doc_text
stringlengths 157
16.7k
| summary_text
stringlengths 26
11.1k
| highlight_spans
stringlengths 9
3.7k
|
|---|---|---|
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The beautifully ornate Catholic church in the nation 's capital has seen its share of history and controversy . Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and Chief Justice John Roberts attend Red Mass in 2005 . In 1963 , the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle was the site of John F. Kennedy 's funeral . After the service , on the steps outside , the slain president 's young son famously saluted his father 's memory . But the church is also the site of an annual Mass that has drawn criticism for what many see as an unhealthy mix of politics , the law and religion . Washington 's annual Red Mass , which celebrates the legal profession , will be held this year on Sunday , October 4 -- the day before the Supreme Court begins its new term . Several justices traditionally attend , along with congressional leaders , diplomats , cabinet secretaries and other dignitaries . Past presidents have also attended , though there is no word yet on whether President Obama will appear . It is a Catholic service , but power brokers of other faiths are asked to attend the invitation-only event . Justice Stephen Breyer , who is Jewish , is a regular . The Mass `` takes its name from the color of the vestments . ... -LSB- It -RSB- goes back centuries , to Rome , to France to England , '' Washington Archbishop Donald Wuerl said . `` There was the idea -LSB- to -RSB- bring all the people who are involved in the law ... once a year so that together , they can simply pray for the wisdom of God . '' The church , built starting in the 19th century , is considered one of Washington 's hidden gems . Tucked between modern office buildings a few blocks from the White House , it is a mix of architectural styles , a hint of ancient Roman style , a splash from the Italian Renaissance and a definite Byzantine flavor . St. Matthew , noted Monsignor Ronald Jameson , was the patron saint of civil servants , appropriate in a city where the federal government dominates the workforce . Five justices attended last year 's Red Mass , which was similar in tone to other recent gatherings . Cardinal John Patrick Foley , who has held several prominent positions in the Catholic Church , noted many parts of the Bible `` sound very much like American ideals '' and reminded the members of the high court to build a society `` of justice , of peace and of love . '' Critics of the service , however , find the attendance of leading decision-makers , including members of the highest court in the land , to be inappropriate . `` The truth is , this was set up as a way to basically lecture and give information to the justices , '' said the Rev. Barry Lynn , president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State . `` There is no other institution that has this special way to talk to the justices on the Supreme Court . '' The Red Mass was started in Washington in 1952 by the John Carroll Society , a lay Catholic group of prominent lawyers and professionals . Chief Justice John Roberts ' wife , Jane , is an officer of the group . Lynn , an ordained minister with the United Church of Christ , noted the Mass was begun after several high court decisions that were disapproved of by the archdiocese . `` They figured if they got all the justices together and chatted them up in a worship service , they might be able to convince them to see the law their way , '' he said . In 1989 , a top church official used the occasion of the Mass to call for a return to `` religiously based moral values '' and lament the `` inviolable , impenetrable and towering wall '' between church and state . In 1986 , Washington Cardinal James Hickey attacked the Supreme Court 's Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion . Among those in attendance that year were then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justices Antonin Scalia and William Brennan , both Catholics . One member of the court who no longer attends is Ruth Bader Ginsburg who , like Breyer , is Jewish . Ginsberg said she grew tired of being lectured to by Catholic officials . `` I went one year , and I will never go again , because this sermon was outrageously anti-abortion , '' Ginsburg said in the book `` Stars of David : Prominent Jews talk About Being Jewish '' by author Abigail Pogrebin . `` Even the Scalias , although they 're much of that persuasion , were embarrassed for me . '' Six Catholics now sit on the high court : Roberts , Scalia , Anthony Kennedy , Clarence Thomas , Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor . Church officials , however , said they do not attempt to lobby or seek to persuade anyone who attends the service . Wuerl likens the experience to putting aside the partisanship and troubles in the world and seeking comfort in a shared community and a sacred place . Americans have `` been very careful about ... not allowing any one tradition or church to become the state church , '' he said . `` But from the very beginning , we 've always said we need to hear the voice of faith in all the discussion that is a part of determining what we want to do . '' Lynn takes a different tack . `` I do n't think there is any doubt that people in that congregation , including the Supreme Court justices , are going to listen to what is said . They might hear something phrased in a way you might never hear it in the court , but it might become a lingering factor in their decisions . ... People who are concerned about the Red Mass worry about this kind of undue influence , an influence that no other group , religious or otherwise , has on those nine men and women . '' Their sharply differing perspectives show that , more than two centuries after the Constitution 's ratification , the interpretation of the First Amendment and the role of religion in American society remain hotly contested questions . CNN 's Elaine Quijano contributed to this report . | Annual Catholic Mass in Washington celebrates the legal profession . It began in 1952 ; several Supreme Court justices regularly attend . It is touted as a chance for those involved in law to pray for wisdom . Critic says Mass set up to `` lecture and give information to the justices '' | [[443, 488], [603, 618], [627, 658], [589, 618], [648, 693], [764, 801], [804, 894], [2371, 2393], [2406, 2505], [2839, 2913], [5082, 5187], [1467, 1511], [2567, 2593], [2548, 2552], [2598, 2630], [3967, 4040], [3981, 4040]] |
HAMILTON , Bermuda -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two of four Uyghurs relocated to Bermuda after seven years of detention in Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , denied Friday that they had ever been terrorists and expressed gratitude toward U.S. President Barack Obama for working to free them . Salahidin Abdalahut and Kheleel Mamut were two of four Uyghurs released from Gitmo . Thirteen remain there . Asked what he would say to someone who accused him of being a terrorist , one of the men , Kheleel Mamut , told CNN 's Don Lemon , `` I am no terrorist ; I have not been terrorist . I will never be terrorist . I am a peaceful person . '' Speaking through an interpreter who is herself a Uyghur who said she was sympathetic toward the men , the other man -- Salahidin Abdalahut -- described the past seven years as `` difficult times for me ... I feel bad that it took so long for me to be free . '' The two Chinese Muslims were among four relocated from Guantanamo to Bermuda ; another 13 remain in detention on the island . He said he had traveled to Afghanistan not to attend any terrorist training camps but because -- as a Uyghur -- he had been oppressed by the Chinese government . `` We had to leave the country to look for a better life , a peaceful life , and Afghanistan is a neighboring country to our country , and it 's easy to go , '' he said . `` It is difficult to obtain a visa to go to any other places , so it was really easy for us to just travel to Afghanistan . '' Asked what he hoped to do next , he said , `` I want to forget about the past and move on to a peaceful life in the future . '' In addition to the four relocated from Guantanamo to Bermuda , another 13 Uyghurs remain in detention on the island . The four were flown by private plane Wednesday night from Cuba to Bermuda , and were accompanied by U.S. and Bermudian representatives as well as their attorneys , according to Susan Baker Manning , part of the men 's legal team . The men , who are staying in an apartment , are free to roam about the island . Mamut accused the Bush administration of having held them without cause , and lauded Obama for having `` tried really hard to bring justice and he has been trying very hard to find other countries to resettle us and finally he freed us . '' He appealed to Obama to carry out his promise to shut Guantanamo Bay within a year . `` I would like President Obama to honor that word and to free my 13 brothers who were left behind and all of the rest of the people who deserve to be free , '' Mamut said . Asked how he had been treated in Guantanamo Bay , Mamut said , `` It is a jail , so there will be difficulties in the jail that we have faced and now , since I am a free man today , I would like to forget about all that . I really do n't want to think about those days . '' He cited a proverb from his homeland that means , `` What is done can not be undone . '' Asked if he had anything to say to anyone watching , he said , `` Thank you very much for those people who helped me to gain freedom . '' He said he had spoken earlier in the day with his family . `` They told me , `` My boy , my son , congratulations on your freedom . ' '' The move has had international repercussions , including causing a rift between the United States and Britain . A British official familiar with the agreement but not authorized to speak publicly on the matter told CNN the United States had informed London of the agreement `` shortly before the deal was concluded . '' A U.S. official , speaking on background , said the British feel blindsided . Bermuda is a British `` overseas territory . '' The four were twice cleared for release -- once by the Bush administration and again this year , according to a Justice Department statement . The issue of where they go is controversial because of China 's opposition to the Uyghurs ' being sent to any country but China . Uyghurs are a Muslim minority from the Xinjiang province of far west China . The 17 Uyghurs had left China and made their way to Afghanistan , where they settled in a camp with other Uyghurs opposed to the Chinese government , the Justice Department said in its statement . They left Afghanistan after U.S. bombings began in the area in October 2001 and were apprehended in Pakistan , the statement said . `` According to available information , these individuals did not travel to Afghanistan with the intent to take any hostile action against the United States , '' the statement said . However , China alleges that the men are part of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement -- a group the U.S. State Department considers a terrorist organization -- that operates in the Xinjiang region . East Turkestan is another name for Xinjiang . China on Thursday urged the United States to hand over all 17 of the Uyghurs instead of sending them elsewhere . The United States will not send Uyghur detainees cleared for release back to China out of concern that they would be tortured by Chinese authorities . China has said no returned Uyghurs would be tortured . A senior U.S. administration official told CNN that the State Department is working on a final agreement with Palau to settle the 13 remaining Uyghur detainees . CNN 's Don Lemon and Brian Vitagliano in Hamilton , Bermuda , and Jill Dougherty contributed to this report . | Two Uyghurs relocated from Guantanamo spoke Friday with CNN 's Don Lemon . Both denied having been terrorists and expressed gratitude toward U.S. president . Four of the Chinese Muslims were relocated to Bermuda ; 13 remain at Gitmo . Incident has had international repercussions centering on where to relocate men . | [[11, 34], [137, 271], [11, 34], [58, 127], [357, 380], [915, 956], [1610, 1655], [1658, 1712], [1713, 1786], [3162, 3273]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A shoeless Tiger Woods snored on their lawn while the golfer 's wife stood silently by in the minutes after his SUV crashed into a tree , neighbors told Florida investigators . The Florida Highway Patrol on Thursday released the audio recording of their interview of Wood 's longtime neighbors who rushed out of their house in the early hours of last Friday to help Woods . Troopers issued a careless driving citation to Woods for the crash , but he will not face criminal charges , police said Tuesday . Woods , 33 , struck a fire hydrant and a tree with his 2009 Cadillac SUV in his luxury neighborhood near Windermere , Florida , early Friday , police said . Kimberly Harris said she was awake in her bedroom when she heard `` a faint , continuous knocking sound for about 10 or 15 minutes . '' It was unclear from the interview what Harris heard . Harris eventually noticed headlights shining toward her house from a vehicle on the lawn , so she awakened her brother , Jarius Adams . `` It 's Tiger , dial 911 , '' Harris said her brother yelled after rushing outside . `` I saw Tiger lying on the ground , '' Adams said . `` Elin was talking to him , '' he said , referring to Woods ' wife , Elin Nordegren . '' ` Can you please help me , can you please help me ? ' '' he said she asked . After that , she `` was n't very verbal , '' Adams said . `` She was actually very quiet . Just kind of in shock , you know , just kind of sitting there . '' Nordegren told investigators she used a golf iron to smash a rear window so she could unlock the door to get her husband out after the wreck . Woods appeared to have a cut lip , but he was n't bleeding much , Adams told the troopers . `` Maybe if you 'd have bitten your lip , or something like that , '' he said . `` Nothing on his shirt , nothing on his hands . '' It was a cool morning , so Adams and Harris covered Woods with a blanket and put pillows under his head , Adams said . `` I tried to just keep everyone kind of calm , '' he said . When a trooper asked if Woods was unconscious , Adams said , `` At that point , he was , uh , he was snoring . '' `` He was snoring ? '' the investigator asked . `` He was actually snoring , '' he said . Adams said he never smelled alcohol on Woods ' breath . Woods eventually was placed in an ambulance and taken to a hospital . He was released several hours later . The police report called his injuries serious , but a spokesman for Woods described them as minor . Woods cited the injuries as the reason for his decision not to attend his own charity golf tournament this week . | Shoeless Tiger Woods snored on neighbor 's lawn as his wife stood by after car crash . Neighbor said she was alerted to accident by headlights shining into home from vehicle on lawn . `` She was actually very quiet . Just kind of in shock , '' neighbor said of Woods ' wife . Neighbors did n't smell alcohol on Woods as they covered him with blanket , gave him pillows . | [[0, 15], [42, 62], [69, 120], [2112, 2128], [2129, 2131], [871, 959], [1175, 1185], [1188, 1213], [1313, 1323], [1326, 1352], [1374, 1403], [1865, 1910], [1865, 1881], [1915, 1941], [2222, 2277], [2233, 2277]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Federal authorities are moving to rein in the man dubbed `` America 's Toughest Sheriff '' after complaints that immigration raids by his deputies amounted to unconstitutional roundups of Latinos . Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio supervises an inmate relocation in Phoenix , Arizona . Sheriff Joe Arpaio and the Maricopa County , Arizona , sheriff 's department have had an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security since 2007 that allows his department to enforce federal immigration laws . But Arpaio says the federal agency is moving to revise the agreement to limit that power to checking the immigration status of inmates already in his Phoenix jail . Arpaio has cultivated his image as `` America 's Toughest Sheriff , '' a nickname earned by his treatment of Maricopa County inmates . Many of his prisoners are housed in tents and forced to wear pink underwear , and he once boasted of feeding them on less than a dollar a day . Now he faces a Justice Department investigation into allegations of civil rights abuses , and the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona is suing the sheriff over immigration raids conducted by his department . The class-action lawsuit alleges that Arpaio has abused the power delegated to him under his agreement with Homeland Security , known as the 287 -LRB- g -RRB- program . `` He 's unconstitutionally acted to racially profile many persons in the community , persons who appear or are Latino , '' ACLU lawyer Dan Pochoda told CNN . Pochoda said the five-term sheriff has launched a series of high-profile raids to appeal to `` his anti-immigration base . '' Arpaio told CNN 's `` American Morning '' the allegations were `` garbage '' and said he would continue to use state laws to crack down on undocumented immigrants in his county . `` We do not go on street corners and grab people that look like they 're from another country , '' he said . `` Pursuant to our duties , when we come across illegals , we take action . '' Watch what Arpaio has to say '' Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano , who was Arizona 's governor before taking her Cabinet post , told CNN that Arpaio is reacting prematurely to decisions that have not yet been finalized . But Arpaio says he 's now become the poster boy of the emotionally charged immigration debate and is losing authority for political reasons . `` They do n't want to aggravate the Hispanic community , aggravate the businesspeople who hire the illegals , and they want amnesty , '' he said . Arpaio said he planned to continue his operations `` with no changes . '' `` We do enforce traffic violations . All law enforcement does that , and comes across some serious criminals , which we do in our crime suppression , '' he said . `` We go into workplaces under the state law , and we arrest people in the workplace there illegally with identity theft situations and human smuggling . '' But according to a 2008 policy report on effective law enforcement by the Goldwater Institute , a libertarian-leaning watchdog group based in Phoenix , Arpaio 's department `` falls seriously short of fulfilling its mission . '' The report found that Maricopa County has `` diverted resources away from basic law-enforcement functions to highly publicized immigration sweeps , which are ineffective in policing illegal immigration . '' CNN Correspondent Thelma Gutierrez contributed to this report . | Some say his deputies ' raids were unconstitutional roundups of Latinos . Sheriff : Federal agency wants to limit him to checking inmates ' immigration status . Sheriff rejects allegations that he abused power , violated civil rights . Homeland Security chief says he 's reacting prematurely to decisions yet to be made . | [[132, 216], [1353, 1433], [0, 5], [19, 68], [539, 557], [568, 657], [1181, 1246], [2035, 2079], [2143, 2200], [2191, 2200], [2215, 2235]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Manny Pacquiao returned home to a hero 's welcome in his native Philippines on Friday after wresting the WBO welterweight title from Miguel Cotto on a 12th round technical knockout in Las Vegas . ` Pacman ' has a fanatical following in the Philippines which has been further enhanced by his record breaking victory as he claimed his sixth world title at a different weight by beating Cotto on Saturday night . `` Welcome home , the world 's bext boxer of all time , '' read a banner as thousands of fans greeted the 30-year-old . Following his hard-fought victory over Puerto Rican Cotto , all the talk is of a cash-rich superfight with American Floyd Mayweather Jr. next year . Leading promoter Bob Arum said he is ready to put the pay-per-view extravaganza at the 147-pound welterweight class , with Las Vegas the preferred venue . Pacquiao played down the possibility as he talked to reporters on his return . `` We are not forcing a fight with him . It is right that he is the one challenging me , because my fights score more on pay-per-view , '' he said . Pacquiao has greatly enhanced his reputation with successive wins over Oscar de la Hoya , Britain 's Ricky Hatton and Cotto . Mayweather returned to the ring with a comfortable win over Juan Manuel Marquez and has the reputation for grossing massive receipts from his pay-per-view appearances . For the moment , Pacquiao will spend time at home with his wife , Jinkee , and three children and is also set to pursue his ambition to enter Filippino politics , standing for a congressional seat in his home island of Mindanao . | Manny Pacquiao returns home to Philippines after Las Vegas triumph . Pacman won world title at sixth different weight after beating Miguel Cotto . Cash-rich fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the offing in the United States . | [[19, 214], [19, 214], [0, 15], [105, 214], [252, 270], [277, 428], [549, 606], [609, 697]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Like many young men , Josh Nahum loved a thrill . That 's why he took up skydiving . But on Labor Day weekend in 2006 , he had an accident while skydiving in Colorado , fracturing his femur and skull . Josh Nahum , right , died at 27 from a bacterial infection he got while being treated for skydiving injuries . Josh spent six weeks in the intensive care unit . Slowly , his condition improved , and his doctors predicted that with rehabilitation , he could fully recover in a year or two . But instead of recovering , Josh developed a bacterial infection . He died two weeks later at the age of 27 . `` One nurse , who was trying to be comforting , said , ` These things happen , ' '' says Victoria Nahum , Josh 's stepmother . `` That 's true , but they happen way more often than they need to happen . '' According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Josh is one of 99,000 people who die each year because of infections acquired in the hospital . As Betsy McCaughey , the former lieutenant governor of New York , put it , `` You do n't often come across such a big problem that you can prevent . '' After being contacted by families like the Nahums , McCaughey started the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths . After Josh died , the Nahums started the Safe Care Campaign . These groups , and others , have advice about what you can do to keep yourself safe in the doctor 's office and hospital , from the waiting room to the operating room . 1 . Bring your own toys . At the pediatrician 's office , do n't let your child play with the toys or books in the waiting room . `` They 're covered with bacteria , '' McCaughey says . Also , do n't let your child crawl on the floor ; bacteria there could get into cuts on their knees or hands . `` This is one place you ought to keep your child sitting still or on your lap , '' she says . 2 . Heat up your car . Yes , we know that sounds strange . But studies show staying warm before and during surgery can help you fight infection . So the Institute for Healthcare Improvement suggests that in cold weather , you heat up the car , wear warm clothes on the way to the hospital , ask the hospital staff to give you plenty of blankets while you wait for surgery , and ask how they plan to keep you warm during surgery . 3 . Want to touch me ? Wash your hands first . Many people feel uncomfortable asking this . Nahum suggests putting it like this : `` I did n't see you wash your hands . Do you mind doing it in front of me ? '' Dr. Vicki Rackner , a patient advocate , also has a few ideas for lightening things up . `` In the hospital , you can have the grandkids make a sign that says , ` Please wash your hands and keep Grandma healthy . ' '' Watch more on preventing hospital infections '' Another suggestion : Put a dish of wrapped candy near the sink and say ` Could you please wash your hands , and oh , please take some candy with you when we 're done . ' '' If the doctor or nurse has gloves on , are you safe ? `` Do n't be falsely assured by gloves , '' McCaughey says . `` If they put on gloves without washing their hands first , those gloves are immediately contaminated . '' 4 . Ask where that syringe has been . Doctors offices sometimes reuse syringes -- it 's unusual , but it happens . In fact , there have been 14 documented outbreaks of hepatitis since 1999 because of reused syringes . The recent outbreak in Nevada , where 50,000 people will be notified that they might have been infected at a colonoscopy clinic , is one example . It 's not an easy question to ask , but when someone 's heading at you with a syringe , ask if this is the first time it 's been used . Dr. Thomas Frieden , commissioner of the New York City Department of Health , suggests phrasing it like this : `` I read in the paper that some doctors are reusing syringes . I ca n't imagine anyone would do that . Do you ? '' 5 . Having surgery ? Speak up ! A week or so before surgery , ask your doctor whether you should wash your skin daily with a disinfectant such as chlorhexidine to prepare . Also , ask whether you should have a nasal or skin swab for MRSA , the superbug that causes many hospital infections . If you 've got it , you can be treated with antibiotics . The day of surgery , if the surgical site needs to be shaved , ask to be clippered , not shaved with a razor , which can create nicks where bacteria thrive . Also on the day of surgery , if your doctor has ordered IV antibiotics just before surgery , make sure you get them , as they 're sometimes forgotten . One last note : If you or a loved one has a urinary catheter in the hospital , be extra vigilant -- they can become breeding grounds for bacteria . First , ask if one is truly necessary . `` If the patient is awake and oriented and alert and can use a bedpan , it may not be needed , '' says Dr. John Jernigan , a medical epidemiologist at the CDC . If you get one , make sure it comes out ASAP , since the longer it 's in , the riskier it becomes . Ask the same questions about central venous catheters , -LRB- also called central lines -RRB- , another potential host for bacteria . `` My brother was in the hospital and needed a central venous catheter for his procedure , '' Jernigan says . `` The day after surgery , I asked the nurse , ` Are you all still using this ? Do you still need it ? ' And she checked and came back and said , ` We do n't need it anymore , we 'll take it out . ' '' Nahum says it all boils down to this : Passivity kills . `` People need to start participating instead of just being spectators when it comes to their medical care , '' she says . `` You need to do your due diligence . '' CNN Medical News associate producer Jennifer Pifer and associate archive coordinator Sarah Edwards contributed to this report . | CDC : 99,000 people die annually from hospital-acquired infections . Do n't forget the basics : Make people wash their hands before touching you . Staying warm before , during surgery can help fight infection ; ask for extra blankets . Before surgery , if shaving is required , request clippers , not a razor , which can nick . | [[846, 905], [923, 936], [941, 976], [966, 1003], [2798, 2816], [2865, 2903], [1955, 2006], [1992, 2037], [2038, 2263], [4272, 4290], [4296, 4313], [4335, 4380], [4368, 4382], [4389, 4429]] |
