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WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A new policy sets guidelines for how long U.S. border officials can hold computers and downloaded information seized at checkpoints , and with whom they can share that information . New rules announced Thursday specify border searches to be conducted `` as expeditiously as possible . '' The policy , announced Thursday by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano , continues to give border officials the authority to search files in travelers ' laptop computers , mobile phones , Blackberrys and similar devices with or without suspicion that a crime has occurred . That is in keeping with long-standing court rulings that say the federal government 's powers of search and seizure are greatest at the border to protect the country . But the new policy also attempts to address complaints from travelers that border officials are needlessly perusing confidential information , downloading it and keeping devices and information indefinitely without any explanation . The policy gives travelers the right to be `` present in the room '' during searches , although they are `` not necessarily ... permitted to witness the search itself . '' It says searches should be conducted `` as expeditiously as possible . '' And Customs and Border Protection officers should keep devices no longer than five days unless there are `` extenuating circumstances . '' Officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement , the investigative branch of the Homeland Security Department , can keep devices up to 30 days . It also requires border officers to document searches and conduct them in the presence of a supervisor . And it says they should take steps to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of information and share it only with federal agencies `` that have mechanisms in place to protect '' the data . Border officers have long had to deal with issues pitting privacy versus security . But with the proliferation of laptop computers , travelers increasingly are traveling with sensitive information , including confidential legal documents , medical records , credit card and bank information and trade secrets . `` Keeping Americans safe in an increasingly digital world depends on our ability to lawfully screen materials entering the United States , '' Napolitano said in a written statement . `` The new directives ... strike the balance between respecting the civil liberties and privacy of all travelers while ensuring DHS can take the lawful actions necessary to secure our borders . '' The American Civil Liberties Union said the new rules are a `` welcome first step , '' but said they do not go far enough . `` There are two key aspects of this new policy worth applauding -- the limitations on the time that electronic devices can be held by customs officers and requirements that information from electronic devices only be retained if there is probable cause that a crime has been committed , '' said ACLU attorney Christopher Calabrese . `` These procedural safeguards recognize that the old system was invasive and harmed many innocent travelers . '' `` But unless and until the government requires agents to have individualized suspicion before reviewing such sensitive information as medical records , legal papers and financial information , even the most elaborate procedural safeguards will be insufficient , '' he said . The ACLU this week filed suit seeking records about the Customs and Border Protection 's policy of searching travelers ' laptops . The Homeland Security Department 's statement said its new policies `` enhance transparency , accountability and oversight of electronic media searches at U.S. ports of entry . '' `` Searches of electronic media ... are vital to detecting information that poses serious harm to the United States , including terrorist plans , or constitutes criminal activity -- such as possession of child pornography and trademark or copyright infringement , '' the statement said . The department said it searches electronic media `` on a small percentage of international travelers . '' The border protection agency said that between October 1 , 2008 , and August 11 , it conducted about 1,000 laptop searches while processing more than 221 million travelers at U.S. ports of entry . Just 46 searches were in depth , it said . | New policy attempts to address travelers ' complaints about privacy at borders . Travelers given right to be `` present in room , '' but not necessarily view searches . Homeland Security : New rules `` enhance transparency , accountability '' | [[773, 787], [793, 838], [1002, 1086], [3498, 3674], [3549, 3674]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sen. Ted Kennedy would have had a `` very , very difficult '' time politically surviving the drowning death of a young woman if it happened in the era of blogs , talk radio and 24-hour news cycles , experts said . Sen. Ted Kennedy hit the airwaves to say it was `` indefensible '' he did n't immediately report the accident . Mary Jo Kopechne , 28 , drowned after Kennedy drove his Oldsmobile off a bridge following a regatta party in July 1969 . The incident on Chappaquiddick Island , Massachusetts , helped dash the youngest Kennedy brother 's chances at the Oval Office in 1972 and 1980 . Massachusetts was more forgiving than the rest of the nation , however , backing Kennedy by a 3-to-2 margin in his 1970 bid to keep his Senate seat . That his brothers , John and Robert , had been assassinated in recent years may have been a factor , experts said . Watch Kennedy attend brother Robert 's funeral '' `` Great expectations and great tragedy has always been the storyline of the Kennedys , '' said Christopher Arterton , dean of George Washington University 's graduate school of political management . `` The people of Massachusetts were prepared to forgive a lot of transgressions . '' Kennedy vanished to the family compound for days after the incident , huddling with advisers before emerging the following week to plead guilty to leaving the scene of an accident . A judge suspended his two-month jail sentence . Critics saw the plea as an attempt to stifle details that would have emerged during a trial . In a display of the senator 's legendary oratory , he delivered a nationally televised explanation and apology , saying it was `` indefensible '' that he had n't called police until the day after the accident . See how Chappaquiddick fit into Kennedy 's legacy '' `` If at any time , the citizens of Massachusetts should lack confidence in their senator 's character or his ability , with or without justification , he could not in my opinion adequately perform his duty and should not continue in office , '' Kennedy said . Jim Baughman , author of `` The Republic of Mass Culture : Journalism , Filmmaking , and Broadcasting in America since 1941 , '' said he recalls Kennedy 's address being `` less an explanation to the country than to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts . '' The nation 's response was tepid . According to a Time-Harris poll in August 1969 , about 44 percent of respondents said Kennedy failed `` to tell the real truth , '' 51 percent said his explanation was inadequate and 77 percent said he was wrong not to report the accident immediately . However , 58 percent of respondents said `` he has suffered , been punished and should be given the benefit of the doubt . '' Watch a timeline of Kennedy 's tragedies , triumphs '' `` I think the national repercussions would have been more severe -LSB- today -RSB- , '' Baughman said . In 1969 , the national media were dominated by three TV networks and a handful of magazines and newspapers . New media and talk radio would be a `` much more ferocious force '' today , he said . Media reports from the time indicate few mysteries were solved by Kennedy 's address . Then-Edgartown Police Chief Jim Arena was often lambasted for his handling of the case . He said Thursday he would handle it no differently today except that he would charge Kennedy with vehicular homicide , a charge that did not exist in 1969 . `` I will always contend that what happened that night was an accident . What happened afterward has never been completely explained , '' said Arena , who is now 79 . In his national address , Kennedy said he was driving Kopechne to a ferry landing because she was tired . He denied `` widely circulated suspicions of immoral conduct '' and also refuted reports that he was `` driving under the influence of liquor . '' Watch Kennedy 's explanation '' Kennedy said his unfamiliarity with the bridge , which had no guardrails and met the road at an awkward angle , caused him to drive off the side and into Poucha Pond . `` The car overturned in a deep pond and immediately filled with water , '' Kennedy said . `` Water entered my lungs and I actually felt the sensation of drowning , but somehow I struggled to the surface alive . '' Kopechne did not . Kennedy said he dived back into the water several times , `` but succeeded only in increasing my state of utter exhaustion and alarm . '' Conceding he did not seek a telephone , Kennedy said he returned to the party and summoned a cousin and friend to the scene . They , too , failed in saving Kopechne , he said . `` All kinds of scrambled thoughts -- all of them confused , some of them irrational , many of them which I can not recall , and some of which I would not have seriously entertained under normal circumstances -- went through my mind during this period , '' he said . He asked to be taken to the ferry slip , he said , where he jumped into the water , swam the 500-foot channel back to Edgartown , returned to his hotel room and collapsed . It was n't until morning that he called police , and then , only after he called legal adviser Burke Marshall , he said . The media clamored with questions : Why had Kopechne left her purse and room key at the cottage and told no one she was going home ? How did Kennedy get lost on a one-turn trip to the ferry ? Was the ferry operating when Kennedy and Kopechne left ? `` The larger anger about it was the 10-hour lag -LSB- in reporting the accident -RSB- , that he was more concerned about his reputation than this young woman 's life , '' Baughman said . `` He did n't take enough time to blame himself and take responsibility . '' Today , Baughman said , Kennedy could still survive a Chappaquiddick -- largely because of the Kennedys ' clout and because Massachusetts is so enamored with the family -- but it would be tougher with the Slate.coms and Drudge Reports of the world hounding him . George Washington University 's Arterton concurs that , like Jesse Helms ' North Carolina or Strom Thurmond 's South Carolina , Massachusetts would likely forgive one of its favorite sons today . If Kennedy survived his first re-election , as he did in 1970 , he likely would have prevailed in later ones , though it would have been `` very , very difficult to remain in office , '' Arterton said . He also doubts Kennedy would have been able to isolate himself with advisers for days without making a statement . Watch a newsreel of Kennedy 's early years '' `` In the cable news era , that would not have been possible , '' he said , explaining that blogs and other new media would have prodded the networks and newspapers . `` There would have been much more effort to dig into that story nationally . '' At the least , Baughman said , `` you 'd have maybe a more diverse conversation about Kennedy 's culpability and judgment . '' Then-Chief Arena remembers the intense criticism of his investigation from his own counterparts . Diver John Farrar , who pulled Kopechne from the car , told media outlets she may have lived had Kennedy called police immediately , and George Killen , a detective-lieutenant with the State Police , alleged at the time that Kennedy `` killed that girl the same as if he put a gun to her head and pulled the trigger . '' Kennedy 's explanation was a `` weak defense , '' Arena acknowledges , but he insists there was no evidence of negligence to facilitate manslaughter charges . Arena said the Kennedys never pressured him during the investigation . He also never obfuscated details to benefit Kennedy -- in part , because of a paternal adage he has always held dear . `` When you tell the truth , you do n't have to worry about what you said the first time , '' he said . `` The charge I came up with was the only one I thought we could prove . ... I did what I could , and I 'll stick by it . '' | Media `` more ferocious '' today , would n't have left questions unanswered , expert says . Ex-police chief says he would have charged Kennedy with vehicular homicide today . Chappaquiddick incident credited with ending Ted Kennedy 's presidential hopes . Chief : `` What happened afterward has never been completely explained '' | [[3001, 3074], [3263, 3379], [466, 503], [522, 611], [3493, 3552]] |
SRINAGAR , Indian-administered Kashmir -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The state 's governor gave his support to the embattled chief minister , who had tendered his resignation after an allegation that he was involved in a sex scam dating back to 2006 . Omar Abdullah denies any link to a prostitution ring , saying he has stepped down to clear his name . The allegation was leveled Tuesday against Omar Abdullah , 38 , by a senior leader of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party , Muzaffar Hussain Beigh , on the floor of the state assembly . Omar 's swift resignation plunged the state into a constitutional crisis that appeared to end Thursday when the New Delhi-appointed governor , N. N. Vohra , issued a communique asking Omar to `` continue in office as -LRB- Vohra -RRB- had got the allegation investigated through the Indian home ministry . '' The governor said that , `` based on the information supplied to him by the union home ministry , there is no basis for Omar Abdullah seeking to resign . '' Vohra urged the chief minister to `` most vigorously devote himself to discharging responsibilities of chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir . '' The opposition party dismissed the governor 's communique , saying , `` It has the potential of bringing the highest constitutional authority of the state also into controversy as the communique does n't make mention about the chief minister 's resignation . '' A relaxed Omar told journalists Thursday evening that he had `` full confidence '' in his innocence . Omar had delivered his resignation to the state governor after opposition member Muzaffar Hussain Beigh accused him , during a session of the state legislative assembly , of being connected to a prostitution scandal . Muzaffar served as deputy chief minister in the previous government , when several top pro-India officials were arrested on charges that they had misused their authority to force girls and women into a prostitution ring in Kashmir . Omar denied involvement but said he could not `` continue in the office following the allegation '' and would not serve again until he was cleared of the charges . Omar entered office in January after elections in late 2008 that saw the highest voter turnout in the region in nearly 20 years , since the eruption of a secessionist insurgency . Voters went to the polls in large numbers , despite a separatist call for a boycott of the voting . Most recently , the chief minister has been working to defuse tensions that are still running high after the arrest of four police officers in the probe of the alleged rape and murder of two young Muslim women in May . Two people have died and many have been wounded in clashes between Muslim protesters and Indian security forces stemming from the case . The arrests included the former police chief of south Kashmir 's Shopian district and three of his subordinates , who are accused of `` destruction of evidence '' and `` dereliction of duty '' in connection with the deaths , which occurred in the town of Shopian . Kashmir has been in the throes of a bloody secessionist campaign for nearly two decades during which , 43,000 people have been killed , according to official figures . Various rights groups and non-governmental organizations in Kashmir , however , contend that the number killed during the last two decades is twice the official figure . | New Delhi-appointed governor Vohra asks Omar to `` continue in office '' Omar says he had `` full confidence '' in his innocence . Kashmir has seen two decades of violence in which 43,000 people have been killed . | [[582, 605], [620, 673], [690, 746], [1405, 1506], [1459, 1487], [3023, 3110], [3092, 3110], [3124, 3156], [3126, 3139], [3159, 3190]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A search has been launched for a 50-year-old convicted rapist and suspect in the killings of six people whose bodies were found in and around a house in Cleveland , Ohio , police said Friday . The incident began unfolding a month ago , when a woman accused Anthony Sowell of rape and felonious assault , Cleveland Police spokesman Lt. Thomas Stacho told CNN . `` Once we were able to get the cooperation of the victim , we secured an arrest warrant for Mr. Sowell and subsequently a search warrant for his premises , '' Stacho said . On Thursday , detectives from the department 's sex-crimes unit and members of its SWAT team went to Sowell 's home to execute the warrant and to arrest the suspect , but he was nowhere to be found , Stacho said . What they did find were the badly decomposed remains of two bodies on the third floor of the house , which is owned by an elderly relative of Sowell who did not live there , Stacho said . A subsequent search on Thursday revealed what appeared to be a freshly dug grave under the stairs in the basement , he said . On Friday , investigators returned to the house , dug up the grave and found a third body , he said . A further search of the house and property found two more bodies in a crawl space and a sixth body was found in a shallow grave outside the home , Stacho said . Read local coverage on CNN affiliate WJW . None of the bodies has been identified , and the genders of only two -- those found on the third floor -- have been determined , he said . Both were female . `` He apparently is a serial rapist , '' Stacho said about Sowell , who he said makes his living as a `` scrapper . '' `` He walks around and picks up scrap metal and takes it to junk yards to make a few pennies . '' Sowell was convicted for a 1989 rape for which he was imprisoned from 1990 to 2005 , Stacho said . Authorities plan to continue their search of the house on Saturday . | Search launched for a convicted rapist , 50 ; he 's suspect in six slayings . Bodies of six people found in and around a house in Cleveland , Ohio . None of the bodies has been identified ; search of house to continue Saturday . | [[0, 15], [19, 122], [0, 15], [19, 122], [109, 128], [136, 181], [1183, 1281], [1387, 1425], [1861, 1929], [1861, 1872], [1878, 1929]] |
San Francisco , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Repair work on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge will continue nonstop into the weekend and the bridge may reopen Monday , but officials were making no promises Friday . `` Commuters are going to need to check back with us over the weekend , '' said Bart Ney , a spokesman for the California Department of Transportation . `` We 're going to do everything we can to get the bridge open for the Monday morning commute , but safety is the priority for us right now . '' Repair work has not stopped since it began Tuesday night when two steel rods and a steel crossbeam plummeted from the bridge , landing on the roadway and forcing the span 's closure . The same section had been the site of repairs over Labor Day weekend , when crews fixed a crack . On Friday , workers were grinding the areas where there was the potential for steel-on-steel connection , Ney said . `` We want them to be very smooth . '' The rods ' alignment has not been completed to the point where workers could begin stressing them , he said . Once that work is complete , a third-party group will look at how the system handles vibrations , he said , adding , `` There is still a lot of work to be done . '' Transportation officials had said Thursday night that repairs of the bridge , which carried about 280,000 vehicles per day , would be complete by late Friday morning , but Ney said contractors were still working on custom-fitting steel for the structure . Crews worked Friday to replace four steel rods . One of those had failed and caused the problems , Dale Bonner , California 's secretary of business , transportation and housing told reporters Thursday . Engineers also will make sure the rods are centered and will strengthen the welds to ensure stability , Bonner said . Vibrations in the rods , affected by strong winds , caused the break , officials said . In the wake of the bridge 's closing , commuters flocked to the Bay Area 's rail system . On Thursday , Bay Area Rapid Transit -LRB- BART -RRB- said , the system carried the most passengers ever , breaking a record set the day before . About 442,000 people took BART , 24 percent more than on an average Thursday , the agency said in a news release . | NEW : `` We 're going to do everything we can to get the bridge open '' Monday . Pieces of steel from bridge fell onto roadway on Tuesday , forcing closure . 73-year-old bridge spans San Francisco Bay , carries about 280,000 vehicles daily . BART has been swamped with riders since Bay Bridge closed . | [[375, 465], [551, 641], [579, 641], [644, 666], [579, 588], [671, 700], [1295, 1305], [1314, 1352], [1896, 1932], [1935, 1985]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former Alabama judge accused of checking male inmates out of jail and forcing them to engage in sexual activity was found not guilty Monday on charges of sexual abuse , attempted sodomy and assault , his lawyer said . Attorney Robert Clark said former Judge Herman Thomas was found not guilty on several charges and the judge in the case granted a directed verdict of acquittal on all the other counts . The Mobile County district attorney did not immediately return CNN calls for comment . Thomas , 48 , denied wrongdoing . Clark said on October 20 that the judge was trying to mentor the inmates and did not assault them . The judge does not deny bringing the inmates into his office , Clark said last week . `` He was mentoring them . He was trying to get them to do right , to be productive citizens . '' Thomas cried after the verdicts were read , Clark said Monday . `` He hugged me and he hugged his wife . And he had a courtroom full of supporters . It all worked out in the end , '' the attorney said . One of the alleged victims testified October 19 that he does n't know why his semen was found on the carpet of a small room used as an office by Thomas , according to The Mobile Press-Register newspaper . But he did say Thomas spanked him with a belt on several occasions , the newspaper reported , and that the paddlings took place inside a jury room , in the small office and at a Mobile , Alabama , fraternity house . Another man testified that after he was charged with kidnapping and robbery in 2002 , Thomas visited him in jail and urged the man to let Thomas decide the case instead of a jury , according to the Press-Register . Thomas convicted him of lesser charges , he testified , and sentenced him to a 90-day boot camp . He said Thomas also beat him with a belt on his bare buttocks about a dozen times at the courthouse , the newspaper reported . Neither man was identified . `` All of them -LSB- the alleged victims -RSB- were given preferential treatment at some point , '' Nicki Patterson , chief assistant district attorney for Mobile County , said earlier this month . `` And ultimately , when some of them refused to continue participating -LSB- in the activities -RSB- , they were given what I would view as excessive sentences . But certainly while the inmates were involved with the activities we allege , the state would say , it was extremely lenient sentences . '' Clark said his client 's next hurdle is the Alabama State Bar . `` They suspended him back in March because he got indicted . And we 're fighting to give him his law license back , '' he said . CNN 's Carolina Sanchez contributed to this report . | Ex-Judge Herman Thomas acquitted of sexual abuse , attempted sodomy , assault . Judge says he brought inmates to his office to mentor them . Lawyer : `` He was trying to get them to do right , to be productive citizens '' | [[0, 15], [133, 187], [0, 15], [190, 218], [239, 424], [266, 358], [337, 424], [546, 645], [571, 618], [732, 758], [221, 238], [546, 645], [571, 618], [759, 826], [759, 761], [799, 826], [1010, 1032]] |
-LRB- Travel + Leisure -RRB- -- Portland , Oregon , does n't lack for fashionable boutique hotels , but to the west , along the Pacific Ocean , the options have tended to be as primal as the shoreline . Recently , however , a group of properties has sprung up on the northern coast , aiming to seduce 21st-century travelers with designs steeped in post-World War II Modernism . The Cannery Pier Hotel was built on the site of a fish-packing facility on the Columbia River . Each stop on this easy three-night itinerary provides a stylish Oregon beach getaway -- along with postcard-worthy water views . Day 1 : Portland to Astoria . Follow the Columbia River Highway -LRB- U.S. 30 -RRB- as it meanders along the waterway that led Lewis and Clark to the sea . -LRB- For more shore-hugging river views , cross the Oregon Way Bridge , just west of Rainier , and drive on Washington 's Ocean Beach Highway -- but be sure to return to Route 30 by crossing back over at Cathlamet . -RRB- . Make your way to Astoria , the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies -LRB- founded in 1811 -RRB- , a revitalized former fishing town with Victorian architecture and a restored 1913 riverfront trolley . Take in the town -- and the mouth of the Columbia River -- from the 125-foot Astoria Column , and for a dramatic close-up of the Astoria Bridge , which connects Oregon and Washington , check in to the Cannery Pier Hotel -LRB- doubles from $ 299 -RRB- . Built on the site of a fish-packing facility on a pier that extends 600 feet into the river , the four-year-old hotel embraces a Pacific Northwest version of loft architecture , with exposed steel beams in the atrium-style lobby and hardwood floors in the 46 balconied rooms . The best place to eat is just a short stroll down the pier at the Bridgewater Bistro -LRB- dinner for two $ 75 ; 503 / 325-6777 -RRB- . The restaurant offers exceptional views of the river and bridge , a tasting room for the Oregon Coast 's Flying Dutchman Winery , and a small-plates menu featuring watermelon-and-feta salad and a savory cheesecake with Dungeness crab . Day 2 : Astoria to Arch Cape . The Oregon Coast Highway -LRB- U.S. 26 -RRB- crosses Youngs Bay and snakes southward almost to Arch Cape , set in the lush green terrain of Oswald West State Park . It 's a 30-mile trip that passes through the monied enclave of Gearhart , as well as Seaside , one of the first beach resorts in Oregon . Travel + Leisure : 45 best new hotels of 2009 . Be sure to explore the Cannon Beach art colony , comprising 19 galleries and crafts studios ; then hit the sand to behold Haystack Rock , a 235-foot-tall basalt formation that 's the third-largest such ocean monolith in the world . You might also want to scope out a spot for dinner in Cannon Beach -- locals love the French-Italian dishes such as pesto-and-prawn pasta at Newmans at 988 -LRB- dinner for two $ 110 , 503 / 436-1151 -RRB- -- or stock up on Oregon wine and Tillamook cheese before heading to Arch Cape , a tiny residential community with no restaurants . It is here that Bruce Bessey transformed an old beach house into the Ocean Point Inn & Spa -LRB- doubles from $ 275 -RRB- . The three handsome suites , with mod furnishings , are perfect for curling up in when the rain lashes the wild surf . In fair weather , guests mingle on the oceanfront deck to watch gray whales or gaze at the stars . In the morning , a hearty breakfast with fresh pastries provides fortification for beachcombing . Nestled between two state parks , the inn offers direct access to a nearly deserted Pacific stretch with sand dollar-filled tide pools . Day 3 : Arch Cape to Lincoln City . Lincoln City is a straight 79-mile shot down the 101 , past open stretches of sand with more clumps of beach grass than sunbathers . Along the way : Laneda Avenue , in Manzanita , is a charming shopping strip ; the Picnic Basket -LRB- 503 / 355-8500 -RRB- , in Rockaway Beach , has 97 flavors of salt-water taffy ; Garibaldi Marina -LRB- 503 / 322-3312 -RRB- will hook you up for crab hunting and clam digging ; and the Hawk Creek Café -LRB- 503 / 392-3838 -RRB- , in Neskowin , serves fresh seafood and a popular wood-fired pizza . Tillamook is the home of the famous cheddar , as well as ice creams made from local berries . Past Lincoln City , in Newport , is a worthwhile detour : the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse , dating from 1871 . The beachfront at Lincoln City is stacked with condo-by-the-sea complexes which makes the recent renovation of the 141-room Surftides -LRB- doubles from $ 134 -RRB- that much more welcome . Under the new management of the owners of the hip Farmer 's Daughter hotel , in Los Angeles , the Surftides -- first opened in 1936 -- is now decorated with cork bulletin-board walls and jazzy striped daybeds . The balconied guest rooms reference Midcentury Modern design with sleek built-ins and bold orange accents . You 'd swear you were sleeping in an urban boutique hotel , except the roar outside your door is waves , not traffic . 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 . | A handful of fashionable hotels have opened along Oregon 's northern coast . The Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria sits on a pier in the Columbia River . Ocean Point Inn & Spa in Arch Cape is housed in a renovated beach house . | [[203, 211], [224, 281], [3049, 3139], [3065, 3153]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- They were there for the view -- spectators awed by a vista of massive waves smashing against the rocky shore . A U.S. Coast Guard rescue boat reaches a man swept out to sea Sunday at Acadia National Park in Maine . But then one wave struck violently , sweeping three people into the churning ocean , one of them a 7-year-old girl . What spectator Mary Ellen Martel saw next were bodies bobbing along in the frothy waters . And in a heartbeat , a day of spectacular surf turned tragic . Watch a dramatic rescue at sea '' Thousands of people flocked to the jagged shoreline of Maine 's Acadia National Park on Sunday as Hurricane Bill weakened offshore on its trajectory north and delivered dramatic waves to the New England seaboard . `` People were clapping and laughing when the wind would bring the spray over . It was a very festive atmosphere , '' Martel told CNN in a telephone interview . `` It was a warm , sunny day , and everyone was just enjoying the show that Mother Nature was offering , but not everybody knows to stay away from the edge -- or way away from the edge . '' A section of the shore is known as Thunder Hole , a popular tourist attraction where waves crashing against the shore mimic the sound of thunder . But Sunday , conditions were such that even the walkway to Thunder Hole was closed for the safety of spectators . On a rock cliff about 20 feet above the sea , a wave struck about 11:50 a.m. , pushing water onto the ankles of some of the people standing on `` top of what we think would be a safe area , '' Acadia Chief Ranger Stuart West told CNN . People started to turn back , to get farther away from the edge , and then a second , monstrous wave hit them . The unrelenting sea dragged in seven onlookers , forcing four to claw their way back to shore but sweeping three others out into the chilly waters . Two were rescued , but 7-year-old Clio Axlerod of New York perished , West said . Watch preparations for the storm '' Martel , a resident of Maine 's Southwest Harbor for more than 35 years and a frequent park visitor , had come there with her husband , and she said she feels `` pretty certain '' she had been on the same ledge as the three victims swept out to sea . Martel had stood far enough back that the first wave did not affect her much , but when she saw the second coming , she turned her back to protect the camera she used to photograph the surf . She was doused from her shoulders down , she said . She said she knew then she had to get back to the road that led to the area . `` When I looked -LSB- back -RSB- , everybody was scrambling to get off the ledge , '' she said . Her husband , a volunteer firefighter , ran back to offer his help and overheard a woman say that her husband and daughter were swept away from the spot where the Martels and maybe 30 others had been , she said . U.S. Coast Guard rescuers arrived about 20 minutes after the first call and had the tough task of finding the three drifting in the rough seas . `` Of course , trying to locate a head in frothy , agitated water like it was is a very difficult operation , '' West said . `` But the rangers on the shore could still spot them . '' Martel saw bobbing buoys out in the distance , but not until she used a zoom lens on her camera could she tell the buoys from the bodies , she said . At 12:52 p.m. , the Coast Guard picked up Simone Pelletier , 12 , of Belfast , Maine , and Peter Axlerod , 55 , Clio 's father . The 7-year-old was found at 3:32 p.m. , West said in a statement . Petty Officer Dayton Trubee of the Coast Guard said he was not present during the rescue effort , but heard from his colleagues what happened when they grabbed Peter Axlerod out of the sea 's grip . `` They told me when they pulled them on board he was exhausted , '' Trubee said . `` He really did n't have any idea what happened to his daughter . He was totally worn out from just struggling . '' Six others at Acadia suffered broken bones and cuts from the effects of the intense waves , West said . Park officials had warned visitors of the dangers of the surf , West said , but he was not sure whether those seven pulled out by the massive wave got the warning . West said that people ask why rangers did n't just close off the park 's shoreline . `` The reality is we have so many miles of boundary that if we close up one section people just go to the other section , '' he said . Instead they concentrate rangers in the areas they know people want to visit , he said . But nature ca n't be managed . The second wave has been reported by some as a rogue wave , because it was unexpected and `` monstrous , '' said Chief Christopher Wheeler of the Coast Guard 's field office for Northern New England . Martel said she did not initially think the waves would be an injurious , `` imminent '' threat . `` It 's kind of like a false sense of security , and then out of nowhere comes this monstrous wave that 's like , holy moly , '' Wheeler said . | People flock to Maine seashore to watch waves stirred up by Hurricane Bill . Enormous wave takes spectators by surprise , sweeps three out to sea . Two are rescued from pounding surf , but 7-year-old girl dies . | [[39, 129], [539, 633], [637, 651], [698, 752], [1154, 1171], [1189, 1221], [238, 268], [243, 251], [271, 316], [1687, 1712], [1713, 1732], [1762, 1861], [2194, 2230], [2732, 2803], [4900, 4970], [1862, 1878], [1885, 1929], [1932, 1936]] |
BELLEVUE , Nebraska -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- If LeRoy Carhart 's abortion clinic had a terror alert scale , it would be at Code Red this weekend . Anti-abortion protesters plan demonstrations this weekend outside Dr. LeRoy Carhart 's clinic in Bellevue , Nebraska . `` I feel safer on an airplane than I do in my clinic , '' Carhart said , sitting at his desk in his windowless office in Bellevue , Nebraska . `` You try to think about every way an attack could happen . You try to do all you can to prevent it , but obviously Dr. -LSB- George -RSB- Tiller thought he was safe in church . '' It 's been nearly three months since Tiller , one of the world 's most well-known doctors performing abortions , was shot in the head at point-blank range on May 31 as services began at Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita , Kansas . Anti-abortion groups , led by Operation Rescue , plan to launch protests outside Carhart 's clinic this weekend in Bellevue , just south of Omaha . They will be the first major anti-abortion protests since the Tiller killing . The demonstrations are set to culminate Saturday with so-called Truth Trucks -- delivery trucks with giant rolling billboards of dismembered fetuses on the sides -- parking outside Carhart 's clinic and canvassing area neighborhoods . Protesters carrying anti-abortion signs also are expected . Operation Rescue President Troy Newman has vowed a peaceful demonstration and said that any hints of possible violence are ginned up by what he calls left-wing groups and the liberal media . His group scaled down plans to protest at Carhart 's facility Friday when it learned women 's rights groups , including the National Organization for Women , would be there . Operation Rescue will hold a rally at a church instead Friday . `` Operation Rescue has said Dr. Carhart is the next target ... , '' said Katherine Spillar , executive vice president with the Feminist Majority Foundation . `` We fear that these kinds of activities can eventually erupt in violence , and I urge the community to make sure violence does n't happen . '' Abortion rights supporters were predominant in the 50 to 75 people gathered outside the clinic Friday morning . `` Welcome , welcome , this clinic stays open , '' some shouted when cars pulled into the clinic 's driveway . Newman said earlier , `` I 'm not interested in putting our folks in any situation where the other side might flare up . I 'm very confident about our side . They 're very peaceful moms and dads and families that will be showing up with signs . '' He said he abhorred the killing of Tiller . `` Shooting someone in the head in a church , '' he said , `` is not a pro-life act . Sorry , it does n't qualify . '' Scott Roeder , a 51-year-old anti-abortion activist , is charged in Tiller 's killing . He has pleaded not guilty . Newman said he wants Carhart shut down -- through legal means . He said he was confident his organization would have shut down Tiller this summer through a legal battle . `` I vehemently disagreed with what Mr. Tiller did , as well as all abortionists for what they do . But they 're still human beings , and they deserve due process , '' Newman said . Tiller was one of about a dozen U.S. doctors who performed late-term abortions . In the wake of his death , his family decided to close his clinic permanently . Carhart was a close friend and understudy of Tiller 's . He performed abortions at Tiller 's clinic for a week every month , including late-term procedures . Carhart has vowed to open an office in Kansas and said he 'll keep doing abortions as long as he 's healthy . He said he 's performed more than 60,000 abortions in the past two decades . About 400 of those were after 24 weeks , he said . Staring across the room at a poster of Tiller , he said , `` I do n't want his death to be in vain . He spent his whole life trying to ensure better health care for women . '' Carhart was performing an abortion in his clinic when Tiller was killed that Sunday morning . He learned of the news by phone from Tiller 's head nurse . `` That 's when she told me that George had been shot in church and that he was dead . '' Carhart is unlike many abortion doctors . He 's does n't parse his words about his profession . The outside of his office has the name of his clinic in bold letters : Abortion & Contraception Clinic of Nebraska . He said he takes pride in the term abortionist . `` I do abortions , and that is what I do , '' he said . On Friday , Carhart teared up when talking about the abortion rights supporters outside his clinic . `` It 's unbelievable , '' he said of the support . Mark Gietzen , the driver of a truck for Operation Rescue , beamed with pride ahead of the protests . He stood outside his truck in Wichita adorned with a poster showing the dismembered hand of a fetus on a quarter . Across the top of the van , it reads , `` Abortion is an ObamaNation.com . '' He said he knew Tiller `` quite well '' from the vantage point of a peaceful common enemy over the years and said the killing was a setback for `` pro-lifers . '' He 's only had one encounter with Carhart -- when the doctor drove his car by protesters and `` quacked like a duck . '' Carhart acknowledges he might 've done that . Gietzen 's message to Carhart : `` Please respect the life of the babies . Stop the killing , stop committing such a horrible act for money . '' Newman , the head of Operation Rescue , said he 'll keep praying Carhart `` turns back to the healing arts and not taking babies ' lives . '' Carhart remains unmoved . `` When they 're ready to accept our position , then we 'll sit down . We say choice is right . If you do n't want to have an abortion , do n't have one . '' Here in America 's heartland , a battle is being waged and both sides are entrenched . There is no middle ground . | NEW : Abortion rights supporters dominant outside clinic on Friday . First major abortion protests set since killing of Dr. George Tiller in May . Dr. LeRoy Carhart of Nebraska was understudy of Tiller 's . Carhart says he takes pride in the term abortionist . | [[2078, 2144], [4477, 4486], [4489, 4577], [970, 1048], [4371, 4419], [4379, 4405]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Authorities have decided to call off a search-and-rescue mission for nine people who may have plunged into the Pacific Ocean off southern California after a Coast Guard C-130 plane and a Marine AH-1 Cobra helicopter collided Thursday night . `` I 've reached the conclusion that hope is no longer viable , '' Coast Guard Rear Adm. Joseph Castillo said Sunday . `` We no longer believe there is any chance somebody could still be alive . '' California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger offered his condolences to family members of the missing Sunday . `` Together , we send our thoughts and prayers to their families and friends , '' Schwarzenegger said in a statement . `` Our hearts are with them during this difficult time . '' Searchers had scoured the ocean for 60 hours without finding any sign of survivors . They reported Saturday that the search had covered 644 square miles . The Navy , Marine Corps and Customs Border Protection helped in the search . The Coast Guard weighed the exhaustive nature of the search , the wreckage , the nature of the collision , the temperature of the water and the time elapsed . A Coast Guard captain said Friday that survivability could be up to 20 hours . On Saturday night , relatives of the missing were briefed about the decision to call off the rescue effort . The order was to go into effect as soon as the planes involved in Sunday morning 's dawn search returned about 9 a.m. Coast Guard pilots had been searching for a missing person in the water . That person was `` reported to have gotten in a dinghy and attempted to row to Catalina -LSB- Island -RSB- , '' Coast Guard Capt. Thomas Farris said Friday . `` We were searching in that area because of the drift that would have naturally occurred after that event . '' The collision occurred about 7 p.m. Thursday , when the Coast Guard plane with a seven-person crew collided with a Marine AH-1 Cobra helicopter carrying two people . A pilot not involved in the incident reported seeing a fireball about 7:10 p.m. Thursday near the crash site . The two Marine pilots were conducting routine training about 15 miles off San Clemente Island when their helicopter collided with the U.S. Coast Guard plane . Marine Corps Air Station Miramar identified them as Maj. Samuel Leigh and 1st Lt. Thomas Claiborne , both with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469 . The Coast Guard 's seven missing personnel were stationed at Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento , California , where their aircraft was based . Castillo has said that an investigation was beginning with the Marine Corps . A large debris field has been located , and pieces have been collected , the Coast Guard spokesman said . The Coast Guard identified its seven missing personnel as Lt. Cmdr. Che J. Barnes of Capay , California , aircraft commander ; Lt. Adam W. Bryant of Crewe , Virginia , co-pilot ; Chief Petty Officer John F. Seidman of Stockton , California , flight engineer ; Petty Officer 2nd Class Carl P. Grigonis of Mayfield Heights , Ohio , navigator ; Petty Officer 2nd Class Monica L. Beacham of Decaturville , Tennessee , radio operator ; Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason S. Moletzsky of Norristown , Pennsylvania , air crew ; and Petty Officer 3rd Class Danny R. Kreder II of Elm Mott , Texas , drop master . The Coast Guard announced that a memorial service for personnel missing in the collision will be at 11 a.m. PT Friday at the Coast Guard station in Sacramento . | Spokesman : Search halted because `` hope is no longer viable '' Coast Guard plane and Marine Corps helicopter collided Thursday . Coast Guard craft had been on search for missing boater . | [[19, 99], [267, 322], [380, 385], [389, 455], [380, 455], [1276, 1279], [1289, 1320], [2159, 2218], [1439, 1512]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Somalia 's president escaped an opportunistic attack by Islamic militants Wednesday as deadly fighting erupted in the center of Mogadishu , officials said . Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed was returning from a trip to Yemen when insurgents began firing mortars , resulted in a clash with African Union peacekeepers , the president 's director of communications told CNN . `` The Islamic insurgents were just guessing the arrival of the president so they started firing mortars , just to send a kind of their regular violent message that they are around , '' said Abdulkadir Barnamij . The heaviest of the fighting was centered on Maka Al Mukarama , which links the airport to the presidential palace but it is heavily guarded by forces from the African Union Mission in Somalia . Meanwhile Ali Muse , head of an emergency group in the city , confirmed to CNN that three people died and 16 others were wounded in the fighting . `` The casualty -LRB- number -RRB- is small because people deserted the streets soon after the fighting started , '' said Ali Muse . -- Journalist Mohamed Amiin Adow contributed to this report . | President 's office : Islamist insurgents , African Union peacekeepers exchanged fire . Fighting left at least five dead , according to Shabelle Media network . The heaviest of the fighting centered on area linking airport to the presidential palace . | [[243, 253], [277, 328], [794, 812], [856, 940], [644, 660], [669, 713]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Last year 's world champion Lewis Hamilton has claimed pole position for Sunday 's inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix while his successor as Formula One 's top driver , Jenson Button , qualified fifth . Hamilton will be looking to end a disappointing year for McLaren with victory in the season finale at the new Yas Marina circuit , but even with a win can do no better than hold onto his fifth overall placing in F1 's first day-night event . The 24-year-old will start a race from the front of the grid for the 17th time in his career , and the fourth in the last seven races , after setting the fastest time in all three sessions . He clocked a best lap of one minute 40.948 seconds as the sun set on Saturday evening to head off the Red Bull duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber . Vettel , whose bid to prevent Button clinching the world title ended last time out in Brazil , timed 1:41.615 while Webber recorded 1:41.726 . `` The car is the best it has been all year . It was a smooth lap , and it just kept getting better and better , '' Hamilton told reporters . `` The place is just stunning . They all said it would be a great event , but it 's mind-blowing . It 's a great place to come to , a great country . The weather has been great and the people are so respectful and so welcoming . I hope we can put on a great show tomorrow . '' Button 's bid to ensure the first all-British front row since 1995 came to nothing as he was out-qualified by teammate Rubens Barrichello for the 10th time this season . The Brazilian is expected to be making his final race outing for world champions Brawn , who are expected to sign Nico Rosberg from Williams . The German , who announced during the week that he will be leaving the British team , qualified ninth as Toyota 's Jarno Trulli and BMW Sauber duo Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld took sixth , seventh and eighth places . Kimi Raikkonen , who will be making his final race appearance for Ferrari , finished outside the top-10 for only the third time this season , and will start in 11th behind Toro Rosso 's Sebastien Buemi . Heikki Kovalainen 's chances of keeping his drive with McLaren took a blow as he finished 15th after suffering gearbox problems . The Finn , fastest in Friday 's practice sessions , was just ahead of two-time world champion Fernando Alonso , who along with Renault teammate Romain Grosjean failed to make it beyond the opening 20-minute session . Alonso , at least , can look forward to joining Ferrari as Raikkonen 's replacement , but Frenchman Grosjean faces an uncertain future as he has failed to take his chance since taking over from the sacked Nelson Piquet Jr. . Former world champions Ferrari will prop up the grid as veteran Giancarlo Fisichella again struggled ahead of what could be the final race of his career as he will be the team 's reserve driver next year when the injured Felipe Massa returns . | Last year 's world champion Lewis Hamilton claims pole position for inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix . His successor Jenson Button qualifies fifth behind Brawn teammate Rubens Barrichello . Red Bull duo Sebastien Vettel and Mark Webber second and third for F1 's first day-night race . Button has an unassailable lead going into the final race of the 2009 season . | [[0, 15], [47, 132], [705, 803]] |
Miami , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- He lies in a bed on a balloon-type mattress , to reduce pressure on his burned body . He is covered with bandages ; a ventilator breathes for Michael Brewer because he ca n't do it for himself . He 's hooked up to the marvels of modern medicine that are trying to give the 15-year-old burn victim a chance to be a kid once again . Sixty-five percent of his body is covered with second - and third-degree burns . `` People are writing horror stories ... but people just ca n't imagine the kind of sickness we 're talking about , '' said Dr. Nicholas Namias , medical director of the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital Burn Center in Miami . `` I 've been to movies like everyone else , and Hollywood has n't even thought of something like this , '' Namias said . Brewer is heavily sedated , and the ventilator does not allow him to speak . His open wounds are covered by bandages , which are changed daily . It 's a four-hour process . He has not been able to speak with police since his desperate fight for life began October 12 , when police say five teenage friends , including a 13-year-old , doused Brewer with rubbing alcohol and set him on fire . The attack occurred after Brewer reported to police that one of the youths had stolen his father 's bicycle . Police say the bicycle was stolen because Brewer did not pay one of the boys $ 40 for a video game . According to police , witnesses said the teens called Brewer `` a snitch '' as they used a lighter to set him ablaze . Namias explained how Brewer 's organs are not functioning the way they should be , but that is expected at this early stage of recovery . `` He 's still on the ventilator and advanced modes of mechanical ventilation . We are breathing for him . His contribution to the breathing is trivial , '' Namias said . Namias also explained that in burn cases , words must be chosen carefully when talking about patients and their condition because so much is at risk and so much can change quickly . `` When you say he 's doing OK , in this situation it means he 's alive and responding to treatments , '' Namias said . `` We 're still dealing with the respiratory failure . We 're dealing with infection now and the need to supply the massive amount of nutrition that this person needs to survive . '' On Monday , the five teens who are accused of taking part in the attack appeared separately before judges in Broward County , Florida . State prosecutors were granted additional time to build their case . Formal charges are expected later this month . For now , all five teens are being held in custody . Four of the boys , all 15 years old , could be charged as adults . The 13-year-old also could be charged as an adult but under Florida law only if Brewer dies . Michael Brewer 's parents , Valerie and Michael Brewer Sr. , issued a written statement through the hospital last week . They are not granting interviews . `` The recovery process will be baby steps , but eventually he will be whole again , '' they wrote . But their son 's injuries enter the realm of medicine and science that has no guarantee . `` There 's no evolutionary mechanism to survive a 65 percent burn , '' Namias said . `` Surviving is a miracle of modern medicine and about the technology and the things we do . This is not like a gunshot and you come out of the -LSB- operating room -RSB- , and say everything 's going to be OK , '' he added . `` We never give up , and we never predict it . ... Our expectation is survival . '' Across the hospital floor in the burn unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital , six other people 's lives also are at stake : all victims of various accidents , all with burns similar to Michael Brewer 's . They , too , are trying to regain at least a part of what they used to have . `` It 's understandable that people can be burned in accidents , '' Namias said . `` But this was no accident . This did n't have to happen at all . '' | Police say teens doused Michael Brewer , 15 , with rubbing alcohol and set him ablaze . Attack came after Brewer reported that one boy had stolen his father 's bicycle . 65 percent of Brewer 's body is covered in second - , third-degree burns . Teen suspects appeared before judges Monday in Florida . | [[1142, 1176], [1181, 1198], [1199, 1273], [1251, 1308], [366, 446], [2323, 2332], [2335, 2446]] |
