [1571, 1657]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Severe turbulence shook a Continental Airlines flight Monday , injuring dozens of passengers and forcing the aircraft to divert to Miami , Florida , according to the airline and a fire official . Oxygen masks hang from a damaged part of the plane Monday , in a photo by passenger Camila Machado . There were 168 passengers and 11 crew members on Flight 128 , which was heading from Rio de Janeiro , Brazil , to Houston , Texas , according to a statement from Continental Airlines . `` I 've never seen turbulence like that , so I really thought we would n't make it , '' passenger Giovani Loss told CNN affiliate WSVN-TV . Loss , who is originally from Brazil , said he is a lawyer in the United States and frequently travels between the two countries . He said passengers were afraid the turbulence may have been the result of mechanical problems with the plane . `` People -LSB- were -RSB- screaming , then there was a huge silence for like 30 minutes , '' Loss said . Ambulances and other vehicles were lined up on the runway to treat and transport the injured passengers when the plane landed at Miami International Airport at 5:35 a.m. Watch passengers describe what happened '' `` People that were n't seat belted in flew up and hit the ceilings , '' passenger John Norwood told WSVN . `` So their faces , their heads hit the plastics and broke all the plastics up top . '' Continental said seven passengers were transported to nearby hospitals , and approximately 28 other passengers were treated at the scene . Lt. Elkin Sierra of the Miami-Dade Fire Department said 26 passengers were injured , including four seriously . The Boeing 767-200 hit turbulence about 50 miles north of the Dominican Republic at about 38,000 feet , according to an official with the Federal Aviation Administration . It landed in Miami an hour later with its seat belt signs illuminated , the airline said . Many of the passengers said they did not hear any warning before the turbulence hit . Injuries received included bumps , bruises , neck pain and back pain , Sierra said . Passengers said they saw several people bleeding from their heads , including one woman who sustained a serious gash to her head . The flight is scheduled to depart Miami for Houston later in the morning , according to Continental 's Web site . It had been scheduled to arrive in Houston at 6 a.m. local time . | Airliner hits turbulence , is forced to divert to Miami , Florida . At least 26 people hurt , four of them seriously . Jet had been en route from Rio de Janeiro , Brazil , to Houston , Texas . | [[19, 79], [0, 15], [116, 165], [1538, 1541], [1542, 1649], [2152, 2200], [2162, 2171], [2176, 2214], [365, 375], [384, 426]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The murder of rapper Dolla reverberated throughout the music industry on Tuesday as police sought a motive for the brazen killing . Rap artist Dolla was known as a nice guy who survived a rough childhood . The aspiring Southern hip-hop artist , whose real name was Roderick Anthony Burton II , was gunned down in the busy parking lot of the upscale Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles , California , on Monday afternoon . Police later arrested Aubrey Louis Berry , 23 , at Los Angeles International Airport , a Los Angeles Police statement said . No other details were given about Berry . The 21-year-old rapper was based in Atlanta , Georgia . He was in Los Angeles to work on his debut album . Those who knew him said that despite coming from a rough background , Burton was extremely gracious and polite . `` Everything with Dolla was ` please ' and ` thank you , ' '' said Ant Rich , manager of A&R for Jive Records , who discovered the rapper for the label when Burton was 17 and helped sign him a year later . `` The streets did not define him at all . He was bigger than that . '' Dolla was a protégé of singer Akon , who collaborated with him on his first single , `` Who the F -- is That ? '' which also featured another high-profile artist , T-Pain . Another Dolla song , `` Feelin ' Myself , '' appeared on the soundtrack to the 2006 movie `` Step Up . '' According to his official MySpace page , Dolla was born in Chicago , Illinois , and his family relocated to Los Angeles soon after . He was 5 years old when he and his older sister , Divinity , witnessed their father committing suicide . After that incident , their mother moved the family to Atlanta , according to his biography . The Burton family released the following statement on Tuesday : . `` First and foremost we , the family , would like to thank everyone for all their kind thoughts and prayers . Furthermore , the family would like to note that rumored details of the shooting on popular Web/blog sites are false . `` Due to the circumstances of the situation , no other information will be released at this time . We are grateful for your continuous support and would be very appreciative if we could mourn this loss in private . `` Additionally , information released before and after this official statement are not confirmed nor should they be considered accurate . '' Rich said Dolla , who also did some modeling for P. Diddy 's Sean John label , loved his family deeply . He was the guy with the great smile who would do things like offer to pick up the bill after a meeting with music executives , Rich said . `` You would tell him ` Look Dolla , you do n't have to do that because we get reimbursed for this ' and he would say ` No , no you got it last time , let me , ' '' Rich said . `` The world lost a really good kid and he had the biggest heart . '' DeAngelo Jones books talent for BET and got to know Dolla after he performed at the network 's `` Spring Bling '' event last year . He said the artist was humbled and grateful for the success he was starting to find in the industry . `` That energy was what drew me to him , '' said Jones , who stayed in touch with Dolla after the show and often ran into him at other events . `` A lot of times there are negative associations that go along with being a rapper , but he was not at all what the image of a rapper is portrayed to be . '' Jones said he was at the Beverly Center only a short time before the shooting occurred . Jones said it was unfortunate that Dolla 's slaying is yet another incident that will link hip-hop with violence . `` Hip-hop gets such a bad rap , ever since the deaths of Biggie and Tupac , '' Jones said . '' -LSB- Dolla -RSB- just wanted to be successful , help other people and do the right thing . What 's so hard for me is to see where his life was heading , because he was definitely on the right course . '' Jerry Barrow , senior editor for The Urban Daily , a publication devoted to African-Americans in pop culture , noted that it was unfortunate that Dolla is finding mainstream recognition posthumously . `` With his modeling and his music , he did more before the age of 20 than many people do , '' Barrow said . `` It 's a shame that this is how many people are now discovering him and his music . '' Rashan Ali , a disc jockey with Atlanta 's Hot 107.9 radio station , said the city has a thriving hip-hop community . Her station , which plays hip-hop , often has its lobby filled with aspiring artists trying to get their music heard . With the success of Atlanta-based artists like rappers T.I. , Outkast , and Young Jeezy , more and more young people are drawn to the area to try and make the connections that will find them fame , Ali said . That Dolla was killed while pursuing his craft is especially sad , she said . '' -LSB- Dolla -RSB- was minding his business , in Los Angeles trying to record his music and this happens , '' Ali said . `` It 's horrific and now a mother has to bury her child . It 's senseless . '' | Those who knew rapper Dolla mourn his loss . The Atlanta-based rapper was killed at the Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles . Family releases a statement asking for privacy to mourn . Dolla , whose real name was Roderick Anthony Burton II , was 21 . | [[225, 261], [308, 402], [607, 650], [1717, 1778], [2188, 2228], [225, 261], [280, 310]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United States almost provided one of football 's biggest upsets when they were narrowly beaten by Brazil in the final of the Confederations Cup in South Africa . The U.S. players cut dejected figures after their Confederations Cup final defeat to Brazil . Goals from Clint Dempsey and captain Landon Donovan had given the U.S. a 2-0 lead at half-time , before Luis Fabiano struck twice after the break and Lucio headed home the winner six minutes before the final whistle to give Brazil the title . While the presence of the U.S. in the final reflects the significant progress made since the country hosted the World Cup in 1994 , it will undoubtedly raise expectation levels for the 2010 World Cup . Central to this is whether the current crop of players in coach Bob Bradley 's squad possess the credentials to make the next step and become serious challengers to the European and South American elite . World Soccer magazine columnist and U.S. Soccer expert Paul Gardner felt that while the exploits of the national team were impressive , the country is still some way short of fulfilling their potential on the world stage . `` The way the tournament went it really opened up for the U.S. and certainly the progress made is there for all to see , particularly in the victory over Spain who had been on an good run up until that point , '' Gardner told CNN . `` Undoubtedly things have moved on a great deal since the World Cup was staged here in 1994 , but if you look at the bigger picture there is perhaps a slight sense of underachievement because of the huge resources available . `` In terms of organization , facilities and sheer participation numbers the U.S. has massive potential which has not quite yet been matched by what has happened at national level . '' Does the Hispanic community hold the key for the future of U.S. football ? Sound Off here . Crucially Gardner believes that for the U.S. to shake the tag of nearly men there must be a stronger emphasis placed on tapping into the abundance of talent provided within the country 's Hispanic population . `` The experience that players have gained from playing in Europe has improved the players and Bob Bradley has molded a side which can hold it 's own against some of the bigger nations , '' Gardner explained . `` But for the U.S. to become a real force then it must begin to tap into the quality of talent available in the Hispanic community which can be nurtured to take the game to the next level . `` The Major Soccer League has yet to really embrace this idea and I think that needs to change in the first instance to enable the development of players capable of winning matches at the very top . `` MLS side Houston Dynamo is a case in point . Something like 50 percent of their support is Hispanic , 90 percent of their youth talent is Hispanic but have only have a few Hispanic players in the team . `` And that extends to the national team . The composition of the side at the moment is very much the team that Bob Bradley and Bruce Arena built and they -- like a number of MLS coaches -- have gone for players they can trust and rely on . `` The Hispanic players have the game in their blood and their skill and technical levels need to be embraced rather than maybe having a dependence on players who fit a specific system . '' For Gardner , at least , it seems that development of the Hispanic talent must therefore become a keystone policy for the U.S. Soccer Federation to put them into the bracket of serious World Cup contenders in years to come . But what of their chances at next year 's World Cup in South Africa ? He added : `` The U.S. should not get carried way with their performance at the Confederations Cup and the players should not look beyond getting past the group stages in South Africa . `` A good run in Japan and South Korea in 2002 was followed by elimination before the knockout phase in Germany 2006 so they need to be cautious . `` Winning the World Cup will probably be beyond the U.S. next year . Bradley will make them a difficult team to beat , and I do n't think anyone will get an easy game against them so it will be interesting to see how they do . '' | U.S. national team have made progress since hosting the World Cup in 1994 . Resources to develop the game in the U.S. are among the world 's best . Expert Paul Gardner believes the country needs to tap into Hispanic talent . | [[545, 668], [1402, 1494], [2369, 2457], [3354, 3365], [3379, 3498]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Navy snipers rescued an American cargo-ship captain last month from Somali pirates , it sounded like something from a movie . This shooting game by Games2Win.com lets players try to rescue a ship captain from Somali pirates . But in today 's instant-gratification culture , there 's no need to wait for Hollywood to re-enact that dramatic high-seas story . Video game developers are already on the case . Online gaming site Games2Win launched `` Saving Captain Phillips , '' a simple , two-dimensional shooting game , within nine days of the actual rescue . Not to be outdone , Kuma Games followed soon afterwards with `` Somali Showdown : Pirates on the High Seas , '' a PC multiplayer action game that puts players in the middle of a pirate attack on a cargo ship -- and even lets them become one of the pirates . These are just several of many online and cell-phone games based on recent news events . `` Hero on the Hudson , '' a primitive Flash game , lets people pretend they 're pilot Chesley Sullenberger and navigate a plummeting airliner to a safe water landing . A successful attempt brings applause , while a botched landing results in a sinking plane , accompanied by ominous gurgling sounds . `` Baseball Juiced , '' launched last month with a social message and already played 1.4 million times online , forces batters to pick between using steroids or working out in a gym . In `` Swinefighter , '' gamers seek to save the world from the spread of swine flu . And `` Trillion Dollar Bailout '' lets players try to boost the economy by awarding government cash to shady corporate fat-cats or struggling homeowners -LRB- well , duh -RRB- . Such topical , and satirical , games speak to our need for a light-hearted break from serious news , said DigitalTrends.com publisher Scott Steinberg . `` So many events in the news are devastating , '' he said . `` These games are a fun escape . They 're good for a laugh , and nobody gets hurt -- unlike in the real world . '' The idea to publish games based on news events was inspired in part by the success of viral videos such as JibJab 's `` This Land , '' an animated online parody that became an instant sensation during the 2004 presidential election season , said David Williams , who heads up the Nickelodeon Kids and Family Games Group . `` It went around the world like wildfire , '' said Williams , whose group runs Addicting Games , a teen gaming site that he said had 11.7 million unique users last month . The success of `` This Land '' signaled that people who got a kick from watching a topical video spoof online might just as easily spend a few minutes playing a similar game . Some early examples included `` Cheney 's Fury , '' inspired by the former U.S. vice president 's 2006 hunting mishap , and the `` Zidane Head Butt Game , '' which invited players to relive the startling 2006 World Cup moment in which French soccer player Zinedine Zidane went after an Italian player head first . As several global leaders have discovered , almost any embarrassing episode can be turned into a video game . Last December 's incident at a Baghdad news conference , at which an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at then-U.S. President George W. Bush , inspired several games . Out of the United Kingdom came one hastily-published version , `` Sock and Awe , '' which encouraged players to throw shoes at Bush . As of this week , sockandawe.com reports that more than 94 million virtual size-10 shoes have walloped the former leader of the free world . And as if viral videos of his dozing off at a Group of Seven news conference in February were n't embarrassing enough , former Japanese Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa soon had a game to remind him of his slumber blunder . Translated by a spokesman for the Japanese developer LiveWare Inc. as `` Doze off while answering question ! , '' the Flash game for mobile phones challenges players to keep the minister awake long enough to answer reporters . Gamers win points by having Nakagawa answer journalists ' questions on time , but the game ends if the minister falls asleep while being asked a question . More recently , Cellufun , a New York-based company that fosters mobile communities , launched `` Made Off , '' a game that invites online players to outscam businessman Bernard Madoff , who pleaded guilty to defrauding thousands of investors . `` Think you 've got what it takes to build a better Ponzi scheme than Bernie ? '' the site asks . `` Always wanted to rob , cheat and steal from innocent investors ? Well now 's your chance ! ... Play as a slimy Fund Manager , a savvy investor , or both . '' Some reality-based games hit too close to home , however . Late last month , publisher Konami killed one controversial game before it was even released . `` Six Days in Fallujah '' was billed as a documentary-like experience in which players could feel like they were part of the 2004 U.S. campaign against insurgents in the Iraqi city . Although Iraq War veterans were enlisted as consultants in the game 's development , critics accused the publisher of trivializing one of the bloodiest battles of an ongoing war . A Konami spokesperson told CNN he could n't comment on the matter . A few ambitious game developers such as NewsGaming.com publish challenging , event-inspired online simulations . `` September 12 '' lets players explore the U.S. response to the Sept. 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks , while `` Madrid '' takes a similar approach to the March 11 , 2004 , attacks in Spain . `` Traditionally , videogames have focused on fantasy rather than reality , but we believe that they can be a great tool for better understanding our world , '' explains the site . `` We prefer games that encourage critical thinking , even if the player disagrees with our games ' ideas . '' But most news-related games are simple Flash games that are churned out quickly to capitalize on current events . While amusing at first , they lack the complexity to hold gamers ' attention for long , experts say . `` They 're not very sophisticated . They 're pretty much like home brew ... made by two or three people in their basement for a laugh , '' said DigitalTrends ' Steinberg . `` They 're flashes in the pan . They can rack up millions of plays , but three years from now , will anybody still be trying to get the high score on ` Swinefighter ? ' '' | Developers are creating online and cell phone games inspired by real news events . Gamers can land a plane on the Hudson or build a Madoff-like investment scheme . Many are primitive , two-dimensional Flash games that do n't hold long-term interest . One controversial game , `` Six Days in Fallujah , '' was yanked by its publisher . | [[866, 928], [2007, 2125], [5321, 5326], [5327, 5356], [4717, 4732], [4735, 4811]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Whether you 're into baseball or backgammon , Harry Potter or heavy metal , Ning has an online network for you . Gina Bianchini , CEO of Ning , says her site brings together people with common interest and passions . A fast-growing , free Web site launched two years ago , Ning lets members custom build their own social-networking platforms based around their passions and pastimes . As Facebook and MySpace connect people to friends and family , Ning gathers users around common interests . The site hosts networks for hip-hop music lovers , video gaming moms and teens obsessed with the Twilight book and movie franchise . Other popular Ning networks bring people together online for political and social causes such as `` Pickens ' Plan , '' which advocates wind energy . Ning had 4.7 million unique visitors as of January and surpassed 1 million social networks -- about one-fifth of them considered active -- last month . Ning also enhanced its site in March with new features such as a real-time activity feed so users can get up-to-the-minute reports -- not unlike Twitter 's tweets -- about what others are doing . CNN spoke recently to Ning CEO Gina Bianchini , a Silicon Valley native and former Goldman Sachs analyst , about the company and the future of social networking . Watch Bianchini chat about Ning '' CNN : Where did this idea for Ning come from ? Bianchini : We really started with a very simple premise . What if you gave people the opportunity to create their own social experiences for their own unique passions/topics/interest ? We started on the ground floor to build it in such a way that it can be customized and programmed and made truly unique for each individual . I believe the most powerful ideas are the most simple . CNN : What is the mission of Ning ? Bianchini : It 's a way to get people to organize and get people to meet around their passions . CNN : Did any specific Web sites or companies inspire you to create Ning ? Bianchini : We were really inspired by the first wave of Internet companies truly native to the Web like Craigslist and eBay . They were really around people connecting to other people . They were really about the Internet connecting people to each other . It 's completely unique to the Internet -- you ca n't do it via television or newspapers . CNN : Did you expect the idea of connecting people though common interests to be so successful ? Bianchini : Social behavior is really what people want to do online . It was clear for the rapid adoption of social networking in general that it is very much the case . CNN : What are some of the interesting social networks on Ning ? Bianchini : There are 200,000 social networks are active right now , and they are across tens of thousands of unique passions . There is a network called ` This is 50 . ' It 's like a hip hop TMZ . Another is the ` Pickens ' Plan . ' It 's a way they are organizing more than 200,000 people around wind-energy policy . There is another one for cricket , specifically Indian cricket , which has added half a million people in the last two and a half weeks . There is another about the Twilight saga for teens . So it ranges from 50 Cent to teens talking about Twilight to serious adults looking at how to make changes in government policy . That 's the power of the Internet and the power of connecting people . CNN : What do you attribute to the growth of Ning ? Bianchini : What 's fundamental in the adoption of Ning is that people are unique . They have unique interest and passion and they like having a contact for that experience and for their identity . CNN : What makes Ning different from other social-networking sites ? Bianchini : It 's focused on providing the -LSB- means for -RSB- people to create new social networks around their interests and passions and connect new people around those passions . We think that 's a very critical element of organization . The Facebook phenomenon connects you to people you already know and Twitter is amazing for news and real-time events . What we see with people who gravitate to Ning is meeting new people with similar interests . CNN : How can Ning be useful to organizations or corporations ? Bianchini : When you can bring people together around a common cause there is incredible potential to do fundraising and to organize volunteers . CNN : How does your site make money ? Bianchini : If you want to add a feature like making your own domain , you can pay a la carte for options . On the free service there are ads contextual to what the network is . CNN : What are your thoughts on the future of social networking ? Bianchini : Niche social networking sites are absolutely something people want to do . People clearly want to do this ... -LSB- and -RSB- as people get more comfortable with social networking via Facebook , Twitter , they will look around and say , ' I want a social network for this particular group . ' CNN : What are some of your company 's goals in the future ? Bianchini : We are really focused on making our service perfect for people who come to meet new people . We 're growing really rapidly and we 're seeing a lot of interest and new people joining social networks . | CNN talks to Gina Bianchini , CEO of Ning , a fast-growing Web site . Ning lets people with common interests gather around niche social networks . The site boasts more than 1 million social networks -- some 200,000 of them active . In March , the site added a real-time activity feed to help users stay updated . | [[1143, 1188], [795, 799], [850, 930], [947, 951], [957, 983], [1036, 1109]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Three members of a U.S. Navy helicopter crew were killed after their helicopter went down in the waters off San Diego , California , a Navy spokeswoman said Wednesday . Rescuers are still searching for the two remaining crew members from the helicopter , which went down late Tuesday night , U.S. Navy spokeswoman Karin Burzynski said . No further details concerning the deaths were immediately available . Burzynski said the helicopter was operating from the USS Nimitz . The Navy received word that the helicopter went down around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday , she said . It crashed about 20 miles off the Mexican coast , the Navy said . Coast Guard spokesman Henry Dunphy told CNN earlier that Coast Guard helicopters and boats , as well as vessels from other agencies , were helping in the search . | NEW : Rescuers still searching for two people missing from Tuesday night crash . Coast Guard using helicopters and boats to search ocean for crew . Copter was doing training off coast of Mexico , near San Diego , when it crashed . | [[188, 206], [217, 271], [188, 196], [201, 271], [257, 271], [280, 308], [650, 781], [707, 781], [784, 812], [0, 15], [48, 136]] |
-LRB- Entertainment Weekly -RRB- -- It was a glass half-full , glass half-empty kind of weekend at the box office for `` Funny People , '' writer-director Judd Apatow 's comedic meditation on fame , humor , life , and death . Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen star in `` Funny People , '' which took the No. 1 slot at the box office this weekend . According to figures from Hollywood.com Box Office , it opened at the top spot with an estimated $ 23.4 million , better than Apatow 's The 40 Year-Old Virgin -LRB- $ 21.4 million -RRB- -- hence , the glass is half full . But that figure is far lower than the debut for Apatow 's `` Knocked Up '' -LRB- $ 30.7 million -RRB- , and it 's the worst opening for a comedy for star Adam Sander since his 2000 turkey `` Little Nicky '' -- hence , the glass is half empty . Of course , `` Funny People '' was billed more as a thoughtful dramedy than a balls-out Sandler laugh-fest , and when matched against the opening frames for Sandler 's serious efforts `` Reign Over Me , '' `` Spanglish , '' and `` Punch-Drunk Love , '' Funny People is far and away the winner -- and the glass is half full again . But whether it 's a comedy , drama , or dramedy , `` Funny People 's '' $ 75 million budget is quite the handful of pretty pennies , and with a shaky `` B - '' Cinemascore , the film is going to have a hard time overcoming tepid word-of-mouth -- and we 're back to the half-empty glass . So let 's just move on , shall we ? The cup of a certain adolescent wizard , meanwhile , definitely runneth over . Thanks to its debut on IMAX -LRB- and the premium ticket prices that come with it -RRB- , `` Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince '' came in second with $ 17.7 million , a soft 40 percent drop from last weekend for $ 255.5 million total . At this rate , the film is well on its way to the upper ranks of the ` Potter ' franchise . The guinea pigs of `` G-Force '' were right on its heels at third place , nibbling up $ 17.1 million , a decent 46 percent drop for a two-week cume of $ 66.5 million . And Katherine Heigl 's romcom `` The Ugly Truth '' took in an additional $ 13 million , a 53 percent drop for fourth place and $ 54.5 million total . Of the two other wide releases this weekend , at least the sci-fi family comedy `` Aliens in the Attic '' -- which grossed a meager $ 7.8 million for fifth place -- broke into the top 10 . The torture porn flick `` The Collector '' collected a grisly $ 3.6 million and plopped dead at 11th place . Box office on a whole was down a massive 22 percent from last year , when The `` Dark Knight '' and `` The Mummy : Tomb of the Dragon Emperor '' both took in over $ 40 million , but the specialty market showed some vibrant signs of life . Bone fide indie hit '' -LRB- 500 -RRB- Days of Summer '' expanded to 266 theaters for $ 2.7 million , a $ 10,338 per theater average . And three widely disparate films opened in four theaters each to healthy per theater averages : The quirky romantic comedy `` Adam '' -LRB- $ 16,566 per theater -RRB- , the stylish vampire film `` Thirst '' -LRB- $ 13,793 per theater -RRB- , and the eco-thriller-cum-documentary `` The Cove '' -LRB- $ 13,600 per theater -RRB- . Finally , a true milestone was reached this weekend by `` The Hangover . '' With $ 5.1 million this weekend for a running total of $ 255.8 million , the summer 's biggest die hard blockbuster has passed `` Star Trek '' and -LRB- for a brief moment -RRB- `` Harry Potter 6 '' as the third highest grossing movie of the year . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . Copyright 2009 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. . All rights reserved . | `` Funny People '' is No. 1 at box office with an estimated $ 23.4 million . `` Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince '' came in second with $ 17.7 million . The guinea pigs of `` G-Force '' were right on Potter 's heels at third place . See what other flicks made this week 's top 10 box office chart . | [[395, 453], [1632, 1711], [1875, 1946]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Search crews have recovered the bodies of the flight captain and a steward from the Air France flight that crashed off the coast of Brazil . A Brazilian diver floats on wreckage of Flight 447 earlier this month . The search for more debris continues . The two flight members are among the victims that have been identified , Air France said in a statement Thursday . About a dozen victims have been identified among roughly 50 bodies recovered from the crash of Flight 447 , which killed 228 people on June 1 , authorities in Brazil said this week . Crews continue to search for bodies , wreckage and flight-data recorders that apparently rest deep on the ocean floor . Data from the recorders may be crucial in helping investigators determine what caused the plane to crash . Watch more wreckage recovered from crash '' Autopsies conducted on some of the 50 bodies found so far show they suffered broken bones , including arms , legs and hips , Brazilian authorities have told French investigators , according to Paul-Louis Arslanian , head of the French accident investigation board . Such injuries suggest that the plane broke apart in midair , experts have said . Asked about that theory , Air France Chief Executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon told France 's RTL radio this week that he would not go that far . `` What I know is that the investigators would like to know the causes of death , '' Gourgeon said . `` That knowledge of causes of death will better clarify what exactly happened . Were the victims killed before the impact , or during impact ? '' Searchers have found dozens of pieces of debris in the water and think they know the general location of the wreck , but Arslanian said this week that there is a chance the entire aircraft may never be found . Air France plans to pay relatives of the victims an initial compensation equivalent to about $ 24,500 , or 17,500 euros , for each victim , Gourgeon has said . The airliner said this week that it has been in touch with about 1,800 relatives of the people who died when the Airbus A330 crashed , but that it has been difficult tracing the relatives of all 228 victims . `` The modern world is different and we often have only a cell phone , and as you can imagine , this cell phone is unfortunately in the aircraft , '' Gourgeon said . `` So we probably -LRB- will put in -RRB- more hours to access all the relatives . '' The company is also providing families with counseling , he said . The were 32 different nationalities present on Flight 447 . | Search crews recover bodies of flight captain and steward from crash . All 228 people onboard flight 447 from Brazil to France were killed . None of names of bodies recovered have been released at request of families . | [[0, 15], [19, 120], [481, 491], [500, 527]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- He was not able to fulfill his childhood dream of being a pilot , but Ghanaian scientist Dr. Ave Kludze has arguably gone one better : developing and flying spacecrafts for NASA . The moon , Mars and beyond : All are in the sights of Dr. Ave Kludze . The 43-year-old did n't enter orbit when controlling a NASA rocket to launch the Calipso environmental satellite in 2006 , instead piloting it from the control center on the ground . Nevertheless from growing up in Ghana to being an astronautical engineer and strategist for NASA , he has had a similarly stratospheric rise to the top . Growing up in Accra , Kludze was fascinated by science and how things worked . `` I was a very curious kid and I always questioned lots of things , and most of my friends I grew up with , they knew that . And my parents , they were a little bit concerned because sometimes I would take apart a lot of things they would not want me to touch , '' he told CNN . When he realized he could not become a pilot because of his eyesight he channeled his energies into studying engineering , moving to the U.S. to complete a course in electrical engineering at Rutgers University . On graduating Kludze initially planned to return to Ghana to develop solar technologies , but then NASA came calling in 1995 . `` I never did dream of working for NASA . I admired what they did , but it never did cross my mind . I did not see how a kid like me could work for NASA , '' he said . He commanded his first spacecraft from NASA 's Goddard Space Flight Center and has gone on to develop an extra-vehicular infra-red camera as well as other projects for the space agency . While he did n't return to Ghana as he originally planned , he still believes that his work -- and NASA 's -- has had some benefits to his native country and more down-to-earth lives . `` Well , NASA has done a lot for Africans . Maybe Africans they no know that . They have cell phones , glasses , anti-scratch and all those things . We have portable water system that NASA has developed for Africa . They 're using it , '' he said . `` And one thing people often forget , NASA does n't only develop space technology , we also develop aeronautical technology . So when the planes they fly and other flying objects , NASA 's technology has been involved in that . '' Kludze is also keen to pass on the message that for young Africans , the sky is the limit in terms of what they do with their lives . `` I 've learned that being given the freedom to think and think openly helps bring in new ideas . So in community , like in an African communities , I think younger generations and both the old and the young should freely share ideas and break those old barriers . `` So I believe that with some determination and some hard work most of the younger generation can get whatever they want to . They can even go into space , they can do anything . '' | American-Ghanaian engineer is one of NASA 's top strategists . Grew up in Accra before studying in U.S. ; joined NASA in 1995 . Has remotely piloted space craft ; believes other Africans can follow in his footsteps . | [[453, 549], [453, 549], [607, 626], [1273, 1305]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Monday approved an agreement granting Michael Jackson 's mother , Katherine Jackson , permanent custody of his children . Katherine Jackson has accused the executors of her son Michael 's estate of `` keeping her in the dark . '' A hearing is scheduled for October to look at some remaining issues . An agreement between Katherine Jackson , 79 , and Debbie Rowe , mother of Jackson 's two eldest children , cleared the way for an uncontested custody hearing . Rowe , who was briefly married to Michael Jackson , agreed not to fight for custody in exchange for visits with the children . Katherine Jackson was in the courtroom along with her daughters LaToya and Rebbie and a son , Randy . Rowe did not attend Monday 's hearing , but her attorney , Eric George , spoke briefly outside the courthouse . `` She 's faced difficulties and pressures none of us know , and today 's agreement shows that she responded with heart , integrity and selflessness , '' George said of Rowe . He also praised Katherine Jackson 's attorneys for their part in bringing about the agreement . Michael Jackson 's two oldest children -- Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. , 12 , and Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson , 11 -- signed consents to the agreement . He also has a 7-year-old son , Michael Joseph Jackson II , known as Blanket , with an unidentified surrogate . The custody agreement does not involve any financial payments to Rowe `` apart from the continuation of spousal support payments '' that Michael Jackson personally agreed to make to Rowe after the divorce , their lawyers said in a joint statement . Watch Rowe 's attorney talk about the decision '' Jackson 's children have been living with their paternal grandmother at her Encino , California , home since their father 's death June 25 . Also at the hearing Monday , attorneys for Jackson 's dermatologist , Dr. Arnold Klein , said he sought a role in the children 's lives and wanted `` in some way to be involved '' in respect to their education and medical care , although he was not objecting to the custody agreement . But Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff denied Klein 's request to be a party to the hearing . Details of how the children were conceived and who was the biological father have been closely guarded amid much public speculation . In an interview last month on ABC 's `` Good Morning America , '' Klein did not rule out being the biological father of the children . `` Not to the best of my knowledge , '' he said when asked by Diane Sawyer whether he was the father . `` All I can tell you is , best of my knowledge , I am not the father of these children . But I am telling you , if push comes to shove , I ca n't say anything . '' Asked about Klein 's attorneys saying he wants a role in the children 's lives , George declined comment . Klein was not in the hearing Monday . Rowe and Jackson divorced in 1999 , with Rowe giving him full custody while she got an $ 8.5 million settlement , according to court documents . Jackson later agreed to additional support . Rowe gave up parental rights to Jackson in 2001 , but she changed her mind more than two years later and sought temporary custody of the children . A California appeals court ruled that her rights were improperly terminated , opening the door for a possible custody battle . On Monday , Beckloff awarded Katherine Jackson all of the family allowance funds she requested but gave only 83.5 percent of what she requested in support of the children . He said he disallowed money for one item , which he described as `` quite a large amount '' that he was not sure was necessary . The allowance order is sealed . Beckloff set a hearing to revisit the allowance matter in January . Also Monday , Beckloff ordered Katherine Jackson be given copies of her son 's contracts in connection with a series of concerts that had been scheduled for this summer . She sought the contracts between Michael Jackson and AEG , the company that was organizing and promoting the concerts , along with others involved in the tour . She has agreed to keep the contract provisions confidential . Sharing of the contracts was a major point of contention between Katherine Jackson and the two men who control her son 's estate : John Branca , Michael Jackson 's longtime personal attorney , and John McClain , a music industry executive and longtime friend . Branca 's attorney argued in a court filing that his client had no choice but to request confidentiality from Katherine Jackson , since the contracts have a provision keeping them confidential . Katherine Jackson has also challenged the two men named as executors of her son 's will . However , Beckloff did not rule on that matter Monday , saying he would like attorneys for the two sides to attempt to reach a resolution on their own . The attorneys conferred on the estate dispute during a morning recess that stretched to more than 90 minutes without reaching an agreement . Lawyers for Branca and McClain suggested Beckloff appoint them as executors of the will , but Beckloff instead extended their appointment as special administrators of Jackson 's estate for another 60 days while he considers Katherine Jackson 's objections . `` We believe the judge did the right thing , '' Branca 's attorney , Howard Weitzman , told reporters after the hearing . `` We 're quite pleased that the judge did what was appropriate . '' He took no questions . During Monday 's hearing , Beckloff asked one of her attorneys , Burt Levitch , if there was any objection to admitting the will for probate -- without deciding who its executors will be . Beckloff noted that no one has come forward to object to the terms of the will itself . Levitch agreed , and Beckloff officially admitted the will for probate . The action starts a 120-day clock running for the will to be probated . The will , written in 2002 , places all of Michael Jackson 's assets into a family trust benefiting his mother , his three children and unnamed charities . Katherine Jackson 's attorneys filed a petition last week accusing the men who now control the estate of being `` intent on keeping her in the dark '' about deals they 've made or are negotiating . Londell McMillan , Jackson 's lead attorney , raised questions about `` a suspicious circle of relationships '' involving Branca and McClain . Katherine Jackson is asking the judge to order Branca , McClain and others to answer questions under oath about their business agreements to determine if they are `` fit and able '' to administer the estate . The men also were served with a 19-page demand for documents , including the AEG contracts . Branca 's lawyers argued that Katherine Jackson 's demand for documents is too broad and burdensome . But , McMillan said , `` such measures will not be necessary if Mrs. Jackson is appointed a co-executor of the estate . '' Beckloff expressed concern , however , about delaying the appointment of executors for too long , since they must deal with any creditors to the estate that come forward . McMillan , in an interview with CBS Thursday , estimated the Jackson estate was worth $ 2 billion , while the executors have estimated in court that its value is around $ 500 million . The next hearings in the matter are scheduled for August 10 and August 28 to deal with safe harbor motions . Katherine Jackson wants Beckloff to set aside a provision in her son 's will that anyone who challenges its terms can be dropped from the will . | Katherine Jackson named permanent guardian of Michael Jackson 's kids . She will be given copies of Michael Jackson AEG contracts . Lawyers ' petition accuses executors of keeping singer 's mother `` in the dark '' | [[0, 40], [89, 203], [3825, 3922], [204, 258], [280, 308], [6079, 6153], [6116, 6126], [6137, 6241]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United States successfully tested a sea-based component of its missile defense shield Thursday evening , intercepting a ballistic missile with a dummy warhead over the Pacific Ocean , the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said . A dummy missile is launched from a ship during a 2008 test of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Program . The exercise was the 19th successful test in 23 attempts of the system -- known as the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Program -- since 2002 . A target missile was fired from Hawaii about 5:40 p.m. -LRB- 11:40 p.m. ET -RRB- and was tracked by Navy ships hundreds of miles away . The USS Hopper , one of three Navy ships tracking the launch , fired an interceptor missile , which struck the target about 100 miles above the Earth . The process -- from launch to shoot-down -- took less than five minutes , according to the U.S. military . The United States plans to use the sea-based system on Navy Aegis-class ships to protect against incoming short - to medium-range missiles fired from hostile countries . Eighty-six of the ships eventually will have the capability . Another part of the missile defense protection -- ground-based midcourse defense -- is designed to strike at long-range missiles . Both the sea-based and ground-based systems are part of the Pentagon 's `` layered '' missile defense plan . Much of the missile defense program is still under development , including lasers fired from a plane that the military hopes would destroy an enemy missile during launch . Other parts of the missile defense would fire short-range missiles at incoming warheads that are close to hitting their targets . Over the past seven years , the U.S. military has spent billions of dollars on the missile defense program . Pentagon officials have said that each missile defense test costs about $ 85 million . | Ship-based system shoots down dummy missile from hundreds of miles away . Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense has 19 successful tests in 23 tries , agency says . More than 80 U.S. Navy ships eventually will be equipped with system . | [[0, 15], [19, 125], [0, 15], [128, 204], [354, 424], [1062, 1123]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four years ago , Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei kissed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the cheek before he was sworn in as Iran 's new leader . Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could be in for a rocky second term as Iranian president , analysts say . Song and prayer heralded a new start for Iran with the hard-line Tehran mayor , virtually unknown to the outside world in 2005 . He promised to stamp out corruption and fight for justice . With time , the world came to know the Iranian leader with his signature beige jacket and combative -- often anti-Israeli -- rhetoric . Monday , Iran 's supreme leader endorsed Ahmadinejad for a second term in office , but there was no hug or kiss this time around . Video from the event shows Ahmadinejad leaning toward Khamenei before the supreme leader raises his left hand to block him , leaving Ahmadinejad to gingerly kiss the cleric 's robe . The awkward scene seemed to only bolster the tensions that have emerged in the once strong relationship . Under Iran 's constitution , the incoming president must receive the supreme leader 's approval before being sworn into office . Khamenei 's endorsement is the first step in that process . On Wednesday , Ahmadinejad will take the oath of office before Parliament . But he will begin his second term in a deeply fractured Iran , one in which the conservative leader finds himself under assault from the legions of pro-democracy supporters and the nation 's powerful clerical establishment . Given the unprecedented fissures in Iranian society , some longtime scholars and observers now doubt whether Ahmadinejad will finish his second term in office . Some question whether the clerical establishment will sacrifice him in order to save the Islamic republic . Ahmadinejad 's main political problem is `` legitimacy , '' said Alex Vatanka , senior Middle East analyst at IHS Jane 's , a provider of defense and security information . `` Can you operate for four years with huge questions over whether you are the rightful president ? '' Vatanka said . `` I think that would undermine everything he does . '' Ahmadinejad was declared the winner of Iran 's June 12 election , but thousands took to the streets in the aftermath to protest what they believed was a rigged vote . They chanted the name of Ahmadinejad 's chief rival , reformist Mir Hossein Moussavi , the crowds a sea of green , the color of the opposition candidate 's campaign . Since then , widespread demonstrations have plagued Iran 's leaders , who have ordered security forces to crack down swiftly and violently . Iranians have been arrested and jailed , their treatment condemned by global human rights organizations such as Amnesty International . Khamenei stood by his president , but strains in the relationship have surfaced in recent days after Ahmadinejad refused at first to heed the supreme leader 's orders to change a controversial vice-presidential pick . Iran 's clerics have made it known they would like Ahmadinejad `` to remain a powerful and popular president '' and reminded Iran that the supreme leader 's word is the last one in the Islamic Republic . On the eve of his inauguration , Ahmadinejad sought to downplay any rift . In a public address , he compared his relationship with Khamenei to that of a father and son . But Kazem Alamdari , lecturer in sociology at California State University , Northridge , said Ahmadinejad has alienated the clerics just as he has the reformists . Alamdari said Ahmadinejad risks losing conservative supporters who may feel that Iran 's system has been placed in danger and that the situation has `` created an atmosphere for external forces to attack Iran . '' If convinced the system is truly threatened , Khamenei could use his power to dismiss Ahmadinejad , Alamdari said . It would n't be the first time a supreme leader has made such a move . The Islamic Society of Engineers , a conservative group and ally of Ahmadinejad , in a statement warned that he could suffer the same fate as Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadeq . He lost the support of the clerics , consequently the people , and eventually was deposed in a 1953 CIA-backed coup . Iran 's first president after the 1979 Islamic revolution , Abolhassan Bani-Sadr , was forced to flee the country after he stood against the clerics , including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini . The Islamic Society of Engineers statement asked Ahmadinejad for `` absolute obedience of the supreme leader . '' Adding to Ahmadinejad 's political worries is a faltering economy . The world may have viewed Iran 's June 12 vote through the prism of individual freedoms and nuclear weapons , but most Iranians paid close attention to a staggering inflation rate , double-digit unemployment and the expenditure of oil revenue . With oil prices plummeting to below $ 40 a barrel , the Iranian government may be facing unsustainable budget deficits . Some analysts said the president 's first-term economic mismanagement had already earned him the ire of the establishment , long before any controversy erupted over his political legitimacy . One scholar , who is currently in Iran and did not want be identified for safety reasons , said it is increasingly clear the regime has not chalked out a perfect path to the future -- and how long Ahmadinejad will be along for the ride . Vatanka said Ahmadinejad lacks the political mindset for consensus and collaboration . But what empowers him may be his belief in himself . And one other weapon : he thinks God is on his side . | Mahmoud Ahmadinejad slated to be sworn in for second term as Iran president . Supporters of opposition candidates have protested election result . Ahmadinejad must have support of clerics to stay in office , analyst says . Faltering economy has added to Ahmadinejad 's troubles . | [[2176, 2272], [240, 254], [4494, 4561], [4494, 4536], [4542, 4561]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Why would an award-winning singer , songwriter , producer and single mother want to tack reality TV star onto her long list of accomplishments ? Kandi Burruss says she is happy to join the `` Real Housewives of Atlanta '' cast . For Kandi Burruss , the newest member of the Real Housewives of Atlanta , the answer is simple : `` I was a fan last year . I love the show . '' The second season of Bravo 's hit show is set to premier on Thursday with Burruss replacing cast member DeShawn Snow . Burruss is well-known in the music industry as a former member of the platinum-selling R&B girl group Xscape and co-writer of such hits as Destiny 's Child 's `` Bills , Bills , Bills '' and TLC 's `` No Scrubs , '' for which she won a Grammy . The Atlanta native almost ended up on another reality show with former group mate and writing partner Tameka `` Tiny '' Cottle , who is the fiancée of rapper T.I. and now stars on BET 's `` Tiny & Toya '' alongside Antonia `` Toya '' Carter , the ex-wife of Lil ' Wayne . The deal for that show did n't work out and Burruss said she was more than happy to sign on with Bravo 's wildly successful southern edition of the `` Housewives '' franchise , which chronicles the lives of a group of affluent African-American women in the ATL . Burruss was already friendly with cast mate Lisa Wu Hartwell , whom she met through their mutual friend Cottle . Having watched the show -- which last season enraptured viewers with a mix of constant infighting , lavish lifestyles and a healthy dose of drama -- Burruss said she was more concerned with being thrust into the public eye than she was with getting along with the cast . `` The only thing that made me hesitant about wanting to be a part of the show is the fact that people are so critical of the show , '' she said . `` Just dealing with people on the outside judging you . That part is going to be something that I am going to have to get used to . '' The artist has already had to get acclimated to people smearing her personal life on the Internet . Watch Burruss discuss her time on the show '' Newly engaged to a father of six children , Burruss has watched him get attacked in blogs and is protective of the man who she said even her mother is n't thrilled about her marrying . '' -LSB- The show -RSB- has been very , very stressful on the relationship , '' she said . `` I guess -LSB- people -RSB- could n't find anything bad -LSB- to say -RSB- about me , so they wanted to go in on my fiancé . '' Her caring nature and laid-back personality make Burruss special in the industry , said rapper Rick Ross . `` She 's a very humble person , maybe one of the most humble people among the biggest songwriters in the industry , '' said Ross , who collaborated with Burruss on a track for a new solo album she has in the works . `` It 's good to be around the greats and she most definitely is one of the greatest in the industry . '' Her home music studio attests to that . The walls are covered with gold and platinum records for her work with several high-profile artists including Alicia Keys , * NSYNC , Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston . Being part of a girl group helped prepare her for the drama of dealing with the other housewives ' personalities , Burruss said , though she admitted clashing with outspoken cast mate NeNe Leakes during filming . `` I was a fan of hers last year , '' Burruss said . `` All that wild and crazy stuff she says to people , when you 're watching it , it 's funny , it 's hilarious ... but when it 's directed at you , it 's not funny anymore . '' Burruss got along better with aspiring singer Kim Zolciak , who Burruss will assist in achieving her dream of breaking into the industry . Last season , fans of the show -- and some of the other housewives -- slammed Zolciak for her less-than-stellar voice . `` Everybody loves to hate on Kim . But what I have to say is that Kim is actually cooler in person than she came off on the show , '' said Burruss , who in 1999 won top songwriter of the year from the American Society of Composers , Authors and Publishers . `` I wanted to help her out because I love helping the underdog . '' The busy artist said she has no idea if she will be invited back for another season . Appearing on the show , which Burruss said is not scripted , was fun , but she is busy with an upcoming album and with caring for her daughter , Riley , she said . She doubts she will be addicted to appearing on reality TV like she is addicted to music , Burruss said . `` It 's just another way for people to get to know you and hopefully they see me in a good light , '' she said . `` You always hope that it does n't backfire . '' | Kandi Burruss is the newest member of Bravo 's `` Real Housewives of Atlanta '' An accomplished singer/songwriter/producer , she was a fan last season . Burruss confirms she and cast mate NeNe Leakes did n't get along . The single mother hopes fans will see her in `` a good light '' | [[37, 112], [3384, 3413], [3283, 3295], [3298, 3356], [3305, 3380], [4624, 4651]] |
-LRB- Entertainment Weekly -RRB- -- It could n't top its predecessors , but `` X-Men Origins : Wolverine '' still brought in quite a haul , grossing an estimated $ 87 million for the opening weekend of the summer movie season . Hugh Jackman stars as the title character in `` X-Men Origins : Wolverine . '' The Hugh Jackman pic brought in a strong $ 21,225 per-theater average in 4,099 movie houses , despite generating mixed reviews . The film fell $ 15 million short of 2006 's `` X-Men : The Last Stand '' but it is still an enormous success for Jackman and director Gavin Hood . Matthew McConaughey 's `` Ghosts of Girlfriends Past '' generated an estimated $ 15.3 million for a second place bow . It 's not a shabby opening but it is far less than McConaughey 's previous romantic outings including last year 's `` Fool 's Gold '' -LRB- $ 21.6 million -RRB- or 2006 's `` Failure to Launch '' -LRB- $ 24.2 million -RRB- . -LRB- Perhaps women were too busy checking out all those hunky mutants this weekend ? -RRB- The two new openers did help the industry maintain its year-over-year increase of 16 percent . Also aiding that statistic was Beyonce Knowles ' `` Obsessed . '' Dropping a not-surprising 57 percent for its second weekend in theaters , the thriller earned another $ 12.2 million to put its ten-day gross at a shockingly strong $ 47 million . And Zac Efron 's `` 17 Again '' showed surprising stamina , too , grossing an additional $ 6.3 million its third weekend for a total take of $ 48.4 million . The other new wide release for the weekend was the anemic 3-D animated sci-fi film `` Battle for Terra . '' Opening on 1162 theaters , the Justin Long , Evan Rachel Wood-voiced feature proved to be little competition for the other 3-D movie in the marketplace . Dreamworks Animation 's juggernaut `` Monsters vs. Aliens '' grossed another $ 5.8 million its sixth weekend for the fifth slot in the rankings , while newcomer `` Terra '' could n't muster more than $ 1 million for a twelfth place in the box office derby . Summer has officially begun -- at least in Hollywood -- so expect a giant event film every weekend . Wolverine may have bowed mightily but with `` Star Trek '' hot on its heels next weekend , the Marvel superhero is going to need more than adamantium to maintain its box office lead . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . Copyright 2009 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. . All rights reserved . | `` Wolverine '' takes the top slot at the box office , earning an estimated $ 87 million . `` Ghosts of Girlfriends Past '' took in an estimated $ 15.3 million for second place . Dreamworks Animation 's `` Monsters vs. Aliens '' grossed another $ 5.8 million . Check out the rest of the top 10 movies at the box office this weekend . | [[76, 92], [140, 227], [583, 701], [649, 695], [1780, 1923]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michael Jackson 's bizarre private life and change in appearance ended up eclipsing his musical achievements , according to the world 's media . A Los Angeles fire official told CNN that paramedics arrived at Michael Jackson 's home after a 911 call . Jackson 's death from cardiac arrest Thursday has sparked an outpouring of grief from fans , and his life has been given a more measured summing up by news media . Britain 's Guardian newspaper said `` his bizarre life-style and personal notoriety eclipsed his talent and his numerous achievements . '' The Guardian said his fame , from the age of 11 , `` had such a damaging effect that his life was permanently affected . '' Watch why Jackson is `` as big as it gets '' '' `` A combination of dysfunctional family and invasive fame ate away at the essentially private singer , whose initially minor eccentricities escalated into grotesque changes to his appearance and lifestyle . `` If ever there was an illustration of the adage that celebrity destroys what it touches , Jackson was it , '' the Guardian said . Daily Mail agreed , saying Jackson `` courted controversy and acclaim in equal measure . '' Watch Jesse Jackson share memories '' `` It was the tales of oxygen chambers , chimp chums , shopping sprees and physical transformation that have brought intrigue and amusement and earned the singer the nickname Wacko Jacko . '' The Mail said star 's behavior drew increasing alarm following a `` documentary in which he pronounced sharing a bedroom with a child to be ` charming ' and an incident in Germany in which he dangled his baby son Prince Michael II over a balcony . '' The country 's Times newspaper said only a `` handful of performers -- -LRB- Elvis -RRB- Presley , -LRB- Frank -RRB- Sinatra , the Beatles -- could outrank Michael Jackson as the most successful popular music entertainer of all time . '' However , `` as he approached middle-age , it was Jackson 's abiding interest in children which was his undoing . '' iReport.com : Your Michael Jackson tributes . Australia 's Sydney Morning Herald newspaper also compared Jackson to Presley . `` Just as Presley was the iconic voice and presence of the 1950s so Jackson enjoyed a similar status during 1980s and 1990s . And just as Presley , driven by the strange demons that seem to haunt the super-famous , died before his time so Jackson has died , aged 50 , in Los Angeles after suffering cardiac arrest . '' France 's Liberation newspaper described Jackson as the `` total artist , '' but said his physical transformation and way of life brought controversy . Le Monde said Jackson was one of the most famous singers of the 20th century but his image was tarnished by his private life . Kingston : Jackson `` a legend '' '' Germany 's Bild tabloid agreed , saying Jackson 's private antics had seem him `` dethroned '' as the King of Pop . China 's People 's Daily newspaper said Jackson had `` set the world dancing to exuberant rhythms for decades . '' `` Jackson 's dramatic stage presence and innovative dance moves were imitated by legions of fans around the world . Sharpton : Jackson `` was a trailblazer '' '' `` His one-gloved eccentric style also earned him plenty of critics and another nickname , `` Wacko Jacko . '' Thailand 's Bangkok Post newspaper said : `` While Jackson ruled the charts and dazzled audiences with electric dance moves like the backwards `` moonwalk '' in the 1980s , his once-stellar career was overshadowed by his colorful public behavior , his startling physical transformation and multiple allegations of child abuse . '' | Jackson pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. PT on Thursday after cardiac arrest . Early fame had very damaging affect on Jackson 's life , says newspaper . Jackson compared to Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra . | [[271, 361], [2380, 2387], [2399, 2406], [2409, 2456], [574, 600], [603, 621], [624, 694], [2060, 2104], [2110, 2139]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Brazil have returned to the top of the FIFA world rankings after a two-year absence , following their Confederations Cup final victory over the United States in South Africa on Sunday -- FIFA.com have reported . The Brazilian national side top the FIFA world rankings again after an absence of two years . Dunga 's side came from behind to defeat the United States 3-2 , a result which sees them replace Spain after the European champions were beaten in the semifinals to finish third in the Confederations Cup . Other changes in the top 10 see the Netherlands slip down a place into third while world champions Italy remain in fourth despite failing to make it past the first round in South Africa . Of the other countries that took part in the Confederations Cup , the United States are up two places to 12th , Egypt are up two to 38th and hosts South Africa are also up two to 70th . Meanwhile , disappointing performances from Iraq -LRB- 94th , down 17 -RRB- and New Zealand -LRB- 100th , down 18 -RRB- caused them to lose ground . In other news , Algeria -LRB- 47th , up 19 -RRB- and Tunisia -LRB- 49th , up two -RRB- have climbed into the top 50 at the expense of Burkina Faso -LRB- 51st , down one -RRB- and Finland -LRB- 52nd , down three -RRB- . Latest FIFA world rankings : . 1 . Brazil 1672 points -LRB- +4 places -RRB- . 2 . Spain 1590 -LRB- -1 -RRB- . 3 . The Netherlands 1379 -LRB- -1 -RRB- . 4 . Italy 1229 -LRB- 0 -RRB- . 5 . Germany 1207 -LRB- -2 -RRB- . 6 . Russia 1161 -LRB- +3 -RRB- . 7 . England 1135 -LRB- -1 -RRB- . 8 . Argentina 1091 -LRB- -1 -RRB- . 9 . France 1082 -LRB- +1 -RRB- . 10 . Croatia 1031 -LRB- -2 -RRB- . | Brazil are back at the top of the FIFA world rankings after a two-year absence . Dunga 's side return to head of the list after winning recent Confederations Cup . European champions Spain drop to second position after their semifinal defeat . | [[19, 102], [19, 102], [0, 15], [105, 176], [390, 531]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In Paul Syverson 's photo album , there is only one family picture , taken right after his little sister was born . Paul , then 7 , and his father beam with an identical grin . Amy Syverson visits the Iwo Jima memorial with mentor Kohn Fisher as part of a camp for kids of fallen soldiers . Two months later , his father , Army Maj. Paul Syverson III , was killed in action in Balad , Iraq . Five years after his loss , the pain still reverberates with sickening suddenness . To help cope , Paul headed out to spend the Memorial Day weekend with a young military volunteer mentor instead of his dad . `` I try not to think about the bad stuff , '' Paul said . `` I just try to remember him as an awesome guy and what a great dad he was . '' Paul , 12 , and his sister , Amy , now a cheeky and rambunctious 5-year-old in pigtails , joined 350 other grieving children at a camp for military families in Washington this Memorial Day . For many , the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors , or TAPS , camp is a yearly tradition , a time for kids to play together and pay homage to their loved ones ' sacrifices . Watch as the children share losses and joy '' `` It 's just a great way to come and be together and acknowledge the loss , and learn coping mechanisms and ways to get through the loss , '' said Paul 's mother , Jackie . `` The kids , they love it . It 's just a great way they can talk about their dads but still have a great time and still just be together . '' TAPS is a nonprofit funded by private donations that has helped military families for 15 years . Families pay for their hotel rooms and a small registration fee for the camp . Donations usually cover the airfare . Military families often learn about the survivor camps in the casualty packet they receive when they are notified of a parent 's death . Each child at the camp gets assigned a military mentor who is at his or her side throughout the weekend . The mentors -- many of whom are in their early 20s -- seem to form instant and deep connections with their charges . Some play touch football in the workshop rooms , the young children wildly tackling their muscular military escorts . Others color together or play board games . And sometimes they talk about pain and loss . `` They even ask me questions . They go , ' I do n't know what a landmine is . What is a landmine ? ' '' said Matt Thibodeau , an active-duty soldier who was assigned to mentor Paul for the weekend . `` There were a couple children who did n't understand how their parents had passed away , and we try to just help to be there to support them if they need it , kind of a shoulder to cry on . '' Thibodeau said volunteering for TAPS seemed almost like a duty , an extension of the brotherhood of the military . `` I thought , if I were to have children and I were to go and pass away , that I would want somebody to do the same for me , '' he said . `` A lot of people do n't realize what their parents have done for the country , and we 're to try to support that and give them a little of what they 're missing . '' During the weekend , the children take in the sights of the nation 's capital . The mentors accompany them to the Fort Myer military base in Virginia to visit the horses that pull the caisson wagons during military funerals . At the Iwo Jima and Washington monuments , the groups pause to contemplate the sacrifices that generations of service members have made for the country . The groups also planned to attend President Obama 's speech and wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day . `` This is their chance to reconnect with the military culture , learn coping strategies , learn how , on Memorial Day , America honors those who have served and died , and that their family is part of this national legacy , '' said Bonnie Carroll , founder of the TAPS program . For some campers , the circumstances of their loss make their feelings more complicated . Joey Ruocco , 15 , lost his father in 2005 . Marine Maj. John Ruocco committed suicide before he was to ship out for his second tour in Iraq . `` Dealing with something like your dad dying is one thing , and then having to think about all this stuff about suicide , about why , and is there something I could have done ? Could have said ? '' said Joey , who was 10 when his father died . `` But you ca n't think about that stuff . You have to think about the happy stuff , what he did with you . '' The first time Joey came to camp , he said he worried he might be dogged by the stigma of his dad 's suicide . But Joey said he was accepted without comment , and he 's learned to be proud of his father 's service and sacrifice -- and of his life -- all the same . `` Everything that you take for granted , all sorts of silly things , like being able to ride your bike down to the corner store to get a slushie or something , would n't be possible if it were n't for men like our friends out there , our dads , '' Joey said . `` They 're keeping our country free and being able to do stuff like that . '' | Camp offers refuge to military families , kids adjusting to loss of loved ones . Army Maj. Paul Syverson III killed in action in Balad , Iraq , in 2004 . `` I just try to remember him as an awesome guy , '' his son says . | [[207, 248], [273, 320], [771, 797], [861, 961], [321, 337], [340, 350], [377, 412], [693, 758]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Farrah Fawcett , whose public battle with anal cancer has brought new attention to a rarely discussed disease , has not been given a timetable from her doctor about how much time she has left , according to her friend Alana Stewart . Farrah Fawcett , seen here in 2006 , has waged a very public battle with anal cancer . `` No one has said to her you have two months to live , '' Stewart said Monday . `` So I 'm looking at that as a really good sign . '' Stewart talked with Lara Spencer , host of `` The Insider , '' who discussed her interview with Fawcett 's close friend on CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' Monday night . Spencer said Fawcett , her family and friends are clinging to hope for a recovery . `` She -LSB- Alana Stewart -RSB- does n't want to throw out a number . And neither does Farrah . ... They 're still hoping for that miracle , '' Spencer said . `` Farrah 's Story , '' a documentary-style program that has followed the course of her illness and showed her grueling treatment in graphic detail , aired on NBC Friday and was viewed by almost 9 million people . Fawcett and partner Ryan O'Neal watched the show together , Spencer confirmed . `` Alana said it was the ultimate in bittersweet , '' Spencer said . `` You know , they 're reliving two years of hell that they 've endured together . '' King asked Spencer whether Fawcett , who made her name a household word on the hit '70s TV series `` Charlie 's Angels , '' and O'Neal might marry . `` He said you never know . He was cagey about it , '' Spencer said . `` And , you know , I think he would in a second . He 's so madly in love with her . '' King also had a panel of medical experts on his show to discuss Fawcett 's cancer . Dr. Thomas Vogl , who at one time treated the actress in Germany , called her medical condition `` very , very serious . '' Dr. Allyson Ocean , a medical oncologist in New York , said only about 5,000 cases of anal cancer are diagnosed in the United States yearly . Unlike Fawcett 's case , it usually does n't spread , and only about 10 to 15 percent of cases are advanced , Ocean said . Fawcett 's cancer , however , is in Stage 4 and has spread to her liver . Ocean said there are various causes of anal cancer . `` One of the causes is a virus called the human papilloma virus , which is a sexually transmitted virus . It seems to be more common in women , in general , outside of any viral infections . Smoking is actually a risk factor , '' she said . King asked Dr. Paul Song , a radiation oncologist , if he had seen Stage 4 cancer cured . `` Not with anal cancer . I have seen it with other GI malignancies such as rectal cancer , '' Song said . `` But anal cancer is a little bit more difficult to treat . '' Despite the bleak outlook , Song had praise for Fawcett and her documentary . `` I think one of the most powerful things that Miss Fawcett did in this documentary was give patients a sense of hope and to just show how she 's handled this with such courage and dignity , '' Song said . CNN 's Dr. Sanjay Gupta told King that doctors have to strike a delicate balance when they are caring for patients such as Fawcett . `` You have to be absolutely honest with patients , but , you know , you do n't want to strip away their hope and optimism , either . There are people , Larry , as you know , who beat the odds , '' Gupta said . Vogl told King he developed a close relationship with Fawcett during the time he treated her in Germany and expressed admiration for his one-time patient . `` From a lot of treatments and contact and communication , I think she is extremely special , an extremely brave person , '' he said . | `` Insider '' host Lara Spencer says friends , family holding out for a miracle . Farrah Fawcett has been fighting Stage 4 anal cancer , which has spread . Doctor who once treated her calls condition `` very , very serious '' Another doctor said actress has handled illness with `` courage and dignity '' | [[665, 725], [827, 841], [849, 865], [827, 831], [836, 865], [253, 267], [283, 339], [2115, 2132], [2145, 2158], [2115, 2132], [2157, 2188], [2954, 3012]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Colorado company 's recall last week of beef products possibly contaminated with E. coli has been expanded , the U.S. Department of Agriculture said this week . The recall came as a result of `` an ongoing investigation into 24 illnesses in multiple states , '' the USDA said . The initial recall of 41,280 pounds announced last Wednesday was voluntarily expanded Sunday to include an additional 380,000 pounds of products made by the JBS Swift Beef Company , of Greeley , Colorado , the USDA said . The recall came as a result of `` an ongoing investigation into 24 illnesses in multiple states , of which at least 18 appear to be associated , '' the USDA 's Food Safety and Inspection Service said in a written statement . USDA spokesman Brian Mabry said no fatalities had been reported . On its Web site , the company said the suspect beef was produced at its Greeley plant on April 21 and distributed nationally and internationally . `` Each of our customers will be personally informed of this recall by phone , '' the wholesaler said . A spokesman would not identify those customers to CNN . `` That 's ridiculous ! '' said Sarah Klein , a staff attorney for the Washington-based Center for Science in the Public Interest . `` JBS should be able to say who they sold meat to , and those companies should be able to say , ` These are the products we created from them . ' '' She expressed concern that nearly seven months into the Obama administration , a key undersecretary position at the USDA has not been filled , which may be slowing the government 's ability to respond to such health threats . `` That person in that position would have significant public health experience and understand how these processes work , how meat enters the chain of commerce , '' Klein said . The recall underscores the need for `` a comprehensive animal identification system '' that would allow meat suppliers to trace their products to an individual ranch , she said . Klein urged supermarkets that use customer loyalty cards to track shoppers ' purchases to determine those who have bought the recalled meat . Boxes of the recalled product bear the establishment number `` EST. 969 '' inside the USDA mark of inspection , the identifying package date of `` 042109 '' and a time stamp ranging from `` 0618 '' to `` 1130 , '' the statement said . It added that some of the beef products might have undergone further processing and might not have the `` EST. 969 '' marking on products for sale directly to consumers . The USDA urged any customers with concerns to contact the store where they bought the meat . JBS spokesman Chandler Keys said his company 's products may have had nothing to do with the outbreak . `` It is important for consumers to note that the recalled product from the date in question was sold by JBS as whole muscle cuts , not as ground beef , '' Keys said on the company 's Web site . `` The ground beef that might have been associated with illness was produced by other companies who often do not use the antimicrobial intervention steps we employ in our facility to reduce the risk of the beef products . '' He said JBS agreed to expand its recall `` out of an abundance of caution for consumers . '' Symptoms of infection with E. coli bacteria can include severe or bloody diarrhea , vomiting and severe abdominal cramping . The USDA urged consumers to cook all ground beef or ground beef patties to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit to kill any bacteria . CNN 's Sabriya Rice contributed to this report . | Recall includes more than 420,000 pounds of meat from JBS Swift Beef Co. . USDA spokesman Brian Mabry said no fatalities had been reported . JBS agreed to expand its recall `` out of an abundance of caution , '' spokesman says . | [[435, 478], [746, 811], [773, 811], [350, 443], [3149, 3238], [3157, 3238]] |
BEIRUT , Lebanon -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lebanese voters were heading to the polls on Sunday with their main choices to lead the next government a Hezbollah-backed alliance or a U.S.-backed coalition . Hezbollah party workers in the southern town of Nabatiyah hope for an election victory . Analysts say the race will be tight , with the Hezbollah-dominated `` March 8 alliance '' possibly winning a majority of seats in parliament . The polls opened at 1200 GMT and will close 12 hours later . Turnout is expected to be high among the country 's 3 million registered voters . About 50,000 troops were on the streets , but the run-up to the balloting had been free of violence . The vote comes at a critical time for Lebanon as it sits amid a power struggle between a weakened pro-Western government and a stronger pro-Syrian Hezbollah political bloc that has gained political momentum in recent years . The United States considers Hezbollah -- which is supported by both Syria and Iran -- to be a terrorist organization . The group grew in popularity after its militant wing claimed victory over Israel after a 34-day military conflict in 2006 . Since then , it has been more widely perceived by its supporters to be the `` defenders '' of Lebanon . Though U.S. President Barack Obama did n't mention the Lebanese general election in his address on Thursday , he did call for religious tolerance in the Muslim world , noting sectarian clashes between Sunnis and Shiites and the struggles faced by religious minorities . `` The richness of religious diversity must be upheld -- whether it is for Maronites in Lebanon or the Copts in Egypt , '' he said , referring to Christian groups in those countries . `` And if we are being honest , fault lines must be closed among Muslims as well , as the divisions between Sunni and Shia have led to tragic violence , particularly in Iraq . '' In Lebanon 's unique power-sharing government , the presidency is reserved for Maronite Christians , the speaker of parliament is always a Shia Muslim , and the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim . The law was created to balance power among Lebanon 's three main religious groups . Analysts say the Hezbollah-dominated `` March 8 alliance '' may win a parliamentary majority with the support of Christian opposition leader Gen. Michel Aoun -- the only prominent Christian politician to back the bloc . `` They keep trying to scare the Christian voters with their stories about Hezbollah 's weapons , so to all of those who complain about Hezbollah , can they tell us how they will disarm the party , '' Aoun told supporters Friday . `` Hezbollah 's weapons will no longer be a problem when the causes behind its existence disappear , including the borders ' issues . '' A close look at Lebanon 's political landscape reveals that the country 's Christian voters are split on how they will cast their ballots . Some Christian voters want their representatives to step out of the shadows of Hezbollah and Saad Hariri , who leads the Sunni-dominated `` March 14 coalition . '' Christian voters are divided between supporting Aoun and other Christian leaders who want Hezbollah to disarm . `` In these elections , Christians look more divided than ever while others seem more unified than ever , '' said Shibley Telhami , a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution . For the Obama administration , the elections could be indicative of the president 's odds of pushing stability in the region . Former U.S. President and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Jimmy Carter said the United States should work with whichever coalition wins . Carter was in Beirut as part of more than 200 international observers monitoring the election . He also oversaw balloting in Gaza during the elections in the Palestinian territory in January 2006 . The Palestinian militant group Hamas won that race `` fairly and squarely '' by a huge margin , Carter said . The United States and Israel later refused to recognize the legitimacy of the Hamas win . `` And it 's resulted in a split in the Palestinians and a very difficult situation there , '' Carter added . `` I think they -LRB- the United States -RRB- learned a hard lesson that they should accept the results of an election . '' Two senior Obama administration officials -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden -- have visited Lebanon in recent months , signaling concerns with a possible Hezbollah victory . During his trip to Beirut two weeks ago , Biden warned the country that while the United States supports Lebanon 's democratic process , it will reconsider its assistance to the country if its next government strays from certain `` fundamental principles . '' Biden 's visit followed Clinton 's April trip to Beirut in which she called for an `` open and free '' election without outside interference -- a veiled reference to Iran and Syria . Such rhetoric has been dismissed by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as `` meddling . '' The Hezbollah leader has been increasingly vocal in the lead-up to the election , blasting the current government as powerless . However , part of the reason Lebanon 's government is crippled is that it made concessions to Hezbollah -- including giving them veto power -- in order to end a political stalemate that boiled over into violence of historic proportions last year . While some analysts are concerned Hezbollah could gain more control over Lebanon 's government after Sunday 's vote , a key Lebanese politician , Dori Chamoun , warned that assessment may be misleading . Chamoun , who opposes the March 8 alliance , said talk of Hezbollah 's possible victory may be based on `` rumors '' and propaganda being spread by the Shiite militia and their political allies . `` They -LRB- Hezbollah -RRB- think they can scare many but no one is scared , '' Chamoun told CNN . `` They can spread all kinds of rumors on their four TV stations saying that they will win this upcoming elections . '' Chamoun , whose father , Camille Chamoun , was Lebanon 's president in the 1950s , is running for a seat in parliament . Even if a Hezbollah-dominated government does move in , it could have trouble working with Christian and Sunni Muslim politicians who -- under Lebanese law -- must participate in the government . It would also be difficult to find a Sunni political figure willing to serve as prime minister in a Hezbollah-led government since the majority of Lebanon 's prominent Sunni politicians are aligned with Hariri 's March 14 coalition , which has declared it will not participate in any government if Hezbollah wins . Lebanon 's political landscape could be shifting after a similar shift in neighboring Israel . Voters in the Jewish state overwhelmingly supported conservative parties over more moderate groups , bringing into power Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this year . Netanyahu is viewed in the Arab world as more hawkish than his predecessor , Ehud Olmert , who ordered the war against Hezbollah in 2006 . A Hezbollah victory in Lebanon could further inflame tensions with Israel , particularly with an estimated 30,000 rockets pointed at Israel from southern Lebanon -- all under the control of Hezbollah . CNN 's Cal Perry , Octavia Nasr and Saad Abedine contributed to this report . | Analysts say the race will be tight . Some say the Hezbollah-dominated alliance may win a parliamentary majority . Turnout is expected to be high among the country 's 3 million registered voters . About 50,000 troops deploy to the streets . | [[286, 354], [356, 428], [2159, 2304], [2172, 2316], [490, 571], [490, 497], [510, 571], [572, 611]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Brazil 's economic powerhouse was once thought of as the ugly sister to Rio de Janiero 's beach-fronted glamour . São Paulo , the world 's fifth largest city , is the fashion capital of Brazil . But , over the past few years , São Paulo ' fashion , music and design scenes have gained such momentum that it 's tipped by some as cooler destination than more touristy Rio . True , São Paulo does n't have a beach , nor does it go out of its way to cater to foreign visitors , but hidden in the sprawl is a trove of hip hotels and restaurants , modernist architecture and some of the best shopping south of the Equator . It would take a lot longer than a day to discover everything São Paulo has to offer , but our guide should help visitors short on time to navigate the city 's immense grid of skyscrapers and traffic jams to find an entirely different Brazilian experience . Watch the sun come up over the world 's fifth largest urban area like many of its mega-wealthy inhabitants -- with a helicopter ride over the city . Tourist rides normally leave from Campo de Marte Airport and take in aerial views of city landmarks like Ibirapuera Park and Avenida Paulista . You may have worked up an appetite by now so head back into town for breakfast on Rua Oscar Freire , São Paulo 's answer to Rodeo Drive . Eat delicious cheese bread known as pão de queijo , fruit , yoghurt and granola and wash it down with a freshly squeezed juice or coffee at Oscar Cafe . The prosperous , tree-lined avenues of the surrounding area , known as Jardins , are perfect for a bit of shopping . Look out for Clube Chocolate where you can buy upscale designerwear in divine surroundings -LRB- Rua Oscar Freire 913 -RRB- and Endossa , a collaborative shop filled with cubes of shelving where entrepreneurs can rent a cubby-hole to sell their wares . It 's possible to walk to Avenida Paulista , São Paulo 's financial district from here , and there you can mill past some of the most expensive real estate in South America with the Paulistano business folk on your way to take in some culture at MASP , also known as São Paulo Museum of Art . Once you 've had your fill of high culture , take in some of São Paulo 's famous street art on Beco de Batman , which translates as `` Batman Alley . '' Every inch of this street in the super hip Vila Madalena area is covered in graffiti , much of it by well-known local artists . Recharge your batteries with a beer and snack on empadas , delicious miniature pies with a variety of fillings like palm hearts , Portuguese salted fish and cheese at Empanadas -LRB- Rua Wisard 489 , Vila Madalena -RRB- . Otherwise , why not hop in a cab and head over to Liberdade and check out the home of the biggest Japanese community anywhere in the world outside Japan . Check out the Buddhist temple -LRB- Rua São Joaquim -RRB- , the karaoke bars and sushi restaurants -- one of the best of which is Takô -LRB- Rua da Glória 746 , Liberdade -RRB- . With a shimmering green-copper facade , the Unique Hotel is just one example of São Paulo 's stunning modern architecture . The highlight of this area , if you happen to be lucky enough to be there at the right time , is the anything goes weekend market Feira da Liberdade -LRB- Praça da Liberdade -RRB- and if you 're even luckier you might catch one of the sumo competitions held there from time to time . After all these hours in the concrete jungle you may be longing for a bit of green , which you can find in ample supply in the enormous Ibirapuera Park . As you wander the tree-lined walkways , dodging throngs of body-conscious Paulistanos exercising along the way , you will encounter one masterpiece of modernist architecture after another -- mostly designed by the father of Brazilian modernism Oscar Niemeyer . Look out for the beautiful sci-fi dome , Oca and the Grande Marquise an extraordinary white pavilion which houses MAM -LRB- Museu de Arte Moderna -RRB- and features expanses of covered concrete which attract many of the city 's skateboarders . No visit to São Paulo , or indeed any part of Brazil , is complete without a trying a caipirinha -- a winning combination of the local firewater , cachaca , smashed limes , sugar and ice . If spirits are a bit much for you , try a divine -- and very Paulistano -- twist on the original with squished kiwi fruit and sake . You could combine a few cocktails with catching the final rays of the day on the rooftop of of another of São Paulo 's modernist masterpieces , Edifício Itália -LRB- Terraza Italia Restaurant , Avenida Ipiranga 344 -RRB- . Here you can enjoy a breathtaking panorama , with another Niemeyer masterpiece -- the wavy-facaded Edifício Copan -- in full view . It 's got to be dinner time by now . In São Paulo your options are almost unlimited . With huge populations of Japanese , Italians and , even Lebanese , the problem is not where to eat but how to choose . A highlight of the Sao Paulo 's dining scene has to be Restaurante Figueira Rubaiyat where you can eat awesome steaks and very good seafood in a dining room that has been built around an enormous fig tree . If you 're still raring to go after that little lot , São Paulo 's nightlife options are almost endless . You can shake your moneymaker with the best of them at one of the city 's clubland stalwarts Love Story , or if you are looking for something a little more low key then why not round off the day on the rooftop terrace of the Skye Bar at Hotel Unique . The hotel 's space-age green copper facade is indeed unique , and it is also a good bet for a bed for the night in really special surroundings . | São Paulo 's art , fashion and music scene means it 's no longer second to Rio . Among the grid of skyscrapers is iconic modernist architecture by Oscar Niemeyer . Uniquely Brazilian , the city also has a twist of other cultures . Do what the Paulistanos do and sample street side delicacies and top cocktails . | [[220, 243], [246, 390], [3651, 3727], [3720, 3727], [3731, 3800]] |