ROME , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Italian media call her `` Foxy Knoxy , '' portray her as a `` devil with an angel 's face , '' and there are 11 Facebook pages dedicated to her , all in Italian . Both Raffaele Sollecito -LRB- left -RRB- and Amanda Knox deny charges of murder and sexual assault . Amanda Knox , 21 , is an American college student from Seattle , Washington , who is on trial for murder in Perugia , Italy . The case has given Knox almost pop star status there . She was voted the top woman in an online `` person of the year '' poll by an Italian TV channel in December , beating out Carla Bruni , the Italian-born French first lady . Seven of the 11 Facebook pages champion her innocence ; four seem convinced that Knox is pure evil . A sampling of comments : `` No to Amanda . No to her superstardom '' ... `` She 's a sociopath '' ... `` Everyone is not sure if she is guilty or not and that she will lead us to a new existential awareness . Please shout with me your anger . ... Let 's say no . Let 's say Knox . '' Knox and former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito , 24 , are charged with murdering and sexually assaulting one of Knox 's roommates , British exchange student Meredith Kercher , on November 1 , 2007 . They insist they are innocent and are disputing the allegations . Knox and Sollecito are due back in court today . The last time Knox appeared before the panel of eight judges , she wore a T-shirt quoting The Beatles : `` All you need is love . '' Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini alleges that Kercher , 21 , was killed because she refused to participate in a drug-fueled sex game played by Knox , Sollecito , and a third man , Ivory Coast native Rudy Hermann Guede . In court papers , prosecutors stated that Sollecito held Kercher by her wrists while Knox poked at her with a knife and Guede sexually assaulted her . The case is being tried in Perugia , a university town about 115 miles north of Rome that is better known for its chocolate than for its scandalous murder trials . According to the prosecutor 's office , Kercher had been in Italy for two months as part of a year-long course with Leeds University , where she was working toward a degree in European Studies . She shared a house with Knox , a University of Washington student in the same exchange program , and two Italian housemates . The crime scene , which has become a tourist attraction , has been broken into twice , police say . Knox and Sollecito were arrested November 6 , 2007 , and were kept in prison while an investigation continued . The judge overseeing the investigation found both were capable of committing the crime again , fleeing the country or tampering with the evidence . Police sought charges in July 2008 , and they were ordered to trial in October . The trial began January 16 and has been held mostly on weekends . Italian newspapers assigned their top crime reporters , and the case has received unprecedented international coverage . Knox has appeared on the cover of People magazine , which shares a corporate parent with CNN . A random sampling of women on the streets of Rome showed that all of them had heard of the case and most believed Knox and Sollecito were at the very least implicated in the slaying . The superheated publicity surrounding the case helped make Knox a household name in Italy . She is usually portrayed as a femme fatale . Consider these headlines : . • `` Sex , lies and stabbings '' • `` Lovers without any inhibitions '' • `` And in prison , she even tries to sun tan '' Italian journalists also have plastered their newspapers with photos they found of Knox on the Internet , especially images that showed her as a `` wild girl . '' They pounced on the `` Foxy Knoxy '' nickname they found on her MySpace page , even though her parents later explained the high school moniker came from the way Knox played soccer , quick like a fox . Although Italian law limits the publication of court and police records , the media ban is less strict than in many European countries . While it is not exactly legal to publish police investigative reports , no journalist has gone to jail in Italy for doing it . Among the items leaked : Knox 's diary , various police interrogations , photos of Kercher 's body , video of Kercher 's body -LRB- which wound up on YouTube but has been pulled -RRB- , and video of the Italian forensic police carrying out their investigation . Eventually , even the leaks made headlines , leading to more speculation . Knox can do no right in the Italian media . If she appears reserved and timid in court , she is portrayed as someone with plenty to hide . If she smiles or laughs in court , she 's called disrespectful . As far as the Italian media is concerned , Knox is the mastermind who manipulated those around her and seduced her Italian boyfriend and led him astray . While Knox and Sollecito 's preliminary hearings were being held in October , Guede was convicted of murder after a fast-track trial . His lawyers had hoped that the speedy resolution of the case would give him a break at sentencing . He got 30 years in prison . According to testimony at Guede 's trial , his fingerprints were found in the house , and his DNA was linked to Kercher 's body . He has never denied being in the house the night of the slaying but insists he did n't kill her . He says he had an `` appointment '' with her that night and was in the bathroom when she was killed . Sollecito and Knox say they were n't at the house the night of the slaying . They say they both were at Sollecito 's house . But the alibi has been contradicted by witnesses at the trial . Eighty-six media outlets sent 140 journalists to cover the opening of the trial in January , but publicity has waned since then . The Italian 24-hour news channel TG24 no longer breaks into its programming with multiple updates . Knox , for now , has been relegated to the pages preceding the sports or weather report . But Italians love their murder cases , and attention has shifted to other crime news . A mother is accused of killing her toddler son , a husband and wife are accused of multiple killings . Their courtrooms are now filled with spectators who wait in line an hour or more . The Perugia courtroom still is packed , but the long line is gone . That is likely to change , however , as testimony shifts to the defense case . | Murder trial makes American student notorious in Italy . Amanda Knox , 21 , is accused with former boyfriend , Raffaele Sollecito . British student Meredith Kercher found dead in house shared with Knox . Italian media portrays Knox as seductive femme fatale . | [[1039, 1064], [1091, 1130], [2209, 2237], [3334, 3337], [3341, 3378], [4495, 4538]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A barn fire that killed two men and dozens of horses in Ohio on Saturday shows no sign of criminal intent , authorities said . The Ohio State Fire Marshal said the cause of the fire , at the Lebanon Raceway near Cincinnati in southwestern Ohio , is undetermined . `` However , investigators have ruled out criminal intent , '' it said in a written statement . The ages and identities of the men are not yet known . Initially , officials reported that 65 horses perished , but later put the number at 43 . The state fire marshal said that preliminary information from the men 's autopsies may be available by Sunday . The fire began in the northwest corner of the barn , according to the state fire marshal 's office . It would not release the specific origin of the fire because of the investigation . The Warren County Fair Board -- which operates the track -- confirmed the men 's deaths and the destruction of the barn , but could n't say how many horses were killed . It said in a statement that harness racing scheduled for Saturday night has been canceled . Firefighters from 11 departments , which received the call just before 5 a.m. , cleared debris and extinguished hot spots during the day . For more than 50 years , the Warren County Fair Board has been operating the county fair grounds , which includes `` a harness racing track and supporting facilities that are leased for harness racing meets to two harness racing clubs , '' according to the statement issued by a fair board attorney , Bill Schroeder . Schroeder said the fire was first noticed by a neighbor and that the barn , harness-racing carriages , and other racing equipment have been destroyed . Firefighters kept the flames from spreading to other barns , officials told CNN affiliate WHIO-TV . State and local fire officials are working to determine what sparked the fire . Follow CNN affiliate WHIO 's local coverage . Follow CNN affiliate WLWT 's local coverage . Another barn fire at the fairgrounds killed 35 horses in 1988 , Warren County Commissioner Pat South said , according to the Springfield -LRB- Ohio -RRB- News-Sun newspaper . | NEW : Ohio State Fire Marshal : `` Investigators have ruled out criminal intent '' Death toll comes down from earlier reports of 65 . Two men who died are still unidentified ; autopsies will be conducted Sunday . 11 departments respond to fire just before 5 a.m. | [[0, 15], [92, 124], [294, 340], [636, 644], [689, 736], [434, 443], [446, 523], [524, 635], [557, 635], [1101, 1115], [1124, 1160]] |
REDMOND , Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Should a bridge that would connect two campuses at Microsoft 's headquarters be funded with $ 11 million from the federal stimulus package ? An artist 's rendering shows how the proposed bridge would be constructed over a busy highway . Critics of using stimulus money for the bridge say it would give the software giant a break on a pet project . They also say it serves as a warning sign of how some stimulus money is not being used to finance new projects but is being diverted to public works already under way . Supporters argue the bridge is an ideal public-private partnership that will benefit an entire community while fulfilling the stimulus package 's goal of getting people back to work . `` It 's going create just under 400 jobs for 18 months constructing the bridge , '' says Redmond Mayor John Marchione . `` It 's also connecting our technical sector with our retail and commercial sectors so people can cross the freeway to shop and help traffic flow . '' See a larger image of the proposed bridge '' Marchione applied for federal stimulus money after costs jumped on the project from $ 25 million to $ 36 million . Marchione says the increase in costs were due to a rise in construction prices and because the bridge will be built on a diagonal in order to connect Microsoft 's original East campus with a newer West campus that are split by a public highway . Microsoft is hardly getting the bridge for free . The company is contributing $ 17.5 million or a little less than half the tab of the $ 36 million bridge , which would be open for public use . And even though the bridge goes from a parking lot behind Microsoft 's West campus across a highway to an entrance of Microsoft 's East campus , Marchione says , people other than Microsoft employees would use the overpass . `` We 're not a one-company town , '' Marchione says . `` Our traffic studies show that Microsoft traffic would be about 42 percent of the bridge , yet Microsoft is paying for about 50 percent of the bridge , so we think we are getting fair value . `` The United States taxpayer is leveraging their dollars , and I think everyone is getting a fair deal . '' But a watchdog group monitoring how stimulus money is being spent says the taxpayer in this case is getting ripped off . `` This is $ 11 million where we are substituting public money for private money , and that means there 's some other project that would have a greater benefit than a bridge to Microsoft that 's not being built , '' says Steve Ellis , vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense . But without the stimulus money , Marchione counters , the bridge may not have been built . Microsoft had `` capped out '' its contribution to the project , he explains . And the economic tough times have affected even the biggest companies . `` Microsoft laid off 5,000 people in January , '' Marchione points out . Ellis does n't buy it . `` Let 's face it . Microsoft is one of the most lucrative companies in the country , '' Ellis says . `` They could have easily funded this out of pocket change . This is really about getting while the getting is good . Uncle Sam has a big wallet that 's there for the taking , and Redmond wanted to take it -- and Microsoft was happy to let them pick up that part of the tab . '' Microsoft did not respond to CNN requests for an interview on the bridge project . But in a posting online , Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith wrote : `` As the largest employer in Redmond , Microsoft takes its responsibility to the surrounding community seriously . We have spent over $ 50 million to assist the City of Redmond and other local governments with street construction , transit facilities , water and sewer facilities and fire equipment . '' Last week , Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire certified 138 projects , including the bridge , to receive stimulus funding . Construction is expected to begin in June . Michael Ennis of the Washington Policy Center , a Seattle-based not-for-profit group that advises policy makers , said there are many reasons the bridge project is a good one . `` Any time you can include the private sector in funding transportation projects , it 's a win-win situation , '' Ennis explains . `` The state has a monopoly on our roads system . Even if Microsoft wanted to pay for this project on their own , legally they are required to work with the public sector . '' But Ennis also says the bridge does not fit with the kind of projects the stimulus plan is meant to bankroll . `` This project would have moved forward regardless of having the federal money or not , so it does n't have any additional benefit to the economy , '' he says . As he pedaled on his bicycle to work , one Microsoft employee saw the issue in much simpler terms . `` It 's going to cut about two miles off my ride each day , '' he said . | Project would build bridge between Microsoft 's two campuses . Microsoft paying for about half of the $ 36 million project . Mayor backs plan , says bridge will benefit entire community . Taxpayer watchdog group says project a good example of waste . | [[40, 180], [1293, 1294], [1313, 1382], [1470, 1574], [1894, 2045], [2201, 2293]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A fire at a karaoke bar and discotheque in Medan , in Indonesia 's North Sumatra province , killed at least 20 people Friday night , according to a hospital . At least two people survived , according to Aida Sofiati of the Pringadi Hospital in Medan . Sofiati said 20 people were killed . Mohammad Zein , a fire official , said the blaze started around 10 p.m. , but firefighters were able to extinguish it within a half-hour . He said the cause of the fire was not known . | Blaze hits karaoke bar and discotheque in Medan , in North Sumatra province . Medan hospital official says at least two people survived . Fire official : Fire started around 10 p.m. , was extinguished within half-hour ; cause is n't known . | [[0, 15], [152, 177], [178, 206], [178, 197], [209, 270], [308, 321], [342, 379], [386, 446], [447, 492], [455, 492]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Federal agents have arrested more than 1,300 suspected gang members , including 343 with violent criminal histories , in the past three months , the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency said Tuesday . Gang weapons and paraphernalia are displayed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2006 . `` Violent foreign-born gang members and their associates have more than worn out their welcome , and to them I have one message : good riddance , '' Julie L. Myers , assistant secretary of Homeland Security for Immigration and Customs Enforcement , said in a news release . Of those arrested , 374 face criminal charges , officials said . The rest face deportation , they said . During the nationwide crackdown , immigration and customs agents worked with law enforcement counterparts in 23 cities in what officials described as a `` summer surge . '' The most arrests were made in the New York area -LRB- 205 -RRB- and Miami , Florida -LRB- 160 -RRB- , but gang members were arrested in cities as small as Boise , Idaho , and Fort Smith , Arkansas . Watch agents in action in suspected gang roundup '' Myers told a Washington news conference that some of `` the worst of the worst '' gang offenders had been taken off U.S. streets . One of the gangs targeted has been MS-13 , which is believed to be the fastest growing group in the United States as well as one of the most violent , the agency said . The FBI estimates MS-13 has about 10,000 members in the country , along with tens of thousands in Guatemala , Mexico , Panama , Nicaragua , Honduras and El Salvador , where the gang originated in the late 1980s . `` MS-13 still seems to be the primary gang and the most violent gang still out there , and it is penetrating throughout the United States , '' said Marcy Forman , director of investigations for the agency . Don Hunter , sheriff of Collier County in southwest Florida , said MS-13 was present in what he called the `` upscale '' community . `` We are not unique , we have transnational gangs , we have homegrown gangs , '' Hunter told the news conference . But he said cooperation among federal and local agencies had made it possible to put a dent in gang operations . The sweep was part of the agency 's Operation Community Shield anti-gang initiative , which started in 2005 , and has resulted in arrests of more than 7,000 alleged members and their associates from more than 600 gangs , the agency said . E-mail to a friend . CNN 's Kelli Arena and Kevin Bohn contributed to this report . | Immigration and Customs sweep part of initiative started in 2005 . Arrests took place over three-month period in 23 cities . Of those arrested , 374 face criminal charges ; the rest will be deported . | [[2254, 2301], [2310, 2325], [148, 172], [175, 236], [606, 623], [626, 629]] |
Perugia , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Family members of Meredith Kercher said Saturday they were satisfied with the verdict that found American Amanda Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend , Raffaele Sollecito , guilty of the fatal knifing of the British student . `` Ultimately we are pleased with the decision , '' said Lyle Kercher , Meredith Kercher 's brother . `` But it was not a moment of celebration . We are here because our sister was brutally murdered . '' The victim 's sister , Stephanie Kercher , talked Friday about her family 's grief . `` Our lives have been on hold , really . You ca n't really carry on as normal , '' she said . `` You have to take each day as it comes . It 's not ever going to be the same without -LSB- Meredith -RSB- . '' Knox and Sollecito were found guilty of murder Friday after a lengthy , sensational trial . Knox was given a 26-year sentence ; Sollecito was sentenced to 25 years . Both will appeal , attorneys said . Knox and Sollecito were convicted on all charges except theft . The pair was accused of staging a theft to cover up the killing . Authorities said 300 euros -LRB- about $ 444 -RRB- was discovered missing from Kercher 's purse . The pair must pay 5 million euros -LRB- $ 7.4 million -RRB- to Kercher 's family . In addition , Knox must pay 40,000 euros -LRB- nearly $ 60,000 -RRB- to a man whom she falsely accused of the killing . One of Knox 's sisters said Saturday that Amanda `` had a rough night . '' Her mother , Edda Mellas , said , `` She had a lot of support . The inmates and the guards were all taking great care of her . They care a lot . `` Amanda , like the rest of us , is extremely disappointed -- upset about the decision , '' Mellas said . `` We 're all in shock ; we 're all heartened by the support '' that she said residents of Perugia and other Italians had shown . `` People from all over the world have been sending us messages of support all through the night , '' Mellas said . `` We told her she 's going to get out of there . It 's -LSB- just -RSB- going to take a little longer . '' Sollecito 's lawyer , Luca Maori , criticized his client 's punishment -- less than the life sentence the prosecution requested but far short of exonerating Sollecito -- as making no sense . `` For the grave crimes they claimed , you either sentence them to life . ... or you acquit . There is no middle way , '' Maori said . Public prosecutor Giuliano Mignini told CNN he feels he presented a strong case . He said about 20 magistrates worked alongside police during the investigation . However , he said that in the face of the planned appeals , clearly the conviction is not final . Learn how the murder case played out . People who disagree with the verdict should at least respect it , because so many professionals were involved in the investigation , Mignini said . `` I believe , evidently , that they think there was violence . They are the deputies who establish the foundation '' of charges , he said . `` And they did this . '' The victim 's mother said she believed the defendants were guilty of the slaying . `` You have to go with the evidence , '' Arline Kercher said . Take a look at the evidence against Knox . Knox 's lead defense attorney , Luciano Ghirga , said that when he met with his client Saturday morning , she was angry and continued to proclaim her innocence . He told CNN the situation has been a trying experience , and Knox hardly slept Friday night after the verdict . She was consoled by the other prisoners , who managed get her a cup of warm milk , Ghirga said . The jury reached its verdict after deliberating nearly 11 hours on the 11 counts . Jurors must submit an explanation of how they reached their decision to the judge within 90 days , and this `` jury motivation '' will be made public . Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of life in prison . Italy does not have the death penalty . CNN 's Richard Greene and Hada Messia contributed to this report . | NEW : Sentence makes no sense , co-defendant 's lawyer says . Knox , her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito sentenced for Meredith Kercher 's murder . Appeals mean convictions not final , Italian prosecutor says . Meredith Kercher 's sister : `` It 's not ever going to be the same '' | [[2239, 2259], [109, 120], [126, 204], [2567, 2654], [462, 482], [505, 546], [685, 690], [695, 751], [685, 694], [706, 751]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off after inspiring Real Madrid to an incident-packed 4-2 victory at home to Almeria on Saturday night , in which he created a goal , scored one and also missed a penalty . The world 's most expensive player helped Real bounce back from last weekend 's 1-0 `` El Clasico '' defeat to Barcelona as the big-spending capital outfit came back from 2-1 down in an explosive final 20 minutes . However , unbeaten Barca stayed five points clear at the top -- having played one more match -- with a 2-1 victory at Deportivo La Coruna as Lionel Messi scored twice . Ronaldo , making his first appearance at the Bernabeu in two months following ankle problems , crossed for Sergio Ramos to head the opening goal in the 31st minute . However , Fernando Soriano leveled with a deflected shot in the 58th minute and Kalu Uche put lowly Almeria head just three minutes later as Real failed to clear a corner . The hosts equalized with 17 minutes left as Argentina forward Gonzalo Higuain kept up his hot scoring run with a predatory finish after the Almeria defense did not deal with a cross from the left . With eight minutes remaining , Ronaldo went down under the challenge of the onrushing Diego Alves , but the goalkeeper saved his resulting penalty -- however , Karim Benzema followed up to smash in the rebound to put Real ahead . Ronaldo wrapped it up a minute later from Higuain 's low cross , and was booked for tearing off his shirt to pose in front of his adoring fans . The Portugal captain received his second yellow card five minutes later for kicking out at Michel , but it was not costly as Real completed a morale-boosting win ahead of Tuesday 's Champions League trip to Marseille . Barcelona , whose European title defense is still in the balance ahead of Wednesday 's trip to Dynamo Kiev , took the lead against Deportivo in the 27th minute when Messi scored with a trademark neat finish . However , Adrian leveled in the 39th minute with a header after an error by Sergi Busquets , who returned from suspension . But Messi , named Europe 's top player for 2009 during the week , put Barca ahead again with 10 minutes left from Pedro 's cross and Zlatan Ibrahimovic followed up his winner against Real by wrapping up the victory on 88 . Third-placed Sevilla again failed to keep pace with the leaders after being held 1-1 at home by mid-table Valladolid , who had a player sent off . Angola striker Manucho put the visitors ahead in the 33rd minute with a glancing header from Diego Costa 's cross but five minutes later Borja Fernandez was red-carded for a lunge on Diego Perotti . Sevilla , who were held at home by Malaga last weekend , leveled with a penalty from Luis Fabiano just before halftime after Marcos brought down Jesus Navas . Brazil striker Fabiano squandered two golden second-half opportunities as Valladolid held on , meaning Valencia can move above Sevilla with victory away to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday . Atletico Madrid moved further away from relegation trouble with a 2-0 victory at promoted strugglers Xerez , with star strikers Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero scoring in each half . Uruguay international Forlan put Atletico ahead in the 29th minute from a cross by Jose Antonio Reyes , while Argentina 's Aguero doubled the lead on 65 with a low shot from 12 yards . | Cristiano Ronaldo sent off after inspiring Real Madrid to 4-2 victory at home to Almeria . World 's most expensive player scores goal , sets one up and misses a penalty . Real trail Spanish leaders Barcelona by five points after the Catalans beat Deportivo 3-1 . Ball d'Or winner Lionel Messi scores twice and Zlatan Ibrahimovic nets the third goal . | [[19, 130], [19, 28], [50, 148], [160, 162], [180, 190], [160, 162], [200, 218], [575, 602], [2795, 2887], [444, 494], [575, 602]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. military will stop publishing the number of Taliban and insurgents it kills in Afghanistan under orders from the senior U.S. military spokesman for the American-led coalition . A French soldier mans a gun Sunday during maneuvers in Afghanistan 's Kapisa province . Rear Adm. Gregory Smith ordered the change as part of the new military strategy in the war that focuses on protecting Afghan citizens rather than killing militants . `` Indicating the number of insurgents killed has little relevance to impacting the lives of Afghans . In fact , if that were the only purpose and metric , you would likely only extend the time it takes to bring about an end to the insurgency , '' Smith said in an e-mail to CNN responding to a query about the change . The issue of publishing enemy body counts has been extremely sensitive to the U.S. military since the Vietnam War when the military regularly published large enemy body counts but seemed to be failing overall to make progress in the war . In the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq , the Pentagon has shifted policies several times , both publishing numbers in news releases on particular engagements and firefights and also declaring it would not publish body counts . In the past some military officials have said the numbers have been part of individual releases to the media as a means of demonstrating success against enemy forces . Smith said , `` We conduct operations not aimed at killing insurgents , although in many instances that is the outcome , but to over time clear areas of insurgency and give the people a chance to reconnect with official forms of governance and to rebuild their lives , socially and economically . '' | U.S. will stop publishing number of Taliban and insurgents killed in Afghanistan . Change is part of a new military strategy that focuses on protecting Afghans . Issue of publishing enemy body counts has been sensitive to military since Vietnam . | [[30, 90], [1117, 1148], [1208, 1252], [304, 394], [387, 394], [400, 469], [790, 903]] |