FREDERICK , Maryland -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Andrew Stein , 10 , and his brother , Nathan , 7 , are having a typical end-of-summer vacation : hanging out at the pool , visiting their grandparents and waiting for the beginning of school . Nathan Stein , 7 , said getting some shots was worth it to help other kids . But this week they 're doing something most of their classmates will never do . The Stein brothers will be testing the new vaccine to prevent swine flu . Because the younger population , from 6 months to 24 years , is at high risk of developing complications from the H1N1 virus , the National Institutes of Health is conducting a clinical trial specifically to make sure the vaccine is safe for children . Vaccine developers hope to get the doses out by mid-October , before the flu season really shifts into high gear . Although both boys dislike needles , they are willing to make the sacrifice . `` One boy that I knew at our school died from a type of the flu , '' said Andrew , frowning . `` So I wanted to prevent that as much as I could . '' The boys , who live in the suburbs between Baltimore , Maryland , and Washington , got their first inoculations at the vaccine satellite office in Frederick , Maryland . The trial is being conducted by the University of Maryland School of Medicine , one of 11 institutions across the country holding pediatric trials . Researchers will test the boys ' blood , have them keep journals and make sure they have no severe reactions after each vaccine . The pediatric studies are divided into two groups within the United States . Half the sites will be comparing reactions between the H1N1 shot and the seasonal influenza vaccines on kids ; the others will be looking at the effectiveness of a two-dose vaccine . The Steins are enrolled in the dosage trial . The data are crucial for developing a safe vaccine , said Dr. Karen Kotloff , who heads both the pediatric and adult trials at Maryland . `` The purpose of the studies we are doing is to try to collect information that will help to inform policymakers about the best way to give the pandemic H1N1 flu vaccine , '' she said . `` Whether we need one or two doses and what strength we need . '' Before they received their shots , both boys , along with their parents , Christy and Eric Stein , got an explanation of the procedure and were warned about possible complications . Nancy Wymer , who coordinates the study , says the boys will receive two inoculations over six weeks and will continue to check in periodically over the following six months . Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on the H1N1 clinical trial '' Neither brother gave more than a grimace as he rolled up his sleeve and took a shot for science . Andrew Stein said it was no big deal . `` It was in and out , in a couple of seconds . '' Why would parents have their children be part of such a trial ? Most say to help other children . Christy Stein was involved in a pediatric trial for the swine flu vaccine in 1976 and understands what her sons are going through . But she also believes it 's good for the country 's public health . `` I trust the people who are running the study , '' she said . `` And I 'm not concerned about it at all . '' The studies are based on other influenza trials in the past . Many parents have already volunteered their children but openings still exist . Children 6 months to 35 months are needed , Kotloff said . `` Like with any shot , children may have a sore arm . Your arm can be red ... There might be some fever or achiness , but the symptoms go away in a couple of days . `` There can be allergic reactions , mostly rashes , but in some rare circumstances there can be severe allergic reactions , '' she added . `` Each volunteer is informed about these possibilities , so it 's up to the parents to make that choice . '' The 11 main sites across the U.S , in nine states , are currently recruiting children for the vaccine trials . The two-dose vaccine tests are being conducted at the University of Maryland Baltimore ; Duke University in Durham , North Carolina ; Children 's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City , Missouri ; Children 's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle , Washington ; and Vanderbilt University in Nashville , Tennessee . And the trial comparing H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines is at Hope Clinic , Emory University in Atlanta , Georgia ; St. Louis University in Missouri ; the University of Iowa in Iowa City ; Cincinnati Children 's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati , Ohio ; Baylor College of Medicine in Houston , Texas ; and the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston . Each location has a Web site to sign up if more children are needed . Andrew and Nathan are doing fine . They will keep a diary on how they feel and what , if any , reactions they have . Each was rewarded with a $ 40 gift card for his trouble . And even after being stuck with a couple of needles , Nathan Stein says it was worth it . `` Not just for the gift card , '' he said , `` but for being able to help other kids . '' | National Institutes of Health has specific H1N1 vaccine trials for children . People 6 months to 24 years at high risk of developing H1N1 complications . Studies compare H1N1 and seasonal shots , look at dosage . Doctor : Data gathered will be crucial for proving vaccine safe for kids . | [[1340, 1378], [541, 582], [4262, 4334], [639, 655], [669, 716], [1815, 1865]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two people have died and 28 people have fallen ill with matching strains of E. coli after an outbreak in ground beef , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said . Sixteen of those people are in hospitals and three have developed kidney failure as a result of the contamination , the CDC said late Monday . The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last week that Fairbank Farms in Ashville , New York , was recalling more than half a million pounds of fresh ground beef products that may be contaminated with a strain of E. coli , a potentially deadly species of bacteria . The products subject to recall were sent to retailers including Trader Joe 's , Price Chopper , Lancaster and Wild Harvest , Shaw 's , BJ 's , Ford Brothers , and Giant Food Stores . The exact products affected are listed on the USDA 's Web site . The recall was for distribution centers in eight states , but Fairbank Farms said some retailers may have sent the affected beef to other states . Each package is printed with `` EST. 492 '' inside the USDA mark of inspection or on the nutrition label . They were packaged on September 15 and 16 and may have been labeled at the retail stores with a sell-by date from September 19 through 28 , the USDA said . Consumers should ask at their point of purchase if the products they have purchased are subject to recall , the USDA said . E. coli can cause bloody diarrhea , dehydration , and in the most severe cases , kidney failure . The very young , seniors and people with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness . The USDA 's Food Safety and Inspection Service advised consumers to safely prepare raw meat products , whether they are fresh or frozen , and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit . The only way to be sure ground beef is cooked to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature , the FSIS said . Of the 28 people infected with E. coli from the outbreak , eight are in Massachusetts ; four each are in Connecticut and New Hampshire ; two each are in Maine , Pennsylvania and South Dakota ; and one each is in California , Maryland , Minnesota , New Jersey , New York and Vermont , according to the CDC . | Two people have died after becoming infected with E. coli in this outbreak . E. coli is a bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea , dehydration , kidney failure . Use a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of beef . | [[1397, 1494], [1920, 1936], [1940, 2001]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tuesday 's off-year election might not have the high stakes of the 2008 presidential election , but there are several significant races worth watching : . • Virginia governor : McDonnell is projected winner . CNN has projected that Republican Bob McDonnell will be elected Virginia governor . The 55-year-old former state attorney general will be the first Republican to win the state 's highest office in 12 years . With 99 percent of precincts reporting , McDonnell was leading Democratic opponent Creigh Deeds 59 percent to 41 percent . The race was seen as an early referendum on voters ' attitudes toward President Obama and his policies and an opportunity for Republicans to turn back recent Democratic gains . More on Virginia gubernatorial race . • New Jersey governor : GOP 's Christie is winner , CNN projects . Republican challenger Chris Christie will defeat New Jersey Gov. John Corzine , CNN has projected . With 99 percent of precincts reporting , Christie was leading Corzine , a Democrat , 49 percent to 45 percent . Chris Daggett , an independent candidate , had 6 percent . Corzine , who was seeking a second term , trailed Christie during the summer , but recent polls showed them in a dead heat . As Election Day approached , some thought growing support for the moderate Daggett might siphon votes from Christie . More on New Jersey gubernatorial race . • New York mayor : Bloomberg to win third term , CNN projects . New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will win a third term despite a tough challenge from Democrat Bill Thompson , CNN has projected . With 99 percent of precincts reporting , Bloomberg led Thompson 51 percent to 46 percent . Bloomberg 's apparent victory comes after he changed the city 's constitution to lift a two-term limit . Bloomberg , an independent candidate , had led Thompson , the city comptroller , by double digits in most pre-election surveys . Bloomberg has outspent his rival in TV ads , $ 33 million to $ 2.66 million . • Boston , Massachusetts , mayor : Menino wins , Globe says . Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has won a record fifth term , the Boston Globe reported . CNN is not making a projection in the race . With all precincts reporting , Menino led City Councilman Michael Flaherty 57 percent to 42 percent , according to the Globe . In Menino 's previous races , he either won overwhelmingly or he ran unopposed . Boston.com : Menino wins fifth term . • Maine same-sex marriage vote : Early results are close . Early results on a measure that would reject a law allowing same-sex marriage were tight , according to the Bangor -LRB- Maine -RRB- Daily News . With 70 percent of precincts reporting , nearly 52 percent of voters chose to reject the law , with more than 48 percent voting to retain it , according to the Daily News . When Gov. John Baldacci signed the legislation on May 6 , he did so knowing there was a possibility that voters could overturn it . In September , opposition groups delivered the necessary signatures to get a vote . Maine would be sixth state to allow same-sex marriage if voters uphold the legislation . iReport.com : Same-sex marriage proponents work to get out the vote . • Medical marijuana in Maine : ` Yes ' has lead . Early results seemed to favor the passage of a referendum that would expand the use of medical marijuana in Maine . With 70 percent of precincts reporting , 59 percent of voters chose `` yes '' in the referendum , according to the Bangor -LRB- Maine -RRB- Daily News . Voters in Maine , one of 14 states to allow the use of medical marijuana , were asked to decide whether to expand the list of conditions that could be treated with medical marijuana and make it easier to expand the list further in the future . It also would create state-licensed dispensaries . Portland Press Herald : Turnout may surpass 50 percent , official says . • New York 's 23rd Congressional District . Why it matters : A conservative backlash against a moderate Republican candidate propelled this race into national headlines as proof of an ongoing family feud between the far right and moderates for control of the party . What 's the story ? : Local Republican leaders picked Dede Scozzafava because of her appeal to centrist Republicans , independents and even some Democrats . But it sparked a conservative revolt , and Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman outpolled Scozzafava , forcing her to withdraw . Scozzafava has since endorsed Democrat Bill Owens . New York district bares fight for GOP 's soul . iReport.com : Interviews with supporters of Owens , Hoffman . • Civil unions in Washington state . Why it matters : Washington decides whether to edge closer to same-sex marriage . What 's the story ? : Earlier this year , what is called Washington 's `` everything but marriage '' bill was signed into law and gave registered domestic partners additional state-granted rights currently given only to married couples . In a vote similar to Maine 's , Washington will decide whether to overturn the legislation . Share election day images from your town . • Atlanta , Georgia , mayor . Why it matters : Thirty-five years of African-American control of the mayor 's office could end in Georgia 's capital city . What 's the story ? : White City Councilwoman Mary Norwood is the front-runner in this nonpartisan race between her and chief competitors City Council President Lisa Borders and former state lawmaker Kasim Reed . Incumbent Shirley Franklin , limited to two terms , recently said she is voting for Reed . Watch how Atlanta 's mayor is n't backing the front-runner . Atlanta Journal-Constitution : Coverage of mayoral race . • Houston , Texas , mayor . Why it matters : The nation 's fourth-largest city could elect its first openly gay mayor . What 's the story ? : City Controller Annise Parker , who has been elected six times to citywide posts , has an even chance of winning , according to polls . Among her competitors are City Councilman Peter Brown and City Attorney Gene Locke . Watch how a Texas candidate could make history . KHOU : Voter turnout appears light Tuesday . Houston Chronicle : Scouting report on mayoral race . CNN 's Paul Steinhauser , Emily Sherman , Ed Hornick , Robert Yoon and John Helton contributed to this report . | GOP 's Chris Christie will win New Jersey governorship , CNN projects . New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg turns back tough challenge . CNN projects Republican McDonnell wins Virginia governor 's race . Houston voters could elect Texas city 's first openly gay mayor . | [[798, 840], [841, 918], [921, 940], [1575, 1594], [1459, 1572], [196, 227], [228, 311], [246, 311], [921, 940], [1575, 1594], [5710, 5786]] |
Atlanta , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Turn back time , more than 90 years , to a cold case that wo n't gather dust . It 's a classic whodunit , starting with the rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl and ending in a lynching . It was grist for a prosecutor 's political aspirations , a case that was appealed all the way to the country 's highest court and a story hotly debated in the national press . At the center of it all was Leo Frank , a northern Jew who 'd moved to Atlanta to supervise the National Pencil Company factory . When the body of Mary Phagan , a white child laborer , was found in the basement , law enforcement homed in on Frank . He was tried and convicted , based on what most historians say was the perjured testimony of a black man , and sentenced to death . But when the governor commuted his sentence in 1915 , about 25 men abducted Frank , 31 , from the state prison and hung him from a tree in Marietta , Georgia . Considered one of the most sensational trials of the early 20th century , the Frank case seemed to press every hot-button issue of the time : North vs. South , black vs. white , Jew vs. Christian , industrial vs. agrarian . In the years since , it has inspired numerous books and films , TV programs , plays , musicals and songs . It has fueled legal discussions , spawned a traveling exhibition and driven public forums . Who murdered Mary Phagan ? What forces were behind the lynching of Frank ? Why should we still care ? Answers to these questions , or theories , keep coming . `` Leo Frank was not a good ole Southern boy . He was different and not ashamed of being different , '' said Ben Loeterman , whose new documentary , `` The People v. Leo Frank , '' will air Monday on PBS . `` The test of us as a society is not necessarily how we treat the best among us but how we treat the most questionable . '' Mixed in with ongoing analysis of the Phagan-Frank story are the descendants of those involved , people who learned of their connections differently and carry these legacies forward in unique ways . The accused . `` The story goes that no one in my family talked about it , '' said Cathee Smithline , a 62-year-old great-niece of Frank . Frank was the one who handed Mary Phagan her check when she stopped by the factory on April 26 , 1913 , Confederate Memorial Day . The night watchman , Newt Lee , would find the body and call police early the next day . Smithline , of Wyckoff , New Jersey , was 16 when she first heard about the case . Her mother sat her down , told her a story about what a man in the South had been through , said it was based on her uncle and handed over a book : `` A Little Girl is Dead . '' It turns out Smithline 's mother got the news in her teens , too , when her boyfriend turned to her after seeing `` They Wo n't Forget , '' a 1937 Hollywood film . `` You know that 's about your uncle , '' he said . She 'd grown up hearing Uncle Leo died of pneumonia , and after asking family about it , the truth was revealed , followed by the words , `` We will never talk about this again , '' Smithline said . `` I think it was a family embarrassment , '' she said . `` My grandmother -LSB- who died when Smithline was 1 -RSB- was very close to her brother . It can not be easy to tell someone your brother was lynched and why . '' The first victim . Mary Phagan Kean was 13 when the story hit her . She was in a South Carolina classroom , and her name stopped short a teacher taking attendance . `` Mary Phagan , you say ? '' she recalled the teacher asking , peering up from his list . He wanted to know if she was related to a girl with that name who died in 1913 . Confidently , she told him she was n't . But the boys on the playground taunted her anyway , telling her she was reincarnated from a dead girl . Traumatized , she asked her father about her name . `` He turned whiter than white , '' she remembered . Mary Phagan had been her grandfather 's little sister . He only wept when asked about her . When Mary Phagan Kean 's family moved back to Marietta , questions about that name never stopped . `` I went on a campaign , '' said Kean , 55 , who sought out every article and piece of information she could find . `` I did that for years and years and years . '' The consensus of historians is that the Frank case was a miscarriage of justice . Crime scene evidence was destroyed , they say . A bloody hand print was not analyzed . Transcripts from the trial vanished . Frank 's conviction was based largely on the testimony of a janitor , Jim Conley , who most came to see as Phagan 's killer . He 'd written notes found with the body , but said they were dictated to him . The prosecutor , Hugh Dorsey , used race in his argument , saying a black man could n't be smart enough to come up with such stories . Witnesses would come forward to say Conley was seen carrying the body and washing out a bloody shirt . Conley 's own attorney , William Smith , came to believe in Frank 's innocence , scrawling a note to that effect on his death bed nearly 35 years later . Conley , who appeared in the press for petty crimes over the years , eventually disappeared . Dorsey , the prosecutor , had political aspirations riding on this win . `` A conviction of just another black guy was n't going to do anything for his career , '' said Sandy Berman , the archivist at The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum in Atlanta who created the traveling exhibit , `` Seeking Justice : The Leo Frank Case Revisited . '' Two years after Frank 's lynching , Dorsey was elected governor of Georgia . But the story was interpreted differently by Kean , who wrote `` The Murder of Little Mary Phagan , '' and stands by this conclusion : `` Leo Frank was guilty as sin . He was a sexual pervert . '' Kean often visits her namesake 's grave in Marietta . She 's not the only one . She says she 's struck by the teddy bears people leave there . The governor . Elizabeth Slaton Wallace could n't be prouder of her heritage . At 81 , she 's the great-niece of the late Georgia Gov. John M. Slaton , the man who commuted Frank 's death sentence to a life sentence , believing Frank 's innocence would be proved and , in doing so , ruined his political career . The Georgia National Guard was called out to protect the governor after his decision prompted a rabble-rousing newspaper publisher to call for the lynching of both Frank and Slaton . Frank had been moved to the state prison in Milledgeville , Georgia , where an inmate slashed his throat . He survived , but weeks later about two dozen Marietta men came into the prison , with no resistance from officials , and abducted Frank in the dark of night . By dawn , he was hanging from a tree in Marietta . Photographs of his dangling body and the crowds who gathered there adorned souvenir postcards . `` Leo Frank was a Jew and a Yankee Jew at that . He was railroaded . Uncle Jack knew that , '' said Wallace , who lives in Atlanta . She ca n't explain why the story persists to this day . But throughout her life she 's witnessed the kindness of the Jewish community , especially toward her father , who was named for the late governor . `` The Jewish community could never do enough for my father , '' said Wallace , who recalled being in a Jewish-owned store with her parents in the 1980s . `` They could have given us the shop . '' As grateful as they were to Slaton , Frank 's lynching left Georgia 's small Jewish community frightened . Many left the state ; those who stayed kept a low profile . For decades , they only spoke of Frank in hushed tones . The lynching party . The lynching of a white man can hardly be compared to what happened in the black community in the South . But this case , the only lynching of a Jew on American soil , was the culmination of a state-sponsored conspiracy , historians say . While Georgia Jews remained quiet , so did those who were involved in Frank 's killing , said Steve Oney of Los Angeles , California , who wrote the authoritative book `` And the Dead Shall Rise : The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank . '' It would be about 80 years before members of the lynching party were publicly , and not just secretly , known . `` They were not liquored-up yahoos , '' said Oney , a journalist , editor and Atlanta native who spent 17 years researching his book . `` These were smart , deliberate people -- from good , prominent families . '' They included a former governor , a former mayor , a U.S. senator 's son , a judge , lawyers , a state legislator and business owners . One of the 25 or so men was Cicero Dobbs , the grandfather-in-law of Roy Barnes , a Georgia lawyer and politician who is a former governor himself and will be running again in 2010 . Barnes and his wife , Marie , never knew Dobbs , who owned a taxi company in Marietta and likely provided transportation to the prison where Frank was held . Oney broke the news about the family connection to them . `` Marie 's parents did n't know . It was never mentioned , '' Barnes said . `` On death beds , people confessed . It was just that powerful . '' Barnes , who is featured in the new documentary , said it 's important to keep the story alive and learn from it . `` It 's a terrible blot on our history , '' he said . `` How we keep it from happening again is to never forget . '' | Mary Phagan 's murder in 1913 spawned an Atlanta trial that 's still talked about today . Leo Frank was convicted , later lynched by mob of respected community leaders . Case hit hot buttons : North vs. South ; Jew vs. Christian ; black vs. white . Story continues through new books , films and descendants from all sides . | [[6983, 7015], [1017, 1082], [1167, 1273], [1856, 1950], [6983, 7015]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Investigators discovered four more bodies Tuesday at the Cleveland , Ohio , home of a convicted rapist -- making a total of 10 since last week , Police Chief Michael McGrath said Tuesday . Authorities on Tuesday charged Anthony Sowell with five counts of aggravated murder after unearthing the bodies of women at his home last week , police said . Sowell , 50 , also was charged with rape , felonious assault and kidnapping , police said . His arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday morning . Police arrested Sowell on Saturday , two days after discovering the decomposing bodies of five females inside his home and another woman 's body outside the house . Earlier Tuesday , a source close to the investigation had told CNN that a seventh body had been found in the home . The source , who was not authorized to speak on the record , did not reveal the gender of the seventh body found at Sowell 's home . The source did not say exactly where the body was found at the residence . Authorities found the first two bodies last week while trying to serve an arrest and search warrant on Sowell related to a sexual assault investigation , and an intensive search began . Sowell was not home at the time ; officers found him after a tipster told them of his whereabouts . The decomposing bodies of the first six women , all of whom were African-American , could have been lying where they were found for `` weeks , if not months or years , '' Cuyahoga County Coroner Frank Miller III told CNN on Saturday . All six deaths were ruled homicides , Lt. Thomas Stacho of the Cleveland Police Department said Monday , with five of the deaths due to strangulation . About a month ago , a woman accused Sowell of rape and felonious assault , Stacho noted last week . Investigators obtained the warrants that set off the search after the `` cooperation of the victim , '' he said . Officers serving the warrants Thursday discovered the badly decomposed remains of two bodies on the third floor of the house , he added . A subsequent search revealed what appeared to be a freshly dug grave under the stairs in the basement . On Friday , investigators returned to the house , dug up the grave and found a third body , Stacho said . A further search of the house and property found two more bodies in a crawl space and a sixth body in a shallow grave outside the home . Five different burial methods were used on the victims , and the bodies were in varying states of decomposition , said Miller , which made it difficult to determine the ages of the victims . Stacho said Sowell makes his living as a `` scrapper . '' `` He walks around and picks up scrap metal and takes it to junk yards to make a few pennies , '' he said . Sowell was convicted of a 1989 rape and was imprisoned from 1990 to 2005 , Stacho said . CNN 's Karan Olson contributed to this report . | NEW : Four more bodies unearthed on Tuesday , Cleveland police chief says . Total of bodies found at home of Anthony Sowell is up to 10 . Sowell , 50 , has been charged with five counts of aggravated murder . Bodies could have been there for `` weeks , if not months or years , '' coroner says . | [[19, 85], [164, 207], [103, 121], [125, 161], [558, 676], [883, 925], [208, 291], [1287, 1332], [1371, 1452]] |
-LRB- The Frisky -RRB- -- Like the David Letterman Debacle was n't bad enough , now we have the story of Steve Phillips , the ESPN analyst , who had an affair with a 22-year-old coworker . Unfortunately for the 46-year-old sports dude and married father of four , his latest dalliance -LRB- and apparently there 've been others before her -RRB- turned bunny boiler when he broke it off with her . Brooke Hundley , the jilted junior , allegedly went ballistic ; repeatedly emailing and calling Phillips ' long-suffering wife , tricking their 16-year-old son into an online flirtation , and then finally showing up at the family home , scaring the crap out of everyone . Lucky for Hundley , the Phillips 's declined to press charges , but her reputation , both professionally and personally , is shot . -LRB- His too . He 's since been fired from ESPN and has entered a treatment facility . -RRB- Obviously , being some cad 's side action is always a sucker 's game , but if you 're going to do it , do it right . The Frisky : If he 's not on the market , shop elsewhere ! Choose carefully . It 's bad enough that you 're `` dating '' a married guy , but when you start sleeping with someone who 's in a position of authority over you , you 're screwing yourself twice . Every good grade will be chalked up to your romance with the professor and every promotion , credited to time served on your back . Do n't kid yourself that nobody in your class or office knows , because people are n't blind and you 're not that slick . Do n't go home with him . Maybe he 's too cheap to pay for a hotel room , could be he secretly wants to get caught ... then again , maybe he 's just a sociopath , but I ca n't even tell you how many times I 've heard about a marriage dude bringing his girlfriend back to the house he shares with his wife and kids -- usually when everyone 's out of town , but not always . Letterman even took his mistress on vacation with his family ! Whatever his motivation , resist . You 're already hurting this woman by having sex with her husband ; at least have the decency to stay out of the bed they share . The Frisky : Can couples get past infidelity ? Accept that you 're No. 2 . Married guys will tell you a lot of things in their quest to bed you . That they have n't slept with their -LSB- insert bitchy descriptor here -RSB- wives for -LSB- insert insanely long period of time here -RSB- and that they 're only staying together for the -LSB- kids/finances/etc . -RSB- . You need to know going in that you will always come second . -LRB- Or third . Or fourth . -RRB- Sure , you might get expensive gifts , but you 'll also be spending nearly every holiday by your lonesome , you 'll never meet his friends , and plans will be canceled on a moment 's notice if something more important -LRB- i.e. , anything -RRB- comes up . The Frisky : How to handle being the other woman . You 're not his first ... When an acquaintance of mine started an affair with a married coworker , she was furious when I suggested this might not be the first time he 'd strayed during his very long marriage . She screamed that I was a cynic and that their love was a special flower they alone shared . -LRB- On the conference room floor . -RRB- Okay , she did n't use the term `` special flower , '' but that was the gist . A week later I got an embarrassed call back reporting that , contrary to what he 'd told her , he 'd been straying since his wedding day . A cheat and a liar -- who would 've guessed ?! The Frisky : 10 ways to punish a cheater . ... And probably wo n't be his last . Most guys do n't leave their wives for the women they 're seeing on the side . Yes , I know -- your grand passion is `` different . '' Snort . But what if he actually does splinter the family into bits and make a -LRB- semi -RRB- honest woman out of you ? According to the Web site , `` Beyond Affairs , '' only 3 percent of men marry their affair partner and out of those , only 3 percent of those marriages last . And why would they ? You 're committing to a relationship that was built on lies and deceit . On second thought , maybe you want to rethink this whole `` other woman '' thing . The Frisky : How do you define cheating ? TM & © 2009 TMV , Inc. | All Rights Reserved . | Woman rarely come out ahead after having affair with married men , columnist says . ESPN fired Steve Phillips and Brooke Hundley 's reputation is shot after affair . Writer says women should realize men rarely cheat just once . Quotes Web site saying 3 percent of cheaters wed , 3 percent of those marriages survive . | [[737, 788], [791, 800], [817, 849], [3846, 3871], [3894, 3962]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nearly all healthy pregnant women who receive a single dose of the H1N1 flu vaccine will be protected from that flu , according to just-released clinical trial data . In a news conference Monday at the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease , said out of about 100 pregnant women who participated in trial studies , over 90 percent showed a robust immune response to a single 15-microgram dose of the H1N1 vaccine . And at this point , there have been no reported side effects , Fauci said . Fauci stressed that these results should be reassuring for already-vaccinated pregnant women and this is `` vital information for those who have not yet been vaccinated . '' He added that `` pregnant women have tolerated the vaccine well , and no safety concerns have arisen . '' Pregnant women are considered to be among the highest at risk for serious complications of this new flu strain . Since H1N1 , also known as swine flu , first emerged in April , 28 pregnant women reportedly have died from complications of this flu , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -LRB- CDC -RRB- . Despite health officials repeatedly saying the H1N1 vaccine is safe , questions about it persist . To reassure those who question the safety of the vaccine , Dr. Bruce Gellin , director of the National Vaccine Program Office , noted that a new independent panel has been formed to review data from all sources on the safety of the vaccine . The group will monitor all sources reporting problems with the vaccine . `` The vast amount of adverse events have been minor , '' said Gellin . He said there has been one reported death linked to the vaccine , but further investigation showed that the person died from the actual H1N1 flu , not the vaccine . Gellin said the panel was designed to keep an eye on any possible negative consequences and report them immediately . According to Dr. Anne Schuchat , director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC , who also attended the news conference , 30 million doses of the vaccine are available for states to order . She explained that that does not mean 30 million shots are available to the public at this point . The vaccines need to be ordered by each state and distributed before they make it to doctor 's offices and clinics . Schuchat reassured the public that more vaccines would be made available within the next few weeks , as demand for shots continues to rise . Fauci also noted further studies on children -- youngsters between the ages of 6 months to 35 months , and children from the age of 3 years to 9 years -- found they responded much better to two 15-microgram doses of the vaccine , than one single dose . For children 9 and older , a single 15-microgram dose gave young people a robust immune reaction that should protect them against the virus . When asked how this H1N1 virus differed from the seasonal flu , Schuchat said they were at opposite ends of the spectrum when it came to high-risk patients . `` With seasonal flu , '' said Schuchat , `` Ninety percent of the deaths every year are in people over the age of 65 . '' She noted , `` But with H1N1 , 90 percent of the deaths , thus far , have been in people under the age of 65 . '' And she added , `` half of those are under the age of 25 years , in young people . So those are the people we want to get our message to . Children , pregnant women , young people should be getting vaccinated . '' Fauci agreed saying , `` You need to look at the risk ... Right now , the risk of becoming seriously ill , even dying from this virus , outweighs the risk of something happening to you if you take the vaccine . It 's really that simple . '' CNN 's Miriam Falco contributed to this report . | Over 90 % of women in study showed robust response to one 15-microgram dose . Dr. Anthony Fauci : Vaccine is safe and effective in pregnant women . Young people and pregnant women have shown to be vulnerable to H1N1 flu . Children 9 and younger have responded better to two doses of the vaccine . | [[463, 562], [919, 1031], [919, 933], [949, 1031], [2707, 2750], [2754, 2852]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It seems the world of the golf cart is changing if certain industry manufacturers are to be believed . By shedding their normal surroundings , improving their dowdy image and hitting the streets -- `` pimped up '' carts may increasingly be seen away from the course . Celebrities have been queuing up to jump on the buggy-wagon . The most recent purchase was by pop star Cheryl Cole , who bought husband and Chelsea footballer Ashley Cole a `` Mini-Hummer '' buggy as a gift , spending $ 8,000 customizing the cart with gold-plated hub caps , Swarovski crystals and a trunk for his golf clubs . Dominik Jackson , owner of Mini-Hummer says demand for the vehicles has rocketed since 2006 : `` It started as a glorified golf buggy , but since adapting the look we 've had demand from all over Europe and even from royal families in the Middle East . '' The carts are already on the roads in Paris , Brussels and Amsterdam , and the company are planning to launch a new fully enclosed Mini-Hummer in London next year . While Europe is catching up with the trend , there has been a big market for `` pimped '' golf carts in the United States for some time . `` I 'd say about 99 % of our sales these days are for individual use , '' says Randy Hopper , owner of Sick 'N' Twisted Designs , one of the largest bespoke golf cart manufacturers in California . `` We build customized golf carts to the specific requirements of the customer - we pretty much do everything . '' And this really means everything . Modern carts are now built with leather seats , wooden dashboard , surround-sound systems , iPod players , lower lighting and air bags , in a variety of themes - street , lifted , off-road and even Limo carts . Sick 'N' Twisted customer Dave Johnson is having his golf cart pimped and modified to match the color of his boat : `` It 's going to be burgundy with 12-inch wheels , full sound system and air-bags that adjust the height of the cart . '' Dave insists that in his neighborhood , golf carts are more of an everyday than a luxury item : `` They 're practical , affordable and it 's nice to cruise around and see your neighbors . '' So is this a case of keeping up with the Joneses ? `` There 's no official competition on our street , but people take notice of things like that . It 's definitely seen as a status symbol . '' While the golf cart remains a staple on the fairways , the souped-up street version is no longer just par for the course . | Adapted golf carts are growing in popularity across Europe . 99 % of sales are for individual use in the USA . Modern carts built with leather seats , airbags and iPod players . ` Pimped ' golf carts are seen as status symbol . | [[1176, 1219], [1521, 1541], [1548, 1655], [1521, 1533], [1538, 1655], [1851, 1930], [2310, 2315], [2332, 2352], [2310, 2352]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former England forward and Harlequins director of rugby Dean Richards has been banned from coaching for three years for his part in masterminding a fake blood injury to one of his players . Tom Williams spitting fake blood from his mouth in a match between Harlequins and Leinster . The 46-year-old was hit with disciplinary action after a hearing by an independent European Rugby Cup -LRB- ERC -RRB- panel found he had `` organized the fabrication of a blood injury '' on wing Tom Williams during a European Cup quarterfinal match against Leinster . With his side trailing by one point Williams , under instructions from Richards , faked a cut in his mouth with a capsule of fake blood , thereby allowing goal-kicker Nick Evans to return to the field of play . The plan may have worked if Williams had not winked to the oncoming player as he left the pitch , an action that infuriated their opponents Leinster . The ERC confirmed in a statement on their official Web site that Richards had acknowledged his role as the orchestrator of the plan that has since been dubbed `` bloodgate , '' and the subsequent cover up of the injury . Watch journalists discuss club 's ` shame ' '' Richards was initially cleared of improper conduct by a hearing in July in which Williams was given a 12-month ban , but the verdict was challenged by ERC disciplinary officer Roger O'Connor . Further evidence came to light in an appeal made by Williams before an admission of guilt by Dean Richards , who recently resigned from his position with Harlequins , prompted the ban . The ERC appeal committee chairman Rod McKenzie said details of four other incidents of Harlequins faking injuries had been passed to the relevant authorities . Williams 's ban was reduced to four months and the fine imposed on Harlequins has been increased from $ 340,000 to $ 425,000 -- the club still awaits to hear whether they will be expelled from this season 's European Cup . The physiotherapist for the London-based club , Steph Brennan , has also been banned for two-years . Richards had not decided whether to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but reacted to his ban by telling reporters : `` I 'm surprised . Three years is a long time but I 'll reflect on it overnight . `` I took full responsibility for it . It was a farcical situation , it really was . It did n't pan out particularly well on the day . Everybody looked at it and thought , ` That 's unreal ' , which is what I thought on the touchline as well . `` But I had to hold my hands up , '' Richards added . | Ex-England rugby player Dean Richards is hit with three-year coaching ban . Richards admitted orchestrating a fake blood injury to one of his players . The 46-year-old also admitted a subsequent cover up of the operation . Wing Tom Williams had 12-month ban reduced to four on appeal . | [[0, 166], [0, 15], [151, 208], [404, 569], [992, 1063], [1427, 1499], [1739, 1781]] |
Editor 's note : CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com , which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com . With money a bit tight these days , many people searching for jobs would like a salary of $ 80,000 a year . -LRB- CareerBuilder.com -RRB- -- Let 's be honest : Sometimes you do n't care about the job -- you just care about the salary . But it 's awfully hard to look for a job that fits both your salary requirements and your skill set . Not to mention that we always tell you that your work and career should be something you love . Ideally , money is just an added benefit . That being said , we 're also realists . We know that times are tough and at this point , some people just need to get paid . We went to the Bureau of Labor Statistics to look at the latest -LRB- May 2008 -RRB- salary information for the United States and found 30 occupations pay in the $ 80,000 range based on national averages . 1 . Administrative law judges , adjudicators and hearing officers Do this : Conduct hearings to rule on government-related claims ; determine penalties and liability ; and help to craft settlements . Get paid : $ 80,870 . 2 . Biomedical engineers Do this : Design and develop devices and procedures to help solve health-related problems . Projects might include information systems , artificial organs or artificial limbs . Get paid : $ 81,120 . 3 . Chiropractors Do this : Diagnose and treat musculoskeletal conditions of the spinal column to prevent disease and alleviate imbalance , pain and pressure believed to be caused by interference with nervous system . Get paid : $ 81,340 . 4 . Atmospheric , earth , marine and space sciences teachers , post-secondary Do this : Teach courses and research topics in the physical sciences , except chemistry and physics . Get paid : $ 81,470 . 5 . Agents and business managers of artists , performers and athletes Do this : Represent and promote their client 's business while handling business matters and contract negotiations . Get paid : $ 81,550 . 6 . Materials scientists Do this : Study the chemical composition of various materials and figure out ways to develop new materials and improve existing ones ; also determine ways to use materials in products . Get paid : $ 81,600 . 7 . Physician assistants Do this : Perform health-care services and provide treatment plans under a physician 's supervision . Get paid : $ 81,610 . 8 . Medical scientists , except epidemiologists Do this : Research and investigate human diseases and how to improve human health . Get paid : $ 81,870 . 9 . Physics teachers , post-secondary Do this : Teach courses and research topics pertaining to the laws of matter and energy . Get paid : $ 81,880 . 10 . Atmospheric and space scientists Do this : Study the effects the atmosphere has on the environment , most commonly through weather forecasting . Get paid : $ 82,080 . 11 . Management analysts Do this : Figure out best practices of management by conducting studies and procedures to help companies figure out how to operate more effectively . Get paid : $ 82,920 . 12 . Producers and directors Do this : Produce or direct , and make all creative decisions for stage , television , radio , video or motion picture productions . Get paid : $ 83,030 . 13 . Biological science teachers , post-secondary Do this : Teach courses and research topics in biological sciences . Get paid : $ 83,270 . 14 . Materials engineers Do this : Develop new uses for recognized materials , and develop new machinery and processes to make materials for use in specialized products . Get paid : $ 84,200 . 15 . Transportation , storage and distribution managers Do this : Oversee transportation , storage or distribution activities in accordance with governmental policies and regulations . Get paid : $ 84,520 . 16 . Financial analysts Do this : Assess the financial situations of an individual or organization . Get paid : $ 84,780 . 17 . Electrical engineers Do this : Design , develop and test the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment . Get paid : $ 85,350 . 18 . Education administrators , elementary and secondary school Do this : Oversee all activities of public or private elementary or secondary schools . Get paid : $ 86,060 . 19 . Industrial-organizational psychologists Do this : Work with companies to solve problems within the company . You may help with policy planning ; employee screening , training and development ; and organizational development and analysis . Get paid : $ 86,460 . 20 . Computer software engineers , applications Do this : Build computer applications software and code ; ensure that all software projects adhere to a company 's technology and business standards . Get paid : $ 87,900 . 21 . Economics teachers , post-secondary Do this : Teach courses and research topics in economics . Get paid : $ 88,330 . 22 . Biochemists and biophysicists Do this : Study the chemical composition and physical principles of living cells and organisms , their electrical and mechanical energy , and related phenomena . Get paid : $ 88,450 . 23 . Art directors Do this : Create design concepts and presentation in artwork , layout design and copywriting for visual communications media . Get paid : $ 88,510 . 24 . Electronics engineers , except computer Do this : Design , develop and test a wide range of electronic equipment , from CD players to global positioning systems . Get paid : $ 88,670 . 25 . Medical and health services managers Do this : Supervise medical and health services in hospitals , clinics and similar organizations . Get paid : $ 88,750 . 26 . Chemical engineers Do this : Design chemical plant equipment and create processes for manufacturing chemicals and products . Get paid : $ 88,760 . 27 . Geoscientists , except hydrologists and geographers Do this : Study the composition , structure and other physical aspects of the Earth . Get paid : $ 89,300 . 28 . Veterinarians Do this : Provide health care for family pets , livestock and zoo animals . Provide check-ups , treat diseases and advise caretakers on how to best raise their animals . Get paid : $ 89,450 . 29 . Construction managers Do this : Oversee all activities concerned with the construction and maintenance of structures , facilities and systems . Get paid : $ 89,770 . 30 . Sales engineers Do this : Sell business goods or services , the selling of which requires a technical background equivalent to a bachelor 's degree in engineering . Get paid : $ 89,770 . Jobs by Salary , a new salary tool from CBSalary.com , allows you to search for jobs by salary based on where you live or work in the United States . Copyright CareerBuilder.com 2009 . All rights reserved . The information contained in this article may not be published , broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority . | Bureau of Labor Statistics 2008 report lists dozens of jobs paying at least $ 80,000 . Physics and post-secondary biology teachers can earn as much as $ 81,880 . Sales engineers get paid the most on the list , at $ 89,770 . | [[761, 763], [891, 937], [2578, 2586], [2589, 2599], [2728, 2736], [2739, 2749], [5930, 5938], [5941, 5951], [6141, 6149], [6152, 6162], [6312, 6320], [6323, 6333], [6504, 6512], [6515, 6525]] |
-LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- Your mission , if you choose to accept it , is to seek out covert items at fast food chains around the country . Be warned , this mission includes very real dangers such as hardening arteries and skyrocketing cholesterol . We 've compiled a list to get you started . 1 . If you 're at Starbucks and in need of just a little caffeine , do n't worry -- there 's a tiny option for you . It 's the Short size , and they do n't advertise it . It 's like a little baby cup of coffee . It also comes in handy when you 're scrounging for change and do n't have enough for a tall -LRB- not that that has ever happened to me -RRB- . 2 . It 's a good thing we do n't have Jamba Juice here in Iowa , because I would be all over candy-based smoothies . Because it 's considered a health-food chain , Jamba Juice does n't officially list these on their in-store menus , but the Web site Mighty Foods assures us that the secret flavors exist . The ones they confirmed with the company 's headquarters include Strawberry Shortcake , White Gummy Bear , PB&J , Various flavors of Starbursts , Fruity Pebbles , Push-Up Pops , and Skittles . Other tantalizing flavors that are rumored to exist : Chocolate Gummi Bear , Apple Pie , Sourpatch Kid , Tootsie Roll , and Now and Later . 3 . This one might be my favorite . At Fatburger , you can order a Hypocrite -- a veggie burger topped with crispy strips of bacon . 4 . Chipotle has a whole secret menu that is limited only by your imagination -- they have a store policy that says that if they have the item available , they will make it for you . Things that have been tested include nachos , quesadillas , taco salads and single tacos . Some stores are testing out quesadillas as a regular menu item , however , so maybe someday soon you wo n't need a super-secret handshake to order one . Mental Floss : 7 food promotions gone horribly wrong . 5 . If you 're at Wendy 's and you 're really hungry -- like , three-patties-just-won ` t-cut-it hungry -- go ahead and order the Grand Slam , which is four patties stacked on a bun . This option is only available at select Wendy 's , and it 's also known as the Meat Cube . 6 . Several places , including McDonald 's and In-N-Out , will serve you the Neapolitan milkshake . It 's just what it sounds like -- chocolate , vanilla and strawberry shakes layered in a cup . 7 . In-N-Out Burger 's `` secret menu '' is n't so secret these days -- in fact , they 've posted it on their Web site . But in case you 're not in the habit of surfing fast food Web sites , here 's the skinny on their rather un-skinny items : ordering something `` Animal Style '' at In-N-Out means you 're going to get it with lettuce , tomato , a mustard-cooked beef patty , pickles , extra spread -LRB- it 's sort of Thousand-Islandy -RRB- and grilled onions . You can even get your fries Animal Style . Mental Floss : Why is it called `` Thousand Island '' dressing ? `` Protein Style '' is a burger wrapped in a lettuce leaf instead of a bun . A Grilled Cheese is two slices of American cheese , lettuce , tomato and spread on a bun -LRB- grilled onions if you so choose -RRB- . And you can get just about any combo of meat and cheese that you want if you order it like you 're ordering lumber : 3 × 3 gets you three beef patties and three slices of cheese , 4 × 4 gets you four of each , and so on . According to photos posted at SuperSizedMeals.com , one gluttonous patron requested and received a 100x100 at a Las Vegas store a few years ago . One item not listed on the Web site secret menu : the Flying Dutchman , which is two slices of cheese sandwiched between two patties , hold the bun . 8 . Feeling a little health-conscious at Popeye 's ? If you are , you really should have gone somewhere else . But there 's a little hope for you -- ordering `` naked chicken '' will get you breading-free poultry . The word is that this is on the menu at some Popeye 's , but not all of them , although it is an option at all of them . 9 . Like Chipotle , Taco Bell will make you just about anything within reason as long as they have the ingredients for it . Since most of the food at Taco Bell is made out of the same basic items , that means you can probably ask for most discontinued items and get them . One `` secret , '' though , is that they have a not-advertised green chili sauce at most locations , and apparently it 's excellent . 10 . Some Subways will still make you the popular pizza sub from the 1990s . Once the chain decided to make their focus healthy eating , the pizza sub disappeared from the menu in most places -LRB- the word is that Canadian and Mexican Subways still offer them on a regular basis -RRB- . But if you ask , lots of places will still make it for you . Be warned , though -- Jared would not approve of the nine slices of pepperoni and copious amounts of cheese slathered in marinara sauce . Mental Floss : Brief history of dubious dieting . For more mental_floss articles , visit MENTALFLOSS.COM . For more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright , Mental Floss LLC . All rights reserved . | Some fast food outlets have not-on-menu items you can get if you ask for them . Fatburger 's Hypocrite is bacon-topped veggie burger ; Popeye 's offers naked chicken . Some Subways will still make the popular pizza sub from the 1990s . Wendy 's offers the Meat Cube ; McDonald 's has a Neapolitan milkshake . | [[1427, 1500], [1326, 1385], [1370, 1422], [4426, 4449], [4455, 4497], [4426, 4497], [2184, 2235], [2238, 2279]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A global commodities trading company says it is considering a settlement to legal claims that it is responsible for the deaths of 15 people and thousands of illnesses after 500 tons of toxic waste were dumped in the African nation of Ivory Coast . Signs such as this were still up in `` toxic zones '' around Abidjan , Ivory Coast , a year after the waste dumping . The Dutch company Trafigura said studies by 20 experts it has hired conclude that the chemicals did not harm anyone . `` In view of that expert evidence , and the fact that claims are not being made in this litigation for deaths , miscarriages , still births , birth defects and other serious injuries , the parties are exploring the possibility of compromising the claims which have been made , '' Trafigura said in a release Wednesday . `` A global settlement is being considered by the parties and it currently appears that this settlement is likely to be acceptable to most , if not all , of the claimants . '' A United Nations report also released Wednesday said Trafigura did cause death and injury when the cargo ship Probo Koala dumped 500 tons of toxic waste belonging to the company at sites around Abidjan , the West African nation 's largest city . The incident happened in August 2006 . `` According to official estimates , 15 people died , 69 people were hospitalized and over 100,000 others , complaining of nausea and vomiting after inhaling fumes , sought medical treatment after the incident , '' said the report by Okechukwu Ibeanu , an unpaid investigator for the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council . `` We still do n't know -- and we may never know -- the full effect of the dumping . But there seems to be strong prima facie evidence that the reported deaths and adverse health consequences are related to the dumping of the waste . '' Ibeanu , who visited Ivory Coast and the Netherlands during his investigation , urged all parties to take steps `` to address possible long-term human health and environmental effects of the incident . '' According to a U.N. statement , Ibeanu said last month that the areas where the toxic waste was dumped still have not been decontaminated and continue to threaten residents ' health . Many people , he said , are still reporting headaches , skin lesions , digestive difficulties and nose , throat and lung problems . Trafigura noted in its release Wednesday that it initiated a plan two years ago that would compensate , without any admission of liability , any claimants who could demonstrate any injury caused by exposure to the waste , which the company calls `` slops . '' `` The company has always maintained that the Probo Koala 's slops could not possibly have caused deaths and serious or long-term injuries , '' Trafigura said . `` Independent expert witnesses firmly support Trafigura in this stance . '' Trafigura also maintains it `` sought to comply with all relevant regulations and procedures concerning the offloading of the Probo Koala 's slops in Abidjan . '' The company denies that the ship went to Ivory Coast solely to dump the toxic waste . `` Trafigura has consistently stated that the Probo Koala was returning from a routine commercial voyage to deliver a gasoline cargo in Lagos , Nigeria , when it stopped in Abidjan , '' the company statement said . `` Consequently , any suggestion that the vessel was sent to West Africa solely for the purpose of offloading its slops is entirely inaccurate . '' As one of the largest independent companies trading commodities , Trafigura has 1,900 employees in 42 nations , the company 's Web site says . `` We handle every element involved in the sourcing and trading of crude oil , petroleum products , renewable energies , metals , metal ores and concentrates for industrial consumers . '' the company says . Ivory Coast , a former French colony with a population of 20 million , is also known as Cote d'Ivoire . | Dutch firm Trafigura : Toxic dumping did n't harm anyone , according to experts . U.N. report : Fifteen people died , 69 were hospitalized , and thousands were treated . Toxic waste areas still have not been decontaminated , U.N. statement says . | [[385, 439], [432, 502], [2789, 2862], [1000, 1023], [1029, 1089], [1322, 1336], [1339, 1375], [2052, 2081], [2084, 2235]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A U.S. serviceman was among six victims of an early morning shooting at a Ciudad Juarez , Mexico , strip club Wednesday , officials said . Unidentified gunmen entered the Amadeus club in the border city across from El Paso , Texas , just after midnight and fatally shot six men , Chihuahua state attorney general 's office spokesman Arturo Sandoval said . An additional person was injured , he said . Two of the victims were identified as employees of the strip club , a waiter and a security guard , the spokesman said . Another was identified as an American citizen and member of the U.S. Air Force , Sandoval said . A statement from Holloman Air Force Base , near Alamogordo , New Mexico , confirmed that the airman was based there , and identified him as Staff Sgt. David Booher , 26 . The gunmen appeared to have targeted the victims , Sandoval said . `` Everything indicates that these people were looking for these men , '' he said . Investigators recovered more than 30 shells from the scene . Because of drug-related violence , particularly in border cities , Juarez is considered off-limits for the U.S. military . At Fort Bliss in El Paso , for instance , a memorandum prohibits its soldiers from traveling into the Mexican state of Chihuahua , where Ciudad Juarez is located . More than 2,000 killings have been recorded in Juarez this year . CNN 's Mayra Cuevas-Nazario , Mike Mount , Dave Alsup and Mariano Castillo contributed to this report . | Air Force Staff Sgt. David Booher shot with 5 others in Ciudad Juarez . Gunmen appeared to have targeted the victims , Mexican spokesman says . Juarez is considered off-limits for the U.S. military because of drug violence . | [[0, 15], [19, 138], [520, 540], [809, 857], [1088, 1143]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Famed for keeping people slim , healthy and living longer , the Mediterranean diet has followers all over the world . Cultural treat ? Moves are underway to get the Mediterranean diet on UNESCO 's world heritage list . However , the diet is being increasingly shunned by people who live in the Med as the convenience of fast food gains popularity . The renowned low-fat , high-fiber diet has `` decayed into a moribund state '' in its traditional regions , according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization -LRB- FAO -RRB- . So sharp is the decline that governments from the region are scrambling to protect their traditional fare from becoming an `` endangered '' species . Populations surrounding the Mediterranean Sea , such as Greece , Spain and Italy , tend to eat these foods , and governments there have joined forces to apply for their diet to be placed on the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization 's -LRB- UNESCO -RRB- Heritage list . Those lobbying for UNESCO protection have argued that its inclusion would '' fend off the watered-down clones assailing its integrity worldwide in this age of killer fast food . '' The UNESCO list is famous for including historic and cultural sites but in recent years the UN body has opened its register to include '' intangible heritage , '' such as endangered languages or vanishing traditions . `` The Mediterranean diet is a heritage that should be protected and shared , '' Paolo de Castro , a former Italian Agriculture minister , said earlier this year . `` Science has long recognized the unusual health properties of the diet , which has strengthened and accompanied the common cultural identity of Mediterranean countries , '' he said , according to Italian news agency ANSA . `` The diet is an integral part of the historical and cultural identity of the Mediterranean , and an opportunity for growth for the countries in the area . '' Originally considered the diet of the poor , who did n't have much money to buy meat , the `` Mediterranean diet '' is rich in fruits , vegetables , nuts , cereals , whole grains , fish and olive oil . Numerous studies have associated it with long life-spans and low rates of cancer , heart disease and other ailments . See a comparison of the old and new diets in Mediterranean countries '' However , some fear that it has become supplanted by supermarket ready-made foods and fast food as people have become more cash-rich and time-poor . `` The European diet has become too fat , too salty and too sweet , '' senior FAO economist Josef Schmidhuber concluded in the group 's report on the European Union diet . The FAO 's 2008 report ranks Spain as the country with the biggest leap in fat consumption in Europe -- from 25 percent of the diet 40 years ago to 40 percent now . EU and Mediterranean countries with the worst dietary changes are Greece , Italy , Spain , Portugal , Cyprus and Malta , where calorie intake has increased by 30 percent in the last few decades . Three-quarters of the population of Greece is overweight or obese , while in Spain and Italy the number is more than 50 percent . In the U.S. , 66 percent of the population fits into this category . Alarmed by the growing health problems associated with obesity , Spain 's Health Ministry has launched a series of initiatives to combat obesity . In 2007 , it ordered fast-food chain Burger King to remove ads for its Big King XXL , which contains 1,000 calories , and which were aimed at teenagers and young people . A 2001 report by Foodservice Intelligence , a London-based market research firm , found that traditional-style restaurants in Italy and Spain were outnumbered two-to-one by their fast-food counterparts . UNESCO will decide whether to include the Mediterranean diet in its Heritage list late next year . Until then , Spain and other countries in the region undoubtedly will hope they can retain their reputation as a rewarding destination for the gourmet traveler . | Mediterranean diet has declined into a `` moribund state '' according to the U.N. Fat consumption has increased markedly in Mediterranean countries . Italy , Spain , Greece and Morocco want Med diet to gain UNESCO status . | [[429, 490], [2684, 2784], [171, 254], [171, 176], [190, 254], [836, 900], [886, 1022]] |
Thanks to the flu , a broken ankle , a staph infection , and bronchitis , plus several school cancellations , my three children were at home -- hurting , vomiting , coughing , or tracking muddy water into our house -- all but seven days last February . -LRB- Shall I pause to let the horror of that number sink in ? All but seven . -RRB- I 'm normally an efficient , organized person who thrives on plans and checklists , but by the end of that month , I 'd accomplished almost nothing beyond reading aloud the entire fifth book of Harry Potter . I felt so anxious that I was on the verge of hyperventilation . Originally a form of self-defense , the ancient Chinese art of tai chi promotes serenity through gentle movement . `` You need to close your eyes , take a deep breath , and imagine yourself surrounded by an egg of light , '' a Buddhist friend said . But when I closed my eyes and took a breath , I was surrounded by used tissues and dirty laundry . Obviously , I was in need of some inner peace . Studies have shown that learning to still the mind , if only for a few minutes , can lower blood pressure , reduce heart rate , limit stress hormones , and enhance immune function . But traditional forms of meditation do n't work for me . If I sit still and close my eyes , I fall asleep or think about my to-do list . So , I gave myself a new task : Find an activity that calms my mind without giving my weary body a chance to nod off . Does such a thing exist ? Health.com : Making time for me . Tai chi . This ancient Chinese practice -- believed to offer all the health benefits of silent meditation while giving you something to do with your hands and feet -- seemed like an obvious place to start for an antsy , toe-tapping sort like me . The thing is , I have a poor sense of balance and tai chi often requires standing on one foot . To avoid the not-so-peaceful experience of looking like a dork in front of a group of total strangers , I opted for a DVD , with only the tiniest hope of success . I surprised myself . The quiet music and the calm voice of the middle-aged woman demonstrating the moves were so reassuring that I forgot I looked like an idiot . The effort it took to follow along in what resembles the slow-motion version of a beautiful dance was literally mesmerizing . If I did n't feel peaceful , exactly , at least I was filled with quiet concentration , the kind that banishes all thoughts of picky eaters , mortgage payments , and unreliable co-workers . I emerged from the first lesson feeling refreshed and rested . Health.com : A new prescription for happiness . Knitting . I have friends who are passionate about knitting . Do n't they know that it 's possible to buy an immediately wearable sweater for less than the cost of the yarn it takes to knit one ? Nonetheless , stressed-out 21st-century workingwomen are returning in droves to the craft . It made no sense to me ... until I tried it , that is . Knitting , it turns out , is the perfect example of active stillness . In fact , 20 minutes of knitting can lower your heart rate and blood pressure -- the same physical response triggered by yoga , Tai Chi , or meditation . Some hospitals have even begun to offer knitting courses for stress release . The secret seems to lie in the soothing combination of rhythm and repetition . By the end of my first lesson , I 'd become proficient enough that my hands could make the motions almost automatically . The sound of the needles had a metronomic quality , a calming pace that automatically slowed my thoughts . And the feel of the wool sliding through my fingers was almost like a caress . Health.com : Boost your mood with color . Walking in the woods . I 'd read somewhere that exposure to nature can boost a person 's general well-being and sense of calm -- and I certainly needed a dose of that . So I headed to some nearby woods where the redbuds and crab apples were in full bloom . Birds called piercingly , squirrels quarreled , and high branches clattered together in the wind . In other words , nothing about the forest was still or quiet or remotely peaceful , but somehow it made me feel peaceful . I stopped thinking about my family and work deadlines and all that laundry . In fact , I stopped thinking altogether . Back at my car , I checked the clock and was shocked to learn that more than an hour had passed . Now , I ca n't realistically give up an hour every day to nature . But studies have shown that even small doses of nature can be healing , so I 've tried a few smaller-scale nature interactions , as well . I started a small aquarium , planted a windowsill bean garden , and hung a bird feeder where I can see it from my desk . Health.com : Make time to play . OK , so the fish are n't as interesting as I 'd hoped for : Watching them swim aimlessly in their small tank , in constant motion but getting absolutely nowhere , hits a little too close to home for me . But the sight of tiny leaves unfurling on the bean vines and the scent of soil filling the room when I water them have been surprisingly gratifying . As for the bird feeder ? It 's the best minidose of nature I 've found so far . All spring I watched goldfinches and cardinals courting right outside my window . Watching them hop from branch to branch as they get their fill and move out of the way for others to feed may not be meditation , per se , but it 's something similar -- a reminder that the world can offer peace and stillness , even in the midst of mayhem . Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright Health Magazine 2009 . | Stilling your mind can lower blood pressure , reduce heart rate , limit stress hormones . If traditional meditation leaves you sleepy , try mind-calming activities . Tai chi believed to offer benefits of silent meditation but with movement . 20 minutes of knitting can lower your heart rate and blood pressure . | [[1008, 1189], [1008, 1015], [1089, 1113], [1008, 1015], [1116, 1189], [3028, 3095], [1332, 1333], [1359, 1445], [647, 725], [1516, 1545], [1549, 1669], [1008, 1189], [1008, 1015], [1089, 1113], [3028, 3095]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Scottish Rugby Union has appointed Andy Robinson , formerly coach of bitter rivals England , as the new national team boss . Andy Robinson will be seeking to revive the fortunes of Scotland 's struggling rugby side . The 45-year-old won eight caps as a flanker for England , and was assistant coach in Clive Woodward 's 2003 World Cup-winning set-up before taking over for an ill-fated reign himself in 2004 , winning just nine of 22 matches . Robinson returned to top-class coaching with Celtic League team Edinburgh in 2007 , and has sufficiently impressed Scottish officials in the 20 months since then to win favor as the replacement for Frank Hadden . He had been part of Hadden 's backroom staff , and had already been chosen to coach Scotland A this summer . Hadden resigned on April 2 after Scotland again struggled in the Six Nations , finishing second from bottom with just one win from five outings . Robinson was delighted to be given the chance to return to the international stage . `` With the World Cup in New Zealand in 2011 , I believe we have a crop of players who can really challenge the world 's best , and preparation for that starts now , '' he told the SRU Web site . `` I 'm looking forward to leading Scotland A into the IRB Nations Cup in Romania next week and thereafter preparing for our Autumn Tests at Murrayfield against Fiji , Australia and Argentina . '' Robinson is believed to have headed off the likes of South Africa 's World Cup-winning coach Jake White and former Australia boss Eddie Jones for the job . Former Scotland captain and British and Irish Lion Gordon Bulloch was part of the interview panel that determined the appointment . `` Andy was the outstanding candidate from a quite exceptional shortlist which underlines the allure of coaching the Scotland team , '' he told the SRU 's Web site . `` I know from having had the privilege of his coaching and guidance on Lions tours that he is passionate about his rugby , is a skilled communicator and has values and an ethos which are absolutely at one with developing a winning Scotland team . '' Scottish Rugby chief executive Gordon McKie said he was confident Robinson would prove to be successful . `` Andy has proved himself at every level of the game and we are thrilled that he will now be leading the Scotland team as we look towards the challenges of the next three years , including the 2011 World Cup , '' McKie said . `` He has been part of the Scottish Rugby family for the past two years and has brought success both to Edinburgh Rugby , with their highest ever Magners League finish in successive seasons , and has also guided the Scotland A team to notable successes . '' | Andy Robinson appointed new coach of Scotland 's national rugby team . Robinson replaces Frank Hadden , who resigned in April after poor results . The 45-year-old has played for and coached England 's national side . He rebuilt his career with Edinburgh after being sacked by England . | [[0, 15], [32, 71], [789, 865], [240, 295], [467, 548]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- South Africa lock Bakkies Botha will miss the final Test against the British and Irish Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday after failing in his appeal against a two-week ban . Bakkies Botha will be eligible to return for the start of the Springboks ' Tri-Nations campaign . The 29-year-old was cited for a dangerous charge which left Lions prop Adam Jones with a dislocated shoulder . Jones was forced off shortly after halftime during last Saturday 's second Test in Pretoria , in which the Springboks fought back to snatch a 28-25 victory and clinch a 2-0 series triumph . The incident ended Jones ' tour , while Lions center Brian O'Driscoll also went home early after suffering concussion in the same match . Beginner 's guide to the Lions . The South African management decided to appeal as they felt Botha had legally been trying to clear out a ruck . Assistant coach Dick Muir said : `` We certainly do n't see any wrongdoing in that challenge and if it was n't for the injury which came from it , I do n't think anything would have been said about it . '' The Blue Bulls forward will return in time for the Springboks ' Tri-Nations opener against the All Blacks in Bloemfontein on July 25 . For Saturday 's third Test against the Lions , Botha will be replaced by Johann Muller , who captained his Sharks province to defeat against the tourists in one of the warm-up matches . He gets his chance with Andries Bekker injured and versatile loose-forward Danie Rossouw struggling with concussion . The Springboks will also be without flanker Schalk Burger , who was banned for eight weeks for eye-gouging Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald . There was no appeal on that ruling , but the International Rugby Union has pledged to review its punishments for such offenses in the wake of criticism that the player got off lightly . Peter de Villiers has made 10 changes , leaving captain John Smit , vice-captain Victor Matfield , Fourie du Preez , Tendai Mtawarira and Juan Smith as the only survivors in the starting XV . Last weekend 's match-winner Morne Steyn starts in place of fly-half in place of Ruan Pienaar , who has paid for his poor goalkicking form . Zane Kirchner will make his debut at full-back , while Odwa Ndungane , Jaque Fourie , Wynand Olivier and Jongi Nokwe also come in to the backline . Chiliboy Ralepelle , Heinrich Brussow and Ryan Kankowski join Muller as new faces in the forward pack . Lions boss Ian McGeechan has made seven changes and one positional alteration , meaning mean just four players will have started all three Tests : fly-half Stephen Jones , scrum-half Mike Phillips , skipper Paul O'Connell and No. 8 Jamie Heaslip . With Wales center Jamie Roberts joining O'Driscoll on the sidelines due to a wrist injury , England 's Riki Flutey forms a new midfield combination with Tommy Bowe , who switches from the wing . Ugo Monye , dropped after the first Test defeat , returns on the right wing , with world player of the year Shane Williams starts in place of Fitzgerald on the left . Teams for the third Test : . South Africa : Z Kirchner ; O Ndungane , J Fourie , W Olivier , J Nokwe ; M Steyn , F du Preez ; T Mtawarira , C Ralepelle , J Smit , J Muller , V Matfield , H Brussow , J Smith , R Kankowski . Replacements : B du Plessis , G Steenkamp , D Carstens , S Sykes , P Spies , R Pienaar , F Steyn . British and Irish Lions : R Kearney ; U Monye , T Bowe , R Flutey , S Williams ; S Jones , M Phillips ; J Heaslip , M Williams , J Worsley ; P O'Connell , S Shaw ; P Vickery , M Rees , A Sheridan . Replacements : R Ford , J Hayes , A-W Jones , D Wallace , T Croft , H Ellis , J Hook . | South Africa lock Bakkies Botha out of final Test against British and Irish Lions . Springboks fail in appeal against forward 's two-week ban for dangerous charge . Botha 's challenge on Adam Jones left Lions prop with dislocated shoulder . Both teams make wholesale changes for third match , with series decided . | [[0, 15], [19, 192], [1216, 1302], [0, 15], [19, 192], [321, 339], [346, 401]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Republican Party that struggled in the wake of recent Democratic landslides sprang back to life Tuesday with wins in hotly contested races for governor in Virginia and New Jersey , according to CNN projections . In Virginia , 55-year-old former state attorney general Bob McDonnell will be the first Republican to win the state 's highest office in twelve years , CNN projects . Republicans will win races for Virginia 's lieutenant governor and attorney general as well . In New Jersey , former federal prosecutor Chris Christie will oust first-term Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine , CNN projects . Christie will be the first Republican to win the top office in heavily Democratic New Jersey in 12 years . Corzine will be the first New Jersey governor to lose a re-election bid since 1993 , when then-Gov . Jim Florio , a Democrat , lost to GOP challenger Christie Todd Whitman . The two gubernatorial contests have been deemed by some analysts as the first major referendum on President Obama 's administration . Republicans leaders , demoralized after landslide defeats in 2006 and 2008 , have been hoping to capitalize on wins in Virginia and New Jersey to help fuel a nationwide Republican resurgence . They were buoyed by a huge swing of independent voters to the Republican column . Democrats sought to minimize the defeats . Since 1989 , it was noted , the party winning the White House has always gone on to lose the gubernatorial races in both states the following year . CNN also projects that New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg will be re-elected to a third term . The billionaire mayor is believed to have spent well over $ 100 million of his own money in his quest for a third term -- shattering the record for personal spending in any American campaign . Democrat Bill Owens has won a vacant U.S. House seat in upstate New York , CNN projects . The contest to fill the seat sparked a vicious internal fight between GOP conservatives and moderates . The struggle has been viewed as a proxy for a national struggle between activists arguing the GOP slipped by betraying conservative values and officials warning a rightward move would further alienate an increasingly independent-minded electorate . The split could result in the election of a new Democratic congressman from a region that has backed Republican congressional candidates since 1872 . Voters in nearby Maine -- not generally noted for their hard-edged , ideological politics -- tackled an emotional hot-button issue as voters decided whether to overturn a recently enacted law legalizing same-sex marriage . Results on the measure were not immediately expected , however . Washington state voters are choosing whether to uphold a law granting same-sex domestic partners the same rights as heterosexual married couples . Results on either measure were not immediately available , however . The fight for control of New York 's City Hall is one of 380 mayoral races across the country , including contests in Atlanta , Georgia ; Boston , Massachusetts ; Detroit , Michigan ; Houston , Texas ; and Seattle , Washington . It was the two races for governor , however , that appeared to attract the most interest at the White House . Obama personally campaigned for the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in both states . A plurality of voters in both states cited the economy as their top concern , according to exit polls . Majorities in both states said Obama 's job performance was not a factor in their vote . In Virginia , McDonnell beat Democratic nominee Creigh Deeds , a state senator from the rural western part of the state , by 21 points among critical independent voters . Last year , in contrast , Obama edged out GOP presidential nominee John McCain by one point among Virginia independents . African-Americans , as expected , voted overwhelmingly for the 51-year-old Deeds . Their total share of the vote , however , dropped from 20 percent from last year -- when Obama topped the ballot -- to 16 percent . McDonnell benefited from a Virginia electorate that , according to the exit poll , was slightly more conservative Tuesday than it was in 2008 . Conservatives were also more unified in their support for McDonnell than they were for former GOP presidential nominee John McCain . McDonnell himself is a staunch conservative , but stressed bipartisan solutions to problems relating to job growth and transportation . Deeds sought to peel social moderates and political independents away from McDonnell in part by highlighting McDonnell 's graduate school thesis , in which the Republican was critical of homosexuals and women in the workplace . The attacks appeared to backfire on Deeds . Almost two of every three voters said Deeds attacked McDonnell unfairly ; those voters broke for McDonnell by a 21-point margin . McDonnell 's expected victory is in keeping with Virginia 's tradition of backing candidates from the party that most recently lost the White House . Republican George Allen was elected in 1993 , one year after Bill Clinton won the presidency . Democrat Mark Warner won in 2001 , a year after George W. Bush 's first presidential victory . In 2008 , Obama became the first Democratic presidential nominee to carry an increasingly diverse Virginia in more than four decades . Fewer than one in five voters on Tuesday , however , said their vote was meant to express support for the president . Almost one in four said their vote was meant to express opposition to Obama . Further north in New Jersey , Corzine had pulled even in the final surveys before Election Day with the help of a virtual 2-to-1 spending advantage . Many analysts believed independent candidate Chris Daggett , a socially moderate former Republican , was also be digging into Christie 's support . Obama , who carried New Jersey by almost 16 points in 2008 , campaigned for Corzine three times , most recently this past Sunday . The president 's help , however , was not enough to save Corzine , who was saddled with burden of seeking reelection in the midst of a steep economic downturn . Almost one-third of New Jersey voters cited the economy as their top concern in early exit polls , with another 25 percent citing the state 's high property taxes . One in five voters said their top concern was the state 's ongoing struggle with corruption . Independent voters broke even more heavily for Christie in New Jersey than for McDonnell in Virginia . Corzine was able to keep the race close , however , due to New Jersey 's political landscape . New Jersey voters were both more Democratic and more liberal than Virginia voters . Last year , the president also managed to carry New York 's sprawling 23rd congressional district , a traditional GOP stronghold running along the Canadian border from Lake Champlain to Lake Ontario . The area has sent Republican representatives to Congress since Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant occupied the White House . But this year it was the scene of a GOP civil war . The district 's U.S. House seat opened up a few months ago after nine-term Republican Rep. John McHugh stepped down to become secretary of the Army . Local Republican leaders picked state assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava as their nominee to replace McHugh because they felt her moderate views would appeal to centrist Republicans , independents and even some Democrats . The decision , however , sparked a revolt among conservatives angry with what they saw as Scozzafava 's liberal views on same-sex marriage , abortion and fiscal matters such as the president 's $ 787 billion economic stimulus plan . They backed Doug Hoffman , an accountant , ran on the state 's Conservative Party line . Scozzafava suspended her campaign Saturday after her poll numbers plummeted following a flood of support and contributions to Hoffman from leading conservative politicians and organizations . Republican leaders were fractured by the choice . Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich backed Scozzafava . Gingrich 's one-time deputy , former House Majority Leader Dick Armey , backed Hoffman . After dropping out , Scozzafava endorsed Democratic nominee Bill Owens . She campaigned for him on Monday . CNN 's Peter Hamby and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report . | NEW : CNN projects that Chris Christie will unseat New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine . NEW : CNN projects Republican Bob McDonnell will win Virginia governorship . NEW : CNN projects New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg re-elected to a third term . CNN TV : Instant results , analysis from the Best Political Team , 8 p.m. ET . | [[0, 15], [202, 232], [494, 507], [510, 599], [0, 15], [202, 232], [0, 15], [202, 232], [1499, 1502], [1508, 1591]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At least 14 people were dead and four missing in the Philippines a day after Typhoon Mirinae roared through the heart of the country , the National Disaster Coordinating Council said Sunday . Mirinae was the fourth typhoon to affect the archipelago of more than 7,000 islands in a month . It quickly dissipated after Saturday 's landfall , becoming a tropical storm . Mirinae was forecast to weaken further before hitting Vietnam on Monday , forecasters said . The hardest hit areas were the Southern Luzon and Bicol regions , the Philippines News Agency reported . Civil Defense administrator Glenn Rabonza said more than 13,000 people were affected by the storm . The storm brought at least 85 millimeters -LRB- 3.3 inches -RRB- of rain to Manila . The city of Daet , on the eastern coast , received 149 millimeters -LRB- 5.8 inches -RRB- of rain , and Virac , which sits on an island that juts into the Pacific , received 72 millimeters -LRB- 2.8 inches -RRB- of rain . The first of the four typhoons to threaten the Philippines happened in late September , when Ketsana drenched the island nation with its heaviest rainfall in 40 years . Eighty percent of Manila flooded and more than 420 people died . Are you there ? Share photos , video of the weather . Flooding from Ketsana has lasted well into October and tens of thousands of people are still in evacuation centers , according to the disaster coordinating council . Typhoon Parma made landfall on October 3 in a rural region of fishermen and farmers in Luzon , the largest of the Philippine islands . It destroyed 55,000 houses and killed more than 430 people . Last week , a third typhoon , Lupit , narrowly missed making landfall , but brought lots of rain to the Philippines . | Typhoon Mirinae leaves at least 14 dead , four missing . Mirinae is latest in rash of storms to hit region . Forecasters say weakened storm will hit Vietnam on Monday . | [[0, 15], [28, 89], [52, 118], [90, 126], [211, 307], [387, 458]] |
-LRB- Budget Travel -RRB- -- It 's all the rage to criticize the airlines . But we found some smart , practical initiatives that point the way to a better future . This test design for Personal Rapid Transit is part of plans for driverless pods to replace airport shuttles . Driverless pods at airports . Someday , driverless pods may be zipping passengers between an airport and its parking lots . Fully automated , pods are more convenient than shuttle buses driven by humans . Currently , 18 pods are being tested at London Heathrow 's Terminal 5 . They let you board when you want to , rather than wait for a bus on a fixed schedule . Punch in your destination , such as a parking lot , on a touch screen . Then leave the driving to the machine , which glides on rails at speeds of 25 mph . A bonus perk : The pods are battery powered , so they do n't spew out environmentally destructive exhaust . Improved design of coach seats . Hong Kong based Cathay Pacific Airways has reinvented the economy-class seat : As the seat reclines , the bottom slides forward , but the back stays in place . So the passenger sitting behind does n't have to endure a seat hovering inches from his or her chin . The new seats are especially welcome on long-distance hauls -- which happen to be routes Cathay Pacific flies regularly . American Airlines is among the other carriers reportedly interested in installing similar , slide-forward seats . In-cabin mood lighting . Poor cabin lighting on a long flight may worsen jet lag . For instance , exposure to bright light at an hour when you are ordinarily asleep can confuse your body 's internal clock . But smart cabin lighting may actually help your body adjust to a new time zone -- and beat back jet lag . Virgin America has an in-cabin lighting system that subtly shifts through 12 shades of violet , including a welcoming , bright blue-purple during the day , a softer violet hue after dusk , and a deep , calming near-black on red-eyes when it 's time to sleep . Elsewhere in the world , Air Canada , Malaysia Airlines , Singapore Airlines , and Thai Airways offer mood lighting on many long-haul flights . Luggage check before you get to the airport . Schlepping your bags is n't fun . It 's also not necessary -- at least not in the many capital cities where you can drop checked luggage at bus or train stations and forget about it until you land at your destination . Many passengers can check bags at London 's Paddington station -LRB- for Heathrow flights -RRB- , Vienna 's Wien Mitte station , Moscow 's Kievsky Station , and Hong Kong Station . In the U.S. , the best advance luggage-check option is at Walt Disney World : Guests staying at Disney lodging can check bags at their hotel before hopping on the free Magical Express ride to the Orlando airport . Paperless boarding passes Boarding passes printed on flimsy paper seem almost as outdated as paper airline tickets . Now , cell phone check-in is allowed at many airports , such as Chicago O'Hare and Los Angeles 's LAX . Punch in your phone number at check-in and a bar code appears on your phone via e-mail or text message . Security officers and gate agents scan your phone 's screen , making for an entirely paperless process . Some airlines , including American , Continental , and Delta -LRB- plus its sister unit , Northwest -RRB- , plan to adopt the new technology at every airport gate nationwide . More power -- sockets -- for the people . Sometimes it 's the simple things that count . Virgin America not only became the first airline to offer Wi-Fi on every flight , but it did so in an especially sensible way , with standard sockets -LRB- no adapter necessary -RRB- at every seat on the plane . Because while Wi-Fi is nice -LRB- even when there 's a fee for it -RRB- , it 's even nicer to know that you wo n't run out of juice in the middle of a flight . Sockets obviously work with portable DVD players and cell phone chargers , too . Replacements for outmoded radar-tracking systems . Radar is outdated . Locating a plane 's position can take up to half a minute , a long time when planes are traveling at speeds over 500 mph . To play it safe and avoid accidents , planes fly extremely far apart from each other . They also fly routes that zigzag rather than go straight . The reason ? Aircraft need to remain within signal range of radar beacons , which are irregularly spaced around the country . To shave flight times -- and improve safety -- the FAA is rolling out NextGen , a GPS-based air traffic control system that provides real-time plane locations to pilots and air traffic controllers . Using GPS technology -LRB- already in trial use by Alaska Airlines -RRB- , planes will be able to fly straighter , more efficient routes while maintaining a safe distance from other aircraft . But we may have to wait until 2025 to see this technology adopted nationwide . Sigh . Easier upgrades . With most airlines , upgrading is an esoteric process that may involve loyalty program points , elite status , or just dumb luck . But when you check in at the airport for a Spirit Airlines flight , the kiosk presents a simpler formula . The screen may inform you that one of Spirit 's Big Front Seats -LRB- the carrier 's version of business class -RRB- is available for as little as $ 35 extra . The roomy seats are often dispensed on a first-come , first-served basis close to departure time . Depending on how you 're feeling that day , you may very well decide that an upgrade to a more comfortable seat is money well spent . Copyright 2009 . Newsweek Budget Travel , Inc. . Note : This story was accurate when it was published . Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip . Note : This story was accurate when it was published . Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip . | 18 driverless pods are being tested at London Heathrow 's Terminal 5 . Virgin America has in-cabin lighting that subtly shifts throughout the day . A GPS-based air traffic control system is in trial use by Alaska Airlines . | [[480, 489], [492, 551], [1747, 1979], [4506, 4511], [4512, 4624], [4506, 4544], [4550, 4624]] |
Kabul , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Afghan electoral officials Monday declared incumbent President Hamid Karzai the winner of another term in office , after canceling this weekend 's second round of voting . U.S. President Barack Obama called Monday for a `` new chapter '' of improved governance in Afghanistan now that Karzai 's re-election as president is complete . Observers say Karzai 's real test will be whether he can form a government that is seen as legitimate in the eyes of the Afghan people and the international community . Afghanistan 's Independent Electoral Commission announced Karzai 's victory Monday after it canceled Saturday 's presidential runoff because of the withdrawal of candidate Abdullah Abdullah . A runoff could have been held with just one candidate , but commission president Azizullah Lodin said electoral officials decided to cancel the second round of voting for several reasons , including security and money . The decision was made just a couple of hours before the announcement , according to commission deputy Zakria Barakzai . Afghans went to the polls on August 20 , in a vote marred by widespread fraud . Karzai had initially claimed victory , but two months after the vote , a U.N.-backed panel of election monitors threw out nearly a third of his votes , citing fraud . That left Karzai short of a majority , and he eventually agreed to the runoff . Abdullah had called for the resignations of top election officials and politicians to avert electoral fraud in the runoff . He argued that the commissioners , who are hired by Karzai , can not be impartial . But that request was not met , Abdullah said Sunday , and he did not believe a transparent election was possible . `` I want this to be an example for the future so that no one again tries to use fraud to abuse the rights of the Afghan people , '' Abdullah told reporters . U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Kabul on Monday hours before the commission 's announcement . He issued a statement welcoming the decision , congratulating Karzai , and restating the U.N. 's commitment to supporting the new government . `` This has been a difficult election process for Afghanistan and lessons must be learned , '' Ban said in the statement . `` Afghanistan now faces significant challenges and the new president must move swiftly to form a government that is able to command the support of both the Afghan people and the international community . '' On Monday , Ban met with both Karzai and Abdullah , as well as U.N. officials , including Kai Eide , head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan . The U.S. Embassy in Kabul also issued a statement Monday welcoming the commission 's decision and congratulating Karzai . In Washington , President Barack Obama told reporters in the White House that he had congratulated Karzai in a telephone conversation . `` Although the process was messy , I 'm pleased to say that the final outcome was determined in accordance with Afghan law , '' Obama said . He said he told Karzai `` that this has to be a point in time in which we begin to write a new chapter based on improved governance , a much more serious effort to eradicate corruption , joint efforts to accelerate the training of Afghan security forces so that the Afghan people can provide for their own security . '' Obama added that Karzai assured him he understands the importance of the moment , `` but as I indicated to him , the proof is not going to be in words , it 's going to be in deeds . '' Despite the resolved election issue , Gibbs refused to put a firm timetable on when Obama would announce whether he would increase troop levels Afghanistan . Instead , Gibbs repeated past language that the decision would be made within weeks . `` Now begin the hard conversations about ensuring credibility and ensuring improving governance , addressing corruption '' in Afghanistan , Gibbs said . Sen. John McCain , the Arizona Republican defeated by Obama in last year 's presidential race , said Monday that Karzai 's re-election should encourage Obama to fulfill Gen. Stanley McChrystal 's request for up to 40,000 more troops . `` The most urgent priority now is to support our Afghan partners in reversing what General McChrystal has rightly called the ` deteriorating ' security situation , '' McCain said in a statement . `` This requires a properly-resourced counterinsurgency strategy , and I urge President Obama to provide our civilian and military leaders with the resources they need to succeed . '' The cancellation of the runoff `` puts the election issue behind us , '' but Karzai has yet to achieve a true victory , according to the former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan , Zalmay Khalilzad . `` Now the key issue is how the Afghan people will react to this , what kind of government will President Karzai put together , and how the international community will react , '' Khalilzad said on CNN 's `` American Morning . '' `` We 're in a new stage now in Afghanistan . '' Khalilzad had predicted last week that Abdullah would quit the race , in an interview for CNN 's `` Amanpour . '' `` First , he does n't have much money left , '' he said in the interview , which aired Sunday . `` Second , I think that he thinks that given the situation , he 's likely to lose , and maybe he 'll get less votes than he did in the first round , so that would be embarrassing . '' Speaking to CNN following his withdrawal , Abdullah said his decision does not mean he has given up public life . `` I will be available to serve this country , '' he said . `` At this stage , I am in consultation with my followers , with my supporters and a movement for change will be there and I will lead that movement . There is no doubt about it . '' Karzai served as acting president following the U.S. ouster of Taliban rulers in 2001 , then secured a victory in the 2004 elections . He begins his second term in office amid a resurgence of the Taliban . The militants claimed responsibility for a Wednesday attack that killed five United Nations workers -- two of whom were helping with the vote . Nine others were wounded in the attack , on a guest house in Kabul . In response , the United Nations ordered nonessential personnel out of the country . International troop levels increased this year to provide security for the Afghan election in August . Attacks against U.S. and NATO forces have also spiked : 59 American troops died in Afghanistan in October , the highest U.S. monthly toll since the war began eight years ago . CNN 's Jonathan Wald in Kabul , Afghanistan contributed to this report . | NEW : President Obama called for `` new chapter '' of improved governance in Afghanistan . Karzai made president following withdrawal of opposition leader Abdullah Abdullah . Abdullah withdrew Sunday , saying he believed the second round would be as fraudulent . Hamid Karzai has been president of Afghanistan since December 2004 . | [[211, 314], [3065, 3066], [3076, 3080], [3090, 3150], [542, 733], [542, 733], [631, 733], [1484, 1524]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Diane Sawyer will take over nightly news anchor duties for ABC when Charlie Gibson retires from `` World News '' at the end of this year , a network spokesman confirmed Wednesday . Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer worked together on `` Good Morning America . '' Sawyer , 63 , will be the second woman to be the solo host of an evening newscast for an American broadcast TV network . Sawyer will take the chair in January , ABC 's Jeffrey Schneider said . Gibson , 66 , and Sawyer worked together for years on ABC 's morning show -- `` Good Morning America '' -- before Gibson was promoted over Sawyer to anchor ABC 's `` World News '' in May 2006 . Elizabeth Vargas and Bob Woodruff co-anchored the newscast before Gibson . That duo came to an end after Woodruff was seriously wounded by a roadside bomb in Iraq . Maria Brennan , president of the Washington-based American Women in Radio and Television organization , called the announcement a `` watershed moment '' and said Sawyer was the `` obvious choice '' to take over ABC 's anchor chair . Asked about the significance of two out of three network nightly news anchors being women -- the other being CBS ' Katie Couric -- Brennan said , `` It comes with some excitement and some glee for groups like ours , who have worked for years to ensure that women have parity with their male counterparts . '' `` When we get to a point in time when we do n't even notice the gender , we can really celebrate , '' Brennan said . Sawyer worked for President Richard Nixon in the 1970s , first in his White House press office and later helping him write his memoirs after his resignation . After a stint with CBS News -- including five years as a `` 60 Minutes '' correspondent -- Sawyer joined ABC News in 1989 . She worked on news magazines for ABC -- including `` Primetime Live '' and `` 20/20 '' -- before being assigned to co-host `` Good Morning America '' with Gibson in 1999 . CNN 's Albert Lewintinn contributed to this report . | ABC News anchor Charlie Gibson retiring at end of the year . Diane Sawyer will take over `` World News '' beginning in January . The pair worked together for years on `` Good Morning America '' | [[410, 447], [209, 285], [482, 555]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama and top aides have quietly stepped up talks with moderate Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine on a scaled-back health care bill , according to two sources familiar with the negotiations . Sen. Olympia Snowe is part of the bipartisan so-called `` Gang of Six '' negotiating on health care . The compromise plan would lack a government-run public health insurance option favored by Obama , but would leave the door open to adding that provision down the road under an idea proposed by Snowe , the sources said . One of the sources said White House officials are `` deep in conversations '' with Snowe on a much smaller health care bill than Obama originally envisioned . The modified proposal would include insurance reforms , such as preventing insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions , according to the source . The potential deal would give insurance companies a defined period to make such changes in order to help cover more people and drive down long-term costs . But if those changes failed to occur within the defined period , a so-called `` trigger '' would provide for creating a public option to force change on the insurance companies , the source said . Snowe is pivotal to the debate because she may be Obama 's last possibility for getting a Republican senator to support his push for a health care overhaul . She is one of the so-called `` Gang of Six '' members of the Senate Finance Committee , three Democrats and three Republicans , involved in separate negotiations on the only bipartisan health care proposal in Congress so far . However , the slow pace of those talks and recent partisan attacks by the other two Republicans in the negotiations have dimmed hopes for a breakthrough , leaving Snowe as the only Republican senator that White House aides believe they can work with on the issue . Snowe first proposed the so-called `` trigger '' idea for a public option months ago , and has talked to Obama about it on several occasions , according to a source familiar with the discussions . The source told CNN that the White House staffers increased their phone calls to Snowe aides and their interest in her trigger idea this week . Obama and Democratic leaders seek a solution that could win support from a Republican or two , and more importantly , help bridge a divide among Democrats on the public option issue . Allies of the president hope that if Snowe accepts a health care agreement , she might also bring along her Republican colleague from Maine , moderate Sen. Susan Collins . Getting some Republicans to sign onto a proposal would improve Obama 's chances of gaining the support of key moderate Democratic senators such as Ben Nelson of Nebraska , Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas . All three are skeptical of a government-run public option supported by their more liberal fellow Democrats . Despite the flurry of direct talks this week between Snowe and White House staff , Snowe aides insist she remains engaged in the `` Gang of Six '' bipartisan talks that have been going on for months . Those talks have focused on creating nonprofit health insurance cooperatives instead of a public option to force competition and lower medical rates . The source familiar with Snowe 's discussions with the White House said Snowe 's trigger idea is n't being considered in the bipartisan negotiations because of early resistance from fellow Republican negotiators , especially Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming . Enzi and the other Republican negotiator , Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa , insist they are still committed to the bipartisan negotiations . However , their recent sharp criticism of Democratic health care proposals favored by Obama has caused tense relations with the White House . | Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe 's plan does n't include public care option . But public option is triggered if private companies do n't offer reforms . Snowe is considered last possibility for Democrats to get some GOP backing . | [[339, 434], [1121, 1234], [1255, 1363]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Outside a Manhattan mosque where the imam preaches against terrorism , the brothers of the `` Revolution Muslim '' are spreading a different message . Protected by the Constitution of the country they detest , radical Muslim converts like Yousef al-Khattab and Younes Abdullah Mohammed preach that the killing of U.S. troops overseas is justified . In their thinking , so were the September 11 , 2001 , attacks on the United States -- and so are attacks on almost any American . `` Americans will always be a target -- and a legitimate target -- until America changes its nature in the international arena , '' Mohammed said in an interview to air on tonight 's `` AC 360 . '' Al-Khattab and Mohammed consider al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden their model . `` I love him like I ca n't begin to tell you , because he does n't seem to have done anything wrong from the sharia , '' al-Khattab said , referring to Islamic law . `` If you 're asking me if I love him as a Muslim , I love him more than I love myself . '' They hand out fliers outside the gleaming 96th Street mosque , where up to 4,000 people visit every day . Inside the sleek , modernistic house of worship , Imam Shamsi Ali preaches against the violence that now sweeps many Muslim countries . `` What we try to do is reminding our people about the real Islam , '' Ali said . `` We tell them what the real Islam is all about . Islam is about peace . Islam is about moderation . Islam is about friendship . Islam is opposed to any kind of hatred against anybody . '' Law enforcement sources have told CNN the men walk right up to the line of protection under the First Amendment , but their message is not going unnoticed . Al-Khattab handed CNN Correspondent Drew Griffin a business card from an FBI agent who he says is keeping tabs on him . The agent would not comment without clearance from his superiors , except to say , `` Obviously , if they gave you my card , you know we are watching them . '' The mosque has called police on Al-Khattab and Mohammed several times , and passers-by occasionally engage them in heated debates . Ali told CNN that ordinary Muslims are `` disgusted with their behavior . '' But they insist they do n't fight themselves , and do n't incite others to do so . Al-Khattab calls President Obama `` a murderer , a tyrant , a scumbag , '' and says he would n't `` shed a tear '' if Obama were killed . But he added , `` Would I incite his murder ? That 's not what I teach . '' Mohammed calls himself an American `` by default '' who identifies with Muslims . Al-Khattab , a Jew who lived in Israel before converting to Islam , says he `` would like to see a mushroom cloud '' over the Jewish state -- `` but before that , I 'd like to see the people guided , and I 'd like them to go back to their original countries where they 're from . '' But federal agents are not only watching them , they 're watching some of those who are listening . Neil Bryant Vinas , a young New Yorker who has pleaded guilty to plotting to attack trains on the Long Island Rail Road , met with al-Khattab . Al-Khattab said Vinas and `` some brothers '' traveled to Atlantic City , New Jersey , and had dinner with him . Al-Khattab said they considered him something of a hero because he left Israel and converted to Islam . Al-Khattab also claims friendships with Tarek Mehanna , now under indictment in Boston , Massachusetts , on charges of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists , and Daniel Maldonado , who pleaded guilty before a federal judge in Texas to receiving military training from Islamic militants in Somalia . Mohammed says he and his fellow radicals are `` commanded to terrorize the disbelievers ... making them fearful so that they will think twice before they go rape your mother or kill your brother or go onto your land and try to steal your resources . '' `` We are defending innocent women that are bombed every day , innocent children that are bombed every day , '' he said . But asked whether those who take their fliers should take up arms against Americans , he said , `` We certainly have never said that . '' CNN 's Paul Cruickshank contributed to this report . | Radical Muslim converts defend violence against the U.S. outside a New York mosque . Inside the mosque , an imam preaches against terrorism . Authorities say the language walks `` right up to the line '' of free speech protection . See the full investigation on `` AC 360 '' tonight , 10 ET . | [[1199, 1244], [1557, 1668]] |