TEGUCIGALPA , Honduras -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hours after the sitting president was deposed by a military-led coup , a new president of Honduras was sworn in Sunday . Honduras President Jose Manuel Zelaya was detained and sent to Costa Rica , the government said . But the former president was not ready to give up his powers . The political developments that swept Honduras over the past weeks and led up to Sunday 's coup had the makings of a crisis , but the situation in the Central American nation of 8 million people was calm . Roberto Micheletti was sworn in as provisional president to the applause of members of Congress , who chanted , `` Honduras ! Honduras ! '' Outside the building , supporters of ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya protested , but their numbers were limited , and the streets remained mostly peaceful . Micheletti told CNN en Español Sunday evening that he has imposed an `` indefinite '' curfew . Micheletti , the head of Congress , became president after lawmakers voted by a show of hands to strip Zelaya of his powers , with a resolution stating that Zelaya `` provoked confrontations and divisions '' within the country . A letter of resignation purported to be from Zelaya was read to members before the vote . But the deposed president , Zelaya , emphatically denied in an interview with CNN en Español that he wrote the letter . Speaking from Costa Rica , where he was taken after the coup , he said he plans to continue exercising his presidential duties with a trip to Managua , Nicaragua , to attend a summit of Central American heads-of-state . Zelaya awoke to the sound of gunfire in his residence and was still in his pajamas when the military forced him to leave the country Sunday morning , he told reporters . He was flown to Costa Rica , where he has not requested political asylum . `` This was a brutal kidnapping of me with no justification , '' Zelaya said . He called the coup an attack on Honduran democracy . `` There are ways to protest without arms , '' Zelaya said . The coup came on the same day that he had vowed to follow through with a nonbinding referendum that the Honduran Supreme Court had ruled illegal . Watch details on `` curious situation '' in Honduras '' The coup was widely criticized in the region , in strongest terms by Zelaya 's leftist allies , including Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez . A statement from Venezuela 's foreign ministry said Zelaya was `` violently expelled from his country by a group of unpatriotic , coup-mongering soldiers . '' The Bolivian government also condemned the coup , accusing Honduran troops of kidnapping Zelaya and violently expelling him from his country . Elsewhere , Jose Miguel Insulza , the secretary-general of the Organization of American States , strongly condemned the coup in a statement . And in Washington , President Obama said in a statement that he was `` deeply concerned '' by the news . `` I call on all political and social actors in Honduras to respect democratic norms , the rule of law and the tenets of the Inter-American Democratic Charter , '' Obama said . `` Any existing tensions and disputes must be resolved peacefully through dialogue free from any outside interference . '' The president of the General Assembly of the United Nations , Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann , called the Honduran military 's intervention a `` criminal action . '' But in Honduras , the Supreme Court said in an official statement that the military was acting in accordance with a court order to put an end to Sunday 's scheduled vote , which the court 's justices had found illegal . Micheletti addressed the issue directly in his first remarks as provisional president . `` I did not reach this position because of a coup , '' Micheletti said . `` I am here because of an absolutely legal transition process . '' No other countries immediately recognized Micheletti as president . Zelaya , a leftist elected in 2005 , had found himself pitted against the other branches of government and military leaders over the issue of Sunday 's planned referendum . It would have asked voters to place a measure on November 's ballot allowing the formation of a constitutional assembly that could modify the nation 's charter to allow the president to run for another term . In various interviews Sunday , Zelaya characterized the vote not as a referendum , but as a survey to gauge receptiveness toward a constitutional assembly . He denied that he would have been the beneficiary of any future constitutional changes . Zelaya , whose four-year term ends in January 2010 , can not run for re-election under current law . The Honduran Supreme Court had ruled the poll illegal , and Congress and the top military brass agreed , but Zelaya had remained steadfast . In the end , it appeared the opposition to Zelaya was too great . The military confiscated the ballots from the presidential residence , in effect canceling the disputed vote . In separate appearances Sunday , Zelaya , Venezuela 's Chavez and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said that the military had also detained Honduran Foreign Minister Patricia Rodas , further raising regional tensions . Speaking in Havana , Rodriguez said that the Cuban , Venezuelan and Nicaraguan ambassadors to Honduras had tried but were unable to protect Rodas from a group of masked soldiers who forcibly took her from their grasp . Further details regarding that incident were unclear . `` If they attack our ambassadors , they will be declaring a state of war , '' Chavez said . `` If they have weapons , then we have weapons , too . '' | Honduran Congress strips president of powers , names provisional president . Obama statement : `` I call on all ... to respect democratic norms '' Military detains President Jose Manuel Zelaya , flies him to Costa Rica . Zelaya says he plans to continue exercising presidential duties . | [[926, 936], [962, 1049], [2919, 3000], [163, 213], [163, 200], [218, 236], [1755, 1781], [1428, 1584]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michael Jackson 's impact on pop culture is indelible . But perhaps his biggest legacy will be how he changed the music industry . Jackson 's impact on the music business still reverberates today . `` As a performer he changed history ... his singing , his songwriting , his choreography , his dancing , his business acumen , '' said Howard Bragman , a public relations expert who worked with Jackson to launch the singer 's shoe line with L.A. Gear . `` He rewrote the history of the entertainment industry in his time , '' Bragman said . Jackson crossed color lines and broke down barriers between musical genres . He followed in the footsteps of Elvis and the Beatles to create a transnational fan base that prefigured the era of globalization . And Jackson became a canny power broker who helped lead artists from stage performers into major boardroom players . `` That gets lost in the last five and 10 years , with all the litigation battles -- what he did the first 30 years to set the landscape for these other artists , '' said James Walker , an entertainment attorney . `` Michael transcended race before Michael Jordan , before Oprah , before Tiger Woods , before Barack Obama . `` You ca n't underestimate what his did for black artists -- and artists as a whole -- as a business man , '' Walker added . His 1982 album `` Thriller '' has sold more than 50 million records worldwide -- a record that , considering the decline of record sales in the wake of new media , is likely to stand for some years to come . `` Records just do n't sell that much anymore . The industry has changed . ... Now it 's in shambles because of technology , '' said Gideon Yago , head of the IFC Media Project and a former correspondent for MTV News . Videos that accompanied the album became landmarks that set the industry standard , as MTV and cable television began to proliferate , creating ready outlets for a growing marketing tool . At the time , Jackson 's label had to fight to get onto MTV , which then featured only rock artists . `` Walter Yetnikoff -LRB- former president of CBS records -RRB- drew a line in the sand and said , ` We believe in this guy and you 're going to play his videos or we 're going to pull all our videos , ' '' Walker said . `` What he did was so cutting-edge regarding videos ; he defined the video age as we know it , '' said Tommy Mottola , who succeeded Yetnikoff as head of CBS . Though his personal finances were in disarray at the end of his life , Jackson made some canny business decisions at the height of his power -- most notably buying half the Beatles music catalog in 1985 for $ 47.5 million . `` When you look at his royalties and his copyrights , he 's probably got a half a billion to a billion -LRB- dollar -RRB- catalogue , '' Walker added . The current value of his estate is unclear . His debts stood at about $ 500 million , according to a Wall Street Journal story earlier this month . As the music industry model moved more toward live events in the face of dwindling album sales , two billionaire businessmen stepped in to bank on Jackson 's comeback with a series of concerts scheduled in London . Tom Barrack , head of hedge fund Colony Capital , teamed with Philip Anschutz , owner of AEG Live , to plan a third-act comeback for Jackson , with a sold-out 50-date stand at AEG Live 's O2 arena scheduled to begin next month . Future business plans included a world tour , a Broadway musical and even a `` Thriller '' casino . `` You are talking about a guy who could make $ 500 million a year if he puts his mind to it , '' Barrack told The Los Angeles Times in an article last month . `` There are very few individual artists who are multibillion-dollar businesses . And he is one . '' Billboard magazine estimates $ 85 million in ticket sales from the sold-out concert series . Additional packages , merchandise and secondary market sales could have raised the total to $ 115 million . AEG Live declined to comment . `` There will be a process put in place for ticketing -LRB- refunds -RRB- . I do n't know what it is at the moment , '' said Lucy Ellison , spokeswoman for O2 stadium . `` We 'll leave it for his family to say what they want to say before we discuss ticketing information . '' Jackson was expected to earn $ 50 million from the London shows . CNN 's Pauline Chiou contributed to this report . | Jackson transformed the role of artists as power brokers . Estate includes ownership of half the Beatles catalogue . Bragman : `` He rewrote the history of the entertainment industry in his time '' Report : Debts estimated at $ 500 million at the time of his death . | [[474, 538], [2441, 2502], [2856, 2894]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Bronx woman has been charged with murder and robbery in the death of an 89-year-old Nazi concentration camp survivor , and police said a man is still being sought in connection with the death . Felix Brinkmann dances at a 2008 birthday party . `` He was not the kind of guy who had enemies , '' his son says . Angela Murray , 30 , was arrested Saturday , according to the Manhattan district attorney 's office , and is accused of strangling Guido Felix Brinkmann on Thursday in his Upper East Side apartment . Murray was arraigned Sunday and charged with one count of murder in the second degree and three counts of robbery . Brinkmann , a native of Latvia , was a Holocaust survivor who escaped death for a year while he was in the Mauthausen , Ebensee and Auschwitz camps . He had been slated for the gas chambers five times , but each time , he used his fluency in German to talk his way out , said his son , Rick Brinkman , who spells his last name differently . After the war , he was stunned to discover his wife , who had also been shipped to Auschwitz , alive and well in Poland . The Brinkmanns immigrated to America , where Brinkmann spent years in the bar and nightclub business , co-founding the Adam 's Apple disco in Manhattan in 1971 . In recent years , he had been the real estate manager of a mixed-use building in the Bronx , working `` seven days a week , without fail , '' Rick Brinkman said . On Thursday , the building 's superintendent grew concerned when Brinkmann did not show up for work . He notified Brinkmann 's son and received permission to enter the father 's apartment , where he had lived alone since his wife died last year . Brinkmann was found face-down in his bedroom , his hands bound behind his back and his body showing blunt-force trauma wounds , police said . Brinkmann 's blue 2009 Honda Civic had been stolen , along with one of two safes in his apartment , police said . The vehicle was later recovered in the Bronx . Rick Brinkman speculated that the killing was random . `` Anybody who knew him really liked him , '' the son said . `` He was not the kind of guy who had enemies . '' CNN 's Jason Kessler contributed to this report . | Bronx woman charged with murder , robbery ; police say a man is still being sought . Guido Felix Brinkmann , 89 , was found strangled Thursday in Manhattan apartment . Latvia native had lived alone since wife died last year ; son suspects killing is random . | [[28, 146], [153, 223], [540, 546], [572, 655], [340, 353], [440, 507], [1608, 1611], [1634, 1690], [1994, 2048]] |
ON PUGET SOUND , Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When commercial diver Kenny Woodside takes to the depths , he enters a world of murky low light and dangerous currents . Diver Kenny Woodside descends to the murky depths to retrieve an abandoned net . Until recently Woodside and about 100 hundred other divers searched Puget Sound for sea cucumbers and urchins to sell to buyers in Asia , where the items are considered delicacies . But demand for the fishermen 's catch dried up with the worldwide economic crisis and left many of these divers without a reason to go out on the water . `` The fishing industry has slowed from a full-time job to just a couple months a year , '' said Doug Monk , the captain of the boat from which Woodside dives . `` The red sea urchin market is almost non-existent . '' But thanks to a small piece of the federal stimulus recovery plan , Monk , Woodside and about 40 other fishermen will get back to work hauling in a very different catch : lost fishing nets . While many stimulus projects have come under fire as pork barrel spending , backers of the nets program say it is a model for helping those battered by the economic downturn while completing needed public works . Thousands of the large nets stretch across the floor of Puget Sound , where they create an environmental hazard . Some of the nets were lost by fishermen to the rocky coastline decades ago but continue to catch and kill . According to the Northwest Marine Conservation Initiative , the nets are responsible for killing tens of thousands of marine life , mammals and birds every year . The nets , some of which extend larger than a football field , can also tangle the propellers of boats and pose a danger to scuba divers . After struggling to find funding , the group received $ 4.6 million in stimulus funds to recover most of the nets that litter the unique Puget Sound ecosystem . The only reason the nets have remained underwater for so long , said Ginny Broadhurst , director of the Northwest Marine Conservation Initiative , is because the damage they are doing to the environment is invisible from the surface . `` If you had nets strung along the streets that are catching bunny rabbits and squirrels , we would n't be discussing whether we should be removing them . We would be pulling them . It would be immediate , '' said Broadhurst . `` When those threats are underwater it 's so much harder to know what impacts they are having . '' But pulling those nets is no easy task . Divers swim close to 100 feet down to an environment that is anything but friendly . Instead of using scuba equipment , they breathe through air hoses running from the boat above . When the divers find the fields of nets , they begin the labor of cutting them free piece by piece and all by hand . Removing one net can take days . Watch the divers at work '' The nets are then pulled to the boat waiting on the surface . In just a few hours on the water , the divers can pull free about 1,000 pounds of nets . Inside are the bones of countless fish and birds , along with several species of protected sharks and crabs . Anything still alive is cut free and thrown back in the water . Then , biologist Jeff June notes what they have brought up . So far , he says , the group has identified 112 distinct species trapped in the nets . The fishing nets themselves are considered toxic after the years of catching so much sea life . The divers seal them in heavy duty plastic bags and , once on shore , take the nets to a landfill . But biologist June said the group is working on a plan that would have the nets burned , creating energy from lost fishing nets . Over the next 18 months the group expects to pull some 3,000 nets from Puget Sound . And in that time the fishing industry could bounce back from its slump , allowing Doug Monk and his crew to return to catching urchins and sea cucumbers . But , the boat captain said , recovering the fishing nets has greater meaning than just riding out a rough economy . `` We feel we are doing a good thing , '' he said . '' -LSB- With -RSB- harvest diving we are taking from the resources ; here we are giving them back . '' | Worldwide economic downturn has hit fishing industry hard . Stimulus money is paying fishermen to haul up lost nets in Puget Sound . Nets kill thousands of marine life , birds , mammals each year . Some of the nets are longer than a football field . | [[446, 512], [1489, 1591], [1592, 1600], [1617, 1652]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` Wolverine . '' `` Star Trek . '' `` Angels & Demons . '' `` Terminator : Salvation . '' The summer movies roll out , one weekend after another , like dreadnoughts leaving port to bombard a battle-scarred ocean . Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody star as `` The Brothers Bloom , '' a pair of successful con artists . So wo n't a little film about a pair of con-artist brothers , with nary an indestructible alloy in sight , get overrun by these blockbusters ? Rian Johnson , the 35-year-old director of the charming `` The Brothers Bloom , '' does n't see it that way . `` I actually kind of like it , '' he says of the strategy of premiering his film during summer movie season . -LRB- `` Bloom '' opens Friday in limited release and expands nationwide May 29 . -RRB- `` I feel like we 're scampering in between the feet of these giants . '' Make no mistake , adds Johnson : `` I love the big summer movies . '' But , he says , audiences will see the big movie of the week `` and then want something different . That 's the advantage coming out in this season has . '' `` Bloom '' has already proved itself nimble . Watch the stars talk about `` Bloom '' '' The film started earning buzz at the Toronto Film Festival last September , and its distributor , Summit Entertainment , launched a shrewd marketing campaign by putting the first seven minutes on the Internet earlier this year . Johnson , who directed the critically acclaimed `` Brick '' -- a film noir set in a high school -- has been praised for another inventive mix of genres , combining the con-man film with a touch of screwball comedy , some international intrigue and more than a little whimsy . Mark Ruffalo , who stars as Stephen Bloom , the mastermind of the duo , describes `` Brothers Bloom '' as `` its own world . '' `` What I loved about it was its tonal shifts , '' he says . `` It goes from broad , almost slapstick stuff to the brother story and a love story . It 's not traditional in that sense . '' The film follows Stephen Bloom and his brother , played by Adrien Brody , as they embark on one last con : an attempt to swindle a wealthy shut-in , Penelope Stamp , played by Rachel Weisz . Instead of being upset , Penelope is tickled by the new world before her and the opportunities for freedom , even as the younger Bloom -LRB- simply called `` Bloom '' -RRB- wants to move on to something else . Johnson is nothing if not a student of film , and `` Bloom '' features references to other con-man works . `` Paper Moon , '' with its examination of character , was a favorite , says Johnson . There are also nods to `` The Sting , '' David Mamet 's works , and even Agatha Christie . But , as Ruffalo says , `` Bloom '' exists in its own world . Though the film is set in the present day , the Blooms wear suits and hats as if they walked out of 1910 . Much of the film was shot in the sunny byways of coastal Eastern Europe , with its weathered 19th-century resorts and glamorous Old World style . -LRB- The backdrop made the story `` much more real for all of us , '' says Johnson . -RRB- . Add Johnson 's invocations of Fellini 's `` 8 1/2 , '' Marcello Mastroianni and -LRB- of all things -RRB- the Band documentary `` The Last Waltz '' to his cast , and Ruffalo says it was easy to find the film 's personality . `` That was the starting point -- a threadbare elegance , '' he says . `` There 's an appreciation of eccentricity , '' agrees Johnson . Whimsy can be hard to maintain , he says , but `` the heightened style comes from a story-based place . '' -LRB- Johnson wrote the film 's script . -RRB- . That can be a lot for the moviegoing public of today -- weaned on CGI , armored rogues and thin romantic comedies -- to take in . But Johnson says he has faith `` The Brothers Bloom '' will find an audience . `` I 'm pretty optimistic that with ... the ease with which media is now archived and made available to the public , I 'm hoping that actually opens the doors for people to have more access to this stuff , '' he says . The director maintains a message board at rcjohnso.com , where young filmmakers `` constantly talk about older films , '' he says . In the film , Stephen Bloom says the perfect con is one in which `` everyone gets what they want . '' Johnson -LRB- and his studio -RRB- hopes for a financial success , of course , but he could n't be happier with the way `` The Brothers Bloom '' turned out . `` I learned so much doing this film , '' he says . `` It 's like I got paid to go to grad school . '' | `` The Brothers Bloom '' about a pair of con artists and woman they snooker . Film being released into teeth of summer movie season ; no problem , says director . Star Mark Ruffalo : Film is `` its own world '' | [[619, 621], [625, 697]] |
MEXICO CITY , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Mexican navy said Wednesday that it rescued five Ecuadorians who had been adrift without supplies in a fishing boat for more than two weeks off the coast of the southern state of Chiapas . Mexican medical personel examine two of five Ecuadorians rescued at sea . Mexican authorities initiated the rescue , which occurred Tuesday , after the U.S. Coast Guard alerted them that sailors aboard a fishing boat located 45 nautical miles -LRB- 83 km -RRB- southeast of Port Chiapas had signaled to a passing plane that they needed help . The Mexican navy dispatched a helicopter , which located the 15-meter-long -LRB- 49-foot-long -RRB- vessel and carried out the rescue by air , the navy said in a news release . The five aboard identified themselves as Jaime Arturo Alaba Chavez , the 35-year-old captain ; Víctor Hugo Alaba Chavez , the 32-year-old cook ; Edison Prado Alaba , a 27-year-old sailor ; Carlos Cheme Vazquez , a 37-year-old sailor ; and Raul Contreras Vera , a 64-year-old machinist . The sailors were taken to the Naval Sanatorium of Puerto Chiapas , where doctors determined they were dehydrated . They said they had departed Costa Rica 's on May 6 but , five days later , their motor stopped working and , unable to repair it , they had been adrift and without food since . A naval patrol boat towed the boat to Puerto Chiapas , arriving there Wednesday morning . It will be inspected to rule out the possibility that it may have been used for illicit activities , the navy said . | The Mexican navy said Wednesday that it rescued five Ecuadorians adrift at sea . Men apparently without supplies in a fishing boat for more than two weeks . Men found off the coast of the southern state of Chiapas , Mexico . | [[0, 11], [57, 104], [77, 232], [273, 306], [77, 232], [77, 232]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- While China is seriously cracking down on the exchange of virtual currencies for real cash , virtual economies backed by newfound legitimacy elsewhere are quickly gaining ground in the real world . There 's gold in them there screens : Real-money transactions in virtual worlds are finding new legitimacy . On June 24 , 2009 , the role-playing game 140 Mafia launched on Twitter , following in the footsteps of highly lucrative games Mob Wars and Mafia Wars on Facebook -LRB- and now iPhone -RRB- to link virtual-currency exchanges to real-money transactions . In March 2009 , MindArk -- creator of the MMORPG -LRB- massively multiplayer online role-playing game -RRB- Entropia , where one player famously bought an island for US$ 26,500 in 2004 -- saw its wholly owned subsidiary Mind Bank granted a banking license from the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority . The new license allows Mind Bank to be the first bank to directly incorporate real-money transactions with virtual-world activities . Selling virtual assets directly between players for real-world cash has been strictly prohibited by most game publishers , which find themselves looped out of the profits . What has been profitable in the meantime to some hardcore players of World of Warcraft and EverQuest -LRB- and other games -RRB- is `` gold farming '' -- accumulation of `` gold , '' weapons and other status symbols of a seasoned player -- followed by the online auction of such assets or user accounts . Since games publishers began policing eBay for this type of unauthorized activity , several Web sites such as PlayerAuctions have adopted a PayPal-like approach in order to broker the trading legally , acting as an open marketplace for player-to-player exchange of digital assets . Dual-currency economies . However younger games -LRB- often aimed at younger audiences -RRB- are ditching the conventional subscription-based model of the above games to adopt the `` freemium '' model , which lets users play for free , but allows them to enhance their experience by purchasing accessories or other premiums through micropayments . Frenzoo , a `` 3D fashion game for girls '' , is one game that has adopted this model . CEO Simon Newstead explains : `` The idea with dual currencies is that there is a paid currency -LSB- Gold Coins -RSB- , which is paid for using real money and exchanged between sellers and buyers . In addition , there is a second currency -- a free or so-called ` earned ' currency -LSB- Silver Coins -RSB- -- which is gained through activity and progression in the world or game . '' `` In this way , '' he continues , `` the economy can recognize different forms of contribution , and in newer economies these can also be traded between each other . For example , people earning currency and selling it to people who have less time but have real money . '' Mirrored economies . As one of the first successful virtual economies , Second Life 's huge marketplace includes objects and services for sale , as well as a real estate market . In 2008 , more than $ 100 million worth of the world 's Linden dollars were bought and sold on Second Life 's official LindeX exchange , according to its Web site . `` In Linden Exchange , the U.S. dollar part of the transaction is via PayPal , a well-known entity , so there 's a certain amount of trust that comes with it , '' says Darrly Chang , co-founder of D&D Dogs , a two-man freelance venture that sells virtual dog pets and avatars to Second Life residents . Recently , however , business has slumped along with the real-world recession . `` We 'll continue to see a proliferation of alternative currencies associated with specific platforms and communities , much as frequent-flier miles are associated with individual airlines or even networks of airlines , '' says Dan Jansen , CEO of Virtual Greats , which specializes in creating branded , copyrighted material for virtual worlds . `` In the longer term we may see a global standard for virtual currencies , but it will take some time . '' Golden e-currency ? James Turk , chairman of digital-gold company GoldMoney , agrees . `` But , '' he adds , `` inevitably digital gold currency will make significant inroads in global commerce because it lowers the cost of transacting with one another . Reducing transaction costs creates more opportunities for global commerce . '' In March 2009 , GoldMoney launched a dedicated iPhone application allowing its account holders to exchange gold and silver units within minutes . Putting a trendy iPhone application that allows people to manage their own digital gold on par with other popular banking applications branded by well-established banks brings e-currency a step closer to the modern mobile end-user . Furthermore , GoldMoney is firmly anchored to real-world assets and individuals , notably strictly forbidding anonymous accounts -- unlike the former incarnation of the pioneering company E-Gold , whose founder this month ends his six-month house arrest in Florida after pleading guilty to money laundering-related crimes . So how realistic is the prospect of a single , global , digital currency ? `` It all comes down to trust , '' says senior economist Frederic Neumann . `` We trust the government to guarantee our ` virtual ' money for real currency . -LSB- With digital gold -RSB- the gold standard is guaranteed by a private company . Governments already have several hundred years of sovereignty engrained in people 's minds , so that trust is very difficult to establish . '' | Entropia Universe 's Mind Bank has been granted a real-money banking license . Dual-currency economy allows for free trading between virtual and real money . Second Life can be profitable , but also suffers from real-world recession . Digital gold currency may be promising , but still lacks trust of people . | [[705, 715], [768, 819], [772, 886]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The mysterious disappearance of Flight AF 447 over the Atlantic Ocean has fueled speculation among aviation experts about what caused the state-of-the-art airliner to come down . An airliner is struck by lightning strike at Washington 's Dulles airport last year . According to Air France CEO Pierre-Henri Gourgeon , the Airbus A330-200 encountered heavy turbulence about 02:15 a.m. local time Monday -LRB- 10:15 p.m. ET Sunday -RRB- , three hours after the jet carrying 228 people left Rio de Janeiro , Brazil , for Paris , France . At that point , the plane 's automatic system initiated a four-minute exchange of messages to the company 's maintenance computers , indicating `` several pieces of aircraft equipment were at fault or had broken down . '' The jet , which was flying at 35,000 feet and at 521 mph , also sent a warning that it had lost pressure , the Brazilian air force said . Its last known contact occurred at 02:33 a.m. , the Brazilian air force spokesman added . The assumption is that these electrical problems led to a catastrophic failure of the aircraft 's controls . What brought Flight AF 447 down ? '' Some experts have said that a lightning strike was a possibility , particularly since the plane disappeared in a storm-prone area along the equator known as the Intertropical Convergence zone -LRB- ITCZ -RRB- . This is where the trade winds of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres converge . The intense sun and warm water of the equator heats the air in the ITCZ , raising its humidity and making it buoyant . Aided by the convergence of the trade winds , the buoyant air rises , releasing the accumulated moisture in an almost constant series of thunderstorms . The airliner 's route '' According to CNN 's Mari Ramos , these storms can reach altitudes of 52,000 ft -- way beyond the capacity of commercial airliners to fly over . Watch more about the weather systems '' Retired airline pilot John Cox told CNN that modern aircraft receive a constant stream of real time weather data which allows them to plot a course around storms . `` Because safety is the paramount concern , airliners do n't fly into storms . They fly around them , '' he said . `` The ITCZ is no different . Planes fly through it every day . `` At 8 miles per minute , modern jets can easily fly around storms . Even if they encounter turbulence , they 're designed to absorb it . '' When lightning strikes a plane , the bolt typically hits a sharp part of it , such as a wing tip . Huge amounts of energy surge through the aircraft before exiting out of another sharp point , such as the tail . But sometimes high voltages can cause electrical damage if components are not well-grounded . Unlike other aircraft where the pilot 's controls are manually attached to the flaps and rudders , Airbus 330 airliners are equipped with a `` fly by wire '' system that sends electronic signals from an onboard computer to move key control surfaces . Experts say that it is possible for this system and its back-up computers to be disabled by lightning . `` If you have a massive electrical problem it 's possible that you could cut off all the commands out to the control surfaces , '' said aeronautics expert John Hansman . However , Kieran Daly , from the online aviation news service Air Transport Intelligence , told CNN that this scenario , while not impossible , is inconceivable . `` It 's more likely that lightning would cause a fire or punch a hole through the aircraft structure , '' he said . `` It could be significant that the jet reported a loss of pressure . '' He added that the aircraft would be able to continue without the fly-by-wire system . The `` trim tab , '' which enables the pilot to manually manipulate controls such as the rudder , would allow the crew to fly the aircraft safely . `` Pilots are routinely trained for these kinds of events in a simulator , '' he said . Former Airbus pilot John Wiley said on average every airliner is hit by a strike once a year . `` They do n't go down , '' he said . According to Air France , the captain of Flight AF 447 had a record of 11,000 flight hours and had already flown 1,700 hours on Airbus A330/A340 aircraft . Of the two first officers , one had flown 3,000 flight hours -LRB- 800 of which on the Airbus A330/A340 -RRB- and the other 6,600 -LRB- 2,600 on the Airbus A330/A340 -RRB- . The aircraft had totaled 18,870 flight hours and went into service on 18 April 2005 . Its last maintenance check in the hangar took place on 16 April 2009 . | Air France Airbus A330-200 encountered heavy turbulence . CEO : `` Several pieces of aircraft equipment were at fault or had broken down '' Some experts have said that a lightning strike was a possible cause . Flight 447 , traveling from Rio de Janeiro to Paris , was carrying 228 people . | [[353, 429], [301, 350], [586, 615], [703, 767], [703, 753], [771, 788], [1166, 1313], [490, 537]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Katherine Jackson 's legal battle for some control of her son 's estate returns to court Monday in front of the same judge who is expected to award her permanent guardianship of Michael Jackson 's children . Katherine Jackson has accused the executors of her son 's estate of `` keeping her in the dark . '' Dozens of lawyers are expected to pack a Los Angeles courtroom where a judge will consider the Jackson family matriarch 's challenge of the lawyer and former music executive who were named as executors in Michael Jackson 's will . Katherine Jackson 's lawyers filed a petition last week accusing the men who now control the estate of being `` intent on keeping her in the dark '' about deals they 've made or are negotiating . Londell McMillan , Jackson 's lead attorney , raised questions about `` a suspicious circle of relationships '' involving John Branca , the singer 's longtime personal attorney , and John McClain , a music industry executive and longtime friend . Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff gave Branca and McClain temporary control of the estate until Monday 's hearing . Katherine Jackson is asking the judge to order Branca , McClain and others to answer questions under oath about their business agreements to determine if they are `` fit and able '' to administer the estate . The men also were served with a 19-page demand for documents . Branca has refused to let Katherine Jackson see Michael Jackson 's contracts with AEG -- the company that was organizing and promoting his planned concerts -- unless she agrees to keep them confidential . Branca 's lawyer argued in a court filing that he has no choice , since the contracts have a provision requiring confidentiality . Branca 's lawyers also argued that Jackson 's demand for documents was too broad and burdensome . `` Such measures will not be necessary if Mrs. Jackson is appointed a co-executor of the estate , '' McMillan said . McMillan , in an interview with CBS Thursday , estimated the Jackson estate was worth $ 2 billion , while the executors have estimated in court that its value is around $ 500 million . The will written in 2002 places all of Michael Jackson 's assets into a family trust benefiting his mother , his three children and unnamed charities . Judge Beckloff will consider at Monday 's hearing who will have permanent control of the estate . The judge is also expected Monday to finalize Katherine Jackson 's guardianship of her son 's three children . An agreement between Jackson and Debbie Rowe , the mother of the two oldest children , cleared the way for an uncontested custody hearing . Rowe , who was briefly married to Michael Jackson , agreed not to fight for custody in exchange for visits with the children as recommended by a psychologist . The agreement does not involve any financial payments to Rowe `` apart from the continuation of spousal support payments '' that Michael Jackson personally agreed to make to Rowe after their divorce , their lawyers said in a joint statement . Jackson 's children have been living with their paternal grandmother at her Encino , California , home since their father 's death . The oldest child -- Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. -- was born in February 1997 . A daughter -- Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson -- was born the next year . Details of how the children were conceived -- and who was the biological father -- have been closely guarded amid much public speculation . The couple divorced in 1999 with Rowe giving Jackson full custody while she got an $ 8.5 million settlement , according to court documents . Jackson later agreed to additional support . Rowe gave up parental rights to Jackson in 2001 , but she changed her mind more than two years later and sought temporary custody of the children . A California appeals court later ruled her rights were improperly terminated , opening the door to a possible custody battle . While the coroner 's report on what killed Michael Jackson has been delayed indefinitely , new evidence emerged that the singer shopped for a doctor who would give him the drug investigators suspect led to his death . Dr. Allan Metzger , whose name appeared on a search warrant served this week , refused Jackson 's request in April for the anesthetic propofol -- commonly known by the brand name Diprivan -- Metzger 's attorney said . Investigators suspect another physician , Dr. Conrad Murray , gave the drug to Jackson in the 24 hours before he died , according to a source , who asked not to be named because the individual was not authorized to speak to the news media . Metzger , who practices in West Hollywood , California , told Jackson during a visit to his Holmby Hills home that the drug was `` dangerous and potentially life-threatening and could not be used outside of a hospital , '' attorney Harland Braun said . Metzger 's medical records for Jackson , whom he treated until 2003 , have been given to the coroner , Braun said . He said Metzger prescribed drugs for Jackson under the alias Omar Arnold and Michael Jackson , which was not illegal since he used both names together . The doctor did that because he thought it was `` his duty to protect the privacy '' of his patient , Braun said . Omar Arnold is one of 19 aliases listed in the warrant used by Los Angeles police and federal drug agents Tuesday to search the Las Vegas office and home of Murray , a Texas-based cardiologist . The warrant also mentioned Cherilyn Lee , a nurse practitioner who treated Jackson earlier this year . Lee told CNN Jackson begged her for the propofol to help him get a good night 's sleep . She said she refused , telling the pop star that if he took the medicine , he might never wake up . The same warrant , signed by a Las Vegas judge , implied that investigators suspected Jackson was a drug addict . Dr. Deepak Chopra told CNN in a recent interview that when Jackson asked him for a narcotic , he told him absolutely no . `` I said to him , ` Michael , you 're going to die one day from this , ' '' Chopra said . During a world tour in the mid - '90s , sources close to Jackson told CNN , the pop star suffered from insomnia and traveled with an anesthesiologist who would `` take him down '' at night and then `` bring him back up . '' According to a report on a 2004 Santa Barbara police investigation , security guards in Jackson 's inner circle said he traveled the country getting prescriptions from doctors . The Los Angeles County coroner , who must rule on the cause of Jackson 's June 25 death , met Thursday with the Los Angeles District Attorney , who must decide if anyone will be prosecuted for his death . During the meeting , it was decided that an announcement of the coroner 's findings would be delayed indefinitely , according to a source close to the investigation . An official in the coroner 's office had previously indicated to reporters that the findings would be made public within days . CNN 's Randi Kaye contributed to this report . | Katherine Jackson looking for some control of her son 's estate . Lawyers ' petition accuses executors of keeping Katherine Jackson `` in the dark '' Jackson wants executors to answer questions about business arrangements . | [[320, 348], [583, 655], [618, 628], [634, 743], [1159, 1296]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Are you looking for an easy way to reduce your monthly budget ? Look no further than your cell phone bill . Clark Howard says consider switching to a less known cell provider to save money and avoid signing contracts . If you 're with one of the four big providers -- AT&T , Sprint , Verizon or T-Mobile -- you 're almost certainly overpaying for service . In addition , all four have a business model that 's based on cowardice . They 've developed lousy , stinking , rotten two-year contracts because they 're afraid to compete in the marketplace . Thankfully , there are a variety of smaller players in the market who offer nationwide coverage for less money with no contracts . Before considering any adjustment to your cell phone plan , you 'll need to start by assessing how much you talk , text and surf the Web on your phone . Watch Clark discuss the pros and cons of bundling services . If you use less than 300 minutes per month , you 'd probably do much better with a prepaid plan where you buy minutes as you need them . Net10.com is one service I usually recommend -- no roaming charges , no long distance charges , no monthly fees and a flat 10 cents per minute for calls . If you use more than 300 minutes per month and you travel from time to time , you might want to consider either Metro PCS or Cricket . Both have plans ranging from $ 25 to $ 50 and offer unlimited calling . The difference in price points is based on how many other features you want -- texting , Web surfing and so on . But there are never any contracts or overages . For heavy cell phone users , there are Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile . Both are engaged in an all-out price war that can directly benefit you . Virgin Mobile is offering $ 49.99 per month unlimited calling -- no roaming charges and no contract . If you want texting , you 'll pay an additional $ 10 per month for unlimited service . If you want high-speed Internet , you 'll pay another $ 10 per month on top of that for a 50MB plan . Boost Mobile 's $ 50 per month plan already includes unlimited calling , texting and Web access . And that $ 50 even includes junk fees ! One caveat here : Remember , my definition of `` cheap '' means that I 'm willing to accept lower quality for a lower price . So consider this caveat carefully and do your own research before making any final decisions about your cell provider . Speaking of cheap , a new competitor in the marketplace may have both Boost and Virgin beat . Straight Talk offers a cellular plan for $ 30 per month . You get 1,000 minutes , 1,000 text messages and 30MB of data for that price . It 's important to remember that very few people use more than 1,000 minutes per month . The typical person clocks in at 790 minutes and pays an average monthly contract bill of $ 67 , according to Nielsen Mobile studies of U.S. adults on individual cell phone contract plans . So , what are you waiting for ? Consider firing your `` Big 4 '' cell provider and going with one of the smaller guys . The savings are there for the taking . Finally , CellTradeUSA.com can help you get out of your existing contract by trading it away to someone else . This tends to work particularly well if you have a hot phone that everybody wants . | Smaller players in cellular market can offer nationwide coverage for less . Nielsen Mobile says typical customer uses 790 minutes , pays average $ 67 a month . Howard says do your research before making decisions about your cell provider . | [[643, 653], [658, 718], [2732, 2775], [2780, 2825], [2732, 2775], [2828, 2920], [2331, 2412]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The case of Janet Jackson 's `` wardrobe malfunction '' on national television -- and subsequent fines against CBS -- will be re-examined at the order of the Supreme Court . Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson perform at the Super Bowl just before the infamous `` wardrobe malfunction . '' The justices Monday sent the case back to a federal appeals court in Philadelphia that had thrown out a $ 550,000 government fine against the broadcast network and its affiliates for airing the incident during halftime of the 2004 Super Bowl . The pop singer 's breast was briefly exposed during a performance with singer Justin Timberlake . After viewer complaints and national media attention , the Federal Communications Commission said the Jackson incident was obscene . In addition to CBS Inc. , 20 of its affiliates also were fined . Congress quickly reacted at the time to the visual shocker by increasing the limit on indecency fines tenfold , up to $ 325,000 per violation per network . And it said each local affiliate that aired such incidents also could be punished by the same amount . But the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concluded the communications commission had acted `` arbitrarily and capriciously . '' The Supreme Court 's action marks the second time in recent days that it has dealt with cases involving broadcast standards . Last week , the justices narrowly upheld the authority of the Federal Communications Commission to punish networks for airing profanity . The government clampdown on obscene images and words began in 2003 . Enforcement of the law , as well as fines and sanctions for the incidents , have been put on hold while the cases are being argued . The television networks say their scripted shows no longer air nudity , racy images or expletives , even after 10 p.m. , when some potentially vulgar words are permitted . They worry , however , about unplanned , often spontaneous indecent or profane incident at live events , such as awards shows and sporting events . Company officials say such programs are often on a five-second delay , and censors are on hand to bleep any offensive language . But some indecent words can slip through , they admit , and they want to be protected from heavy government fines . Critics call that laughable . `` This past summer , CBS edited into a show that had to go through multiple reviews , by multiple people in the organization , the F-word , '' said Tim Winter , who heads the Parents Television Council , and is supporting the FCC 's efforts . His group advocates `` responsible '' programming , and warns parents about questionable program content . The show in question was `` Big Brother 10 , '' a taped series . The Jackson incident was not on a five-second delay . CBS issued a statement Monday afternoon it is confident that the appeals court `` will again recognize that the Super Bowl incident , while inappropriate and regrettable , was not and could not have been anticipated by CBS . '' The issue is an important one `` for the entire broadcasting industry , '' it said , `` because it recognizes that there are rare instances , particularly during live programming , when despite best efforts it may not be possible to block unfortunate fleeting material . '' In the case involving profane language , the high court concluded 5-4 that the communications commission has the authority to sanction broadcast TV networks that air isolated incidents of profanity , known as `` fleeting expletives . '' But the justices in that case refused to decide whether the commission 's policy violates the First Amendment guarantee of free speech . It ruled only on their enforcement power . The justices ordered the free-speech aspect to be reviewed again by a federal appeals court . The `` wardrobe malfunction '' case is FCC v. CBS Corp. -LRB- 08-653 -RRB- . | U.S. Supreme Court has asked that `` wardrobe malfunction '' case be re-examined . Janet Jackson inadvertently flashed breast during Super Bowl halftime show in 2004 . CBS and several affiliates were fined ; appeals court disagreed with decision . Networks have clamped down on nudity , language ; still worry some slips through . | [[0, 26], [116, 144], [148, 203], [564, 661], [386, 401], [407, 563], [1512, 1580], [1714, 1832]] |