Buenos Aires , Argentina -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former Miss Argentina died Sunday after complications arising from plastic surgery , the official Telam news agency said . Solange Magnano , 37 , died in a hospital after being transferred from a clinic where she underwent an elective surgery on her buttocks on Wednesday , the agency reported . Magnano ran her own modeling agency in Argentina , and had been a model and Miss Argentina in 1994 . She also was the mother of 7-year-old twins . The cause of her death was under investigation , authorities said . News of her death shocked her fans . By Monday , a tribute page on the social networking site Facebook had more than 830 members . `` This is a horrible day . We will miss you , Sol , '' one Facebook poster wrote . `` You could n't be any more beautiful than you already were , '' another person added . `` You had to pay with your life . '' Magnano 's most recent project was a runway show to be held in December in her hometown of San Francisco , Argentina , according to Telam . In recent years , Argentina has become an international destination for plastic surgery . The costs of such procedures there are much lower than in other countries . Estimates say that 1 in 30 Argentines has gone under the knife , making surgeons here some of the most experienced on the globe . Medical tourism has seen a huge jump over the past decade , and is projected to be a $ 100 billion global industry by 2010 , according to the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions . | Solange Magnano , 37 , died Sunday following elective surgery on buttocks . Magnano ran her own modeling agency , had 7-year-old twins . Argentina has become popular destination for plastic surgery . Around 1 in 30 Argentines estimated to have gone under the knife . | [[0, 12], [68, 128], [240, 248], [255, 317], [342, 390], [443, 446], [452, 488], [1039, 1128], [1205, 1334], [1224, 1267]] |
ISLAMABAD , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- There have been conflicting accounts of how former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto died Thursday . Here is a timeline of the accounts reported by CNN . Late Thursday , Pakistan time : . • Pakistani police say that a suicide bomber killed 14 people at a rally in Rawalpindi organized by Bhutto supporters . A Bhutto spokesman says the opposition leader was rushed away from the scene and was safe . Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto arrives at a campaign rally Thursday in Rawalpindi , Pakistan . • Pakistan 's Geo Television Network , quoting Bhutto 's husband , Asif Ali Zardari , reports the ex-premier was critically wounded in the bombing . • Former Pakistani government spokesman Tariq Azim Khan says Bhutto was hurt leaving the rally , but there is no indication whether she was shot or hurt in the bombing . Reports from police and the Bhutto camp conflict over whether she was injured . • Geo TV quotes Zardari saying his wife suffered a bullet wound to the neck after the suicide bombing . • Khan and Pakistan 's primary television networks report Bhutto is dead . Television reports indicate she died of bullet wounds suffered after the suicide bombing . • Khan says it appears Bhutto was shot , but he adds it 's unclear whether bullets or shrapnel caused her wounds . • Doctors and a spokesman for Bhutto 's Pakistan People 's Party confirm the ex-premier 's death , but it remains unclear how she was killed . • Police tell CNN that a suicide bomber riding a motorcycle detonated himself near Bhutto 's motorcade . She was rushed to nearby Rawalpindi General Hospital , where doctors pronounced her dead . Khan says it 's unclear if a bullet or shrapnel dealt the fatal wounds . Friday morning , Pakistan time : . • The Pakistani Interior Ministry tells the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan that Bhutto died of a gunshot wound to the neck . The suicide bomber fired shots before blowing himself up , the ministry tells the news agency . A photographer for Getty Images confirms hearing three shots before the blast . • CNN quotes a witness who describes Bhutto 's killer as a `` thin young man jumping toward the vehicle and opening fire . '' Friday evening , Pakistan time : . • The Interior Ministry tells the Associated Press of Pakistan that flying shrapnel from a suicide bomb killed Bhutto . The bomber also shot at her with a pistol , the ministry tells the state-run news agency , but Bhutto suffered no injuries from bullets . • Interior Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Javed Iqbal Cheema , citing a medical report , says Bhutto was hit on the right side of her skull with shrapnel . • Another Associated Press of Pakistan report quotes Dr. Mussadiq Khan saying that Bhutto showed `` no signs of life '' on her arrival at Rawalpindi General Hospital and that she was pronounced dead about 40 minutes later . • Cheema says Bhutto died after fracturing her skull on a sunroof lever in her vehicle . Contrary to previous reports , she did not die from bullet or shrapnel wounds and nothing entered her head , the Interior Ministry spokesman said . • Cheema says that Bhutto `` fell down or perhaps ducked '' when gunshots rang out . She apparently hit her head on a lever , Cheema said , adding that it was stained with blood . • Khan , the doctor who treated Bhutto before she was declared dead , says the former prime minister had a `` big wound '' on the side of her head `` that usually occurs when something big , with a lot of speed , hits that area . '' E-mail to a friend . | Pakistani government now says Bhutto died after hitting head on sunroof lever . Reports early Friday said Bhutto died from a gunshot wound to the neck . Reports later Friday said flying shrapnel from a suicide bomb killed Bhutto . | [[2895, 2983], [2909, 2983], [3217, 3255], [956, 1059], [972, 1059], [1135, 1188], [1788, 1920], [1876, 1920], [1175, 1225], [2258, 2361], [2347, 2377]] |
Tokyo , Japan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four American teenagers , all children of U.S. military personnel , have been arrested on charges of attempted murder after a woman was knocked off her motorbike with rope strung across two poles , Japanese police said . The four suspects -- two 15-year-old boys , a 17-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man -- were taken into custody on Saturday , the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department said . They are accused of causing a severe head injury to a 23-year-old restaurant employee by stringing a rope between poles across a road . U.S. Forces Japan was informed of the August incident in late October , a public information officer said . There was no clear explanation for the delay in the handover of the suspects to police , other than it involved rules between Washington and Tokyo covering U.S. forces and their dependents in Japan . The U.S. military presence and its impact on Japanese residents have been a thorny issue over the years . Most recently , residents of the Japanese island of Okinawa , where the U.S. maintains a large military presence , have blamed American troops for crime and noise . In 2008 , a 14-year-old Okinawa girl alleged that a Marine had raped her . The prosecutor released the Marine after the girl decided not to pursue charges . In 1995 , a 12-year-old girl was gang-raped by three servicemen . A Japanese court convicted all three men . Both incidents caused a furor in Japan . Then-Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda called the 2008 incident `` unforgivable ... It has happened over and over again in the past and I take it as a grave case . '' It is unclear what , if any , role the military can take in the case . The 1960 Status of Forces Agreement between the United States and Japan gives Japan jurisdiction over `` the members of the United States armed forces , the civilian component , and their dependents '' in cases of offenses committed in Japan and punishable under Japanese law . The agreement also says the United States must cooperate in investigating such offenses . CNN 's Kyung Lah and Yoko Wakatsuki contributed to this report . | Suspects range in age from 15 to 18 years of age . They are accused of stringing a rope between poles across a road . A restaurant employee , 23 , received a severe head injury . Incident occurred in August , follows other crimes connected to U.S. military personnel . | [[254, 295], [321, 378], [200, 228], [429, 564], [429, 433], [518, 564], [429, 564], [429, 433], [446, 527]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's the oldest trick in the political playbook : Call together a `` summit '' of fancy people so you 'll appear to be focused on work that must get done . Thursday , the White House convened CEOs from companies such as Boeing , AT&T , Comcast and Dow Corning , top leaders of the United Steelworkers , United Food and Commercial Workers , American Federation of Teachers unions , Ivy League academics and a few small-business representatives to brainstorm how the country might generate much-needed jobs . A schmooze-fest is nice , but the hard work of putting America back to work will be done by entrepreneurs , not the leaders of the biggest companies in the nation and the heads of big unions . The mom-and-pop shops , garage start-ups and small businesses across the country will put Americans back on the payroll . According to the Census Bureau , nearly all net job creation in the U.S. since 1980 has been generated by firms operating less than five years . This means that our job generators are likely not on the White House guest list . They are home working long hours to meet payrolls on tight deadlines and scraping by with limited resources . While others can advocate for the merits of entrepreneurship , and will hopefully do so , our job creators are strangely left out . Innovators from Oregon to Tennessee are the ones who will generate new jobs . Commerce Department data show that small companies represent 99.1 percent of all employer firms -LRB- a firm is an aggregation of all establishments owned by a parent company , even in multiple locations . -RRB- . They pay nearly 45 percent of U.S. private payroll and have generated 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs annually over the past decade . A few start-ups from the last century may be familiar : Disney , Burger King , Fed-Ex , CNN and Microsoft all started during a period of economic downturn . Today , each of these companies employs thousands of people in the U.S. and abroad . Recent research shows that more than half of the 2009 Fortune 500 companies were launched during a recession or bear market . In 2002 , when the tech bubble burst , I graduated from business school just a few miles from Google . The start-up was a mysterious algorithm-based business , little known and lesser understood . Today , Google employs 20,000 people worldwide . So the question is how can we foster the next Google ? Policy-makers ca n't predict breakthrough technologies , but they can create an environment that will encourage innovation . How to start ? First , provide further access to capital . Last week , two Small Business Administration stimulus provisions that helped to get millions of dollars to small-business owners ran out of funding . The provisions , passed as part of the Recovery Act , raised the maximum guarantee on SBA loans to 90 percent and reduced or eliminated fees associated with the loans , making it more attractive for banks to lend during the downturn . Access to capital is the lifeblood of small businesses . We must renew these provisions and provide even greater access to credit . Helping fledgling companies grow fuels the economy from the bottom up . Second , welcome immigrants who are job generators . We are a country of immigrants , and yet in recent years , we have made it incredibly difficult for immigrants to launch companies in the U.S. . Why not create a new visa for entrepreneurs ? Increasingly venture capitalists , angel investors and innovators are advocating a `` start-up visa '' offered to immigrant entrepreneurs who want to start a company in the United States . In 2008 , nearly 40 percent of technology company founders were foreign-born ; 52 percent of Silicon Valley company founders were foreign-born , including the founders of Google , Yahoo , eBay and Intel , to name a few . Why chase these innovators away when we need jobs and should be hanging an `` innovators wanted '' sign on our front door ? Third , match funds for early investors . Early investors need incentives to put money behind companies that will create U.S. jobs . We have channeled billions of dollars to preserve `` too big to fail '' institutions . Why not make federal matching dollars available to catalyze smart investment in next generation businesses ? Investors could keep their normal returns and a share of returns on federal matching funds could go back to the government to further revitalize our weakened economy . Instead of preserving outdated jobs , we need to fuel the creation of future employment prospects . Early-stage investors with a track record of success can help make this happen . Obama came into office on an entrepreneurial platform . His campaign catalyzed involvement at the grassroots level . Tapping into new technologies such as YouTube , Facebook and other social networks , our president benefited from entrepreneurial advances . It is time for the White House to return to its campaign roots . Since Obama 's inauguration , our unemployment rate has risen from 7.6 percent to 10.2 percent . It is time to stop propping up outmoded and overleveraged institutions and start betting on the new men and women who offer hope for greater prosperity . Supporting entrepreneurs is change we can believe in . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Amy M. Wilkinson . | Amy M. Wilkinson says Obama 's summit had mostly CEOs , union reps , academics . But , she says , most job creation in the U.S. since 1980 has been from start-up firms . Wilkinson : Government funds and policies should target entrepreneurs . | [[187, 195], [198, 349]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Philippine House of Representatives and Senate were meeting Monday to debate the imposition of martial law in the country 's south by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the aftermath of last month 's massacre of 57 civilians . As required by law , the president issued a report Sunday explaining her reasons for making the proclamation for the province of Maguindanao . `` Lawless elements have taken up arms and committed public uprising against the duly constituted government and against the people of Maguindanao , '' Arroyo said in a 20-page letter to the leaders of the House and Senate . Martial law went into effect Friday night , allowing arrests without a warrant . Army spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said it was necessary to impose peace following what has been called a politically motivated massacre . He added that Congress would have to approve any extension beyond 60 days . The House and Senate might jointly convene on Tuesday to discuss the president 's report , House Speaker Prospero Nograles said Sunday , according to the Philippine News Agency . The debate began as elite forces of the Philippine National Police clashed in the town of Datu Unsay with suspected followers of the politically powerful Ampatuan family , which has been implicated in the massacre , the Philippine News Agency reported Monday . Reports said the armed men offered stiff resistance on Sunday against government security forces in a 10-minute firefight , withdrawing after government reinforcements arrived . No casualties were reported on either side . Charges of rebellion will be leveled against many of those arrested since martial law was implemented , Philippine Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera said Saturday , CNN affiliate ABS-CBN reported . At least six members of the Ampatuan family have been arrested , including Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. , according to ABS-CBN . Ampatuan , whose father is governor of Maguindanao , has been accused of directing the killings and has been charged with 25 counts of murder . One of the massacre victims implicated members of the Ampatuan family before she died , the affiliate reported . Over the weekend , authorities raided at least one warehouse and ranch belonging to the family . They confiscated firearms , ammunition and vehicles , Maj. Randolph Cabangbang , deputy of operations for the eastern Mindinao command , told CNN . The military was looking at arresting at least 100 people tied to the massacre , ABS-CBN reported . The Philippine military is investigating its own forces in connection with the case as well , Brawner said . Asked why martial law was imposed 12 days after the killings , Cabangbang said authorities `` were trying to build a case , a tight case '' against suspects . `` But it is taking long to build a case , so I think the government gave us a free hand in arresting those who are suspects , and allowed us to search , even without warrant . So we really need this declaration of state of martial law . '' Violence in the run-up to elections is not uncommon in the country . The Maguindanao massacre , however , is the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippine history , according to state media . The victims included the wife and sister of political candidate Ismael `` Toto '' Mangudadatu , who had sent the women to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao . He said he had received threats from allies of Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. , the father of the accused mayor , saying he would be kidnapped if he filed the papers himself . Maguindanao is part of an autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao , which was set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the predominantly Christian Asian nation . | Arroyo outlines reasons for martial law declaration in 20-page letter . Report : House , Senate might jointly convene Tuesday , House Speaker says . At least six members of Ampatuan family arrested , ABS-CBN reports . Authorities raid at least one warehouse and ranch belonging to family . | [[273, 394], [544, 619], [923, 1011], [1752, 1784], [1785, 1847], [2504, 2522], [2178, 2194], [2197, 2248], [2219, 2274]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Philippine House of Representatives and Senate were meeting Monday to debate the imposition of martial law in the country 's south by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the aftermath of last month 's massacre of 57 civilians . As required by law , the president issued a report Sunday explaining her reasons for making the proclamation for the province of Maguindanao . `` Lawless elements have taken up arms and committed public uprising against the duly constituted government and against the people of Maguindanao , '' Arroyo said in a 20-page letter to the leaders of the House and Senate . Martial law went into effect Friday night , allowing arrests without a warrant . Army spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said it was necessary to impose peace following what has been called a politically motivated massacre . He added that Congress would have to approve any extension beyond 60 days . The House and Senate might jointly convene on Tuesday to discuss the president 's report , House Speaker Prospero Nograles said Sunday , according to the Philippine News Agency . The debate began as elite forces of the Philippine National Police clashed in the town of Datu Unsay with suspected followers of the politically powerful Ampatuan family , which has been implicated in the massacre , the Philippine News Agency reported Monday . Reports said the armed men offered stiff resistance on Sunday against government security forces in a 10-minute firefight , withdrawing after government reinforcements arrived . No casualties were reported on either side . Charges of rebellion will be leveled against many of those arrested since martial law was implemented , Philippine Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera said Saturday , CNN affiliate ABS-CBN reported . At least six members of the Ampatuan family have been arrested , including Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. , according to ABS-CBN . Ampatuan , whose father is governor of Maguindanao , has been accused of directing the killings and has been charged with 25 counts of murder . One of the massacre victims implicated members of the Ampatuan family before she died , the affiliate reported . Over the weekend , authorities raided at least one warehouse and ranch belonging to the family . They confiscated firearms , ammunition and vehicles , Maj. Randolph Cabangbang , deputy of operations for the eastern Mindinao command , told CNN . The military was looking at arresting at least 100 people tied to the massacre , ABS-CBN reported . The Philippine military is investigating its own forces in connection with the case as well , Brawner said . Asked why martial law was imposed 12 days after the killings , Cabangbang said authorities `` were trying to build a case , a tight case '' against suspects . `` But it is taking long to build a case , so I think the government gave us a free hand in arresting those who are suspects , and allowed us to search , even without warrant . So we really need this declaration of state of martial law . '' Violence in the run-up to elections is not uncommon in the country . The Maguindanao massacre , however , is the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippine history , according to state media . The victims included the wife and sister of political candidate Ismael `` Toto '' Mangudadatu , who had sent the women to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao . He said he had received threats from allies of Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. , the father of the accused mayor , saying he would be kidnapped if he filed the papers himself . Maguindanao is part of an autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao , which was set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the predominantly Christian Asian nation . | Arroyo outlines reasons for martial law declaration in 20-page letter . Report : House , Senate might jointly convene Tuesday , House Speaker says . At least six members of Ampatuan family arrested , ABS-CBN reports . Authorities raid at least one warehouse and ranch belonging to family . | [[273, 394], [544, 619], [923, 1011], [1752, 1784], [1785, 1847], [2504, 2522], [2178, 2194], [2197, 2248], [2219, 2274]] |