FORT HOOD , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The first people who came across Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan , the psychiatrist suspected of Thursday 's murderous rampage , told tales Friday of quick , calm efforts in the face of danger . By the time it was over -- in less than five minutes , base commander Lt. Gen. Bob Cone said -- 13 people were dead and 38 , including Hasan , were wounded . Mark Todd was one of two civilian police sergeants credited with helping take down Hasan . He and partner Kimberly Munley pulled up outside the building where the shooting was occurring at the same time , and Todd saw the shooter standing outside -- about 15 yards away . He appeared calm . `` As soon as we got there , it was game on , and then that 's when it escalated , and we did what we had to do , '' he told CNN 's `` Anderson Cooper . '' `` I yelled at him , ` Stop ! Drop the weapon ! ' And that 's when he raised his weapon and fired a couple of shots at me . '' Todd said he and Munley both took cover and as Hasan walked around one side of the building , he went around the other . `` That 's when I saw him again . I told him to drop his weapon and he fired a couple more rounds . He fell , I went up and secured his weapon . '' As soon as his weapon had been taken away , medics appeared , Todd said . `` It was like instantaneous , '' he said . `` We started life-saving measures to keep him alive as well . '' Specialist Francisco de la Serna , a medic , was among those who treated the wounded , including Munley , shot in both thighs and a wrist , and the suspect . `` When the first gunshots started , you know , it was complete chaos , '' he told CNN 's `` Larry King Live . '' `` Just everyone outside the building started scattering . They just all ran behind anything that would stop a bullet -- cars , trash cans , trees , anything . '' De la Serna said he came upon Munley , who was already being helped by others . `` I made a tourniquet , put it around her thigh and put it down until the bleeding stopped , but she 'd already lost a lot of blood , '' he said . `` She was fading in and out of consciousness . '' He then turned his attention to Hasan , asking him where he had been shot . `` I could n't get him to answer , '' de la Serna said . `` He looked really calm , really pale . '' Army reservist Sgt. Jeannette Juroff also stepped in to help the wounded , but first she and some co-workers took refuge in a bathroom . Juroff told CNN 's `` Campbell Brown '' that she was taking her lunch break when she overheard fellow soldiers saying they heard shooting . At first , that did n't alarm her . `` This is Fort Hood , shooting goes on , '' she said . But when a major told her to call 911 , she tried to do so , but could n't get through , she said . Soon , it became apparent that the threat was real . `` I was walking down the hall and wondering what I would tell 911 and then a lot of my coworkers come in and they said , ` Just get in the bathroom . ' '' They took refuge there for about a minute , `` but it felt like it took forever , '' she said . `` It was so quiet , but then we heard just loud screams and stomps , a lot of chaos going on . '' Unwilling to stay cooped up in the tiny room as an unknown danger lurked outside , they opened the door and ran out , she said . Ahead of them she saw the building exit and the conference center where the shooting was taking place . Then , her cell phone rang -- it was one of her captains calling to talk about administrative matters . `` I just said , ` Shut up , I need to talk to you . Call 911 . ' He called 911 , '' she said . By now , she had figured out what to say . `` I said , ` We 're coming under attack . There 's somebody shooting at the SRP , '' she said , using soldier shorthand for `` soldier readiness program . '' `` As I 'm talking to him , I 'm seeing a soldier who 's wounded and there 's two soldiers holding his leg up , a medic and others helping , '' she said . Share thoughts on Fort Hood shooting , memories of victims . The soldier they were working on appeared in shock , his lips a pasty white , so Barbour said she tried to calm him down . `` I just went in there and said , ` Hey kid , whatcha doing ? ' '' she recalled . The two talked about pool , about their weekend plans `` and , little by little , he started to look good . '' Authorities said Friday that the 18-year-old wounded soldier was going to recover . All around them , medics were working at high speed , she said . `` They were just completely doing everything they were told to do , every soldier was helping everybody out , every civilian that worked there . '' In one area , a `` nearly naked '' soldier -- his pants torn -- was using his hands to put pressure over a wound to keep the blood from pouring out , she said . `` He was staying calm and everybody else was doing the same , '' she said . `` It was really awesome . '' | First responders credited with stopping Maj. Nidal Hasan , saving his life . Officer praised for disabling Hasan shot in legs , wrist . Witness : `` Every soldier was helping everybody out , every civilian that worked there '' Thirteen people died , 38 others wounded in shooting . | [[1408, 1418], [1514, 1545], [4558, 4597], [4600, 4614], [4620, 4634], [223, 234], [297, 315], [319, 380], [278, 282], [366, 380]] |
BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. military said disturbing video that shows masked boys brandishing guns was an al Qaeda in Iraq training and recruiting tool . The U.S. says this image of young boys is from an al Qaeda in Iraq training and recruitment video . `` Al Qaeda in Iraq wants to poison the next generation of Iraqis , '' said Rear Adm. Gregory Smith during a Baghdad news conference about the release of the tape . The video , he said , showed boys , `` many below age 11 '' being used `` to produce the next generation of al Qaeda . '' Masked boys are seen in the tape armed with grenade launchers , AK-47s and pistols . They 're standing in front of a black banner hung on a wall , shouting slogans . Another video shows a boy , surrounded by automatic weapons and wearing a suicide vest , according to The Associated Press . Also in the video , armed boys in black hoods , with weapons pointed , shout and force a man off his bicycle , search a car , and clear a building while a male voice off camera instructs them . Smith said the military does n't know how many children al Qaeda in Iraq uses in its operations . He said it 's believed the boys in the video were willing participants . Watch the disturbing video '' `` Al Qaeda often refers to the children as the new generation of the mujahedeen , '' Smith said , using the Arabic term for holy warriors . `` We 've also seen evidence of al Qaeda entering schools , disseminating propaganda and no doubt terrorizing the children and their teachers . '' The video indicates that al Qaeda in Iraq was increasingly targeting children and posting propaganda on some of the 5,000 al Qaeda-affiliated Web sites . The U.S. military said the video excerpts were culled from five propaganda videos obtained during a raid targeting a senior member of al Qaeda in Iraq in December in Diyala province . In Baghdad on Wednesday , roadside bombings in south-central Iraq killed seven people and wounded nine others , Iraq 's Interior Ministry said . A roadside bomb targeting police killed four people and wounded nine others in the south-central Iraqi provincial capital of Diwaniya on Wednesday morning , an Interior Ministry official told CNN . The city is the provincial seat of the largely Shiite Qadisiya province . Police were transporting prisoners at the time of the attack . The four killed , two women , a child and a man , were civilian passers-by . Four civilians , three detainees , and two police officers were wounded . A roadside bomb exploded midmorning in central Baghdad 's Andalus Square , killing three civilians , according to the ministry . In eastern Baghdad , a third roadside bomb targeted a U.S. military patrol , the Interior Ministry said . There was no immediate word on casualties . The U.S. military on Wednesday also reported the deaths of two Sons of Iraq members who were trying to thwart a suicide attack on Tuesday in a town northwest of Baghdad . Watch more on Sons of Iraq '' A militant detonated a suicide vest outside a photo shop in Awad . The pair died in the strike but `` prevented the man from detonating the explosive vest filled with ball bearings in a crowd of local Iraqis . The selflessness of these men allowed time for surviving witnesses to recognize the threat and escape the blast , '' the military said . The Sons of Iraq , Concerned Local Citizens and Awakening Councils are the names of anti-al Qaeda in Iraq citizen groups that have emerged across the country in recent months . The U.S. military on Wednesday also reported a series of raids across Iraq over the last few days that led to the detentions of 20 suspected militants . The operations took place in the Baghdad area , in Mosul , and near Ramadi . Iraqi soldiers and Sons of Iraq members also found weapons caches . E-mail to a friend . CNN 's Arwa Damon contributed to this report . | U.S. admiral says tape made from al Qaeda recruitment tapes . Armed kids enact detaining bicyclist , searching car , clearing building . Soldiers seized video during December raid targeting al Qaeda in Iraq leader . Three separate roadside bombings in south-central Iraq kill seven , wound nine . | [[169, 268], [867, 892], [928, 955], [852, 864], [867, 892], [958, 970], [1743, 1798], [1782, 1867], [1868, 1891], [1894, 1953], [1868, 1891], [1894, 1933], [1958, 1977], [2013, 2045], [2069, 2167], [2425, 2498], [2499, 2571], [2574, 2597], [2628, 2646], [2649, 2702]] |
ISLAMABAD , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- No running water , no electricity , no fuel and little food . Pakistanis displaced by fighting demand government assistance during a protest Sunday in Karachi . International Red Cross officials are `` gravely concerned '' about the stark situation in Pakistan 's Swat Valley , where a monthlong offensive against the Taliban has displaced more than 2 million civilians . Members of the International Committee of the Red Cross arrived in the Swat Valley this weekend for the first time since the onset of violence there . The organization evacuated more than a dozen people in need of urgent medical care and called for an immediate humanitarian response . `` The people of Swat need greater humanitarian protection and assistance immediately , '' Pascal Cuttat , head of the organization 's delegation in Pakistan , said Sunday . `` The ICRC will do its utmost to meet those needs without delay . Given what we have already seen on the ground , we are mobilizing additional resources , but safe and unimpeded access to the area remains essential for our teams to deliver . '' Those who have left their homes tell of the whole valley being turned into a battlefield as citizens flee on foot , many of them with no shoes . Some fall ill from sun and heat exposure , particularly infants and those already weak and sick . According to the most recent United Nations numbers , about 2.4 million Pakistanis registered as displaced persons since May 2 . Currently , the clashes are concentrated near Mingora , the valley 's largest city . `` People have been blocked for weeks , '' said Daniel O'Malley , who led the ICRC team . `` There is no running water , no electricity , and food is scarce . There is no fuel left for generators and most medical facilities in the district are no longer functioning . Phone lines are down , so people have been cut off from the outside world and are anxious for contact with relatives who fled the area . '' The Red Cross team visited Khwazakhela hospital , one of the few medical facilities left in Swat Valley , to deliver supplies and found a small group of hospital staff members struggling to work without water , electricity or supplies , O'Malley said . `` They simply can not cope with the influx of patients , '' he said . The team evacuated 14 patients . Meanwhile , one soldier was killed in a roadside bombing , and security forces killed two militants in the Swat Valley over the last 24 hours , the Pakistani military said on Sunday . The military said an unknown number of slain militants were found in a training facility destroyed by security forces in Shangla district , and a government girls ' school at Baiderra was torched by militants . The Pakistani military said on Saturday its security forces have taken back the city of Mingora from the Taliban , calling it a significant victory in its offensive . | Residents of Pakistan 's Swat Valley need help immediately , Red Cross official says . U.N. : Offensive against the Taliban has displaced more than 2.4 million people . Red Cross : Food scarce ; hospital struggling to operate without running water . Residents say people fleeing valley are falling ill from heat exposure . | [[563, 579], [650, 697], [701, 783], [292, 308], [318, 411], [1415, 1489], [1717, 1733], [1263, 1303]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is asking parents to immediately stop using a series of inflatable floats for babies in swimming pools , announcing a voluntary recall of about 4 million floats Thursday . The Squirtin ' Tootin ' Tugboat is among the floats covered by the recall . The items -- which inflate to seat babies and toddlers as they float on water -- are manufactured by Massachusetts-based Aqua Leisure Industries . The company has voluntarily recalled 14 models because the leg straps in the seat of the float can tear , causing children to slip into the water , posing a drowning risk , the commission said in a statement . There have been 31 reports of float seats tearing , though no injuries have been reported , the commission said . The floats were sold from December 2002 through June 2009 at retailers nationwide , including Target , Toys `` R '' Us , Wal-Mart , Dollar General , Kmart , Walgreens , Ace Hardware and Bed , Bath & Beyond . The commission is asking consumers to stop using the floats and to send them back to the company . Aqua Leisure officials could not be immediately reached for comment , but the company 's Web site has posted the commission 's recall advisory . CNN 's Gerri Willis contributed to this report . | Aqua Leisure Industries recalls 14 models . Leg straps can tear , allowing children to slip into the water . Agency says there have been 31 reports of seats tearing . Floats were sold nationwide at many chain retailers . | [[458, 603], [458, 603], [668, 717], [782, 863]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` Late Show With David Letterman '' bandleader Paul Shaffer is a walking Wikipedia of rock 'n' roll history -- and now he 's added his own story to the mix . Paul Shaffer has been David Letterman 's bandleader for 27 years . Shaffer 's new memoir , `` We 'll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives : A Swingin ' Showbiz Saga '' -LRB- Flying Dolphin Press -RRB- offers his take on a colorful career , from piano lessons in his native Canada to a `` Saturday Night Live '' stint to the gig he 's had , and relished , for 27 years -- Letterman 's sidekick . Oh yeah , and he co-wrote the hit disco song `` It 's Raining Men . '' Shaffer appeared this week at a Manhattan Barnes & Noble to sign books and give a performance . Among those who dropped by were the Beach Boys ' Al Jardine -- who joined in for `` Help Me , Rhonda '' -- Martin Short and girl group belter Darlene Love . Shaffer also took questions from the audience . Though the topic of Letterman 's recent troubles was off-limits , one audience member did ask Shaffer what the host was really like -- emphasis on `` really . '' Shaffer responded that the boss he 's respected and admired for nearly three decades is `` very transparent on the air and you can see exactly what he 's like . '' Shaffer talked to CNN about how he picks songs to introduce guests , his renowned Passover celebrations and his chance to be on `` Seinfeld . '' The following is an edited version of the interview : . CNN : When guests are introduced on the `` Late Show , '' you usually add a musical accompaniment that 's an obscure reference to their name . My favorite was when Dustin Hoffman was a guest , and you played `` Dust in the Wind . '' Can you tell me how you come up with those , and what some of your favorites have been ? Paul Shaffer : We think of them in rehearsal before the show . I have about 15 minutes , and I often throw it open to the floor . And by the floor , I mean the musicians , the band -LSB- the `` Late Show 's '' CBS Orchestra members -RSB- . And I say `` Who has an idea for this ? '' And I pick the one that I like the best . -LSB- Once we -RSB- had a new actor named Aziz Ansari , and one of the guys in the band says , `` I 'm Sorry '' -LSB- referring to the Brenda Lee song -RSB- . So we did it , and it cracked Dave -LSB- Letterman -RSB- up so I know that I got my one laugh -- and the most important laugh . CNN : What 's the story behind using Ray Charles ' `` Busted '' for Tom Brokaw ? Shaffer : He was particularly difficult to come up with something for because he 's on all the time , and we did n't want to play a news theme or a song about the news . So Will Lee , my bass player , suggested `` Busted '' ... `` I 'm broke , aw -- I 'm busted . '' And Brokaw asked about it once : `` Why do you play Ray Charles ' ` Busted ' when I come on ? '' He asked on camera , and I said , `` I 'm broke -- aw -- I 'm busted . '' CNN : What is your favorite song of all time ? Shaffer : As far as favorite `` overall package '' record of all time , I 'd have to say `` My Girl '' by The Temptations . I like everything about it , not only the composition -- but the arrangement , the production , the lead vocals , the background vocals , the horns , the strings . That one I listen to over and over again . And , of course , `` Be My Baby '' by the Ronettes . Maybe that 's my favorite song , and `` My Girl '' is my favorite record . CNN : For some reason I thought it was `` He 's a Rebel '' by the Crystals . Shaffer : Well that 's way up there . I consider that my national anthem . When I hear `` He 's a Rebel , '' I stand . CNN : Are there any musicians you regret never having had a chance to work with ? Shaffer : Well , of course , Frank -LSB- Sinatra -RSB- is one , and Elvis is the other . But aside from those two I think I 've done pretty well . CNN : Can you tell me a little bit about your famed `` Celebrity Seders '' ? Shaffer : We spent a lot of time at the show during the early days of `` SNL '' -LSB- `` Saturday Night Live '' -RSB- . We had no personal lives at all . ... And , of course , we were there doing a show around Passover time , and Suzanne Miller , who was one of the writers , came up with the idea that we should have a seder for the cast and crew and writers who would n't be going home . So I said , `` I can conduct it ! '' I knew how to conduct a seder at lightning speed because my parents could n't wait to get to the matzo ball soup . So I have that skill , and I also sort of had an act , too . As a prize for finding the matzo , I gave out a pizza on -LSB- `` SNL 's '' -RSB- `` Weekend Update . '' -LSB- Producer -RSB- Lorne Michaels liked it so much that he had matches printed up immediately that said `` Paul Shaffer 's Celebrity Seder '' and that became legendary . CNN : In the late 1980s , you were offered the role of George Costanza on `` Seinfeld . '' Any regrets on not accepting that part ? Shaffer : Just to be clear , I was offered the role of Jerry Seinfeld 's sidekick . He had three sidekicks , and I had a feeling mine might 've been that role . And any regrets ? Well , I mean it was only the most beloved show of all time . ... Truthfully , though , I would have missed the opportunity to play music . CNN : How do you stay hip and current in a world where today 's kids do n't appreciate showbiz legends and the origins of comedy ? Shaffer : I still talk incessantly about `` SCTV , '' and I say , `` Screw the kids ! '' | Paul Shaffer : The David Letterman viewers see on air is who he really is . Shaffer 's new memoir has stories of `` Saturday Night Live , '' Letterman . Shaffer was offered chance to play Jerry Seinfeld sidekick at one point . Bandleader legendary for his `` Celebrity Seders '' | [[1113, 1273], [4980, 5034], [3903, 3915], [3917, 3938]] |
Fort Hood , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- There is no evidence of `` friendly fire '' during this week 's deadly shooting at Fort Hood , an Army spokesman said Saturday . Army Criminal Investigation Command spokesman Chris Grey said authorities did not believe that any of those killed or wounded were shot by anyone other than the suspect , Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan . Furthermore , Grey reiterated that all evidence indicates that the suspect `` acted alone . '' Grey said there was `` no evidence to contradict that finding . '' He added that the investigation is continuing . Thursday 's mass shooting left 12 soldiers and one civilian dead and 42 people wounded , according to the post 's public information office . It was unclear how many of those injured suffered bullet wounds . By Saturday night , 17 people and the suspect , Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan , remained hospitalized , Col. John Rossi told reporters . All had suffered gunshot wounds , he said . Rossi said Hasan is no longer on a ventilator , but is still in intensive care at Brooke Army Medical Center . Earlier Saturday , W. Roy Smythe , chief of surgery at Scott & White Memorial Hospital , said `` a lot of progress has been made '' in treating patients wounded in the rampage and that `` some of them are out of the woods . '' But Smythe , flanked by Texas Gov. Rick Perry and two state representatives , told reporters there is a possibility some patients will be `` physically impaired '' for life . And , he said , there 's `` no doubt many '' will be `` psychologically impaired the rest of their lives . '' The incident has sparked national outrage . In his Saturday address , President Obama said it was `` an act of violence that would have been heartbreaking had it occurred anyplace in America . '' But the president said , `` it 's all the more heartbreaking and all the more despicable because of the place where it occurred and the patriots who were its victims . '' The White House said President Obama and the first lady will be attending a memorial service on Tuesday and the president ordered flags flying over the White House and other federal buildings to be lowered to half-staff until Veterans Day on Wednesday . In Texas on Saturday , Smythe told reporters that of the 10 patients admitted to that hospital after the Thursday massacre , four have gone home and one may go home later Saturday . He said of the six originally in the surgical intensive care unit , only two remained there Saturday morning , with the others moved to a regular in-patient floor . The people in the intensive care unit `` are no longer on the ventilator and quite stable . '' Despite improvements , he said the injuries to some `` are so severe that only time will tell how they 'll do in the long run . '' He said `` some of these patients are young and sometimes young patients will surprise you in regards to their rehabilitation . '' And at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood , Jeri Chappelle , a representative of that facility , said eight patients are currently being treated there -- five in the hospital 's intensive care unit and three others in a regular unit who are in fair condition . Perry -- speaking outside the Scott & White hospital -- lauded the hospital 's quality and professionalism and praised the patriotism of the soldiers . `` What I heard time after time in those hospital rooms that it 's their honor to be able to serve our country , and that is a very humbling thing to watch a young man or woman whose life has been irreparably harmed in a violent act , yet their concern and their interest is in continuing to be able to serve this country , '' Perry said . Also , he praised the first responders , and mentioned Fort Hood Police Sgt. Kimberly Munley , the civilian officer who confronted and disabled Hasan in a shootout . Munley has drawn praise from the military and from citizens across the nations for her quick and bold actions . Perry called her a `` true professional '' and a `` selfless public servant . '' `` She 's very understated , '' said Perry , who spoke with Munley on Friday . `` A person who understands the gravity of what occurred , but also a classic public servant who is not interested in anything but getting on with her life and hopefully never having an event like this ever occur again . '' Citing other reports , Perry said , `` this is not the first time that she 's been called to action '' and said `` we all should be thankful that we have people like that in America . '' Perry said he is in contact military and state law enforcement officials and that the Texas Rangers are helping federal officials in their probe . The governor also said the Department of State Health Services to send crisis counseling teams to the area . Share memories of victims . As for the investigation , Obama said he met with FBI Director Robert Mueller and representatives of other relevant agencies to discuss their probe . `` I 'll continue to be in close contact with them as new information comes in , '' he said in his Saturday radio address . Obama , a Democrat , and Perry , a Republican , both said that the situation brought out the best in people , citing the efforts of soldiers and civilians to aid others . `` Even as we saw the worst of human nature on full display , '' the president said , `` we also saw the best of America . '' | NEW : Official : Evidence so far indicates alleged shooter acted alone . NEW : Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan off ventilator , spokesman says . Chief of surgery : Some patients will be `` physically impaired '' for life . President Obama says he met with FBI director and will monitor investigation . | [[376, 453], [954, 999], [1296, 1302], [1370, 1466], [4829, 4926]] |
Bakersfield , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Vincent Barrett died alone in July at age 72 , the coroner 's office could not find any next of kin . Similarly , Ronald Axtell was listed as indigent -- no survivors and no funds for a funeral -- when he died at age 69 . And yet a small army of men and women gathered to pay their respects to the two men , both Air Force veterans , as they were buried at Bakersfield National Cemetery in September . Marsha Dickey , who works in the Kern County coroner 's office , was instrumental in making sure the men got the honors they deserved . `` She worked very hard to see that they were veterans ... and without that ... we probably would not be here today to honor them , '' said Lynn Sprayberry , founder and chairwoman of Friends of Fallen Heroes , a local organization that makes sure veterans receive a respectful service at Bakersfield National Cemetery . The coroner 's office also discovered that Barrett , a former staff sergeant , had been awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in Korea . Axtell was a former airman second class . `` Without -LSB- Dickey 's -RSB- persistence , these two individuals would be placed in a county-owned site , '' said Wesley Jones , director of the Bakersfield National Cemetery . `` Nobody would have known . ... Nobody would have any concept of who these individuals were . '' Leon Thomas , who served in the U.S. Army in Korea in 1951 and was awarded the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star medal for bravery , helped spread the word about the double funeral . `` The folks at the coroner 's office are patriotic Americans , '' Thomas said . `` We got on the phone and on the Internet and invited our friends . '' News of the funeral even made the local paper . `` I really did n't know there would be this many people to come out , '' Sprayberry said . And come they did , civilians and veterans . An awning built to shade mourners from the hot San Joaquin Valley sun was not big enough to cover everyone . A few brought umbrellas for shade . Many held American flags , some small and some very large and carried on poles . Some brought flowers ; one vet held a few yellow roses ; another left a bouquet of red , white and blue flowers with a simple message printed on a white ribbon : `` Thank you . '' When the honor guard approached with Barrett 's flag-draped casket , civilians put their hands over their hearts . The veterans -- some wearing motorcycle leather and bandanas , some sport shirts and slacks , others donning the suit jackets and pea caps favored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars -- stood at attention and snapped crisp salutes . They saluted again when the honor guard fired three volleys of seven shots and when the lone bugler played taps . As the guard tightly folded the flag that draped Barrett 's casket , a woman in her 20s took cell phone video with one hand and wiped tears with the other . Barrett 's ceremony was brief , not much longer than 10 minutes . Axtell 's ceremony started shortly after , his ashes carried by the honor guard in a small wooden box . It lasted about as long as the first , with the same volley of shots , taps and salutes . The sergeant of the guard gave Barrett 's folded flag to Sprayberry . Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood , who also serves as the county coroner , received Axtell 's flag . In the minutes between services , cemetery director Jones asked the crowd whether there were `` any family representatives here for Mr. Axtell ? '' No one came forward . `` There were 125 , give or take , people here who had no idea who ... Barrett or Axtell were , '' Jones said . `` They did n't know if they were African-American , Hispanic , Caucasian . They did n't even know they were in the Air Force . But they were here . '' `` They 're patriotic Americans , and they showed up , '' Thomas added . `` I knew their names and their rank , and that 's all I knew , '' Sprayberry said . `` And yet , I was here , and I was very proud to be here , and spend a little time saying goodbye . ... Nobody deserves to be laid to rest alone , especially for fighting for their country , and ... they deserve the respect . '' Bakersfield National Cemetery is far different than any county facility where the indigent would be interred . In the arid foothills of California , their upright headstones will stand in a field of decomposed granite instead of grass , joining about 250 others in an orderly formation . The granite is raked daily , giving the new cemetery a Zen garden look amid the rolling hills and century-old oak trees . Axtell and Barrett 's cases should not be unusual , Jones said . `` They 're veterans . And because they are veterans , they 're entitled to be here , and we honor them the very best way we can . '' `` I think we 're going to see more ... people identified as veterans from the ranks of the indigent , '' Thomas said . `` They should be honored in a fitting way , like we honored these two today . '' Between Barrett and Axtell 's services , Youngblood addressed the crowd : `` Because you may be indigent , it does n't make you inconsequential . They served our country , and you 're paying them a great tribute by being here . '' | Two Air Force veterans died in California without any next of kin . Local coroner 's official helped make sure the men got military burials . Without her efforts , they would have been interred in a county-owned facility . Small army of men and women turned out to pay their respects . | [[44, 150], [451, 464], [516, 570], [1139, 1201], [4221, 4240], [4247, 4279], [279, 354]] |
Fort Hood , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thirteen flag-draped coffins left Fort Hood on Friday as authorities searched for a motive in the massacre that left more than 50 casualties at the largest U.S. military base . Thursday 's mass shooting killed 12 soldiers and one civilian and wounded 38 people at the Fort Hood Army Post in Texas . The suspect in the shooting , Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan , a licensed Army psychiatrist , was among the two dozen who remained hospitalized Friday night . Hasan was transported to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio , Texas , and was in critical condition but stable , a spokesman said . Investigators were waiting to speak to the comatose Hasan , who is under heavy guard , said Col. John Rossi , the post 's deputy commander . The bodies of the 13 personnel who died were transported through a `` ramp ceremony '' to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for a dignified transfer , he said . It was a `` truly moving ceremony . '' FBI agents helping investigate the shootings searched Hasan 's apartment on Friday while investigators sifted through the crime scene , Fort Hood 's military processing center , where soldiers report before they go to war . Are you there ? Share your stories , photos and videos . Hasan , who worked at a hospital on the base , is accused of using two handguns in the shooting . Two law enforcement sources told CNN that one of the weapons used is an FN 5.7-millimeter pistol , a semiautomatic purchased legally at Guns Galore , a Killeen gun shop . Details on the other gun , identified only as a type of revolver , were not immediately available . Rossi told reporters late Friday that both guns were privately owned and never registered at the post . Earlier , officials said investigators were looking into whether some soldiers may have been shot accidentally by others trying to shoot the gunman . However , Rossi said , `` All indications are that this is not a friendly fire incident . And , of course , that will be validated when the investigation is complete . '' Rossi attributed the high casualty rate to the `` more than 100 rounds '' fired by the gunman and the relatively small size of the room , among other factors . Fort Hood Police Sgt. Kimberly Munley , who has been credited with shooting Hasan and ending the massacre , was among the wounded . She was in stable condition Friday night , according to her family and military officials . Munley 's partner , Senior Sgt. Mark Todd , was also lauded for `` engaging '' the shooter , Rossi said . Todd , in an interview Friday night with CNN 's Anderson Cooper , described the intense scene as both officers fired shots at the accused gunman . `` He looked like he was calm . He was just pointing a finger at me , '' Todd said . `` The weapon ... I just know I saw the weapon and that 's when we returned fire . '' Todd , a retired member of the military police , offered his condolences to the families of the victims . `` I wish we could 've gotten there sooner and helped out a lot sooner -- but we got there as soon as we possibly could . '' Texas Gov. Rick Perry was scheduled to visit hospitalized victims of the shooting Saturday . As the Fort Hood community grieved its numerous losses , holding a candlelight vigil and setting up support lines , some details about the alleged gunman emerged . Relatives say Hasan , a U.S.-born citizen of Palestinian descent , was a `` calm '' individual who had been taunted after the terrorist attacks of September 11 , 2001 . Others described him as a vocal opponent to the war on terror whose rhetoric concerned colleagues . Fort Hood 's commanding general said witnesses have reported that the gunman yelled `` Allahu Akbar , '' Arabic for `` God is great , '' during the rampage . However , Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said investigators had not confirmed that . Hasan 's neighbors at his Killeen , Texas , apartment complex said he cleaned out his place just hours before the rampage and gave copies of the Quran to several residents . President Obama , in remarks Friday morning , cautioned against `` jumping to conclusions '' about what had triggered `` one of the worst mass shootings ever to take place on an American military base . '' He ordered that flags at the White House and other federal buildings be flown at half staff until Veterans Day , Wednesday of next week . `` This is a modest tribute to those who lost their lives , even as many were preparing to risk their lives for their country , '' the president said . `` It 's also a recognition of the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect our safety and uphold our values . We honor their service , we stand in awe of their sacrifice , and we pray for the safety of those who fight and for the families of those who have fallen . '' Obama said he met with FBI Director Robert Mueller and representatives of other relevant agencies to discuss the investigation . He promised his administration will provide updates . The central question investigators want to answer : Why would a member of the military who had been trusted with helping others achieve a healthier mental state allegedly shoot his comrades ? `` He took care of soldiers with behavioral health problems and also evaluated people who had disability evaluations , '' Braverman told reporters Friday morning . Asked whether Hasan , 39 , had seemed adequately prepared for his job , Braverman responded , `` We had no indication otherwise . '' According to the American Psychiatric Association , Hasan co-chaired a panel at the group 's May convention titled `` Medical Issues for Psychiatrists in Disasters . '' Military records show Hasan received his appointment to the Army as a first lieutenant in June 1997 after graduating from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg , Virginia , with a degree in biochemistry . Six years later , he graduated from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences ' F. Edward Hebert School Of Medicine in Bethesda , Maryland , and was first an intern , then a resident and finally a fellow at Walter Reed Army Medical Center . He was promoted to major in May . Army Lt. Col. Wayne Hall said Hasan was to deploy to Afghanistan to work with a unit already there as part of behavioral health support . It was n't clear when Hasan was scheduled to go overseas for what would have been his first deployment . Since 2001 , Hasan had been telling his family that he wanted to get out of the military but was unsuccessful , said a spokeswoman for his cousin , Nader Hasan . She added that he told his family he had been taunted after the terrorist attacks of September 11 , 2001 . Nader Hasan issued a statement late Thursday on behalf of relatives , saying they were shocked by the shootings . Another family statement on Friday said , `` We are mortified with what has unfolded and there is no justification , whatsoever , for what happened . We are all asking why this happened -- and the answer is that we simply do not know . `` We can not explain , nor do we excuse what happened yesterday . Yesterday 's violence in no way reflects the feelings , beliefs , or principles of our family , '' the statement continued , adding that the family is cooperating with authorities . CNN 's Ted Rowlands and Michael Cary contributed to this report . | NEW : Fort Hood holds candlelight vigil for victims of shooting . Residents of Killeen , Texas , complex say suspect gave them Qurans . Watch a CNN special investigation on the shootings , Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on CNN TV . | [[3230, 3257], [3839, 3872], [3883, 4012]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rapper Kanye West and his business manager must complete 50 hours of community service in exchange for the dismissal of charges stemming from a Los Angeles airport scuffle with paparazzi last year . Kanye West must complete 50 hours of community service by December 23 . West has already attended 12 hours of anger management classes and paid for the camera that was broken during the incident , his lawyer told the judge during a hearing Friday morning . Police arrested West and Don Crawley on September 11 , 2008 , after an altercation with a photographer and a cameraman who were taking their photos , airport police said . West and Crawley were later charged with three misdemeanors counts : vandalism , battery and grand theft . `` There was not a situation where there was a lot of time for either defendant to reflect on what they were doing , '' said Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Mark Zuckman . Zuckman , who presided over Friday 's hearing , said he could take the position that `` a brief impulsive response '' by West and Crawley `` does n't necessarily demonstrate a severe character flaw that needs to be addressed in a criminal case . '' Still , he said , he did not want `` to send a message that ripping the camera from someone 's hand and destroying it -LSB- in -RSB- an act of vandalism is acceptable , no matter what kind of provocation caused them to be angry . There are other remedies . '' Zuckman said if anyone had been injured in the incident , his decision would have been different . West and Crawley have until December 23 to complete 50 hours of community service , Zuckman said . If they do , he will dismissed the charges . If convicted , West could have faced up to two years and six months in jail , while Crawley could have faced up to five years , according to Frank Mateljan , the spokesman for the city attorney . | Rapper and his business manager must finish 50 hours of community service . In exchange , charges will be dismissed in L.A. airport scuffle in 2008 . Kanye West , Don Crawley had altercation with photographer , cameraman . Court official : Incident does n't `` demonstrate a severe character flaw '' | [[0, 171], [243, 314], [1567, 1648], [164, 242], [1679, 1710], [164, 242], [603, 618], [623, 647], [1012, 1156], [1100, 1204]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Brazil has confirmed 557 deaths caused by H1N1 flu , the highest total in the world , the nation 's Health Ministry says . A vaccine against H1N1 is being tested but is not expected to be available until at least mid-October . The United States has counted 522 fatalities through Thursday , and nearly 1,800 people had died worldwide through August 13 , U.S. and global health officials said . In terms of mortality rate , which considers flu deaths in terms of a nation 's population , Brazil ranks seventh , and the United States is 13th , the Brazilian Ministry of Health said in a news release Wednesday . Argentina , which has reported 386 deaths attributed to H1N1 as of August 13 , ranks first per capita , the Brazilian health officials said , and Mexico , where the flu outbreak was discovered in April , ranks 14th per capita . Brazil , Argentina , Chile , Mexico and the United States have the most total cases globally , according to the World Health Organization . The Brazilian Ministry of Health said there have been 6,100 cases of flu in the nation , with 5,206 cases -LRB- 85.3 percent -RRB- confirmed as H1N1 , also known as swine flu . The state of Sao Paulo had 223 deaths through Wednesday , the largest number in the country . In addition , 480 pregnant women have been confirmed with H1N1 , of whom 58 died . Swine flu has been shown to hit young people and pregnant women particularly hard . Many schools in Sao Paulo have delayed the start of the second semester for a couple of weeks , and students will have to attend classes on weekends to catch up . Schools also have suspended extracurricular activities such as soccer , volleyball and chess to try to curtail spread of the disease . Flu traditionally has its peak during the winter months , and South America , where it is winter , has had a large number of cases recently . The World Health Organization said this week that the United States and other heavily populated Northern Hemisphere countries need to brace for a second wave of H1N1 as their winter approaches . Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other U.S. health agencies have been preparing and said this week that up to half of the nation 's population may contract the disease and 90,000 could die from it . Seasonal flu typically kills about 64,000 Americans each year . A vaccine against H1N1 is being tested but is not expected to be available until at least mid-October and will probably require two shots at least one week apart , health officials have said . Since it typically takes a couple of weeks for a person 's immunity to build up after the vaccine , most Americans would not be protected until sometime in November . The World Health Organization in June declared a Level 6 worldwide pandemic , the organization 's highest classification . | Nearly 1,800 people died worldwide of H1N1 through August 13 . Brazil , Argentina , Chile , Mexico and U.S. have most total cases globally . U.S. health officials said that up to 90,000 could die from new strain . Seasonal flu typically kills about 64,000 Americans each year . | [[310, 370], [660, 705], [857, 949], [857, 914], [952, 996], [2070, 2160], [2185, 2299], [2528, 2556], [2300, 2363]] |
Atlanta , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The FBI is asking for public assistance in finding a serial bank robber dubbed the `` Granddad Bandit , '' who is believed to have struck in at least seven states . The man , thought by authorities to be between 50 and 60 years old , is suspected in a string of nine bank robberies beginning in April in Houston , Texas , the FBI 's Atlanta Field Office said in a news release . Since then , police believe he has robbed two banks in Atlanta and single banks in Roanoke , Virginia ; Little Rock , Arkansas ; Dallas , Texas ; Birmingham , Alabama ; Syracuse , New York ; and Tallahassee , Florida , the last bank robbery , which occurred on October 16 . `` His robberies are described as being calm , with a deliberate attempt to not attract attention to himself , '' the FBI said . `` The robber quietly presents a demand note to the victim teller and thereafter departs the bank without disruption to normal banking business going on around him . '' The man is described as being between 6 feet and 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing between 220 and 250 pounds . He is described as stocky and bald , with short gray hair on the sides , and wears glasses . A $ 10,000 reward is being offered by law enforcement . To offer information in the case , contact the Atlanta FBI . In September , a man sought in at least 10 bank robberies in at least four states was arrested in Missouri . The FBI posted photos from the bank robberies on billboards , leading to the man identified as Chad Schaffner . A retired state trooper saw Schaffner in Kingdom City , Missouri , and notified authorities . Schaffner is suspected of robbing banks in states including Kentucky , North Carolina , South Carolina and Tennessee , authorities said . | Last bank robbery occurred October 16 in Tallahassee , Florida . FBI : `` His robberies are described as being calm , with a deliberate attempt to not attract attention '' He is described as stocky and bald , with short gray hair on the sides , and wears glasses . | [[635, 656], [665, 689], [690, 734], [742, 798], [1100, 1134], [1100, 1102], [1177, 1192]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Britain says it has suspended the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands and imposed direct rule after allegations of systemic corruption and `` serious dishonesty '' . Former Turks and Caicos Islands Premier Michael Misick , shown here with his wife , LisaRaye , could be investigated . British Foreign Office Minister Chris Bryant said he instructed the British governor of the island territory to suspend the ministerial government and the House of Assembly for as long as two years . Bryant said his order also suspends the constitutional right to trial by jury in the Turks and Caicos . `` This is a serious constitutional step which the UK government has not taken lightly , but these measures are essential in order to restore good governance and sound financial management , '' Bryant said in a statement . `` It remains our intentions that elections should be held by July 2011 , if not sooner . It is also important that the people of Turks and Caicos Islands continue to have a voice in the interim and the order puts in place an advisory council and consultative forum to make sure this happens . '' The move follows allegations of corruption in the Turks and Caicos , a British Overseas Territory of eight major islands and numerous uninhabited keys , 800 kilometers -LRB- 500 miles -RRB- southeast of Miami , Florida . The British government set up a commission of inquiry in July 2008 to look into possible corruption or other serious dishonesty in recent years of past and present elected members of the legislature . The commission 's report , delivered May 31 , found `` information in abundance pointing to a high probability of systemic corruption and/or serious dishonesty '' in the Turks and Caicos , the Foreign Office said . `` This , together with clear signs of political amorality and immaturity and of general administrative incompetence , demonstrated a need for urgent suspension in whole or in part of the constitution and for other legislative and administrative reforms , '' the Foreign Office said . The report also recommends criminal investigations into former Premier Michael Misick and four of his former Cabinet ministers . `` This is not a ` British takeover , ' '' said Gordon Wetherell , governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands . `` Public services will continue to be run by people of the Turks and Caicos Islands , as indeed they should be . But I hope we can now begin to run them better . '' Queen Elizabeth is the head of state of the British territory , and the governor is her official representative . The governor is responsible for defense ; external affairs ; internal security , including the islands ' police force ; and the appointment of some public officials , but he is normally required to act on the advice of the Cabinet . The islands ' ministerial system includes the premier and six other ministers who must act according to Cabinet policies . | Britain says it has suspended the government of the Turks and Caicos . Move follows allegations of systemic corruption and `` serious dishonesty '' Turks and Caicos is a British Overseas Territory of eight major islands . | [[19, 186], [19, 186], [0, 5], [19, 26], [100, 191], [1135, 1201], [1356, 1483], [1356, 1378], [1423, 1519], [1557, 1581], [1603, 1743]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In death as in life , Michael Jackson continues to light up the Internet . Millions worldwide watched online coverage of Michael Jackson 's funeral service in Los Angeles . Millions of people around the world watched coverage of Jackson 's memorial service on the Web , although the event appeared to fall well short of online viewership records . Global Web traffic was at least 19 percent above normal , and as high as 33 percent above normal , during most of the star-studded memorial at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles , California , according to Akamai Technologies , a Massachusetts-based firm that monitors Internet traffic . CNN.com reported 9.7 million live video streams Tuesday between 12 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET -- which included the entire memorial service -- according to CNN spokeswoman Jennifer Martin . The news site 's all-time viewership record for a full day , almost 27 million video streams , was set on President Obama 's inauguration day in January . During that period Tuesday , CNN.com also attracted 81 million page views , 11.8 unique visitors and a peak of 781,000 concurrent live video streams , according to internal data . Jackson 's startling June 25 death nearly brought the Web to a standstill , with several sites buckling under the sheer weight of traffic . The Internet appeared to fare better during Tuesday 's memorial service , however . `` So far we are seeing some slowdowns ... -LSB- but -RSB- overall the Internet is performing OK , '' said Dan Berkowitz , spokesman for Keynote Systems , a mobile and Internet monitoring firm based in San Mateo , California , midway through the Staples Center event . Keynote monitors the 40 most popular news Web sites from major cities around the United States . CNN.com partnered with Facebook , the social-networking site , to let friends and family share commentary while watching Jackson 's memorial service live online . As of 1:30 p.m. ET , shortly before the memorial service began , the partnership was yielding about 6,000 status updates per minute , said a Facebook spokeswoman . CNN.com and Facebook entered into a similar collaboration during Obama 's inauguration , although Facebook saw twice as many status updates during that event . With many North Americans at work during Jackson 's memorial service , online traffic had been expected to reach near-record levels . `` This event will almost certainly shatter records for the biggest single live stream ever , and could be one of the biggest worldwide media events in history , '' wrote blogger Ben Parr on Mashable , the social media news site . Other Web sites , including CBSNews.com , ABCNews.com , FoxNews.com and Hulu.com , also hosted live streaming coverage of the service . The 10 most popular topics on Twitter Tuesday afternoon were all connected to Jackson 's memorial . Google Trends rated the Jackson memorial 's online popularity as `` volcanic , '' while on Web-traffic monitoring site Alexa , most of its hottest stories Tuesday were Jackson-related . But early numbers suggested that Internet traffic Tuesday may have lagged behind other recent news events . Akamai recorded a peak of 3.9 million global Internet visitors per minute shortly after noon ET -- less than half the number of users who went online the evening of November 