-LRB- Travel + Leisure -RRB- -- Stockholm has a reputation for being one of Europe 's most expensive cities . T+L hits the streets of the fashionable capital and proves otherwise . Stockholm 's Strommen River . 9:00 a.m. I plot my day over a complimentary breakfast of homemade yogurt and knäckebröd -LRB- crispy bread -RRB- at Hotel Anno 1647 -LRB- 3 Mariagränd ; 46-8/442 -1680 -RRB- , housed in a former tobacco and clothing factory in the hip island neighborhood of Södermalm . My room -LRB- $ 170 -RRB- , No. 21 , is small and peaceful , with rustic pine floors , an antique crystal chandelier , and , thankfully , blackout drapes -- essential in a city that gets 18 hours of sunlight a day in the summer . 10:00 a.m. . The hotel is around the corner from Götgatan , one of Stockholm 's most seductive shopping strips . Though it feels a little early to start spending , I ca n't resist a jar of cloudberry honey -LRB- $ 6 -RRB- from Iris Hantverk -LRB- 37 Götgatan ; 46-8/641 -9190 -RRB- , a store that specializes in handmade items by visually impaired artisans . I crave almost everything I see in DesignTorget -LRB- 31 Götgatan , 46-8/462 -3520 -RRB- , which carries an eclectic range of accessories by Swedish designers , including hand-printed dish towels and colorful kids ' toys . But I force myself to move along . 12:00 p.m. For lunch , I circle back to busy Slussen square -- Stockholm 's answer to Grand Central . The main attraction here -LRB- besides a major subway stop -RRB- is the humble Nystekt Strömming -LRB- fried herring -RRB- wagon , encircled by picnic tables crowded with locals on their lunch breaks . I sidle up and order the signature dish -LRB- $ 6.25 -RRB- topped with a dollop of crème fraîche . From my bench , I can see the silhouette of Gamla Stan , the old section of the city just across the bridge . 1:00 p.m. Down along the harbor , a freckled blond girl at a candy cart snips off a sample of her salt licorice -LRB- free -RRB- , a delicious flavor called Häxvrål -- `` scream of the witch , '' she translates . After a short stroll past the steamboats and Baroque mansions of Östermalm , I arrive at the Vasamuseet -LRB- 14 Galärvarvsvägen ; 46-8/5195 -4800 -RRB- , a maritime museum built around a meticulously reconstructed boat that was shipwrecked in the 17th century . I buy a ticket -LRB- $ 15 -RRB- and explore the gigantic ship , feeling a little like an extra on the set of `` Pirates of the Caribbean . '' 3:30 p.m. Risking museum burnout , I head to the galleries -LRB- $ 12.50 admission -RRB- of the Moderna Museet -LRB- Skeppsholmen ; 46-8/5195 -5200 -RRB- , designed by the Spanish architect Rafael Moneo , to see its collection of 20th-century European and American art . Here , I discover the contemporary Swedish painter Karin Mamma Andersson , whose lush , layered paintings look like dreamscapes . I also find one of the city 's best photo ops -- the panoramic view of the port from the glass-walled museum café . 5:00 p.m. I forgo a pricey taxi ride across the city in favor of an infinitely more charming and scenic walk toward Gamla Stan , which is touristy but irresistible once I 'm weaving through a knot of cobblestoned streets and storybook 17th-century houses . My reward is a hot chocolate -LRB- $ 4.70 -RRB- at Kaffekoppen -LRB- 18-20 Stortorget ; 46-8/203 -170 -RRB- , a candlelit cellar with tea-stained walls and low vaulted ceilings . 7:00 p.m. . While wandering the alleys of Gamla Stan , I stumble upon what may be the city 's top bargain : a classical music concert -LRB- $ 11 -RRB- at Storkyrkan , Stockholm 's central cathedral -LRB- 1 Trangsund , Gamla Stan ; 46-8/723 -3016 -RRB- . I take a seat in a wooden pew as a local pianist fills the space with the music of Chopin . Dusky evening light filters in through leaded glass windows and shimmers off the golden angels on the high brick ceiling . Divine . 9:30 p.m. . The lingering sunlight has affected my eating schedule , but I 'm finally hungry again . On the patio of Babylon -LRB- 4 Björns Trädgårdsgränd ; 46-8/640 -8083 -RRB- , surrounded by chattering clusters of young fashion plates and artist types , I wrap myself in one of the restaurant 's green fleece blankets and gobble down a late dinner of potatoes and röding -LRB- $ 25.80 -RRB- , a local fish . From my barstool , I watch skinny blond skateboarders dip and sail around a cement half-pipe in the adjacent park , and revel in a priceless travel high : the giddy feeling of having discovered the coolest place in town . TOTAL SPENT : . $ 251.25 E-mail to a friend . Planning a beach getaway ? Do n't miss Travel + Leisure 's guide to Affordable Beach Resorts . Copyright 2009 American Express Publishing Corporation . All rights reserved . | Hotel Anno is located in the hip island neighborhood of Södermalm . Locals crowd around the fried herring wagon in Slussen square . Moderna Museet features a collection of 20th-century European and American art . | [[365, 385], [388, 481], [1499, 1559], [1562, 1596], [2592, 2613], [2616, 2649], [2665, 2730]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a resolution Friday that says it supports `` all Iranians who embrace the values of freedom , human rights , civil liberties and the rule of law . '' Throngs in Tehran cheer Thursday for defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Moussavi , center . The resolution was approved by 405 lawmakers , while one -- Rep. Ron Paul , R-Texas -- voted against it . Two others , Reps. Brad Ellsworth , D-Indiana , and Dave Loebsack , D-Iowa , voted `` present . '' In a statement on his Web site , Paul said he voted against the measure because he is `` always very cautious about ` condemning ' the actions of governments overseas . '' `` I have always hesitated when my colleagues rush to pronounce final judgment on events thousands of miles away about which we know very little , '' said Paul , who attracted attention last year during his unsuccessful bid for the Republican presidential nomination . `` And we know very little beyond limited press reports about what is happening in Iran . '' The resolution , which also `` condemns the ongoing violence against demonstrators , '' was sponsored by Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman , D-California , and two Republicans , Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia . Speaking shortly after the resolution passed , Pence called it a message from Americans to the Iranian people . `` As Americans have done throughout our history , this Congress today , on behalf of the American people , has spoken a word of heartfelt support to all Iranian citizens who embrace the values of freedom , human rights , civil liberties and the rule of law , '' he said . He urged U.S. senators to support the identical resolution that Sen. John McCain , R-Arizona , introduced Friday . Both Pence and McCain have been outspoken in their criticism of President Obama 's response to massive rallies in Iran against the results of last week 's presidential election . Watch as Obama walks a fine line '' Supporters of Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi have taken to the streets this week calling for a new election after the results of the June 12 vote showed an overwhelming victory for hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad . The rallies also have denounced the Iranian government 's crackdown on the protests in which at least eight people have died . Obama has said he is `` deeply troubled '' by the violence , but he has avoided siding with Ahmadinejad 's opponents , telling reporters , `` It is up to Iranians to make decisions about who Iran 's leaders will be . '' `` It 's not productive , given the history of U.S.-Iranian relations , to be seen as meddling , the U.S. president meddling in Iranian elections , '' Obama said this week . But several Republicans , particularly McCain -- Obama 's opponent in last year 's presidential race -- have criticized the administration 's position . McCain introduced a resolution on the Senate floor Friday morning that he said would be `` an expression of support by the government and the people of the United States of America '' for those protesting the election results . `` It is unfortunate in a way that this resolution is required since the administration does not want to ` meddle ' and has refused , the president has refused to speak out in support of these brave Iranian citizens , most of them young , who are risking their very lives to protest what was clearly an unfair and corrupt election , '' McCain told his fellow senators . Watch what else McCain said about Obama '' The resolution passed Friday states that the House : . On Thursday , Cantor joined the critics of the White House , saying the United States has a `` moral responsibility '' to condemn attacks on protesters . `` The administration 's position that what 's going on in Iran is a ` vigorous debate ' is absurd , '' he said . `` People are being brutalized and murdered by the regime in Tehran . We have no idea exactly how many have died or have been seriously injured since the regime has restricted journalists . In no way do these actions constitute a ` vigorous debate . ' '' Cantor , the No. 2 Republican in the House , added , `` America has a moral responsibility to stand up for these brave people , to defend human rights and to condemn the violence and abuses by the regime in Tehran . '' Watch amateur video of protesters under attack '' Pence has called on the United States `` to take a half-step back from this administration 's olive branch and the apology approach to enemies and countries that have been hostile to the United States of America and our allies , particularly with the road to Iran . '' But Sen. John Kerry , chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , said Washington would be making an `` enormous mistake '' by taking sides in the Iranian protests . `` There is no need for the United States of America to step into the middle of it and make this about America , '' Kerry told CNN 's `` The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer . '' `` It is an Iranian moment , spurred on by Iranians , thoroughly supported by Iranians to the degree that the supreme ayatollah has now backed off his own support for the elections -LSB- and -RSB- called for an investigation , '' he said . White House spokesman Robert Gibbs defended the administration 's approach this week , saying that Obama `` believes that he 's struck the right tone . '' `` I know some people agree with what Sen. McCain said . Some people agree with what other Republicans have said that 's very much like the president 's position , '' Gibbs said Thursday . `` The president strongly believes that we should -- and have -- spoken out to ensure the demonstrators have the universal right and principle to demonstrate without fear of harm . But at the same time , we have to respect their sovereignty . '' Moorhead Kennedy , a former diplomat who was among those taken hostage at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 , said he supports the Obama administration 's position . `` I think if I had any conclusion to draw , we would have been much better off not interfering in Iran now , '' Kennedy told CNN 's `` American Morning . '' Because the United States backed a 1953 coup that put Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi in charge , and supported him until the 1979 revolution that created today 's Islamic republic , Kennedy said , `` There are a great many resentments there . '' CNN 's Paul Steinhauser , Deirdre Walsh , Peter Hamby and Dan Lothian contributed to this report . | NEW : Lone dissenter : `` We know very little ... about what is happening in Iran '' House votes 405-1 for resolution supporting democracy in Iran . Republican Sen. John McCain offers similar resolution in Senate . McCain , other Republicans criticize President Obama 's warning against `` meddling '' | [[841, 860], [992, 1074], [0, 26], [64, 145], [339, 383], [1733, 1825], [1742, 1847], [1848, 2026], [2827, 2868], [2919, 2975]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- While the coroner 's report on what killed Michael Jackson has been delayed indefinitely , new evidence emerged that the singer shopped for a doctor who would give him the drug investigators suspect led to his death . A doctor of Michael Jackson says he prescribed drugs to the alias Omar Arnold . Dr. Allan Metzger , whose name appeared on a search warrant served this week , refused Jackson 's request in April for the anesthetic propofol -- commonly known by the brand name Diprivan , Metzger 's attorney said . Investigators suspect another physician , Dr. Conrad Murray , gave the drug to Jackson in the 24 hours before he died , according to a source , who asked not to be named because the individual was not authorized to speak to the news media . Metzger , who practices in West Hollywood , California , told Jackson during a visit to his Holmby Hills home that the drug was `` dangerous and potentially life-threatening and could not be used outside of a hospital , '' attorney Harland Braun said . Metzger 's medical records for Jackson , whom he treated until 2003 , have been given to the coroner , Braun said . He said Metzger prescribed drugs for Jackson under the alias Omar Arnold and Michael Jackson , which was not illegal since he used both names together . The doctor did that because he thought it was `` his duty to protect the privacy '' of his patient , Braun said . Omar Arnold is one of 19 aliases listed in the warrant used by Los Angeles police and federal drug agents Tuesday to search the Las Vegas , Nevada , office and home of Murray , a Texas-based cardiologist . The warrant also mentioned Cherilyn Lee , a nurse practitioner who treated Jackson earlier this year . Lee said Jackson begged her for propofol to help him get a good night 's sleep . She said she refused , telling the pop star that if he took the medicine , he might never wake up . The same warrant , signed by a Las Vegas judge , implied that investigators suspected Jackson was a drug addict . Dr. Deepak Chopra said in a recent interview that when Jackson asked him for a narcotic , he told him absolutely no . `` I said to him , ` Michael , you 're going to die one day from this , ' '' Chopra said . During a world tour in the mid - '90s , sources close to Jackson told CNN , the pop star suffered from insomnia and traveled with an anesthesiologist who would `` take him down '' at night and then `` bring him back up . '' According to a report on a 2004 Santa Barbara , California , police investigation , security guards in Jackson 's inner circle said he traveled the country getting prescriptions from doctors . The Los Angeles County coroner , who must rule on the cause of Jackson 's June 25 death , met Thursday with the Los Angeles District Attorney , who must decide if anyone will be prosecuted for his death . During the meeting , it was decided that an announcement of the coroner 's findings would be delayed indefinitely , according to a source close to the investigation . An official in the coroner 's office had previously indicated to reporters that the findings would be made public within days . Katherine Jackson goes to court Monday . Katherine Jackson 's legal battle for some control of her son 's estate returns to court Monday in front of the same judge who is expected to award her permanent guardianship of his children . Jackson 's lawyers filed a petition Tuesday accusing the men who now control the estate of being `` intent on keeping her in the dark '' about deals they 've made or are negotiating . Jackson lawyer Londell McMillan raised questions about `` a suspicious circle of relationships '' involving John Branca , the singer 's longtime personal attorney , and John McClain , a music industry executive and longtime friend -- who were named executors in Jackson 's will . Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff gave Branca and McClain temporary control of the estate until Monday 's hearing . In the Jackson lawyers ' petition , they asked the judge to order Branca , McClain and others to answer questions under oath about their business agreements to determine if they are `` fit and able '' to administer the estate . They also served the men with a 19-page demand for documents . Branca has refused to let Katherine Jackson see Michael Jackson 's contracts with AEG , the company that was organizing and promoting his planned concerts , unless she agrees to keep them confidential . Branca 's lawyer argued in a court filing that he has no choice since the contracts have a provision requiring confidentiality . Branca 's lawyers also argued that Jackson 's demand for documents was too broad and burdensome . `` Such measures will not be necessary if Mrs. Jackson is appointed a co-executor of the estate , '' McMillan said . McMillan , in an interview with CBS on Thursday , estimated the Jackson estate was worth $ 2 billion , while the executors have estimated in court that its value is around $ 500 million . The will written in 2002 places all of Jackson 's assets into a family trust benefiting his mother , his three children and unnamed charities . The judge is also expected Monday to finalize Katherine Jackson 's guardianship of her son 's three children . An agreement between Jackson and Debbie Rowe , the mother of the two eldest children , cleared the way for an uncontested custody hearing . Rowe , who was briefly married to Michael Jackson , agreed not to fight for custody in exchange for visits with the children as recommended by a psychologist . The agreement does not involve any financial payments to Rowe `` apart from the continuation of spousal support payments '' that Michael Jackson personally agreed to make to Rowe after their divorce , their lawyers said in a joint statement . Jackson 's children have been living with their paternal grandmother at her Encino , California , home since their father 's death . The eldest child , Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. , was born in February 1997 . A daughter , Paris Michael Katherine Jackson , was born the next year . Details of how the children were conceived -- and who was the biological father -- have been closely guarded amid much public speculation . The couple divorced in 1999 with Rowe giving Jackson full custody while she got an $ 8.5 million settlement , according to court documents . Jackson later agreed to additional support . Rowe gave up parental rights to Jackson in 2001 , but she changed her mind more than two years later and sought temporary custody of the children . A California appeals court later ruled her rights were improperly terminated , opening the door to a possible custody battle . CNN 's Randi Kaye contributed to this report . | Coroner 's report on what killed Michael Jackson has been delayed indefinitely . Doctor 's attorney says Jackson sought Diprivan , drug suspected in his death . Coroner , district attorney decide not to release coroner 's findings . Hearing Monday on control of estate , custody of children . | [[80, 132], [2871, 2889], [2892, 3037], [180, 192], [197, 261], [2871, 2889], [2892, 3037], [3864, 3996], [5167, 5277], [5194, 5277]] |
Editor 's note : CNN affiliates report on where job seekers are finding work across the country and how those looking for employment are coping with the situation . Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon , shown in April , once worked in a city jobs program as a youth . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Some of the stimulus money from the U.S. government is going to programs that help young adults find jobs . In Baltimore , Maryland , the city wants to put more than 7,000 to work , mostly in local government jobs . It will use more than $ 6 million from the federal government and sponsorship money , according to WBAL-TV in Baltimore . Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon recalled her days as a young worker . `` I worked at a camp , and then in high school , I was able to continue to work in the program , '' she said . Read the full report on WBAL . In Palm Beach Gardens , Florida , Kahtoya Wesley , 20 , has had difficulty finding a job , but she has a better chance of finding work now because she has joined the Summer Youth Employment Program , according to WPBF-TV in West Palm Beach . So far 200 people have landed jobs through the program , an initiative of the Workforce Alliance of Palm Beach County , WPBF reported . The organization is using $ 3 million of stimulus money to fund the positions the young adults find , the station said . iReport.com : Share your job hunt story . The group also prepares the job seekers for interviews and provides seminars in how to deal with work-life situations . `` I got fired like five times . It was bad , '' John Hill told WPBF . He chose a seminar on working better with a supervisor . `` Because I usually do n't , '' he told the station . Read the full report on WPBF . The state of Arkansas is using federal money to fund jobs for at-risk students in Springdale , according to KHBS-TV in Fort Smith , Arkansas . The town 's youth center hired five teens to work in clerical and maintenance positions , KHBS reported . David Cook told the station he has had trouble motivating himself to go to school . The summer job was helping him with a shift on focus . `` It gives me a sense of responsibility of showing up on time , working on a schedule and with other people , '' he told KHBS . Read the full report on KHBS . West : FedEx center brings 650 jobs to Oregon . Even before a new FedEx shipping center brings hundreds of jobs to Troutdale , Oregon , it is helping with employment through road construction jobs , according to KPTV-TV in Portland . The new hub , which is expected to be completed in July 2010 , will bring more than 1,000 additional cars to the area , so the Oregon Department of Transportation called for two additional lanes at a nearby major intersection , KPTV reported . FedEx is expected to employ 650 workers at the facility once it opens , according to KPTV . `` We 're creating family wage jobs , because this project will take place this summer , '' Troutdale Mayor Jim Kight told the station . Oregon 's unemployment rate was a record 12.4 percent in May . Read the full report on KPTV . South : No job ? Create your own . He was once a senior loan officer who had been laid off and was looking every day for a job anywhere there might be an opportunity . When he could n't find the right chance , he created his own . Kenneth Hodge is now a small business owner , the founder of SFG Records . `` If you look at your failures , if you stare at your failures too long , you 'll never go anywhere , '' Hodge told WPBF . `` But if you look beyond your failures , you can move to and fulfill your dreams . You can do that . I think I can do that , and we are doing that . '' Six recording artists are featured on his Web site , and Hodge told the West Palm Beach station that he has already hired seven employees . Read the full report on WPBF . Midwest : Iowa town sees trickle-down effect from stimulus . Federal stimulus money indirectly helped an air conditioning company bring 110 workers back to its plant in Marshalltown , Iowa , according to KCCI-TV in Des Moines . The town 's economic development director told KCCI that Lennox was able to hire back the workers because of increased demand . `` There 's money from the federal level from tax rebates , and there 's usually always money on the other side from the electric company helping out with tax rebates and most people are saying ` Yes , I want to do that , ' '' Joel Akason told the station . Lennox is being cautious in its hiring , Akason told KCCI . Most of the positions are temporary , but 45 are permanent , the station reported . Read the full report on KCCI . Around the nation . | Baltimore , Maryland will hire 7,000-plus teens to work city jobs . FedEx center in Oregon bringing jobs now and in future . Man starts record label after losing position as loan officer . Lennox plant needs more workers due to pickup in air conditioning business . | [[388, 400], [414, 495], [2258, 2298], [2299, 2375]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cell phone technology is helping developing nations prepare for disease threats such as a new strain of swine flu , an outbreak of measles or the increased spread of HIV . Workers in Kenya use EpiSurveyor for the first time nationwide during this year 's children 's health week . Kenya proved it in 2007 , when the East African nation suffered its first case of the polio virus in more than 20 years , said Yusuf Ajack Ibrahim , a health care worker at the Kenyan Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation . As thousands of Somalis fled to Kenya to avoid violence in their homeland , the exodus sparked a serious health crisis , Ibrahim said . `` One case of confirmed wild polio virus put at risk the lives of 100,000 children , '' he said . Kenyan health officials determined that they needed a way to quickly survey and assess the situation and initiate a massive immunization campaign . The solution was on the Internet , where they found a free , open-source application designed for personal digital assistants , called EpiSurveyor . Open-source software is posted online for anyone to use and alter to suit their needs . Downloading the software to cell phones enabled officials to gather data directly from the site of the outbreak and send it electronically back to headquarters for faster analysis . This cuts down on the time officials have to spend collecting paper surveys and analyzing them individually before they can begin treating people . `` The information gave us useful feedback not only on the affected area but on the neighboring ones as well and helped us put plans and measures in place to stop the spread of the virus , '' Ibrahim added . Physician and epidemiologist Dr. Joel Selanikio predicts that within a year , health officials will be using the technology to track other threats in developing nations , such as the recent Mexican swine flu outbreak . Selanikio invented EpiSurveyor in 2003 , after he and American Red Cross technologist Rose Donna began searching for a more efficient way to gather data on immerging diseases . They started a nonprofit organization , DataDyne , aiming to use mobile devices to efficiently and immediately gather public health information . `` Collecting data on paper and then taking two years to enter the data is a tremendous drain and barrier to good public health , '' said Selanikio , who teaches pediatrics at Washington 's Georgetown University Hospital . Mobile devices such as PDAs or handheld computers have been used for field studies since the late 1990s , but electronic survey methods have traditionally been expensive , labor-intensive and challenging to implement on a global scale . Many global health institutions are now encouraging the use of advanced methodologies such as smart phones and open-source software as the next generation of data transmission , said Dr. Ramesh Krishnamurthy , an informatics scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . EpiSurveyor frees health care workers from hiring programmers to create electronic surveys . Data gatherers can customize their questionnaires online , download the questionnaires onto a cell phone that has Internet capability , poll patients and do direct analysis , all through a touch pad on a cell phone . Ibrahim credits the technology with saving Zambians who were threatened by a frightening outbreak of measles in 2007 . The government did n't know that vaccine supplies were low , he said . Using EpiSurveyor , health care workers discovered that 60 percent of their vaccine stockpiles in remote areas were missing . They mobilized a response within three weeks , he said . `` Imagine if we have an outbreak of measles and the information is relayed to us three months after the outbreak . By the time we respond , lives would have been lost , but if we can get the information in a day or half a day , we an mount a quick response , '' Ibrahim said . `` By being able to relay the information at an appropriate time , that -- in and of itself -- is life-saving , '' he added . Fans point out that EpiSurveyor 's success hinges on ready access to technology already in place . `` There are 4 billion mobile phones in the world ; 2.2 billion of those are in the developing world , '' said Claire Thwaites , who heads a partnership between the United Nations Foundation and the Vodafone Foundation , which funded EpiSurveyor . Sixty-four percent of all mobile phone users live in the developing world , according to a U.N. estimate . By 2012 , the U.N. believes , half of all residents in remote areas of the world will have mobile phones . Compare mobile ubiquity to the 305 million PCs or 11 million hospital beds in the developing world , Thwaites said . The potential for mobile technology to help manage health care is huge , she said . With the help of the U.N. 's World Health Organization and government health officials in more than 20 African countries , more than 800 health care workers are now trained to use this cell phone software , revolutionizing the way health care data can be collected , monitored and assessed . | Disease-control software in cell phones is touted as boon to global public health . More than half of world 's cell phones are in developing countries . Health workers in Kenya stopped spread of polio in '07 using EpiSurveyor . Kenyan health care worker : Relaying information at appropriate time is life-saving . | [[0, 15], [19, 132], [4212, 4260], [4545, 4621], [3936, 3999]] |
HONG KONG , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 16-year-old Hong Kong boy makes two phone calls for delivery : One for pizza , the other for the drug ketamine . Two teenage girls are found semi-conscious in a car park after overdosing on ketamine . A 13-year-old boy joins a gang and is given free ketamine . Glass capsules containing ketamine , which has become the drug of choice for Hong Kong 's youth . These are anecdotes told to CNN by police , a family doctor and a former gang member . Ketamine has become the drug of choice among young people , as the number of people under 21 taking drugs has surged 57 percent in the last four years in Hong Kong , said Commissioner for Narcotics , Sally Wong . `` We started off with a very small number of young people taking drugs . We are now more worried about the trend , '' Wong said . `` We do n't want a runaway trend ; that 's why we are stepping up action . '' Ketamine , an animal tranquilizer , can put users in a dazed stupor for about two hours , doctors said . Long-term use of ketamine can impair cognitive function and damage internal organs . Watch Pauline Chiou 's report on ketamine sweeping Hong Kong '' An oversupply of the drug in Hong Kong and the fact that it is cheaper than other narcotics makes ketamine popular with young people , said Superintendent Wilson Fok of the Hong Kong Police Narcotics Bureau . One gram of ketamine sells on the street here for $ 13 and is enough to be shared with two other people , while cocaine , for example , sells for $ 103 a gram , Fok said . The drug is legal for medical use , but it is trafficked into Hong Kong from other parts of Asia , such as India and mainland China , and sold on the streets illegally , Fok said . Police have recently stepped up their efforts to crack down on drug use at clubs and bars in Hong Kong and Shenzhen , a city in mainland China just across the border . Nearly 120 alleged drug users from Hong Kong , mostly under the age of 30 , were arrested at entertainment venues in Shenzhen in July and held for 15 days in sweeps that made headlines for days here . However , narcotics police said entertainment venues are not the only places they find drug abuse . `` Forty percent of young people abuse drugs in public toilets and playgrounds . That 's what our recent data from last year shows , '' Fok said . `` They want to find some other places to take drugs . '' The problem has gotten so bad that authorities have decided to do something never done here before : random school drug tests . Beginning in September , some two dozen schools will conduct tests , as part of a trial program . Officials say the drug screening will most likely be in the form of urine tests , though they are still working out the details . Ketamine can be detected in urine for at least three days , doctors said . Watch a doctor explain how the test works '' Dr. Cheng Chi Man , a family practice doctor , runs a seminar that trains doctors to detect the signs of drug abuse in young patients : drowsiness , skin problems , frequent urination -LRB- ketamine can affect bladder function -RRB- and frequent sick leave . `` When we were 10 years old , we were still in primary school watching TV and eating candy . But they are now taking drugs . '' Alman Chan , principal of Hong Kong 's only drug rehab school for youth , the privately-run Christian Zheng Sheng School , said he has watched as drug use has grown . See photos of the rehab school in remote Hong Kong '' `` Just look at our school development . I was here 14 years ago . At that time , I was the only teacher . I had 18 kids . I only had one student who was 15 , '' he said . `` But now , I have one third -- about 40 of them -- who are 15 years old or younger . That shows you the number of students getting into drugs is bigger and also getting younger and younger . '' There were a few reasons why children were getting involved with drugs , such as troubled homes and difficulties at school , he said . `` People are more concerned about material things and they are getting lost , '' he added . Hong Kong Police have arrested children as young as age 13 for drug offenses , according to Commissioner for Narcotics , Sally Wong . Police last week reportedly busted a network that allegedly recruited teenagers to sell illegal drugs -- mainly to students . One of those arrested -- a 14-year-old school dropout -- was found with 28 grams of ketamine , according to the South China Morning Post . But ketamine abuse is not limited to young people . It is the second-most popular drug among all age groups in Hong Kong , Superintendent Wilson Fok of the Hong Kong Police Narcotics Bureau said . Many young drug abusers end up in Alman Chan 's drug rehab school for youth , which is located in a remote part of Lantau Island west of Hong Kong . CNN visited the campus , which is home to 99 boys and 24 girls . The closest road is a three-hour hike through the woods . Chan calls the school `` the last stop before jail '' for drug abusers . That was the case for Tai Ming Hung 's son Keith , a former gang member . She learned he was using ketamine when he ended up in the hospital after taking the drug a few years ago . `` I was in denial . I just did n't believe it was true . When I first heard about it , we all did n't know how to react , because we had n't heard of those drugs before , '' she said . `` I did n't really understand why we have these harmful drugs in the world . And I was so afraid that it would kill my son . '' 18-year-old Keith , who said he began using ketamine at the age of 13 when he joined a gang , has recovered and is now living at Chan 's school . `` I have a feeling that he 's really growing up , he keeps improving , '' his mother said . The school 's curriculum involves regular school subjects and chores . The goal is for each student to finish their court probation and either sit for the university exam or continue on to a vocational school . Many of the students have become interested in video editing and photography . There is a video lab on campus and the students showed CNN some video projects they have done . Other students run a pizza parlor and tea shop on a neighboring island . The average stay at the school is three years and students are encouraged to plan for life after rehab . `` We have vocational training . We help them get some marketable skills ; therefore , they may get a job or continue training afterward , '' Chan said . `` I believe everyone deserves a second chance . '' | Police : Ketamine is the top drug of choice among young people in Hong Kong . Drug use among those under 21 has jumped 57 percent in the last four years . Police stepping up crackdowns , say parks and public toilets hot spots for drug use . Hong Kong has one drug rehab center for youth , located on a remote former pig farm . | [[300, 397], [315, 336], [343, 397], [485, 542], [548, 648], [2213, 2273], [3429, 3479], [4675, 4750], [4741, 4752], [4759, 4823]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Humza Ismail has n't spent much time in Raleigh , North Carolina , since he started graduate school two years ago . But when he heard two former acquaintances were arrested on terrorism charges this week , he says , `` Honestly , I was n't surprised . '' Omar Aly Hassan , left , and Ziyad Yaghi were clear on where they stood on terrorism , an acquaintance said . Omar Aly Hassan , Ziyad Yaghi and five others are charged with conspiring to commit violent jihad overseas . An eighth suspect is still being sought , authorities have said . When he lived in Raleigh , Ismail worshipped at the same mosque as Hassan and Yaghi . When groups of young men talked there , Ismail says , the conversation often turned to religion and politics , and Hassan and Yaghi made it clear where they stood . `` When it came to something like suicide bombing , they would say , ` If it 's a benefit for the Muslims then something like that can be permissible , ' '' Ismail says . `` I could tell it was something they wanted to do . '' But , he adds , `` They never indicated or said ` we are going to make jihad overseas . ' '' Ismail says the duo spoke in glowing terms about Osama bin Laden , calling him a scholar and a mujahedeen . `` You could tell they were being influenced by somebody , '' Ismail says . He does not know by whom . He feels they were susceptible to a message of violence `` because it sounded cool and exciting . '' Ismail says he strenuously disagreed with Yaghi and Hassan 's views on terrorism even , he says , getting into a public shouting match with them at a restaurant . He says he told them , `` You ca n't do this , man . You ca n't say it is OK . `` That is corruption and terrorism and that is not permissible in Islam . '' Ismail says he and others raised concerns about Hassan and Yaghi to officials at the Islamic Center of Raleigh , but were `` overlooked . '' `` I did my part , '' Ismail says . Imran Aukhil , a spokesman for the Islamic Center of Raleigh , told CNN on Thursday that he had no information about complaints concerning Hassan and Yaghi . On Saturday , however , he informed CNN that he had researched the matter and learned there was a complaint several years ago against an individual at the mosque . Aukhil said he did not have the name of that person . `` It was reported to the FBI , '' said Aukhil . `` The FBI did take note of it in their investigation . '' Efforts to reach attorneys representing Hassan and Yaghi were unsuccessful . | NEW : Spokesman says complaint lodged against person at mosque a few years ago . Humza Ismail attended the same mosque as two of seven men arrested this week . Ismail : When it came to violence , `` I could tell it was something they wanted to do '' Ismail says the two spoke in glowing terms about Osama bin Laden . | [[2108, 2119], [2132, 2271], [570, 594], [597, 655], [995, 1029], [1008, 1044], [1141, 1205]] |
CLOVIS , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jeff Hubbard fought back tears as he talked about his boy -- a `` great , great young man '' who was killed last week in Iraq in a helicopter crash . It 's the second time he 's had to bury a son killed in the Iraq war . Jeff and Peggy Hubbard with sons Army Spc. Jason Hubbard , left , and Cpl. Nathan Hubbard . This time , it was made even more tragic . His third son , also a soldier in Iraq , was immediately on the scene of last week 's helicopter crash and watched as soldiers carried the remains of his brother , 21-year-old Army Cpl. Nathan Hubbard , from the crash site . Nathan 's flag-draped coffin arrived in Fresno earlier this week and eventually to his hometown of Clovis . Watch `` We love you Nate '' '' Hundreds of mourners gathered Friday to remember Nathan at St. Anthony of Padua , the same church where his oldest brother 's funeral was held in 2004 . Nathan will be laid to rest at Clovis Cemetery , beside his brother , Jared . Nathan and his other brother entered the military shortly after Jared was killed -- to honor his sacrifice . `` Their decision to join the military was motivated by a love for their brother and a desire to serve their country , '' the priest told mourners Friday . `` The death of Jared touched him deeply . Losing a brother and a friend made a profound impact on him , and brought to his attention the seasons of war and grief and loss . '' Jeff Hubbard spoke to reporters Thursday ahead of the funeral , struggling to find words to describe how much his youngest son meant to him and his family . `` I want everybody to remember and celebrate Nate in their own way , the way they want , '' he said . `` We want him honored , remembered and celebrated -- he was a great , great young man . Wonderful young man . '' Tragically , the Hubbards have gone through this anguish before . In 2004 their son , Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Hubbard , was on patrol in Iraq with his best friend and fellow Marine , Jeremiah Baro -- also from Clovis -- when a roadside bomb exploded , killing both . Jeff Hubbard says there 's no way for a parent to prepare for the agony a second time . `` They 're each absolutely individual terrible instances that you deal with the best you can as you go forward , '' he said . Six months after Jared was killed , Nathan and Jason Hubbard decided to enlist and serve together -- to follow in their brother 's footsteps . On August 22 after returning from a scouting mission south of Kirkuk , Iraq , the Blackhawk helicopter carrying Nathan and 13 other soldiers crashed . Jason , who served in the same Army platoon , was in a separate helicopter when his brother went down and was ordered to secure the crash site . When he and his men reached the downed Blackhawk , Jason says he realized it was his brother 's unit . `` We also had to remove as many of the men as we could out of that helicopter , '' Jason remembered . `` And I could n't participate in that . I knew my -- I knew Nathan was in there . I tried several times to kind of gather myself , but I just -- I could n't . '' Jason says as the men carried bodies out of the wreckage , he spotted his younger brother . `` At one point they did carry Nathan by me . And that 's when the reality , the complete reality , and complete understanding of the situation came to me and I began dealing with it . '' Under the Department of Defense sole survivor policy , Jason says he was told he will not be allowed to return to war . His wife and young son will join him at his base in Hawaii . E-mail to a friend . | NEW : Funeral held Friday for Army Cpl. Nathan Hubbard . Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Hubbard was killed by a roadside bomb in 2004 . Jared 's brothers Nathan and Jason Hubbard were inspired to enlist . Nathan was killed August 22 ; Jason was ordered to return home for good . | [[991, 1099], [2289, 2322], [2325, 2389], [2289, 2322], [2325, 2349], [2372, 2386], [2390, 2431]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A distraught , sobbing Afghan Taliban member begged the court for mercy , but got none as an unmoved federal judge here Monday handed down maximum life sentences for convictions on drug trafficking and narco-terrorism charges . A guard watches over a pile of burning drugs in Kabul , Afghanistan , on June 25 , 2008 . Khan Mohammed , 38 , of Nangarhar Province became the first person convicted and sentenced in the United States under a 2006 law that increased the penalty for a defendant found to be involved with terrorism and distributing illegal drugs . Mohammed , who had been extradited from Afghanistan , was convicted by a jury in May of plotting a rocket attack on U.S. military forces and Afghan civilians at Jalalabad Airfield . He also was found guilty of distributing between $ 1 million and $ 3 million worth of heroin into the United States `` to kill Americans as part of a jihad . '' Mohammed 's court-appointed lawyer , conceding that `` what he did was wrong , '' urged U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to be lenient and sentence his client to only 20 years in prison . Then the full-bearded Mohammed , dressed in an orange jailhouse jumpsuit , addressed the judge . With tears streaming down his face , and choking back his words , he begged for only one or two years . `` I have little children and a woman . They depend on me , '' Mohammed began . `` I 'm so worried about them . '' His lengthy emotional appeal went on to include his reason for selling opium . `` In my village that 's how you have to make a living . There is no house there without opium , '' he said . Justice Department prosecutor Matthew Stiglitz , however , urged the court to `` send a message of deterrence , '' and warned against `` the confluence of drug trafficking and terrorism . '' `` No , he 's not the Osama bin Laden of terrorism . No , he 's not the Pablo Escobar of the drug world , '' Stiglitz told the judge . `` But this is where the rubber meets the road . '' Bin Laden is the head of al Qaeda , while Escobar , who died in 1993 , was the most powerful of Colombian drug lords . `` Afghanistan is ground zero for opium , and an almost limitless source of funds to the Taliban , '' he argued . Kollar-Kotelly agreed fully with the prosecutors , and strongly admonished the Taliban defendant . `` You were convicted 99 percent by your own words , '' the judge declared , as she recalled how a `` courageous '' Afghan police chief wore an undercover wire to record Mohammed 's plotting . `` The fact that no one died is only because you did n't get the missiles you wanted , '' she said . `` In 2006 , you celebrated the Americans ' use of the opium . It was a jihad . You knew the damage it could cause , '' the judge continued . `` Because of your undiluted hatred for the United States , you might well have launched other attacks had you not been arrested . '' She added , `` Terrorists stand unique among criminals . Deterrence is very important here . '' Then , concluding dramatically , the judge turned directly to the defendant . `` I heard your concerns for your family but no acceptance of responsibility for your action , '' the judge said . `` Defendants often express worry for their families , but if they considered the consequences of their actions beforehand , maybe they would have acted differently . '' | Khan Mohammed convicted of plotting rocket attack , selling heroin . Mohammed the first convicted under law increasing penalties for `` narco-terrorists '' Citing his family , Mohammed cries and pleads with judge to have mercy . Judge says Mohammed had `` undiluted hatred for the United States '' | [[504, 588], [589, 597], [629, 770], [348, 476], [466, 476], [482, 519], [45, 101], [1446, 1474], [1483, 1524]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. Open has a reputation for testing the world 's best golfers with the most demanding courses . The 2002 US Open at Bethpage Black featured punishing rough and heavy rain . The competition is designed to challenge , traditionally favoring courses that feature brutal rough and narrow fairways . This year 's U.S. Open is no exception , taking place at Bethpage Black in Long Island , New York , widely regarded as one of the toughest courses in the game . The U.S. Open was first staged at Bethpage in 2002 , when it became the first municipal course to host the competition and , at 7,214 yards , the longest course in the competition 's history . Those who played at Bethpage 2002 still have the scars to prove it . Heavy rain and swirling wind turned the event into an endurance contest . It was survival of the fittest , with Tiger Woods the only competitor to finish under par , ending the tournament three under . Those brave enough to return to Bethpage on Thursday will find there have been a few changes . For starters , the course has been lengthened by 200 yards , which will make the grueling course even more exhausting . More welcome will be the introduction of `` graduated '' primary rough . That means there will be a strip of intermediate rough next to the fairway , and beyond that there a strip of primary rough approximately two-and-a-half to three inches deep , followed by a second cut of rough , which will be about four to six inches deep and stretch to the gallery rope lines . The idea is to penalize narrow misses less severely than big misses : a player who hits his shot slightly off target will land in the shorter cut of rough , an easier shot than the longer second cut . See our choice of 10 golfers to watch at the U.S. Open . '' Mike Davis , senior director of rules and competitions for the United States Golf Association , has said the course will be structurally very similar to 2002 , but there will be more `` risk and reward '' opportunities . That means there are more holes where golfers can choose to gamble from the tee . A well-executed drive will save strokes and a misplaced drive could cost them dear . The sheer length of the course is likely to favor the game 's big hitters . That includes the likes of Tiger Woods , the golfer who most successfully tamed Bethpage in 2002 . Woods also showed his big-course credentials by winning last year 's U.S. Open at Torrey Pines , which topped Bethpage with its 7,643-yard course . The distance the golfers have to cover will probably favor those in good physical condition . But the size of Bethpage is not the only thing that will decide the contest . Graduated or not , the rough will be a real problem , making accurate driving a necessity . Phil Mickelson will go into the tournament as one of the favorites , but he will need to be precise from the tee , not one of his strong points . Patience will be a virtue . The fact that it is such a tough course means competitors will have to accept that they will not be able to get under par on many of the holes . On the other hand those new `` risk and reward '' holes will give gamblers the opportunity to throw caution to the wind if they are falling off the pace . The golfers and spectators will no doubt be hoping for better weather than in 2002 , but even in glorious sunshine , it will still be the kind of tournament that separates the men from the boys . U.S. golfer John Daly failed to qualify for the U.S. Open last week , but he was full of praise for the course , saying `` I love Bethpage . It 's the ultimate major course . It 's fair . It 's so hard they really ca n't make it any harder . '' | The U.S. Open is known for testing golfers with the most demanding courses . This year 's U.S. Open will be take place at Bethpage Black in New York State . Bethpage Black is known for being a long course with punishing rough . | [[0, 6], [9, 32], [36, 138], [338, 360], [379, 424], [139, 215]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The space shuttle Atlantis crew completed its first spacewalk to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope , a daylong act of grueling labor that featured the replacement and installation of key instruments . Spacewalkers remove a camera from the Hubble on Thursday . Astronauts John Grunsfeld and Drew Feustel removed the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 and swapped it out with an updated model , a device that `` will allow the telescope to take large-scale , clear and detailed photos over a wide range of colors , '' NASA said . But they had a tough time removing a bolt in that task , an issue that caused some concern for colleagues on the ground . They eventually released it . `` OK , here we go . I think I got it . It turned . It turned . And it 's turning easily now , '' Feustel said . `` Very nice . '' In all , the repair mission took seven hours and 20 minutes , a hard day 's work that ended at 4:12 p.m. EDT . `` It turned out very well , '' lead flight director Tony Ceccacci said during a NASA briefing . The team also replaced a Science Instrument Command and Data Handling Unit , a computer that `` sends commands to Hubble 's science instruments and formats science data for transmission to the ground , '' NASA said . The team `` installed a soft capture mechanism , a device that will allow future vehicles to attach to the telescope , '' NASA said . And they installed `` a combination of locks and latches that will allow for faster opening and closing of the telescope doors during the third spacewalk . '' `` This is a huge accomplishment , '' Preston Burch , Hubble Space Telescope program manager , said during a briefing . `` Our first EVA day in more than seven years . '' EVA is the acronym for `` extravehicular activity , '' the phrase for spacewalking . It was the first of five spacewalks scheduled during the 11-day mission in which the crew will work in the shuttle 's cargo bay to upgrade and repair Hubble . Astronauts Michael Good and Mike Massimino will perform the next spacewalk on Friday . They will be installing gyroscopes and batteries . Learn more about the Hubble repairs '' The mission is one of the most ambitious space repair efforts ever attempted . Atlantis launched Monday afternoon for NASA 's fifth and final repair visit to the telescope . Watch Atlantis lift off on Hubble mission '' After a two-day chase , the shuttle captured the telescope Wednesday with its robotic arm some 350 miles above Earth and pulled it into Atlantis ' cargo bay for service . Watch Atlantis snag the Hubble '' It 's been seven years since the last space shuttle crew worked on the telescope , which has been latched to a rotating , `` lazy Susan '' - type device for five days of repairs and remodeling . A camera mounted on the shuttle 's robotic arm , 200 feet from the telescope , is taking pictures of it -- the first time the telescope has been seen since March 2002 . An umbilical line was connected to provide electricity from Atlantis to the telescope , according to NASA . Mission commander Scott Altman also will position the shuttle to allow Hubble 's solar arrays to gather energy from the sun and recharge the telescope 's batteries . The timeline for the spacewalks is so tight , there 's a chance the astronauts wo n't get everything done , especially if they hit any snags . And that 's a real possibility because some of the repairs they are attempting have never been tried before . NASA canceled an Atlantis mission to extend Hubble 's operational life in January 2004 because the trip was considered too risky in the wake of the 2003 space shuttle Columbia disaster , which killed seven astronauts . That accident was blamed on a hole punched in the front of the wing by debris during liftoff . But public pressure and steps taken to increase shuttle safety led the space agency to reconsider . Hubble 's `` greatest discoveries , '' NASA says , include determining the age of the universe -- 13.7 billion years , discovering that `` virtually all major galaxies have black holes at their center , '' and `` providing evidence that the speed at which the universe is expanding is accelerating -- caused by an unknown force that makes up for more than 75 percent of the universe . '' CNN 's John Zarrella and Kim Segal contributed to this report . | NEW : Astronauts complete 7-hour-plus spacewalk to repair Hubble telescope . NEW : Two-man team successfully replaced a Hubble camera and computer . Atlantis launched Monday on 11-day mission to orbiting Hubble observatory . Flight director deems `` dings '' on shuttle wing `` very minor '' | [[0, 15], [51, 118], [830, 836], [839, 889], [280, 322], [373, 383], [388, 409], [2314, 2355]] |