Islamabad , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thirty-six people were killed and dozens were injured in explosions at a market in Lahore , Pakistan , on Monday , an official said . Rizwan Naseer , chief of Lahore 's rescue service , also said 109 people were wounded . The explosions did not appear to be a suicide attack but could instead have been bombs detonated by remote control , Punjab Police Chief Tariq Salim said . The nation 's state-run news agency , Associated Press of Pakistan , said the blasts were the result of `` bomb explosions . '' The explosions occurred at Moon Market in the Iqbal Town neighborhood , the news agency said . It cited Iqbal Town Division 's Ali Nasir Rizvi as saying most of the victims were women . Khusro Pervaiz , a senior government official in Lahore , said in a television interview that 60 people had been taken to five Lahore hospitals . The blasts happened around 8:45 p.m. at the popular market , said Rai Nazar Hayat , a spokesman for Lahore police . Earlier , ten people were killed -- including two police officers -- when a suicide bomber detonated outside a district courthouse in Peshawar on Monday , officials said . At least 36 were injured , six of them seriously , said Dr. Hameed Afridi , CEO of the Lady Reading Hospital . The bomber got out of a rickshaw and detonated himself , according to witnesses . The attacker was wearing a suicide jacket with about 6 kilograms of explosives , said Shafqat Malik , head of the North West Frontier Province bomb disposal unit . Peshawar is the capital of the Northwest Frontier Province , where the Pakistani government waged a recent military offense against Taliban militants . Meanwhile , five people were hurt in a bomb attack in Quetta on Monday morning , said Jamil Kakar , a Quetta police official . The explosives were placed in a car and destroyed two other cars and three motorbikes . The courthouse attack comes three days after four militants armed with guns and grenades stormed a mosque in Rawalpindi frequented by military personnel . At least 36 were killed and 75 wounded . Among the dead were 17 children , according to military officials . Also killed were an army general and eight other military officials , six of senior rank . The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the mosque bombing . The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan reiterated its claim in an e-mail to CNN the next day , after media outlets quoted officials who doubted the group 's participation . `` We reconfirmed it , that the TTP has done it and will do more which are already planned , '' the group said in the e-mail . `` We once again mention that we are not against the innocent people and the state of Pakistan but against those officers and ministers who are American by hearts and minds and Pakistani just by faces . '' Rawalpindi is the headquarters of the Pakistani army . CNN 's Reza Sayah contributed to this report . | 36 dead , dozens hurt following two explosions at market in Lahore . Explosions could have been bombs detonated by remote control , police say . Ten killed , including two police officers , in suicide attack in Peshawar . | [[0, 9], [12, 36], [40, 69], [74, 129], [1166, 1190], [2045, 2085], [262, 276], [319, 376], [994, 1001], [1004, 1026], [1004, 1014], [1030, 1059]] |
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 've rewritten that résumé several times and sent out dozens of applications but your job search still shows no promise , you might not be the problem . One frequently overlooked but critical factor in finding a new job is your state 's unemployment rate . You can have the experience and skills of an employer 's dream , but they wo n't do you any good if there just are n't enough jobs available . The unemployment rate is the percentage of job seekers in the work force who are still looking for work . The higher the percentage , the more difficult it is to find a job . The national unemployment rate is 5 percent , based on the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics -LRB- BLS -RRB- . If you 're looking for a job , you should see how your state compares to the rest of the country . Here are the 10 worst states to find work ranked by their unemployment rates . 1 . Michigan Unemployment rate : 7.6 percent Population : 10,071,822 Mean annual wage : $ 41,230 Top industry : Trade , transportation and utilities -LRB- 18.4 percent -RRB- *** . 2 . Mississippi Unemployment rate : 6.8 percent Population : 2,918,785 Mean annual wage : $ 30,460 Top industry : Government -LRB- 21.2 percent -RRB- . 3 . South Carolina Unemployment rate : 6.6 percent Population : 4,407,709 Mean annual wage : $ 33,400 Top industry : Trade , transportation and utilities -LRB- 19.4 percent -RRB- . 4 . Alaska Unemployment rate : 6.5 percent Population : 683,478 Mean annual wage : $ 43,920 Top industry : Government -LRB- 25.9 percent -RRB- . 5 . California Unemployment rate : 6.1 percent Population : 36,553,215 Mean annual wage : $ 44,180 Top industry : Trade , transportation and utilities -LRB- 18.9 percent -RRB- . 6 . District of Columbia Unemployment rate : 6.1 percent Population : 588,292 Mean annual wage : $ 61,500 Top industry : Government -LRB- 33.3 percent -RRB- . 7 . Ohio Unemployment rate : 6 percent Population : 11,466,917 Mean annual wage : $ 37,360 Top industry : Trade , transportation and utilities -LRB- 19.3 percent -RRB- . 8 . Arkansas Unemployment rate : 5.9 percent Population : 2,834,797 Mean annual wage : $ 30,870 Top industry : Trade , transportation and utilities -LRB- 20.6 percent -RRB- . 9 . Nevada Unemployment rate : 5.8 percent Population : 2,565,382 Mean annual wage : $ 36,000 Top industry : Leisure and hospitality -LRB- 26.5 percent -RRB- . 10 . Kentucky Unemployment rate : 5.7 percent Population : 4,241,474 Mean annual wage : $ 33,490 Top industry : Trade , transportation and utilities -LRB- 20.4 percent -RRB- . * Unemployment rates , mean annual wages and industry percentages obtained from BLS in January 2008 . Percentages based on nonfarm payrolls , seasonally adjusted . ** Population figures based on U.S. Census Bureau data . *** Top industries are those that employ the largest percentage of a state 's labor force . E-mail to a friend . 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 . | High unemployment rates can handicap job seekers . Michigan , Mississippi and South Carolina have highest rates . Alaska 's top industry is government . | [[347, 420]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Armored cars patrolled the streets of Zimbabwe 's capital and residents flocked to banks Thursday after limits on cash withdrawals were lifted in the inflation-ravaged African nation . With prices rising even more than once a day , shopping is a mathematical proficiency test for Zimbabweans . The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe had capped maximum daily withdrawals at 500,000 Zimbabwean dollars -- about 25 U.S. cents , and about a quarter of the price of a loaf of bread . But faced with mounting chaos in a country already in economic free fall , the bank decided last week to raise that limit to 100 million dollars -LRB- $ 50 U.S. -RRB- per week . Soldiers were deployed to all banks in anticipation of throngs of people lining up to withdraw money Thursday , when the increase took effect . Wednesday , police chased depositors away and arrested union leaders who planned to protest the limits . Zimbabwe 's inflation rate of 231 million percent is the world 's highest . In addition , the country is faced with a growing outbreak of cholera that its government declared a national emergency Thursday . The outbreak has killed at least 565 people and sickened more than 11,000 , the U.N. Humanitarian Affairs Office said . Medical professionals blame the resurgence of the water-borne disease on the lack of safe water in many parts of the country . The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions said 69 people were arrested across the country during Wednesday 's demonstrations . Amnesty International has demanded to know the whereabouts of human rights activist Jestina Mukoko , whom it said was abducted at dawn Wednesday by armed men in plainclothes posing as police . And angry , unpaid soldiers clashed with foreign currency exchangers and some civilians Monday , three days after troops who had failed to get cash from their banks looted shops they suspected to be illegally dealing in foreign currency . | Residents flock to banks after limits on cash withdrawals lifted ; troops patrol streets . Central bank caps maximum daily withdrawals at 500,000 Zimbabwean dollars . Bank last week raise that limit to 100 million dollars -LRB- $ 50 U.S. -RRB- per week . Zimbabwe 's inflation rate of 231 million percent is the world 's highest . | [[81, 149], [0, 15], [133, 203], [666, 738], [732, 775], [313, 408], [563, 665], [915, 990]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A wildfire continued its rampage through the San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California on Monday , but the U.S. Forest Service said fire crews were gaining ground . The Sheep Fire in Southern California has burned thousands of acres and left this bus a charred ruin . `` Firefighters have made very good progress against the Sheep Fire . It 's currently at approximately 7,500 acres with 20 percent containment , '' U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Robin Prince said Monday . The fire , which was reported Saturday afternoon in the Lytle Creek area , quickly grew to 3,500 acres by early Sunday and forced about 4,000 people in the community of Wrightwood from their homes . `` People are going to have to hold off on getting back to their homes until we get a little better containment lines on the fire , but things are looking really good , '' according to Prince . More than 1,200 firefighters were battling the blaze , and numerous firefighting aircraft have dropped water and retardant on the wildfire . Back fires have been set to protect homes at the eastern edge of Wrightwood , authorities said . The weather was cooperating Monday , unlike over the weekend when a high-wind warning remained in effect and gusty winds helped fan the flames . `` There 's very little smoke . There 's a few flare ups here and there , but if the winds pick up , we could still have some problems . So that 's why we 're holding off on letting people go back into the mandatory evacuated area , '' said Prince . California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in San Bernardino County on Sunday so the state can mobilize agencies and equipment to help fight the fire . | Sheep Fire is about 7,500 acres with 20 percent containment , Forest Service says . About 4,000 people in San Bernardino County forced from their homes . Despite more cooperative weather , people not let back into homes yet . | [[196, 263], [388, 441], [506, 516], [629, 704], [705, 714], [725, 775], [1137, 1171], [1434, 1512]] |
-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- December 9 , 2009 . Download PDF maps related to today 's show : . • Baghdad , Iraq • Kabul , Afghanistan • New Orleans , Louisiana . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT . THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED . CARL AZUZ , CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR : Hi , I 'm Carl Azuz . You 've landed on CNN Student News . First Up : Job Creation . AZUZ : During a speech yesterday , President Obama offered some ideas on how to create new jobs and help out the country 's economy : offering tax breaks to small businesses , expanding some of the government 's stimulus programs , and spending more funds on infrastructure projects -- things like roads , bridges and water systems . The thing is , all of that costs money . And that 's where the TARP comes in . That 's the Troubled Asset Relief Program , the financial industry bailout passed last year . The bailout ended up not costing as much as expected , and President Obama thinks the extra could be used to help out in other ways . U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : The TARP program was flawed and we have worked hard to correct those flaws and manage it properly . And today , TARP has served its original purpose and at much lower cost than we expected . In fact , because of our stewardship of this program and the transparency and accountability that we put in place , TARP is expected to cost taxpayers at least $ 200 billion less than it was anticipated just this past summer . AZUZ : Couple of things to keep in mind here , though . First , White House officials say that they ca n't just use TARP money to pay for infrastructure projects ; the program just does n't work like that . And second , some Republicans are outraged by the idea of spending any unused TARP funds because they say that money was supposed to help pay off the country 's debt . REP. JOHN BOEHNER , -LRB- R -RRB- MINORITY LEADER : This makes me so angry . I was there . I know all about TARP . First , it was never intended that all this money would ever have to be spent . But any money that was n't spent was to go to the deficit . And the idea of taking this money and spending it is repulsive . Health Care Debate . AZUZ : Senators are considering alternatives to part of their health care legislation . Specifically , the so-called public option : That 's a government-run health insurance program . Senate Republicans , and some Democrats and Independents , are against that plan . A group of Democratic senators was working to come up with some other ideas that could replace the public option . Late last night , they said they had reached an agreement . If the Senate passes its health care bill , that does n't make it law . It would still need to be combined with the House bill , and then that final version would need to pass both the House and the Senate . Baghdad Bombings . AZUZ : The head of Iraq 's government says that a series of suicide bombings is designed to create chaos in that country and prevent progress toward elections that are scheduled for next year . Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called yesterday 's terrorist attacks `` cowardly . '' The five explosions killed more than 125 people and injured more than 440 others . The bombings all took place within minutes of each other Tuesday morning . They targeted several government buildings around the capital city of Baghdad , as well as a neighborhood and a business district . Is this Legit ? TOMEKA JONES , CNN STUDENT NEWS : Is this legit ? Hillary Clinton is the U.S. secretary of defense . Not legit ! Robert Gates is the defense secretary . He was appointed by President George W. Bush , and President Obama asked him to stay on the job . Defense Secretary Visit . AZUZ : It 's Mr. Gates ' job to advise the president on military issues like the war in Afghanistan . And that is where the defense secretary is right now , meeting with military officials and Afghan leaders following President Obama 's announcement that he plans to send 30,000 additional U.S. forces to Afghanistan . Barbara Starr has more on Mr. Gates ' trip there and some of the challenges that U.S. troops face there . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- . BARBARA STARR , CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT : Defense Secretary Roberts Gates arrived in Afghanistan on an unannounced trip . He is here , of course , for the first time since President Obama made the announcement that 30,000 additional U.S. troops will be headed to this war zone . The defense secretary plans to meet with troops , commanders , and he has already met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to talk about the way ahead , Secretary Gates assuring Karzai that the U.S. has a continuing commitment to this country . But where we are right now , at FOB , Forward Operating Base , Shank , south of Kabul , really illustrates the continuing security challenge in this country . The U.S. Army task force that operates here has already had the plus-up from 300 troops to 3,000 troops operating in this region to try and get a handle on security against the Taliban and the insurgents . One of their major jobs here is to continue every day to secure Highway 1 , the main road to Kabul . The road is secure right now , they tell us , because the troops , U.S. and Afghan troops , are out patrolling every day . If the troops were n't out there , the feeling is that the Taliban and the insurgents would again rear their head and control the road and really hinder commerce and development in this region . So , that 's the bottom line here . It 's a continuing , spotty security picture . Where the troops are , security improves . But where the troops are not located , security still very troublesome in many areas of this country . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- . Promo . AZUZ : Another member of President Obama 's Cabinet , Education Secretary Arne Duncan , can have an impact on your education . Ed Henry , CNN Senior White House correspondent , is going to interview Secretary Duncan , and Mr. Henry wants to know what you would ask Duncan if you had the chance . So , teachers and students , share your questions on our blog . We 'll share them with Henry , and you might hear your question answered on our show . Shoutout . MATT CHERRY , CNN STUDENT NEWS : Time for the Shoutout ! When does winter officially start ? If you think you know it , shout it out ! Is it : A -RRB- October 31 , B -RRB- November 15 , C -RRB- December 21 or D -RRB- January 1 ? You 've got three seconds -- GO ! Winter begins around December 21 , which is the winter solstice , the shortest day of the year . That 's your answer and that 's your Shoutout ! Wintry Weather . AZUZ : Do n't tell that to the folks who are already getting hammered by the first major storm of the season . States out west got slammed by two to three feet of snow , winds whipping around at up to 90 miles per hour . Even some desert states felt the freeze . Check out this video from Arizona ! The storm is making its way east , and as of yesterday , parts of Iowa and Minnesota were both under a blizzard warning . Green Collar Training . AZUZ : Some homes are protected against winter cold by weatherizing , which keeps heat in and costs down . Installing it is an example of a green-collar job , work that 's focused on the environment . Christine Romans shows us how some folks are learning to be part of a green-collar world . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- . UNIDENTIFIED MALE : Hot air is coming into your house . You know that you 're losing , what ? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE : Energy . UNIDENTIFIED MALE : Energy . CHRISTINE ROMANS , CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT : The skills taught here are green . UNIDENTIFIED MALE : This is recycled newspaper . ROMANS : And so are the students . SUZY MASON , PROGRAM DIRECTOR , LOUISIANA GREEN CORPS : We do work with 17 - to 24-year-olds who lack work history , are often low income , court involved . Our corps members do n't want to hang out on the street . They want to be productive . They want to work . ROMANS : That 's where Louisiana Green Corps comes in . Based in New Orleans and funded through a grant from the U.S. Labor Department , the program teaches young adults how to weatherize and rehabilitate homes . MASON : We 're giving a general base of construction knowledge , carpentry skills . We also emphasize academic improvement , work readiness , and really encourage our corps members to make positive life decisions . UNIDENTIFIED MALE : There 's a lot of work to be done in New Orleans . ROMANS : One of the people doing that work is LA Green Corps graduate Chris Williams . After completing the program , he landed a job with local contractor Brotherhood Way , weatherizing homes and building new ones . CHRIS WILLIAMS , LOUISIANA GREEN CORPS GRADUATE : I believe that this program helps kids by , you know , letting them see that there is another way , you know , besides , you know , maybe they are n't , you know , high ... maybe they do n't have their high school diploma , or maybe they are n't the ones who go to college . So this program , you know , it invites them in and it gives them the opportunity to learn a trade , you know , to learn a skill . On average , their energy bill will be $ 20 - $ 30 on a month . ROMANS : Despite Chris 's success , jobs are still hard to come by . So far , out of 177 LA Green Corps graduates , 37 percent have found jobs and a third have gone back to school . Even those who did n't immediately find work have achieved something . DAVID WEATHERSBY , BROTHERHOOD WAY : For Chris and so many other young adults , when they finish the program , they are ready to be thrown into the work force . ROMANS : So , when the job market does turn around , they 're ready . Christine Romans , CNN , New York . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- . Before We Go . AZUZ : Before we go , we have some really cool pictures for you today , but as neat as they look , it does n't seem like a good idea . Up to 20-foot waves -- swells so powerful that people staying in a hotel near the shore could feel them crash -- they thundered in to the Hawaiian island of Oahu on Tuesday . They kept tourists from sleeping , ate up tons of beach , and despite the power and the danger , yep , surf 's up ! Hope these guys know what they 're doing . Goodbye . AZUZ : Because for amateurs like me , it would 've been a total washout . CNN Student News is rolling in again tomorrow , keeping you current on more headlines . We 'll see you then . | Consider why a proposal for unused bailout money is causing controversy . Learn about some security challenges facing U.S. troops in Afghanistan . Hear how a program helps young people prepare for green-collar jobs . Use the Daily Discussion to help students understand today 's featured news stories . | [[4741, 4765], [4791, 4861]] |
-LRB- Tribune Media Services -RRB- -- Kristin Budden 's hotel promises her a refund for her nonrefundable hotel room after a hurricane strikes . But months later , there 's no sign of the money and the hotel has gone into radio silence . Should she kiss the money goodbye ? A guest 's hotel promised her a refund , but she has n't received anything . Q : I think that you may be my only hope ! My father and I were supposed to meet in San Antonio before a conference . Lucky for us , the weekend that we were to be in San Antonio was the same weekend Hurricane Ike plowed through Texas . After experiencing Gustav just two weeks prior in Baton Rouge , I was not very keen on going for round two . My flight was canceled , anyway . We had made reservations at the Holiday Inn on the Riverwalk for the weekend . The rate was pre-paid and nonrefundable , which at the time of booking was fine . However , when we saw where the hurricane was headed , we called to cancel our reservations independently . After some discussion about the storm , the hotel told us both independently that , due to the extreme circumstances , we would receive refunds . I have an e-mail from the hotel regarding my `` refund . '' Despite numerous e-mails to the hotel over many months , we 've received nothing . Any assistance that you can offer me would be greatly appreciated . -- Kristin Budden , Baton Rouge , Louisiana . A : I think Holiday Inn owes you a refund . Not because of the hurricane , or because it was the right thing to do -LRB- although both are true -RRB- but because a hotel representative promised one in writing . If you had disputed the hotel charge on your credit card -- which would have been one of your options -- then the e-mail from your hotel is almost like money in the bank . During a dispute , a hotel may counter that by citing its nonrefundability policy , but from your credit card 's perspective , a written statement from the property that it agrees to override its rule is compelling evidence in your favor . Many resorts offer hurricane guarantees that give guests a no-questions-asked refund when a storm is on the way . Holiday Inn was n't one of those hotels as far as I can tell , but the commonly accepted practice in the travel industry is to not hold a customer accountable for a trip that ca n't be taken because of circumstances beyond his or her control . -LRB- Remember , we let travel companies off the hook when they ca n't operate a plane because of bad weather or a hotel shuts down during a flood -- it 's only fair that they should do the same thing for us . -RRB- . It looks as if you limited your correspondence to the hotel . In a situation like this , it 's useful to begin with a brief , polite e-mail to the corporate guest-relations section on its Web site . Many hotels pass these complaints along to the hotel and may fine it if the grievances are n't resolved quickly . However , dealing with the hotel directly puts it under no such pressure and it may feel as if it can ignore your repeated requests . Next time you reserve a room during hurricane season , consider one that 's refundable . And if not , then at least consider taking out a travel insurance policy that would cover you if a hurricane hit your hotel . I contacted Holiday Inn on your behalf and it promised you a full refund . Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine . E-mail him at [email protected] . Copyright 2009 CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT , DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES , INC. . | A Holiday Inn agreed to give a guest a refund due to an approaching hurricane . The hotel said via email it would make an exception to its nonrefundable rate . The guest tried for months to get her money back . The Troubleshooter contacted the hotel and it promised to deliver the refund . | [[274, 312], [2045, 2065], [2071, 2139], [3307, 3338], [1146, 1192], [274, 312], [1117, 1145], [3264, 3302], [3307, 3338]] |