4 , 2008 , to follow presidential election returns . `` It may be impossible to say for sure how many people watched once all is said and done , because there 's still no comprehensive way to measure Web viewing , '' said Toni Fitzgerald , managing editor of Media Life , in an e-mail interview with CNN . Long before the memorial service began about 1:40 p.m. ET , many Web sites braced themselves for an onslaught of traffic . During the sign-up period for the memorial ticket lottery , the Staples Center Web site took down all non-essential materials to ensure that it coped . Jackson family spokesman Ken Sunshine said the computer servers hosting the registration site counted 500 million `` hits '' -- 120,000 a second -- in the first 90 minutes on Friday . About 17,500 fans were randomly selected to watch the memorial live at the Staples Center -- only a small fraction of the 1.6 million fans who applied for tickets . Watch panelists discuss Jackson 's legacy '' CNN 's Stephanie Busari and Linnie Rawlinson contributed to this story . | NEW : Web viewership of Michael Jackson 's memorial fell short of online records . NEW : Global Web traffic was at least 19 percent above normal during service . NEW : Views of live video on CNN.com trailed President Obama 's inauguration . Web sites braced themselves Tuesday for heavy traffic . | [[298, 366], [2328, 2390], [367, 422], [298, 366], [2328, 2390], [3692, 3754]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The first child in Britain known to have been screened as an embryo to ensure she did not carry a cancer gene was born Friday , a spokesman for University College London told CNN . Genetic screening allows lab-fertilized embryos to be tested for genes likely to lead to later health problems . Her embryo was screened in a lab days after conception to check for the BRCA-1 gene , linked to breast and ovarian cancer . People with the gene are known to have a 50-80 percent chance of developing breast or ovarian cancer in their lifetimes . British newspapers have dubbed the girl the `` cancer-free '' baby . `` This little girl will not face the specter of developing this genetic form of breast cancer or ovarian cancer in her adult life , '' said Paul Serhal , a consultant at University College London Hospital and Medical Director of the Assisted Conception Unit . `` The parents will have been spared the risk of inflicting this disease on their daughter . The lasting legacy is the eradication of the transmission of this form of cancer that has blighted these families for generations . '' Yet not everyone is thrilled with the idea of testing embryos for genes that could cause health problems later in life , a process known as preimplanatation genetic diagnosis . `` This is not a cure for breast cancer , '' said Josephine Quintavalle , co-founder of Comment on Reproductive Ethics , which describes itself as group that focuses on ethical dilemmas related to reproduction . What do you think about testing embryos for gene defects ? `` This is simply a mechanism for eliminating the birth of anybody -LRB- prone to -RRB- the disease , '' she said . `` It is basically a search-and-kill mechanism . '' She opposes the procedure because embryos found to carry disease-causing genes often are discarded . She says that is essentially murder . `` They will be destroyed , '' she said . `` They will never be allowed to live . '' Doctors in Britain and elsewhere increasingly test embryos for genes that are certain to cause illnesses such as cystic fibrosis or Huntington 's Disease . What 's different about the girl born Friday is that she is the first infant known to have been tested in Britain as an embryo for a gene that is merely likely -- not certain -- to cause disease . In the United States , geneticists are free to test for any condition for which they can develop a probe -- and they 're free to look for genes that are certain to cause diseases as well as genes that merely may pose problems later in life . Quintavalle opposes any form of in-vitro fertilization where embryos are `` killed , '' she said . But she is particularly troubled by the idea of screening an embryo for the BRCA-1 gene because carriers of the gene do not always develop the disease , and the disease is not always fatal . `` The message we are sending is : ` Better off dead than carrying -LRB- a gene linked to -RRB- breast cancer , ' '' she said . `` We have gone very much down the proverbial slippery slope . '' Peter Braude , one of the top British experts on the genetic testing of embryos , said he understands the ethical objections but focuses on the benefits . `` There has always been a vociferous group in opposition , '' he said . But `` there are people who can benefit and I think they should be allowed to do so . '' In fact , he argues that the procedure actually prevents abortions because it takes place on a three-day old embryo in a lab . Only embryos that lack the defective gene are implanted . `` I do n't think you can equate eight cells in a dish to an embryo or a child , '' said Braude , head of the department of women 's health at the King 's College London School of Medicine . For many couples , the alternative to testing an embryo is to conceive a child naturally and test the fetus weeks or months into a pregnancy . Some couples opt for an abortion when such testing reveals a defect . Diagnosing an embryo genetically typically involves fertilizing an egg with a sperm in a lab , testing the resulting embryo and implanting it in the mother if no defects are found . Braude agrees that testing for diseases that may not be fatal -- or may not manifest themselves for decades -- raises thorny ethical questions . `` How serious does it have to be before you throw away an embryo ? '' he asked . `` Are you prepared to throw away a 16-week embryo for Huntington 's , which will not manifest until age 40 ? '' In Britain , the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority determines the conditions for which geneticists can test . It has approved testing for more than 60 conditions since it was established in 1990 . The authority approved testing for the BRCA-1 gene in 2008 . Dr. Mark Hughes , who founded a genetics clinic in the United States , said he likes the idea of an authority that regulates what tests can be performed -- the system in place in Britain -- but believes that parents who want to test for genetic abnormalities should be allowed to do so . At his Genesis Genetics Institute in Detroit , Michigan , Hughes carries out about two tests a month for BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 , a related gene . `` The couple is the best one to be making these decisions , because they live with these diseases , '' he said . `` When it hits your family over and over again , many couples are saying : ` Enough of this . Let 's prune this out of our family tree forever . ' '' He rejects the notion that parents will use genetic testing to remove all imperfections from children . `` You can get up on your high horse and say people are looking for perfect children , but let 's give these families more credit , '' he said . `` They just want one that has a fighting chance of not having a disease . '' Hughes said he doubts genetic screening will ever be used to test all babies . That 's partly because it costs the equivalent of about $ 11,755 -- 8,000 British pounds -- to screen embryos . It 's also because the process is very complex . `` It 's gotten easier to do now than it was 19 years ago , '' when Hughes did his first test for cystic fibrosis , he said . `` But it has not exploded , not burst onto the medical field like some technologies do . `` No one would use these technologies for a trivial reason . It 's too much effort , '' he said . `` Not just the money -- it 's so many hoops to jump through for a couple that would prefer to make their baby on vacation rather than in a clinic . '' | `` Cancer-free baby '' born ; baby girl is first in UK to be screened for cancer gene . Embryo was screened to check she did n't carry gene linked to breast , ovarian cancer . Ethicists criticize screening for genes that could cause later health problems . Doctors say cost of screening makes it unlikely all embryos will ever be tested . | [[576, 644], [2187, 2267], [9, 32], [69, 103], [94, 145], [217, 329], [330, 413], [398, 413], [416, 453], [217, 329], [282, 287], [295, 329], [2514, 2568], [5771, 5849], [5783, 5849]] |
Fort Hood , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The sound of taps echoed across the Texas plains Tuesday after President Obama pledged that the work of those killed in last week 's Fort Hood massacre will go on despite their `` incomprehensible '' slayings . Speaking to an estimated 15,000 people at a memorial service at the post , Obama vowed that justice will be done in the attack that left 13 dead and 42 wounded . Though he told the families that `` no words can fill the void that has been left , '' he added , `` your loved ones endure through the life of our nation . '' `` Their life 's work is our security and the freedom that we too often take for granted . Every evening that the sun sets on a tranquil town ; every dawn that a flag is unfurled ; every moment that an American enjoys life , liberty and the pursuit of happiness -- that is their legacy , '' the president said . After his remarks , Obama and first lady Michelle Obama laid a presidential coin before each of the 13 battlefield crosses -- the helmet , boots and rifle representing each of those killed -- before family members and comrades filed past . Fort Hood Army Post has seen 545 soldiers killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan , said Lt. Gen. Robert Cone , the post 's commander , `` but never did we expect to pay such a high price at home . '' Gen. George Casey , the Army 's chief of staff , added , `` Grieve with us . Do n't grieve for us . '' `` Those who have fallen did so in the service of their country , '' he said . `` They freely answered the call to serve , and they gave their lives for something that they loved and believed in . '' Obama called the wartime killings of American troops on their home soil `` incomprehensible . '' But he said the values the dead volunteered to defend will live on and will be extended even to the man accused of carrying to the slayings . The suspected gunman in the attack is a 39-year-old Army psychiatrist , Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan , who remained in intensive care at an Army hospital in San Antonio , Texas . Hasan , an American-born Muslim of Palestinian descent , was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan but had told his family that he wanted to get out of the military . `` No faith justifies these murderous and craven acts , '' Obama said at the memorial service . But he said soldiers who responded to the attack `` remind us of who we are as Americans . '' `` We are a nation of laws whose commitment to justice is so enduring that we would treat a gunman and give him due process , just as surely as we will see that he pays for his crimes , '' he said . No charges have been filed , and authorities have not identified a motive in Thursday 's attack . But in a statement issued Monday night , the FBI said its investigation `` indicates that the alleged gunman acted alone and was not part of a broader terrorist plot . '' Thursday 's victims included 12 soldiers and a retired soldier working as a civilian physician 's assistant . Shortly before the ceremony and 1,200 miles away , the remains of one of the soldiers was carried off a chartered jet in Milwaukee , Wisconsin . An honor guard met the casket of Sgt. Amy Krueger on the apron at General Mitchell International Airport . Krueger , 29 , was a high school athlete who joined the military after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington . She was assigned to a medical unit that was doing checkups on soldiers bound for Afghanistan and Iraq when the shooting erupted . Defense Secretary Robert Gates , Texas Gov. Rick Perry and more than a dozen members of Congress were among who attended the service on the warm Texas afternoon . CNN correspondent Jill Dougherty contributed to this report . | `` Grieve with us . Do n't grieve for us , '' Army chief of staff says . Fact that soldiers died on base `` makes the tragedy even more painful , '' Obama says . Troops , military brass , Congress members , Texas governor also attend memorial . Remains of one victim greeted by honor guard on return to Wisconsin . | [[1326, 1343], [1375, 1380], [1384, 1402], [1383, 1402], [1403, 1425], [3480, 3591], [3118, 3155]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Portugal have confirmed that captain Cristiano Ronaldo will not be fit for the World Cup playoffs against Bosnia-Herzegovina , thus ending a growing club-versus-country row . The Portuguese Football Federation had insisted that the world 's most expensive player travel home to be assessed , despite his Spanish club Real Madrid insisting that he could not play due to his ongoing ankle problems . Coach Carlos Queiroz had selected the forward in his squad for Saturday 's match in Lisbon and the return leg in Zenica four days later despite the objections of the Spanish club . Real at first refused to release the 24-year-old , having sent him to see Dutch specialist Niek van Dijk , but relented on Tuesday to allow the Portuguese medics to make their own verdict . `` After clinical evaluation and imaging , it was concluded that the player is not physically able to integrate the preparation stage of the national team for these games , '' read a statement on the Portuguese FF 's Web site on Tuesday night . `` The Portuguese Football Federation wish the player a good and quick recovery . '' Ronaldo has been sidelined since October 10 , when he aggravated an ankle problem playing for Portugal in a qualifier that he had suffered on club duty the previous month . Real do not expect him to be fit for at least another two weeks , but Portugal had hoped he could help them qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa . Queiroz defended his decision to make Ronaldo travel home to be assessed . `` Based on the rules and principles governing clubs and associations , we have put Cristiano in the squad , '' he said . `` I was coach of Real . The club deserves respect . I know the medical team , president and CE , . I have every respect for that club . This fact can not compel me to put any club below or above the others . All clubs and players deserve equal treatment . '' | Real Madrid 's injured star forward Cristiano Ronaldo will not be fit for World Cup playoffs . The 24-year-old was named in Portugal squad for matches against Bosnia-Herzegovina . Coach Carlos Queiroz selected him despite Real 's objections due to his ankle problems . Real let Ronaldo travel to Portugal for tests , where it was confirmed that he could not play . | [[19, 193], [417, 507], [194, 416], [319, 416], [417, 507], [19, 193], [194, 416], [247, 308], [1455, 1529], [1493, 1529]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The aging veterans gingerly walk from the plane in the nation 's capital . Some get pushed in wheelchairs . A brass band strikes up World War II era tunes . Strangers rise to their feet and clap their hands . `` Why are they doing this ? '' says Frank Bales , 86 , a co-pilot on a B-24 during World War II . `` I feel as humbled as a mouse . '' Walter Victor was overwhelmed as he made his way through the crowd . `` The chills came over me . Very seldom do you see something like that , '' says the 92-year-old army veteran . These World War II veterans have traveled here to visit the National World War II Memorial , which honors the 16 million U.S. armed forces who served and the more than 400,000 who died in battle . The vets made the trip thanks to a former employee at the Department of Veterans Affairs . A physician 's assistant at the VA in Springfield , Ohio , Earl Morse was struck by the WWII vets he treated and how few made the journey to see the memorial that honors them . `` They dedicated the WWII memorial in May of 2004 , 60 years after the war had ended . That was a cause of celebration in my clinic . All of the veterans wanted to see it but they were in poor health or did n't have the means to visit it . '' `` Reality set in , '' Morse says , `` they were never going to see their memorial . '' Morse was determined to change that , because he so admired the quiet grit and heroism of the unassuming men he treated every day . He took his cause to a local air club . `` I stood before 150 pilots and told them I was going to start flying WWII veterans to Washington . I said if you want to help me , the WWII veteran does n't pay a penny . You 'll have to rent an airplane and cover all the travel costs . '' `` Honor Flight '' took to the skies in May of 2005 . Six planes flew 12 veterans . The next month , eight planes flew 16 veterans . Today , it operates like a volunteer airline , with 86 hubs in 33 states . Instead of renting small planes , they charter Boeing jets , thanks to donations that keep the planes in the sky . So far , more than 30,000 veterans have experienced a visit to the memorial , courtesy of Honor Flight . `` Witnessing their emotions is what fuels our cause . When you see WWII veterans break down in tears because they had no idea how much this nation reveres , cherishes and loves them for what they 've done , it really overwhelms them , '' Morse says . In the days and weeks before each Honor Flight , an army of ground volunteers coordinates every detail of each trip -- from the buses that pick them up to the meals they eat . Shortly after Bales and his group arrived in Washington this day , they were taken by bus to the memorial . Many said they were stunned by its size and scope . Inscriptions carved in granite recognize specific battles that were fought in Europe and across the Pacific . A wall of stars marks the high price of freedom . They paused to remember the 448,000 who died in the war -- and their fellow survivors who did n't live to see this moment . `` Each of those stars represents 100 men and women who died in WWII , and I realized that my division has almost 39 stars on that wall , '' said Tom Rone , 85 , who stormed the bullet-ridden beaches on Guadalcanal as a platoon sergeant with the Marines . Morse says the trip often provides closure for the vets who visit . Many veterans open up at the memorial and speak in detail for the first time about what they went through . `` I 've had exchanges with veterans that are jaw dropping , '' Morse says . `` You ca n't fathom what it 's like to have experienced what they went through fighting for their lives . '' The same `` Honor Flight '' that transported the veterans to Washington returns them back home , landing just 12 hours after it took off . The elderly warriors seem renewed rather than exhausted by their whirlwind trip . `` I will never forget this , '' say 86-year-old Marcus Lee Long , who served in the Pacific on the USS Ellet . `` Everybody is so happy and treating us so nice . '' Allen Pittard , 88 , added , `` I feel so fortunate to be here . So many did n't make it . '' For Morse , the founder of Honor Flight , the end of each flight is a bittersweet experience . His mission continues with an air of urgency , because less than 10 percent of the Americans who served in World War II are still alive . An estimated 1,200 WWII veterans die every day . `` In another five to seven years , our efforts will be a moot point because they will be gone or too infirm to participate in a mission like this , '' he says . | Program called Honor Flight takes WWII vets to see memorial in Washington . Honor Flight has taken 30,000 vets to D.C. since it began in 2005 . `` I 've had exchanges with veterans that are jaw dropping , '' founder says . WW II vet on the trip : `` I feel as humbled as a mouse '' | [[557, 647], [971, 1021], [3699, 3714], [3720, 3758], [1768, 1821], [2100, 2166], [3699, 3714], [3720, 3758], [3506, 3536], [3528, 3536], [3542, 3558], [3528, 3536], [3546, 3558], [3561, 3569], [341, 371], [4342, 4355], [4360, 4382]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- October has been the deadliest month for the US and NATO militaries fighting in Afghanistan as well as UN workers trying to organize an election runoff . Surely the surge in deaths serves to underscore why Afghanistan matters . For all the debate happening away from the battlefield , here are a couple of important bottom-line questions : . Is the world prepared to see the Taliban and their opportunistic allies al Qaeda return to power in Afghanistan ? Are people prepared for the terrorists ' dream - photo-op of Mullah Omar and Osama Bin Laden sitting smiling together in Kabul ? And here 's what 's at stake : . The West fortunately has been free of terrorist attacks on its major cities in the last few years , but it was not so long ago that the London Tube bombings ; mass murder in Madrid ; mayhem in Mumbai in 2008 ; the murders of Benazir Bhutto and Daniel Pearl ; the Bali bombing ; the shoe bomber and , of course , 9/11 and the attacks on the World Trade Center changed our world and our way of life . Together , those events created pervasive fear and anxiety , not to mention a change in our lifestyle caused by security measures in airports , trains , banking transactions and office buildings . What all of these events have in common is that the perpetrators all came from , visited , were financed by , or were led by terrorist organizations operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan , especially the ungovernable territories on those countries ' border . The Bush administration , in the view of some , may have gone too far in responding to these events by creating an all-encompassing `` war on terrorism . '' However , for the eight long years America and NATO countries have been at war in Afghanistan , this war , uniquely in modern history , is still supported by all the world 's major powers , the neighbors of Afghanistan , and mostly by the people of Afghanistan , who dread both insecurity and a return to the brutal horrors of the Taliban . If the threat of new terrorist attacks is not enough , what about the threat of a nuclear catastrophe ? Look at Pakistan this week . Horrific bombings in the frontier town of Peshawar and elsewhere have also killed scroes of people , just as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives to firm up security and development co-operation with that country . While foreign policy and intelligence experts continue to worry that terrorism , Islamic extremism , the continued threat of renewed war between Pakistan and India , plus the presence of nuclear weapons in the arsenals of both countries , could prove a combustible mix in the not-too-distant future . This is not scare-mongering ; it 's simply the reality that what happens in South Asia could affect all of our lives . That 's why all of us must be concerned by the outcome of the war that is being fought today in mountains of the tribal areas in Pakistan and the plains of Afghanistan . Many of the soldiers and officers I speak to in Afghanistan say the best way to beat back the threat of Taliban insurgents is with boots on the ground and additional military resources , as well as a proper development assistance for the Afghan civilians . The Afghan people need protecting and enabling . I have been reporting from Afghanistan since 1996 and the one thing I 've noticed over the years is that every Afghan asks foremost for security . Then next on the list is development to help them earn a decent living and raise their families . They also want a decent government . They know this will take years of patience and effort . They know it will be a hard slog . After all , they have been at war for 30 years now , during which the traditional , honor-bound society they had for decades has all but vanished . Though it is true that fierce tribal traditions mean some Afghans distrust even the tribe next door , not to mention foreign troops , over and again , Afghan men , women and children have told me they do not see the U.S. and NATO forces as occupiers , rather as armies from countries who came to help them ... but who have fallen short of their promises . This fear and disenchantment is what the Taliban feeds on today . They want the U.S. and NATO out , they try to convince the people those outsiders are occupiers bent on harming them . And yet , if you look at the current trends and the latest polls in Afghanistan , despite massive governmental corruption , abuse and dysfunction , the majority of the people want nothing to do with the Taliban . Polls show only a tiny minority support them . And that is mostly because they are desperate for security and safety , something the West has failed to follow through on after roundly defeating the Taliban and al Qaeda in seven weeks after 9/11 . And across the border in Pakistan surveys show Osama Bin Laden has lost his luster among Muslim youth . Support for Islamic extremists is dropping . The Pakistani government is finally fighting back against the extremists who threaten the future of this mostly moderate Muslim country . Under pressure , the militants are lashing out in parts of the country . See Christiane Amanpour 's special report on `` Generation Islam '' Unfortunately , at this crucial moment , people in America and Europe are tiring of their governments ' support for the war in Afghanistan and the battles in remote parts of Pakistan . The agonized debate over strategy in Washington hides the sad fact that since sending the Taliban and al Qaeda packing , shortsighted U.S. vision snatched defeat from the jaws of victory . The Bush administration mostly ignored Afghanistan while diverting its attention and resources to Iraq . Now that the U.S. is finally refocusing on the war in Afghanistan it 's an opportunity to look at what is at stake : the urgency of finishing the job in Afghanistan pitted against the real war-weariness of western voters . This is the dilemma of the modern world where the latest of life 's challenges such as the financial crisis , unemployment , new flu pandemics , health care , and the housing market dominate daily life . Getting the job done in Afghanistan will take years in time and resources . It will require faith and patience . The mass media is not the best place to reflect that . It does not usually focus on the hard slog , instead it is constantly in search of the new and the now . But the next time there is a major terrorist attack , in all likelihood it will have been generated by an organization somewhere near the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan . Again , people will ask : Why were n't our leaders and the media there to warn us of the dangers ? As a member of the media I believe that 's our job : to report the facts . | Amanpour : Is the world prepared to see the Taliban return to power ? They 'll bring their allies , al Qaeda , with them , she says . Majority of Afghans want nothing to do with the Taliban , she says . But they feel NATO , U.S. troops have fallen short of their promises , she says . | [[4455, 4519], [4076, 4121], [4637, 4738]] |
It 's a disease that affects millions of women in Africa , yet talking about it has been considered a taboo , and that silence has been deadly . Nigeria 's Princess Nikky Onyeri has dedicated her life to speaking out to raise awareness about breast cancer in Africa . Princess Nikky Onyeri is not a member of a royal family , `` Princess '' is a given name , but for many of Nigeria 's cancer survivors she is their princess . It 's a passionate cause that defines her life . Based in Abuja , Nigeria , Onyeri has lobbied the Government to do more to help women with cancer . The impetus behind her drive and persistence is a wrong diagnosis of cancer 15 years ago . | Health advocate from Nigeria campaigns for better awareness of breast cancer . Lobbies Nigerian Government to do more for women with cancer . Was misdiagnosed with cancer 15 years ago ; issue still a taboo in Africa . | [[145, 267], [192, 267], [145, 152], [217, 267], [503, 575], [0, 107], [576, 666]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Top flight golf is a high-stakes , high-stress sport -- but it 's not just the pros who are feeling the strain . Stress can affect golfers of all abilities . Swede Robert Karlsson returned from a four-month layoff recently with an eye condition that 's thought to be stress-related , while England 's Ian Poulter defended his decision not to play in the Vivendi Trophy by saying that he wanted to avoid fatigue -- mental as well as physical . While professional sport is bound to have its pressures , recreational golf is usually regarded as a way to unwind and relieve stress . But it seems that weekend players are having to deal with anxieties of their own . Victor Thompson , a London-based sports psychologist , told CNN that golf is a much more psychological sport than most . `` It can be particularly stressful because , unlike team sports , you very much have the spotlight on you while you 're playing , '' he said . `` You 've got a lot of time between your shots for you to think , time for other people to watch you and time for you to think about what people will think of you if you do n't play well . '' That does n't just apply when there 's an audience of millions watching on TV -- it 's just as true when you 're playing at your local municipal course with your friends . `` It can actually be tougher playing against your mates and people you know because they can ridicule you or laugh at you , or you might worry about disappointing them if you 're playing on their team , '' said Thompson . That would appear to be borne out by a 2004 study on the moods of older recreational golfers . The subjects reported being no happier or calmer after playing golf -- in fact , they reported feeling more angry and depressed . One of the researchers , Haydn Jarrett , senior lecturer in sport and exercise science at the University of Worcester , told CNN that the study also showed that golfers reported feeling more fatigued and less vigorous after playing golf , as most players walked an average 10.2 km during a game . Jarrett 's study was carried out on `` senior '' golfers , with an average age of 68 , but he said the findings on mood change tied in with other studies carried out on younger recreational golfers . `` Golf does appear to be stressful for recreational players , '' he told CNN . `` If we wanted golfers to enjoy it more fully it might be nice to engage with golfers and bring potential negative moods to their attention . '' While those negative feelings probably do n't last for long , they can have disastrous effects on your golf . Thompson says negative thoughts on the golf course can make you tense and frustrated , giving you an adrenaline rush that can affect your swing and timing . As you start dropping shots you can overanalyze your game , which just make things worse . The secret of dealing with golf stress is to get on top of your thoughts , says Thompson . Rather than thinking in terms of how badly you 're playing or what other people will think of you , you need to realize that your emotions are getting the better of you and that anxiety is the problem , not your technique . So with all that stress , could playing golf actually be bad for you ? `` If you 're beating yourself up emotionally and getting angry that 's not very good for your health , '' said Thompson . `` But it 's all a matter of attitude . Somebody might go out and enjoy it , see it as a chance to get away from work , have a nice stroll and catch up with their mates . '' And Jarrett has encouraging news when it comes to golf and health . He has carried out unpublished work showing that a round of golf can give a significant reduction in blood pressure . `` My gut feeling is that golf is incredibly positive for health , '' he told CNN . `` The positives of the distance walked , the heart-rate increase and the blood-pressure suppression will outweigh any negative mood states . But it might be that we need to recognize that mood profiles can go down and mediate against that . '' | Golf is especially stressful , says sports psychologist Victor Thompson . Thompson says that it can be even tougher playing with your friends . Study shows recreational golfers feel more angry and depressed after playing . Stress may be bad for you , but golf can still be good for your health . | [[698, 713], [718, 724], [725, 750], [698, 713], [753, 818], [1328, 1395], [1551, 1635], [1551, 1555], [1569, 1645], [1727, 1775], [3540, 3607], [3578, 3607], [3752, 3790]] |
-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- Protecting drivers and passengers from injury has been a high priority for car makers for the last 40 years or more . A truck driver tests an anti-collison system . The red light goes on if the car in front of him is too close . Not just because it 's the right thing to do , but also because having a reputation for building safe vehicles helps automakers sell more cars . But in recent years , high-tech advancements have come along at such a fast and furious rate that auto-safety systems have entered a whole new universe . For most of the history of auto manufacturing , car makers ' efforts in the area of safety have been devoted to developing `` passive '' safety features -- seat belts , air bags , building a stronger frame for the cabin , side-impact door beams , etc. . All those things help you stay safe once you are involved in an accident . But just as advanced technology has changed almost every other industry , so too has it changed the automotive industry , leading to the design of more `` active '' safety features . AOL Autos : Safest cars . It started with now-common features like anti-lock brakes -LRB- ABS -RRB- and electronic stability control systems -LRB- ESC -RRB- . But in recent years , engineers have taken safety technology to a new level . And these days , they spend more time and money researching and developing `` crash avoidance '' features and technologies . These computerized systems , instead of protecting you if a crash occurs , help you avoid accidents in the first place . Some of these systems are already in vehicles on the road today , while others are coming down the pipeline in the next few years . Mercedes uses radar , rear-view monitor . Given that it 's a higher-priced luxury brand , it figures that Mercedes-Benz is one of the leaders when it comes to these kinds of high-tech crash-avoidance systems . Finely-tuned anti-lock brake and electronic-stability-control systems are standard equipment in all Mercedes cars . AOL Autos : Best and worst hybrids . `` And presently , a number of our vehicles offer Distronic Plus , a crash-avoidance system that employs dual-band radar that measures the distance between you and the vehicle ahead of you , '' said Patrik Borenius , Mercedes ' manager of advanced product planning . `` If that distance closes too rapidly , indicating that a crash might be imminent , it emits first an audible signal , then a visual warning , and the system can actually start to apply the brakes to a certain threshold . `` Or , if you start to apply the brakes yourself , but not quickly enough to help you avoid impact , our Brake Assist system applies even more braking power . '' AOL Autos : Most popular fuel-efficient cars . `` We also have a Blind Spot Monitor that uses radar to examine the area just to the rear and to the left of your vehicle , '' added Bart Herring , product manager for Mercedes ' S-Class and CL-Class . `` So when another vehicle , or any object , enters into that blind spot , a red indicator light in your side view mirror lights up . And if you start to change lanes while that other car is in your blind spot that also triggers an audio alert to warn you . '' Plus , Mercedes ' Rear View Monitor `` views '' anything that is directly behind the vehicle as it is backing up , and then projects that image onto the navigation-system screen . This feature helps avoid accidents in situations where the vehicle is going in reverse and the driver 's view of oncoming traffic is impaired -- like in parking structures , or when backing out of a driveway on a heavily-trafficked street . AOL Autos : Most popular crossover vehicles . Mercedes also offers a Night View system in the S-Class and CL-Class , which , at night , `` gives you a very sharp , daytime-quality picture of everything that is going on in front of you , '' Herring said . `` And it 's projected onto a separate display screen that 's in the middle of the instrument cluster , right in front of you . '' The `` new frontier '' of safety technology . Ford Motor Company is another car maker where the engineers are excited about its tech-driven crash-avoidance systems -- some currently in use , some still in development . AOL Autos : Luxury cars with the best MPG . `` Developing new active-safety systems really is the new frontier in safety technology in the auto industry , '' said Steve Kozak , Ford 's global chief engineer for safety systems . Ford has owned Volvo since 1999 , so Ford is benefiting from many of Volvo 's renowned safety features . `` Some of the more advanced features that were first offered in Volvo 's vehicles are cascading down into the Ford product line , due to our engineers working together with theirs , '' Kozak said . One Ford system in development addresses the fact that many accidents happen because drivers are n't paying attention . `` Studies have shown that in 50 percent of accidents , the drivers never even stepped on the brake , '' Kozak said . So , one technology that excites Kozak is the `` collision mitigation system '' that originated in the 2007 Volvo S80 and will be cascading into the Ford product line in the near future . `` It senses that that the car ahead of you is coming to a rapid stop , so if you 're not paying attention , it essentially tells you to ` wake up and do something , ' '' Kozak explained . `` With this system , there is a light mounted at the top of the instrument panel that reflects into the windshield , it 's essentially a heads-up display , so in this kind of panic situation , that light will illuminate plus you get an audio alert telling you it 's time to take action . '' Ford is also presently developing a blind-spot alert system -LRB- for early '09 rollout -RRB- and a lane-departure warning system -LRB- similar to those offered in Mercedes vehicles -RRB- -- technologies that also originated in Volvo vehicles . `` One interesting aspect of the lane-departure system that we 're working on is that it may involve ` tactile input ' in addition to an audio warning , '' Kozak said . That is , when you 're coming up too fast on the car ahead of you , `` you could get a vibrating sensation in the car seat or steering wheel . '' From roll mitigation to trailer stability -- and more . Meanwhile , Chrysler LLC is `` devoting plenty of resources and doing a lot of system-development work devoted to trying to mitigate a crash , '' said Chris Barman , Chrysler 's director for active and passive safety systems . One such crash-avoidance system currently employed in various Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep vehicles is an electronic Roll-Mitigation System . `` It senses when the vehicle is in danger or is moving sideways at a rapid pace , which could lead to a rollover , '' Barman explained . `` So it applies more brake pressure to the outside front wheel , which corrects the lateral motion and keeps the car moving forward . '' Chrysler 's own version of a computerized Brake-Assist system helps in another situation that is all too common , Barman said . `` Many times , in an emergency-braking situation , drivers will initially hit the brakes -- but then , unknowingly , let off the brake pedal , which means they lose a lot of stopping distance . `` So , if they do n't hit the brakes with enough pressure , or do n't brake fast enough , this system will detect that , and automatically applies the optimum amount of brake pressure in the shortest amount of time -- which could go a long way toward avoiding a crash and any resulting injury . '' Another Chrysler feature Barman likes is the trailer-stability control system . `` Sometimes , if you 've never towed a trailer before , or if maybe you have too much weight in the rear of the trailer , the trailer can start swaying back and forth , '' Barman explained . `` Well , this system uses sensors to determine yaw rate and lateral-movement rate , and then provides brake pressure that is counter to the sway of the trailer to get it to settle down . '' Other crash-avoiding features being introduced for the 2009 Chrysler Town & Country and the Dodge Caravan minivans are Chrysler 's own version of the Blind Spot Monitoring system , plus the Rear Cross Path system , which uses an illuminated icon in the mirror and an audible chime to warn you of the presence of an oncoming vehicle when you 're backing up -- like in the parking-structure scenario cited above . `` We 're trying to take a 360-degree view all around the vehicle , in order to determine everything we can do to help a person avoid a crash , '' Barman said . | High-tech advancements push auto-safety systems forward . Having reputation for building safe vehicles helps automakers sell more cars . Mercedes ' Rear View Monitor views directly behind the vehicle as it backs up . Chrysler system senses when car is in danger of rolling over . | [[1228, 1243], [1246, 1301], [310, 364], [325, 398], [3254, 3262], [3268, 3318]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- People with a stable mood and better capacity to handle stressful situations without anxiety have a reduced risk of developing dementia , according to a study published this week in the journal Neurology . Stress can increase the risk of dementia in older people , a study has found . This finding was particularly strong in highly extroverted people , the study said . Subjects who were both socially active and not easily stressed had the lowest risk for dementia . But even socially isolated individuals who were more calm and self-satisfied showed a reduced likelihood of dementia , the study said . Extroverted people usually have more optimistic outlooks on life , and `` may be better equipped to cope with stressful events and therefore less prone to depression , '' said Hui-Xin Wang of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm , Sweden , and lead author of the study . The study looked at 506 older people from the Kungsholmen Project in Stockholm who did not have dementia at the first examination . These people then filled out questionnaires that determined their personality types and level of social activity . Those who said they were easily distressed were classified as having high neuroticism . Researchers followed these participants for six years , during which time 144 of them developed dementia . Although it is not easy to change someone 's personality , `` The good news of our finding is that an active lifestyle -- having a rich social network and participating in physical , mental and social activities -- may buffer the negative effect of high neuroticism on dementia risk , '' Wang said . One in seven Americans age 71 and older , or about 3.4 million , have dementia , according to the National Institutes of Health . In this age-group , 2.4 million people have Alzheimer 's disease , NIH research has shown . Alzheimer 's disease is the most common cause of dementia , according to the Mayo Clinic . Previous research has documented that personality factors may play a role in how people cope with dementia . This study is unique in that it looks at a combination of different lifestyle and personality traits , said Dr. Yaakov Stern , professor of clinical neurology at Columbia University Medical Center , who was not involved with the study . Stern and colleagues have found that people with higher educational or occupational attainment , or who engage in leisure activities , appear less demented . They call this concept `` cognitive reserve , '' because these lifestyle factors seem to allow them to cope with the pathology of the disease better . That is , as the disease progresses in the brain , those who have a greater `` reserve '' do not show symptoms of Alzheimer 's -- memory loss and impairment of day-to-day functions -- as quickly . Mounting evidence suggests that lifestyle factors also directly influence brain changes , he said . The Swedish study builds off the established idea in the field that stress actually harms the brain . The pathology of dementia appears about 10 to 15 years before a person actually develops Alzheimer 's disease , Stern said . That means , just like a man with prostate cancer may not have any symptoms , a person 's brain may have undergone changes that lead to Alzheimer 's without visibly affecting a person 's day-to-day life . Doctors can look for indications of the disease using positron emission tomography -LRB- PET -RRB- scans . A chemical called Pittsburgh Compound B is used in the imaging of brain tissues to find signatures of Alzheimer 's -- namely , beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles . `` The working idea is that if we can detect it before it 's clinically expressed and stop it then , we can prevent people from developing the disease , '' Stern said . | Study : Less-stressed older individuals had lower risk of developing dementia . 3.4 million Americans age 71 and older have some form of dementia . Some people do not show symptoms of Alzheimer 's but have pathology . | [[104, 154], [0, 15], [157, 177], [389, 486], [491, 603], [1637, 1699], [1702, 1715], [1637, 1699], [1718, 1766]] |
DOUGLASVILLE , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Like many young girls , Jennifer Marnell always dreamed that one day she 'd become famous . Jennifer Marnell once maxed out at 300 pounds . She lost 180 pounds and is now a fitness instructor . Bubbling with personality and quite the ham -- she was no stranger to performing . Marnell loved singing , dancing and acting in local plays while growing up on the outskirts of Atlanta , Georgia . Even though her family showered her with adoration and unconditional support -- Marnell was hiding something that she was afraid to share with anyone . Since the age of 8 , she struggled with her weight . `` I was the only one in the whole family who was overweight , '' Marnell recalled . '' -LSB- They -RSB- were always supportive and told me I was beautiful ... I did n't realize how depressed I was because my family loved me no matter what . '' But other people were n't so nice . Marnell says classmates and other people teased or ridiculed her about her weight . Instead of talking about her feelings -- she turned to food for comfort . As she ate to soothe her pain -- Marnell 's weight spiraled out of control . Watch more on Jennifer Marnell 's journey '' `` It got out of control over the years because it became an addiction , '' said Marnell . `` Food did n't talk back to me and did n't tell me no ... I did n't know how to stop and listen to my body . '' Working as a nanny at the age of 27 , Marnell was 5-foot-tall and weighed 300 pounds . The wife and mother says a series of embarrassing moments such as not fitting into a restaurant booth , running out of breath while walking and lacking the energy to play ball or skate with her daughter -- took an emotional and physical toll on her health . But the final straw came during a trip to an amusement park with her family . `` We were at Six Flags waiting on a ride and we waited for an hour-and-a-half , '' said Marnell . `` When we got on , I could n't latch the belts because I was too big and they had to ask me to get off . '' Devastated by the incident , Marnell says she broke down in tears and had a heart-to-heart talk with herself . Afraid that she might die before the age of 30 , she was tired of being a `` fat mom '' and wanted to set a good example for her daughter . After the mental pep-talk , Marnell started her weight loss journey by joining a gym . She started by exercising in the women 's - only section and ate a low-fat , low-calorie diet . After a few months , she 'd lost 50 pounds . The weight loss boosted her confidence and she decided to try a water aerobics class which was a lot less stressful on her bones and joints . Over the next two years , Marnell continued taking group fitness classes , hired a personal trainer to get past a plateau and eventually lost 180 pounds . CNN I-Reporters share weight loss photos '' After reaching her goal weight of 120 pounds , she decided to start a new career as a fitness instructor and provides personal training advice on her Web site http://www.fitbyjen.com/ . One of the most important lessons she 's conquered is emotional eating . `` You 've got to learn to talk through your problems instead of using food , '' Marnell says . `` An alcoholic ca n't just have one drink . I will never eat a Snickers bar because that is my one weakness ... the one thing I wo n't have . '' The weight loss has also helped her realize another dream -- being in the limelight . In January , she was featured on the `` Oprah Winfrey Show '' and in People Magazine 's `` Half Their Size '' issue and will appear on the game show `` Do n't Forget the Lyrics '' with Wayne Brady . She 's also touring the country as a spokesperson for Gold 's Gym and has just inked a book deal to tell her weight-loss story . Marnell says all of the recent attention has been a bit overwhelming but she 's enjoying every minute of her new career and life . `` It 's made life more exciting , '' said Marnell . `` I still feel like the same person on the inside , I have the same heart . But the outside , it 's just enhanced the inside even more . '' What advice does she have for other people who want to lose weight ? The toughest part of losing weight , according to Marnell , is staying mentally focused . She recommends taking `` baby steps , '' trying not to do everything at once or focus on how much you have to lose and joining an online support group . `` Learn to accept yourself for who you are , '' Marnell advises . `` It can be done ... it 's not going to be easy -- but it can be done . '' iReport.com : Have you lost weight ? Send your story , photos and video E-mail to a friend . | Jennifer Marnell struggled with weight , emotional overeating most of her life . By the age of 27 , she maxed out at her heaviest weight of 300 pounds . Marnell lost 180 pounds through exercise and a low-fat , low-calorie diet . She 's now a fitness instructor and plans to write a book to inspire others . | [[586, 604], [607, 638], [1081, 1107], [1111, 1154], [134, 181], [1442, 1490], [182, 201], [2373, 2376], [2434, 2468], [2682, 2689], [2782, 2810], [182, 185], [206, 235], [2855, 2899], [2902, 3013], [3641, 3706], [3711, 3769]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Novak Djokovic is up to number three in the world after defeating Marin Cilic in the final of the China Open in Beijing on Sunday . Novak Djokovic holds aloft the giant China Open trophy after victory over Marin Cilic in Beijing . The Serb captured his third ATP title of the year with a 6-2 7-6 victory over the battling Cilic , who beat fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko and top seed Rafael Nadal en route to the final . Second seed Djokovic took advantage of a 90-minute rain delay , which came at 2-2 in the first set , coming back on center court at the Beijing Olympics tennis venue with sharper ground strokes and well-placed serves . After holding serve to go 3-2 up , Djokovic broke Cilic straight away and then a second time to take the opening set , with the Croat the victim of two unlucky net cords in the final game . In the second , Cilic -- a wild card entry -- and Djokovic traded breaks three times to force a tie-break , with the Cilic failing to serve out twice . Djokovic took control midway , winning a rally that left Cilic sitting on the court to go up 4-2 . The Serb closed it out on his second match point when the Cilic sent an inside-out forehand sailing wide . `` I certainly played much better after the rain delay , '' Djokovic told reporters . `` I kind of got my nerves together -- I was very fresh on the court after that . Even though it was a straight set win , it was n't easy at all . Marin could have had at least a set under his belt . '' Djokovic , by reaching the final , is assured of taking over the world number three ranking , surpassing injured Scot Andy Murray . Meanwhile , Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated Mikhail Youzhny to become the first French player to win the men 's singles title at the Japan Open in Tokyo . The world number seven , who knocked out compatriots Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet on his way to the final , chalked up a 6-3 6-3 final win over the Russian . | Novak Djokovic up to number three in the world after winning the China Open . The second-seeded Serb defeats Croat Marin Cilic 6-2 7-6 in Sunday 's final . Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeats Mikhail Youzhny in Japan Open final . | [[25, 68], [0, 15], [69, 96], [151, 249], [1626, 1635], [1638, 1715], [1777, 1799], [1889, 1938]] |