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]] |
WICHITA , Kansas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kansas prosecutors have brought murder and assault charges against the man suspected of killing Wichita physician George Tiller , whose women 's clinic was a frequent target of protests against abortion . Scott Roeder , 51 , is being held on a first-degree murder charge and two counts of aggravated assault . Scott Roeder , 51 , is being held without bail on a first-degree murder charge and two counts of aggravated assault stemming from Tiller 's shooting death Sunday morning , Sedgwick County District Judge Ben Burgess said . Burgess set a preliminary hearing in the case for June 16 . Police have not disclosed a possible motive in Tiller 's killing , but associates said Roeder was a regular among the anti-abortion protesters who routinely gathered at his Wichita clinic , Women 's Health Care Services . Tiller , 67 , was one of the few U.S. doctors who performed late-term abortions , and he had survived one attempt on his life before being gunned down in his church Sunday morning . Prosecutors will not seek the death penalty `` under the facts and circumstances that are known at this time , '' District Attorney Nola Foulston said . Watch the district attorney explain the charges '' Kansas state law allows the death penalty only in certain circumstances , such as multiple killings , contract killings , the deaths of police officers or jailers , or a slaying that takes place during a sexual assault . Roeder was in the county jail during his brief initial court appearance and appeared in court via video . He requested a court-appointed lawyer during the hearing , during which he was dressed in maroon jail coveralls and appeared to fidget . Watch scenes from court Tuesday '' Burgess ordered Roeder to have no contact with witnesses or Tiller 's family . Since Tiller 's death , supporters have left a few bouquets of flowers outside his clinic . The architecture of the low-slung , windowless concrete building -- which is fenced off , monitored by cameras and separated from buildings behind it by a moat-like ditch -- reflected the threats he faced for nearly two decades . In a statement issued Tuesday , Tiller 's family said they hope his `` valuable work '' will go on , `` but there have been no final decisions made about the long-term plans for the medical practice . '' `` There is currently no plan to immediately reopen the clinic and no patients are being scheduled at this time . The Tiller family 's focus , of course , is to determine what is in the best interests of the employees and the patients , '' the statement read . Dr. Leroy Carhart , a Nebraska physician who also practices at Tiller 's clinic , said at his suburban Omaha office that he left a Monday meeting in Wichita with the belief that the practice would reopen `` in the very near future . '' But he said , `` At the present time , there 's no known future . '' Carhart was the plaintiff who challenged a federal ban on a type of late-term procedure that opponents labeled `` partial-birth '' abortion . The Supreme Court upheld the ban in 2006 . Tiller practiced medicine for nearly 40 years . Most of his patients were grappling with pregnancies that were `` fatally or catastrophically complicated by medical problems , '' Dr. Warren Hern , a Colorado physician and a friend , said on CNN 's `` Anderson Cooper 360 . '' `` The many women who come for late abortions , in fact , have desperate circumstances with a desired pregnancy , '' he said . `` They want to have a baby , not an abortion . '' But Tiller 's practice made Wichita a flashpoint in the controversy over abortion , which opponents routinely decry as the killing of unborn children . Most anti-abortion leaders quickly condemned Tiller 's killing and disavowed Roeder . The National Right to Life Committee , the largest anti-abortion organization in the United States , said it `` unequivocally condemns '' violence . And Wichita-based Operation Rescue said Roeder never was `` a member , contributor , or volunteer . '' `` Operation Rescue has diligently and successfully worked for years through peaceful , legal means , and through the proper channels to see to it that abortionists around the nation are brought to justice . Without due process , there can be no justice , '' it said . But Hern called those disavowals `` hypocritical nonsense . '' `` This is the result of 35 years of anti-abortion harassment and terrorism and hate speech and rhetoric and harsh names and exploitation of the abortion issue as a political issue to get power , '' said Hern , who runs an abortion clinic in Boulder , outside Denver . `` And this is the inevitable result of this kind of hateful behavior by the anti-abortion movement . '' Carhart blasted abortion opponents who resort to violence `` and those who support and incite these violent acts . '' He declined to name names but urged the estimated 46 million women who have received abortions and their supporters to demand that government officials `` enforce the laws on the books that protect us from hate crimes . '' `` And if these officials do n't openly respect your right to choose abortion , you have the power to vote them out of office , '' he said . CNN 's Ed Lavandera , Gary Tuchman and Aaron Cooper contributed to this report . | NEW : Physician says future of slain doctor 's clinic is unknown . Scott Roeder , 51 , charged with first-degree murder , aggravated assault . He is accused of killing Wichita doctor George Tiller on Sunday . Preliminary hearing is set for June 16 . | [[2237, 2336], [2876, 2902], [0, 7], [10, 32], [36, 110], [241, 253], [261, 345], [443, 515], [103, 163], [443, 515], [568, 627]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A family friend of a U.S. soldier captured by the Taliban said his friends and family want Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl to `` stand tall , stand firm . '' Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl in a video made by his captors , members of the Taliban . `` Bowe , if you see this , know that we love you and we are praying fervently for you and prayers are going up for you from all over the world , '' Tim Baker told CNN affiliate KTVB-TV in the soldier 's hometown of Ketchum , Idaho . `` To all of our valiant men and women , know that the American people believe in you , support you and are 100 percent behind you , and we thank God every day that you have our back . '' In a video released Sunday , apparently made by his captors , Bergdahl spoke of being `` scared I wo n't be able to go home . '' `` It breaks our heart , '' Baker said . `` It 's like having one of our own kids in this situation . '' Watch friend 's comments about Taliban captive '' The Bergdahl family is not speaking with media , but Baker said prayer is helping . `` Prayer means that we are extremely powerful because God is not limited by where we are when we pray . He is there with Bowe , and so we know that he is protecting him and is with him , so we do n't feel powerless against these people , '' Baker said . `` We feel very empowered . '' Bergdahl , 23 , was captured June 30 from Paktika province in southeastern Afghanistan , according to the Department of Defense . The Taliban has threatened to kill Bergdahl if foreign troops continue targeting civilians in the name of search operations in Ghazni and Paktika provinces , Taliban commander Mulvi Sangeen said by telephone Friday after being contacted by CNN at an undisclosed location . NATO-led forces in Afghanistan and the U.S. military have repeatedly denied targeting civilians . U.S. forces in Afghanistan are doing everything possible to free Bergdahl , Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday . Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen , the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , told a news conference they were disgusted at the video that Bergdahl 's captors released . `` My personal reaction was one of disgust at the exploitation of this young soldier , '' Gates said . In the 28-minute video , Bergdahl becomes emotional when he speaks of his family -- his parents , siblings , nieces and nephew -- and the girlfriend he hopes to marry . `` I have a very , very good family that I love back home in America , and I miss them every day that I 'm gone , '' he says . `` I miss them , and I 'm afraid I might never see them again and that I 'll never be able to tell them I love them again . I 'll never be able to hug them . `` I 'm scared I wo n't be able to go home . It is very unnerving to be a prisoner , '' he said . However , his captors are treating him `` like a guest , '' he said . Asked by his captors if he had any message for Americans , the soldier said , `` To my fellow Americans who have loved ones over here , who know what it 's like to miss them , you have the power to make our government bring them home . Please , please bring us home so we can be back where we belong and not over here . '' It was not clear whether some or all of Bergdahl 's remarks were scripted by his captors . Watch excerpt from the video '' The last few minutes of the video show him eating a meal . The Bergdahl family expressed how they are feeling to Blaine County Sheriff Walt Femling . `` We 've been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support and concern towards Bowe and our family . As you know , the situation is extremely difficult for everyone involved . We 'd like to remind all of you our sole focus is seeing our beloved son Bowe safely home . `` Please continue to keep Bowe in your thoughts and prayers , and we ask for your continued acceptance of our need for privacy in this difficult situation . Thank you . '' A reporter asked Femling if the military has restricted anything he has said and he answered that it has not . The Taliban earlier claimed responsibility for Bergdahl 's kidnapping , the military said . Last week , the U.S. military distributed pamphlets in eastern Afghanistan in an effort to locate him . `` As you can see , the American soldier is in good shape and good health , and he is being treated well based on the guidelines of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan regarding war prisoners , '' said a statement on Islamist Web sites accompanying the video . `` Any decision regarding the American soldier will be the specialty of the high order of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan , may God protect him . '' The U.S. military said it believed Bergdahl may have been moved to various locations . In the video , Bergdahl 's captor makes reference to his being moved from Paktika to Khandahar , saying the move was accomplished `` very easily . '' The claim could not be independently verified . Asked the date by his captor , Bergdahl says it is July 14 . Two versions of the pamphlets were distributed in Afghanistan , written in the Pashto language . They were made available to CNN by U.S. forces in Afghanistan . One shows the image of an American soldier shaking hands with a group of kids with the message , `` One of our American guests is missing . Return the guest to his home . Call us at '' -- and lists a phone number . The other shows a U.S. soldier kicking down a door , and then an outstretched hand with the superimposed image of a soldier , his head and arms drooping , and the words , `` If you do not release the U.S. soldier then ... you will be hunted . '' The goal of the pamphlets was to balance the effort to get Bergdahl back with how U.S. forces interact with the local population , Gates and Mullen said Monday . Mullen said the message of the second pamphlet was `` not threatening , but to express that we will do what we have to do to find this individual . '' Days after Bergdahl went missing , a senior U.S. military official said Bergdahl was captured by low-level militants and then quickly `` sold '' to the clan and network led by warlord Siraj Haqqani , who is believed to be deeply involved in the action . The Haqqani clan operates on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistani border and is well known to the U.S. military . Bergdahl apparently left his small outpost on his own on June 30 with no apparent means of defending himself , the official said . Taliban commander Mulvi Sangeen said he visited a military post in the Yousaf Khel district in the Paktika province , got drunk and was ambushed while returning to his car . Sangeen said the soldier was taken to a safe place . CNN could not independently verify Sangeen 's claims . A source with the U.S. military denied the claim that Bergdahl was drunk . `` The Taliban are known for lying and what they are claiming -LSB- is -RSB- not true , '' the source said . In the video , Bergdahl says he was captured as he was lagging behind a patrol . Bergdahl is not a National Guardsman , according to the Idaho National Guard statement , but the organization said it was coordinating with the Department of Defense to provide public affairs duties and other assistance to the Bergdahl family . The family has requested privacy , the statement said . On Monday , four U.S. troops with the International Security Assistance Force were killed in eastern Afghanistan , according to a senior U.S. official there . The deaths would raise the total of U.S. military fatalities in Afghanistan to 30 in July , the highest monthly toll since the war began in October 2001 . According to the security force , the four were killed in a roadside bombing . CNN 's Barbara Starr and journalist Janullah Hashimzada contributed to this report . | NEW : U.S. Defense Secretary Gates : U.S. forces doing everything to find Bergdahl . Friend to soldier : `` Know that we love you and we are praying '' Soldier from Idaho says he 's frightened he wo n't be able to see family again . U.S. military : Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl , 23 , was captured June 30 in Afghanistan . | [[1894, 1938], [254, 257], [269, 384], [759, 788], [2536, 2564], [2664, 2705], [1317, 1325], [1328, 1330], [1333, 1403]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama on Wednesday signed a measure awarding the 300 surviving Women Airforce Service Pilots from World War II the Congressional Gold Medal . Jane Tedeschi when she was in the Women Airforce Service Pilots program . The WASPs were formed in 1942 . The bill passed by both chambers of Congress bestows one of the nation 's highest civilian honors on the group known as WASPs more than 60 years after they were the first women to fly U.S. military aircraft . `` The Women Airforce Service Pilots courageously answered their country 's call in a time of need while blazing a trail for the brave women who have given and continue to give so much in service to this nation since , '' Obama said in a statement . `` Every American should be grateful for their service , and I am honored to sign this bill to finally give them some of the hard-earned recognition they deserve . '' The Women Airforce Service Pilots was formed in 1942 to create a corps of female pilots able to fill all types of flying jobs at home , freeing male military pilots to travel to the war front . The 1,100 members had to pay their own way to Texas for months of rigorous training . Once assigned to military bases , they did everything from participating in ground-to-air anti-aircraft practice ; to towing targets for air-to-air gunnery practice with live ammunition ; to flying drones ; to conducting night exercises ; to testing repaired aircraft before they were used in cadet training ; to serving as instructors and transporting cargo and male pilots to embarkation points . Overall , they flew more than 60 million miles in every type of aircraft -- from the PT-17 and AT-6 trainers , to fast attack planes like the A-24 and A-25 and heavy bombers such as B-17 and B-29s . Paid $ 250 a month , the women were not officially part of the military -- receiving no benefits , no honors . Jane Tedeschi , who graduated in May 1944 , was sent to a Selma , Alabama , base that did engineering work . `` We did whatever they asked us , '' she recalled in a CNN interview . `` You knew enough about flying you could adapt . ... Sometimes it was a little tougher . '' While the work was technically noncombat , it could be dangerous . Thirty-eight of the women pilots were killed . As the war was winding down in December 1944 , the program was closed with no recognition from the government and not much help for the women who served . They went off to restart their prewar lives , but without getting any of the help received by male veterans . Several of the women , however , have said they were not bitter since the only reason they had signed up was to do their part for the country . They noted they were just like the thousands of other women who also learned new skills and went to work in the factories to replace male workers sent off to war . `` We were proud of what we did , and the war was over . It was time to get on , '' Tedeschi said . Watch Tedeschi recall WWII '' But many Americans were not aware of their efforts . The WASP records were sealed for more than 30 years . In 1977 , Congress voted to make the WASPs eligible for veterans benefits . | `` Women Airforce Service Pilots courageously answered country 's call , '' Obama said . Honor comes 60 years after WASPs were first women to fly U.S. military aircraft . In 1977 , Congress voted to make the WASPs eligible for veterans benefits . | [[497, 595], [716, 746], [439, 496], [3101, 3108], [3111, 3176]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Veteran actor Karl Malden , who won an Academy Award for his role in `` A Streetcar Named Desire , '' has died at age 97 , his manager said Wednesday . Karl Malden in `` The Streets of San Francisco '' in 1974 . Malden was nominated for four Emmys for the series . Malden died in his sleep about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday , said his manager , Bud Ross . Malden appeared alongside Marlon Brando in two of director Elia Kazan 's classic films of the 1950s -- `` A Streetcar Named Desire '' and `` On the Waterfront . '' He won the best supporting actor Oscar for `` Streetcar , '' which was released in 1951 , in 1952 and was nominated for his role as a priest crusading against crooked union bosses in `` On the Waterfront . '' Ross said he did not know the cause of death . `` It could be a combination of things , '' Ross said . `` He was 97 years old . '' Born Mladen George Sekulovich in Gary , Indiana , the bulb-nosed actor made his New York stage debut in 1938 and first appeared in films in the 1940 melodrama `` They Knew What They Wanted . '' After serving in the Army Air Corps in World War II , he made his mark in the New York production of `` Streetcar , '' by Tennessee Williams . Watch Malden talk about why he got into acting '' Malden also did extensive work in television , starring with Michael Douglas in the police drama `` The Streets of San Francisco '' from 1972-77 . He was nominated four times for Emmys for the show , and won a supporting-actor Emmy for his part in the miniseries adaptation of the true-crime bestseller `` Fatal Vision '' in 1985 . His other well-known screen roles include his performances in `` Patton , '' in which he played World War II Gen. Omar Bradley alongside George C. Scott 's title character ; the steamy `` Baby Doll , '' another Elia Kazan-Tennessee Williams collaboration ; and `` Gypsy . '' Malden was also famous for a series of television ads for the American Express card , in which he advised viewers , `` Do n't leave home without it . '' Watch Malden talk why he took such diverse roles '' A memorial service is expected to be held within the next three to four weeks , Ross said . Malden was the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1989 to 1992 . The Academy is best known for its annual awards , the Oscars . Malden 's `` Streetcar '' Oscar had its own mini-drama . In 1985 , he sent it to the manufacturer in Chicago for replating . But he discovered the award sent back to him was a fake in 2006 , when the original appeared for sale on eBay . The Academy sued the sellers , Randy and Matt Mariani , who eventually returned the award . In 2004 , he received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award . Malden was born on March 22 , 1912 , and grew up in Gary . He broke his nose twice playing football in high school , where his athleticism won him a scholarship to Arkansas State Teacher 's College in Conway . After being forbidden by his basketball coach to appear in a school play , Malden left college and began playing semi-pro basketball . He later worked in the steel mills of Gary to save money for drama school . When his acting career began , Malden took his grandfather 's first name and rearranged the spelling of his own first name to make his professional last name . He said he changed his name , `` to fit theater marquees . '' One of Malden 's last acting roles was in 2000 , according to IMDB.com . He played a priest in an episode of `` The West Wing . '' | Malden won Oscar for role in `` A Streetcar Named Desire '' He also starred with Marlon Brando in `` On the Waterfront '' On TV , he co-starred with Michael Douglas in `` The Streets of San Francisco '' | [[58, 69], [76, 133], [392, 491], [1283, 1289], [1317, 1327], [1330, 1379]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Given a cast of Adam Sandler , Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill , and the guiding hand of director and writer Judd Apatow -LRB- `` Knocked Up '' and `` The 40-Year-Old Virgin '' -RRB- , perhaps there is no more appropriate title than simply `` Funny People . '' Adam Sandler , Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow get together at the `` Funny People '' premiere in Hollywood . Which is saying something , since `` Funny People '' frequently treads into the darker realms of comedy . Sandler leads the cast as George Simmons , an A-list Hollywood comedian whose fame and fortune has brought him a beautiful mansion on the beach , lots of luck with the ladies and , as the audience soon discovers , a life of loneliness . Sandler is quick to point out that he and his character have little in common . `` I ca n't really say this guy is me ; he 's not living my life , '' says Sandler , who is married with two children . `` The movie star thing we have in common ; we have a few mood swings in common . ... But the lifestyle and the attitude is not really me . '' George 's biggest problem is n't his desolation , however . He 's been diagnosed with a leukemia-like terminal disease , prompting him to get back to his roots and do more stand-up comedy . Along the way , he hires struggling comedian Ira Wright , played by Rogen , to pen jokes for him and act as his personal assistant . Despite hurling an occasional insult at Ira , George learns to trust his new , eager-to-please sidekick . The feeling is n't always mutual . Ira is forced to adapt to his boss ' constant mood swings , erratic behavior as he deals with the fear of dying and deep regret at losing Laura -LRB- Leslie Mann -RRB- , the only woman he ever loved . However , Ira does earn a steady paycheck -- and gets a taste of show business . Rogen , who says he would n't be in comedy if he never saw Sandler 's movies while he was growing up , says `` Funny People '' paints an accurate picture of the ups and downs of comedians who are just starting out . `` It 's an incredibly realistic representation , '' Rogen says . `` Those scenes where you 're backstage at the comedy club and you 're all sitting around pitching jokes to each other . It 's exactly like that . '' Apatow , who performed stand-up comedy earlier in his career , says , `` It is an ode to stand-up . I 've always been a crazy fan of stand-up comedians . Jonathan Winters ... Don Rickles , things like that . '' Apatow , who knows he 's taking a risk with `` Funny People 's '' mix of light and darkness , made a wisecrack about his hopes for the film at the Los Angeles premiere . `` Well , I think there 's 10 movies that are going to be up for best picture this year , and we definitely are shooting for No. 16 , '' he says . The cast also took some risks , performing stand-up in front of live audiences for the film -- and , occasionally , watching their jokes fall flat . Hill says he had never done stand-up before and calls the experience `` terrifying . '' `` It can be brutal out there , '' Rogen adds . Sandler , the most seasoned comedian by far , remembers his first days onstage and can relate . `` It 's all about your last set , '' he recalls . `` If I did good Wednesday ... all day Thursday , I was in a good mood . `` Then Thursday night comes around and I go onstage and if I did bad , Friday was a miserable time for everyone . '' | Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen star in Judd Apatow 's `` Funny People '' Film presents `` realistic representation '' of comedians ' lives , Rogen says . Sandler plays lonely movie star ; he says he 's not much like character in real life . | [[44, 146], [1836, 1841], [1939, 2023], [2053, 2099], [747, 826], [747, 754], [764, 826]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Houston , Texas , had a record high temperature Wednesday as a heat wave continues to grip the nation 's midsection , the National Weather Service said Thursday . A woman tries to beat Houston 's record heat by lying on a bench in the shade . The city sweltered with a high temperature of 104 degrees Wednesday , a record high for June 24 , forecasters said . The previous record high for the date was 99 degrees , set in 1980 . The previous record high measured for the month of June in Houston was 103 degrees , set on June 30 , 1980 , and June 18 , 1934 . Heat indices , a combination of temperature and humidity , are breaking the 110-degree mark in many cities . Forecasters predicted a high near 100 for Houston on Thursday , but the temperature could rise into the triple digits in outlying areas , said CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf . The weather service posted heat advisories for Houston ; Dallas , Texas ; and New Orleans , Louisiana , indicating that temperatures in those cities will feel like 100 to 105 degrees because of high humidity . In the Houston community of Bayland Park , the elderly were taking advantage of the air-conditioned Community Center . `` I do n't like hot weather . I never have and never will , '' Teet Charloton told CNN affiliate KPRC-TV in Houston . `` But we have to have it . I go from the car to the house or come in here and go back the same way . I do n't do much shopping , that 's for sure . '' Betty Dante added , `` It is very hot outside . ... I think as you get older , you feel the heat more . '' In southwest Houston , Leticia Alvarado is profiting from the heat . The unemployed Houstonian has been running along the median on Hillcroft Street at Bellaire Boulevard for seven weeks . She is selling water for $ 1 a bottle . `` It 's hot , too hot , '' she told the station . Other cities also were sweltering . New Iberia , Louisiana , had a temperature Wednesday of 102 , which broke the record of 97 in 2005 . An excessive heat warning was issued for St. Louis , Missouri , on Thursday through 7 p.m. CT Saturday . Forecasters predicted a high near 96 . Cloud cover was expected to make temperatures there a little cooler Thursday , but the weather service warned , `` A hot and humid air mass remains over the area which will continue to control weather over the region through Saturday . '' Afternoon and early evening heat index readings of 100 to 110 were expected in the Missouri city every day through Saturday . Young children , the elderly and people with chronic sicknesses were advised to stay inside if possible . The heat wave that began last week was being fed by a high pressure system north of Texas . Air quality alerts were posted for several cities , indicating pollutants exceed accepted standards . A red alert was issued for Houston , the third most severe alert that indicates unhealthy air quality . | NEW : Heat advisories for Houston , Dallas and New Orleans . Houston swelters at 104 degrees Wednesday . Temperature surpasses record high for that date set in 1980 . Forecasters expect no end in sight to scorching weather in U.S. midsection . | [[864, 918], [0, 15], [37, 91], [262, 329], [379, 431], [379, 416], [434, 447], [448, 568], [80, 134]] |
WASHAKIE COUNTY , Wyoming -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In the predawn darkness the agents switch the federal plates on their vehicles to local Wyoming tags and check they have no other signs showing they are from the Federal Bureau of Investigation . Edward Eugene Harper is believed to have lived a nomadic lifestyle since fleeing Mississippi . They want to give the impression that they are fish and wildlife officers , certainly not what they really are -- an elite squad in search of one of the FBI 's 10 most-wanted fugitives . Their target lives eight miles up a dirt road in the Big Horn mountains of Washakie County -- and he is also not what he seems . For the past few years Edward Eugene Harper has been tending a flock of sheep in the semi-wilderness of the region . But 15 years ago he failed to turn up for a court appearance in Mississippi on charges he had molested two girls , aged 3 and 8 . He 'd been on the lam ever since . Recently the FBI had received a tip on his whereabouts . Watch how FBI planned hunt for fugitive '' Snipers spent the night watching the truck with a camper top where Harper , 63 , has been sleeping for the past few weeks . Michael Rankin , assistant special agent in charge at the FBI 's Denver , Colorado , field office and leader of the operation to capture Harper , said he wanted to use a ruse to get close to Harper . `` We do n't want to alert him or anybody who might be a supporter of his , and we want to get as close to him without somehow raising his antenna that we may be law enforcement and we may be wanting to take him into custody , '' Rankin said . `` It 's an individual that has been a fugitive for almost 15 years , so he certainly does n't want to go to jail or be put into the system after being on the lam for this length of time . '' The locals are used to seeing officers from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department , and it 's one of their men who will make the first contact and perhaps lead Harper to think the accompanying agents are also wildlife officials . The sun is up now and it is dusty and hot . At the end of the dirt road the FBI has officers working the command and control element , a team of crisis negotiators and investigators who will confirm Harper 's identity , and a tactical unit aiming to make the arrest . FBI sources say they are concerned about another `` Ruby Ridge incident . '' In August 1992 , more than 400 members of federal and local law enforcement and the military converged on the Idaho hillside where a white separatist , Randy Weaver , lived in a cabin with his family . By the end of the operation , there had been a 12-day siege and a U.S. marshal , Weaver 's wife and his 14-year-old son were dead . Ruby Ridge became a rallying cry for right-wing militias , and agents do not want this arrest mission spiraling out of control . Harper subscribes to `` sovereign citizen '' ideology and once claimed to be a member of the Montana Freemen , a group that rejected the authority of the U.S. government , the FBI said . In the end , the arrest of Harper is nothing like Ruby Ridge . He puts up no resistance , no shots are fired and there is no standoff . Harper , now with a heavy beard , shaggy hair and wearing a black patch on his left eye , sits calmly in a government SUV heading back into the system and a county jail in Casper , Wyoming , as authorities begin the process of extraditing him to Mississippi . He has requested a public defender . `` It feels very good that everybody 's safe , '' Rankin said as the teams leave the wilderness to head back to base where they can strike a name off their most wanted list . | Accused child-molester Edward Eugene Harper detained in Wyoming . FBI snipers , investigators headed into wilderness before dawn to catch him . Harper skipped court date in 1994 and had been on the lam since . | [[769, 855], [899, 933], [1603, 1669]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Do n't tell Brad Pitt who or how to love . Brad Pitt talks about `` soul mate '' Angelina Jolie , life , and fatherhood in Parade magazine . The actor and star of the new film `` Inglourious Basterds '' opened up to Parade magazine about his thoughts on love , marriage and fatherhood . During the candid interview , Pitt showed off a secret area in one of his homes which he said `` is a great place for sex '' and reflected on his early days in Hollywood , which included superstardom and some marijuana . `` I liked to smoke a bit of grass at the time , and I became very sheltered , '' Pitt told Parade . `` Then I got bored . I was turning into a damn doughnut , really . '' These days , Pitt said he 's happy with his decision to become a parent with partner Angelina Jolie . The two have six children , all younger than 10 : Maddox , Pax , Zahara , Shiloh and twins Vivienne Marcheline and Knox , the latter born last year . `` This family is full of life , '' Pitt said . `` There are laughs , aggravations , irritations , but at the end of the day , it 's fun . When life is really good , it 's messy . '' Pitt said his life is very different now that he is a dad . `` When I go down a path , I take it to the end , '' he said . `` Then I take another one . I took the path of not having kids , now it 's time for family . Children are a dominant value in my life now , and they were n't before . '' He 's found a `` soul mate '' in Jolie , Pitt said , but he insisted he meant what he has said in the past about not marrying her . `` When someone asked me why Angie and I do n't get married , I replied , ` Maybe we 'll get married when it 's legal for everyone else , ' '' he said . `` I stand by that , although I took a lot of flak for saying it , hate mail from religious groups . I believe everyone should have the same rights . '' Pitt told Parade he takes exception to anyone trying to dictate how someone should live and who they should love . `` Just the other night , I heard this TV reverend say that Angie and I were setting a bad example because we were living out of wedlock , and people should not be duped by us , '' Pitt told the magazine . `` It made me laugh . `` What damn right does anyone have to tell someone else how to live if they 're not hurting anyone ? How many times do you think real love comes to someone in a lifetime ? If you 're lucky , maybe two or three . '' People should be able to be happy , Pitt said , and that includes his children . `` Would it bother me if a child of mine turns out to be gay ? No , not one bit , '' he said . `` Listen , I want my kids to live the lives they want to live . I want them to be fulfilled . I hope I teach my kids to be who they really are . '' | Brad Pitt gave a candid interview to Parade magazine . Says he stands by not marrying Angelina Jolie until it 's `` legal for everyone else '' Actor says he loves being a father to six children . | [[62, 159], [1716, 1731], [801, 915]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The husband of a woman who authorities say was impaired by marijuana and alcohol when she caused a head-on collision that killed eight people , including herself , has rejected claims of substance abuse by his wife . Daniel Schuler , left , and his attorney , Dominic Barbara , speak at Thursday 's news conference . `` I 've never seen her drunk since the day I met her , '' Daniel Schuler , referring to his wife , Diane , said Thursday . `` I 'm not angry at her . I 'd marry her again tomorrow . '' Accompanied by his attorney , Schuler held a news conference to counter claims by authorities , who said Tuesday that Diane Schuler , 36 , had a blood alcohol level of 0.19 percent -- more than twice the legal limit for drivers -- and had marijuana in her system when she drove a minivan the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway and ran head-on into an SUV . Three adults in the SUV were killed in the July 26 collision , as were Schuler and four children -- her daughter and three nieces -- who were in the minivan . A fifth child in the minivan , Schuler 's son , survived . On Thursday , Dominic Barbara , Daniel Schuler 's lawyer , cited a list of medical aliments inflicting Diane Schuler before the crash . She apparently had a tooth abscess for two months , diabetes at `` various levels '' and a mysterious lump on her leg that seemed to move , he said . Watch Daniel Schuler defend his wife '' `` I think she had a stroke , '' said Barbara , who admitted he had no evidence to support his claim . `` And I think from the stroke came all the other issues of what happened . '' The crash happened about 30 miles north of New York after Schuler and the children left a campground where her family had stayed . Barbara said nobody at the camp saw Diane Schuler with alcohol . He said investigators interviewed nine people who spoke with Diane Schuler before she embarked , and those people did not smell marijuana or alcohol on her breath . `` Actually , it was the opposite , '' Barbara said . `` She was happy . She was talking to people . '' Authorities said Tuesday that a broken vodka bottle was found in the minivan after the crash . Barbara said he could n't explain the bottle , but he said , `` Something had to have happened . '' Daniel Schuler and his lawyer said they have yet to decide on whether they want another autopsy . Jay Schuler , Daniel Schuler 's sister , said Thursday that Diane Schuler was reliable and loved children . `` There 's no way she 'd do this , '' Jay Schuler said . `` She was responsible . '' The statements by Schuler and his attorney differed from the toxicology report released Tuesday by the Westchester County District Attorney 's Office . Besides the 0.19 percent blood alcohol level and marijuana , tests showed Diane Schuler had 6 grams of alcohol in her stomach that had yet to be metabolized , according to Maj. William Carey of the New York State Police . Meanwhile , an attorney representing families of two SUV occupants who died in the wreck said a lawsuit is likely . `` If I could prognosticate , it appears that there will be a civil suit , '' said Marshall Nemark , an attorney representing the families of Michael Bastardi and his son , Guy Bastardi , who were killed in the crash along with a friend . | Diane Schuler 's husband says she did n't abuse alcohol , drugs . Authorities : Schuler was intoxicated when she caused fatal crash in New York . Wreck killed eight people , including Schuler , her daughter and three nieces . Attorney : No one saw Schuler with alcohol before she began drive . | [[40, 50], [55, 74], [0, 3], [43, 50], [71, 144], [114, 230], [892, 952], [1009, 1021], [1029, 1050], [1749, 1813]] |