Baghdad , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iraqi parliament members adjourned on Saturday without reaching an accord on a controversial new elections law , and the lawmakers could make another try to forge and pass legislation tomorrow . Abdul Bari al-Zebari and Mahmoud Othman , Kurdish members of the Council of Representatives , told CNN that the session is adjourned until Sunday because lawmakers did n't forge an agreement . Passage of the law on Sunday is expected to ensure that national elections would be held on January 16 . Al-Zebari said several Sunni Arab parliament members boycotted the Saturday session and doubts there will be a Sunday vote . Othman told CNN that lawmakers could n't reach an accord over the issue of Kirkuk and said some Sunni Arab and Turkmen members left the session . But the biggest roadblock to a new election law is the question of how balloting should unfold in the ethnically diverse , oil-rich province of Kirkuk , where Kurds displaced during Saddam Hussein 's rule have returned to claim their land . The power struggle among Kurds , Arabs and Turkmen has been a political hot potato . Kurds have long regarded Kirkuk -- the province and the city of the same name -- as an integral part of Kurdistan , and many want it to be part of Iraq 's autonomous Kurdish region . Arabs and Turkmen also lay claim to the city and province , and all the groups want their voices and votes to be adequately represented in the political system . Disgruntled Arab and Turkmen residents say many more Kurds have moved into Kirkuk than were displaced , and that allowing them to vote would create an unfair advantage . Arabs and Turkmen want special measures to adjust for the increased numbers because they believe many of the Kurdish immigrants are there illegally . The Kurds insist there should be no special voting procedures and reject a United Nations ' proposal that singles out Kirkuk for special treatment . The disagreements among the groups spurred the postponement of provincial elections in Kirkuk last January because officials there could not agree on how to apportion seats among the ethnic groups . | New election law will ensure that national elections take place January 16 . Biggest roadblock is how balloting should unfold in Kirkuk , where Kurds stake claim to land . Kurds regard Kirkuk as part of Kurdistan ; Arabs and Turkmen also lay claim to it . | [[422, 496], [422, 450], [463, 526], [802, 948], [951, 1038], [1124, 1201], [1307, 1324], [1330, 1364]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Yemen told outside powers Wednesday to stay out of its battle with a Shiite rebel group in its northwest amid concerns that Iran and Saudi Arabia are being drawn into the conflict . The statement , carried by the state news agency Saba and attributed to a Foreign Ministry source , followed a statement of concern for Yemen 's `` national unity and territorial integrity '' by Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Tuesday . `` We welcome what Mottaki affirmed about Iran 's position towards Yemen 's unity and stability , and Yemen reaffirms that it definitely rejects the interference in its internal affairs by any party , '' the statement said . It said Yemen 's battle with the Houthi , a Shiite Muslim rebel movement , is `` an internal Yemeni affair , and Yemen can solve its issues without any interference from others . '' Battles between Yemeni government forces and rebels have raged intermittently for five years , and government troops launched a new offensive in late summer . Saudi Arabia , Yemen 's northern neighbor , turned its air force against suspected Houthi rebels last week after it said the rebels had crossed into Saudi territory . The Houthi claimed that the airstrikes occurred within Yemeni territory , a claim both the Saudi and Yemeni governments denied . The persistent fighting has raised concerns that Yemen -- where U.S. officials say al Qaeda is attempting to establish a new foothold in the region -- could be the stage for a proxy struggle between Shiite-dominated Iran and the Sunni-led Saudi monarchy . Yemen says the conflict is about reasserting government authority and is not a sectarian war . Yemen has accused Iran of supporting the rebels . A Yemeni government official told CNN on Tuesday that Yemen 's navy was `` on the highest state of alert '' after an Iranian boat was captured near Yemeni and Saudi territorial waters last week . In Washington , however , a senior State Department official told CNN that although the U.S. government is concerned about the Yemeni conflict it does not see any sign of an Iranian hand in the Houthi revolt . The State Department has been in touch with the Yemenis and Saudis about the need to reduce tensions but is yet to be convinced that Iran is involved in Yemen , the official said . The United Nations has expressed alarm over the fighting and said there has been a `` significant increase '' in the number of people displaced in recent weeks . The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees estimates as many as 175,000 people have been affected by the conflict since 2004 , U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said Tuesday . CNN 's Mohammed Jamjoom and Elise Labott contributed to this report . | Yemen battles with Shiite rebels in its northwest . Iran foreign minister expressed concern for Yemen 's territorial integrity . Saudis launched airstrikes against rebels . | [[19, 137], [201, 298], [301, 452], [456, 550], [1019, 1031], [1063, 1185]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The New Zealand All Blacks gave their nation double reason for cheer with a 20-6 win Italy before a massive crowd at the San Siro in Milan . With their football counterparts qualifying for the 2010 World Cup finals with a win over Bahrain earlier on Saturday , it was left to Graham Henry 's men to complete the double . But they were given a tough fight by underdogs Italy , who were inspired by an 80,000 crowd in a stadium normally reserved for Serie A giants Inter and AC Milan . Henry fielded a largely second-string team after last week 's 19-12 defeat of Wales in Cardiff . Italy briefly led as former Australian rugby league international Craig Gower kicked a penalty . But New Zealand pulled ahead with two Luke McAlister penalties and Corey Flynn put them further ahead with the only try of the game after 25 minutes . McAlister landed another penalty before halftime to send the visitors into the break with a 14-3 lead . After the interval he kicked two further penalties with Gower getting his second for Italy . The All Blacks next play England , who saw off Argentina 16-9 at Twickenham in a poor quality match in difficult conditions . A late try by Matt Banahan gave Martin Johnson 's men the edge and his sixth win from 13 games in charge . Fly-half star Jonny Wilkinson provided all of England 's points in the first half , with a drop-goal and two penalties as the scores were tied at 9-9 at the half . Center Martin Rodriguez , one of a trio of Argentina debutants , kicked three penalties from five attempts to keep them level until the late home try . In other international action , former England coach Andy Robinson led his new Scotland team to a 23-10 win over Fiji . Johnnie Beattie and Graeme Morrison went over for tries for Scotland at Murrayfield . On Friday night , France shocked world champions South Africa 20-13 in Toulouse . The Tri-Nations champions paid the price for ill-discipline as Julien Dupuy kicked four penalties and Morgan Parra one . Winger Vincent Clerc capped a fine performance for the home side with a try . South Africa 's points came from Morne Steyn with a penalty and drop-goal as well as converting a fine try by captain John Smit . | New Zealand All Blacks beat Italy 20-6 in rugby union international . A massive crowd of 80,000 watched the game in San Siro stadium . England and Scotland register wins over Argentina and Fiji . France score superb win over world champions South Africa . | [[0, 15], [46, 159], [0, 15], [46, 159], [374, 394], [399, 444], [1594, 1623], [1626, 1713], [1800, 1815], [1818, 1881]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Panathinaikos sacked Dutch coach Henk Ten Cate on Tuesday after the Greek side lost the league leadership to arch rivals Olympiakos . Ten Cate took over at the Athens-based side last season as Panathinaikos looked to end the dominance of Olympiakos , who have won every Greek championship bar one since 1997 . They led the standings until a 2-0 defeat to Olympiakos saw the champions move one point clear of Panathinaikos after 13 games . Panathinaikos are also still in the Europa League and Greek Cup , but this did not prove enough to save Ten Cate , who will be replaced by Nikos Nioplias , the coach of the Greece under-21 team . Ten Cate , who was assistant manager at English Premier League side Chelsea , told the official Panathinaikos Web site that it had been an `` honor '' to be in charge . `` I have laid the groundwork for this team . I respect the fact that some people may not be happy with the general picture , but my assistants and I have given everything to succeed . '' The 54-year-old was assistant at Chelsea under Avram Grant and was previously number two at Barcelona to Frank Rijkaard . Panathinaikos was his first managerial position and he took them to the last 16 of last season 's Champions League , but could not dislodge Olympiakos in the Greek title race . He was on a two-year contract , which still had six months to run on his departure . The 45-year-old Nioplias , was bullish in his official statement on taking charge . `` My aim is to achieve with the team as a coach what I have achieved as a player -- win titles . '' He has an excellent record with the Greek age group teams , taking the under-19 team to the final of the European championship and leading the under-21 squad to the top of their European championship group . On other managerial news , Sinisa Mihajlovic has taken charge of Catania after the Serie A side dispensed with Gianluca Atzori on Monday . Former Bologna coach Mihajlovic has signed a two-year deal with Catania , who are second bottom of the Italian standings . | Coach Henk Ten Cate sacked by Greek giants Panathinaikos . Panathinaikos second in Greek league to arch rivals Olympiakos . Ten Cate was formerly assistant coach at Chelsea and Barcelona . Catania appoint Sinisia Mihajlovic as coach in place of Gianluca Atzori . | [[19, 97], [83, 152], [1133, 1146], [1185, 1187], [1254, 1309], [654, 662], [669, 729], [1788, 1812], [1815, 1883]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Seiji Ozawa is Asia 's most successful conductor , a maestro in a quintessentially Western art form , and a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan . But the affable 74-year-old is used to crossing cultural boundaries . Born in Manchuria during the Japanese occupation - his father a Buddhist , his mother a Presbyterian - he was raised in Tokyo , and greatly influenced by western culture and a Christian upbringing . His love of music was first explored through the church , but later he studied at the Toho School of Music in Tokyo . A career as a pianist was curtailed when the 16-year-old sports-loving Ozawa broke two fingers during a rugby match . From Toho he traveled to Europe and New York to further his studies . It was a steep learning curve where he learnt how to deal first-hand with other cultures and prejudices . `` I have many problem , beginning . Um ... maybe now , I do n't know , but beginning especially . It was difficult . Some people ask me , ` You came from China , you came from Japan , do you really understand Bach or do you really understand Mozart ? ' '' he told CNN . After years abroad , his return to Japan in 1962 to conduct the NHK Symphony Orchestra for six months was far from a happy homecoming ; the orchestra rebelled and refused to play for him . `` I made mistake , and I think it was too soon -LSB- for me -RSB- to take a professional orchestra for six months and at the end I think they had enough . `` I think I was a little bit stuck up ... I mean , I was conducting the best orchestra in Japan already I 'm still 26 or 27 . Very young . And I think I 'm sure during rehearsal I say something not so nice . And in Japan very bad if conductor say something not so nice . But I learned , so I become more careful and I think I started more studying , so not make mistake . `` But in a way , it may sound very strange , but really it did me good that boycott . '' It meant Ozawa explored opportunities outside of Japan , directing festivals and orchestras across Europe , Canada and the U.S. . He became musical director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra a post he held for 29 years until 2004 . He left Boston for Vienna to embrace a new challenge with the State Opera . As well as the challenge of a new city and repertory , Ozawa believes it was a move that rounded out his musical education , even if he was 68-years-old at the time . When a young conductor his interest in opera had been fostered by his early tutor Herbert von Karajan . `` He said if you do n't study this , one half of Mozart you 'll never touch and almost 99 percent of Wagner , almost 100 percent of Puccini and Verdi , you know , half of Mozart is gone . '' While Ozawa will step down from his position at the Vienna State Opera next summer , he will remain active in directing , conducting and educating the next generation in classical music . `` I have big hope all Asiatic people and countries ... everybody love music basically , '' he said . `` Teaching has become , I think , more and more important my life , really . '' | Seiji Ozawa was musical director of Boston Symphony Orchestra for 29 years . Successful career has seen Ozawa conduct some of world 's greatest orchestras . Had to deal with prejudice and expectation as Asian in Western dominated art form . | [[2047, 2113], [2107, 2147], [732, 837], [739, 761], [768, 837]] |
SILVER SPRING , Maryland -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thomas Cuddy enlisted in the U.S. Army 28 years ago , but he 's facing his greatest battle now that he 's out . Retired veteran Thomas Cuddy is so weakened by ALS that he often ca n't catch himself when he slips . Cuddy spends most of his days in his small apartment in Silver Spring , Maryland , reading on his couch , and working at his computer . He leaves only when it is absolutely necessary ; the trek down the three flights of stairs is exhausting and dangerous . He slips easily , and he does not have the strength to catch himself . Thomas suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , ALS , also known as Lou Gehrig 's disease , after the legendary baseball star who lent his name to the mysterious illness over 60 years ago . His doctors have told him to stop working but he can not afford to , so he works when his body will let him . He is able to work from home most days -- he 's a community relations officer , command speechwriter and medical publications reviewer based at Walter Reed Army Medical Center . But as typing becomes an increasingly strenuous chore , even this will become too much to bear . Thomas hopes this day comes later rather than sooner . Sitting idly is not is his nature , but ever so slightly , that is changing . `` This is a disease where ... one day you wake up and you can walk , and the next day you ca n't , '' he says . `` And once you lose it , you can never get it back . '' ALS is a progressive disease that attacks neurons in the brain , eventually leading to total paralysis . It affects 20,000 to 30,000 Americans at any given time , according to the ALS Association . It can take up to 10 years to fully develop , but by the time it is diagnosed , it is usually fatal within two to five years . ALS was first classified as a disease in 1869 , yet there are still few clues as to its cause . Researchers are just as far from finding an effective treatment or cure . In fact , just one drug has been approved by the FDA to treat ALS , and has been proved only to extend life by a few months . `` They have no idea what is happening to us . I 'm taking it one day at a time , '' Thomas says . Thomas has found that many of his brothers suffer from the illness as well -- his fellow veterans , that is . `` There have been recent studies that have been proven that if you are a veteran , your chances of developing ALS are double that of anyone else , '' Thomas says . Dr. Mark Weisskopf , an assistant professor at the Harvard School of Public Health , said that doctors took notice as a large number of veterans of the first Gulf War began to report `` non-specific neurological conditions . '' Several subsequent studies published in the last decade have established an increased rate of ALS among Gulf War veterans . Weisskopf was co-author of a study in 2005 that found that men with any history of military service are about 60 percent more likely to develop ALS than men who did not serve in the military . He concluded that `` the branch , length of service , and where you served did n't seem to matter . '' The cause of this connection is still unknown . Weisskopf says that there may be an environmental trigger , but due to the immensity of potential exposures to which military personnel are subjected , no one has been able to pinpoint exactly what that trigger might be . For men who are trained to fight for their lives , this disease is perhaps the ultimate torture . `` The way we are in the military , if you show us an enemy , we 'll defeat it , `` Thomas says . `` It 's really hard to identify what you 're fighting . I 'm just fighting to stay alive . '' The Department of Veterans Affairs established ALS as a service-connected disease on September 23 , 2008 . This acknowledgment gives veterans suffering from ALS access to much-needed benefits such as health care , disability compensation , and many other essential support systems . While it may seem as if the VA has moved slowly in reacting to these studies , Weisskopf notes that there is still a lot that is unknown about the connection between ALS and military service . `` In that regard , I commend the VA in taking this step before many scientists are fully convinced , '' Weisskopf says . Nonetheless , for those suffering from ALS , navigating the vast bureaucracy at the VA can be an exasperating process . Veterans such as Thomas find themselves in the helpless position of watching their disease advance at a much faster pace than their paperwork . When he filed for disability last March , Thomas was told that his request could take up to a year to be approved -- if it is approved . For now he waits . Despite his deteriorating condition , Thomas has chosen to remain positive . Each day , he carefully gets out of bed and tests his legs , hopeful that he is able to walk for one more day . He is all too aware that he will wake up one day soon and his limbs will no longer work . Someday , he will lose the ability to talk , and eventually , he will stop breathing . But today , he can do all of these things , and he is grateful . `` What I do all day long , is I tell myself in six months , I will probably be in much worse condition , and in six months I would give anything to be where I am today , '' he says . `` So today I 'm happy with what I have . '' | ALS , a progressive disease , attacks brain neurons leading to total paralysis . It affects 20,000 to 30,000 Americans at any one time but vets have twice the risk . The VA listed ALS as a service-connected disease on September 23 , 2008 . Retired vet Thomas Cuddy navigates VA bureaucracy as his disease progresses . | [[1468, 1572], [1475, 1496], [1502, 1530], [1475, 1496], [1533, 1572], [1573, 1628], [2312, 2331], [2337, 2443], [2842, 2857], [2863, 2971], [3672, 3778], [3726, 3735], [3736, 3778], [4270, 4281], [4315, 4356], [4315, 4389], [4407, 4488]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Crack-addicted Felicia Anderson was pregnant with her third child when an ultrasound changed the direction of her life . After inpatient rehab , Felicia Anderson sought help from Mothers Making a Change to help beat her addiction . `` You could hear that baby 's heartbeat strong and steady . Really , that 's her personality today , a strong , vibrant little girl . And at that time , laying there , tears starting rolling down my face , '' Anderson , 44 , recalled . In that moment , Anderson vowed to stay off drugs , something she 'd been unable to do in more than a decade addicted to crack cocaine , even when she was pregnant with her first two children . Anderson did n't think she could do it alone , so , like almost 2 million Americans a year , she entered a treatment program . Anderson spent three weeks in residential treatment -- all she could afford -- but did n't think that was enough , so she enrolled in Mothers Making a Change , a year-long outpatient drug and alcohol program in Atlanta , Georgia . Three times as many Americans choose outpatient treatment as residential treatment , or rehab . It costs less , is more likely to be covered by insurance and does not require participants to leave work or their families for a month or more . The outpatient program Anderson chose , Mothers Making a Change , is designed especially for pregnant women and women with young children . Anderson was both . At the time , her oldest daughter , Sierra , was 5 ; her middle child , Anicia , was almost 2 . In addition to therapy and education , Mothers Making a Change provided transportation and offered free child care while Anderson was there . When she completed the program , Mothers Making a Change helped her find a job . `` I can say with everything in me , with every bit of my breath , that program helped me turn my life around , '' said Anderson , who now runs a program to help the developmentally disabled in DeKalb County , Georgia . Interactive : Addiction and the brain '' Like most programs , residential or outpatient , Mothers Making a Change is built on the 12 steps pioneered by Alcoholics Anonymous . Among them : Admit you 're powerless over your addiction , and turn your life over to a higher power . `` It 's important in my opinion to have a connection with your spiritual world , your higher power , '' Anderson said . `` So I thank God , first of all , for giving me a second chance in life . '' Anderson began drinking and smoking marijuana in high school . She moved on to snorting cocaine and then smoking it . She said her drug use began spiraling out of control when her husband , an Army infantryman , committed suicide after returning from Operation Desert Storm . She said the crack numbed her pain . Watch Felicia Anderson describe her experience '' Anderson tried to hide her addiction , but the lies became harder to maintain . She lost weight . She could n't keep a job . And she began stealing to keep her children clothed and fed and to support her habit . She even stole their Christmas presents . `` The gifts would be under the tree , and I needed some crack , and I would take whatever present was there , '' Anderson recalled . `` The crack was my friend . The crack was my job . The crack was my children . You know , it was my life . So no matter how bad I wanted to stop , I could n't stop , '' she said . Anderson said she even smoked crack as she went into labor with her second child . `` That 's to tell you how bad off , how out of control , how much it did n't matter , '' she said . `` But I could n't stop . I could n't stop . '' Caught shoplifting repeatedly , Anderson said , she was facing a five-year prison sentence in Maryland for violating probation when her brother Brian Robinson intervened . He convinced the judge to let Anderson and her two daughters come to Georgia with him and to let his sister check into rehab instead of going to jail . Like many addicts , Anderson hit rock bottom before seeking treatment . Counselors and others say most addicts get help only when they get in trouble at home , at work , with their health or with the law . Anderson went for her ultrasound and had an epiphany . `` Something inside me -- and I would say it 's the voice of God -- saying , ` You can do this . ' And laying there at that moment , I did say to myself , ' I can do this . Let me try to do this . ' That was a turning point for me , '' Anderson said . `` That baby that was born was born drug-free . '' Anderson said that she has been drug-free for 12 years and that she 's lucky : Her older two children did not suffer any health consequences from her addiction . Anderson now has everything she had lost for a big part of her adult life : a stable home life , a job . Also , she 's engaged . `` There 's all kinds of beautiful things happening for me and my daughters right now . '' | When she heard her baby 's heartbeat , Felicia Anderson vowed to give up drugs . She could afford 3 weeks in residential treatment , then moved to outpatient . Three times as many Americans choose outpatient treatment as residential rehab . Anderson , now clean 12 years , says program `` helped me turn my life around '' | [[506, 520], [523, 555], [827, 878], [1073, 1153], [1846, 1888], [4528, 4689], [4542, 4582]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A schoolteacher from southern England with no previous filmmaking experience has given amateurism a good name by directing her pupils in a feature film fit for Hollywood . Alice Ralph , 18 , stars in `` Far From the Madding Crowd '' as Bathsheba Everdene . It has taken a year of hard work using only one camera , but teachers and pupils at The Gryphon School in Sherborne , Dorset , recently premiered their 110-minute long adaptation of English novelist Thomas Hardy 's seminal 1874 work `` Far From the Madding Crowd . '' `` When I watched it for the first time , it was actually quite an emotional experience , '' director/producer and Head of Drama Rosita Clarke told CNN . `` It 's a kind of relief to see the efforts of what you 've worked on and achieved an absolute reality . '' Clarke is the driving force behind the project and says many people did n't believe she would be able to pull off a feature film when she first came up with the idea . `` Miss Clarke pitched the idea , and said she was going to make a feature film and we all thought she was joking , '' said 18-year-old Ben Jones , a Gryphon student , who plays Sergeant Troy in the film . `` But we all kind of went along with it and it 's turned into this . '' Clarke was inspired to make the feature after she directed a play with some film footage in it the previous year . `` I thought to myself , ` I 'm going to make a film , ' '' she said . After getting permission from the school , Clarke sat down with Hardy 's book during the school summer holidays and over two weeks wrote a screenplay . In August 2008 , Gryphon 's Hardy feature went into production . `` Far From the Madding Crowd '' unfolds against the backdrop of rural 19th Century England and tells the story of beautiful Bathsheba Everdene who inherits a farm from her uncle and finds herself loved by three men . The feature was filmed over weekends , holidays and snatched evenings after school . It is full of exquisite costumes , gorgeous Dorset vistas and faultless acting from students aged between 16 and 18-years old . Despite the demands of the shooting schedule , the students say they were able to fit in their schoolwork around it . `` As far as the study goes , it 's been ok , '' said Jones . Watch CNN The Screening Room 's Myleene Klass report on the Gryphon School 's London premiere . The pupils involved say it did n't undermine their studies , and in some cases helped it by giving them an invaluable experience in an industry they would like to work in in the future . `` Some of us want to get into the profession and this experience has been really valuable , '' said Jack Buckley , 18 , who plays shepherd Gabriel Oak . `` We have n't done any film acting before and it 's very different to stage acting so we 've learn a lot about that . '' But the experience has not been without challenges : Using just one camera Clarke and her team had to film a fire in a 19th Century hayrick -LSB- haystack -RSB- , work with livestock including sheep and shoot large crowd scenes . In total 130 pupils worked on the film in roles from hair and make-up to walk-on parts . Alice Ralph , 18 , who stars as Bathsheba , says acting for the camera was one aspect that took some getting used to . `` At first I found it really hard to get used to the camera . I found it really awkward , '' she said . `` I remember the first shoot . I could n't even say my lines . '' Emotional scenes shot up-close requiring convincing tears and restrained acting also proved a challenge for the students who are used to acting on stage . `` The emotional scenes were actually really difficult , '' said Ralph . `` I found them quite hard to get , with the crying and things but with Mrs Clarke 's help she put me in a situation and I 'd use emotional memory and I 'd get there in the end . '' Clarke had no experience of filmmaking when she started up and used the Internet and books to learn about lighting and camera angles . She also picked up some tips on camera work from her 21-year-old son , Sunny , a broadcast production student . Sunny also edited the film and Clarke says he had the editor 's final word and helped her to keep the film slick . `` I wanted as many students as possible to have a little showing , and he 's looking at it from a professional level of final finish . '' The film cost a little over $ 11,000 -LRB- # 7,000 -RRB- to make , much of which Clarke raised from banks and supermarkets in the local community . `` We have n't had money and we could n't get the sound right all the time and it got dark too quickly because we were trying to get it all done and it 's just been so pressurized , '' says Clarke . Nevertheless , she was always convinced she would successfully complete the film -- `` It was n't ever not going to happen . '' For Clarke the best bit of the film is `` the success for the students . What they 're feeling . What they must be feeling . That just blows me away . `` That 's what makes me proud and if I 've helped them on their way . '' | The school in southern England made a feature-length film starring pupils . 