KABUL , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Five people connected to an Afghan presidential candidate have been released after being kidnapped the day before , an official with the candidate said . Five of Dr Abdullah Abdullah 's campaign workers were kidnapped and later released . The group of five , who worked for Dr. Abdullah Abdullah , were in a two-car caravan in northwestern Afghanistan on Wednesday when they were abducted , said Sayed Ahmad Samey , the security chief of Badghis province . Elders negotiated for their release , Samey said . The workers have now been freed and are in a good condition , according to Sami Panah of Abdullah 's campaign office . Abdullah is a former Foreign Minister who is seeking to unseat incumbent President Hamid Karzai in the August 20 election . This is not the first time that Abdullah 's supporters have been targeted . One of the presidential hopeful 's campaign workers was wounded by an unknown gunman in late July . A month earlier , gunmen in the province of Kapisa killed another of Abdullah 's campaign managers in a midnight attack . Hundreds of U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers have headed to southern Afghanistan to secure polling stations and protect citizens during the elections . It will be the nation 's second presidential election since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 . | Afghan election campaign workers released after 24 hour kidnap . The group of five were working for presidential candidate Dr. Abdullah Abdullah . Abdullah seeking to unseat incumbent President Hamid Karzai on August 20 . | [[39, 96], [8, 50], [74, 152], [193, 241], [261, 277], [39, 96], [193, 256], [193, 241], [261, 277], [291, 295], [302, 334], [678, 703], [708, 789]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A British-led military operation meant to clear the Taliban from parts of Afghanistan has succeeded , UK officials said Monday . A file image shows a British Royal Marine sniper team on an operation in Afghanistan . NATO and its Afghan allies launched Operation Panther 's Claw to flush the Taliban from parts of southern Helmand Province before Afghan presidential elections next month . Major fighting is mostly over , and the military will now focus on `` holding '' the areas that have been cleared of Taliban so they do not return , Lt. Gen. Simon Mayall said in a briefing . The operation 's success will enable up to 80,000 people in Helmand to vote . `` Panther 's Claw has been extremely successful , '' said Brigadier Tim Radford , the top British military commander for the operation . `` There will be many Taliban who will not be fighting any more . '' He said the Taliban suffered `` significant casualties , '' but refused to say how many . Nine British troops were killed in action in the operation , he said , and there were three Afghan civilian casualties . Radford estimated that there were 450 to 500 Taliban fighters in the area at the time of the operation , which he called `` one of the biggest that has taken place . '' The British gave several weeks ' warning that they were planning to attack , he said , both to exert psychological pressure on the Taliban and to give civilians a chance to flee . As a result , `` quite a few Taliban managed to get away , '' Radford said . `` They will always get away and they will always come back in . '' Mayall , the deputy chief of the British Defence Staff for Operations , said the challenge now was to convince local people that the Afghan government and its allies could protect them from the Taliban . The Taliban `` are going to assume that we are going to lose interest and move on , '' he said . But they are wrong , he said . NATO forces were going to `` stay in Afghanistan for a very long time , '' he said , adding that active NATO-led fighting should `` tail off '' as Afghan security forces develop the ability to fight the Taliban themselves . The counter-insurgency strategy of clearing and holding an area to allow for development of infrastructure and the rule of law echoes the coalition forces ' plan in Iraq . Panther 's Claw focused on the area around the town of Babaji in Helmand Province . The operation mirrored a similar operation by U.S. Marines in the area . At least 20 British troops have been killed in Afghanistan this month , sparking intense debate in Britain about the country 's military role there . The British-led operation involved about 3,000 troops -- mostly from the British military but also with Afghan , Danish and Estonian forces , the British Ministry of Defence said in a written statement . The operation started in mid-June with an air assault along a canal about 16 kilometers -LRB- 10 miles -RRB- north of the city of Lashkar Gah , the ministry said . British-led forces attacked from three different directions over the next three weeks , essentially creating a `` gated community '' where Taliban insurgents could not get in or out , Radford said . Major fighting ended July 20 , he said . | Major fighting in Operation Panther 's Claw over , British military says . Operation aimed at clearing Taliban from southern Afghanistan 's Helmand . At least 20 British troops have been killed in past month . | [[425, 454], [3209, 3237], [36, 45], [46, 95], [9, 32], [69, 121], [252, 424], [288, 305], [314, 424], [2492, 2561]] |
KABUL , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As a journalist , as a human being , the stories of the people around you stick with you . Whether it is in passing memory or in daily wonderment , they are in your mind and many in your heart , engrained forever . CNN 's Atia Abawi , center , with Banafsha -LRB- denim jacket -RRB- and her siblings and mother . The first story I worked on for CNN in Afghanistan back in November , just as we were opening our new bureau in Kabul , was on a girl who attended a school for street kids called Aschiana . Aschiana , which means `` nest '' in Dari , was a place for the nearly 60,000 street kids in the capital city to escape from their terrible reality and get an education . There , we met Banafsha , an 11-year-old girl who along with her two younger sisters would beg on the streets for bread , feeding their family of eight . Her mother would stay home and take care of her baby brothers and their father , she told us , was a heroin addict . Banafsha was young in age but her eyes told of experiences that have taken her far beyond childhood . In our conversations , she spoke with candor and honesty , not allowing emotions to creep in . Until when , she told me that she prayed everyday for a change in her life . Watch Abawi 's first story on Banafsha '' `` I say , ` God take me out of this poverty and have my father go work so I can go to school , ' '' she said , wiping away one lonely tear . The story received a tremendous response from viewers and readers after it was posted on CNN.com . An organization from the U.S. began to sponsor Banafsha , promising to provide for her . This was great to hear , but it did n't stop me from worrying . Did I bring her more trouble or was she going to be okay ? Every time we would drive around the neighborhood , I would look for her to see if she was among the other street beggars . Were they suffering in the winter cold ? Did they have enough food ? About a week ago , I went to the headquarters of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force with our cameraman Charlie Miller . As we were leaving , we met three little street kids , a sweet girl among them with a beautiful smile -- which made me think of Banafsha and her sisters . The sight of kids begging always breaks my heart because I know that their childhoods are forever stolen by poverty . I am also always scared to give them money because I remembered a story Banafsha told me about her little sister . She was given two dollars by an American , and when the American walked away , an older boy came and punched her 7-year-old little sister in the face , knocking her out . When she woke up , her money was gone . As we were driving away from those children and the smile on the girl 's face , I shared the story with our driver and told him that I wished I knew how Banafsha was doing now . On our way home we decided to stop at a DVD shop , part of our limited entertainment living in Kabul . After making my selection , I walked out and I heard a beggar girl with a familiar smile on her face exclaim , `` You came over to our house ! '' There was a girl next to her in a yellow dress also beaming with the same indistinguishable smile , lugging a bag of leftover pieces of bread over her tiny back . Watch Abawi reunite with Banafsha and her family '' It was Banafsha 's little sisters : 10-year-old Samira and 7-year-old Tamina . I was so excited to see them and even happier that they recognized me . But I was at the same time dejected that they were still on the streets . They told me that they go to school but they still beg on the streets . However , Banafsha is at home and no longer begging . We went home with them because I wanted to see Banafsha and her mother . On the way to their house in the middle of a Kabul graveyard , Samira told me that her dad left again three days ago and they have no clue where he is . As Samira went to go get her mother , who was nearby at their grandmother 's home , her little brother called Banafsha for us . She came out of a little room in the backyard , used for the wintertime . It holds what is called a `` sandalee , '' a table heated by coal that is used by the more impoverished in Afghanistan to stay warm in the torturously cold winter . Banafsha looked drained , her eyes heavy with burden . I heard a baby crying from the room she just left , which had to be her little brother Ajmal . If it was true that she was not begging anymore I knew she was still carrying the weight of her family on her tiny shoulders . She was wearing a denim jacket and new dress . The family told me that the organization that has promised to help has been there twice so far , bringing Banafsha clothes and some cooking supplies for the family . They said they were grateful for the help Banafsha was getting but there were still difficulties . Banafsha was quiet and did n't talk much , but she had her rare moments when a smile would creep out . Those moments were like a glimmer of light in a dark room to me . The entire family had that same smile , but it was Banafsha 's and her mother 's that were the most infrequent . As we were about to leave , I asked about their health and the mother said everything was fine except for something on Banafsha 's arm . She pulled up her daughter 's sleeve and showed us a thick forming rash . Banafsha told us it kept growing and it was itchy . Charlie pulled out his still camera and took a picture of it . He planned on showing it to a medical friend in the city for treatment . I did not want to say goodbye , but I also did not want to intrude anymore than we had . That day , seeing them , re-energized me in a way that I could not explain . In Afghanistan , you see a lot of misery , in the city of Kabul alone your heart sinks at every turn . The poverty , the destruction , the hopelessness and the loss of dignity for survival , is everywhere . You are grateful for what you have and how lucky you are , but you know it is not fair . Those feelings continue to weigh on your heart and mind , and they can add up . Some times you are strong about it , other times you feel weak . And as much as it pains you , you know you are lucky to see their lives , you know you have benefited from these people and from this place -- in ways you may never understand why . | Abawi meets Banafsha while doing a story about a school for street kids . Banafsha and her sisters beg on the streets for food . Abawi runs into Banafsha 's sisters six months later . Banafsha receives some help from a charity , but the family is still struggling . | [[739, 758], [774, 832], [3590, 3621], [3325, 3358]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. Army ground commanders in Afghanistan say they need help , fast . That 's not a request for more troops , but a request from commanders who say the current camouflage uniform is not blending well in the diverse countryside . U.S. Army commanders in Afghanistan say the current uniform does not blend well in the countryside . In response , the Army later this month will field-test two new camouflage color schemes and patterns on about 1,000 soldiers in Afghanistan , where the terrain is extremely varied . Commanders have had problems there because of the numerous changes in environments a soldier can move in and out of in a short period of time -- from woodland to desert to alpine , and to rocky and snowy mountain tops . The current uniform , known as the Army Combat Uniform or ACU , has lighter shades of green and tan , which some commanders have complained does not blend well if soldiers need to stay motionless on a mission , as snipers or reconnaissance troops must . The effort by the Army was recently accelerated , according to Army officials , after U.S. Rep. John Murtha , D-Pennsylvania , told the Army he had a number of complaints from soldiers in Afghanistan who said the current camouflage pattern was not effective in the mountainous regions . Two yet-to-be-identified battalions -- a battalion has about 500 troops -- will test the two patterns , with initial results being turned into Army researchers by the end of October . While deployed , all 1,000 soldiers will have their regularly issued ACUs . In addition , one battalion will also get one of the new camouflage uniforms with a test pattern known as `` MultiCam . '' The pattern is made up of numerous blobs of white , brown , tan , black and greens for a more woodland look , and is already being worn by snipers and special operations forces . The other brigade will test a similar pattern to the ACU , called the Universal Cammo Pattern-Delta or `` UCP-Delta . '' While the pattern is the same , a series of `` digitized '' blocks of green and tan , the test uniform adds what he Army calls `` coyote brown '' and a slight color darkening all around to the greens and tans . The look is also designed to blend in the woods . Both battalions will be based in eastern Afghanistan where the terrain is the most rugged and diverse , Army officials said . The Army hopes to have the field input and a decision on what pattern is best by the end of January 2010 and the fielding of the new uniform as early as June 2010 . Troops will still keep the existing ACU , and commanders will be able to decide mission by mission what the soldiers should wear , according to Army officials . The testing is part of the Army 's long-term development of a permanent alternative to the current ACU , according to Army officials . | Commanders say current uniform does n't blend well in Afghanistan 's countryside . Army this month will field-test two new camouflage patterns in Afghanistan . Army hopes to have decision on new pattern by the end of January 2010 . | [[160, 170], [175, 259], [101, 170], [210, 259], [260, 360], [300, 360], [850, 863], [904, 923], [1206, 1217], [1222, 1304], [375, 383], [390, 501], [2375, 2515]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. military hopes to kill or capture some 50 Afghan drug traffickers with financial ties to the Taliban in an effort to shut down one of the insurgency 's biggest sources of revenue , a U.S. Senate report says . Afghan men smoke heroin in the city of Herat on August 7 , 2009 . The new plan is the first time the U.S. military has been directly involved in anti-narcotics efforts in Afghanistan , and commanders say it is an essential part of the overall plan to stabilize the country , which is under heavy Taliban influence . Until now the U.S. military has left the eradication programs to other U.S. agencies and the Afghan military , keeping its `` most wanted '' list to insurgent leaders tied to bomb making , weapons smuggling or facilitating foreign fighters into the country . `` The change is dramatic for a military that once ignored the drug trade flourishing in front of its eyes , '' according to the report . `` No longer are U.S. commanders arguing that going after the drug lords is not part of their mandate . '' It does not name the 50 targets , but says they are on a list of 367 names of Taliban and other insurgents targeted by the U.S. military . `` Some '' of the 50 have already been apprehended or killed , according to a senior military official . The official would not quantify the amount further and would not speak on the record because of the sensitive nature of the issue . The yet-to-be released report was prepared by staff for members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee . A copy was provided to CNN . It is based on testimony by U.S. military officials to the committee . Bush-era efforts by the United States and the U.S.-trained Afghan Army to eliminate poppy farms did very little to solve the problem , with numerous farmers ' crops flourishing while other farmers were left with no source of income and bitterness toward the Afghan government , the report concludes . It criticizes former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld for failing to push forward on a military role in drug eradication even after being shown proof of the connection between the drug lords and the Taliban . The change in the U.S. military 's approach to fighting the drug war came last fall after the United States told NATO members that the drug trade was a threat to NATO troops because there was a direct connection between it and Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan . `` There is what we call a nexus of insurgency . There 's a very broad range of militant groups that are combined with the criminality , with the narco-trafficking system , with corruption , that form a threat and a challenge to the future of that great country , '' then-U.S. commander in Afghanistan Gen. David McKiernan told reporters at the Pentagon last October . But with a new approach to the war by the Obama administration , the United States has started attacking the drug problem head on . According to the report , this year U.S. and NATO combat forces started attacking militants , drug labs and buildings connected to insurgents with ties to drug lords for the first time since the start of the war in 2001 . Referring to people tied to narcotics and militants , the report says , `` The military places no restrictions on the use of force with these selected targets , which means they can be killed or captured on the battlefield . '' The Pentagon 's spokesman said the effort is still focused on fighting terrorism . `` There is a well-established link -LSB- between -RSB- the drug trade and financing of the insurgency and terrorism , '' said spokesman Bryan Whitman . `` It 's important to delineate that we target terrorists that are connected to the drug trade . ... Terrorist do interface with drug networks and we know they provide finance for the insurgency , and it 's this nexus that creates the security and force-protection issues that make them a legitimate target . '' A major U.S. Marine offensive against the Taliban was launched last month in the southern Afghan province of Helmand , home to the majority of the poppy farms and opium trade . The report says the Taliban make about $ 70 million a year on the drug trade . The report concedes that counter-narcotics alone will not win the war , but says slowing the flow of illicit money will play a crucial role in `` determining whether we can carve out the space required to provide the security and economic development necessary to bring a level of stability to Afghanistan . '' | Report : U.S. military pursuing 50 Afghan drug traffickers tied to Taliban . New initiative strives to shut down big revenue source for insurgency . Report : `` The change is dramatic for a military that once ignored the drug trade , '' U.S. , NATO forces now targeting insurgents tied to drug lords , report says . | [[30, 47], [65, 124], [143, 217], [823, 863], [853, 863], [869, 929], [2166, 2234], [3619, 3621], [3635, 3712]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hope was 14 years old when her uncle raped her . Betty Makoni founded the Girl Child Network to help Zimbabwe 's young sexual abuse victims . `` He trapped me to the ground and covered my mouth with his hand , '' said the 18-year-old from Zimbabwe . `` He threatened to kill me if I ever told anybody . '' So , she kept quiet . `` After a while people around the villages started saying that I looked pregnant , '' she said . Hope was not only pregnant , but her uncle had infected her with HIV . Like many young girls in Zimbabwe , Hope was the victim of a widely held belief that if a man with HIV or AIDS rapes a virgin he will be cured of his disease . This so-called virgin myth , perpetuated by Zimbabwe 's traditional healers , has led to the rape of hundreds of girls , according to UNICEF . Some of those victims are too young to walk , much less protect themselves . Betty Makoni has fought for nearly a decade to protect her country 's young girls from sexual abuse . And she 's witnessed some of the worst cases of the myth in action . `` The youngest girl I ever came across was a day-old baby who was raped , '' said Makoni , 37 . Through her Girl Child Network -LRB- GCN -RRB- , Makoni has helped rescue 35,000 girls from abuse -- including Hope ; thousands more have found an empowering community and a public forum in which to speak out . Vote now for the CNN Hero of the Year . `` Ten girls per day report rape cases , '' she said . `` It means if we keep quiet , at least 3,600 girls per year may just be contracting HIV and AIDS . '' Makoni 's own tragic experiences fuel her fierce determination . `` I was raped when I was 6 years old , '' she recalled . Her attacker was a local shopkeeper . Makoni said her mother would not allow her to report the abuse . `` She said , ` Shh , we do n't say that in public , ' '' Makoni remembered . `` I had no shoulder to cry on . '' Three years later , she witnessed her father murder her mother . In that moment , Makoni said she realized the potentially deadly consequence of a woman 's silence . `` I told myself that no girl or woman will suffer the same again , '' she said . Believing an education would provide her the best opportunity and means to speak out , Makoni earned two university degrees and became a teacher . While teaching , she noticed that girls were dropping out of school at an alarming rate . She approached her students with an idea . `` I -LSB- said -RSB- to girls , ` Let 's have our own space where we talk and find solutions , ' '' Makoni said . Girl Child Network was born . Watch Makoni help young girls find safety and empowerment in Zimbabwe '' By the end of the first year , there were 100 GCN clubs throughout Zimbabwe where girls could find support . Makoni said she was not surprised : `` Every woman and girl identified with the issues that we were raising , '' she said . In 2000 , she quit her teaching job to volunteer with GCN full time . `` I decided to become an advocate because I walked my own journey to survival , '' she said . The following year Makoni successfully procured a piece of land and opened the organization 's first empowerment village , designed to provide a haven for girls who have been abused . Girls are either rescued or referred to the village by social services , the police and the community . The healing begins as soon as a girl arrives . `` In the first 72 hours , a girl is provided with emergency medication , reinstatement in school , as well as counseling , '' said Makoni . It is important to her that the girls are in charge of their own healing . `` It gives them the confidence to transform from victims to leaders , '' she explained . The process helped Hope work through the times when she said `` I thought my life had come to end . '' `` They offered all they could ... as I was in a traumatized state , '' she said . `` I really appreciate what -LSB- Betty Makoni -RSB- has done and is doing in my life . '' Today , GCN has grown to 700 girls ' clubs and three empowerment villages across Zimbabwe . An estimated 300,000 girls have received assistance . For those who were at greatest risk , Makoni believes that help was especially critical . `` If my organization did n't exist , the 35,000 girls I 've saved from rape and abuse could have died by now , '' she said . But for Makoni , speaking out came with a high personal cost . In 2008 , she was forced to flee her native country . `` I left Zimbabwe because my life was in danger as a result of my project being interpreted politically . '' Watch Makoni describe her reasons for leaving her homeland '' Today , she lives with her family in the United Kingdom . She still serves as executive director of her organization and shows no signs of slowing down . GCN has partnered with the DOVE project , a group based in Essex , England , that deals with domestic violence . `` We are now bringing the girls from a local community to the international scene , '' she said . Her efforts in Zimbabwe will also be highlighted in an upcoming documentary , Tapestries of Hope . Makoni says nothing will end her fight for the rights of women and girls . `` This is the job I have always wanted to do , because it gives me fulfillment . And in girls I see myself every day . '' Want to get involved ? Check out the Girl Child Network and see how to help . | Many in Zimbabwe believe a man raping a virgin can cure him of HIV or AIDS . Betty Makoni 's Girl Child Network cares for Zimbabwe 's young sex abuse victims . The organization has rescued more than 35,000 girls . Vote now for the CNN Hero of the Year at CNN.com / Heroes . | [[569, 658], [592, 692], [85, 177], [106, 177], [1228, 1296]] |
Kabul , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The bodies of three American contractors who died in a plane crash in Afghanistan earlier this month have been recovered , NATO 's International Security Assistance Force said Tuesday . The C-12 plane went down in the mountains of Nuristan province October 13 , but the military withheld information about it until the recovery operation was complete , ISAF said in a statement . The crew were subcontractors working for Lockheed Martin , the company confirmed . A spokesman named two of them as Jeff Lehner , a former Air Force member working for Sierra Nevada , and Randolph Bergquist , a former Marine working for Avenge . They are not releasing the third name at the family 's request . Thomas Casey of Lockheed Martin confirmed the third victim was the co-pilot and also worked for Avenge . The cause of the crash that killed them is not yet clear , but it is not thought to be enemy action , ISAF said . A helicopter sent to recover the remains October 17 itself made `` a hard landing '' that required the crew to be rescued , ISAF said . The helicopter was stripped of sensitive parts Wednesday and destroyed in place Sunday , ISAF said . | 3 contractors killed when plane went down in mountains of Nuristan province . Plane , a C-12 , crashed October 13 ; crew worked for Lockheed Martin . Cause of crash not yet clear , but it is not thought to be enemy action . Crew of copter sent to recover remains had to be rescued after hard landing . | [[53, 79], [84, 139], [225, 298], [53, 79], [84, 139], [225, 298], [419, 475], [835, 857], [875, 891], [898, 934], [949, 1000], [1008, 1033], [1016, 1033], [1039, 1070]] |
Editor 's note : CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com , which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com . If you 're struggling to find work , try applying for positions that are more obscure . Job seekers in today 's economy are all familiar with the difficulty in finding a job . Adding to that difficulty is the fact that many job seekers are all competing for the same positions and job titles . Perhaps the secret to finding a job in this competitive market is by looking for work in a lesser-known field that not many people know about . Do such industries exist ? Absolutely -- you just need a little help in finding them . U.S. News and World Report compiled their annual `` Best Careers '' report and this year , they added something new . They profiled 10 jobs that scored just below `` Best-Career '' level but , because they 're little known , they may be easier to land a job . Here are 10 of the best-kept-secret careers , in alphabetical order , according to U.S. News and World Report : . 1 . Accent-reduction specialist . What you do : Trying to understand and communicate with people who have heavy accents or poor English can be difficult and frustrating . Whether your accent is from Brooklyn , India or the Southern United States , accent-reduction specialists will work with you to communicate more clearly and effectively . What you need : A master 's or Ph.D. in speech-language pathology , a state-issued license in speech-language pathology , or a specialty credential in accent reduction or ESL training . Salary * : N/A . 2 . Casting director . What you do : You cast all of the actors in commercials , movies , plays , etc. , from the leading role to the hundreds of extras . You 'll schedule auditions , read scripts , talk to agents and help actors relax in their auditions . Casting directors typically work alongside directors and producers to find the right person for a role . What you need : No formal training is required , but experience is vital . Many start out as interns or in an entry-level position as an assistant in a talent agency or as a casting assistant . A background in arts , English , film or theatre is helpful . Salary : $ 42,333 . 3 . Child-life specialist . What you do : In this rewarding field , you 'll work with sick children and their families in hospitals , hospices or programs for children with serious diseases . You 'll determine the medical and emotional needs of the child and support him or her , whether it 's creating games and activities , helping to get them comfortable in their surroundings , or role-playing scary medical procedures . You 'll also help support the patient 's family . What you need : A bachelor 's degree in a related field and one year of experience working with hospitalized children . Salary : $ 43,997 . 4 . Creative perfumer . What you do : Without getting too technical , you 'll mix several scented chemicals to concoct the perfect fragrance . It can take hundreds of trials and consumer testing to get it just right . What you need : A good nose , lots of patience , experience and an education at perfumery school . It takes about seven years to train as a perfumer , and about 10 years before you are considered a qualified perfumer . Salary : $ 21,791 . 5 . Orthoptist . What you do : Orthoptists provide vision training for patients with correctable vision defects like a cross or lazy eye . They measure visual acuity , focusing ability and eye-motor movement , then work with ophthalmologists -LRB- eye doctors -RRB- to create treatment plans for the patient . What you need : A combination of over one year of directly related training and/or experience ; two years of post-bachelor 's training is typically required . Salary : $ 40,280 . 6 . Orthotist/prosthetist . What you do : Help patients with partial or total absence of limbs by either creating a custom-designed orthopedic brace -LRB- orthotist -RRB- , or designing and making custom-fit artificial limbs -LRB- prosthetist -RRB- . What you need : A combination of over four years of directly related training and/or experience . Salary : $ 58,134 . 7 . Program analyst . What you do : Also called a management analyst , you 'd work in federal and local governments , providing information on the most effective way to carry out a project or procedure . The job involves gathering and analyzing lots of data , in addition to writing reports outlining the information you found . What you need : A master 's degree in public policy is preferred , but a bachelor 's degree and experience is standard . Salary : $ 63,610 . 8 . Program evaluator . What you do : You 'll evaluate several different programs , making suggestions about changes to make them better , or whether they should even continue . You 'll switch programs every few weeks -LRB- or whenever you are done evaluating -RRB- , so you 'll get to work with a variety of clients , whether it 's a nonprofit , corporate venture or a government initiative . What you need : A bachelor 's degree is sufficient , although some evaluators have a Ph.D. from specialized training programs . Salary : $ 56,647 . 9 . Prospect researcher . What you do : True to their job title , prospect researchers identify prospective donors who are likely to contribute to a cause . Typically employed by nonprofit organizations , you will find people who have donated to similar causes in the past and dig up detailed information about them to help solicitors maximize the donation . What you need : N/A . Salary : N/A . 10 . Surgical technologist . What you do : Essentially , you will scrub into surgeries and assist surgeons , nurses or other operating room personnel by arranging equipment and supplies , placing patients on the table and handing the surgeon his tools . `` Scalpel ! '' What you need : Training programs last nine to 24 months and lead to a certificate , diploma , or associate degree . Salary : $ 33,777 . * Annual salaries according to CBSalary.com , powered by Salary Expert . Copyright CareerBuilder.com 2009 . All rights reserved . The information contained in this article may not be published , broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority . | U.S. News and World Report does an annual `` Best Careers '' list . This year 's list included 10 little-known jobs that have more opportunities . The list includes positions like casting director and creative perfumist . Education required ranges from a bachelor degree to highly specialized training . | [[683, 771], [943, 1010], [2720, 2728], [2731, 2797]] |
MEXICO CITY , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The number of drug-related killings in Ciudad Juarez , Mexico , so far this year has reached 1,647 , surpassing the death toll for all of 2008 , a city spokesman told CNN . Police gather at the rehab facility where 17 people were killed in Ciudad Juarez , Mexico , in early September . A spate of killings since the weekend , including 12 on Tuesday , pushed this year 's death toll higher than the 1,607 recorded murders for last year , spokesman Sergio Belmonte told CNN . Killings in Juarez , located across the border from El Paso , Texas , began to spike in early 2008 , when the Sinaloa drug cartel began a turf war with the Juarez cartel . In response , President Felipe Calderon sent federal troops to patrol the city . About 7,500 troops will remain in Juarez at least for another six months at the mayor 's request , officials said . The army presence has helped curb the violent daylight shootouts that damaged the city 's image and threatened its economy , but killings and reprisals among street-level dealers continue to mount , Belmonte said . On Monday , 635 new police officers graduated from the police academy and joined the ranks of a force that had been thinned by about 700 in the city 's effort to root out corrupt cops . The police department is now up to more than 2,600 officers , Belmonte said . Another 400 cadets are expected to join the force in October . Officials hope that the larger police force , together with investments in police equipment and a new crime-stoppers phone system , will turn things around for the city . More than 5,100 have been killed in drug-cartel violence across Mexico this year , according to a tally by the newspaper El Universal . | Killings since the weekend pushed 2009 death toll past 1,607 killed in 2008 . Killings increased as Juarez and Sinaloa drug cartels began turf war in 2008 . In response , President Felipe Calderon sent federal troops to patrol the city . More than 5,100 killed in 2009 drug-cartel violence in Mexico , says newspaper . | [[0, 36], [141, 182], [326, 389], [392, 444], [435, 475], [621, 686], [701, 767], [1597, 1677], [1597, 1612], [1680, 1732]] |
PARIS , France -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Interpol is chasing more than 200 leads on the potential identity of a pedophile suspected of molesting young boys , just one day after launching a global manhunt . Interpol has launched a global appeal to find this man , accused of abusing young boys . The organization , which facilitates global cooperation among police agencies , said its Web site logged 30 times more visitors than in an average day after it made its plea for the public 's help Tuesday . Interpol is trying to locate a man who is pictured sexually abusing young boys in hundreds of images on the Internet . '' ` The public 's response has been very positive , '' said Kristin Kvigne , assistant director of Interpol 's Trafficking in Human Beings unit , in a news release . `` The smallest piece of information from anywhere in the world could be crucial in identifying this man . '' The man is featured in 100 photographs sexually abusing at least three boys between the ages of six and 10 , Interpol said . The organization posted six pictures of the suspect on its Web site . The pictures came to light in 2006 , when Norwegian authorities discovered them in the possession of a man they arrested . Watch a report on Interpol 's man-hunt '' `` While these images were only discovered two years ago , we believe the photographs were taken between April 2000 and May 2001 , so clearly this man will be older than he appears in the pictures , '' said Kvigne . Last October , Interpol disseminated pictures of another man whose face appeared in more than 200 images of sex acts with children . It dubbed its operation Vico , because the images were thought to have been taken in Vietnam and Cambodia . Ten days later , Christopher Paul Neil -- a 32-year-old Canadian man who had been working as an English-language teacher in South Korea -- was arrested in Thailand and charged with child abuse . Following the success of that operation , the organization 's general assembly approved a resolution allowing Interpol to seek public help in child sex abuse investigations . | NEW : Interpol chasing 200 new leads in global manhunt for serial pedophile . Interpol Web site logged 30 times more visitors than in an average day . 100 photographs show man sexually abusing at least three boys aged 6 to 10 . Interpol issued appeal for first time in October , arrest made after 10 days . | [[34, 148], [164, 198], [199, 280], [288, 365], [368, 438], [199, 207], [256, 287], [517, 529], [534, 613], [891, 929], [914, 929], [939, 997], [1516, 1527], [1539, 1599], [199, 280], [1708, 1722], [1725, 1746], [1838, 1871], [1708, 1722], [1725, 1746], [1876, 1902]] |
Ann Arbor , Michigan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Even among the hundreds of applications , this one stood out . Most applicants to creative writing programs submit stories about the angst of their suburban childhoods . This writer 's stories concerned the daily ordeals of a boy living with his family on the streets of Nairobi , Kenya , and the horrific plight of a Rwandan girl whose mother is Tutsi and father Hutu . Not only did the applicant have what writers call `` material , '' he was blessed with an uncanny ear for human speech and the poetry to describe his characters ' very unpoetic lives . I can still remember the young Kenyan boy watching his mother decant the glue she intends to sniff . The glue , the boy tells us , `` glowed warm and yellow in the dull light , '' and when his mother had poured enough , `` she cut the flow of the glue by tilting the tin up . The last stream of gum entering the bottle weakened and braided itself before tapering in midair like an icicle . '' Still , this applicant gave us pause . The writer had so much to say , he seemed to be trying to channel a raging waterfall through the tiny funnels of two short stories . His use of punctuation was idiosyncratic , to say the least . And the applicant was a priest ! Would the other students be willing to share their stories , rife as these tend to be with profanity , drugs and sex , if a clergyman was in the room ? And would this particular clergyman understand what all great religious writers know -- that true literature does n't spring from one 's certainties about the universe , but rather from one 's questions ? That said , how could our students be inhibited by a classmate who did n't hesitate to describe a 12-year-old Kenyan prostitute being paid by rich white tourists to perform sexual acts with their monkey ? As to the shapelessness of the applicant 's prose and the eccentricity of his punctuation , anyone with this writer 's gifts could be taught to structure his material and punctuate his characters ' speech correctly . If I still felt apprehensive about having a priest in my workshop , that anxiety vanished when Uwem Akpan walked in the room . Rather than wear his clerical garb and collar , Uwem showed up in a blue and maize University of Michigan sweatshirt . With his wide , gap-toothed smile , wall-shaking laugh , disarming candor and gleeful giggle , he exuded magnetic charm . Nor was Uwem out of place for being the only Nigerian in his cohort . Despite what the judges of the Nobel Prize might say about American writers being too insular to compete with their European counterparts , this country 's MFA programs provide one of the only spaces on the planet where writers of many races , religions , nationalities and sexual orientations can come together . Writers find common ground not through the homelands they once inhabited but the thematic questions with which they grapple . Early that first semester , I assigned a story by Philip Roth called `` Defender of the Faith , '' in which a Jewish sergeant who has witnessed the horrors of the concentration camps must decide whether to grant special favors to the Jewish recruits in his command or enforce strict impartiality . I did n't know whether Uwem would connect to Roth 's quintessentially Jewish outlook . But the moment the discussion started , Uwem 's hand shot up . `` This is the story of my continent ! '' he declared . If Africans continued to put tribal allegiances above universal fairness , Uwem said , progress would remain unattainable . This abhorrence of tribalism is what makes Uwem so open-minded . Like most people who are comfortable in their own skins , he is wonderfully able to inhabit the skins of others . One semester , he audited a seminar on Holocaust literature . The professor had no idea who Uwem was , so she could n't help but be surprised when he asked , `` Can you tell me , please , how is it that people can do such terrible things to one another ? '' If anyone else had asked that question , the professor might have thought he was simpleminded . But she could tell that this mysterious stranger was asking his question in the most profound way , from the depths of his own experience . A few months later , Uwem accompanied me to my temple for the Jewish New Year . After sitting -- and standing -- for hours through the service , he commented that he had studied in the Bible how Jesus opened the scroll to read , but he had never quite understood how that worked , so it was beautiful for him to see how the Jews really did that . And he was happy to note what Catholicism had copied from Judaism . Just as Uwem opened his mind and heart to us , I opened my mind and heart to Uwem . An atheist with a degree in physics , I do n't believe in prayer . And yet , when Uwem stopped by the evening before a frightening operation on my spine , I granted his request that he pray for my well-being . Startled by the warmth I felt flowing along my spine as Uwem held his hands above my head , I burst out crying . Of course , my colleagues and I never forgot why Uwem was in Ann Arbor , Michigan . During his two years in our program , all of us worked hard to help him develop his many gifts . But mine was the first workshop Uwem took , and I saw his stories at their rawest . As I waded through the reams of rough drafts he had given me , it occurred to me that I had been called upon to help the children of Africa the only way I could -- by helping Uwem to write their stories . We talked about the need to focus each story around a single character 's conflict and a single thematic question rather than attempting to convey everything Uwem knew about all his characters . I also urged him to allow his young protagonists at least a chance for freedom or redemption . Yes , the children whose lives he wanted to depict were the victims of adults who abused , exploited and betrayed them . But even in a society in which a child can be prostituted to provide her family 's food and pay her brother 's school fees , the prostitute 's brother might choose to decline that money , to leave the family , to walk away . Uwem listened attentively , but I was n't sure that he believed what I was saying . I did n't see another version of his story about the street family in Nairobi for several months . When I did , the hairs at the back of my neck stood up . That second version of `` An Ex-Mas Feast '' was so powerful and finely polished that I asked Uwem if he would send it to the deputy fiction editor of The New Yorker , whom I had met a few weeks earlier when the magazine brought its college tour to Ann Arbor . Uwem hesitated -- I did n't know this , but he already had submitted an earlier version of the story , twice , to `` The Editor '' at The New Yorker -- but I kept nagging him until he sent the new version . The rest , as they say , is history . The magazine accepted Uwem 's story for its fiction issue . Then , a year later , it published a revised version of the story about the half-Tutsi , half-Hutu Rwandan girl . In many ways , Uwem 's success makes sense . Even when he was studying to be a priest , he gave up precious hours of sleep to stay up writing . He applied to an MFA program and got accepted . His teachers recognized his extraordinary potential and helped Uwem to achieve it . And yet , much of Uwem 's success is inexplicable . In a world in which so little attention is paid to children 's suffering , a world in which fewer and fewer publishing houses remain interested in acquiring literary fiction and independent bookstores , even in college towns such as Ann Arbor , are closing their doors , the editors at every major publishing house in New York competed for the privilege of publishing a book that might not sell many copies but had shaken them to the core . And Oprah ... how could Oprah , who had never selected a collection of stories for her book club , choose a collection like Uwem Akpan 's , with its multilingual patois , complete absence of pathos or sentimentality and nearly unbearable-to-read violence toward children ? Yet all of this came to pass . Oprah respected her audience enough to assume that if she was so deeply moved by Uwem 's stories , they would be moved as well . In choosing `` Say You Are One of Them , '' Oprah brought to Uwem 's cause the intelligence and heart of her many readers . That any of this happened at all , let alone in five short years , is a literary miracle . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Eileen Pollack . | Eileen Pollack : There was concern about Uwem Akpan 's application to a writing program . She says he fit in well and his talent soon became evident . Akpan 's blessed with great talent for hearing people and with poetic writing ability , she says . His book of stories about African children has been selected by Oprah 's book club . | [[475, 544]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Reports that Iran has sentenced a British embassy employee to four years in prison are `` deeply concerning , '' British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Thursday . Hossein Rassam `` is a hardworking embassy official '' who was `` doing work that was wholly within the boundaries of diplomatic work , '' Miliband said at a news conference in Brussels , Belgium . The reported sentence is `` wholly unjustified and represents further harassment of embassy staff for going about their normal and legitimate duties , '' Miliband had said earlier , in a statement issued Wednesday . Rassam is one of several British embassy employees arrested in the wake of Iran 's disputed June 12 presidential election . Thousands of Iranians took to the streets to protest the official results declaring President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner . Iran accused Britain and the United States of fomenting the unrest . Rassam was put on trial in August . The European Union , France and the United Kingdom denounced the proceeding . Rassam 's lawyer has not officially been informed of the embassy worker 's sentence , and he does not know where Rassam is , he told Iranian media . Abdolsamad Khorramshahi told the Fars News Agency that the terms of Rassam 's bail did not prevent him from leaving the country . He said Rassam had been in Iran recently , but he did not know his current whereabouts . He said he could not express an opinion on the verdict before the court officially informs him of it , which he said normally happens after it is issued . The European Union condemned the reported verdict as `` unjustified and harsh , '' and urged `` the Iranian authorities to overturn it swiftly , '' the Swedish presidency of the 27-nation bloc said in a statement Thursday . `` Any action against one EU country -LRB- a citizen or member of embassy staff -RRB- is considered an action against the entire EU , and will be treated accordingly , '' the statement said . France also condemned the sentencing of Rassam . Miliband said he understood the sentence could be appealed and urged `` the authorities to conduct this quickly and overturn this harsh sentence . '' `` This will be seen as an attack against the entire diplomatic community in Iran , '' he said in a statement late Wednesday . The Foreign Office summoned the Iranian ambassador to London , and Britain 's envoy in Tehran spoke to Iran 's deputy foreign minister , Miliband said . | European Union , France and the UK denounced the trial of Rassam . Rassam one of several UK embassy employees after unrest in June . Thousands of Iranians protested the results of the presidential election . | [[976, 1053], [1993, 1999], [2005, 2041], [620, 670], [637, 743], [744, 857]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nikolai Valuev will face Ruslan Chagaev in their much-anticipated rematch for the WBA heavyweight title in Finland on May 30 . Ruslan Chagaev -LRB- left -RRB- lands a powerful left-hander during his win over Nikolai Valuev two years ago . The bout , at Helsinki 's Hartwall-Arena , will be the first-ever heavyweight contest on Finnish soil , and will see a pumped-up Valuev going all out to `` settle the score '' against the only man to defeat him in a 51-bout career . Chagaev twice pulled out of scheduled rematches with Valuev last summer due to injury problems , prompting the WBA to vacate the title . Uzbeki southpaw Chagaev has been listed as ` champion in recess ' ever since and -- as a result -- has to fight Valuev by the end of June in order to determine the undisputed champion . Valuev reclaimed the vacant belt by defeating American John Ruiz in August and defended his title against Evander Holyfield in December . `` The day has come to settle the score , '' Valuev told a news conference . `` I have been waiting for two years to make amends . Only a victory over Chagaev can put my mind at rest . '' Valuev bounced back with four wins on the spin following his loss to Chagaev in April 2007 but the Russian admits the only scalp that matters is that of the Uzbeki . `` I know everything there is to know about Chagaev , '' said Valuev . `` This is the fourth time I am actually preparing for a fight with him , '' he added , referring to the two postponed fights last year . `` Now is the time to end all this confusion . There will only be one WBA heavyweight champion after May 30 -- and that will be me . '' | Nikolai Valuev will face Ruslan Chagaev for WBA heavyweight title next month . The May 30 showdown will be the first-ever heavyweight clash on Finnish soil . Valuev looking for revenge after Chagaev won their first contest two years ago . | [[0, 9], [19, 145], [0, 9], [19, 145], [258, 266], [269, 359], [146, 257], [172, 257]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A jury sentenced an Arkansas man to life in prison without parole for killing a television anchor , officials said Thursday . The Pulaski County , Arkansas , jury on Wednesday convicted Curtis Lavelle Vance , 29 , of capital murder , residential burglary , rape and theft of property in the October 2008 slaying of Anne Pressly , 26 . Pressly , the morning news anchor for CNN affiliate KATV , was found beaten and unconscious in her home . She died five days later . Vance 's sentencing phase began after he was convicted Wednesday of capital murder , rape and burglary . Jurors were tasked with deciding whether the aggravating circumstances in favor of the death penalty outweighed the mitigating circumstances . `` Tonight , they have come back with a sentence , a sentence that they believe , and we share with them , is the harshest possible sentence for this gentleman going forward , where he will now spend the rest of his natural life in a 6-by-9 cell with nothing to think about but what he has done , '' said Guy Cannady , stepfather of the victim . `` It 's not until he 's carried out of Tucker Max in a pine box will he really meet his true judgment , '' Cannady added , referring to Arkansas ' Tucker Maximum Security Prison . He said he was not disappointed that Vance did not receive the death penalty . Prosecutor Larry Jegley said the jury gave Vance `` everything they could give him except the death penalty . '' Asked if there were too many mitigating circumstances , Jegley said , `` I do n't know . I ca n't speak for the jury . Cases like this , all you can do is put 'em in front of 12 good people and ask them to follow the evidence and do what their conscience demands . '' Attempts by CNN to reach members of Vance 's defense team were unsuccessful Wednesday and Thursday . `` There really are n't any winners tonight , '' Cannady said . `` Nothing that 's been done here will ever bring Anne back . We 'll never see her smile , we 'll never hear her laugh , we 'll never know the joy of her presence with us until we see her again in heaven . '' Among the defense witnesses presented Thursday was Vance 's mother , Jacqueline Vance Burnett , CNN affiliate KARK reported . Burnett cried on the stand as she spoke about her battle with crack addiction and admitted abusing her son when he was a child , including an incident when he was 7 years old and she slammed his head into a brick wall , the station said . A doctor testified earlier Thursday that Vance had told him school was easy for him before that incident , but difficult afterward . Both doctors said they believe Vance has frontal lobe damage to his brain as well as cognitive impairment , according to KARK . Vance was linked to the killing through DNA , however , and police said at the time of his arrest last year they were `` 110 percent '' sure he was guilty . He had given several statements to police , including one saying he was at Pressly 's home and another admitting to her murder . Defense attorney Steve Morley told CNN affiliate WREG as Vance 's trial began earlier this month that such evidence presented an obstacle for the defense , but said he hoped jurors could be persuaded to spare his client 's life . KARK reported that jurors heard recordings in which Vance apparently confessed to beating Pressly with a piece of wood . Pressly 's mother , Patti Cannady , told NBC last year her daughter fought hard for her life , breaking her left hand in the process . `` I found my daughter beyond recognition , with every bone in her face broken , her nose broken , her jaw pulverized so badly that the bone had come out of it , '' Cannady said . `` I actually thought that her throat had possibly been cut . Her entire skull had numerous fractures from which she suffered a massive stroke . '' DNA evidence has also tied Vance to a rape in April 2008 in Marianna , Arkansas , about 90 miles east of Little Rock , police said in December . CNN 's Carolina Sanchez contributed to this report . | Curtis Lavelle Vance , convicted in slaying of Anne Pressly , faced death penalty . Doctors , mother testify about Vance 's abuse as a child , possible brain damage . `` There really are n't any winners tonight , '' Pressly 's stepfather says of case . | [[2096, 2123], [2134, 2162], [2594, 2699], [1823, 1866]] |
Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A German man is facing federal charges in the United States on suspicion of trying to extort money from supermodel Cindy Crawford and her husband , using a photograph of the couple 's then-7-year-old daughter , court documents said . Edis Kayalar is charged with one count of extortion in a criminal complaint filed Thursday , according to Thom Mrozek , spokesman for the U.S. Attorney 's Office for the Central District of California . The photo , apparently taken as a prank by their former nanny , shows the couple 's daughter bound to a chair , court documents said . Kayalar was deported to Germany from the United States in September after he had repeated contacts with Crawford and her husband , business mogul Rande Gerber . However , the complaint against him alleges , he continued to demand money from them . Federal prosecutors are in contact with German authorities on the matter , Mrozek told CNN , but as of Thursday night Kayalar was not in custody . If convicted , Kayalar faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison . Kayalar first contacted Crawford and Gerber in July , according to the criminal complaint . He told Crawford , who answered the phone , that he had a photograph of their daughter and wanted to help them out because he is a `` good person , '' the documents said . Crawford then handed the telephone to her husband . Identifying himself as `` Brian , '' Kayalar told Gerber he had a photograph of their daughter in `` revealing clothing , bound to a chair and gagged , '' according to the complaint . He said he had stolen the photograph from the former nanny and that he wanted to return it because it `` bothered '' him and he felt it `` just was n't right , '' the complaint said . He told Gerber he wanted to give up the photograph so it would not end up in the tabloids , according to the documents . Kayalar told Gerber he had met the former nanny at a bar about three months before , when the woman still worked for the couple , and that he had been at her apartment and gotten Crawford 's number from the nanny 's cellular phone while the nanny was sleeping , the complaint said . The couple notified the Los Angeles County Sheriff 's Department . In the affidavit , an FBI agent states that she reviewed the photograph , which depicts the girl , who has since turned 8 , bound and gagged in a chair and wearing shorts and a T-shirt . The girl told her parents -- who did not know it had been taken -- that the former nanny took it as part of a `` cops and robbers '' game . Kayalar called again , arranging to meet Gerber at a bar in Venice , California , to return the photograph , the court documents said . He did not ask directly for money , but hinted that he was `` broke '' and would like a monetary reward for the return , according to the complaint . Gerber brought a sheriff 's deputy to the meeting . During the meeting , Kayalar told Gerber he did not have the original image with him , saying he had left it with friends for `` security purposes , '' but showed him a copy he had saved on his cellular phone , according to the complaint . He told Gerber stole the photograph from the nanny 's apartment along with a handwritten note saying , `` The baby sitter went crazy and tied everyone up and they need your help ! Please . '' Gerber and the deputy then got Kayalar to call and arrange to meet the former nanny with them . When the former nanny -- who was not identified in court documents -- saw Gerber with Kayalar , she `` became extremely upset and began to cry , '' the court documents said . She apologized to Gerber and told him the photograph had been taken as a prank , and that she initially had planned to put the photograph and the note on the front door of the couple 's home `` in order to pull a prank on Crawford '' but had not done so . On the way back to the bar , Kayalar repeatedly asked Gerber for money , the complaint said , saying that `` he could get a lot of money from the tabloids for the photograph . '' He said he would deliver the photograph to Gerber the following day . Gerber went to meet with Kayalar the next day in Malibu , later telling police he obtained a hard copy of the photograph from him and gave him $ 1,000 `` for his trouble , '' according to the court documents . But two days later , Gerber called police again , saying Kayalar called and demanded more money , saying he still had a copy of the photograph . During the Venice meeting , Kayalar told the sheriff 's deputy he was a German citizen and that his true name was Edis Kayalar , the complaint said . U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement found he was in the United States illegally , and he was arrested and deported . In November , Kayalar began calling the couple from Germany , however , saying he had no choice but to demand more money since they had `` gotten him deported , '' court documents said . He said he wanted $ 100,000 for not releasing or selling the photograph to the media . `` Kayalar stated that before , he had not committed any crime , but that now he was committing extortion , '' the complaint said . He provided them with German bank account information . Gerber asked for proof that he still had the picture , and shortly afterward received an e-mail with a copy of it . Authorities traced the computer used to send the e-mail to Stuttgart , Germany , the complaint said . Since then , Kayalar has made another attempt to obtain money from the couple , according to court documents , and Gerber stalled , saying he needed more time to get the money . | Edis Kayalar , of Germany , charged in U.S. with extortion . Man used photo of Crawford 's daughter in extortion attempt , authorities allege . Court documents : Photo , showing girl bound to a chair , apparently taken by nanny for prank . Man claimed he stole photo from nanny , court documents say . | [[14, 40], [44, 119], [278, 359], [14, 40], [192, 252], [1232, 1269], [481, 490], [493, 542], [481, 490], [545, 590], [2303, 2317], [2326, 2432], [3614, 3617], [3643, 3692], [1599, 1649], [3151, 3244], [4291, 4328]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` My One and Only '' begins with Renee Zellweger , playing a woman based on George Hamilton 's mother Anne , discovering her husband with another woman . Renee Zellweger plays a woman based on George Hamilton 's mother in `` My One and Only . '' Despite the initial heartbreak , Anne puts on a happy face , and Zellweger gives life to a character who 's determined to make the rest of her years comfortable and adventurous . Her husband 's indiscretion is the catalyst that sends Anne on a cross-country quest to find a new husband in 1953 America . She pulls her two sons out of school in New York City and the trio set off on an adventure by car . The tale has its roots in actor George Hamilton 's young life . The film takes a look at gender roles of the time and how women were perceived . Much of the film gets colored in by the characters and their ever-present emotions -LRB- though Zellweger 's fabulous frocks add plenty of color on their own -RRB- . Zellweger , who won an Oscar for `` Cold Mountain , '' spoke with CNN about `` My One And Only , '' George Hamilton and the way she believes she is perceived . Watch Zellweger talk about playing Hamilton 's mother '' CNN : What do you think of George Hamilton as a person now , knowing what he went through in his youth ? Renee Zellweger : I think it 's so fascinating . It was probably my favorite part of this experience , discovering that this was actually his life story . I mean , who knew ? You have an idea about who a person is based on their public persona and the work that they 've done . He 's a spectacular actor , and his collection of parts that he 's played and work that he 's done is unbelievable . ... But to get to know him , he 's so interesting . He 's so clever , and he 's very kind . Very kind . CNN : You 're playing Hamilton 's mother . Did he fill you in on what she was like ? Zellweger : No . You know , that 's what 's so interesting about it . -LSB- Despite -RSB- being such a personal ... project that he worked on so closely with Merv Griffin for over a decade ... he did n't . He had great faith and he just kind of let us go , which was sort of unbelievable when you look back on it . It was really clear to me from what was on the page who she was . CNN : Did you like her ? Zellweger : Very much . She 's kind of doing the best she can , and she thought , oh everything 's kind of a lark ... and things work out without your having to put your hands on it and make it happen . But she learns a different way and a more satisfying way to be involved in her own life , which is wonderful . So she sort of discovered that she could and gave herself permission to be in charge of herself . It was kind of a wonderful journey to watch . CNN : She was judged on her looks many times in the film . Have you faced similar situations , being judged on your looks and people not taking you seriously ? Zellweger : Not in such an overt way . I 'm not an actress who made her way based on physicality -- I think quite the opposite , in fact . I sort of disappear a little bit , with respect to my looks . I 'm lucky . I 'm not a standout , kind of knockout kind of girl that , you know , it 's all about my great hair or something . But , in subtle ways , maybe . I mean , people presume to know you for something and respond to you accordingly , I 'm sure . CNN : How was it stepping into the era of old Hollywood ? Did you enjoy wearing the clothes from the early '50s ? Zellweger : I loved it . I loved it . I had such a great time with it , and I brought a lot of my own things , actually . Things that have been given to me , things that I just would find while I 'm traveling on the road but have no opportunity to wear . You know , junk store finds that I think are spectacular . We brought them in , spruced them up and made them costumes . It was really exciting ; it was fun . CNN : Do you think you would have liked to work in that era ? Zellweger : Oh , yes and no . Yes because the glamour of it all or the -- it feels like play to me . It 's like playing dress-up all the time . And no because of the responsibility of having to maintain that immaculate presentation all the time would be exhausting . I think back on Marilyn Monroe putting those lashes on everyday , and I ca n't imagine , as I tie up my sneakers to go for a run . I can not imagine that you 're supposed to simultaneously look beautiful while you 're going out to buy groceries . I just do n't know that it would fit well with my personality . I do n't know that I would succeed -LRB- laughs -RRB- . | Renee Zellweger plays character based on George Hamilton 's mother in new film . Zellweger says she 's `` lucky , '' generally not judged on her looks . Character was a joy to play -- particularly the immersion in '50s era of clothes . | [[0, 24], [80, 130], [183, 271], [205, 252], [1817, 1853], [3527, 3558]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Richard Blystone was CNN 's senior correspondent in Europe throughout 1989 , witnessing and reporting on the momentous events of that year from the first protests in the communist Eastern Bloc to the fall of the Berlin Wall and revolution in Romania . CNN 's Richard Blystone reports from the former Iron Curtain in 1990 . The following year Blystone traveled the length of the former Iron Curtain to report on the new Europe emerging from its shadow . Here he recalls how the the divided continent had simply become the only reality that most people knew . It was there . Like the stop sign on the street or the wastebasket in the corner of the living room . Like a long , long overcast day . Just there . Growing up in America the Cold War , the East-West confrontation and the prospect of Mutually Assured Destruction were so prosaic you never really thought much about them . You could n't remember anything different . The situation seemed as immutable as the profile of the mountain tops or the patterns of stars in the night sky . And then , when I was 53 , in the length of a football season , it was gone . If you 're reading this online , chances are you do n't remember and ca n't ever know what it was like in the days before the collapse of communism . There was `` Duck and Cover , '' a jingly film that showed little American children what to do in the event of nuclear attack . In later years , the black humor . Tom Lehrer 's line about `` someone will set the spark off and we will all be blown away . '' Nothing to get excited about . If you were male , the U.S. draft loomed ahead , promising to take anything from six months to four years from your civilian life . Maybe more than that if you were in the Korea or Vietnam age group . During the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 , I was flying back and forth over the North Atlantic in a Navy patrol plane for 15 hours a day , not knowing what the hell was going on , trying not to dwell on the orders that could send us on a one-way mining trip to Murmansk Harbor if the balloon went up . For Germans and others along the line that divided Europe , the symbols of the threat of war were still harder to ignore . In Hungary in 1956 and in Czechoslovakia in 1968 Soviet troops had helped crush efforts to loosen Moscow 's grip . But ignore them they did . `` We could n't think about the wall , so we did n't , '' said the mayor of a West German village standing right on the border , when we talked to him in 1990 . `` The bushes had eyes , '' West German border guard Ernst Wackernagel told us , describing the creepy job of patrolling a few yards from the binoculars and guns of their East German counterparts . Very few of the people we taxpayers paid to know about such things had any idea how close the collapse was . A couple of years before , the former West German chancellor Helmut Schmidt had advised me tartly to quit asking whether Germany would ever be reunited . Not in his lifetime or mine , he said . When it came , we were all surprised we had n't seen it coming . The Poles and Hungarians had been levering into chinks in the wall for years . The rulers of the Eastern Bloc were largely aged , ossified , inflexible and corrupt , and those who served them were all that plus scared . Their system was beyond repair . Along came Mikhail Gorbachev , the first Soviet leader born after the Russian revolution , who saw things as they were and was tired of pouring money into a clapped-out old car . He became a hero to young people in the East . Near the end of August , activists from East and West had celebrated a `` Pan European Picnic '' on the now-neutered border between Hungary and Austria . A few weeks later , the rush was on . CNN poured resources into the story . I was there , and will always be glad that I was . Poland , Germany , Czechoslovakia , Bulgaria . And finally , at the end of the year , poor tortured , abused Romania threw off the system in what I found the most emotionally charged days of the whole upheaval . But I was never satisfied with the way the West received it all . We had become used to instant gratification , and this was an example . The drama was over , the commercials came on , and world was supposed to live happily ever after . And it did n't . The whole experience made me realize that liberty is not a thing . It is a way of life . If you do n't practice it , you do n't have it . A couple of months later , three of us made a journey along the line to check on what was happening . We called it the Iron Curtain Odyssey . But that 's another story ... | `` Iron Curtain '' dividing Europe felt permanent to those who grew up after WWII . Former senior correspondent Richard Blystone covered momentous events of 1989 . Blystone : East-West divide was `` like a long , long overcast day '' Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev recognized system was `` clapped-out old car '' | [[472, 552], [19, 93], [0, 15], [111, 270]] |
HONG KONG , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Yue Minjun acknowledges that `` Execution , '' inspired by the bloody Tiananmen crackdown in 1989 , is the most politically sensitive of his work . A section of Yue Minjun 's `` Execution , '' which the artist shows how human conflict is worth laughing at . But while Tiananmen served as the catalyst , the oil painting should not be seen as depicting what happened at Tiananmen , the Beijing-based artist said this week through a translator in a phone interview . Billed by Sotheby 's as `` among the most historically important paintings of the Chinese avant-garde ever to appear at auction , '' `` Execution '' had been tucked away from sight until now . Its owner bought it from a gallery in Hong Kong a decade ago under condition that the painting not be shown in public because of its subject matter , according to Sotheby 's . On Friday , it went on auction in London , a highlight in a contemporary arts sale that also included Jean-Michel Basquiat 's `` Untitled -LRB- Head -RRB- , '' Mark Rothko 's `` Untitled -LRB- Blue Divided by Blue -RRB- '' , Andy Warhol 's `` Jackie , '' Francis Bacon 's `` Studies of Isabel Rawsthorne , '' and Damien Hirst 's `` Adenosine . '' `` Execution '' would become the most expensive work of Chinese contemporary art at auction , selling for 2.9 million British pounds -LRB- $ 5.9 million -RRB- . It eclipsed Yue 's previous record , set in June when his `` The Pope '' sold for nearly 2.15 million British pounds -LRB- $ 4.37 million -RRB- . The sale of `` Execution '' also comes on the same week another Yue piece , `` The Massacre at Chios , '' sold for nearly $ 4.1 million at a Sotheby 's auction of contemporary Chinese art in Hong Kong . Stretching across `` Execution '' is a long red building , suggesting Tiananmen 's gate outside the Forbidden City . Is the painting of Tiananmen ? `` I want the audience not to think of one thing or one place or one event , '' he said from his Beijing home . `` The whole world 's the background . '' The red building , he explains , is simply something that 's familiar to him as a Chinese artist . `` As I said , the viewer should not link this painting to Tiananmen . But Tiananmen is the catalyst for conceiving of this painting . '' The background may make people think of Tiananmen because he is a Chinese artist . `` But it should not be , '' he said . Yue painted `` Execution '' in a month -- in 1995 . However , `` it took me quite a long time for me to put the idea together . '' The big picture , he said , `` it 's on the whole world 's human conflict that is worth laughing about . '' Drawing references to Francisco de Goya 's `` The Third of May , 1808 : The Execution of the Defenders of Madrid '' and Edouard Manet 's `` The Execution of the Emperor Maximilien of Mexico , '' the painting depicts a mock execution . Manet , it must be pointed out , modeled his painting after Goya 's ; and Yue 's `` Execution '' mirrors both of those -- but with his trademark grinning clones , all likenesses of Yue himself . And the men in the position of being shot are shown in their underwear . `` People feel freedom , most themselves , at home in their underpants , '' Yue said . And whereas in Goya 's painting , the man 's hands are up in resistance , the men 's hands in `` Execution '' are down . `` They are not fearing death , '' Yue said . `` The laughs illustrate my deep feelings , '' he said . The viewer will feel happiness but also fear toward the future and the unknown , a universal sentiment , he said . `` One might be very happy now but always unsure of what 's going to happen next . `` I think Chinese and the world have similar feelings in this respect , '' he said . As for the main figures that dominate the right-half of the painting , they assume the position of holding the guns , but without the guns themselves . `` In my painting , they 're pretending to hold guns , as if playing a game . '' The man on the far right , holding one hand to his chest and another by his waist , is a direct reference to the man on the far right-hand side of Manet 's painting : In that , he is cocking a gun . Yue disagrees with the notion that his paintings are a veiled criticism of his government or of Chinese society , and he does not believe that this work will bring him trouble . `` I think the painting expresses my feelings . It 's not a criticism , '' he said , describing himself as not having strong political leanings . `` I was trying to express my confusion over what I see . '' The world has similar problems , he said . Yue said he does not agree with being tagged a `` Cynical Realist , '' a term coined by leading art critic Li Xianting to describe China 's post-Tiananmen generation of disillusioned artists . At the same time , he does n't concern himself about what people call him , he said . That his painting has political undertones is inevitable , he said . `` I can not recall any event that has shaped my political views , but politics is everywhere in Chinese life , like the meal you eat every day , '' he said . Of China , he said , `` I think it is full of hope , but there are a lot of difficulties , too . China has a long cultural history and also faces a lot of problems right now . Right now , people are not satisfied , but we can find our way out . '' Yue sold `` Execution '' to Hong Kong art dealer Manfred Schoeni shortly after painting it . `` It sold for about $ 5,000 , '' Yue said . `` Probably not any cent would come back to me , '' he said of the millions his paintings now garner at auctions . Now 45 , Yue said he learned about other artists through reading books after 1978 , when China had begun to open itself up under new leader Deng Xiaoping 's `` Open Door policy . '' The decade-long Cultural Revolution that had preceded made reading books an impossibility . And what is the meaning behind the cloned figures that bear his likeness in all his paintings ? `` Because I want to be famous . '' | NEW : `` Execution '' sold for $ 5.9 million , a record for contemporary Chinese art . Yue : Tiananmen was catalyst for `` Execution , '' but painting does not depict it . The big picture is , the world 's human conflict is worth laughing at , Yue says . Owner tucked painting away from public view for a decade . | [[1218, 1309], [299, 337], [340, 415], [2204, 2263], [227, 229], [247, 294], [2538, 2545], [2548, 2593], [2560, 2563], [2579, 2593], [2599, 2624], [2560, 2593], [2608, 2624], [630, 694], [695, 789]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- CNN 's Lou Dobbs stepped down from his controversial role as an advocacy anchor at the network at the end of his show Wednesday night , saying he plans to seek a more activist role . `` Over the past six months , it has become increasingly clear that strong winds of change have begun buffeting this country and affecting all of us , and some leaders in media , politics and business have been urging me to go beyond the role here at CNN and to engage in constructive problem-solving as well as to contribute positively to a better understanding of the great issues of our day and to continue to do so in the most honest and direct language possible , '' Dobbs said during his 7 p.m. broadcast . Dobbs , 64 , said he had discussed the issue with CNN President Jonathan Klein , who had agreed to a release from his contract `` that will enable me to pursue new opportunities . '' In a written statement , Klein called Dobbs `` a valued founding member of the CNN family . '' `` For decades , Lou fearlessly and tirelessly pursued some of the most important and complex stories of our time , often well ahead of the pack , '' Klein said . `` All of us will miss his appetite for big ideas , the megawatt smile and larger-than-life presence he brought to our newsroom , and we 're grateful to have known and worked with him over the years . `` With characteristic forthrightness , Lou has now decided to carry the banner of advocacy journalism elsewhere . We respect his decision and wish him , Debi -LSB- Dobbs ' wife -RSB- , and his family the very best . '' Dobbs , who is the last of the 29-year-old network 's original anchors , said he was considering `` a number of options and directions . '' He cited the growth of the middle class , the creation of jobs , health care , immigration policy , the environment , climate change and the U.S. military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as `` the major issues of our time . '' But , he said , `` Each of those issues is , in my opinion , informed by our capacity to demonstrate strong resilience of our now weakened capitalist economy and demonstrate the political will to overcome the lack of true representation in Washington , D.C. I believe these to be profoundly , critically important issues and I will continue to strive to deal honestly and straightforwardly with those issues in the future . '' Read Dobbs ' full statement about his departure from CNN . Those issues , he added , are defined in the public arena `` by partisanship and ideology rather than by rigorous , empirical forethought , analysis and discussion , '' and he vowed to work to change that . In an e-mail to CNN staff members , Klein described the parting as `` extremely amicable , '' and said Dobbs ' replacement would be announced soon . Dobbs was with Cable News Network from its initial broadcasts in 1980 , acting as chief economics correspondent and host of the business program `` Moneyline . '' His coverage of the 1987 stock market crash won him the George Foster Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting . That was one of many awards he received while at CNN , including an Emmy for Lifetime Achievement that he received from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2005 . Dobbs left the network in 1999 to found SPACE.com , a Web site devoted to space-related subjects . He returned to the network in 2001 as anchor and managing editor of CNN 's Moneyline News Hour , which became Lou Dobbs Tonight . He also acted as lead business news anchor for CNN/U . S. and CNNfn , the forerunner of CNNMoney . During his second stint at CNN , Dobbs positioned himself as `` tough , relentless , independent , '' lashing out at what he described as the deficiencies and `` partisan nonsense '' of both major political parties , and injecting advocacy journalism into his coverage of topics ranging from free trade to immigration . His no-holds-barred , sometimes acerbic style brought him a loyal following , but also attracted controversy both to him and to the network , especially over the subject of illegal immigrants . Dobbs will continue as anchor of The Lou Dobbs Show , a daily radio show that began in March 2008 and is distributed to more than 160 stations nationwide by United Stations Radio Networks Inc. . | Dobbs , 64 , said President Jonathan Klein agreed to release him from his contract . Departure will `` enable me to pursue new opportunities , '' said Dobbs . Dobbs said he was considering `` a number of opportunities and directions '' Dobbs ' no-holds-barred style brought loyal following , but also controversy . | [[769, 804], [809, 853], [833, 853], [859, 903], [1586, 1591], [1659, 1722], [3910, 3985], [3910, 3955], [3997, 4049]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Army Secretary John McHugh ordered a new investigation into poor record keeping and other problems at Arlington National Cemetery even as a separate investigation ended without an absolute answer to who is buried in a grave marked `` Unknown . '' `` As the final resting place of our nation 's heroes , any questions about the integrity or accountability of its operations should be examined in a manner befitting their service and sacrifice , '' McHugh said in a statement after signing the order directing the Army 's Inspector General to begin an investigation into allegations regarding cemetery operations . The Army IG is already in the middle of an investigation ordered by the previous secretary of the Army to review management of the cemetery . In recent years , the cemetery -- where President Kennedy and thousands of fallen U.S. soldiers , sailors , airmen and Marines are buried -- has had a number of embarrassing problems . In 2008 , the cemetery discovered that workers inadvertently buried cremated remains at a grave site already in use . Those remains were moved to another grave site . In 2003 , as workers were digging a grave for a new burial , they discovered a casket already buried there . There was no headstone or grave marker to indicate who . Only recently , after a report by a journalist at Salon.com , did the Army take action on the problem . Over the summer , the cemetery put up a headstone on the mystery grave that reads `` Unknown . '' As McHugh ordered the new investigation , the Army released results of a separate investigation of problems at the cemetery . That investigation focused on the discovery of the `` Unknown '' grave . A spokesman for the Military District of Washington , which conducted the review , said `` Cemetery records , the MDW investigation , and the non-invasive geophysical analysis of the grave sites strongly indicate that a husband and wife , who died years apart and should have been buried in the same grave site , were instead buried in adjacent graves . '' A DNA test of the remains in the two adjacent graves could prove conclusively that is what happened , but the family of the husband and wife did not wish for their remains to be disturbed . The MDW said the Army will abide by the family 's wishes and has ordered a headstone to properly mark the wife 's grave . One of the problems discovered by the MDW investigation was a possible lack of adequate staffing at the cemetery . Last year Arlington conducted 4,377 burials , up more than 21 percent over the past 10 years . During that same period the number of civilian staff members has dropped nearly 19 percent . Currently the cemetery has four employees to schedule 135 to 150 funerals a week as well as maintain all grave records . Arlington , which sits on a hill across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial , has been the final resting place for America 's military heroes since the Civil War , when the Union seized the estate from the family of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee . McHugh hopes this new investigation will `` ensure America 's confidence in the operation of its most hallowed ground . '' | Army Secretary John McHugh orders inquiry into poor record keeping . Previous investigation sought to identify remains in grave marked `` Unknown '' In recent years , the cemetery has had a number of embarrassing problems . | [[0, 20], [30, 159], [246, 273], [1460, 1477], [1483, 1501], [785, 800], [803, 815], [883, 969]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rafael Nadal ended the Paris Masters run of defending champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Friday to help fellow-Spaniard Fernando Verdasco book his spot at the ATP World Tour Finals in London . Tsonga needed to retain his title to deny Verdasco a place at the prestigious eight-man tournament later this month , but found Nadal far too consistent and fell to a 7-5 7-5 quarterfinal defeat . The world number two struggled in his first two matches , saving five match points against Nicolas Almagro before edging out Tommy Robredo , but his form was much improved on Friday . Tsonga dominated much of the first set with his blistering groundstrokes but could not take advantage of five break points and gradually Nadal took the sting out of his opponent before breaking in the 11th game . The second set took on a similar pattern , although the errors were more frequent from the home favorite and Nadal again broke at 5-5 thanks to a poor game from Tsonga . The 23-year-old confidently served out for victory and will now face third seed Novak Djokovic in a superb semifinal showdown on Saturday . Djokovic was a 6-4 1-6 6-3 winner against Robin Soderling , who would needed to reach the final in Bercy to have a chance of reaching the London finals . The Swede dominated the second set and created 14 break points on his opponent 's serve during the match , but took only three of them . Serb Djokovic admitted he was not at his best and was relieved to reach the last four after a fifth successive victory over Soderling . He told Sky Sports : `` I 'm very pleased to go through , it was a big struggle for me . Mostly I was fighting myself . In the second set I was not moving well and I was letting him control the match but in the end I managed to hold the nerves and focus . '' Nadal and Djokovic have met 19 times , with the Spaniard holding a clear lead at 14-5 . However , Djokovic won their last encounter in Cincinnati in August for the loss of only five games . | Rafael Nadal beats holder Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to reach Paris Masters semifinals . Nadal will now face Novak Djokovic who saw off Sweden 's Robin Soderling . Tsonga 's defeat means Fernando Verdasco is assured a place in the ATP World Finals in London . | [[19, 100], [972, 987], [1027, 1035], [1041, 1111], [972, 987], [1032, 1111], [1112, 1169], [119, 207]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In these cash-strapped times , you might well wonder why governments around the world continue to pour millions of dollars in to their respective space programs . Space exploration has produced a host of medical benefits including the ingestible thermometer pill . But one of the very important by-products of space exploration has been the adaptation and invention of medical equipment and technologies which are making individual lives better and in many cases saving them . Most people are familiar with temper foam -- perhaps the most famous of NASA 's many medical spinoffs -- which started life protecting astronauts ' posteriors in the 1960s and is now used in a host of products from mattresses to athletic shoes . It is surprising to note how many aspects of space exploration have played a part in helping scientists improve the health of nations . Who would have thought that analysing fluid flow around a Space Shuttle engine would help create a tiny heart pump ? Or that a water purification device for astronauts could help patients suffering from kidney disease . And that the humble hospital thermometer would be transformed by measuring infrared radiation in the stars and planets ? | Space exploration has provided us with numerous medical benefits . Space Shuttle engines have influenced an ingenious heart pump . Measuring infrared radiation of the planets has revolutionized the thermometer . NASA put the first men on the moon 40 years ago on July 20 , 1969 . | [[199, 300], [759, 761], [776, 894], [1119, 1235]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Britain 's Prince Charles has converted his 38-year-old Aston Martin to run on biofuel made from surplus wine , his office revealed Tuesday . Prince Charles with Camilla , Duchess of Cornwall , on a visit to a whiskey distillery in Northern Ireland last month . The car was a 21st birthday present from Queen Elizabeth , and the prince has converted it to run on 100 percent bioethanol as a way to reduce his carbon emissions , his office , Clarence House , said . The prince has also converted his other cars -- several Jaguars , an Audi and a Range Rover -- to run on 100 percent biodiesel fuel made from used cooking oil , his office added . Details of the prince 's biofuel use were made public Monday in his household 's 2008 Annual Review , which details the prince 's income and activities over the past year . The report says Charles and his household reduced their carbon footprint by 18 percent last year after switching to green electricity supplies and reducing their travel-related emissions . Charles , 59 , has a strong interest in environmental issues and rural affairs . He is active in environmental charities , and his food company , Duchy Originals , uses ingredients produced at his organic farm in Cornwall , southwestern England . The biofuels are converted and provided by Green Fuels Limited , a British company that previously provided biodiesel to power the royal train , Clarence House said . The wine used for the bioethanol comes from current vintage that remains after English wine producers reach the EU limit for annual wine production , a spokesman for Green Fuels said . The prince uses wine from a vineyard close to his Highgrove Estate , the spokesman said . | Prince Charles ' office reveals his car runs on biofuel made from surplus wine . Prince converted other cars to run on biodiesel fuel made from used cooking oil . Report says prince 's household cut carbon footprint by 18 percent last year . The prince renown for strong interest in environmental issues and rural affairs . | [[0, 6], [9, 32], [47, 122], [115, 145], [148, 177], [681, 780], [0, 6], [9, 32], [47, 122], [501, 592], [606, 659], [854, 926], [882, 1000], [1043, 1050], [1058, 1123]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An explosion that critically injured the chairman of the Arkansas Medical Board on Wednesday was caused by a bomb , police said . Dr. Trent Pierce was injured outside his home Wednesday , authorities and local media say . Dr. Trent Pierce was wounded when the car blew up in front of his West Memphis , Arkansas , home , authorities said . Earlier , police told CNN affiliate WREG that they did not believe foul play was involved . Pierce , a family practitioner who specializes in asthma , was flown to a Memphis , Tennessee , hospital in extremely critical condition , the station reported , citing police . The blast occurred at about 8 a.m. as Pierce got into the car , affiliate WMC-TV reported . Aerial footage from the scene showed the white SUV with its hood blown up and its front end extensively damaged . Medical board spokeswoman Peggy Cryer said the board heard Pierce was flown to the hospital but had no definite information beyond that . `` We do not know enough to give any kind of statement , '' she said . Callers to Pierce 's office received an answering machine message saying the office is closed , but the call repeatedly disconnected during the recording , preventing messages from being left . Doris Davis , who works in an eye doctor 's office next door , said Pierce 's office staff is swamped trying to deal with patients who arrived for their appointments . FBI spokesman Jason Pack said agents were en route to the scene , along with personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives . The FBI is assisting local authorities in their investigation , he said . West Memphis , Arkansas , and Memphis , Tennessee , are separated by the Mississippi River . Pierce was described as a pillar of the community in West Memphis , a small town of about 30,000 people . Davis said Pierce is well-liked , active in his church and is married with two adult children . She said the FBI was at her office and interviewed her boss , Dr. Eddie Bryant . Bryant is a close friend of Pierce 's and went to medical school with him , Davis said . CNN 's Kathleen Shahriari contributed to this report . | NEW : Police say bomb placed in doctor 's car . Dr. Trent Pierce described as pillar of community , well-liked . Aerial footage shows Lexus SUV with its front end extensively damaged . | [[1725, 1790], [1831, 1885], [799, 834]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hundreds of Egyptians took part Monday in the funeral of Marwa Sherbini , an Egyptian woman who was stabbed to death last week in the German city of Dresden in a crime believed to be racially motivated . Egyptians take part in the funeral of Marwa Sherbini , who was murdered in Germany last week . Sherbini , 33 , was stabbed to death Wednesday in a courtroom as she prepared to give testimony against a German man of Russian descent whom she had sued for insult and abuse . The man , identified in German media as Alex A. , 28 , was convicted of calling Sherbini , who wore a headscarf , `` terrorist , '' `` bitch '' and `` Islamist '' when she asked him him to leave a swing for her 3-year-old son Mustafa during an August 2008 visit to a children 's park . He was fined and appealed the ruling . The two were in court Wednesday for that appeal when Alex A. attacked , pulling out a knife and stabbing Sherbini 18 times . He also stabbed her husband three times and attacked another person . According to Arab media , police officers tried to intervene to end the fight , and a number of shots were fired . One hit the husband , who fell unconscious and is currently in intensive care in the hospital of Dresden University . Sherbini was three months pregnant at the time of her death . Hundreds attended Sherbini 's funeral in Alexandria , Egypt , her hometown , among them government officials , including Egyptian Manpower Minister Aisha Abdel Hadi and Telecommunications Minister Tariq Kamel , Egyptian media reported . Many shouted hostile slogans against Germany and called for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to take a firm stand on the incident . Egypt 's grand mufti , Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi , demanded the severest punishment to be issued against Alex A. Berlin witnessed angry protests on Saturday , when hundreds of Arabs and Muslims demonstrated after a funeral prayer that called her killing an outrageous racist murder against Muslims . In a phone call with Al Arabiya , Marwa 's brother , Tariq Sherbini , said , `` Extremism has no religion . My sister was killed simply because she wore the veil . This incident clearly shows that extremism is not limited to one religion or another and it is not exclusively carried out by Muslims . '' `` We are only asking for a fair punishment , '' he said , adding that his sister was not a radical . `` She was a religious woman who prayed and wore her headscarf , but she was killed because of her belief . '' Anger about Sherbini 's death smoldered online , as Twitterers and bloggers pushed the cause . `` She is a victim of hatred and racism , '' tweeted Ghada Essawy , among many other Arab twitters and bloggers . Essawy called Sherbini `` the martyr of the veil . '' Various videos circulated on YouTube calling on Egypt to take action and urging Germany to address what their makers saw as a new wave of hatred against Arabs and Muslims in its community . One video showed various pictures of a young happy Marwa saying that `` The woman stood up for her rights and she was killed . May God bless her . '' The English font in the video presentation asked `` when will Egypt cares for its citizens ' rights inside Egypt and abroad . '' Sherbini and her husband moved to Dresden in 2003 , after the husband received a grant to study genetic engineering in the renowned Max Planck Institute . He was scheduled to present his Ph.D. thesis in the coming days . CNN 's Saad Abedine contributed to this report . | Sherbini killed in courtroom as she prepared to give testimony against man . The man was convicted of calling Sherbini a `` terrorist , '' `` bitch '' and `` Islamist '' Many Egyptians shout hostile slogans against Germany during her funeral . | [[318, 326], [329, 331], [334, 386], [383, 453], [495, 542], [550, 583], [2702, 2726], [1547, 1591]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A militia killed a ranger in a Democratic Republic of Congo park where authorities are trying to protect endangered gorillas threatened by civil war , the park said . Safari Kakule , a ranger at Virunga National Park , was killed Thursday in an attack by a militia , the park says . A Mai Mai militia attacked a ranger station in the Virunga National Park on Thursday night and killed ranger Safari Kakule , according to a news release from the park . Another ranger was wounded in the attack , and one of the rebels was captured , the statement said . The Mai Mai are community-based militias without specific political objectives , often involved in banditry and looting , the park statement said . `` It is not clear why the group attacked -LSB- the ranger station -RSB- but the attack went on for several hours during Thursday night and the rangers were heavily outnumbered , '' the statement said . Seven rangers were at the station when the attack happened , according to the statement . That area of the park is home to an isolated population of 18 endangered Eastern Lowland gorillas . The park also is home to about 200 of the world 's estimated 700 mountain gorillas , the park has said . The Virunga park 's Web site said 15 additional rangers have been sent to the park , where they will be `` strengthening the position , which we can not abandon . '' `` Because of the arrest that the rangers were able to make , we have several leads on the perpetrators of the attack , who will be brought to justice , '' a statement on the Web site said . More than 100 rangers returned to the park 's gorilla sector late last year after hundreds of rangers fled the area in 2007 because of fighting involving ethnic Tutsi rebels , the Congolese army and militias . Rangers and scientists were out of contact with the park 's endangered gorillas for more than a year until rangers returned late last year , the park said . | One ranger killed , another injured in attack by militia , park says . One attacker captured ; park says it does n't know why rangers were attacked . Park in Democratic Republic of Congo is home to endangered gorillas . Rangers are trying to protect gorillas threatened by civil war . | [[19, 83], [170, 185], [186, 199], [238, 283], [286, 301], [302, 319], [397, 424], [1198, 1217], [1926, 1941], [518, 548], [723, 792], [1013, 1112], [90, 143], [90, 101], [116, 167]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- We were scheduled to speak with Steve Martin just after his sound check for a concert in Los Angeles to benefit the city 's public libraries . We pulled into the parking structure 45 minutes early when my cell phone rang . It was Martin 's publicist . Steve Martin has been playing the banjo for decades . His new album is a collection of bluegrass tunes . `` Hey , where are you ? '' she asked urgently . `` We 're in the garage , '' I replied . `` Can you get up here quickly ? He 's ready . '' A musician ready early ? There goes his street cred . Interviewing Martin can be like an awkward first date . Like many comedians , he 's polite , but he sometimes struggles to make eye contact , gives monosyllabic answers and leaves the impression that he wants to be anywhere but talking to you . But when the subject is his new album , `` The Crow : New Songs for the Five-String Banjo , '' he 's chatty , enthusiastic and engaged . On the CD , the comic/actor/novelist / playwright/musician shows off his picking skills as well as his ability to craft witty bluegrass songs with titles such as `` Hoedown at Alice 's , '' `` Wally on the Run '' and `` Late for School . '' It 's been his passion for 45 of his 63 years . This past weekend , the ultimate Hollywood hyphenate made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry . `` The Crow '' has received more than respectable reviews , but that 's not surprising , given Martin 's uncanny ability to excel in whatever he does -- except maybe idle chitchat . The following is an edited version of the interview : . CNN : People know you as a versatile artist , but now it 's about the banjo and your bluegrass album , `` The Crow : New Songs for the Five-String Banjo . '' Steve Martin : I did a lot of things when I first started out . In order to be in show business , I juggled , I did magic tricks , cards tricks and I played the banjo . CNN : You 've been playing it for 45 years , right ? Martin : Yes , I have . It 's a long time , and I remember when I was going through a particularly difficult time of learning , I 'd go , `` Well , if I just stick with it , one day I 'll be saying , ` I 've been playing for 40 years . ' '' CNN : Picking up the banjo might seem likely if you grew up in the Appalachians -- maybe Kentucky or somewhere down South . But you grew up in Garden Grove , California . This is the O.C. Martin : There was a lot of musical activity in Orange County in the 1960s . There were the Dillards , and Doc Watson would come by , Ramblin ' Jack Elliott , all these different players . I also had this friend , John McEuen , in high school , and he played , and he actually produced this album now -- 45 years later . -LSB- McEuen is a founding member of country-bluegrass group , the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band . -RSB- . CNN : Is n't John the one who taught you how to do an `` Open D '' tuning on the banjo ? Martin : Yes , he did . CNN : See , I read your CD liner notes . -LSB- Both laugh -RSB- There 's a cute little story in there about taking a photo of the three things you love most -- your wife , your dog and the banjo . Martin : Well , we all love more things that that . I just happened to take a photo , and there was my wife , my dog and my banjo , all in the same shot -- and I thought , `` Oh , that 's like a family portrait right there . '' CNN : Sounds like your next Christmas card to me . ... You 're playing a benefit for the Los Angeles Public Library . Martin : As you can see , it 's sold out -LSB- gestures to an empty room -RSB- . ... You know , it 's also a little bit sneaky , because doing a benefit takes the pressure off having to be so great . This is the first time I 've really played banjo live as a concert -- ever . I mean , I 've played a song or two , but I 've never done a dozen songs , so I hope people will be forgiving . CNN : Are you nervous at all ? Martin : I 'm a little nervous . CNN : Really ? A little butterfly or two ? I 'm surprised . Martin : No butterflies , but it 's very different playing music onstage if you 're not used to it . I mean , doing comedy is one thing . I used to get nervous on that , but I was very practiced . I 'm as practiced as I can be . I 'm performing with the Steep Canyon Rangers , a group I met in North Carolina . They 're a renowned bluegrass group -- young men who play and sing really , really well . I 'm lucky to have them . CNN : You 've won three Grammys and an Emmy . You do all kinds of things -- a modern-day Renaissance man . Martin : Well , in a strange way , I do n't have a job , so I have a lot of time on my hands . When I do work , it might be very concentrated , and it might be months where you 're not really doing anything except maybe playing the banjo or writing something . You know , there 's a lot of time in the day if you 're not working 9 to 5 . CNN : Writing books , writing plays , doing comedy , writing music ? Martin : It 's been a long life . CNN : So have you decided whether you 're going to embark on a full-fledged tour ? Martin : I 'm kind of seeing if -- you know , I have n't really performed for a long , long time -- 30 years live onstage . You know , I 've done things like host the Oscars and things like that . But it 's a little different . You have to get comfortable , you really have to know what you 're doing , and it has to be almost boring to you to be able to do it well . You have to be so confident . I need to get some shows under my belt just to feel really good about it . CNN : They always say comedians are the least confident people in the entertainment industry . Do you feel like you 're not confident ? Martin : No , I feel confident , but I know what they mean because when you tell a joke , it might last six seconds , and then you have to tell another joke . But a song lasts three minutes , and then you have another song for three minutes and you 've killed six minutes . In that time , a comedian does 360 jokes . Might not be the right math but anyway . CNN : When you guest-hosted `` Saturday Night Live '' in January , you performed one of the songs on your new album -- which you immediately made available on the Web . Martin : It was an exclusive release on Amazon because I knew I was doing `` SNL , '' and I wanted the record to be available , and the only way you could get it available that quickly was electronically . And now it 's out on Rounder in a more normal release now . CNN : Are you a big iPod guy who downloads stuff constantly ? Martin : I do , a lot . I find a lot of songs that way . I use the Internet a lot to find music . I always download it legally -- especially my own songs . -LSB- Laughs -RSB- I think it 's very important to keep that honor among yourselves . CNN : Who do you find a lot of your fans are musically ? Are they people who have followed your career from the early days of `` SNL '' ? Martin : I honestly do n't know . It 's too new . I do n't know if there are any fans . I know that the record sold really well on Amazon , but you know there 's a bluegrass audience for bluegrass music , and there 's probably an audience that wants to see , `` OK , let 's see if this idiot can play . '' CNN : Can you ? Martin : We 'll see tonight . -LSB- Laughs -RSB- I do have a record out . | Steve Martin 's new album is not comedy but features bluegrass music . Martin is an accomplished banjo player , often used instrument as prop . Martin just made debut at Grand Ole Opry in Nashville , Tennessee . | [[350, 400], [296, 349], [1266, 1275], [1286, 1357]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A suspect was arrested Wednesday night in connection with the death of Little Rock , Arkansas , television news anchor Anne Pressly , police said . Anne Pressly , 26 , was a popular morning news anchor at KATV-TV in Little Rock , Arkansas . Curtis Lavell Vance , 28 , was arrested at a Little Rock home soon after investigators named him as a suspect . CNN affiliate KATV-TV in Little Rock reported that police were tipped off to Vance 's location after investigators publicly identified him as a suspect at a news conference . `` We went there and he 's in custody , '' said Lt. Terry Hastings , a police spokesman . Little Rock Police Chief Stuart Thomas did not say what led investigators to name Vance as a suspect , but he said it was `` a very , very solid case due to solid detective work . '' Pressly , 26 , was found beaten at her home in October . The KATV anchor had been beaten around her face and upper body . She died days later in a hospital . She had been sedated and unable to speak to police or family members , and suffered massive brain swelling , her family said . Her condition had seemed to be improving shortly before her death . Police earlier said Pressly might have been the victim of a burglary because her purse was missing . Her credit card was used at a gas station sometime this week , police said . Pressly 's left hand was broken , possibly as she tried to fight off her attacker . During the investigation , detectives combed the area around Pressly 's home in the Heights neighborhood , a mix of bungalows and mansions near the Little Rock Country Club . A $ 30,000 reward , established by KATV , was offered to anyone providing information leading to the arrest of Pressly 's attacker . | NEW : Little Rock , Arkansas , police chief says he has `` solid case '' against suspect . Curtis Lavell Vance , 28 , arrested late Wednesday in death of TV news anchor . KATV-TV anchor Anne Pressly was 26 . She was severely beaten in her home , died days later at hospital . | [[744, 816], [19, 71], [260, 279], [282, 284], [287, 371], [820, 827], [830, 832], [835, 876], [942, 977]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Pentagon is blocking public release of photos apparently depicting abuse of suspected terrorists and foreign troops in U.S. custody , and urging the Supreme Court to dismiss a lower court ruling ordering the photos to be publicly disclosed , according to court documents . Defense Secretary Robert Gates notified the high court late Friday that he was issuing an order to block the release . The photos have been at the center of a years-long lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union . Congress last month gave the Obama administration specific authority to prevent any release of the 44 photos . Afterward , Gates signed a certificate of authorization , or order , to prevent the photos ' release , saying their disclosure would endanger U.S. troops serving abroad . The order covers all photographs taken of people captured or detained in overseas military operations between September 11 , 2001 , the day of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington , and January 22 , 2009 , shortly after President Obama took office . The Pentagon initially was set to release the images of Iraqi and Afghan prisoners in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the ACLU . But Obama and the Justice Department objected to the court-ordered release , reversing an earlier executive decision . Obama had initially agreed to the release , but changed his mind after military leaders privately and intensely urged him to block it . The ACLU criticized the administration 's about-face , saying it `` makes a mockery '' of Obama 's campaign promise of greater transparency and accountability , and damages efforts to hold accountable those responsible for abusing prisoners . A homeland security appropriations bill passed October 29 by Congress and signed by the president grants the Department of Defense authority to withhold the photographs . The images were gathered as part of a military investigation into allegations that detainees held in Afghanistan and Iraq were tortured and physically abused . According to the government legal brief filed with the high court , several of the photos show `` soldiers pointing pistols or rifles at the heads of hooded and handcuffed detainees . '' Other images described by military reports show prisoners in restrained and humiliating positions . Military investigations led to criminal charges against some of the soldiers shown in the images . The photos currently at issue are separate from those first publicly released in 2006 showing abuse of Muslim men held at Baghdad 's Abu Ghraib prison . The New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in September 2008 that the photos must be released . The president later said that doing so `` would pose an unacceptable risk of danger to U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq . '' Newest Justice Sonia Sotomayor had served on that appeals court until August , but was not involved in that particular case . The high court has delayed for weeks a decision on whether it would accept the ACLU appeal on the broader issues associated with government authority to block release of potentially embarrassing and inflammatory material by the military . The justices will now probably wait to hear from the ACLU over Gates ' order before deciding whether to take the case . The Senate in May voted for the Detainee Photographic Records Protection Act , which would limit the reach of the Freedom of Information Act request in this instance . The House adopted a similar provision in October . Other photos could be released under the earlier appeals court ruling . The case is Department of Defense v. ACLU -LRB- 09-160 -RRB- . Separately , the administration also urged the high court to dismiss a pending lawsuit by several Guantanamo Bay detainees , over their claims of torture and religious discrimination . A brief was filed by the Justice Department late Friday , the same time as the separate photograph disclosure case . Four British men , all Muslims and former detainees at the military prison at the Navy base in Cuba , had sued onetime Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other top Pentagon officials , saying they knew of and condoned physical abuse and denial of rights guaranteed under international law . A federal appeals court had dismissed the lawsuit -- the second one filed by the men -- saying the officials had immunity from such claims . But in June 2008 , the Supreme Court allowed Guantanamo prisoners to challenge their captivity in federal court , and the justices in December urged the lower court to reconsider its decision against the British detainees . In the government filing , Solicitor General Elena Kagan told the high court to exercise caution in granting what she called `` new rights '' to detained foreign fighters suing for damages in a military setting . The high court , she noted , had previously told lower courts `` to pay particular heed to any special factors counseling hesitation before authorizing a new kind of federal litigation . '' The case is Rasul v. Myers -LRB- 09-227 -RRB- . | Documents show Pentagon urging Supreme Court to dismiss ruling ordering photos ' release . Defense secretary says showing photos would endanger U.S. troops abroad . Obama , Justice Department have objected to release , reversing executive decision . Separately , administration wants Gitmo detainees ' suit alleging torture , discrimination dismissed . | [[0, 26], [172, 248], [208, 273], [2066, 2118], [3671, 3681], [3684, 3702], [3708, 3855], [30, 79], [648, 653], [739, 806], [2704, 2828], [2743, 2828], [1228, 1298], [1228, 1260], [1301, 1342], [3671, 3681], [3684, 3702], [3708, 3855]] |