JOHANNESBURG , South Africa -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An undersea cable plugging east Africa into high speed Internet access went live Thursday , providing an alternative to expensive satellite connections . The cable links southern Africa to Europe and Asia . SEACOM , the cable provider company , opened its 17,000 kilometer submarine cable , capable of 1.28 terabytes per second , allowing the region true connectivity . Most Africans rely on expensive and slow satellite connections , which make the use of applications such as YouTube and Facebook extremely trying . `` This is going to reduce the cost of doing business in Africa , within Africa and with international parties '' said Suveer Ramdhani , SEACOM spokesman in South Africa . `` The cable is as thin as a hair strand , and in one second it can download the same amount of data that 160 people use in a month . '' SEACOM , privately funded and 75 percent African owned , will provide retail carriers with open source access to inexpensive bandwidth . It has taken less than three years to complete the mammoth project , providing landing stations at South Africa , Kenya , Madagascar and other points along the east coast of Africa . But telecoms analyst James Hodge said that some of the more ambitious hopes for the system -- such as impacting the continent 's socioeconomic problems -- will be long-term , and that initially it will be those already connected who will see the benefits . The launch was delayed by a month because of increased activity by pirates along parts of the African coast . Security teams were beefed up to protect the slow moving cable layers . Neotel , a South African communications network operator , is the largest SEACOM customer in South Africa and is the country 's landing partner , providing both the coastal landing station and Johannesburg data center for the submarine cable . Neotel managing director Ajay Pandey is excited about the opportunities for growth presented by the SEACOM cable . `` With this cable coming in , the pipe size opens up , so more and more people are able to get faster and better connectivity , hopefully at a lower price . It ca n't be more expensive than what it is today . '' SEACOM Chief Executive Officer Brian Herlihy added : `` Turning the switch ` on ' creates a huge anticipation , but ultimately , SEACOM will be judged on the changes that take place on the continent over the coming years . '' South Africa has been hobbled by high costs and extremely slow bandwidth , effectively keeping the country on an information back road rather then the superhighway . There is much anticipation and hope that the cable will ensure Africa keeps up with the developed world in Internet connectivity , providing greater speed , flexibility and , potentially , a complete socioeconomic transformation . Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said in his opening address : `` It 's the ultimate embodiment of modernity . '' His speech was beamed via SEACOM from a launch in Dar es Salaam , Tanzania , to the simultaneous launch in Johannesburg , South Africa . | Undersea SEACOM cable links southern and east Africa to Europe , Asia . System provides cheaper alternative to satellite connections . 17,000 km cable capable of 1.28 terabytes per second . SEACOM spokesman : This is going to reduce the cost of doing business . | [[47, 117], [201, 253], [15, 43], [139, 200], [565, 628]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jeremy Piven is the kind of guy who can make you laugh just by lifting an eyebrow . Jeremy Piven stars as a used car salesman in `` The Goods . '' He says `` Entourage '' would make a great film . Of course , the popular actor can do much more than that to captivate audiences . From drama to comedy , Piven has starred in more than 40 films on the big screen and has won critical acclaim for his role as super agent Ari Gold on HBO 's `` Entourage . '' -LRB- HBO , like CNN , is owned by Time Warner . -RRB- . Piven stopped by the CNN.com newsroom to talk with CNN 's Nicole Lapin about his new film , `` The Goods : Live Hard , Sell Hard , '' in which he plays a used car salesman . The following is an edited version of the interview : . CNN : -LSB- The movie -RSB- was hysterical , and my producer and I were sitting next to each other and we were trying to figure out -- is this like lowbrow , but it 's smart , so it 's medium-brow ? Highbrow comedy ? Jeremy Piven : It 's a hybrid-brow , or a unibrow . It 's from the people who brought you `` Talladega Nights '' and `` Step Brothers '' and `` Anchorman , '' so from the kings of guys who make really smart , low-brow comedies , and I 'm just insanely honored to be a part of it . It 's like a dream because my fear was that by the time Will -LSB- Ferrell -RSB- hit the screen that , worst-case scenario , the movie would n't be funny enough . So that when Will jumps out of the plane , he takes us to a whole other level -- it 's like , `` Oh my God , Will Ferrell is so brilliant . '' But the reality is , the movie was so funny up until that moment that it was really , it was kind of organic , and it sustained it and it was really fantastic . Watch why part of Piven 's interview had to be bleeped out '' James Brolin would go home to his wife , Barbra Streisand , at night , and I would say , `` James , is she OK with all this ? '' Because he has one of the most twisted roles you 've ever seen , as you know -- and I do n't want to give it away . He was like , `` Well , the wife is on the fence about this whole thing , '' and she came to a screening and I swear to God , Babs laughed the loudest . CNN : I think that 's a tease in itself . That would probably get people to see it . Piven : Yes , I think you 're right . The movie is OK 'd by Barbra Streisand ; she vetted the whole thing . If you would have told me , I would be doing a lead in a movie , and Will Ferrell would have a smaller role in it , I never would have believed you , but I 'm here to tell you anything is possible . CNN : Anything is possible , even in some 40 some movies in your career , but this is the first lead in a while , I mean did it take you a while to get into the used car salesman character ? Piven : There 's a great documentary called `` Slasher '' about car salesmen that I took a look at , and I went to a bunch of lots , and I 've also been sold a lot of cars , and I 'm what 's known as a sucker . As soon as they see me coming in , they know they 're going to take my money . So I kind of took that , and I reversed it and I 'm no longer a sucker . CNN : Are you going to stick with `` Entourage '' ? Piven : Well , I think `` Entourage '' ... this season is the sixth season , and it 's I think the most interesting of all of them , and I kind of have the best arc this year . The backstage life of Hollywood is such fertile stuff for our show that I think we could continue on for as long as it stays fresh . CNN : What about a movie ? Piven : I think a movie would be really , really fun of `` Entourage . '' I 'd love to open it up . I have a bunch of ideas , all that will be turned down , but I have some great ideas . | Jeremy Piven plays a used car salesman in movie `` The Goods : Live Hard , Sell Hard '' Piven says he went to a lot of used car lots to research his role . HBO series `` Entourage '' will continue on for as long as it stays fresh , Piven says . `` I have some great ideas '' for an `` Entourage '' movie , actor says . | [[121, 180], [143, 180], [691, 721], [2891, 2916], [3699, 3724]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- German Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich have confirmed Mark van Bommel as their captain for the new season , with Philipp Lahm named as vice-captain . Bayern Munich captain Van Bommel will be hoping to lift more trophies for the Bavarian giants this season . The Dutch midfielder was given the captain 's armband by Jurgen Klinsmann last season after Oliver Kahn retired . However , the arrival of Anatoliy Tymoschuk from Zenit St Petersburg seemed to suggest that Van Bommel 's place in the Bayern team was no longer guaranteed , but new coach Louis Van Gaal has decided that his compatriot will indeed be one of the first names on his team sheet next season . `` We have been observing his behavior on and off the field over the last four weeks and the influence he has on the club and on the squad , '' explained Van Gaal 's assistant Andries Jonker on Bayern 's official Web site . Tymoschuk must now fear for his place in the Bayern team after being told he is only second-choice behind Van Bommel . And , since Van Gaal has made it clear that he wanted to choose a captain who will play every week , Tymoschuk may have to spend much of his first season in Bavaria sitting on the substitutes ' bench . `` He can not play in his best position in our system , '' admitted Van Gaal . `` That is where Van Bommel plays . He could play on the right , but I have chosen Hamit Altintop for there . Every player is compared to his rivals and the coach makes the decisions . '' Meanwhile , Bayern 's French midfielder Franck Ribery has been declared fit to resume training after a summer spent battling tendonitis in his knee . Ribery missed the pre-season Audi Cup tournament involving Manchester United , AC Milan and Boca Juniors and is not likely to make Saturday 's opening Bundesliga home match against Hoffenheim . But the France international , who was Monday called into his country 's squad for the World Cup qualifier with the Faroe Isles in Torshavn on August 12 , will be ready to train on Wednesday , . | Bayern Munich confirm Mark van Bommel as their captain for the new season . The Dutchman was given armband by Jurgen Klinsmann after Oliver Kahn quit . Franck Ribery declared fit to stary training after battling tendonitis in his knee . | [[0, 15], [19, 124], [169, 276], [169, 201], [217, 276], [277, 390], [369, 390], [1492, 1501], [1504, 1601], [1593, 1641], [1840, 1864], [1991, 2026]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former U.S. President Bill Clinton landed in North Korea early Tuesday on a mission to negotiate the release of two American journalists imprisoned there since March , according to the country 's state news agency and a CNN source . Former U.S. President Bill Clinton is shown at an environmental summit in Seoul , South Korea , in May . The North Korean news agency KCNA did not disclose the purpose of the visit in its three-line dispatch . But a source with detailed knowledge of the former president 's movements told CNN late Monday that Clinton was going to seek the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee , both reporters for California-based Current TV -- media venture launched by Clinton 's former vice president , Al Gore . Meeting Clinton were the vice president of North Korea 's Supreme People 's Assembly , Yang Hyong Sop , and Kim Kye Gwan , the vice foreign minister , KCNA reported , adding that `` a little girl presented a bouquet to Bill Clinton . '' The women were arrested while reporting on the border between North Korea and China and sentenced in June to 12 years in prison on charges of entering the country illegally to conduct a smear campaign . Since the United States has no diplomatic relations with North Korea , efforts to resolve the issue so far have been handled through Sweden , which represents U.S. interests in the reclusive communist state . Watch what may lie behind the pick of Bill Clinton '' Last month , Clinton 's wife -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton -- said the Obama administration had dropped its request for Ling and Lee to be released on humanitarian grounds and instead was seeking amnesty , which implies forgiveness for an offense . This change in language is an important distinction that could move North Korea to release the women without feeling that its legal system has been slighted , according to analyst Mike Chinoy . `` I suspect that it was made pretty clear in advance that Bill Clinton would be able to return with these two women otherwise it would be a terrible loss of face for him , '' said Chinoy , an Edgerton Senior Fellow on Asia at the Pacific Council on International Policy in Los Angeles . `` The bigger , broader and more important question is what else could be on the agenda . Will Clinton be carrying a letter from Barack Obama for the North Korean leader Kim Jong Il ? Will he meet Kim Jong Il ? '' Clinton 's mission comes as the United States and its allies in the region are trying to push North Korea back into stalled nuclear disarmament talks . North Korea conducted a nuclear bomb test , its second , in May , and has conducted several missile tests since then . The United Nations responded by tightening and expanding sanctions on the North . The two nations were on opposite sides in the 1950-1953 Korean War and had no regular contacts before a 1994 crisis over North Korea 's nuclear program . North Korea agreed at that time to halt the development of nuclear weapons , but abandoned that accord and withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2003 . Clinton had considered visiting North Korea in 2000 near the end of his second term as president . His secretary of state , Madeleine Albright , had gone to Pyongyang in early 2000 to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il -- now widely reported to be ill . CNN 's Charlie Moore contributed to this report . | NEW : Signs point to Clinton being able to win amnesty for reporters , Chinoy says . Reporters Ling and Lee work for Gore 's Current TV . The United States has no diplomatic relations with North Korea . Bill Clinton visit comes amid North Korean impasse over its nuclear program . | [[1190, 1258]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. troops routinely face the threat of roadside bombs while fighting insurgencies in Afghanistan . They need the most protective clothing the market can bear , and they 're getting it -- for now . North Carolina State University College of Textiles tests the flammability of different materials at this facility . Back home , a battle is brewing in Congress over the next lucrative contract for military uniforms . The issue boils down to the raw fiber used in their construction . Current uniforms are made in the United States , in Georgia , using a fabric called Defender M made by the TenCate company . It is favored by the military for its fire-resistant and breathable properties . But the fabric is made with a type of rayon imported from Austria , which normally would violate the military 's buy-American requirement . This specific rayon can not be produced in the United States for environmental reasons , so Congress passed an amendment allowing it to be temporarily imported . The extension expires , or `` sunsets , '' in 2013 , but that year 's defense budget is being determined now . The idea of the sunset is to give U.S. manufacturers time to come up with a comparable product . At stake : a defense contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars . American competitors have submitted alternatives , but after independent testing at North Carolina State University College of Textiles , the Defense Department concluded that TenCate 's Defender M -- with its foreign-made fibers -- is the most flame-resistant . Dr. Roger Barker , who specializes in clothing flammability at the College of Textiles , conducted a demonstration for CNN . Based on his testing , the Army says Defender M resists fire the longest of other fabrics . `` What the new heat-resistant materials are able to do is add seconds of protection , so that seconds of protection can be the difference between a severe burn or a survival burn , '' Barker said . `` Life and death , '' echoes Sen. Johnny Isakson , R-Georgia , regarding those extra seconds of fire protection . He asked the Senate to extend the waiver . `` So long as it 's the best available in the world to protect our soldiers , we absolutely ought to maximize the use , '' Isakson told CNN . `` There is no American competitor that can meet or exceed it , '' Isakson said on the Senate floor . `` Obviously if there were , then that waiver would go away . '' The U.S. Army 's uniform procurer says soldiers prefer TenCate 's product . `` They have consistently exceeded our expectations . This has proven to be a valuable fabric and well-received by our soldiers , '' Jeff Myhre told CNN . In a letter to CNN , a top military official said the ability to procure the foreign rayon `` a valuable authority . '' `` Our periodic review of rayon requirements within the Military Services and testing of alternative items that are available domestically continue to support the determination that satisfactory quality and sufficient quantity of rayon yarn conforming to the domestic source requirements can not be procured as needed , '' wrote Ashton Carter , undersecretary of defense for acquisition , technology & logistics . Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-South Carolina , opposed Isakson 's amendment , debating on the Senate floor that it `` permanently extends this waiver and will end all efforts to produce a domestic material to make military uniforms . '' Sen. Jim Webb , D-Virginia , agrees with Graham that U.S. companies wo n't have an incentive to invest in research and development . He says the exception was supposed to be temporary , and `` favors foreign suppliers of rayon over our own American companies . '' He argued on the Senate floor that in due time , U.S. companies would be able to demonstrate an ability to manufacture materials that meet Army requirements . He 's also worried about jobs . `` Some companies , like DuPont , for example , have already lost hundreds of jobs owing to their inability to compete for Army contracts , '' he said . The Senate voted , and the nays had it . No extension , no more imports of this fabric as of 2013 . What next ? The House of Representatives is expected to take up the bill when members return from the August recess . Isakson is confident his argument will prevail . `` Facts are stubborn things . I think when the facts get out they 'll understand it 's the right thing to do . Our armed forces want it and it 's the best thing for our soldiers , '' he said . Pentagon Correspondent Chris Lawrence contributed to this report . | Uniforms made in Georgia by TenCate company , using a fabric called Defender M . It is favored by the military for its fire-resistant and breathable properties . Fabric uses rayon from Austria , which normally violates buy-American requirement . Amendment at issue would continue to allow special rayon to be imported . | [[514, 530], [576, 638], [639, 719], [2576, 2649], [724, 763], [758, 785], [773, 859]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Illinois will become the 17th state on Thursday to ban texting while driving , a safety worry that has caught the attention of the federal government . Texting poses a greater risk than talking or dialing while driving , a study says . Gov. Pat Quinn will sign an amendment to the Illinois Vehicle Code that prohibits writing , sending or receiving text messages while driving , said the governor 's spokeswoman , Marlena Jentz . The bill does make texting exceptions for drivers who pull over to text or shift their car into park or neutral to message while stopped in traffic . Illinois will join a growing list of states looking to curb accidents linked to texting . Oregon and New Hampshire banned texting drivers in July , and Alaska , Arkansas , California , Colorado , Connecticut , Louisiana , Maryland , Minnesota , New Jersey , North Carolina , Tennessee , Utah , Virginia , Washington and the District of Columbia already have laws in place . Four U.S. senators announced their plan to push for a federal ban on July 29 . U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said the Obama administration will convene a summit to discuss how it can end accidents caused by distracted drivers . Despite the ongoing efforts to address the dangers of texting while driving , studies have not shown whether the laws affect accident rates , said Jonathan Adkins , communications director at the Governor 's Highway Safety Association . The nonprofit association comprised of appointees from each state 's governor 's office has closely followed the texting while driving saga . But Adkins said that because of several factors that potentially play a role in an accident , to know whether texting caused an accident would require a subpoena or an admission by the driver . In New York and New Jersey , the impact has been measured by an increase in driving tickets , but too few states track that data , Adkins said . `` With drunk driving it was important to pass tough laws , but the laws wo n't really have any effect unless they 're enforced and the public knows about it and it 's properly adjudicated , '' said Barbara Harsha the association executive director . `` So passing a law is n't the solution , it 's only part of it . '' Studies have shown that those who text while driving have an exponentially greater risk of an accident or near accident . A Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study found that truck drivers who texted while driving were 23 times more likely to crash or nearly get into wrecks than undistracted drivers . Compared with dialing , talking , listening or reaching for an electronic device , texting posed the greatest accident risk , the study found -- most likely due to the almost five seconds researchers found the drivers ' eyes were off the roadway while texting , said Rich Hanowski , the director of the Center for Truck and Bus Safety at the transportation institute . The focus on texting while driving comes after a some high-profile accidents . In September , a California commuter train engineer missed a stop signal while trading text messages with a friend , leading to a collision with a freight train that killed 25 people , according to federal investigators . A mass-transit accident in Boston , Massachusetts , injured 62 people in May . The operator of a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority trolley was later charged with gross negligence after he admitted he had been texting seconds before the collision with another trolley , according to the Suffolk County district attorney and a National Transportation Safety Board official . | 16 other states , District of Columbia ban texting while driving . Studies say texting while driving increases risk of an accident or near accident . It is difficult to measure success of no-texting laws , experts say . Senators say they want federal ban on texting while driving . | [[751, 972], [2264, 2385], [2288, 2385], [2386, 2571], [2444, 2571], [67, 95], [973, 1051]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Taliban militants , who implemented Islamic law in Pakistan 's violence-plagued Swat Valley last week , have now taken control of a neighboring district . Protests in Karachi against the creation of sharia courts in Swat Valley . Here are some answers about the Swat Valley , its history and what 's taking place there . What is Swat Valley ? Swat Valley is located in Pakistan 's North West Frontier Province , near the border with Afghanistan and about 185 miles -LRB- 300 kilometers -RRB- from the Pakistani capital of Islamabad . The alpine region once was one of Pakistan 's premier tourist destinations , boasting the nation 's only ski resort until it was shut down after Taliban militants overran the area . It also was a draw for trout-fishing enthusiasts and those wishing to visit the ancient Buddhist ruins in the area . What 's happening in Swat Valley ? In recent years Taliban militants unleashed a wave of violence that claimed hundreds of lives in the province . The militants wanted sharia law -- or Islamic law -- imposed in the region . They took over the valley in 2008 . The central government of Pakistan , which long exerted little control in the area , launched an intense military offensive in late July to flush out the militants . In retaliation , the Taliban carried out a series of deadly attacks and began gaining ground , setting up checkpoints in the area . Has the government intervened ? The militants and the Pakistani government reached a peace deal earlier this year , which was recently signed into law by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari . Under the deal , sharia law was imposed in the region . While the peace deal drew criticism for the Pakistani government , some analysts and political observers say the government had little choice but to capitulate , as militants have terrorized the region with beheadings , kidnappings and the destruction of schools . What 's happening now ? This week , the Taliban moved to seize control of the neighboring Buner district , bringing it closer to Islamabad than it has been since Taliban insurgency began . What is sharia law ? Sharia law is Islamic law . While there are different interpretations of it , the Taliban 's strict interpretation forbids women from being seen in public without their husbands and fathers , requires veils for women and beards for men , and bans music and television . Consequences are severe ; during the Taliban struggle to impose sharia law , anyone found disobeying was pinned to the ground and lashed . Others were beheaded and hung from poles , with notices attached to their bodies that anyone daring to remove the corpse before 48 hours had passed would also be beheaded and hanged . | Taliban militants in Pakistan 's Swat Valley take control of neighboring Buner district . Swat Valley was once one of Pakistan 's top tourist attractions . Militants are now closer to Islamabad than any point since start of insurgency . | [[0, 15], [123, 131], [138, 173], [0, 15], [128, 173], [1948, 1957], [1960, 2028], [2063, 2112]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The father of a Florida girl who has been missing for nearly six months was charged Thursday with burglary with assault , police told CNN . Ronald Cummings was arrested on felony charges of burglary with assault , officials said . Ronald Cummings is being held on $ 12,500 bond for the felony charges , the Florida Putnam County Sheriff 's Office said . There were no other details on his arrest available . Cummings ' daughter , Haleigh Cummings , went missing from his home in Satsuma , Florida , on February 9 . Cummings has made several public pleas for information about his daughter 's disappearance , even begging whoever might be holding her to just return her home . Police have said they think Haleigh was abducted but have provided few details . In March , Cummings married his then-girlfriend Misty Croslin , who was the last person known to have seen the 5-year-old child alive , saying it was what Haleigh would have wanted . Croslin , 17 , said she tucked Haleigh and her 4-year-old brother into bed about 8 p.m. the night Haleigh disappeared . Croslin said she went to sleep herself at about 10 p.m. but awoke at 3 a.m. to find Haleigh missing and a back door propped open by bricks . Ronald Cummings called police and reported his daughter missing when he returned from work at dawn . CNN 's Maria White and John Couwels contributed to this report . | Ronald Cummings is being held on $ 12,500 bond . He was charged Thursday with burglary with assault . Daughter Haleigh Cummings went missing from his home on February 9 . | [[250, 319], [0, 15], [91, 111], [159, 230], [427, 446], [468, 505], [518, 533]] |
TEHRAN , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- With hundreds of protesters gathering and riot police out in force on the streets of Tehran , hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took the oath of office Wednesday , beginning a second term in a bitterly divided Iran . Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was sworn in Wednesday as Iran 's president . He begins his second term . Ahmadinejad , 52 , was formally sworn in before Iran 's parliament , known as the Majlis , as security forces guarded the building and nearby streets in anticipation of protests . Witnesses reported a heavy police presence -- including members of the pro-government Basij militia -- and several choppers hovering overhead . Some reported protesters , many of them women , sitting in front of the parliament building 's entrance . As discontent surfaced yet again , Ahmadinejad vowed to take Iran forward and flung sharp words at those who questioned the validity of the June 12 elections , in which he was declared the winner with almost two-thirds of the vote . He took particular aim at the United States , Britain , France , Italy and Germany , which have not sent formal letters of congratulations to Ahmadinejad . `` They said they would recognize the election , but will not congratulate , '' Ahmadinejad said in his inaugural speech . `` This means they only want democracy at the service of their interests and do n't respect the people 's vote and rights . `` Nobody in Iran is waiting for anyone 's congratulations , '' he said . What 's next for Iran ? '' Asked Tuesday whether the White House recognizes Ahmadinejad as the rightful leader of Iran , press secretary Robert Gibbs said , `` He 's the elected leader . '' Gibbs expanded on that comment Wednesday , telling reporters `` It 's not for me or for us to denote his legitimacy , except to acknowledge the fact . '' `` Whether any election was fair , obviously the Iranian people still have questions about that , and we 'll let them decide that , '' Gibbs said . `` But I would simply say he 's been inaugurated , and we know that is simply a fact . '' The United States and Iran have had no diplomatic relations since 1980 . Britain has maintained ties , but has criticized the Iranian crackdown on protests that followed the disputed election and has not issued a statement of congratulation to Ahmadinejad . However , the British ambassador to Tehran did attend the ceremony , and the Foreign Office in London said the international community still needs to engage Iran on `` serious issues , '' such as its nuclear program . `` While we need to engage with Iran 's government , today 's ceremony does not change our position on Iran 's elections , '' the Foreign Office said . Among others attending Wednesday 's ceremony were Iran 's top lawmakers , the heads of the three branches of government , the secretary of the Guardian Council and foreign diplomats . But as the camera of the semi-official Press TV panned the hall , an unprecedented number of empty seats were visible . It was unclear whether opposition leaders were boycotting the inauguration . Ahmadinejad struck a note of unity in his attempt to move Iran forward , saying `` Who has voted for whom -- this is not the question . Today we need a national resolve . Today we need to join forces . '' He vowed to promote religion and morality , and support righteousness and spread justice . `` I will guard the power that the people have entrusted in me as the sacred trust , '' Ahmadinejad said . `` I will safeguard it like an honest and faithful trustee . '' Ahmadinejad , however , starts another four years in office with many Iranians questioning his legitimacy . The results of the June 12 election were widely disputed ; Ahmadinejad 's chief rival , reformist Mir Hossein Moussavi called the elections a `` fraud . '' Since the vote , Iran has seen turmoil not witnessed since the 1979 Islamic revolution as thousands have taken to the streets to protest and security forces have brutally cracked down . Analyst Amir Taheri told CNN Wednesday that Ahmadinejad 's second term will be closely watched around the world . Taheri said the freshly inaugurated president faces myriad challenges in his second term , among them a faltering economy and a burgeoning popular movement favoring reform . `` He has to worry a lot about the opposition , '' Taheri said . Iran says about 30 people have been killed in the post-election violence . Among those who were arrested , 110 are facing trial , according to Iranian media reports . Under Iran 's constitution , the incoming president must receive the supreme leader 's approval before being sworn into office . On Monday , after Ayatollah Ali Khameini gave that endorsement to Ahmadinejad , hundreds of Iranians again demonstrated in the Iranian capital . Witnesses and sources said the crowds marched on the sidewalks around Vannak Square and Vali Asr Avenue , under the watchful eye of hundreds of Iranian security forces . Some chanted `` Death to the dictator , '' while others said `` God is great . '' International media outlets , including CNN , have been restricted in their coverage of Iran in the aftermath of the elections . | Mahmoud Ahmadinejad begins a second term as Iran 's president . The results of the June 12 election were widely disputed , sparking violent protests . Since the vote , Iran has seen turmoil not witnessed since the 1979 Islamic revolution . | [[127, 165], [202, 254], [255, 320], [321, 348], [3547, 3558], [3571, 3625], [878, 883], [888, 936], [2218, 2226], [2232, 2262], [3655, 3711], [3811, 3825], [3828, 3849], [2218, 2226], [2232, 2262], [3811, 3825], [3828, 3849], [3828, 3832], [3842, 3897]] |
COLOMBO , Sri Lanka -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sri Lanka 's government said Monday its forces had killed Tamil rebel chief Velupillai Prabhakaran as he attempted to flee , according to the country 's state-run news agency . The Sri Lankan government says Tamil chief Velupillai Prabhakaran is dead . The Tamil rebel group , formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam -LRB- LTTE -RRB- , is aware of the government 's report but has yet to confirm Prabhakaran 's death or the deaths of its other leaders , according to a posting on the pro-rebel Web site , Tamilnet.com . It said `` initial reports indicate a determined massacre by the Sri Lanka Army . '' Prabhakaran was one of 19 senior LTTE leaders that the government has identified among the bodies found as its troops completed mop-up operations after routing the Tigers , the defense ministry said . The leaders include Prabhakaran 's eldest son , Charles Anthony , as well as Pottu Amman , LTTE 's intelligence leader , according to the ministry . Prabhakaran founded the rebel group , which has been declared a terrorist organization by 32 countries . It pioneered the use of women in suicide attacks and , according to the FBI , invented the explosive suicide belt . It was also behind the assassination of two world leaders -- the only terrorist organization to do so . Watch more on the possible end of fighting '' Prabhakaran is accused of masterminding the killing of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 in the Tamil-dominated Indian state of Tami Nadu as he campaigned for a second term . Sri Lankan authorities allege that Prabhakaran was avenging Gandhi 's decision to send Indian peacekeepers to Sri Lanka . Two years later a Tigers suicide bomber , allegedly acting under Prabhakaran 's orders , detonated explosives that killed Sri Lanka 's then-president , Ranasinghe Premadasa , during a rally . Over the weekend , the militants offered to `` silence '' their guns after an intense military offensive decimated their ranks , pushed them from their stronghold in the north and east of the country , and cornered the remaining rebels on a small stretch of land . If the rebels honor their pledge , it would potentially mark the end of the longest-running civil war in Asia . Prabhakaran 's supporters considered him a hero with a single-minded focus -- to fight for the rights of his people . The Sri Lankan government deemed him a war criminal with a disregard for civilian casualties . He was wanted by Interpol on charges including terrorism and organized crime . In the past it has been reported he wore a cyanide capsule around his neck -- to swallow and kill himself rather than risk capture . And he reportedly expected the same dedication from his troops . As a result , few Tigers have been captured alive . Sri Lanka 's President Mahinda Rajapaksa is expected to announce that `` military operations '' against the Tiger rebels have ended in an address to parliament and country on Tuesday . Watch aid agencies fear for Sri Lanka '' The rebels have fought for an independent state for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka since July 1983 . Journalist Iqbal Athas contributed to this report . | Sri Lankan government says Tamil chief Velupillai Prabhakaran is dead . The offensive against the rebel group is in its last stages , the government says . Rebels have fought for an independent state for minority Tamils since 1983 . | [[0, 7], [10, 35], [63, 137], [63, 161], [216, 291], [247, 291], [3030, 3128]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A human rights group urged Burundi to reverse a law that makes homosexuality illegal , saying it risks worsening the harsh treatment of gays in the eastern Africa nation . In March , people in Burundi demonstrate in favor of a measure banning homosexuality . It became law in April . The new law makes `` sexual relations with persons of the same sex '' illegal and punishable by up to two years in prison , Human Rights Watch said in a recently released report . It was enacted just as the gay , lesbian and transgender community had started to mobilize and call for equal treatment , according to the organization . `` The government needs to listen to these voices to understand the harm it is doing to Burundians with its state-sanctioned discrimination , '' said Georgette Gagnon , Africa director for Human Rights Watch . `` The government should rescind this law and instead work to promote equality and understanding . '' Before the law , which was passed in April , some gays and lesbians already faced significant discrimination in Burundi , according to the organization . Some had lost their jobs , others were beaten by parents and local youths , and others were evicted , according to the Human Rights Watch report , which cited accounts by the victims . Numerous attempts to reach government officials were unsuccessful . Homosexuality is illegal in most countries in the region , including in nearby Kenya and Uganda , where sodomy laws were introduced during colonialism . Most African nations have revised those laws to include consensual sex among gay and lesbian couples and made the punishments tougher , according to Human Rights Watch . `` Half the world 's countries that criminalize homosexual conduct do so because they cling to Victorian morality and colonial laws , '' said Scott Long , director of lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender rights program for Human Rights Watch . `` Getting rid of these unjust remnants of the British empire is long overdue . '' The role religion plays in Africa has a lot to do with the ban , others say . `` It is wrong from a biblical standpoint , and most African countries are governed based on religious beliefs , '' said Olatunde Ogunyemi , a professor in Grambling , Louisiana . `` Christianity and Islam are the dominant religions in the continent , and in some cases , constitutions are based on religion , which justifies making it illegal . '' South Africa 's post-apartheid constitution bans discrimination against gays -- the first in Africa to prohibit discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation . Homosexuality is also illegal in other countries , including Ghana , Nigeria and Zimbabwe , according to Human Rights Watch . | Human Rights Watch fears new law risks worsening harsh treatment of gays . In eastern African nation , jail time for homosexual acts could be up to two years . Homosexuality is illegal in most countries in region , including Kenya and Uganda . South Africa 's constitution bans discrimination based on sexual orientation . | [[0, 15], [106, 190], [1645, 1678], [2695, 2728], [303, 424], [1356, 1451], [2437, 2513], [2517, 2602]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lets face it : All the information around cholesterol makes it something of a confusing topic . Not only do we make our own cholesterol , but we also must have it to produce other important body assets , such as cell membranes and certain types of hormones . `` Good '' cholesterol vs. `` bad '' cholesterol and all the associated numbers can be confusing . So it 's a bodily must-have . But we also augment that inner cholesterol machine by eating foods high in saturated fats such as whole dairy products and red meats and probably half the offerings at any fast-food spot . Add to that the fact many people simply overproduce or underproduce cholesterol because of their genes -- and that is just the beginning of the conundrum over cholesterol . But while many ca n't quite wrap their brain around it , the reality is many of us are affected by it , and not in a good way . According to the American Heart Association , almost half the adult female population in the United States suffers from high cholesterol . Add in the good vs. bad cholesterol and all the different numbers for the different levels and it starts making my head spin . Fortunately I was able to speak with two very smart cardiologists for guidance . Dr. Nieca Goldberg , a cardiologist in New York , set me straight . She explains it 's all about the balance . `` Cholesterol is an important substance and has many benefits for our bodies , but only a set amount keeps your body in a nice situation . '' Our bodies make the good and the bad kind of cholesterol , and according to Goldberg , who is also a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association 's `` Go Red for Women '' campaign , they are pretty efficient machines . `` The system is set up so that the HDL high density lipoproteins , or artery-cleaning or ` good ' cholesterol , cleans out the LDL low density lipoproteins , or ` bad ' cholesterol , '' she explains . So , basically the good ushers out the bad by dragging it to the liver , and the liver gets rid of it . But when the bad outweighs the good , that 's when the trouble begins . Dr. Nanette Wenger , chief cardiologist at Atlanta 's Grady hospital , paints a cheery picture for us . `` Cholesterol is this fatty gruelly substance that builds up in the arteries , and when those obstructions have high levels of fat they are much more likely to burst . '' OK , got it : Buildup bad , burst worse ! According to the American Heart Association , the bad cholesterol , with a little help from some other substances in your body , join together and form a united front -LRB- that is , a hard deposit inside your arteries -RRB- that could block the flow of blood to the heart , causing a heart attack . Or it could block the flow to the brain , causing a stroke . So , it seems that bully bad cholesterol really needs to be shut down . Health for Her : Watch to learn more about cholesterol in women '' But how do you do that ? First you have to be informed . Wenger says , `` I 've always said that women should know three numbers and there are so many numbers tossed around I think all of us can get confused . But I want my women patients to remember three numbers : 50 , 100 and 150 . Fifty is the good cholesterol , the HDL -- that should be above 50 . One hundred is the LDL , the bad cholesterol . And 150 is the triglycerides , another blood fat , and your triglycerides should be below 150 . So be sure that your physician tells you your numbers . If they are fine , do what you do to keep them fine , and if they are abnormal , work with your doctor to change them . '' The first two steps , says Goldberg , are about changing your lifestyle . `` You have to adopt a healthy diet and you have to exercise , '' she says . `` People with mild cholesterol problems can usually bring their numbers down just by doing those two things . Exercise is one of the most effective measures for raising good cholesterol . '' A low-fat diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids -- found in foods Including salmon , walnuts and flax seeds -- is also a good bet for boosting the good stuff . However , sometimes that is not enough . Wenger says , `` Some people have genetic predispositions and have very abnormal cholesterol . Some just make more cholesterol than others , so if your cholesterol is high , it is not that you are a failure . It 's that your lifestyle interventions have not been adequate to get cholesterol to the levels we want . '' Sometimes , if warranted , those lifestyle changes need to be helped with medicine . But , cautions Goldberg , `` I 've said to my patients , medications alone ca n't do everything . They need to help themselves by modifying their lifestyles with a low-fat diet and exercise , less stress , more sleep , '' all things that we know will keep us healthier longer . So , while in the beginning the cholesterol issue was a conundrum , in the end it 's really a simple story about equipping the good to fight the bad -LRB- on a molecular level -RRB- and making the right choices so my blood wo n't get held back on its travels through my veins . OK , that I get ! E-mail to a friend . | Heart association : Almost half U.S. adult females suffer from high cholesterol . Mild cholesterol problems can usually be controlled through diet and exercise . People who have genetic predispositions to higher cholesterol may also need meds . | [[961, 1053], [3762, 3872], [3821, 3834], [3845, 3872]] |
Editor 's note : Julian E. Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University 's Woodrow Wilson School . His new book , `` Arsenal of Democracy : The Politics of National Security -- From World War II to the War on Terrorism , '' will be published this fall by Basic Books . Zelizer writes widely about current events . Julian Zelizer says Medicare is a case of government playing a positive role in health care . PRINCETON , New Jersey -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Health care reform has gotten off track . The president 's news conference fell flat . Polls show growing unease with the proposals currently in play . And Congress will not meet the deadline that President Obama imposed . The status quo , as the president correctly explained to reporters , is not sustainable . Our health care system is not working . Millions of people lack insurance , costs are out of control , businesses and workers are struggling to keep up with premiums , and there are tremendous inefficiencies plaguing many parts of the system . Conditions will only become worse in coming years . Our health care system brings to mind the economist Herbert Stein 's famous maxim : `` When something ca n't go on forever , it will stop . '' When Congress returns in September , Obama will only be able to revitalize the prospects for health care reform if he offers Americans a stronger argument about what government can do to improve this situation . After years of being in the opposition , Democrats are still scared about defending the value of government . Their political nerves have been exacerbated by polls showing the public is growing increasingly concerned about the size of government spending . This reticence about government , in the aftermath of the Democrats ' dramatic 2008 election victory , has been one of the most striking aspects of the administration 's rhetoric in the past few months . Before the 1970s , Democrats were full of confidence when pushing for federal programs . Indeed , 44 years ago this week , on July 30 , 1965 , President Lyndon Johnson signed the legislation that created Medicare and Medicaid . The event took place at Harry Truman 's presidential library in Independence , Missouri . Sitting beside the 81-year-old former president , Johnson announced : `` No longer will older Americans be denied the healing miracle of modern medicine . No longer will illness crush and destroy the savings that they have so carefully put away over a lifetime so that they might enjoy dignity in their later years . '' The program succeeded . Government worked . Before Medicare started , only about 50 percent of Americans who were 65 or older possessed hospital coverage . Within five years of the program 's creation , 97 percent of the elderly had hospital coverage . The same changes occurred with physician 's coverage . Today , more than 40 million elderly Americans rely on the program -- as do their families who do n't have to take responsibility for these costs . Besides expanding coverage , Medicare has become instrumental to the health care industry . For all the complaints that we hear about Medicare , the reality is that most hospitals and doctors have come to depend on these federal payments into their system . Those who want to keep government `` out '' of the industry rarely acknowledge that government is already `` in . '' While doctors were at the forefront of the campaign against Medicare , they turned out to be among the program 's biggest beneficiaries . As political scientist Jonathan Oberlander told Slate about the industry , `` If they 'd known how well they were going to do , they would n't have spent all those years opposing it . They would have said , ` Please pass this . ' '' Medicare has also been able to accomplish the impossible : compel hospitals to change the way in which they charge for care . While policymakers had originally allowed hospitals to charge `` reasonable costs '' to the program , reforms in 1983 created the Prospective Payment System . Rather than paying hospitals for each patient they took care of , Medicare paid hospitals a fixed amount of money . The change resulted in significant cost reductions . Most recently , in Massachusetts , state policymakers have observed that the existence of a strong government program has created an opportunity to achieve such cost measures at the state level . And finally , Medicare has proven to be more popular than private insurance programs . So , for all the talk about hating big government , the big government seems to be doing something right , according to numerous polls . According to a Kaiser poll , 68 percent of respondents said they believed the Medicare program would put `` your interests above their own '' compared to 48 percent for private insurance . The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported that more than 70 percent of Medicare fee-for-service recipients were satisfied with their access to care , in contrast to those on private insurance , where only 51 percent felt they could always obtain what they needed . Certainly , Medicare has been far from perfect . The program has not been good at innovation . When Congress added catastrophic medical coverage to Medicare in 1988 , legislators were forced to retreat and repeal the plan in 1989 after encountering a political backlash . Congress added prescription drug benefits to Medicare , but not until 2003 . Medicare has also become an enormously expensive part of the federal budget , requiring significant increases in payroll taxes while squeezing discretionary spending for other policies . All in all , however , Medicare has done pretty well for this country . It remains the best argument President Obama can make in response to his critics . Of course , arguments were not all that LBJ relied on . Johnson was willing to make key compromises on the legislation , such as originally allowing hospitals to determine charges and sitting back as Ways and Means Chairman Wilbur Mills -- who had opposed the proposal for several years -- redrafted the measure in the final weeks and then publicly claimed credit for the outcome . Johnson was also willing to strong-arm members of his own party who were on the fence about the bill . But in the end , the key to Medicare was not politicking but a compelling belief that government could play a positive role in this country and in our health care system . As policymakers enter into the final rounds of this debate , they would do well to look carefully at the program that Lyndon Johnson signed into law in July 1965 and see just what Washington , despite all the knocks it takes , can provide . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Julian Zelizer . | Zelizer : Democrats nervous about expanding government role in health care . He says Medicare is a strong case of government positively affecting health care . He says recipients rate Medicare more highly than private insurance . Zelizer : Today 40 million Americans rely on the program , along with their families . | [[346, 439], [366, 439], [5648, 5696], [2861, 2919]] |