130 pupils spent a year filming Hardy 's `` Far From the Madding Crowd '' Film cost $ 11,000 and includes a fire scene , animal-wrangling and crowd scenes . Some pupils involved hope to go on to work in film industry . | [[123, 133], [146, 187], [354, 408], [420, 504], [3074, 3162], [3017, 3042], [3053, 3073], [4365, 4421], [4393, 4429], [4432, 4436]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- He 's been a homicidal singing barber in `` Sweeney Todd : The Demon Barber of Fleet Street '' and a drunken swashbuckler in `` Pirates of the Caribbean : At World 's End . '' Depp is back as bank robber John Dillinger , revered in the Depression as a modern-day Robin Hood . Now , Hollywood shape-shifter Johnny Depp is back as another unexpectedly charismatic outlaw : Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger , a character he says he 's been drawn to since he was a boy . `` I sort of had a fascination with John Dillinger when I was about 10 , 11 years old , for some reason , '' Depp told CNN . `` I always kind of admired him , oddly . '' Oddly , perhaps , because for a short but intense period between September 1933 and July 1934 Dillinger and his gang rampaged through the American Midwest , staging jail breaks , robbing banks , and killing 10 men and wounding seven along the way . Dillinger 's violent spree is the focus of gangster drama `` Public Enemies , '' the latest offering from director Michael Mann , and also starring Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard . Mann is known for his sympathetic portrayal of criminals , and Dillinger -- whose acts on the wrong side of the law led him to become one of America 's first celebrities -- is the quintessential good hood . In the 1930s , the United States was in the grips of the worst financial disaster in history -- a time when many Americans watched their life savings disappear and became jobless and hungry . Members of the public blamed banks for losing their money and politicians for failing to stop them . For many , Dillinger 's exploits represented sticking it to the fat cats , and he was idolized as a modern-day Robin Hood . J. Edgar Hoover , FBI director at the time , may have made Dillinger America 's first Public Enemy No. 1 , but the bandit was careful not to alienate the public . There is a memorable moment where he drapes a coat over a female bank hostage during a raid to keep her warm . Also , it 's said he never swore in front of women . He was always courteous even as he tried to meet his target of robbing banks in under two minutes . Crucially , he never robbed the average guy , telling him to put his money away during robberies . It is this Dillinger that Depp captures : a captivating revolutionary with the gift of gab who lit the public 's imagination , causing people to flock to cinemas to watch his exploits in weekly newsreels . Review : Depp is great in ` Public Enemies ' Of course , the dark , violent side of Dillinger 's psyche is unavoidable . Depp plumbed the depths of his own character to come up with those murkier elements . That was something that took courage , according to Mann : `` He had Dillinger in him ; that 's something I sensed . Deep in the core of Johnny there 's a toughness . '' Depp gained recognition throughout the 1990s for immersing himself in characters . He shook off an early reputation as a teen pin-up in movies like Tim Burton 's 1991 Gothic tale `` Edward Scissorhands . '' He went on to cement his reputation for unusual film choices and quirky performances in films like `` Charlie and the Chocolate Factory '' -LRB- 2005 -RRB- and `` Finding Neverland '' -LRB- 2004 -RRB- . In pictures : Johnny Depp 's iconic roles '' The 46-year-old actor says he felt a close affinity to Dillinger : `` I related to John Dillinger like he was a relative . I felt he was of the same blood . He reminded me of my stepdad and very much of my grandfather . `` He seemed to be one of those guys with absolutely no bull whatsoever , who lived at a time when a man was a man . '' `` Public Enemies '' was adapted by Mann from a nonfiction book of the same name by Bryan Burrough . Is it sozzled Captain . Jack Sparrow or smooth Donnie Brasco ? Tell us your favorite Johnny Depp character in the SoundOff box below . The `` Last of the Mohicans '' director is known for fastidious research and attention to detail , which in this case included collaborating closely with the FBI to check facts -- although Mann subsequently chose to gloss over some elements for the sake of the story . Mann filmed in many of the locations where Dillinger 's story took place almost 80 years ago , including the Biograph Theater on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago , where the bandit was finally shot dead by FBI agents as he came out of a Clark Gable movie . They also shot at Little Bohemia Lodge in Manitowish Waters in the far north of Wisconsin , the site of one of Dillinger 's most famous showdowns with the FBI . Dillinger was hiding out there after a botched robbery . When the feds finally caught up with him , two men were killed in the vicious gunfight . `` We were able to shoot not just in the actual place where this happened , but in his actual room , '' says Mann . `` There 's a certain kind of magic for Johnny Depp to be lying in the bed that John Dillinger was actually in . '' A lot of Dillinger 's success was down to superior guns and getaway cars . Depp , who has experience shooting guns from previous productions , had to learn a completely different technique for the heavy guns of the time . Depp says shooting the Thompson submachine gun was one of the highlights of the production : `` When you 've got a beast like that strapped to you and you 're emptying magazines , a 50-round drum , it 's a good feeling . '' The ride may have been thrilling for Depp but he also recognizes that the Depression-era setting has some extra significance these tight-belted times . `` You know , '' says Depp , `` We 're in the middle of a recession , teetering on a depression . It 's time to view the banks and grown-ups for what they are . '' | Johnny Depp plays charismatic bank robber John Dillinger in `` Public Enemies '' Depression-era tale of first Public Enemy No. 1 , idolized as modern-day Robin Hood . Dillinger 's gang killed 10 men , wounded seven during a spree of less than one year . Depp on Dillinger : `` I always kind of admired him , oddly '' | [[212, 254], [228, 254], [257, 311], [1692, 1740], [682, 687], [839, 930], [682, 687], [700, 738], [881, 930], [515, 516], [522, 582], [640, 641], [654, 668], [3305, 3369]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When George Pinon thinks of colors , he associates them with what other people have described . George Pinon leads tour groups through Dialog in the Dark , an exhibit that simulates the blind experience . `` They say that red is supposed to be a warm color , a hot color . I heard that apples are red and roses are red . I heard that plants are green , the grass is green , '' he said . `` That 's all you can do , you know ? '' Pinon , who lives in Atlanta , Georgia , has been blind since age 3 , when a high fever caused optic nerve damage . He leads small tour groups through Dialog in the Dark , an exhibit traveling around the world that aims to foster understanding between people with and without vision . For about an hour , visitors navigate different environments in complete darkness , relying on all senses except sight , and ask questions of their visually impaired guide , whose face they do n't see until leaving . Stumbling in darkness makes the Dialog visitor appreciate how visually oriented the world is -- how would you go grocery shopping ? How would you cross the street ? -- as well as the reliance on other senses such as sound and touch to navigate the world . Investigating preventions , therapies . Researchers continue to search for methods of preventing and treating blindness . A new study in the Journal of Archives of Ophthalmology shows that a single serving of fish per week is associated with a reduced risk of incident early age-related macular degeneration , a disease that is the leading cause of severe vision loss in people older than 60 . The macula , a part of the retina that allows central vision , deteriorates in this condition . Stem cells may also hold promise for AMD . The London Project to Cure Blindness , with support from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer , is working on a therapy from human embryonic cells . The project 's goal is to begin human clinical trials by 2011 . The therapy aims to use embryonic stem cells to replace the cells that have been lost because of the disease . Through surgery , the cells would be implanted to restore vision . Read more about AMD . Interpreting the world . A variety of devices have been developed to help visually impaired individuals interact with the world around them . Some of these technologies use Braille . There are Braille codes for alphabets , mathematics , science , music and even computer programming , all based on the system of characters called cells , which consist of six dots in two parallel columns . But fewer than 10 percent of the 1.3 million legally blind individuals in the United States read Braille , according to the National Federation of the Blind . Only 10 percent of blind children are learning the system of raised dots that allows blind people to read and write through touch . Reasons for this include a shortage of teachers qualified to teach Braille and misconceptions about the system , such as that it 's difficult to learn , the organization said in a recent report . The National Federation of the Blind has worked with technology developers to enhance Braille to adapt to the needs to visually impaired people , said Mark Riccobono , executive director of the organization 's Jernigan Institute . The organization 's International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind in Baltimore , Maryland , has nearly every tactile and speech output technology available for blind people to learn how to use . A mechanical device called a refreshable Braille display raises and lowers a set of pins to form characters , translating words on a computer screen into Braille . The pins refresh and translate subsequent text as the user scrolls down on a computer screen . Riccobono , who has glaucoma and has been losing vision throughout his life , did not learn Braille as a child and believes that he missed out on literacy opportunities . He discovered Braille in college , which cut his study time down by 50 percent , he said . Braille is the only equivalent to print for visually impaired individuals , he said . `` Listening is not the same as actively reading something and seeing how words are spelled , '' he said . `` Sometimes technology is used as an excuse to not provide Braille . '' Still , Pinon , who reads Braille , uses speech access software to browse the Internet . He also noted that some movie theaters provide a special earpiece that has voice commentary describing what 's on screen , and some DVDs have commentary features also . Some visually impaired individuals use a knfbReader , a device that takes a picture of text , such as a menu , and reads it back . The Amazon Kindle , a digital reader for books and magazines , now has speech access , a feature for which the National Federation for the Blind advocated . Read more about the voice capabilities of Kindle 2 . Improving sight through technology . There are also technologies that allow visually impaired people to use other senses to orient themselves . One new device is called BrainPort , which allows the user to `` see '' through the tongue . BrainPort consists of an electrode array the size of a postage stamp on the surface of the tongue , which communicates with a digital camera , a base unit and a hand-held controller . The device electrically stimulates the tactile receptors on the tongue . The electrode array has a spatial map such that , as people move across a room , the vibration goes across the tongue . `` People are able to adapt and be trained to interpret this as spatial information , '' said Dr. William Seiple , vice president for research at the nonprofit Lighthouse International in New York . The device is being tested at Lighthouse , which has a mockup bedroom , bedroom and kitchen to help visually impaired individuals learn how to handle real-life situations . Watch as one patient gets an artificial corneal transplant '' Another avenue of research is the retinal implant . The user experiences something akin to what a person with sight sees when pressing on a closed eyelid : flashes of light , Seiple said . The rays of the electrode in the eye produce these flashes , which the brain learns to interpret . `` We 've all done this throughout our lives , '' he said . `` We have to interpret what 's out there in the world . '' Getting around without seeing . The U.S. Mint introduced the first coin with readable Braille in March , but not for general circulation . Only 400,000 are minted , and they cost more than $ 30 each . The National Federation of the Blind can receive surcharges from sales . Since paper bills have no obvious tactile indicators , blind individuals can ask for their money bill by bill at the bank and fold it in different ways to know what they 're getting , Pinon said . He tends to use debit cards when possible . As sighted people feel around with canes in the dark at Dialog , Pinon helps them along with the sound of his voice and , for the lost ones , a gentle pat on the shoulder . Pinon has a dog to help him navigate . He has a wife and three children . He even enjoys traveling , sampling the smells , tastes and sounds of foreign voices . Moving to a new place -- from Florida to Georgia -- was somewhat challenging , but , as he told a group of Dialog visitors seated in total darkness , `` You have to be adventurous and explorative and just get out and get to know the area a little bit . `` You pretty much have to be fearless , '' he said . | Fewer than 10 percent of legally blind individuals in the U.S. read Braille . BrainPort allows the user to have spatial orientation through vibrations on the tongue . Stem cells may also hold promise for age-related macular degeneration . Another avenue of research is the retinal implant . | [[2537, 2637], [2537, 2624], [2640, 2691], [1696, 1738], [5892, 5943]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's not just for French kissing or for showing your dissatisfaction . Besides showing off at concerts , licking lollipops , and teasing , the tongue could help people gain mobility . Aside from everyday functions of chewing , swallowing , talking and tasting , the tongue has new uses such as steering wheelchairs and helping blind people see . Also in Spain last month , doctors transplanted a tongue as part of a face transplant surgery . `` The tongue is considered very much like the trunk of an elephant or the tentacle of the octopus . It 's the same kind of structure with how many shapes , configurations the trunk or tentacle can assume , '' said E. Fiona Bailey , an assistant professor of physiology at The University of Arizona in Tucson . `` Researchers realize there is a lot of potential there . '' Transplanting tongues . A team of surgeons in Spain last month performed a face transplant , which is considered the first to include the tongue and jaws . A 43-year-old man who lost his jaws and tongue after a cancer battle 11 years ago received a transplant for the bottom third of his face , according to the Hospital La Fe in Valencia , Spain . Dr. Pedro Cavadas , the surgical team leader , said the objective was for the patient to recover feeling in his face and also to swallow , talk , feel and taste with his tongue again . But the first tongue transplant in 2003 had short-lived results . Doctors in Austria transplanted a tongue to a 42-year-old cancer patient . The cancer returned and the patient died 13 months after the surgery , according to a 2008 article written by his doctors in the journal Transplantation . A transplant recipient has to take immune suppressing drugs so he or she wo n't reject the new organ . But this puts the person at risk for cancer recurrence because of the weakened immune system , said Dr. Douglas Chepeha , a head and neck surgical oncologist at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center in Ann Arbor . Unlike liver or kidney transplants , reconnecting the tongue is also more complex because of its nerves , said Chepeha , who is the director of the microvascular program . `` A nerve is not like a single wire in your house , '' he said . `` When we say a nerve , there are literally thousands if not hundred thousands of tiny little fibers . It 'll be like taking a fiber optic cable and cutting it -- let 's say that cable had 100,000 fibers in it -- how do you realign it ? '' Chepeha said : `` If we can get some way of knowing which way to hook the nerves up , someday it 'll work better . Right now , we 're not there . '' Driving wheelchairs . A new kind of wheelchair allows people who can not use their hands and feet to steer using simple tongue movements . This technology can assist people who have spinal cord injuries , said Maysam Ghovanloo , an assistant professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology . Unlike hands and feet , the tongue has a distinct advantage because it does n't connect to the spinal cord , he said . To use the wheelchair , a magnet the size of a lentil sits on the driver 's tongue affixed by edible glue . When the person in the wheelchair touches a certain tooth with his or her tongue , the wheelchair moves -- for example , a left tooth , the wheelchair will turn left . Magnetic sensors trace the movement of the tongue and transmit the directions to get the wheelchair moving . `` The tongue is always moving , but the technology is smart enough to tell the difference between natural movements and the tongue movements -LSB- meant to steer the wheelchair -RSB- , '' Ghovanloo said . Researchers conducted clinical trials this summer in which people with spinal cord injuries navigated through an obstacle course using their tongues . Those who had recently been injured were more receptive to driving with their tongues than others who have gotten used to the existing technology , Ghovanloo said . The tongue-driven wheelchair is not available to the public yet , pending more clinical trials in 2010 . Aiding vision . Researchers devised an instrument to allow users to `` see '' through the tongue . Called the BrainPort , the vision device sits on the tongue to help blind people get a sense of their environment . The device , which is the size of a postage stamp , connects to a digital video camera . The camera paints the visual scene in front of a person by turning it into gentle stimulations on the tongue that feel like bubbles . For example , when a person moves across the room , the device creates vibrations across the tongue to resemble the movement . Aimee Arnoldussen , a neuroscientist at the device maker 's company , Wicab Inc. , said scientists turned to the tongue because `` the tongue has a high density of nerve endings , which makes it sensitive . '' Other parts of the body , such as the back , were not sufficiently sensitive . The fingertips were sensitive enough , but people wanted full use of their hands to grip a cane or to grab objects . Placing the device `` on the tongue inside the mouth , frees the hands to interact with environment , '' Arnoldussen said . Plus , the device can be hidden in the mouth . The device is still in development , but Arnoldussen said the company hopes to make it available to the public within the next year . E-tongue senses sweet . Scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign developed a handheld device the size of a business card , which can taste the sweetness in food and drinks . This could lead to the first electronic tongue that would be able to identify sources of sweetness . `` We could determine what sweetener would be in your tea , '' researcher Christopher Musto told CNN Radio . The device can distinguish among 14 kinds of sweeteners , from natural sugars to artificial ones such as Splenda . Musto described two possible applications : This would be a first step toward an electronic tongue and second , it could be a handheld device that would determine what sweetener and the amount . | Researchers turn to the tongue for new ways to help people with disabilities . Spanish doctors performed face transplant including tongue this summer . Engineers are testing a wheelchair that can be steered by the tongue . | [[282, 359], [4669, 4686], [4752, 4788], [371, 390], [393, 461], [859, 990], [898, 927], [934, 990], [2649, 2765], [3999, 4027], [4065, 4103]] |