Beijing , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Chinese President Hu Jintao greeted U.S. President Barack Obama in China 's capital on Tuesday , with trade and the thorny issue of North Korea expected to be on their agenda . The U.S. delegation was met by an honor guard at the Great Hall of the People , and Obama shook hands with Hu and other top Chinese officials before the two leaders went behind closed doors . It is their fifth meeting in the past year , and they made no public statements beforehand but are to issue a joint statement after their talks . The United States imports billions of dollars in Chinese products each year , while China is a major purchaser of the U.S. Treasury bonds that finance America 's budget deficit . Facing a global economic recession , Washington and Beijing are in `` a mutual hostage situation , '' former Bush administration China analyst Victor Cha said . `` China needs to purchase these Treasuries in order to maintain a strong dollar . Otherwise , the value of their foreign currency holdings goes down dramatically , '' Cha told CNN . `` We need China in order to finance a lot of the deficit spending we 're doing now . It 's very much intertwined in a way that two countries in the history of international relations have not been intertwined . '' China is also an important player in the diplomatic showdowns over nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea and holds one of five permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council . China is North Korea 's closest ally and has played a key role in the six-party talks aimed at convincing Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear weapons program . A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Monday found 71 percent of Americans consider China an economic threat to the United States , with two-thirds considering it a source of unfair competition for U.S. companies . The survey also found 51 percent of the U.S. public consider China a military threat , with 47 percent disagreeing . That 4-point margin is within the poll 's 4.5 percent sampling error . But Obama told students at a town hall-style meeting in Shanghai that the two nations do n't have to be at odds with each other . `` Our relationship has not been without disagreement and difficulty , but the notion that we must be adversaries is not predestined , '' Obama said . But he said there are certain core principles that all people must share -- including equal rights for everyone , a government that reflects the will of the people , open commerce , free access to information , and the rule of law . `` We do not seek to impose any system of government on any other nation , but we also do n't believe that the principles that we stand for are unique to our nation , '' he told the gathering . The issue of human rights has often been a sticking point between Beijing and Washington . China regularly cracks down on its religious and ethnic minorities , keeps tight reins on the media and censors the Internet . Obama told the students that he is against censorship and is a believer in the free flow of information , calling it a `` source of strength '' in a democracy , despite the sting that sometimes comes with it . He told the students he welcomes a strong China , saying there are very few global challenges -- specifically referring to climate change -- that ca n't be solved if the United States and China work together . The town hall meeting was shown locally on Shanghai 's Phoenix TV , but it was not broadcast nationally on any of China 's state-run networks . The Xinhua news agency posted a translated running transcript of the event on its Web site . The United States also streamed the forum live on WhiteHouse.gov . Chinese censors did not block the event to those with Internet access . The final stop of Obama 's trek is Seoul , where he will meet with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak , and deliver a speech to U.S. troops at Osan Air Base . Obama is on an eight-day journey that is taking him to Japan , Singapore , China and South Korea . He 'll return to the United States on Friday . The president left for China from Singapore , where he attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and Association of Southeast Asian Nations economic forum . He met on the sidelines with world leaders , including Russian President Dmitry Medvedev . | NEW : Obama to hold formal talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing . NEW : New U.S. poll shows split on whether Chinese pose military threat . Obama tells students free flow of info a source of strength , despite sting . United States imports billions of dollars in Chinese products each year . | [[2966, 3069], [2966, 2971], [3072, 3124]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A proposal to house federal prisoners , including some detainees from Guantanamo Bay , in a largely vacant maximum-security prison would be an economic boost to struggling northern Illinois , state officials said Sunday . `` This is something that is very good for our state , it 's good for our economy , it 's good for public safety , '' Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn told reporters . Officials from the departments of Defense , Justice , Homeland Security and the federal Bureau of Prisons will visit the Thomson Correctional Center on Monday , the officials said . Quinn 's office on Saturday said the officials would see whether the `` virtually vacant , state-of-the-art facility '' in Thomson , about 150 miles west of Chicago , could be of use to the Bureau of Prisons . If it is , the governor and other officials said Sunday , it could provide up to 2,000 jobs and up to $ 1 billion in federal money to the area . And Dick Durbin , the Senate 's second-ranking Democrat , said he believes the proposal provides a `` once-in-a-lifetime opportunity '' for his state 's residents . `` There are other states that want to take these jobs , '' Sen. Durbin said . `` We 've got to win this competition . '' Under the proposal , he said , federal officials have said fewer than 100 detainees from the Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba would be housed in the 1,600-bed facility . They would be in a wing under the control of the Department of Defense , while the Bureau of Prisons would assume responsibility for the rest of the facility . The United States is asking other countries to house some of the Guantanamo detainees when the prison is closed , said Durbin , the Senate majority whip . But those countries are asking why America is not housing some of the inmates itself , he said , and use of the Thomson facility would demonstrate to them that the United States is willing to shoulder some of the responsibility . An Obama administration official said Saturday that as part of the conversion at Thomson , the Bureau of Prisons and Defense Department would enhance security to exceed those of the nation 's only supermax prison -- the U.S. Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility in Florence , Colorado . No person has ever escaped from the prison . The Thomson proposal , first reported Saturday by the Chicago Tribune , triggered immediate concern from critics . U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk , R-Illinois , whose district covers suburban Chicago , circulated a letter addressed to President Obama to Illinois leaders Saturday , opposing the possible transfer of detainees and saying that housing them in Thomson would turn metropolitan Chicago into `` ground zero for Jihadist terrorist plots , recruitment and radicalization . '' As home to Chicago 's Willis -LRB- formerly Sears -RRB- Tower -- the nation 's tallest building -- `` we should not invite al Qaeda to make Illinois its number one target , '' says Kirk , who is running for the same Senate seat once held by Obama . Durbin on Sunday pointed to the federal maximum-security prison in Marion , Illinois , which he said already houses 35 people convicted of terrorism , along with members of Colombian drug gangs and Mexican drug cartels -- `` some of the most dangerous people in America . '' `` They 're all in our prisons , and they 're all held safely , '' he said . And `` things have n't changed in Marion , Illinois . '' Those housed in the Marion penitentiary include Ali al-Marri , who is serving a sentence of eight years and four months after pleading guilty in federal court to conspiring to provide material support to al Qaeda . The Thomson prison was built in 2001 and sat empty for five years because the state lacked the resources to open it . Despite being built as a maximum-security facility , it houses 144 minimum-security male inmates , according to the Illinois Department of Corrections Web site . `` After living in limbo for eight years , we 're open to any and all alternatives for Thomson , '' said Jerry `` Duke '' Hebeler , Thomson village mayor . He estimated that the move would cut the county 's unemployment in half . `` I 'd never chase jobs if I thought it would jeopardize the security and safety of my neighbors and friends , '' Hebeler said . Quinn said that during the inspection Monday , `` We want to answer any and all questions that the federal authorities have . '' The Obama administration has vowed to close the Guantanamo facility , but acknowledges it is unlikely to happen by its self-imposed January 22 , 2010 , deadline . About 215 men are held there . They include alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , who officials said Friday will be transferred to New York to go on trial in civilian court . The federal prison system houses approximately 340 inmates linked to international terrorism , including more than 200 tied to international incidents , another Obama official said . CNN 's Jessica Yellin contributed to this report . | Proposal calls for using maximum-security prison in struggling northern Illinois . On Monday , federal officials to visit facility in Thomson , about 150 miles west of Chicago . `` It 's good for our economy , it 's good for public safety , '' Illinois governor says . But Rep. Mark Kirk says plan could make Chicago `` ground zero '' for terror plots , recruitment . | [[0, 15], [126, 208], [3004, 3077], [400, 558], [610, 791], [0, 15], [126, 208], [252, 261], [267, 293], [356, 399], [2396, 2415], [2600, 2751]] |
-LRB- Wired -RRB- -- Google is set to become your new phone company , perhaps reducing your phone bill to zilch in the process . Seriously . Google has bought Gizmo5 , an online phone company that is akin to Skype but based on open protocols and with a lot fewer users . TechCrunch , which broke the news on Monday , reported that Google spent $ 30 million on the company . Google announced the Gizmo acquisition on Thursday afternoon Pacific Time . Gizmo5 's founder Michael Robertson , a brash serial entrepreneur , will become an Adviser to Google Voice . It 's a potent recipe -- take Gizmo5 's open standards-based online calling system . Add to it the new ability to route calls on Google 's massive network of cheap fiber . Toss in Google Voice 's free phone number , which will ring your mobile phone , your home phone and your Gizmo5 client on your laptop . ÿþ . Meanwhile you can use Gizmo5 to make ultracheap outgoing calls to domestic and international phone numbers , and free calls to Skype , Google Talk , Yahoo and AIM users . You could make and receive calls that bypass the per-minute billing on your smartphone . Then layer on deluxe phone services like free SMS , voicemail transcription , customized call routing , free conference calls and voicemails sent as recordings to your e-mail account , and you have a phone service that competes with Skype , landlines and the Internet telephone offerings from Vonage and cable companies . That 's not just pie in-the-sky dreaming . Ask longtime VOIP watcher and consultant Andy Abramson , who introduced the idea of integrating Gizmo5 and Grand Central -LRB- now Google Voice -RRB- , long before Google bought either . `` Google is now the the uncommon carrier , '' Abramson said , punning on the iconic 7-UP commercials and the phrase `` common carrier . '' That refers to phone companies that operate on the traditional publicly switched network -- a status that gives them benefits and obligations . `` If AT&T is Coca-Cola , Google is now 7-UP , '' Abramson added . `` All of a sudden you have something that offers more than Skype , '' Abramson said , saying the combo could now put Google in competition with phone and cable companies , IP `` telephony '' -LRB- VOIP -RRB- companies and Vonage . `` But now you can do everything with Google and pay nothing and have a platform where engineers can build new things . '' In fact , Gizmo5 offered a rogue version of that service for $ 6 a month until last week . On November 2 , Gizmo5 abruptly canceled the two-month old `` residential service , '' which paired the free phone number available through Google Voice with Gizmo 's Internet calling service to provide the equivalent of a home-phone replacement like Vonage . Now , that service has been wiped off the Internet and , more intriguingly , Google 's cache of the page disappeared the day after the acquisition was reported . For $ 6 a month , Gizmo5 residential users got 300 minutes a month of outbound calling anywhere in the United States , unlimited incoming calls on their home computers or even home phones -LRB- using a broadband-to-phone network conversion box -RRB- and E911 service -LRB- which means 911 calls work like landlines calls do , once you register your home address -RRB- . It 's not too surprising that offer got taken down . For one Google is already trying to steer clear of U.S. regulators by making it clear that Google Voice is n't a replacement for a home phone since you have to have phone service from some other company to use it . You can forward calls from a Google Voice number to your Gizmo5 number , but you must have a mobile or landline number as well . Google does n't say it , but clearly it hopes that restriction will keep the service from incurring the common carrier obligations attached to the regular phone system -LRB- PSTN -RRB- , and the 911 and wiretapping requirements that apply to Internet telephony and to traditional copper wire phones . AT&T has already tried to sic federal regulators on Google Voice because Google is blocking outgoing calls to a handful of shady calling services mostly free conference-calling services that exploit federal rules that let rural phone companies charge high fees to connect calls to rural areas . AT&T itself has sued similar services that play this arbitrage game , and complaining to the feds may have only brought more attention to an issue the FCC has procrastinating fixing for too long . Gizmo5 will also help save Google money on phone-call termination fees as users start to use computer-based clients to connect to Google Voice . That would allow Google to recoup the purchase price of $ 30 million in little time , if only it saves even a few dollars per user per year . Google also gets Michael Robertson , a troublemaker with technical chops . Robertson made millions from MP3.com in the dot-com boom , despite drawing lawsuits from major record labels for creating innovative services . He was later sued by Microsoft for his startup Lindows , which made Linux installations for cheap PCs . And his current music venture , MP3tunes.com , is being sued by EMI . Though still in invite-only mode , Google Voice has about 580,000 active users and nearly 1.5 million registered users , according to a Google filing with the FCC . If you are interested in the combination , you might want to sign up for Gizmo5 before the acquisition is formally announced , since Google often freezes new registrations at companies it acquires until it figures out how to integrate the technology . Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $ 1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT ! Click here ! Copyright 2009 Wired.com . | Google is set to become your new phone company , perhaps reducing your phone bill to zilch in the process . Google has bought Gizmo5 , an online phone company that is akin to Skype . Users could make and receive calls that bypass the per-minute billing on smartphones . Consultant : `` If AT&T is Coca-Cola , Google is now 7-UP '' | [[21, 102], [0, 17], [70, 128], [141, 165], [168, 191], [197, 213], [872, 978], [1043, 1046], [1062, 1131], [1994, 2012]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two Pennsylvania teens will serve time in a county jail for participating in a brawl that left a Mexican immigrant dead last July . Brandon Piekarsky and Derrick Donchak 's joint trial began in late April in Schuykill County , Pennsylvania . Brandon Piekarsky , 17 , was sentenced to 6 to 23 months , and Derrick Donchak , 19 , received 7 to 23 months for their roles in the beating death of 25-year-old Luis Ramirez . Judge William Baldwin ordered the two to report to Schuylkill County jail on July 19 to begin serving their sentences . An all-white jury convicted the two former high school football players of misdemeanor simple assault at trial last month and acquitted them of felony counts , including aggravated assault , ethnic intimidation and hindering apprehension -- charges that carried lengthier sentences . In fashioning his sentence , Baldwin acknowledged the severity of the attack , which left Ramirez on life support for two days before he died , but said he could pass a sentence only in accordance with the jury 's verdict . `` This was n't any fight , this was a group of young athletes ganging up on one person . That 's not a street fight , '' Baldwin said , referring to the defense team 's characterization of the confrontation as a `` street fight . '' `` You picked out a guy who was n't one of you and beat the pulp out of him , '' Baldwin said . The incident divided the small , rural mining town of Shenandoah into camps for and against the boys as it became a flashpoint for racial tensions across the country . After the verdict , Gov. Ed Rendell sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder recommending that the Department of Justice pursue civil rights charges . `` The evidence suggests that Mr. Ramirez was targeted , beaten and killed because he was Mexican , '' Rendell said . `` Such lawlessness and violence hurts not only the victim of the attack but also our towns and communities that are torn apart by such bigotry and intolerance . '' During Wednesday 's sentencing , Baldwin said he was surprised that Rendell had chosen to speak out on the case and told the court that his sentence was not affected by the governor 's letter . Fred Fanelli , Piekarsky 's lawyer , said he felt the sentence was harsh , given the circumstances . The judge could have sentenced the teens to probation under Pennsylvania 's sentencing guidelines . `` I 'm disappointed that the court exceeded the aggravated range and sentenced him to six months . Having said that , I 'm glad we finally have some finality with this case , '' Fanelli told CNN affiliate WBRE after the sentencing . Baldwin heard from several teachers , coaches and family friends who testified that the teens were good kids who fell into a bad situation . They urged leniency so the teens could realize their potential as adults . Ramirez 's longtime girlfriend and mother of two of his children read a statement in open court before an audience consisting mostly of the defendants ' supporters . `` He was my one and only love , and they took him away from me , and they took my children 's father , '' Crystal Dillman said . `` Now I have to live without my best friend and love of my life . '' The court also heard a prepared statement from Ramirez 's mother , Elisa Zavala , who lives in Guanajuato , Mexico . `` I 'm not the same person as before , now I feel a great emptiness within my heart , '' she wrote . `` There are moments in which I 'm alone and I ask myself : What do I do now that I do n't have my son ? I feel that without him , I am no one . '' The judge also tacked on extra days to each boy 's sentence for consuming alcohol earlier in the evening . For providing the alcohol to his friends before the fight , Donchak was also convicted of corrupting minors . Jurors found Piekarsky not guilty of third-degree murder . Prosecutors had said he delivered a fatal kick to Ramirez 's head after Ramirez was knocked to the ground in the alcohol-fueled brawl , which occurred on a residential street in Shenandoah the evening of July 12 . Prosecutors alleged that a group of teens , which included Piekarsky and Donchak , baited Ramirez into the initial confrontation after a night of drinking , hurling racial epithets at the undocumented Mexican immigrant . After the fight broke up , witnesses said Ramirez came back at the teens , who beat him so severely that , according to a medical testimony , brain tissue oozed out of his skull during surgery at a hospital . Jurors heard from several teens who witnessed the incident but did not participate , as well as one teen who pleaded guilty in juvenile court and another whose case is being handled in federal court . The testimony painted a picture of confusion , with several inconsistencies as to who did what . Defense lawyers argued that Ramirez 's death was a street brawl gone wrong that was not motivated by racial bias . They also suggested that Ramirez was responsible for triggering the second confrontation . Advocacy groups condemned the verdict and sentences , and called on the Department of Justice to bring federal hate crime charges against the defendants . `` The meager sentences handed to the defendants today leaves justice gasping for further redress , '' said Gladys Limon , staff attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund . Citing FBI statistics , Limon said that hate crimes against Latinos have risen 40 percent in the last five years and called on Congress to strengthen hate crime laws . `` The failure to hold these defendants responsible for their atrocious crimes denies justice not just to the Ramirez family , but also to the entire community by failing to deter similar crimes in the future , '' she said . Richard Cohen , president and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center , said the case had troubling implications in the wider context of race relations nationwide . `` Since the year 2000 , we 've seen a 50 percent surge in the number of hate groups across the country , to a record 926 by our latest count , '' he said . `` The increase has been fueled by the same factor responsible for the rise in the anti-Latino hate crimes -- a backlash against the changing demographics of our country , a backlash fueled by politicians trolling for votes and pundits looking for ratings . '' CNN 's Brian Rokus and Rose Arce contributed to this report . | NEW : Victim 's girlfriend , mother speak out ; groups condemn verdict , sentences . Derrick Donchak , 19 , sentenced to 7 to 23 months for role in death of Luis Ramirez . Brandon Piekarsky , 17 , gets 6 to 23 months for simple assault . Defense lawyers said assault was street brawl gone bad ; no racial bias . | [[2853, 2967], [5010, 5061], [324, 339], [347, 437], [261, 278], [281, 283], [286, 317], [1185, 1200], [1203, 1296], [4804, 4878], [4853, 4918]] |
FORT LAUDERDALE , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An elementary school teacher was arrested for punching an 8-year-old student in the face this month , Fort Lauderdale police said Tuesday . David Adam Grant is accused of striking an 8-year-old student at a Fort Lauderdale , Florida , school . David Adam Grant , 36 , an art teacher at Sunland Elementary School , turned himself in to police Tuesday in connection with the November 5 incident , authorities said in a written statement . Police responded to a report of battery at the school , and `` preliminary investigations revealed that an 8-year-old student ... had been battered . '' Authorities allege that Grant `` hit the 8-year-old student around his left eye with a loosely closed fist , causing a bruise over his right eye , '' according to the police statement . Grant surrendered to police after detectives contacted him , the statement said . He faces child abuse charges . The incident remains under investigation , authorities said . CNN 's Rich Phillips contributed to this report . | Fort Lauderdale art teacher said to strike 8-year-old in the face . Man turned himself in to police Tuesday . Sunland Elementary teacher faces child abuse charges , police say . | [[0, 15], [45, 144], [185, 288], [185, 201], [213, 288], [542, 631], [635, 781], [289, 305], [359, 437], [821, 879], [903, 933]] |
-LRB- Sunset -RRB- -- ' `` I had such a crush on him when I was a kid , '' says my friend Didi Linburn , pigtails peeking out from beneath her pink ski helmet rather than the wool pompom hat she wore as a kid . I peer into the tiny ski shop at the Alta Peruvian Lodge and catch a glimpse of a cute guy in glasses behind the counter . `` No idea how old he is , '' she says , `` but I 've seen him here every winter since I was 15 . '' Didi and Jeff Linburn on the slopes . Twenty-two years later , and Didi and her teenage crush are still here ? I 've yet to even take a run down the powder white slopes , but I already sense that Alta , Utah , just might be as special as everyone says it is -- including my self-proclaimed `` Altaholic '' husband . Tired of not getting an invite to his annual `` guys ' trip , '' and admittedly jealous about the other love in his life , I decided to tag along on Didi 's annual father-daughter jaunt . And finally experience for myself this almighty Alta -- with just seven lifts -LRB- and not much else -RRB- spread across 2,200 acres of heart-pumping hikes and narrow chutes , chest-deep powder , and total lack of pretension . Skis slung over our shoulders , we walk out the weathered wooden door of the lodge , taking in a deep breath of fresh -- albeit thin -- mountain air . I 'm instantly happy to be here at 10,550 feet , on leased U.S. Forest Service land at the resolutely un-corporate resort , where faded one-pieces outnumber Bogner jackets , chairlifts seat at most four across , and five no-frills lodges , scattered up Little Cottonwood Canyon , sleep 1,200 skiers , tops . Skiers . Not shoppers . Not ski bunnies . Sunset.com : Plan your trip to Alta . And , above all , not snowboarders . As the mountain motto goes , Alta is for skiers . During my stay , I see it flaunted on banners , baseball caps , bumper stickers . Alta is , after all , one of just three resorts left in the country that ban boarders , since Taos Ski Valley opened its slopes to all in March . Geared up , Didi , her dad , and I creep along in a bar-less triple chair , surrounded by nothing save blue sky and the towering peaks of the Wasatch Range . `` Same as it was in the '60s , '' says Geoff Linburn , who first came to Alta from California in search of what he 'd heard was the best snow in the West . Back then , lift tickets cost $ 8 , and there were only five slowly moving chairlifts , but apart from building a couple more and raising ticket prices to a reasonable $ 64 , Alta remains Alta . Didi 's dad smiles . `` Still the best snow in the West . '' A whopping 500 inches annually of light-as-a-feather powder -- and I ca n't wait to try it . But that will take some effort . Without a convenient tram to Alta 's best terrain , the limited number of skiers allowed uphill work for every turn with an almost perverse pleasure . As a typically lazy , play-it-safe sort of skier , I 'm intimidated . Is this really worth it ? We hop off the Sugarloaf chair and onto a big `` dump '' -LRB- a record-setting blessing of snow -RRB- and join the parade of people inching their way , single file , up , up , up , and gliding precariously , over , over , over , only to climb again . Is this really worth it ? I think to myself , sweating in the snow . I contemplate taking off my skis , but then I look up . `` Aw , it 's a bootpacker ! '' one guy yells at another fellow who 's stomping with his skis on his shoulders rather than suffering the steep sidestep with everyone else . I press on , inspired by the unspoken camaraderie on the traverse toward Devil 's Castle -- a wide-open bowl and depository of powder -- and the shared anticipation among strangers bound by a passion for Alta 's almost guaranteed fresh tracks . Still , exhausted -- okay , panting really -- I stop and watch as the hard-core hikers keep stomping ; my heart is pounding . I look downhill at the almost untouched powder and decide I 've had enough hiking . Who needs the untouched stuff ? Time to ski . After a blissful day on the slopes , the return to the Peruvian lodge is a comedown . The guest rooms remind me of my college dorm . There are shared bathrooms and a Ping-Pong table but no TVs . Still , the Peruvian , like all of Alta 's lodges , has a 75 percent return rate . Sunset.com : Top 10 ski resorts . I 'm honestly baffled , but by the end of dinner -- a slippers-acceptable , family-style affair , where a wine collector wearing turquoise sweatpants shares rare bottles he brought from home and our table swaps stories like old friend -- I start to understand . But , unlike most of the longtime guests , who remain fiercely loyal to `` their '' lodge , never venturing steps away to check out another , I 'm curious and leave Didi a few nights later for Alta 's Rustler Lodge , where things are a tad more civilized -LRB- read : pricey -RRB- . Now I have a television and my own bathroom , and reservations are taken for the window-walled dining room , where the next morning , I overhear a waiter bellow `` Welcome back ! '' to guest Roger Urban , who has been staying here since his bachelor days . He and his wife -- looking very '80s -LRB- like the lodge -RRB- in their matching rainbow-striped rugbys -- fuel up at the breakfast buffet , while their teenage daughter , Alexandra , heads out for a lesson with the same instructor she 's always had . Meanwhile , I finish my eggs alone and realize that I miss the chaos of the Peruvian 's hostel-like atmosphere . I slip on my skis and hop the rope tow to meet Didi for another day on the slopes . Alta never changes . From the chatter around the lift line , it 's clear that it 's not just the powder that draws people to Alta -- it 's also the people themselves . Old college buddies , moms and sons , widows who used to come with their husbands ... everyone returns without question . Likewise , all the locals I meet say they 'd intended to come out for a season and do the ski-bum thing . But before they knew it , 10 , 20 , 30 years had passed -- and they 're still here . `` Alta just swallows you up , '' says Craig Dillon , Didi 's ski shop crush , who , it turns out , is 41 and has lived here half his life . And so , because people never leave Alta , it 's only natural that they grow old here . Not in the typical , canasta-by-the-pool way of growing old . Rather , Alta is like a real-life `` Cocoon , '' where the mountain is the fountain of youth . Senior passes start at age 80 . Didi and I return to the Sugarloaf chair and ride up with an 86-year-old couple . `` Skiing is only getting easier ! '' the husband says , beaming . `` Free tickets ! '' says his wife . Inspired , I make a mental note to be just like them in 50 years . As we climb , once again , toward Devil 's Castle , a father whizzes by with a tiny skier bouncing on his shoulders . `` Daddy ? Are we at Devil 's Castle yet ? '' He hikes as far as possible , plops his daughter in knee-deep powder , and off she goes : a 4-year-old making fresh tracks . I watch , dumbfounded . And determined . I decide to hike out as far as I can . I want those fresh tracks , and this time I 'm willing to work for them . Heart racing , legs aching , I reach the end of the ridge . I rest for a moment and then dip in . Flying solo through feet of untouched powder , carving near-perfect turns , snow spraying like the pros , I realize that I 'm floating . This is it . This is why I 've come to Alta . Sunset.com : Top 10 hotels for nature lovers . Later that evening , lounging around the Peruvian lobby after dinner -- with Scrabble , impromptu sing-alongs , nothing to face tomorrow but more fresh snow -- I get the feeling I 'm continuing a tradition at risk of being lost forever to the fast-paced , froufrou world beyond Little Cottonwood Canyon . `` Everything changes in your life ... so much , '' reflects Leslie Johnson , who 's been coming here every winter since 1982 . `` Friends move on ... my family 's homes have come and gone ... but Alta , Alta never changes . '' I get it . I 'm hooked . Another Altaholic is born . Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright 2004-2009 Sunset magazine . All rights reserved . | Alta is spread across 2,200 acres of heart-pumping hikes and narrow chutes . The resort is one of just three in the country that ban snow boarders . Guests at the resolutely un-corporate resort stay in five no-frills lodges . | [[1041, 1166], [1897, 1942], [1405, 1439], [1442, 1527], [1534, 1555], [1558, 1616]] |
Lima , Peru -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Peru will turn over to Chilean authorities all evidence into allegations that a Peruvian air force officer was spying for the neighboring country , Peruvian President Alan Garcia said Monday . Garcia ordered his foreign minister and justice department to hand over all details of the investigation so Chile could `` give the corresponding explanations , '' he said in a televised address . The alleged spying by Chile , Garcia declared , was the result of fear and an inferiority complex by the Chileans . He added that Peru will not let the incident become a full-blown crisis between the two nations . The suspect , Victor Ariza Mendoza , remained imprisoned at a maximum security facility north of Lima , authorities said . Two other Peruvian air force officers , accused of being collaborators , also were detained , as were two Chilean military officers who were alleged accomplices , CNN en Español reported . Mendoza could face charges of treason , which carry a minimum sentence of 25 years . News of the spy case caused Garcia to prematurely end a trip to Singapore for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation . Garcia and his Chilean counterpart , Michelle Bachelet , had planned to attend a workshop Saturday with other world leaders , but the Peruvian leader canceled his agenda to return to Lima . Chile has dismissed the espionage allegations . `` Chile has nothing to do with this case , '' Chilean Foreign Minister Mariano Fernandez told reporters after a meeting with his nation 's ambassador to Peru . According to local media , the suspected spy once worked at the Peruvian Embassy in Chile and sold secrets to the Chileans since 2002 , CNN en Español reported . Chile and Peru have a history of animosity , having fought in the War of the Pacific from 1879 to 1883 . Hard feelings linger to this day . The two nations nearly came to war in 1975 , when left-wing Peruvian leader Juan Velasco , who was backed by Cuba , wanted to invade Chile , which was led by right-wing Gen. Augusto Pinochet . The invasion was called off , and Velasco was deposed in a coup a short while later . Tensions rose again when Peru discovered a Chilean spy mission , but war was averted . More recently , tensions between the two South American nations flared in December after the revelation that Peru 's top army general said at a party that Chileans in Peru would be sent back in coffins or body bags . Both countries said they would work to heal relations after the general 's comments . Journalist Gisu Guerra contributed to this report . | Peruvian president says Chile spied on neighbor because of inferiority complex . Peruvian officials ordered to turn over evidence of espionage to Chile . Spy suspect , Peruvian air force officer , remains in prison north of Lima . Chile has dismissed allegations . | [[421, 448], [469, 536], [0, 4], [31, 73], [224, 328], [109, 176], [635, 646], [672, 736], [1340, 1387]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Living Golf 's resident pro Adam Scott shows the tricks of the trade that have helped him conquer some of the world 's toughest courses . Whether it is acheiving a better drive , improving approach shots to the green or tackling testing bunkers , Scott has the tips to help your game . Improve your game by following the Living Golf lessons every month on CNN.com . | Australia 's Adam Scott tells Living Golf the tricks of the trade . Improve your game by following Scott 's lessons each month . | [[266, 304], [266, 304], [305, 322]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The media has been abuzz since former Sen. and Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards admitted to an extramarital affair . Cubby Squires met John Edwards in 2007 . He said news of the affair makes Edwards ' political career `` nonexistent . '' Edwards told ABC News ' `` Nightline '' on Friday that he had an affair with 42-year-old Rielle Hunter . The affair began in 2006 after Hunter was hired to make documentary videos for Edwards ' presidential campaign . The scandal was a hot topic in the news , including among iReport contributors . `` I took it really personally , '' said Cubby Squires of Charlotte , North Carolina . `` I always thought John Edwards was different from the typical politician . '' Squires said there has been nonstop coverage of Edwards ' affair in Charlotte . `` It just makes his political career nonexistent , '' he said . `` I really do n't think he can get into politics again . '' Mike Daly of Santa Barbara , California , said he sympathizes with Edwards . Daly , who lost his wife to breast cancer six years ago , noted that Edwards had been facing a great deal : the loss of his child , a failed bid for the Democratic presidential nomination and wife Elizabeth 's diagnosis with cancer . `` These are real hard hits and perhaps he 's crumbling , '' Daly said . iReport.com : Read Daly 's opinions . Many iReporters questioned why the Edwards scandal deserves so much media attention . Carroll Byrd of Richmond , Virginia , described it as a `` nonstory , '' adding that Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain deserves the same level of scrutiny of his sexual relations . '' -LSB- Edwards -RSB- is not a candidate for office now , '' said Byrd , a supporter of the former senator from North Carolina . `` I think something that happened two years ago should be a private matter between him and his wife . '' Read below to see a sampling of responses from iReport.com users , some of which have been edited for length and clarity : . iReporter jd1rymal : Good grief . ... He has an affair . Terrible . The shame , the agony of it all . I 'm not talking about his moment -LRB- s -RRB- of weakness , but the blood in the water that the media are feeding on as if they were sharks . Get over it ! Shellyta : No , I am not surprised by a powerful man having an affair . At least twice a year we hear about one of those . What amazes me is how in the world someone thinks that they can get away with something like this without thinking about the consequences . kardolfin : It is disappointing to hear that Edwards had an affair , but it 's not the end of the world . He is n't the first person to do it and I 'm sure he wo n't be the last . It is just a big deal because he was in the presidential race and that it is obviously a negative thing . I am disappointed in Edwards , but I do n't think he is a bad person and I do n't think it will destroy him . captain1944 : Obama is in Hawaii , McCain is , as usual , taking the weekend off , and the Olympics are on . The media needs something to fill up airtime . Now CNN , please , this does not really need to be a 24/7 story . cgigante : I still believe in John Edwards ' message . He was a true progressive candidate with a shot at winning , and it 's a shame he 'll now be sidelined over an indiscretion like this . Sure , it 's no good that he was dishonest in his personal life , but I do n't see how it has any bearing on his plans for economic equality and justice in the United States . JanaSagan : This affair in no way affects or concerns anyone other than the three adults involved . This should not even be in the news . We have no right to judge him or anyone else in matters of love . It is not a crime to fall out of love with one person and into love with another . Love is beyond our control . No one knows what causes love to begin or end . If we are trying to crucify him for this because of our moral Christian values , then we should also not cast stones on him or judge him . Leave him and his family alone so they can sort this out in peace and dignity . thebridge : From my perspective , John Edwards ' affair does not diminish his capabilities or enhance his lack of capabilities as a leader or public representative or any other job other than being a husband . However wrong or immoral we may find cheating -LRB- and lying about cheating -RRB- , the truth is that it does not necessarily reflect the other roles individuals have to fill . A great mother could also be a cheater or a great judge could lust after women 50 years his junior . That said , I think John Edwards is the same John Edwards -- politically -- that we knew before his affair hit the news . | Former Sen. John Edwards admits to an extramarital affair . Many iReport contributors question why Edwards ' affair is a big news story . `` We have no right to judge him or anyone else , '' one iReporter says . iReport.com : What do you think ? Share your verdict on Edwards ' affair . | [[66, 149], [271, 292], [311, 375], [2048, 2066], [1365, 1450]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When US Airways Flight 1549 ditched in the Hudson River and all of its 150 passengers and five crew members were safely rescued in January , the landing of the airplane by pilot Chesley Sullenberger was quickly proclaimed the `` Miracle on the Hudson '' and dominated national news for days . A pilot who virtually grew up in airplane cockpits , writer William Langewiesche set out to analyze what happened in the five-minute flight of US Airways 1549 , which lost power in both engines when it collided with a flock of Canada geese . His conclusion after writing a new book `` Fly by Wire '' -- there was no miracle . `` I 'm sure Mr. Sullenberger himself would n't have used that word , '' Langewiesche said in an interview with CNN . `` There was no miracle . There was extremely skillful flying going on and skillful engineering in the background . You can include the flight attendants and the passengers . ... There was a lot of altruism , kind of a bravery , soberness . They were not hysterical , and there was no stampeding . `` Many good things happened , but they all related to the individual strength of the people involved . That includes -LSB- Bernard -RSB- Ziegler -LSB- the designer of the aircraft -RSB- , Sullenberger , -LSB- co-pilot Jeffrey -RSB- Skiles and Patrick Harten , the air traffic controller -- he was as good as it gets , offering alternatives , the backing off of alternatives , staying cool . '' Langewiesche , international editor for Vanity Fair and author of six other books , was drawn to the story because it allowed him to use it as a window to tell the tale of the aircraft , the Airbus A320 , a controversial plane built with digital controls that rein in pilots who exceed safe flying limits . `` Within the limits of physics and structural science , '' Langewiesche writes , `` Ziegler and his colleagues identified the wrinkles of conventional handling and mostly ironed them out . The result in the A320 is the product of a genius -- an airplane that is ... exquisitely wrought , a delight to handle , and extraordinarily easy to fly . '' It also allowed Langewiesche to describe the economic squeeze that has affected pilots as airlines have come under tremendous pressure to lower fares and reduce costs . Just one example described in the book -- Sullenberger had seen his salary cut 40 percent and his retirement pension destroyed through airline bankruptcies and cutbacks . Sullenberger , for his part , has been critical of Langewiesche 's book , saying it makes too much of the aircraft 's automation . In an interview with The New York Times , Sullenberger said , `` There are some situations where the automation will protect a pilot , but at the same time a highly automated airplane makes possible other types of errors , so it 's a mixed blessing . And greater knowledge is required to fly a highly automated aircraft . '' CNN spoke with Langewiesche this week . CNN : What got you interested in the story ? William Langewiesche : I realized that because this airplane is the A320 , which is a revolutionary plane , not just any airplane , the story of the A320 is in many ways the story of the modern airline industry of the last 20 , 30 or 40 years . CNN : How did you become a pilot ? Langewiesche : My father was a well-known aviator and writer . I got my first flying job when I was 18 ; I worked my way through college flying airplanes . My father was a German immigrant , an anti-Nazi who came here before the beginning of the war ... who became a test pilot for the U.S. Navy . CNN : What 's it like to fly an A320 ? Langewiesche : It all relates to flight control characteristics and how the stick feels in your hand . ... The attitude or the pitch of the airplane stays where you put it , it 's an airplane that responds in an extremely docile manner to the control stick when it 's flown by hand . ... The airplane was very controversial in the early 1980s , especially in France . The unions really resented it ; it was because of flight envelope protections that kick in when the plane goes where a normal airline pilot will never go . ... The airplane will take over , and it will override the pilot , and philosophically that 's a really provocative thing to do . CNN : Did the flight envelope protection kick in during the landing in the Hudson ? Langewiesche : It was sort of a normal flight until the challenge of the flare itself , when the nose rises just before touchdown , that was a different flare for various reasons . For one thing it was done with no power , no thrust . ... Also the landing gear was up . So at the very end in the flare , in the last two seconds or three seconds , it went into alpha protection , it got into the protection zone . The airplane lowered its own nose . It happened so late in the flare that my gut feeling is that it was kind of irrelevant , that the inertia of the airplane was going to dominate the landing and so it probably does n't matter . CNN : Sullenberger 's flying ability was widely praised . Was that justified ? Langewiesche : Of course , it 's justified . The thing that was most important about it was the concentration he brought -- the intense concentration on what was important . Other people could have been distracted . It did n't happen in this case . He was intensely focused on making the right decision . CNN : What was the most important decision he made ? Langewiesche : The decision he made to go into the water as opposed to trying to return to LaGuardia -LSB- Airport -RSB- . While in most simulations conducted after the fact , pilots were able to get back to the airport safely , he made the right decision . In the real world , that would have been an unacceptable crapshoot . Obviously , calling it a miracle is silly . In a way to use the word miracle is to insult what they did -- skilled flying in an extremely competent airplane . CNN : Why was the A320 so controversial ? Langewiesche : The role of the pilot had been downsized . And with deregulation , the salary of the pilot had been downsized . So when this technology came in it was kind of coming in in that context . That 's why the French saw it as such an attack on their professional future . There had also been a global shift in the industry to two-pilot crews . The flight engineer position had been eliminated through automation . The emotions that this airplane produced still linger . No one 's going to be flying pilotless airliners anytime soon . It 's technically possible , and the U.S. flies drones in Afghanistan ... but obviously that 's not the future of airlines in a dense traffic world with the public aboard . CNN : Is automation the reason for the downsizing of pilots ? Langewiesche : We 're not looking at technology as the reason for the decline of pilots . It 's because of deregulation . The public demands cheap tickets . There was a time , a glorious interval , when airline pilots were paid a lot of money and there was still prestige associated with the job ... but after deregulation everything changed . CNN : How important is the pilot to safety ? Langewiesche : Pilots , of course , are central . Without the pilot , forget about it . The aircraft 's not going to land itself on the Hudson River . In day-to-day operations the pilot is central to flight safety -- the relationship between that and salary is a whole different question . CNN : Should people be concerned about the effect of the lower salaries ? Langewiesche : If you look at new pilots coming in now , these guys are as competent as the older guys , and they 're being paid a lot less money . The standard correlation between how much you 're paid and how good you are , I would question that . CNN : The book quotes a National Transportation Study Board study of the most lethal 50 percent of U.S. airline accidents from 1983 through 2000 . It found that 86 percent of the occupants survived . Would n't most people find that surprising ? Langewiesche : The problem is that the accidents that get the most attention are the ones that kill the most people -- with this one being an exception . CNN : What advice do you have for maximizing your chances of survival ? Langewiesche : This thing we hear so repetitively -- it 's actually the safety briefing on a plane , which is probably a pretty good guide to it . Where are the exits , how do the life rafts work ; it 's probably all a passenger needs to know . And by the way , airline accidents are very , very rare . Let 's face it , airlines are extremely safe , specifically because of the contributions of the people involved in this success story -- the pilots , the engineers , the flight controllers , the flight attendants . These are the agents of the public 's safety at work . CNN : Sullenberger has criticized your book , saying it places too much emphasis on the plane 's automated systems . Langewiesche : There 's no quarrel at all . The book elevates legitimately and correctly what Mr. Sullenberger and Mr. Skiles did as pilots . ... Without those two pilots in the cockpit , doing the job they did , people would not have survived . Clearly , they were flying a fly-by-wire airplane , and that 's part of the story . I never imply that , had they been flying a 737 , things would have been worse . That would be highly speculative and silly . I 'm writing about what did happen . There 's no argument here from my side . | The safe landing of Flight 1549 was hailed as the `` Miracle on the Hudson '' Author William Langewiesche says there was no miracle . Author says the skill of the crew , engineering of the plane made a difference . Langewiesche : Airbus A320 is controversial , especially with French pilots . | [[169, 281], [563, 604], [630, 646], [765, 790], [791, 880], [811, 880], [8603, 8699]] |
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