BEIJING , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For years , doctors and patients have been using DNA analysis to diagnose anything from paternity to predisposition to inherited disease . Now , Chinese scientists say genetic testing can identify inherent `` talents '' as well . The results can reveal athletic or musical talents but can not necessarily identify the next Yao Ming . By examining the DNA from a simple cheek swab , scientists at Shanghai Biochip Co. , one of China 's largest biotechnology companies , say they can uncover a person 's natural strengths and weaknesses with 99 percent accuracy . They test eleven genes that they say correspond to memory , swiftness , thinking , comprehension , emotion , adventure , braveness , focus ability , perseverance , vigor and physical strength . According to the company , specific combinations of the genes can reveal whether someone is genetically predisposed to being highly intelligent , athletic , musical and more . In the case of memory , the scientists examine the gene known as BDNF , the Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor gene . Research by America 's National Institute of Health suggests that different variants of the BDNF gene correspond to different competences in episodic memory -LRB- the ability to recall recent events -RRB- as well as different activity-levels in the hippocampus -LRB- the area of the brain that mediates memory -RRB- . See photos of the children 's summer camp in China where such testing occurs '' Each person has one of three possible BDNF variants : AA , AG and GG . Each variant or base pair refers to the two gene components that make up each gene on the DNA 's double helix . Most people have the GG variant , which indicates `` normal '' memory . Fewer people have the AG base pair , which corresponds to `` above average '' memory . AA is the rarest and strongest type of memory gene variant . `` The AA genotype is the best in memory . -LRB- Someone with an AA pairing -RRB- will learn something easy and remember the result longer than others can , '' said Yang Yanqing , the lab 's technical director . Once lab technicians determine the base pairs for each of the eleven talent genes , specialists draw conclusions about a person 's broader characteristics and even make career recommendations based a person 's talent level in each of the eleven categories . `` This child is very thoughtful and focused , '' Shanghai Biochip 's Healthcare Director Huang Xinhua explained while looking over a girl 's test results . `` I suggest she go into management . '' Although the results can also reveal athletic or musical talents , genetic testing will not necessarily be able to identify the next Yao Ming or Yo-Yo Ma . DNA analysis only provides an indication of someone 's talent potential , not their realized skill-level , the scientists say . `` It 's not like genes decide everything . Genes just decide 30 to 60 percent . The rest is post-natal . A child 's upbringing , nutrition , and education are all very much related , '' said Huang . Still for many Chinese parents , it is worth knowing that extra 30 to 60 percent more about their child . The lab , which conducts many other types of DNA tests , has seen a surge in the demand for genetic talent tests , most of the requests come from parents on behalf of their children . In a country where , by law , most couples can only have one child , parents seem to be turning to biotechnology to ensure their only child reaches his or her full potential . | Scientists at Shanghai Biochip Co. say they can uncover a person 's natural strengths . They do so by examining the DNA from a simple cheek swab . They test eleven genes that they say correspond to certain traits . Specific combinations of the genes can reveal predispositions for certain skills . | [[174, 177], [180, 264], [417, 451], [504, 596], [369, 414], [597, 790], [597, 619], [730, 790], [818, 966]] |
Editor 's note : Joseph Cirincione is president of Ploughshares Fund , a nonprofit organization that makes grants to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons , and the author of `` Bomb Scare : The History and Future of Nuclear Weapons . '' He formerly was a senior vice president at the Center for American Progress , a think tank that describes itself as `` progressive , '' and was on the staff of the House Armed Services Committee . Joseph Cirincione says Clinton 's trip was the culmination of diplomacy his adminstration began 15 years ago . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Clinton did more than free two unjustly jailed journalists . He jump-started the successful diplomacy he had begun 15 years earlier . In October 2000 , then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited Pyongyang . During Bill Clinton 's presidency , the administration had locked down North Korea 's plutonium production program , which had created enough deadly material for two bombs during the Reagan years . They had stopped all missile tests . They were a few details away from concluding a deal to end these programs completely . But Clinton ran out of time . Enmeshed in Middle East peace talks , Clinton could not get assurances that a presidential visit to North Korea would seal the deal . He passed off the almost completed process to the incoming George W. Bush administration . On March 6 , 2001 , new Secretary of State Colin Powell said , `` We do plan to engage with North Korea to pick up where President Clinton and his administration left off . '' But Bush had different ideas . On March 7 , Bush kneecapped Powell . With South Korean President Kim Dae-jung sitting next to him in embarrassed silence , Bush said , `` We look forward to , at some point in the future , having a dialogue with the North Koreans , but any negotiation would require complete verification of the terms of a potential agreement . '' The conservative ideologues in the administration froze all discussions with North Korea for an 18-month review . Clinton 's hard-earned diplomatic wins were replaced by the Bush Doctrine , summed up by Vice President Dick Cheney : `` We do n't negotiate with evil ; we defeat it . '' The United States would instead overthrow difficult regimes . Serious options for diplomacy with North Korea were set aside . Negotiations were appeasement , the new administration believed , not a tool to advance American security . Then-Undersecretary of State John Bolton said in 2002 and repeats to this day , `` We 're not going to reward their bad behavior . '' The strategy backfired . North Korea expanded plutonium production , exploded nuclear bombs , tested new missiles and traded nuclear technology to Syria and possibly Burma . North Korea 's nuclear and missile programs advanced more in the George W. Bush administration then they had in the Reagan , George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations combined . Whether by accident or design , the Obama administration reset the diplomatic stage . Administration officials largely ignored North Korea for their first eight months in office . Kim Jong Il responded with provocative statements and actions . It almost spiraled out of control . But the Obama administration 's patience -- or just policy drift , we may never know -- paid off . Kim Jong Il 's regime got weaker and more isolated . North Korea 's main partners , China and Russia , turned against it , the U.N. Security Council imposed tough new sanctions , and Kim 's own health deteriorated . Now in a weaker position than at any time in his regime , Kim Jong Il has been on his best behavior for the past few months . This was the time for a power play , and Obama executed perfectly . He chose as his special envoy the most prestigious political figure in America outside the administration . It is a move that was sure to please the North Koreans , showing them the respect they crave , without costing America anything . To capitalize on this breakthrough , the Obama administration must now continue to play large . It should show North Korea what good relations with the United States can lead to . Clinton 's 20 hours in Pyongyang could pave the way for renewed diplomatic efforts , including direct dialogue between the United States and North Korea , the re-freezing of North Korea 's nuclear program and even North Korea 's return to the six-party talks . However , in dealing with the North , actions are more important than words . The Obama administration must seize this moment as an opportunity not only to articulate a plan for North Korean nuclear disarmament but to take concrete steps towards a secure and stable Korean Peninsula . The president should use the momentum Clinton 's trip has generated to unfold a comprehensive , consistent regional security strategy . With this success , Bill Clinton has demonstrated what effective diplomacy looks like . He has shown the former Bush officials what they should have done years ago . He may have convinced senior White House strategists that diplomacy is a political winner , paying dividends across issue areas . Two power players , Obama and Clinton , have together taken a giant step forward , advancing the agenda Clinton began 15 years ago . America is the better for it . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Joseph Cirincione . | Joseph Cirincione : Clinton administration started outreach to North Korea . He says Bush administration cut it off , saying U.S. does n't negotiate with ` evil ' He says Clinton 's successful trip shows effectiveness of diplomacy . Cirincione : Obama administration must seize moment for further progress . | [[2139, 2170], [435, 524], [4823, 4890], [4460, 4666], [4460, 4484], [4597, 4666]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` Hannah Montana : The Movie '' is exactly what it purports to be , no more , no less : a two-hour version of a `` Hannah Montana '' TV episode . Miley Cyrus stars as Hannah Montana -- and Miley Stewart -- in `` Hannah Montana : The Movie . '' Hannah 's popularity becomes too much for Miley Stewart -LRB- Cyrus -RRB- . Miley retreats to Tennessee , learns what really matters , performs some songs and kisses a boy , and everything turns out all right in the end . Peter Chelsom -- whose checkered career includes the terrific `` Funny Bones '' and `` Hear My Song '' as well as the bomb `` Town & Country '' -- handled the direction . It 's a sunny movie for Easter weekend . There are no Blofelds threatening the world , no sexual intercourse with pies , no bodies shot into pieces by machine guns smuggled in cocaine . Just sweet Miley Cyrus , her soul-patched dad and the huge Disney movie machine humming along . Watch Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus talk about `` Hannah '' '' Which means that perfect counterprogramming is `` Observe and Report , '' which walks a fine line between brilliant and revolting . CNN.com 's Tom Charity thinks it 's great ; the New York Press ' Armond White calls it `` the ugliest , most hate-filled comedy since ` Borat . ' '' -LRB- Which , for many , could make `` Observe '' a must-see ; if White wanted to discourage people , he should have said `` the ugliest , most hate-filled comedy since ` Waiting . ' '' -RRB- . Also opening this weekend is `` Dragonball : Evolution , '' and , for a handful of markets , there 's `` Anvil ! : The Story of Anvil , '' about an '80s metal band that never grasped the brass ring but whose history certainly makes for entertaining watching . That film is earning a 98 percent rating at Rotten Tomatoes and 83 percent at Metacritic , some of the highest marks of the year . Watch a preview of `` Dragonball '' '' On the DVD front , more 2008 holiday movies have found their way on to video , including `` Yes Man , '' `` Bedtime Stories , '' `` The Day the Earth Stood Still '' and `` Doubt , '' the latter of which was nominated for five Oscars . That 's five more than `` Yes Man , '' `` Bedtime Stories '' or `` The Day the Earth Stood Still , '' for what it 's worth . Bob Mould , Neil Young and the Doves released albums last week ; among the acts putting out albums Tuesday are Fastball and Silversun Pickups . -LRB- And now `` The Way '' is running through my mind . -RRB- Watch an interview with country star Jason Aldean '' So , not a bad Easter weekend -- and it will conclude -LRB- more or less -RRB- with the final round of the Masters golf tournament . Miley Cyrus will probably not be there . She 's got some wholesome singing to do . | `` Hannah Montana : The Movie '' opens this weekend , starring Miley Cyrus . `` Observe and Report '' is `` Hannah 's '' opposite : crude and cutting . Masters golf tournament ends Sunday . | [[166, 222], [2556, 2655]] |
KABUL , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hundreds of excited music fans wait in line , on the lookout for their favorite singers on a hit television show . Elaha Sorur was the lone female finalist on this season 's `` Afghan Star . '' Just a few years ago , television and some music was banned in Afghanistan . Instead of spending the time outside a New York venue or Hollywood soundstage , though , these fans braved barbed wire and gun-toting guards in Kabul to attend Afghanistan 's premier pop music event : the finals of `` Afghan Star , '' the embattled country 's answer to `` American Idol . '' In line , bright mod outfits have replaced Kabul 's normally conservative dress code . Onstage , men sport the latest styles . And on TV screens , a country 's new battle between traditional and pop culture plays out . `` For the young generation , '' says one fan in line , `` it 's very important to be cool , with a cool mind . '' Inside the concert hall , Jahid Mohseni , a 38-year-old Afghan-Australian media mogul , tries to manage the chaos he 's created . Singers , child acrobats and TV technicians all compete to get his attention before the start of Afghanistan 's biggest night of television . Mohseni , who started the country 's top television network , Tolo TV , says he 's just trying to revive Afghan culture after the fallow Taliban era , when music and television were banned . Watch performances on `` Afghan Star '' '' `` Yes , we are promoting social change , but we can not push Afghan society where it does n't want to go . This is a commercial enterprise , and it 's reflecting what people want , '' Mohseni said . In Afghanistan , more than 60 percent of the population is younger than 25 , and judging by the popularity of `` Afghan Star , '' `` they 're like people everywhere . They 're not from Mars , '' Mohseni said . At the fourth-season finals this year , the audience included those who sat quietly as well as those who loudly cheered for contestants including Naweed Forugh -LRB- who would be named the `` Afghan Star '' winner -RRB- , Naweed Sabirpur , Mehran Gulzar and Elaha Sorur , the lone female finalist . `` Art is in the blood of Afghans and has been for centuries , and it is still , '' Sorur said . `` During the years of fighting , the people have n't been able to use their artistry , but with time , it will get better and better . Afghanistan and the people of Afghanistan are ready for a change . '' But not everyone is happy with Mohseni 's programming choices . Afghanistan 's guardians of Islamic values , the Ulema Council , protested that `` Afghan Star '' and Tolo TV 's popular Indian soap operas were not part of Afghan culture . Afghanistan 's minister for information and culture even tried to stop the soap operas in court , claiming that it was a question of national security . Mohseni pointed out that Afghanistan is sandwiched between two powerful neighbors : India , with a population of 1.1 billion , and Iran , with almost 70 million people -LRB- compared with Afghanistan 's estimated 34 million -RRB- . `` You just have to sit down with your critics and explain that if we do n't have Afghan music and entertainment , Bollywood will take over , '' he said . `` We 're just trying to hold our own in the middle of what is effectively a cultural war . '' That culture war can be seen on Tolo TV . After meeting with the Ulema Council , Mohseni dreamed up another reality show called `` Tartil , '' or `` Koran Star . '' The three finalists were quizzed by religious authorities and judged on how well they 've memorized passages from the Quran , Islam 's holy book . There were no wild ovations when the winner was announced , but the finale still produced a bombshell : The winner was a shy 16-year-old schoolgirl named Uzra Mohamedi , who accepted the oversized $ 3,500 check without cracking a smile and while dressed in a traditional black veil . Other TV programming in Afghanistan includes state-run news and lifestyle shows , a popular local-produced drama about an extended Afghan family , a sketch comedy show -- and the hit Kiefer Sutherland show `` 24 . '' Mohseni says that `` Afghan Star '' pushes his country forward in subtle ways , for instance teaching a few valuable lessons in democracy . Winners are picked by fans who can vote on their mobile phones -- one Sim card , one vote . In previous elimination rounds , losers sometimes stormed off the set , refusing to accept defeat . But now they thank their supporters and graciously congratulate the winners . `` This is the educational component of our show , and hopefully it 'll rub off on our politicians , '' Mohseni said . To coincide with Afghanistan 's presidential elections in August , Mohseni created a reality show called `` The Candidate '' as a way to encourage a more robust political debate . Six young Afghans face off in mock presidential debates and compete in American-style election campaigns . In the future , Mohseni hopes the direction of Afghan culture will be decided democratically , without traditionalists imposing values by force or government edicts . Either way , Tolo TV has an avid audience : According to Mohseni , the finals of both `` Afghan Star '' and `` Koran Star '' won their nights ' ratings races , easily beating the competition . | `` Afghan Star '' is Afghanistan 's version of `` American Idol '' The show , one of Afghanistan 's most popular , has completed its fourth season . `` Koran Star '' judges contestants ' knowledge of Islam 's holy book . Many see TV programming as a culture war inside the country . | [[3492, 3511], [3554, 3638], [749, 820], [3235, 3323], [3232, 3237], [3262, 3323]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Federal , state and municipal agencies staged an elaborate drill in the waters off New York City on Tuesday to prepare for the possibility of a nuclear or dirty-bomb attack from the water . A U.S. Coast Guard vessel passes a container ship in New York Harbor as part of Tuesday 's terror drill . `` We 're a big city , and there are vulnerabilities , '' said Ray Kelly , commissioner of the New York Police Department . Agencies involved in Tuesday 's test emphasized they did not undertake it because of a specific threat against the city . However , Kelly said the city was taking no chances after a proclamation years ago by Osama bin Laden . `` We do know that Osama bin Laden several years ago obtained a fatwah to use nuclear weapons , and our goal is to make certain that that fatwah does not come to fruition , '' he said . In addition to increasing various agencies ' preparedness for a seaborne radiological attack , Kelly said Tuesday 's well-publicized drill was meant to deter those who would perpetrate such an attack . `` It pays to advertise to a certain extent . We want anyone who would do us harm to know that we 're out there , that we have the capability to detect , '' Kelly said . Eight government agencies participated in the drill , ranging from the NYPD to the U.S. Coast Guard . The exercise took place at the entrance of New York Harbor , just south of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge linking Staten Island to Brooklyn . Per the drill 's plan , eight boats were to cross a checkpoint set up by authorities . They were on the lookout for abnormally high concentrations of radioactivity -- a telltale sign of an improvised nuclear device or a radiological dispersal device , more familiarly known as a dirty bomb . Some of the boats were decoys with no radioactive substances aboard , while others had actual radioactive isotopes planted in them . A radioactivity detector in the hull of the authorities ' boats was to identify which vessels had radioactive substances in them . The devices are highly sensitive -- so much so that people who have recently had certain medical treatments can set them off . It was up to the authorities participating in the drill to sort the good boats from the bad -- and to intercept the bad . Only minutes into the six-hour exercise , equipment aboard a police boat detected radioactivity within a small white pleasure craft passing through the checkpoint . Two patrol vessels then converged on the pleasure craft , while officials began to question the driver and his two passengers . Soon after , authorities boarded the boat and used a radiation detector , officially known as a radiological isotope identification detector , to produce a `` spectrum '' of the radiological material . They then transmitted the spectrum to the Department of Homeland Security 's Joint Analysis Center -LRB- JAC -RRB- in Washington to determine precisely what radiological material was aboard the boat . Within moments , the JAC radioed back with a positive identification : Caesium-137 , an industrial radioactive isotope that if used in large enough quantities could power a devastating dirty bomb . Sure enough , when a separate boat containing press and police officers sidled up to the apprehended craft soon afterward , the portable radioactivity detectors of officers onboard began to sound excitedly . NYPD Sgt. Art Mogil said that , in part , the agencies chose to practice on leisure craft to illustrate that radiological weapons could be transported in deceptively benign-looking boats . `` It does n't require a large vessel . A device can be just a few pounds and still be a major threat , '' Mogil said . James Waters , counterterrorism chief for the NYPD , said exercises like Tuesday 's were vital because the stakes involved are so high . `` Someone bringing in a radiological or nuclear device would be very serious if not catastrophic , '' he said . On an average day , not all incoming maritime traffic in New York City is subjected to the radioactivity tests performed at Tuesday 's drill . An NYPD official declined to specify what percentage of boats normally undergo such screening . | NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly : `` We 're a big city , and there are vulnerabilities '' Participating agencies stressed that the drill was not in response to a specific threat . Authorities were to decipher sinister intent from any of eight boats in waterway . They were on lookout for abnormally high concentrations of radioactivity . | [[327, 344], [448, 569], [496, 569], [1562, 1638]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee told Ling 's sister they were treated humanely in North Korea , and they believe they were n't sent to hard-labor camps because they have medical conditions , Lisa Ling said Friday . Lisa Ling , left , and her sister , Laura , center , speak to their father Wednesday after Laura arrived in California . The sister , speaking on CNN 's `` American Morning , '' did not elaborate on the medical conditions , but said her sister will soon tell her story . `` Laura is eager to tell the story about what happened . I want to let her do so , but right now , she 's really getting reacclimated . The processes are slow . She 's very , very weak , '' Lisa Ling said , adding that the stories she 's heard so far are `` jaw-dropping . '' Laura Ling and Lee were working for California-based Current TV , a media venture of former Vice President Al Gore , when they were arrested in March for crossing the border between China and North Korea . Watch Lisa Ling share her sister 's story '' Lisa Ling said that before they left the United States , the pair never intended to cross into North Korea . They have acknowledged that they briefly did , however , and they were convicted of entering the country illegally to conduct a `` smear campaign '' against the reclusive Communist state . They were sentenced in June to 12 years of hard labor . North Korea 's leader , Kim Jong Il , pardoned the women Tuesday after meeting with former President Bill Clinton . They arrived home the following day . Lisa Ling said her sister was allowed to call the family on four occasions during her five months in captivity . On the last call , Laura Ling specifically requested that Clinton intervene . `` She said that in her opinion -- quote , unquote -- it would have to be President Clinton . It could only be President Clinton to secure the release of herself and Euna . We immediately jumped into action and alerted Vice President Gore , '' Lisa Ling said . When their release was secured , they promptly boarded a plane home . Clinton wanted them to rest because they were clearly tired , `` but the two of them were chatting away and comparing their experiences , '' Lisa Ling said . Laura Ling and Lee went to see doctors Thursday , the sister added . Laura Ling is `` doing well , '' and Lee is `` skinny , '' Lisa Ling said , joking that her mother tried to force-feed Lee on Thursday `` because she 's just become so diminutive . '' The women also are slowly working to assimilate to their freedom . They were kept at opposite ends of the same North Korean detention facility , and though Laura Ling had two guards in her room at all times , she would sometimes go weeks without talking to anyone . Watch as Lisa Ling describes the pair 's condition '' `` So even communicating is a challenge because she sometimes yesterday was even having a hard time getting full sentences out , so it 's a slow adjustment , '' Lisa Ling said . On Thursday , Lisa Ling told CNN that her sister was `` incredibly emotional '' and did n't want to be left alone after months of `` relative isolation . '' `` Yesterday , she was so exhausted and she wanted to take a quick nap . She kept asking me : ` Are you going to be here when I come back ? ' '' the sister said Thursday . Emotions have run high in Lee 's home as well , Lisa Ling said . Watch the journalists ' family reunions '' `` I hear from Euna 's husband , Michael , that Hana , their 4-year-old daughter , has not wanted her mother to leave her sight , '' she said . `` She just keeps following her around from room to room because she does n't want her mom to leave . '' Lee and her husband went to Laura Ling 's house Thursday night for their first pizza since being released , Lisa Ling said Friday . `` The thing that was so wonderful to see was little Hana , '' she said . `` I have never seen her so happy , and we all sort of remarked that it was just a beautiful thing . '' Lisa Ling said her sibling will soon share her `` powerful '' story , perhaps in an op-ed piece , but she needs space right now . Lisa Ling , meanwhile , is elated that her sister and Lee are safe . She said she always knew they would come home . `` I believe in the fundamental goodness , '' she said . `` I knew in my heart that at some point , Laura and Euna would be returned back to us . I did n't know when it would happen , but I never lost that hope . '' | NEW : Sister : Euna Lee `` skinny , '' Laura Ling struggling to talk because of isolation . NEW : Laura Ling told family , `` It would have to be President Clinton , '' Lisa Ling says . Laura Ling plans to detail what transpired , sister says . Euna Lee 's daughter keeps following her , Lisa Ling says . | [[2324, 2347], [2798, 2924], [1658, 1674], [1677, 1735], [1736, 1829], [1753, 1767], [1779, 1806], [1779, 1786], [1804, 1829], [1830, 1908], [1847, 1908], [1977, 1996], [2205, 2224], [2956, 2975], [3353, 3369], [413, 415], [466, 508], [509, 566], [512, 517], [527, 566], [3972, 4067]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The music is n't new , but the discovery that a young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart `` almost certainly '' composed it is a stunning revelation . A researcher in Austria says the works were probably transcribed by Mozart 's father , as young Mozart played . The two compositions -- a concerto in G and a prelude in G -- have long been in the files at the International Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg , Austria , as anonymous works and were even published in the book `` New Mozart Edition '' in 1982 . Now Ulrich Leisinger , director of the foundation 's research department , believes the works actually were composed by Mozart before he was old enough to write music , and that Mozart 's father , Leopold , transcribed them . The foundation said in a statement that Leisinger analyzed the handwriting and other `` stylistic criteria '' to determine the music was `` almost certainly unknown compositions by '' the young Mozart . The compositions were found in a book , compiled by Mozart 's father , that was used for practice and the musical education of both Mozart and his sister , according to the statement . Leisinger 's analyses `` support the claim that they were actually composed by the young Mozart , who was not yet versed in musical notation , and transcribed by his father as the boy played the works at the keyboard , '' the statement said . Jeffrey Kimpton , president of the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan , called the works `` a remarkable historical find . '' He said Leopold Mozart transcribed his son 's early works as a way of preserving them . `` When parents go to a piano recital of an early student , a young student , who 's playing for the first time , they get a video tape , they get a DVD , that 's a way of recording it , '' Kimpton said . `` I think what 's exciting is that Mozart 's father wanted to preserve this incredible genius . The young boy at this time did n't know how to write music , but he sure could play it . It 's like a family photo or video album . '' Finding such historical treasures is like detective work , Kimpton said . `` You 're kind of putting together a DNA picture , '' he said . `` This particular museum has hundreds of manuscripts . Over time as you learn more and more by various scholars working on this , you might turn the page and you may have looked at it a hundred times before but suddenly begin to see some things or understand some things that make some sense . '' Mozart was born in Salzburg in 1756 and started composing when he was 5 years old . By the time of his death in 1791 , he had written more than 600 pieces of music . | Researcher : Two pieces likely composed by Mozart before he could write music . Mozart 's father probably transcribed the music , researcher says . Compositions have long been known but as anonymous works . Pieces were in book compiled by Mozart 's father . | [[46, 158], [517, 537], [592, 683], [159, 243], [695, 711], [724, 742], [1278, 1347], [946, 983], [977, 983], [986, 1014]] |
PARIS , France -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Air France plane that crashed a month ago off the coast of Brazil `` did not break up or become destroyed in flight , '' but bellyflopped intact into the Atlantic Ocean , the French air investigation agency announced Thursday . Relatives and friends of an Air France steward follow his coffin during his funeral last week in Rio de Janeiro . `` The plane went straight down , almost vertically ... towards the surface of the water , very very fast , '' air accident investigator Alain Bouillard said . Based on visual study of the physical remains of the Airbus A330 that have been recovered , `` we were able to see that the plane hit the surface of the water flat . Therefore everything was pushed upwards -- everything was pushed from the bottom to the top '' of the plane , he said . The 228 people killed in the crash `` had no time to prepare , '' he said . Watch more about Flight 447 's descent '' But Bouillard said he did not have autopsy results from the bodies recovered , and did not know why no one lived through the crash . `` I do n't know why nobody survived , '' he said . `` I do n't know the intensity of the impact . Perhaps we will find out from the autopsies . Perhaps we will never know . '' Bouillard said it was still unclear what caused the crash , the deadliest in Air France 's 75-year history . `` Today we are very far from establishing the causes of the accident , '' he said . But there is no reason to ground Airbus A330 airplanes , he said . `` There is no problem with flying these airplanes . '' Pressed by a reporter on why he was not ordering the model to stop flying , he said the fleet has flown millions of miles and there are currently 660 of them flying . `` Statistically , this would answer the question , '' he said . Air France 447 was unable to fly on autopilot at the time of the crash , the investigator said . That was because the autopilot was not receiving speed , wind or direction information , he said . `` These tell us that the plane has to be , in this case , directed by the pilot , '' he said . He did not immediately say if the pilots were in control of Air France 447 . The last contact with the plane was at 2:10 a.m. local time on June 1 . `` Right after that 24 automated messages came through '' about the status of the plane , he said . Those messages were what enabled investigators to determine that the autopilot would not have had enough information to fly the plane , he said . No air-traffic controllers seem to have been monitoring the flight when it went down , investigations have found . It would normally have been `` handed over '' from controllers in South America to others in Africa while flying over the Atlantic , but that did not happen , Bouillard said . `` We want to know why there was no concern in Dakar -LRB- in Senegal , west Africa -RRB- when this plane was not handed over , '' he said . The plane was flying through severe storms when it went down . Three other flights on similar routes changed course within an hour after Air France 447 flew into the bad weather . A Spanish , French and German flight all experienced turbulence in the same region and diverted as much as 100 km -LRB- 62 miles -RRB- off course to avoid bad weather , Bouillard said . All three flights had problems communicating with air traffic control . Investigators will continue searching for the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder -- commonly known as `` black boxes '' -- until July 10 , said Bouillard , of the French air accident investigation agency known as the BEA . `` They normally give a signal for 30 days . We will keep listening another 10 days , '' he said . Air France said Thursday it was of `` capital importance '' to find the recorders , `` which would enable the investigators to analyze the causes of the accident , whatever these may be . No effort must be spared in achieving this end . '' Bouillard said investigators would continue to search even after the beacons on the recorders stop signaling , in what he called a `` second phase '' of the search . `` If we could find a part of the plane that we know was near the black boxes , that will give us a clue about where to search , '' he said . The mountainous ocean floor in the search area ranges from 3,280 to 15,091 feet , BEA officials have said in the past , making the search for the recorders -- and the rest of the plane 's debris -- difficult . `` It is as if it fell in the Andes , '' Olivier Ferrante , chief of the BEA search mission said last month . French submarines and sensitive U.S. military listening devices are being used in the search . Flight 447 went down in stormy weather while flying from Rio de Janeiro , Brazil , to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris . Brazil called off the search for bodies on June 27 , having found 51 of the 228 people who died when the plunged into the sea , according to the military . Investigators have also found more than 600 parts and structural components of the plane , along with luggage , Bouillard said . They have not found any clothing , he said , but was unable to say why . | Air France plane that crashed in June `` did not break up in flight , '' officials say . Airbus A330 was unable to fly on autopilot at the time of the crash . Investigators will search for data recorders until July 10 , investigator says . Plane wreckage believed to be on Atlantic seabed , around 4,500 meters deep . | [[34, 54], [60, 105], [8, 30], [107, 123], [1803, 1873], [1876, 1899], [3360, 3457]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The regional airline involved in a fatal February plane crash outside Buffalo , New York , contested a report Monday alleging the pilot did not have the training to handle the emergency that brought the plane down , and that he might have been fatigued on the night of the crash . Debris is cleared from the scene of Flight 3407 's crash near Buffalo , New York , in February . Continental Connection Flight 3407 , operated by regional carrier Colgan Air , plunged into a house in Clarence Center , New York , on the night of February 12 , killing all 49 on board as well as one man in the house . In a story Monday , The Wall Street Journal cited investigators as saying the crash resulted from pilot Marvin Renslow 's incorrect response to the plane 's precarious drop in speed : He overrode an emergency system known as a `` stick pusher , '' which sends the plane into a dive so it can regain speed and avoid a stall . The Journal 's report said Colgan had not provided Renslow with hands-on flight-simulator training for a stick-pusher emergency . Colgan , in rebuttal , issued a statement saying Renslow had received classroom instruction for such an emergency . Watch a Colgan official respond to questions '' The company also emphasized that the Federal Aviation Administration does not require pilots to receive a stick-pusher demonstration in a flight simulator . `` The FAA generally trains to standards of routine line operations . They do n't focus on the edges of the envelope , '' stall recovery expert Doug Moss told CNN . Colgan further admitted that during his career , Renslow failed five `` check rides '' -- occasional tests of pilot proficiency -- including two that Colgan said he did not disclose on his application with the airline . His most recent failed check ride occurred 16 months before the crash . `` In the cases while with Colgan , he received additional training and successfully passed the check rides , '' the airline said . Colgan stressed that despite his performance on check rides , Renslow nonetheless ultimately passed his pilot exams and had `` all the training and experience to safely operate the Q400 , '' the airplane involved in the crash . Colgan further insisted that pilot fatigue was not a factor in the crash , noting that Renslow had `` nearly 22 consecutive hours of time off before he reported for duty on the day of the accident . '' In its statement , Colgan did not specifically address potential illness-related fatigue in 24-year-old co-pilot Rebecca Shaw , who , according to The Wall Street Journal report , said before takeoff that she probably should have called in sick . The National Transportation Safety Board begins a three-day hearing on the crash on Tuesday . Renslow 's history as well as pilot training broadly will be examined . | Continental Connection Flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo in February ; 50 people died . Wall Street Journal report says pilot did n't have hands-on flight-simulator training . Colgan Air says Marvin Renslow got FAA-required classroom instruction . Colgan , operator of flight , also insists pilot fatigue was n't a factor in crash . | [[28, 105], [309, 378], [406, 440], [443, 482], [406, 440], [568, 602], [0, 24], [119, 189], [951, 1080], [978, 1080], [1081, 1087], [1104, 1196], [406, 440], [443, 482], [2219, 2225], [2234, 2360]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- George Sodini , the man who killed three women and wounded nine others before killing himself Tuesday at a Pennsylvania fitness center , showed in his writings typical characteristics of a mass murderer , experts say . George Sodini failed at every relationship but could n't blame himself , experts say . `` What distinguishes the mass murderer who takes his own life afterwards from the person who just commits suicide is the externalization of blame , '' said James Alan Fox , a Northeastern University professor of criminal justice and author of six books on mass murder . `` If you blame yourself for your problems , then maybe you direct your violence inwardly . If you blame other people for your failures , like Sodini did , you go after those people . '' Sodini 's blog vents his frustration and rage at the lack of relationships and sex in his life , and he blames all women for letting him down . Although Sodini expressed intense hatred for his brother and father , `` it also did n't surprise me in this case that he made some derogatory comments about his mother , '' said Dr. J. Reid Meloy , a forensic psychologist and clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California , San Diego . `` A lot of times , when there 's this level of hatred against women , there 's also a very antagonistic relationship with the mother , but it gets shifted onto other women . '' Watch what Sodini reveals about himself on video '' Sodini did not target specific women who had hurt him but all women , Fox said . `` He had an issue with women who were not giving him the time of day -- all these young , beautiful , attractive , healthy , fit women at the health club , '' Fox said . `` And so he specifically chose the health club , not just some random spot , to go after the people he blamed . '' Mass killers feel that they have been victimized and that their actions are justified , Fox and Meloy said . `` They 've been victimized by someone at work , by someone in the family , by the world in general ; they 've been dealt a bad hand , '' Fox said . `` And ... they feel at the very end they can stand up -- with a gun -- and restore that power imbalance . They often see the gun as the great equalizer . `` This act , this final act of murder , is a way to leave this world feeling some degree of satisfaction of , in the end , being the last one to have the best and last laugh , '' Fox said . See a timeline of mass shootings since 2005 '' `` The concept here is really , really hard for most people to grasp , and that is the sense of entitlement , that ' I have a right to murder all of these women because of my personal frustration , ' '' Meloy said . `` It 's absolutely astonishing that a person can come to that mind-set . '' Neither expert treated Sodini , but both noted that Sodini 's act , like most mass murders , was anything but spontaneous . `` His blog is a striking example of how mass murders are planned , relatively carefully planned , over the course of days , weeks or , in this case , months , '' Meloy said . `` There 's this myth that mass killers just snap and go berserk and suddenly , without warning , shoot indiscriminately , '' Fox said . `` Well , he had been thinking about this for some time . He had originally planned to commit the mass murder in January -LSB- but -RSB- ` chickened out , ' as he said . But this shows a lot of methodical planning , thinking . '' That hesitation , as well as his possible hesitation on the day of the killings , is unusual , Meloy said . `` Typically , as these guys are doing it , they have no ambivalence , '' he said . `` The have made the decision to maximize casualties and to also kill themselves , as he did . '' Often some humiliating event `` starts the clock '' and sets long-laid plans in motion , Meloy said , but he did n't see evidence of such an incident in the hours or days before Sodini 's rampage . `` These guys are very narcissistically sensitive , meaning that the kind of insult or slight that you or I would just fluff off , these guys will ruminate and think about it and do that for long periods of time , '' Meloy said . Sodini was not a bad-looking man ; he was intelligent and had a good job , so his failure to attract women must have had something to do with his behavior , Meloy said . But Sodini could n't see that . `` He had difficult and unhappy and unsuccessful relationships with everybody , '' Fox said . `` What he was never able to do was to see that perhaps the problem was him . Maybe there 's a reason why everybody rejects him , no one wants to be close to him . Maybe it 's something about his own personality . `` But mass murderers do n't look at things that way . If they saw themselves as being the culprit , perhaps they would just commit suicide . But no . Everyone else is to blame . '' | George Sodini 's writings reveal typical characteristics of mass killers , experts say . Shooter shifted blame for self-induced problems onto others . Mass murderers feel violence is appropriate response , psychologist says . Attack was result of meticulous planning , not a spontaneous outburst . | [[0, 15], [156, 178], [224, 237], [311, 324], [691, 731], [3386, 3438]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Arsenal will face Celtic in a mouthwatering all-British tie later this month to decide who reaches the Champions League group stages . Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will see his side face an early-season test against Celtic . Scottish side Celtic went into the final qualifying round with a superb 2-0 away win over Dinamo Moscow earlier this week , overturning a 1-0 deficit from the first leg . Arsenal , who reached the semifinals of the Champions League last season where they lost to Manchester United , will be favorites to go through , but according to their former striker Charlie Nicholas , who also played for the Celtic , they will not be relishing the task . `` They would have wanted to avoid each other , '' he told Sky Sports News . `` For Arsenal , the concern is the lack of players they 've brought in and injuries . I think it will be very tight . '' The first leg matches will be played on August 18 and 19 , the same week as the start of the English Premier League season , the return matches are on August 25 or 26 . A total of 10 pairings were drawn with the prize for the winners a place in the lucrative group stages of the world 's most prestigious club competition . The losers will drop down to play in the Europa League , formerly the UEFA Cup . Five of the pairings feature match-ups between the champions of lower-rated leagues such as Latvia and Cyprus . European governing body UEFA effectively ring fenced five places in the group stages for these sides by separating them in the draw from teams from stronger leagues such as England , Italy and Spain . It has led to a series of intriguing clashes with Panathinaikos of Greece facing Spanish side Atletico Madrid . Portugal 's Sporting Lisbon take on Fiorentina of Italy , deposed French champions Lyon play Anderlecht of Belgium and Romainian side Timisoara face Stuttgart of Germany . Timisoara surprisingly beat Shakhtar Donetsk of the Ukraine in the previous qualifying round . Shakhtar won the UEFA Cup last season and will now be able to defend their title under the guise of the revamped Europa League . They were paired against Turkish side Sivasspor when the draw for the competition was also made at UEFA 's headquaters in Nyon on Friday . Champions League play-off draw : . Champions group : . Sheriff -LRB- Mol -RRB- v Olympiakos -LRB- Gre -RRB- . Salzburg -LRB- Aut -RRB- v Maccabi Haifa -LRB- Isr -RRB- . Ventspils -LRB- Lat -RRB- v Zurich -LRB- Swi -RRB- . Copenhagen -LRB- Den -RRB- v Apoel Nicosia -LRB- Cyp -RRB- . Levski Sofia -LRB- Bul -RRB- v Debrecen -LRB- Hun -RRB- . Non-champions group : . Lyon -LRB- Fr -RRB- v Anderlecht -LRB- Bel -RRB- . Celtic -LRB- Sco -RRB- v Arsenal -LRB- Eng -RRB- . Timisoara -LRB- Rom -RRB- v VfB Stuttgart -LRB- Ger -RRB- . Sporting Lisbon -LRB- Por -RRB- v Fiorentina -LRB- Ita -RRB- . Panathinaikos -LRB- Gre -RRB- v Atletico Madrid -LRB- Sp -RRB- . | Arsenal draw Celtic in all-British tie in final Champions League qualifying round . Other ties see Lyon face Anderlecht and Sporting Lisbon taking on Fiorentina . Holders Shakhtar Donetsk to take on Turkish side Sivasspor in Europa League . | [[16, 89], [154, 244], [1719, 1774], [1785, 1847], [2115, 2253]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Christina Cimino was logging onto Twitter on Thursday morning when something happened that she found deeply unsettling . iReporter David Seaman says Twitter needs a competitor so users do n't panic when it goes down . `` I got some weird error message , and I 'm like , ` What 's going on !? '' the 24-year-old said . That error message was the scourge of online social networkers worldwide on Thursday as cyber-attacks shut down Twitter and caused sustained glitches in other social-media sites like Facebook and the blogging site LiveJournal . Twitter co-founder Biz Stone wrote the sites were the victims of what `` appears to be a single , massively coordinated attack . '' And a pro-Georgian blogger , whose accounts on Facebook and Twitter reportedly were the targets of the denial-of-service attack , told CNN the online strike was timed to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the Russia-Georgia conflict . What may prove more lasting about the day social networking suffered its first major blackout is the degree to which people cared . Near-panic erupted in some corners of the Internet as people lost cherished links to their online friends , family members and news feeds . Watch CNN iReporters talk about the attack . Part of the panic relates to the sheer popularity of the sites . Twitter saw a more than 1,300 percent jump in unique visitors between February 2008 and February 2009 , according to Nielsen NetView . The site , which lets users post messages of 140 characters or less , had more than 44 million worldwide users in June , according to comScore . More than 120 million users log onto Facebook at least one time each day , the site says . To be sure , not all Facebook and Twitter users freaked out because of the attacks . Some people even reveled in the mayhem . Blog : Could the attacks be our fault ? But for people like Cimino , who said she `` felt naked '' without access to Twitter , the attacks were a serious reality check -- a chance to evaluate just how dependent they 'd become . `` You know how you pat your pockets for your cell phone and your keys ? Well it 's that same kind of phantom -LSB- limb -RSB- with Twitter , '' she said . `` It 's like , ' I ca n't update ! I ca n't update ! ' It 's just one of those bugs that gets in you . '' She added : `` I was pretty upset , actually . It feels like a lifeline for me ... Pretty much everyone knows almost every detail of my life by what I 'm doing on Twitter . '' It 's not worth analyzing whether these online connections are good or bad because the reality is that Twitter and Facebook are now an important part of our lives , said Marc Cooper , a journalism professor at the University of Southern California 's Annenberg School for Communication . `` For many people , and not just young people , the Web is not just media , it 's actually a place where they conduct their lives or a portion of their lives , '' he said . `` So the panic -LSB- Thursday -RSB- morning is only reflective of that . This is not just a hobby or an amusement or another accoutrement , it 's actually deeply woven into their lives and is integral to their social interaction . So when it 's cut off , it 's a problem . '' Others saw Twitter 's existence as the problem and relished the chance to make fun of a Web site that has become so omnipresent in news cycles . `` Horrors !!! People will have to communicate face to face ! '' one user commented on CNN 's SciTech blog . Another commenter said , `` Turn off your computers and read a book or get outside and discover there is more to life than cyberspace . The Internet has become nothing more than the new cocaine . '' Now that Twitter is back online , the No. 1 conversation thread on the site is called `` whentwitterwasdown , '' where users discuss what they did without their real-time Twitter updates . Some people are mocking the blackout . A user named PaulWilks , for instance , wrote , `` I took up juggling . '' Others seem concerned . `` I did absolutely nothing . It 's like my heart was gone , '' wrote a user named HarajukuxBarbie . `` I felt so empty inside , '' wrote another Twitter user called freinhar . Some business people on Thursday realized just how much they depend on Facebook and Twitter to do their work . Adam Ostrow , editor-in-chief at Mashable , a blog that covers social media , said the outage made it difficult for his organization to cover the news and to promote its stories . `` For someone like myself who spends all day on Twitter , it 's incredibly frustrating , '' he told CNN.com Live . Justin Stauffer , a 31-year-old who works in Web strategy at a marketing company near Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , said Thursday 's attack made him realize just how dependent on Twitter he had become . `` When something that 's so central to how you do your business or how you gather information goes down , yeah , you get a little jittery -- like , when 's it going to be back , '' he said . `` I did n't break out in hives or anything like that , '' he said , jokingly . David Seaman , an iReporter in New York , said he thinks Twitter needs a competitor so users will have an alternative if the site is down . Watch Seaman 's talk about the issue on CNN 's iReport . And Amy Gahran , who writes about social media on a blog called Contentious , said all technologies can break down , so people need to make contingency plans . `` Hell , when you get down to it , you can lose your voice or break your writing hand or have a stroke and be unable to communicate . We are fundamentally social creatures , and when we lack our usual communication channels it 's scary , '' she writes . `` Do n't panic . Have a backup plan , and be prepared . '' Cooper , the USC professor , said the fuss surrounding Thursday 's attack is a sign that instant , online communication is here to stay . Fighting the trend would be like trying to stop the ocean 's tides , he said , but it 's unclear where the technology will take our society . `` The bottom line is that we do n't know . All of this is too new , '' he said . `` It 's like sitting around in the year 1500 and trying to figure out where the printing press was going to take us . '' | Some Twitter and Facebook users panicked as the sites went down Thursday . Several online social networks were the victims of cyber-attacks . One Twitter user says she felt `` naked '' without her micro-blog . Another says he felt `` jittery '' during the time Twitter was down . | [[425, 438], [461, 550], [1071, 1210], [425, 438], [461, 550], [1878, 1884], [1891, 1942]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Long before fish swam in Macquariums , hipsters got Apple logo tattoos and thousands camped out for days to get into computer store openings , there was a machine . Danielle Brecker found this 1989 photo of friends on their Macs at Drexel University in Philadelphia . Saturday marks the 25th anniversary of the original Macintosh , the first personal computer to draw masses , introduce the mouse and incorporate a graphical user interface , relying on images instead of text . The Apple Inc. watershed product entered American consciousness amid fanfare , with a $ 1.5 million commercial , made by Ridley Scott , wowing audiences during Super Bowl XVIII . The piece 's title , `` 1984 , '' invoked author George Orwell 's message and stood as a warning against conformity . Two days after the ad ran , the Macintosh became available and life , as people knew it , changed . No longer were computers viewed as toys with which to play primitive games or as untouchable tools reserved for degreed engineers . We began to think different . `` The Macintosh demonstrated that it was possible and profitable to create a machine to be used by millions and millions of people , '' said Alex Soojung-Kim Pang , research director for the Institute for the Future , a Palo Alto , California , think tank , and chief force behind `` Making the Macintosh : Technology and Culture in Silicon Valley , '' an online historical exhibit . `` The gold standard now for personal electronics is , ` Is it easy enough for my grandmother to use it ? ' People on the Macintosh project were the first people to talk about a product in that way . '' Pang , 44 , remembered being `` mesmerized '' by the computer when he first saw it up close in his college bookstore . He was n't alone . Read about how iReporters are preserving Mac history . For graphic designers like Zoë Korstvedt , now a Los Angeles creative director , the evolving Mac , with each added feature , was ripe with ah-ha moments . To tinker with a piece , play with the text , `` to visualize on your computer was just insane , '' she said . `` My colleagues and I wonder how we did it -LSB- their jobs -RSB- before . '' No wonder , then , that when Korstvedt , 44 , married her first husband in 1989 , she used half of their wedding money to buy her first home computer : a Mac SE/30 , for which she forked over extra bucks for an upgrade to a whopping 8 megabytes of RAM . Nothing compared to the 12 gigs she now has . `` I was styling , '' she said with a laugh . Jeremy Mehrle , 30 , of the St. Louis , Missouri , area is too young to know a world without Macs . This MacAddict began hoarding and tinkering with tossed-out computers , and then he discovered eBay . Today , the motion graphics designer 's 1,400 square-foot basement is a museum to Apple computers , all-white and in gallery-style with about 80 fully-functioning machines on display . `` Some people think it 's really cool . ... Others say ` It 's Jeremy 's thing , it 's a little weird , whatever , ' '' he said . `` I think if I had stacks everywhere , and you could n't move in my house , people would be worried . '' What 's Mehrle 's hobby , however , became a career for Dan Foust , 38 , of Bloomington , Illinois . `` Danapplemacman , '' as he 's known on eBay , makes a living out of buying , and when necessary resuscitating , these computers before hawking them online to customers/collectors in places as far-flung as Italy and Australia . So what would people pay for an original Macintosh ? `` A complete boxed system ? , '' he said . `` I ca n't put a price on that . '' The extremes to which people have gone in their love and loyalty for Apple -LRB- and specifically Macs -RRB- knows no bounds . Perhaps no one knows this better than Leander Kahney , news editor at Wired.com and author of Cult of Mac , as well as the more recently published Inside Steve 's Brain . That would be Apple co-founder Steve Jobs ' brain , of course . From his phone in a San Francisco coffee shop , Kahney told tales of people allotting their limited vacation time to Macworld conferences , a man who has traveled to 40 Apple store openings and those who shaved Apple logos into their heads . As for the Apple tattoos , those , at first , really bothered him . `` I 'm a bit of a leftie , '' he said . The idea of `` corporate worship '' did n't initially sit well with him -- although he 's not afraid to admit his own obsession . `` It 's a very deep relationship people have with their computers . ... If the computer 's not working , it 's more important than the car breaking down . '' Speaking of worship , Israeli filmmakers Ron and Kobi Shely created `` MacHEADS : The Movie , '' a 50-minute documentary that 'll be available next week on Amazon 's video on demand service and , soon after , on iTunes . The film includes footage from The Church of Mac in Los Angeles , where a preacher and congregants gathered to glorify the computer at a service that ended with , `` Praise Steve . '' `` Although we read a lot about the -LSB- Mac -RSB- phenomenon , '' Ron Shely said by phone from Tel Aviv of the two-year film project , `` we did n't realize how big this social movement really is . '' And that , beyond the products , is what has been so powerful about the Mac brand , said Peter Friess , president of The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose , California . iReport.com : Got your own Mac Museum ? Show us ! Steve Jobs `` really has changed the world , '' Friess said . `` You hardly find people who changed cultures . He changed culture . '' Decades before Jobs ' health became a topic of discussion , Friess was lucky enough to meet the man . At the time , German-born Friess was a lowly watchmaker , repairing clocks in the basement of Munich 's Deutsches Museum , the largest science and technology museum in the world . The year was 1984 , and Friess thought a Macintosh might come in handy , so he called Apple Germany to see if he might be able to get one . The answer , as he recalled it , '' ` You 're very lucky . Steve Jobs is in town . We 'll come over and give you one . ' '' Ever since , he 's been amazed and exceedingly intrigued by every new computer . `` My wife goes crazy , '' Friess , 49 , admitted . `` Every Apple computer I buy , the first thing I do is take it apart , just to see what 's inside . '' For Gary Allen , 61 , of Berkeley , California , his interest is less inside than it is outside the company 's stores . He runs ifoAppleStore.com , the first three letters taken from his police dispatch days , meaning `` in front of . '' The site 's genesis dates back to 2001 when Apple store No. 9 opened , in Palo Alto , and he and his son went early . Way early -- as in the night before . The crowds , and natural community , grew on Allen , who began seeing new-found friends at other openings . They were like groupies chasing a band . So he started a Web site , to help fans keep in touch , and soon other Apple enthusiasts began writing from across the globe , sharing tips about new stores , as well as testimonies and photos . The site , he said , averages about 4 million visitors a month . Allen , who guessed he 's been to 22 store openings so far , once stood in the rain for days in Tokyo so he could snag the first spot in line . He 's seen old friends at openings in Germany and Italy . Last summer , he and his now 21-year-old son experienced what he called `` the perfect storm , '' hitting Boston , Beijing and Sydney . Next stop : Paris . He may not speak the same language as the thousands who surround him in these various cities , but that does n't much matter when people speak the same language of computer love . `` Apple enthusiasts , it turns out , '' Allen said , `` are the same wherever you go . '' | Saturday marks the 25th anniversary of the first Macintosh computer . Apple launched the Mac in 1984 with Ridley Scott 's landmark Super Bowl XVIII ad . Steve Jobs is credited for cult-like worship seen in tattoos , collections , Macquariums . Fans flock to Macworld expos , Apple store openings and hoard eBay purchases . | [[287, 348], [581, 607], [610, 630], [631, 675], [58, 103], [3337, 3365], [3368, 3444]] |
NEW DELHI , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- India 's lower house of parliament elected a woman as its speaker Wednesday , a first in the male-dominated chamber 's history . Meira Kumar was nominated by the ruling Congress party . Meira Kumar is also a member of the `` untouchable '' Dalit class , the lowest rung in the centuries-old caste system in the country . The speaker conducts the proceedings of the house . She will preside over 543 elected members , of which 58 are women . Kumar , 64 , was elected to the position unopposed . She was nominated by the ruling Congress party but also had the backing of the alliance led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party . Women play a prominent role in the politics of India , the world 's largest democracy . The South Asian country of 1.1 billion people has a female president , Pratibha Devisingh Patil . And four of the country 's political parties , including the Congress Party , are led by women . Hindus believe there are five main groups of people . The last group is the Dalits . They 're considered impure and are often forced to work in menial jobs . They drink from separate wells and use different entry ways to come and go from buildings . Dalits number about 250 million in India , about 25 percent of the population , according to the Colorado , U.S.-based Dalit Freedom Network . India 's constitution outlaws caste-based discrimination , and barriers have broken down in large cities . Prejudice , however , persists in some rural areas of the country . CNN 's Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report . | Meira Kumar a member of the Dalit class -- lowest rung in centuries-old caste system . She will preside over 543 elected members , of which 58 are women . Kumar , 64 , was elected to the position unopposed . | [[223, 288], [1010, 1040], [410, 456], [432, 477], [478, 483], [486, 530]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Is there a filmmaker in the world with worse luck than Terry Gilliam ? He was directing Heath Ledger in `` The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus , '' when the actor died -- and it 's not the first time he has lost a leading man . Is there a filmmaker in the world with worse luck than Terry Gilliam ? Jean Rochefort did n't die eight years ago , but Gilliam had to abandon `` The Man Who Killed Don Quixote '' after a few days when 70-year-old star Rochefort became seriously ill and a flash flood washed away the entire set . The whole fiasco is captured in the documentary `` Lost in La Mancha . '' But the animator-turned-director who made his name with the surreal opening sequences of `` Monty Python '' is also known for never giving up . He saved `` Parnassus '' by enlisting the help of Ledger 's friends , among them Johnny Depp . He has even resurrected `` Don Quixote , '' which will start shooting next year . The Screening Room talks to `` The Fisher King '' and `` Brazil '' director about Heath Ledger , the Ibiza Film Festival and why he 'll never shake off the Monty Python label . The Screening Room : Heath Ledger 's death during `` Parnassus '' was tragic , but how did you deal with losing your star in the middle of production ? Terry Gilliam : I was just , it 's like , now you 've got to use your imagination because reality has bitten very hard . And , so , you call your friend Johnny -LSB- Depp -RSB- and say , `` Heath just died . Can you help me ? '' And he says , `` Fine , whatever . Whatever you need . I 'll do it . '' That 's how it started . Then I got Jude -LSB- Law -RSB- and Colin -LSB- Farrell -RSB- , they came ... the point is that they were all friends of Heath , too . It had to be people that were close to him in order to do what we did . TSR : How do you feel about it now you 've had some time to reflect ? TG : The experience was awful . That 's why we can laugh now . Making films is really hard , and this one was particularly hard . TSR : What is the most rewarding part of making films ? TG : I do n't know , I mean , you know , writing and coming up with the ideas -- that 's the exciting bit . Then it 's the slog of just getting through the shoot because there is never enough time . TSR : You are a patron of the Ibiza Film Festival , which is only three years old . How did that come about ? TG : The festival of Ibiza approached me a couple of years ago . John Hurt was already a patron , and I know John and I thought that it would be nice . I like being a patron of things , I like patronizing things . And if it 's not going to be people , I 'll patronize a festival . TSR : Why do you think film festivals are important ? TG : The most important thing about them is you get to see films you would never get to see because the distribution system is so dominated by Hollywood . In every country , you get Hollywood movies plus local movies . Beyond that it 's very hard . TSR : Tell us about how directing `` Monty Python and the Holy Grail , '' your big feature directing break , came about ? TG : With the success of `` Python , '' we decided to make `` Monty Python and the Holy Grail '' and Terry Jones -LSB- fellow Monty Python member -RSB- and I said , `` Anybody named Terry gets to direct the film , '' and the others foolishly agreed . We directed the film and our names went up as `` directed by , '' and we were film directors . Bingo ! Just like that . TSR : `` Monty Python '' was hugely successful , but is the downside that you 'll never shake off the label of being an ex-Python ? TG : Python is going to be stuck with me 'til I 'm dead and probably afterwards . That 's what 's gon na be on the grave , as well . I know exactly what I 'd like put on my gravestone : `` Terry Gilliam . RIP and all that . He giggled in awe . '' TSR : What is your film philosophy ? TG : All films are learning processes . I am still trying to work out how you make a movie . I did n't study at film school or any of those things . I did n't bother with film theory . Mine is the Mary Poppins theory of film -- a bit of sugar helps the medicine go down . And I have always got medicine I want to give to people . TSR : Which film are you most proud of ? TG : `` Brazil '' is the one that will probably be stamped on my grave because that one seemed to have made a big effect on a lot of people . And that 's all I 'm trying to do is affect people . TSR : What have you learned over the 30-plus years you have been making films ? TG : There is no one thing -- it 's just going through life . I do n't think you ever learn just one thing . At some point you start unlearning things . I have been working hard to unlearn everything I know . TSR : Where are you with `` Don Quixote ? '' TG : `` Quixote ... '' It 's been almost eight years since it fell on its little face . We had been trying to get the script back from the legal entanglement it was in ... and finally pulled that off . I had in those intervening years never read the script because I knew it was the best thing I had ever written . It was perfect -- I finally did it . I got it back and re-read it and have now been busy rewriting it . TSR : What advice would you offer to aspiring filmmakers ? TG : Talent is less important in filmmaking than patience . If you really want your films to say something that you hope is unique , then patience and stamina , thick skin and a kind of stupidity , a mule-like stupidity , is what you really need . | Ledger died while shooting Gilliam 's `` The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus '' Gilliam enlisted the help of Ledger 's friends , including Johnny Depp . Gilliam on Ledger , Monty Python and why filmmakers need `` mule-like stupidity '' | [[1133, 1151], [1154, 1209], [779, 846], [956, 1076]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The mysterious deaths of 21 prized polo horses Sunday at a club in Florida provides a peek inside the private world of a sport that generally is off limits to all but the very wealthy . The Lechuza Caracas polo team may not recover from the loss of 21 ponies for years , a polo executive says . The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville and the state-run Kissimmee Diagnostic Laboratories near Orlando are conducting necropsies on the animals . Initial tests failed to reveal a cause , said Liz Compton , a representative of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services . Tissues , organ samples and blood are now being screened for toxic agents , she said . Scientists have ruled out any contagious disease because the animals died so quickly , said state Agriculture Department spokesman Mark Fagan . Authorities initially requested necropsies for only the eight horses that were insured , according to Sarah Carey , a representative of the veterinary school , which got the bodies of 15 horses . Later , the order was expanded to all 15 horses , she said . The U.S. Polo Association is among the parties cooperating in the investigation . `` In the meantime , we all mourn the loss of these horses , '' U.S. Polo Association Executive Director Peter Rizzo said in a news release . `` There are no words to describe the grief and sadness shared by everyone -- particularly the devastated owners of those magnificent horses . '' Watch what investigators are studying '' Players form strong emotional bonds with the horses they ride , said John Wash , operations president of the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington , Florida , where the horses fell ill . `` I 've heard a couple of polo players who were affected with this loss the other day , a couple of them I do n't think have left their house since Sunday night , '' Wash said . `` There were a lot of tears there -- these big , tough guys just on their hands and knees , crying over what happened . '' The U.S. Open Polo Championship that was interrupted by the tragedy will resume Wednesday with semifinal matches , Wash said . Lechuza Caracas , the team whose horses died , was offered spare mounts from other competitors so they could remain in the competition , but the devastated team chose to withdraw , Wash said . The Wellington tournament is one of the sport 's three major championships , on a par with the U.S. Open in tennis or golf . Authorities say they believe that the competition facility is safe for the other horses and that whatever killed the 21 horses entered their bodies away from the site . Fifteen of the animals fell ill shortly before they were to compete Sunday ; some died immediately and others lingered for almost an hour . Six others died overnight Sunday to Monday as they were kept in the same trailer in Wellington . Animals are not kept overnight at the competition site , so no special precautions are in place regarding food , water or bedding , Wash said . Organizers are planning a short memorial and laying of wreaths in honor of the horses , he said . Grief counselors are on hand at the facility to help employees deal with the trauma , Wash said . `` The scene can be described as almost like an airplane crash that involved not human life , but horses , '' he said . `` It was horrific . '' Polo ponies in the United States are not drug-tested , but the U.S. Polo Association has been considering taking up the practice for several years , Wash said . `` People are calling for reform , and maybe that needs to happen , but until toxicology reports come back , and autopsy reports , we do n't even know if -LSB- Sunday 's incident is -RSB- anything related to that . '' The Humane Society of the United States has no record of abuse of polo ponies , but that may be a function of the sport 's exclusive nature , society spokeswoman Holly Hazard said . `` We are learning about this , as is everyone else , '' she said . `` It may be that perhaps because it 's not televised or not as popular as other sports , it 's not something that either our constituents or our program is particularly focused on . `` But if there are either performance-enhancing drugs or some problem that is associated with this , we will investigate and we will offer a reward to bring whoever is responsible to justice . '' Keith Dane , director of the Humane Society 's equine protection program , was en route to Florida on Tuesday to interview people involved in the incident and keep an eye on the investigation , Hazard said . No evidence has been brought forth suggesting someone deliberately poisoned the animals . `` I guess everything 's possible , '' Wash said . `` I 've heard all different rumors . I do n't know if I even want to go there and think about that . '' Compton , the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services representative , said authorities have seen no evidence of criminal activity in the case . `` Clearly , law enforcement has gotten involved , given the complexity and the scope of the deaths , and they are fact-finding and gathering information , and once we have a specific cause of death , then they can determine where their investigation will go , '' she said . The devastated team , Lechuza Caracas , is one of the top teams in the world . The loss could set it back for years , Wash said . `` It 's just like baseball or basketball or football , '' he said . `` You 're taking years of grooming , training , nurturing to create , really , a first string of horses . And for four polo players , it takes anywhere from six to eight horses per polo player to play a game of polo . So if you 're taking 21 horses , they 're probably 21 of your first-string horses ... and you 've just lost every one of your best players . `` It 's not like you could just go out and buy 21 new horses and start at that point . '' Polo ponies are thoroughbreds , many of them former racehorses retrained for the game , but they cover a wide range of ages , Wash said . When they get too old to play , they are retired to pasture or stud , he said . `` A polo horse is treated quite well , '' Wash said . `` In fact , when you 're a polo horse , you might play three months here in Palm Beach , you might take three months off , you might play another three months , say , in Argentina or England , you take three months off . They 're not pushed 12 months out of the year . '' CNN 's Kim Segal and John Couwels contributed to this report . | Investigators try to determine what killed 21 polo ponies in Florida . Contagious disease ruled out ; tissue samples sent for further study . Players form close bonds with horses , club executive says . Humane Society of the United States sends official to watch investigation . | [[290, 313], [1535, 1586]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former professional football player and his ex-girlfriend have been charged in the killing of her wealthy boyfriend for money , a breakthrough in a cold case dating to 1994 . Eric Naposki , a former football player , has been charged in the killing of an ex-lover 's boyfriend . Eric Naposki and Nanette Packard McNeal face the possibility of life sentences over the shooting of Bill McLaughlin , according to the Orange County , California , district attorney . Authorities said Packard McNeal persuaded her ex-boyfriend to kill McLaughlin so she could claim a $ 1 million life insurance policy , inherit $ 150,000 and get the right to live in his beach house for a year . She gave Naposki a key to McLaughlin 's house and information about when he would be home , officials said Wednesday . Naposki shot the victim six times , then went to work at a nearby nightclub where he was a bouncer , according to authorities . Packard McNeal met McLaughlin after she ran a personal ad that said , `` I know how to take care of my man if he knows how to take care of me , '' the district attorney said in a statement . He supported her financially when they were dating and bought her a beach house , authorities said . Packard McNeal has been jailed once for writing checks to herself from McLaughlin 's account without his knowledge , including a $ 250,000 check on the day he was killed . She pleaded guilty to that crime in 1996 and was jailed for a year . The Orange County officials said new evidence prompted the arrests of the two suspects , who were charged with special circumstances murder for financial gain . Packard McNeal is due to appear in court Friday . Naposki was arrested in Connecticut , where he lives . Orange County authorities have asked that he be sent to California to face trial . Naposki , 42 , played in the NFL for the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts . | Former player Eric Naposki and Nanette Packard McNeal could face life sentences . DA says Packard McNeal persuaded Naposki to kill her wealthy boyfriend . Motive was money , authorities say : $ 1 million insurance policy and $ 150,000 in will . She 's due in court Friday ; Naposki may be sent to California from Connecticut . | [[300, 415], [0, 15], [67, 146], [196, 208], [238, 299], [300, 339], [418, 483], [484, 561], [501, 616], [526, 640], [501, 616], [526, 640], [896, 898], [915, 941], [1636, 1685], [1636, 1650], [1658, 1685], [1778, 1823]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mohammed Ismail was released from the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , in early 2004 and sent back to Afghanistan to be set free . A guard talks with a detainee at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , earlier this year . Within four months , the U.S. military said , he was recaptured in Afghanistan attacking U.S. troops there , with paperwork on him that said he was a Taliban in good standing . He is just one of 74 former Guantanamo Bay detainees who the military says were active in , or were suspected of being active in , fighting against the United States or committing terrorist acts after being released . Another is Abdullah Gulam Rasoul , who was released from Guantanamo in December 2007 and set free in Afghanistan . Rasoul has become a powerful Taliban military commander in southern Afghanistan , the military said , and the United States suspects he is responsible for several attacks on U.S. forces there . A senior U.S. military official said he believes Rasoul is using his former Guantanamo experience to build on his `` rock star status '' among the Taliban . Abd al Hadi Abdallah Ibrahim al Shaikh of Saudi Arabia , who was released in 2007 , was arrested in 2008 by Saudi authorities on suspicion of supporting terrorism inside that country , the military said . On Tuesday , the Pentagon released information that showed 14 percent of former detainees have turned to , or are suspected of having turned to , terrorism activity since being released from Guantanamo . The data represent the most recent statistics of former detainees tracked by military and other U.S. government intelligence agencies . The report shows that of the more than 530 detainees released from the prison , 27 have been confirmed to have engaged in terrorist activities and 47 are suspected of participating in some kind of terrorist act . The statistics indicate that there has been a slight increase since the end of 2008 , and the number of released detainees turning to or suspected of turning to the insurgency is almost doubled from the 7 percent in that category a few years ago , according to Pentagon officials familiar with the information . The report said that between December 2008 and March 2009 , nine former detainees were added to the confirmed list , six of whom were moved over from the suspected list . The Pentagon 's definition for `` suspected '' is significant reporting indicating a person is involved in terrorist activities and an analysis showing a match to an identity of a former detainee . The report defines `` confirmed '' as a preponderance of evidence , including fingerprints , DNA , photo match or reliable or well-corroborated intelligence that can identify a former detainee at Guantanamo . In January , Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said 62 former Guantanamo detainees may have gone on to participate in terrorism or military activity . That number included 18 who had been directly tied to an attack or attacks and 43 who were suspected of such action , Pentagon officials said at the time . `` What 's clear is we are not seeing recidivism on the decline , '' according to a defense official who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue . Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman declined to say what officials think is the reason for the numbers having gone up , but said the United States does monitor as best as it can detainees who have been released from Guantanamo . The Pentagon released the names of almost 30 former detainees confirmed or suspected to have gone on to fight , with examples of what these men had done after their release . Abdullah Saleh Ali al-Ajmi , for example , was released in 2005 to Kuwait . In April 2008 he blew himself up in Mosul , Iraq , killing a number of Iraqis , the Pentagon said . Yousef Muhammed Yaaqoub was released from Guantanamo and sent back to Afghanistan to be freed in 2003 . The Pentagon documents show that he rejoined the Taliban as a commander in southern Afghanistan , and planned a jailbreak in Kandahar and a `` nearly successful capture of the town of Spin Boldak , Afghanistan . '' Yaaqoub was killed fighting U.S. troops on May 7 , 2004 , according to the Pentagon data , and his memorial service in Pakistan drew a number of wanted Taliban leaders . Other examples released by the Pentagon show men sent home to Morocco who were later captured and accused of recruiting people to train with and fight for al Qaeda in Iraq , two men freed in Saudi Arabia who became leaders in a new al Qaeda organization there , and a Russian sent home who later was arrested for playing a role in a gas line bombing . As a comparison , among prisoners in the United States , about 62 percent of violent offenders examined in a 1994 study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics were rearrested within three years of being released . | Pentagon : 14 percent turn to , or are suspected of turning to , terrorism activities . Rate has doubled from that of a few years ago , Pentagon officials say . Names of almost 30 ex-detainees believed to have gone on to fight released . | [[1322, 1332], [1335, 1426], [1322, 1332], [1335, 1347], [1432, 1486], [1965, 2120], [2765, 2775], [2778, 2914], [3465, 3477], [3500, 3526], [3540, 3574], [4135, 4142], [4193, 4223], [1965, 2120], [3137, 3171], [3465, 3536], [3465, 3477], [3500, 3526], [3540, 3574], [3566, 3574], [3582, 3639]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The news editor of the Zambian newspaper The Post has gone on trial for allegedly circulating obscene material to politicians , the newspaper states on its Web site . Zambia President Rupiah Banda has branded the childbirth photos pornographic . In early June , Chansa Kabwela wrote to the country 's vice president , health minister and several non-governmental organizations to highlight problems in the country 's health-care system -- especially the problems pregnant women faced during a strike by health-care workers . In her letter , Kabwela included several photos of a woman giving birth in a parking lot outside a hospital from which she had been turned away , according to Reporters Without Borders . The country 's president , Rupiah Banda , branded the photos pornographic and called for Kabwela 's arrest and prosecution , according to the press freedom organization . `` Kabwela 's arrest is shocking and the grounds are ridiculous , '' the organization said in a statement on its Web site after the arrest . Now the trial into the alleged obscene photos has begun in the Lusaka magistrate 's court , the newspaper Web site says . One of the first witnesses , Kenneth Ngosa , a senior private secretary to the vice president , told the court he was immediately disturbed by the pictures he found inside the letter , according to the paper . The Post described the courtroom as `` packed to capacity '' and said `` people from all works of life including musicians and opposition political party members '' had come to support Kabwela . Defense lawyer George Chisanga has asked the court to look into whether the president 's order to arrest and prosecute Kabwela could influence the course of justice . A joint statement from several Zambian media organizations , published on The Post 's Web site , calls for the government to amend the law on obscenity to clarify what constitutes obscenity and material that can corrupt morals . The statement concedes that the pictures were in bad taste , but notes that they were sent on behalf of a good cause : to end the strike . CNN efforts to obtain comment from both The Post and the Zambian government have been unsuccessful . According to the latest figures from the World Health Organization , in 2004 the mortality rate of children under 5 years old in Zambia was 182 per 1,000 live births . In the United States , under-5 mortality rate was 8 per 1,000 live births in 2006 . Skilled health personnel attended only 43 percent of childbirths in Zambia in 2002 , according to the health organization . | News editor of Zambian newspaper on trial for circulating obscene material . Chansa Kabwela sent pictures of a woman giving birth in a parking lot to President . She says she wanted to highlight problems in country 's healthcare system . President Banda branded the images pornographic and had Kabwela arrested . | [[0, 15], [60, 144], [544, 557], [560, 651], [186, 264], [731, 755], [773, 804], [731, 755], [758, 764], [809, 853]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Andrew Sable was n't in the market for new wheels , but he says the federal `` cash for clunkers '' program helped him get an offer he could n't refuse . `` I 'd have been foolish not to take it , '' said Andrew Sable , who got $ 9,000 for his 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee . The gas-guzzling 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee his college-student son drives went bad last weekend . Ordinarily Sable would have fixed it , even though the vehicle was worth perhaps $ 2,000 at best . But , aware of the program that started this month , Sable took a $ 4,500 federal credit this week to trade in the Jeep and buy a new , more fuel-efficient Chrysler PT Cruiser . And Chrysler , eager to sell vehicles , threw in its own $ 4,500 incentive . The $ 9,000 in savings knocked the price to $ 8,900 before taxes and fees . `` I 'll never get $ 9,000 for this old vehicle -LSB- any other way -RSB- . I 'd have been foolish not to take it , '' the 43-year-old Sable , an insurance underwriter living in North Bellmore , New York , told CNN after filing a report with iReport.com . He 'll drive the PT Cruiser and let the son drive his Nissan . iReport.com : Read Sable 's account of the purchase . Under the $ 1 billion program , people will be given credits of $ 3,500 to $ 4,500 to replace gas guzzlers -- generally vehicles with a combined city/highway fuel economy of 18 miles per gallon or less -- with new vehicles that are more fuel efficient . The old vehicles are crushed or shredded . Watch CNN 's Gerri Willis explain the `` cash for clunkers '' program '' The exact credit offered through the program -- officially called the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act of 2009 , or CARS -- depends on how many more miles per gallon the new vehicle gets . Fuel economy thresholds for new vehicles vary according to type . New cars must have a combined city/highway fuel economy of at least 22 mpg . New SUVs and small or medium pickup trucks or vans must get at least 18 mpg . New large vans and pickups must get at least 15 mpg . The government put Sable 's old Jeep at 15 mpg . His new PT Cruiser , which the program classifies as an SUV , gets a combined 21 mpg . Part of the program 's intent is to get vehicles with low fuel efficiency off the road . Caroline Radtke , a 31-year-old who wrote about her purchase on iReport.com , was happy to oblige . Radtke and her husband this month got a $ 4,500 CARS credit for trading in their 2000 Isuzu Trooper -LRB- 15 mpg -RRB- to buy a new Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen , a diesel-powered car that the program lists as getting 33 mpg . After the credit , they paid just under $ 26,000 . `` What was going out of my -LSB- old -RSB- vehicle was bad for the planet , and you 're putting so much financially into the stupid thing to fill it up because it runs out so fast , '' Radtke , a freelance graphic designer living in San Antonio , Texas , told CNN after filing her iReport . `` After driving it for eight and a half years , I wanted something more productive financially and more friendly to the Earth . '' The couple would have bought a new car without CARS , but the credit probably allowed them to get a nicer car than they otherwise would have , Radtke said . If they had sold the Trooper themselves , they might have gotten $ 3,000 if they were lucky , she said . iReport.com : Radtke 's purchase . The CARS program is n't for everyone . The credit wo n't go toward used-car purchases . Also , people looking to get rid of their under-18-mpg vehicle might find they can get about the same or more than a CARS credit by selling it . But the program worked just fine for iReporter Julie Callahan , a Salt Lake City , Utah , woman who was looking to replace her 1990 Chevy C1500 pickup truck , which had more than 350,000 miles and is rated at 15 mpg . She and her husband already had a newer vehicle , but she used the truck to go to work and for other in-town purposes . But lately it started having shifting problems , and it was occasionally slipping going uphill . Like Sable , Callahan , 39 , got $ 4,500 this week to turn in the old vehicle and buy a new PT Cruiser . And , like Sable , she also received a separate $ 4,500 credit from Chrysler . She 'll be paying about $ 10,000 for her new vehicle after taxes and fees . The $ 9,000 she saved with the credits from CARS and Chrysler is n't too shabby , considering she figures her old pickup was nearly worthless because it had so many miles . iReport.com : How Callahan got $ 9,000 for her truck . `` Without the incentives , I probably would n't have purchased a brand new vehicle , '' Callahan , who runs a science outreach program at the University of Utah , told CNN after filing her iReport . Unless it is renewed , the program will end November 1 or when funds allotted by Congress run out , whichever happens first . Trade-ins must be less than 25 years old , and their titles must be free of any liens . Consumers can go to a Web site , cars.gov , to learn the program 's rules . FuelEconomy.gov : See if your vehicle qualifies for CARS . | N.Y. man was n't looking for new vehicle , but credits , circumstances changed plans . Program gives credits of $ 3,500 to $ 4,500 to people who trade in gas guzzlers . Recipients must buy new vehicles that are more fuel efficient . Texas woman glad program helped her buy more fuel-efficient vehicle . | [[0, 5], [19, 68], [75, 150], [539, 605], [1190, 1272], [2360, 2468], [4131, 4134], [4150, 4153], [4159, 4209], [539, 544], [610, 663], [1400, 1412], [1418, 1443]] |
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