Havana , Cuba -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Richard Waltzer has a pitch for Cuba : Miller beer and Häagen-Dazs ice cream . If he has his way , those products soon will be available at supermarkets and beach resorts on the communist island . `` This is one of the things people are going to pay premium for , '' Waltzer said , `` especially the tourists that have the dollars . It 's going to be a phenomenal product . '' This week , dozens of Americans are in Havana , peddling their wares at an international trade fair : apples , pears , grapes , raisins , nuts out of California . U.S.-Cuba relations appear to be thawing . In Havana , billboards depicting the U.S. president as Adolf Hitler have disappeared . In Washington , President Obama has lifted restrictions on Cuban-American travel and money transfers . The new political climate has prompted companies such as Chicago Foods to come to Havana 's trade fair for the first time . They 're hoping to break into the little-known market and go home with a contract . Despite a trade embargo imposed against Cuba in 1962 , the United States is the No. 1 supplier of food to that country and has been for more than five years . A law passed in 2000 allows the United States to export agricultural products and medicine . But this year , the global economic crisis is taking its toll . `` Cuba has not been an exception , '' said Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz , minister of foreign trade and investment . `` At the end of the third quarter in 2009 , our trade fell by 36 percent . '' The country is slashing imports of U.S. food by one-third , which means some vendors will go home empty-handed . But vendors are betting U.S.-Cuba relations will only get better . They said they 're also hoping the next step could be bills in the U.S. Congress that would eliminate restrictions on all Americans traveling to Cuba . `` We 're in this for the long haul as well , '' said Paul Johnson of Chicago Foods . `` Like I said before , we 're thinking about today as well as tomorrow . '' A tomorrow that would have U.S. tourists sipping American beer on Cuban beaches . | New political climate prompts U.S. firms to come to Cuban trade fair for first time . U.S. companies want to break into market and go home with a contract . Cuba also reeling from global economic crisis . Cuba is slashing imports of U.S. food by one-third . | [[806, 916], [863, 929], [930, 1013], [930, 934], [988, 1013], [1266, 1279], [1282, 1329], [1521, 1578]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Leon Panetta , chief of staff in President Bill Clinton 's White House , will be President-elect Barack Obama 's choice to be CIA director , two Democratic officials told CNN on Monday . Leon Panetta , who has a strong background in economics , was chief of staff for President Bill Clinton . The officials also said retired Adm. Dennis Blair , who formerly headed the U.S. Navy 's Pacific Command , will be tapped as director of national intelligence . Panetta , 70 , has had a long political career , beginning in 1966 when he served as a legislative assistant to U.S. Sen. Thomas H. Kuchel . R-California . He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1977 , serving California 's 16th -LRB- now 17th -RRB- District until Clinton appointed him to head the Office of Budget and Management in 1993 . He was chief of staff from 1994 to 1997 . Panetta and his wife , Sylvia , founded and co-direct the Leon and Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy at California State University , which provides study opportunities for students there and at several other schools . He serves on several boards and committees , and lectures internationally on economics . With a strong background in economics , Panetta has little hands-on experience in intelligence . But he is known as a strong manager with solid organizational skills . Sen. Dianne Feinstein , who will be the new chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee , said she had not been told in advance of Panetta 's selection . `` My position has consistently been that I believe the agency is best served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time , '' the California Democrat said . But Sen. Ron Wyden , a senior member of the Intelligence Committee , said he was consulted on the pick and praised Panetta . `` I believe he has the skills to usher in a new era of accountability at the nation 's premier intelligence agency , '' said Wyden , D-Oregon . `` For too long our nation 's intelligence community has operated under a policy of questionable effectiveness and legality in which consulting two members of the Senate Intelligence Committee counted as ` consulting with Congress . ' '' Sen. Kit Bond , R-Missouri , the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee , also questioned Panetta 's lack of intelligence experience , as did outgoing committee chairman Sen. Jay Rockefeller , D-West Virginia . Rep. Pete Hoekstra , the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee , would n't comment until Obama makes an announcement , but his spokesman said that Hoekstra `` has called for a new direction and a change in the culture a the CIA for some time . '' `` Whether it is Leon Panetta or someone else , it is important the agency move in a new direction , '' Jamal Ware said . Blair , 61 , was a 1968 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and attended Oxford University in Britain as a Rhodes scholar at the same time as Clinton . Blair retired from the Navy in 2002 . He was the CIA 's first associate director of military support and served on the National Security Council . He has been sharply critical of U.S. policy in terms of strategic long-term planning . iReport.com : Share your thoughts on Obama 's cabinet picks . `` I am in awe of the sophisticated strategies that American politicians can devise and pursue over many years , '' he told a House panel in July . `` They involve very public activities -- speeches , programs , alliances -- but also backroom deals , and stratagems , tactical flexibility but strategic constancy , investment in intellectual and organizational capabilities that will not pay off for years . `` I have yet to see these same brilliant politicians come up with similar strategies to advance the national interest when they come into national office . Our national strategies show little of the depth , brilliance and effectiveness of the domestic political strategies this country produces . '' Blair also is known in Navy circles for once trying to water-ski behind the destroyer he skippered , the USS Cochrane . | Next Senate intelligence chairwoman says she was n't told Panetta was picked . Sen. Feinstein : CIA best served by `` an intelligence professional in charge '' Panetta is Barack Obama 's choice for CIA director , two Democratic officials say . Officials : Retired Adm. Dennis Blair to be tapped as director of national intelligence . | [[1363, 1384], [1457, 1520], [1521, 1660], [171, 216], [323, 336], [355, 372], [420, 483]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Six heat-trapping gases that contribute to air pollution pose potential health hazards , the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday in a landmark announcement that could lead to regulation of the gases . `` This finding confirms that greenhouse gas pollution is a serious problem , '' EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said . The gases -- carbon dioxide , methane , nitrous oxide , hydrofluorocarbons , perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride -- have been the subject of intensive analysis by scientists around the world , the EPA said . The U.S. Supreme Court ordered the EPA 's scientific review in 2007 . `` This finding confirms that greenhouse gas pollution is a serious problem now and for future generations , '' EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said in a release , later adding , `` The science clearly shows that concentrations of these gases are at unprecedented levels as a result of human emissions , and these high levels are very likely the cause of the increase in average temperatures and other changes in our climate . '' The EPA 's finding now goes into a public comment period . The report , titled `` Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air Quality : A Synthesis of Climate Change Impacts on Ground-Level Ozone , '' is the culmination of a study started in 2000 , the EPA said . The White House moved quickly to try to squelch any concerns that the EPA would immediately issue any regulations concerning the gases . `` The president has made clear his strong preference that Congress act to pass comprehensive legislation rather than address the climate challenge through administrative action , '' White House spokesman Ben LaBolt said . `` That 's why the president has repeatedly called for a bill to provide for market-based solutions to reduce carbon pollution and transition to a clean-energy economy that creates millions of green jobs . '' The EPA announcement comes amid efforts by Congress to enact a limit on global warming pollution . The House Energy and Commerce Committee is scheduled to begin hearings next week on a comprehensive energy and climate bill , called the American Clean Energy and Security Act . Committee Chairman Henry Waxman is said to want the bill out of committee by Memorial Day , which falls on May 25 , and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she wants to bring the bill to the House floor for a vote this year . Environmentalists hailed the EPA 's announcement , with the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund calling it a `` historic step ... -LSB- that -RSB- formally determined that global warming pollution ` endangers ' the nation 's human health and well-being . '' `` The U.S. is taking its first steps as a nation to confront climate change , '' said Vickie Patton , deputy general counsel at the environmental advocacy group . `` Global warming threatens our health , our economy , and our children 's prosperity . EPA 's action is a wake-up call for national policy solutions that secure our economic and environmental future . '' But critics say the finding will just produce a `` glorious mess . '' `` Today 's action by the EPA is the beginning of a regulatory barrage that will destroy jobs , raise energy prices for consumers and undermine America 's global competitiveness , '' said Sen. James Inhofe , R-Oklahoma , the ranking member on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee . `` It now appears EPA 's regulatory reach will find its way into schools , hospitals , assisted living facilities and just about any activity that meets minimum thresholds in the Clean Air Act . '' The EPA notes in an accompanying report released Friday that global warming could make ozone pollution worse in some parts of the United States . Future ozone management decisions may have to take into account the possible effects of global warming , the report says . `` Climate change , along with other aspects of global change , including changes in population , land use and the technologies employed for energy production and transportation , may alter the capacity for U.S. states to successfully attain the national air quality standards in the future , '' the report concludes . Ground-level ozone is formed when sunlight causes a chemical reaction in the air between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds emitted by motor vehicles and industrial plants . Ozone levels are typically higher on sunny days in areas that have many vehicles or smoke-stack industries . Global warming also could increase the number of days with weather conditions conducive to forming ozone , potentially causing air quality alerts earlier in the spring and later in the fall , the report says . In addition to health problems , the report says global warming could lead to increased drought , more heavy downpours and flooding , and more frequent and intense heat waves and wildfires . Global warming could also cause a greater rise in sea level , more intense storms and harm to water resources , agriculture , wildlife and ecosystems , the report said . CNN political correspondent Jessica Yellin contributed to this report . | EPA official says `` concentrations of these gases are at unprecedented levels '' Environmentalists say announcement is important step in reduction efforts . Critic : Finding may help destroy jobs , raise energy prices , cut U.S. competitiveness . The House is will begin discussing the American Clean Energy and Security Act . | [[750, 786], [807, 819], [823, 944], [2425, 2473], [2025, 2148]] |
Editor 's note : Sherrilyn Ifill is a professor of law at the University of Maryland School of Law and a civil rights lawyer who specializes in voting rights and political participation . She is the author of `` On the Courthouse Lawn : Confronting the Legacy of Lynching in the 21st Century , '' and is a regular contributor to The Root at http://www.theroot.com/ . Sherrilyn Ifill says Sonia Sotomayor 's speech was an honest effort to describe how judges rule on cases . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Don Imus denigrated in clearly racist terms the championship women 's basketball team from Rutgers University ; when actor Michael Richards screamed at black guests in a comedy club , calling them the `` n-word '' and invoking the threat of lynching ; when Trent Lott said that things would have been better if a southern segregationist had been elected president a half-century earlier , responsible white people from across the ideological spectrum stepped forward to explain that these individuals were not racist . The `` R '' word has become the taboo of the white world . By this I mean that calling someone racist is a taboo , not racism itself . So when Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich and several other conservative commentators call a sitting federal appeals court judge and Supreme Court nominee who happens to be Latina , a racist , it 's time to push back . Real hard . The evidence offered in support of Judge Sonia Sotomayor 's alleged racism is a speech she gave in Berkeley , California , in honor of Judge Mario G. Olmos , a former judge , community leader and graduate of Boalt Hall Law School who died an untimely death at the age of 43 . The offending section of the speech is this : `` I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who has n't lived that life . '' This passage inspired Gingrich , former speaker of the House of Representatives and potential 2012 presidential candidate , to call Judge Sotomayor `` a Latina racist . '' To lift one statement out of Judge Sotomayor 's eight-page speech without examining the context and substance of her remarks , is an example of the kind of shoddy character assassination that I suspect will dominate this judicial confirmation process . Judge Sotomayor 's speech is , in fact , an excellent meditation on how the experiences of judges might affect how they approach aspects of judicial decision-making . It explores the important , and too-little examined reality that judicial deliberations can be affected by a judge 's background , perspective and experience . In the next sentence immediately following the passage above , Judge Sotomayor says , `` Let us not forget that wise men like Oliver Wendell Holmes and Justice -LSB- Benjamin -RSB- Cardozo voted on cases which upheld both sex and race discrimination in our society . '' Could she have been referring to Buck v. Bell , the 1927 case in which Justice Holmes -- widely regarded as perhaps the most brilliant justice in the Supreme Court 's history -- upheld the state 's plan to sterilize Carrie Buck , an 18-year-old white woman , who was accused of being congenitally retarded . Buck 's main crime seems to have been the fact that she 'd had a child out of wedlock . In any case , Justice Holmes upheld the sterilization order , emphatically and coldly stating , `` three generations of imbeciles is enough . '' Does anyone seriously believe that a woman , and especially a woman of color `` with the richness of her experiences '' would not have `` reach -LSB- ed -RSB- a better conclusion '' than that adopted by Justice Holmes in 1927 ? In fact Buck v. Bell is the perfect example of how a `` wise old -LSB- white -RSB- man '' got it wrong in a way that a woman judge or a racial minority most likely would not . It 's worth pointing out that in that same speech Judge Sotomayor cautioned , `` we should not be so myopic as to believe that others of different experiences or backgrounds are incapable of understanding the values and needs of people from a different group . '' But she acknowledges that `` there may be some -LSB- difference in her judging -RSB- based on my gender and my Latina heritage . '' What Gingrich and others decry in Judge Sotomayor should be applauded . Judge Sotomayor has the humility to recognize the difficulty of achieving true and pure impartiality . Instead , as she pointed out in her speech , '' -LSB- t -RSB- he aspiration to impartiality is just that -- it 's an aspiration because it denies the fact that we are by our experiences making different choices than others . '' Unlike so many judges who by virtue of being white and male simply assume their impartiality , Judge Sotomayor recognizes that all judges are affected by their background and their life experiences . Ironically , it was Justice Cardozo who recognized this when he said , '' -LSB- t -RSB- he great tides and currents which engulf the rest of men , do not turn aside in their course , and pass the judge by . '' Justice Cardozo concluded that '' -LSB- n -RSB- o effort or revolution of the mind will overthrow utterly and at all times the empire of ... -LSB- a judge 's -RSB- subconscious loyalties . These are the realities of judicial decision-making evoked by Judge Sotomayor 's speech . It 's perhaps easier to say as -LSB- then-Supreme Court nominee -RSB- Clarence Thomas so famously did , that a judge can simply , `` strip down like a runner , '' and become utterly impartial simply by putting on a black robe . But it is more honest to acknowledge that regardless of race , gender , ideology or professional background , impartiality is always a work-in-progress for judges . Even Judge Richard Posner , a conservative stalwart on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals once observed that , `` Litigation commonly involves persons at different social distances form the judge , and the more proximate will garner the more sympathetic response regardless of actual desert . '' Justice Thomas is the perfect example of how hard it can be for a judge to lay aside the personal experiences that shape his worldview . His views about the affirmative action cases that come before him are shaped quite clearly by what he regards as the self-sufficient dignity of his hard-working grandfather and the humiliation he says he felt when others believed his scholarly accomplishments were the result of affirmative action . White judges are also shaped by their background and experiences . They need n't ever speak of it , simply because their whiteness and gender insulates them from the presumption of partiality and bias that is regularly attached to women judges and judges of color when it comes to matters of race and gender . Only a judge who is conscious and fully engaged with the reality of how her experiences may bear on her approach to the facts of a case , or sense of social justice , or vision of constitutional interpretation , should be entrusted to sit on the most influential and powerful court in our nation . Too often we have allowed ourselves to be placated and charmed by fantasies about umpire judges calling `` balls and strikes , '' without ever asking which league the game is being played in or whether the umpire was standing in the best position to see the play . We forget that when deciding whether a batter checked his swing , the homeplate umpire will routinely ask for the alternative perspective from the first or third base umpire before calling a `` swing and a miss '' a strike . Judge Sotomayor rightly suggests that these things matter . She notes in her speech that `` personal experiences affect the facts that judges choose to see . '' She should know this . She 's been a trial judge . None of the other justices who will serve with Judge Sotomayor will have had that experience . Judge Sotomayor 's speech is one of the most honest and compelling statements about judicial impartiality we 're likely to hear from a judge of her stature . It ends with this humble observation : . `` Each day on the bench I learn something new about the judicial process and about being a professional Latina woman in a world that sometimes looks at me with suspicion . I am reminded each day that I render decisions that affect people concretely and that I owe them constant and complete vigilance in checking my assumptions , presumptions and perspectives and ensuring that to the extent that my limited abilities and capabilities permit me , that I re-evaluate them and change as circumstances and cases before me requires . I can and do aspire to be greater than the sum total of my experiences , but I accept my limitations . I willingly accept that we who judge must not deny the differences resulting from experience and heritage but attempt , as the Supreme Court suggests , continuously to judge when those opinions , sympathies and prejudices are appropriate . '' It 's entirely appropriate to question Judge Sotomayor about this speech at her confirmation hearings . She is evidently more than capable of explaining in compelling , clear language what precisely she wanted to convey in this speech . But Judge Sotomayor is not a racist . It is an insult of unimaginable proportion to unleash this charge on her , based on one sentence from her Berkeley , California , speech . It is not just irresponsible to make this charge against a sitting federal appeals court judge based on this flimsy record ; it is -- and here I 'll break the taboo -- racist to do so . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Sherrilyn Ifill . | Sherrilyn Ifill : The charge of being a racist is a taboo in much of society . Critics of Sotomayor have called her racist for one sentence in a speech , Ifill says . She says judge was honestly examining how judges make their decisions . Ifill says Impartiality is always a work-in-progress for judges . | [[1076, 1151], [1084, 1085], [1091, 1142], [2056, 2121], [9288, 9291], [9294, 9357], [367, 434], [388, 473], [5571, 5573], [5589, 5731]] |
BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Six gay men were shot dead by members of their tribe in two separate incidents in the past 10 days , an official with Iraq 's Interior ministry said . In the most recent attack , two men were killed Thursday in Sadr City area of Baghdad after they were disowned by relatives , the official said . The shootings came after a tribal meeting was held and the members decided to go after the victims . On March 26 , four additional men were fatally shot in the same city , the official said , adding that the victims had also been disowned by their relatives . The official declined to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media . Witnesses told CNN that a Sadr City cafe , which was a popular gathering spot for gays , was also set on fire . | In the most recent attack , two men were killed Thursday in Sadr City area of Baghdad . Witnesses tell CNN a Sadr City cafe , also popular with gay men , was set on fire . Shootings came after tribal meeting when members decided to go after the victims . | [[185, 210], [213, 308], [683, 723], [707, 723], [772, 794], [331, 372], [356, 385], [386, 431]] |
JAKARTA , Indonesia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A suspected terrorist linked to several Indonesian bombings in the past decade was killed in a protracted firefight Saturday in the Central Java town of Temanggung , two law enforcement sources told CNN . A poster in Malang , East Java , Indonesia , has under `` dicari , '' or `` wanted , '' Noordin Top . Another raid by police Saturday averted a planned assassination attempt on Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono , authorities said . Noordin M. Top was killed during a raid by the anti-terrorism unit Detachment 88 that began Friday and lasted 18 hours into Saturday , said a police source and a security analyst with close ties to the police . Official confirmation of Top 's identity will come next week after DNA results , said Indonesia 's National Police Chief , Bambang Hendarso . Indonesia 's anti-terrorism forces had been hunting Top for the past six years . He is also the main suspect in last month 's twin hotel bombings in Jakarta . A statement attributed to Top , 40 , a Malaysian-born explosives expert , claimed responsibility for the attacks that targeted Jakarta 's JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels . The coordinated bombings killed seven people and the two suspected bombers , and wounded more than 50 . Watch more about the raid '' It was the first major terrorist attack in Indonesia in more than three years . Top is reportedly an officer , recruiter , bomb-maker and trainer for a splinter group of the militant organization Jemaah Islamiyah , which has ties to al Qaeda . He allegedly was involved in a previous attack on the Marriott in Jakarta in August 2003 , as well as attacks on a Bali nightclub in 2002 and the Australian embassy in Jakarta in 2004 , according to the FBI . In February 2006 , the FBI added Top to its list of 10 suspected terrorists who have not been charged in the United States , and are wanted only for questioning . The ramifications of Top 's death were not immediately clear . `` This is a huge advance in Indonesia 's fight against terror , '' said Sidney Jones , a senior Asia adviser for the International Crisis Group , a global nonpartisan advisory organization . `` But this is not the end of it because we still do n't know the extent of the network and the funding source of Noordin 's network . '' Three to four people were believed to be holed up in the house in Temanggung , police said . Security forces had launched a raid on the house after two people believed to be nephews of its owner were arrested earlier in the day , according to the official Antara News Agency . `` Police officers entered the house and fired profusely inside the house while other policemen surrounded the house and opened its windows by force , '' Antara said . After the gunfire ended , local television showed police with their helmets off , shaking hands and carrying caskets into the house , suggesting that those inside the house had been killed or captured . Also on Saturday , in a house on the outskirts of Jakarta , Indonesian police killed two militants believed to be connected with a 2004 bombing and found a cache of explosives in an early morning raid , the national police chief said . Hendarso said that police found about 100 kg -LRB- 220 lbs -RRB- of explosives along with bomb-making materials and a truck , which they did not immediately open for fear it might have been rigged to explode . Those bomb-making materials were going to be used in an attack on the president , Hendarso said . The two militants killed are believed to be connected with the 2004 bombing of the Australian embassy in Jakarta in which 16 people were killed and more than 200 were wounded , Hendarso said . Also , a man identified as Suryana , who uses the aliases Yayan and Gepeng , was arrested in north Jakarta on suspicion of terrorism charges , said Nanan Soekarna , police inspector general . Soekarna could not say whether Suryana was connected with last month 's hotel bombings or other incidents . CNN 's Andy Saputra contributed to this report . | NEW : Another raid averted planned assassination attempt on Indonesian president . Top was killed during the 18-hour raid , law enforcement sources say . Top is the main suspect in the twin hotel bombings in Jakarta last month . Also killed : Two militants allegedly linked to the 2004 Australian Embassy bombing . | [[346, 466], [205, 243], [488, 568], [531, 554], [591, 620], [922, 999], [1176, 1250], [2971, 2982], [2985, 3023], [3026, 3166], [3510, 3527], [3548, 3622]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Formula 1 will continue to take place in Britain for the next 17 years after a deal was struck between Silverstone 's owners and the sport 's chief Bernie Ecclestone . Monday 's announcement by the track 's owners means the oldest venue on the F1 calendar keeps its place . Silverstone 's comeback took place despite rival track Donington Park being awarded the contract to host the British Grand Prix from 2010 . However , that circuit lost out after failing to secure the $ 200 million needed to fund redevelopment plans . That had led to fears Ecclestone would look to move the race abroad . Silverstone managing director Richard Phillips told the Press Association : `` We 've always had five-year deals and never been able to get the investment we needed to redevelop . `` But 17 years gives us the ability to invest and move forward . We 've always had the belief the British Grand Prix was an important cornerstone of Formula One but , with Bernie , you 're never quite sure . Phillips described the deal as `` peace in our time '' between the circuit 's owners , the British Racing Drivers Club -LRB- BRDC -RRB- , and Ecclestone . `` The relationship with Formula One Management has been improving , '' added Phillips . `` There 's a good working relationship with him now and we do n't have any issues . '' Applauding the negotiating team , BRDC president and 1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill told the Press Association : `` It 's not easy to enter into an agreement of this magnitude . It 's a big commitment . `` But the BRDC felt we wanted this relationship to continue , and we were prepared to back the negotiating team , with the level of risk satisfactory for the deal to go ahead . `` This announcement is tremendous news . It really does cement Silverstone as a motor sport venue and is incredibly satisfying for the BRDC to cement its relationship with F1 . '' | Formula 1 will continue in Britain after deal between Silverstone and sport 's chief Bernie Ecclestone . Announcement by the track 's owners means the oldest race on the F1 calendar keeps its place . Donington was to host British Grand Prix from 2010 but failed to secure $ 200 million for redevelopment . | [[0, 6], [9, 32], [36, 119], [107, 183], [204, 291], [256, 309], [353, 449], [460, 560]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Stevie Wonder has had more than 30 U.S. top ten hits and has won 22 Grammy Awards -- more than any other male artist . Blind from birth , Wonder 's music has always reflected his concern with humanitarian and social issues . On Thursday , he joined the prestigious list of U.N. Messengers of Peace and will focus on the battle for disabled rights . UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment , calling Wonder a `` musical genius '' and `` great humanitarian , who has campaigned against apartheid , for children in need , and for persons with disabilities . '' Speaking about his new U.N. role Wonder told CNN 's Becky Anderson : `` It 's about that ten percent of the world that suffers with a disability . It 's about sounding that alarm off that says to the 90 percent : it 's time to get it together for those of us with disabilities . '' Asked by Anderson what phrase which would encapsulate his mission Wonder said : `` We can never let our fears put our dreams to sleep . '' He said the 90 percent of people who are n't disabled should learn not to fear disability , whatever form it takes and called for a stop to an `` ignorance to the highest point of ridiculousness . '' Wonder hopes that politicians will listen to him in his new role as a U.N. messenger . `` If you love my music that much , then care about those ten percent as well . There are 650 million disabled people in the world . Lets do something about that . Lets make a change , '' he said . The popularity of Wonder 's music at the White House is well known . Indeed , President Obama says he owes a lot to his music . When awarding Wonder the U.S. 's highest award for pop music : the Library of Congress ' Gershwin prize earlier this year the president said : `` Michelle might not have dated me , we might not have married . The fact that we agreed on Stevie was the essence of our courtship . '' Wonder is n't surprised to see a black man in the White House . `` That whole place of feeling that you ca n't have a black president or a female president , it 's always been about people 's inability to think out of the box that 's always been backward in the first place . '' The only downside from Wonder 's new role is for his fans . His new album `` Gospel Inspired By Lula '' wont be coming out until next May he told Anderson . He admitted that after all these years in the business he still gets nervous and still hits the odd bum note . `` We did a show recently where my voice cracked and I said ` we got ta do that again ! ' We all laughed about it . '' Does he have a favorite song from his own catalogue ? `` I always use this thing that Duke Ellington would say . He used to say that ' I have n't written it yet . ' I guess I would say the same . I would say this to you : whatever your favorite is , is my favorite too . '' | Stevie Wonder talks to CNN about his new U.N. role . The multi award-winning Grammy artist is a new Messenger of Peace . Wonder will fight for the rights of 650 million disabled people worldwide . | [[613, 679], [261, 272], [275, 333], [261, 272], [275, 277], [328, 384], [1401, 1453]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- If the location is anything to go by , then the omens are promising . Denmark 's capital city , Copenhagen -- host to the U.N. climate summit which starts today -- is already one of the greenest cities in Europe . With over 300 kilometers of cycle lanes it is estimated that around 40 percent of the 1.2 population travel to work on a bicycle . And visitors to the city are encouraged to join in by making use of the network of city bikes for a deposit of just 20 DKK -LRB- $ 4 -RRB- . The influence of two wheels has extended into Yuletide this year , as cyclists in City Hall Square are generating the electricity powering the lights on the Christmas tree . It 's just one of hundreds of activities and events which Copenhageners have organized to coincide with the 11-day U.N. summit taking place at the Bella Center in the Orestad district in the southeast of the city . The opening of the summit marks the end of an exhaustive planning period by the city . Preparations at the Bella Center began two years ago . The finishing touches began eight weeks ago . `` It is , by far , the largest conference we have ever held and the largest political conference in Europe , '' the Bella Center press manager , Lars Lemche told CNN . `` If numbers continue to grow , it will be the biggest political meeting the U.N. has ever held , '' he said . The center has hosted big events before -- a European Union summit in 2002 and the 2006 MTV European Music Awards -- but the U.N. summit makes them look like a tea party . `` A conference is 36 hours . This is 11 days , '' Lemche said . The Bella Center has had to extend its floor space to 77,000 square meters -- the size of 11 football pitches -- to accommodate all delegates and 1000 staff will be on hand throughout . Numbers are expected to peak at around 18,000 in the second week when 100 heads of state arrive for the high-level political negotiations . This Herculean effort of planning is being backed up by a raft of green initiatives . Outside the conference center solar-powered streetlights are helping light the car parks . A wind turbine is helping power the lights indoors . Inside the conference center delegates will eat from a menu that is 65 percent organic and drink water that has come out of a tap rather than a bottle . Pens provided will be made from recycled plastic , and even the carpets are biodegradable . In a bid to offset the considerable carbon dioxide emissions - estimated to be 40,000 tons -- generated by the summit , organizers are funding the replacement of polluting brick factories in Dhaka , Bangladesh with 20 new efficient ones . Despite the disruption , Copenhageners have gone about their daily business as usual . Jason Heppenstall , Editor of The Copenhagen Post , a weekly English language newspaper told CNN : `` There has n't been much of a build up until the last few days . Until about two weeks ago it 's not been talked about a lot in the press and maybe a month ago half the people in Denmark did n't know there was going to be a conference , '' he told CNN . People are starting to notice changes now , and the mood among Copenhageners is positive , apart from the locals living near the Bella Center and whose lives have been disrupted by all the security arrangements , Heppenstall said . The concrete barriers and the perimeter fence erected to protect the Bella Center have been one of the more obvious signs of security in the city . And now that the conference has started , 6000 officers will be on duty during the conference . Niels-Otto Fisker , communications advisor to the Danish national police commissioner , told CNN : `` It is the single greatest operation that the Danish police have undertaken . Police are being drafted in from all over the country , and shifts are being extended from eight to 12-16 hours . '' In all , the security operations are costing the Danish government an estimated $ 122 million . Last week , police unveiled a 22-ton vehicle armed with a water canon which will be used if trouble flares during the conference . The only confrontations in the buildup to the conference have been between Copenhagen 's female mayor , Ritt Bjerregaard , and the city 's prostitutes . A row started after city leaders requested hotels display postcards saying : `` Be sustainable : Do n't buy sex . '' The prostitutes -- whose are free to work under Danish law -- have responded by offering their services free of charge . `` Our office is based in the red-light district . There are prostitutes here , but it 's not like Amsterdam , '' Heppenstall explained . `` I think some people coming to the conference think it might be . So the city council have been trying to pre-empt it by sending postcards saying please refrain from going to these areas . The sex workers have responded by saying that 's ridiculous . They see this as their big moment . '' As Copenhagen hands over to the U.N. for two weeks , the world 's eyes are now turning to negotiations which precede the arrival of U.S. President Barack Obama and company . Earlier this year , Copenhagen announced the aim of being carbon neutral by 2025 . Perhaps the U.N. could take a leaf out of their host 's book . | Danish capital , Copenhagen , one of the greenest cities in Europe . U.N. climate summit is biggest political event Denmark has hosted . Copenhagen aims to be carbon neutral by 2025 . | [[106, 129], [154, 177], [200, 249], [5093, 5110], [5113, 5175]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Women were dismissed from the military for being gay at a greater rate than men last year , according to new statistics obtained by a California research group . Women were dismissed from the military for being gay at a greater rate than men last year . All the services kicked out a disproportionate number of women under the `` Do n't Ask , Do n't Tell '' policy , according to Department of Defense data obtained by the Palm Center at the University of California , Santa Barbara . The center studies gender and sexuality in the military . The `` Do n't Ask , Do n't Tell '' policy , implemented in 1994 , bans troops who are openly gay from serving in the military . In the Air Force , a majority of those removed were women , the first time a service has had such a record since the implementation of the controversial law in 1994 , according to Palm Center senior research fellow Nathaniel Frank . Watch CNN 's Randi Kaye report on Obama 's promises '' In fiscal year 2008 , the Air Force dismissed 56 women and 34 men . In addition , the Army removed more women under the `` Do n't Ask , Do n't Tell '' policy at a greater rate than men when compared with the ratio of women to men in each service . Of those discharged under the policy , 36 percent were women , although women make up only 14 percent of troops in the Army , the data showed . | New statistics obtained by a California research group , the Palm Center . Services kicked out disproportionate number of women under `` Do n't Ask , Do n't Tell '' In the Air Force , a majority of those removed for being gay were women . | [[0, 15], [111, 138], [124, 180], [413, 485], [19, 98], [181, 272], [273, 347], [690, 706], [709, 747], [1060, 1099], [19, 98], [181, 272], [690, 706], [709, 747]] |
A whopping 70 percent of American kids are n't getting enough vitamin D , and such youngsters tend to have higher blood pressure and lower levels of good cholesterol than their peers , according to two new studies published this week in the journal Pediatrics . Low vitamin D levels also may increase a child 's risk of developing heart disease later in life , experts say . People who drank milk less than once a week were among those most at risk for vitamin-D deficiency , a study found . `` We were astounded at how common it was , '' says study author Dr. Michal Melamed , an assistant professor of medicine , epidemiology , and population health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine , in the Bronx , New York . `` There is a lot of data that suggests adults with low vitamin-D levels are at risk for diabetes , high blood pressure , cardiovascular disease , and a lot of cancers , and if kids start out with low levels and never increase them , they may be putting themselves at risk for developing all of these diseases at a much earlier age . '' Vitamin D is often called the `` sunshine vitamin '' because the human body makes it only when exposed to sunlight -- although it only takes 10 to 15 minutes a day to make an adequate amount . Vitamin D , which helps the bones better absorb calcium , is also added to multivitamins and milk . In Melamed 's study , the researchers looked at the vitamin D levels of more than 6,000 people ages 1 to 21 . They checked for vitamin-D deficiency , which is defined as less than 15 nanograms per milliliter of blood -LRB- ng/mL -RRB- , and vitamin-D insufficiency , which is defined as 15 to 29 ng/mL . Overall , 7.6 million , or 9 percent , of U.S. children were vitamin-D deficient , and another 50.8 million , or 61 percent , had insufficient levels of this important vitamin in their blood . Children with low levels of vitamin D were more likely to have high blood pressure and lower levels of high-density lipoprotein , also known as good cholesterol -- two factors that are considered major risk factors for heart disease later in life . Health.com : How cholesterol affects your heart 's health . Children with low vitamin-D levels also had higher levels of parathyroid hormone than their counterparts with adequate vitamin D in their blood . Parathyroid hormone is a measure of bone health . When levels are high , it suggests that bones need more calcium to grow . Watch more on kids in the U.S. and low levels of vitamin D '' Overall , those most at risk for a vitamin-D deficiency were older , female , obese , drank milk less than once a week , and spent more than four hours a day watching TV , playing video games , or working on a computer . They were also more likely to be children with darker skin , including non-Hispanic blacks and Mexican-Americans . -LRB- Children with darker skin are more likely to be deficient in vitamin D because they have more melanin than their fairer counterparts . Melanin is the pigment that gives skin color , but it may prevent the skin from absorbing enough sunlight to produce an adequate amount of vitamin D. -RRB- Health.com : Battle aging with vitamin D . In the second study , a research team led by Jared P. Reis , Ph.D. , of Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions , looked at 3,577 adolescents ages 12 to 19 . Those with low levels of vitamin D were more likely to have high blood pressure , high levels of blood sugar , and metabolic syndrome -LRB- a cluster of factors known to increase risk of heart disease -RRB- than their counterparts with ample vitamin D in their blood , regardless of how much they weighed . Exactly how a lack of vitamin D increases the risk of heart disease is an evolving story . In terms of blood pressure , vitamin D helps control renin , a protein that plays a role in regulating blood-pressure levels . Health.com : Why belly fat increases type 2 diabetes risk . The best vitamin-D boosting strategy involves a three-pronged approach , says Melamed . `` You can get a little bit from food , but not as much as you need , '' she says . `` Supplements are readily available , and kids like to take Flintstones or gummy-bear multivitamins , which typically contain vitamin D. '' Also , parents should help their children get at least 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure daily without sunscreen . `` Set your watch and then apply sunscreen after 15 minutes , '' Melamed says . Some children , including those in high-risk groups , may need to be screened to check for low vitamin-D levels . Dr. Michael F. Holick , Ph.D. , a professor of medicine , physiology , and biophysics at Boston University School of Medicine , and the author of `` The Vitamin D Solution '' -LRB- to be released in April 2010 -RRB- , has been sounding an alarm about the dangers of low vitamin-D levels for years . Health.com : Easy food swaps cut cholesterol , not taste . `` This is a recipe for serious diseases occurring in our children when they are in their 20s and 30s , '' he says . Holick was among the first to document the return of rickets -- a disorder caused by a lack of vitamin D and other minerals -- which can lead to the softening and weakening of the bones . Health.com : How to get vitamin D safely . '' -LSB- But -RSB- rickets is just the tip of the iceberg , '' Holick says . `` Vitamin-D deficiency has insidious , serious long-term health consequences for children that could remain with them throughout their lives , '' he explains . '' -LSB- Parents should know -RSB- their child is likely to be vitamin-D deficient if the child does not take a supplement of 400 IU vitamin D a day and receive some unprotected sun . It is next to impossible to get enough vitamin D from diet , and the sun-phobic attitude has made the problem much worse . '' Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright Health Magazine 2009 . | Study : 70 percent of American kids are n't getting enough vitamin D . Children with darker skin are more likely to be deficient in vitamin D . Vitamin D helps control the protein renin , involved in blood pressure levels . Vitamin D also helps the bones better absorb calcium . | [[0, 71], [476, 491], [1657, 1737], [1744, 1780], [1783, 1849], [2827, 2903], [2827, 2858], [2875, 2967], [5473, 5552], [3747, 3776], [3779, 3788], [3794, 3844], [1253, 1262], [1271, 1308]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Attorneys for 16 Indiana National Guard soldiers on Wednesday sued the largest U.S. contractor in Iraq , alleging the company knowingly exposed the soldiers to a cancer-causing toxic chemical . 16 Indiana National Guardsmen have sued the Houston-based company Kellogg Brown and Root , known as KBR . The lawsuit against Houston-based KBR , which seeks an unspecified amount , alleges that the soldiers were exposed to sodium dichromate , an inorganic compound containing a highly toxic form of chromium known as hexavalent chromium . The soldiers say that they , along with other American civilian contractors , were exposed to the chemical at the Qarmat Ali water pumping plant in southern Iraq shortly after the U.S. invasion in 2003 . KBR was tasked with getting the plant up and running using civilian contractors . The National Guardsmen were assigned to protect the civilian workers . The Guardsmen and civilian contractors who worked there have described walking on and sitting near the bright orange powder that was widely dispersed throughout the grounds of the water plant . The chemical was believed to have been left behind by forces loyal to Saddam Hussein . Some of the Guardsmen already suffer from nasal tumors or respiratory system problems and other health problems , according to the lawsuit . One of the guardsmen may have died from the exposure , though the exact cause of his death earlier this year is still not clear . The odorless sodium dichromate was used at the plant as an anti-corrosive , the lawsuit says . The chemical contained nearly pure hexavalent chromium , the toxic substance that poisoned homeowners in Hinkley , California , and was made famous by activist Erin Brockovich , according to the suit . For the Guardsmen , KBR 's `` knowing acts and omissions '' resulted in `` months and months of unprotected , unknowing , direct exposure to one of the most potent carcinogens and mutagenic substances known to man , '' the lawsuit alleges . A spokeswoman for KBR said the company was still reviewing the lawsuit , but denied responsibility for creating unsafe conditions at the plant . `` We are not providing comment on the suit at this time . The company does intend to vigorously defend itself , '' KBR spokeswoman Heather Browne said . The Guardsmen say the company knew about the dangers of exposure to the chemical as far back as 2003 , but did not act to protect the soldiers . `` KBR managers knew full well long ago that this stuff was incredibly dangerous . But there was no information about it for years . And now these soldiers are facing some pretty serious health concerns . They 're going to be stuck with this the rest of their lives , '' said Doyle . `` The most frustrating thing is that these guys are finding out years later that they were exposed to something , '' said Mike Doyle , one of the Houston attorneys representing the Guardsmen . KBR took issue with the allegation that the company knowingly exposed the soldiers or anyone else and did nothing to help . `` KBR 's commitment to the safety and security of all employees , the troops and those we serve is the company 's top priority , '' the statement read . `` KBR appropriately notified the Army Corps of Engineers upon discovery of the existence of the substance on the site and the Corps of Engineers concluded that KBR 's efforts to remediate the situation were effective . Further , the company in no way condones any action that would compromise the safety of those we serve or employ . '' Mark McManaway , a father and grandfather , was an Indiana National Guard sergeant at the water plant from May through September 2003 , when the worst exposures are believed to have occurred . He is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit . `` The worst part is that the military has only just recently advised us that the stuff we were exposed to was much worse than they thought while we were out there , '' said McManaway . `` It 's in our bodies , but we do n't know how bad it is . Maybe within the next five years cancers could start showing up . You 've got a ticking time bomb in you -- and when 's it going to go off ? '' The U.S. military is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit . The toxic chemical made famous by Brockovich in California was a diluted form of hexavalent chromium that caused serious illnesses after being ingested by homeowners through their water . The chemical the Guardsmen were exposed to in Iraq was a nearly pure form of the chemical and could have been inhaled directly by anyone working at the plant . The U.S. Senate held hearings in August on emerging concerns about the exposure to the toxic chemicals after reports of civilian contractors and their exposure to the chemicals at the water plant . But officials of the National Guard -- and most of the Guardsmen who worked at the plant -- were not even aware of the possible dangers at the time of the hearing . Some heard about for the first time during the televised hearings . Only then did the National Guard begin efforts to find the men , some of whom had already been back in the United States for four years . An estimated 275 American soldiers may have been exposed to the chemical at the water plant , over a period of months through mid - to late-2003 . | Suit says Guardsman , contractors exposed to cancer-causing chemical at Iraq plant . Suit alleges KBR knew of contamination threat and did nothing to protect soldiers . Some Guardsmen suffer from nasal tumors , respiratory problems . KBR says it 's not to blame for creating unsafe conditions at plant . | [[0, 15], [124, 212], [319, 356], [395, 478], [575, 579], [617, 683], [1191, 1212], [1305, 1331], [1538, 1556], [1614, 1633], [1735, 1758], [319, 356], [395, 478], [2299, 2399], [2299, 2312], [2406, 2443], [2962, 2973], [3024, 3045], [1191, 1302], [2577, 2648], [2000, 2021], [2077, 2144]] |
BEIJING , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An executive of the Chinese dairy company Sanlu Group pleaded guilty Wednesday over her role in the contaminated milk scandal that sickened nearly 300,000 infants , state-run media reported . A salesgirl arranges powdered milk in China 's Sichuan province in September . Tian Wenhua , Sanlu 's former board chairwoman and general manager , and three other executives are on trial for producing and selling fake or substandard products , according to Xinhua news agency . Wenhua , 66 , pleaded guilty on the first day of the trial at a court in Shijiazhuang , the capital of northern Hebei Province , Xinhua reported . She told the court that she first received tainted milk complaints from consumers in mid-May -- four months before the issue became widely known -- according to the report . Wenhua led a working team to investigate the claims , Xinhua reported . The three other executives are former deputy general managers Wang Yuliang and Hang Zhiqi , and Wu Jusheng , a former executive heading Sanlu 's milk division . Chinese investigators found melamine in nearly 70 milk products from more than 20 companies , according to quality control official Li Changjiang , who was eventually forced to resign . The Ministry of Health has said the contamination likely caused the deaths of at least six babies . Another 294,000 infants suffered from urinary problems , such as kidney stones . The tainted formula came to light in September after babies who were fed milk powder produced by the Sanlu Group , which recently filed for bankruptcy , had developed kidney stones . Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates , wood adhesives , fabric coatings , ceiling tiles and flame retardants . Some Chinese dairy plants added the chemical to milk products so they would appear to have a higher protein level . Prior to the four Sanlu executives , at least eight people stood trial over charges of producing , adding melamine-laced `` protein powder '' to milk or selling the tainted milk to Sanlu or other dairies . Victims of tainted baby formula are expected to be compensated by the 22 Chinese dairy producers that made the milk . `` The enterprises offered to shoulder the compensation liability , '' the country 's Dairy Industry Association said Saturday , according to Xinhua . `` By doing so , they hope to earn understanding and forgiveness of the families of the sickened children . '' The group said victims will receive a one-off cash payment , but did not provide the amounts , according to Xinhua . `` The money for compensation is in place now and will soon be handed to the people who have custody of the sickened children through various channels , '' the association said . No date for the payments was given . The dairies also raised money to cover medical bills for any after-effects suffered as a result of the poisoning , the association said . | Tian Wenhua , former Sanlu chairwoman and general manager , pleads guilty . Four Sanlu executives accused of producing and selling substandard products . Scandal revealed after babies fed milk powder developed kidney stones . Victims of tainted baby formula to be compensated by 22 Chinese dairy firms . | [[10, 31], [83, 160], [320, 469], [306, 317], [320, 401], [433, 469], [320, 401], [472, 505], [506, 512], [520, 591], [320, 469], [306, 317], [320, 401], [433, 469], [1346, 1426], [1427, 1486], [1524, 1539], [1580, 1609], [2058, 2154]] |
MUMBAI , India -LRB- Reuters -RRB- -- A newborn Indian baby found abandoned with 26 stab wounds has survived , doctors said on Wednesday , despite a cracked skull and exposed intestines . The baby boy , who doctors said was aged between one and two days , was discovered soaked in blood at a garbage dump in India 's financial capital of Mumbai on Tuesday , they said . His intestines were hanging out from a deep wound on his back and he had dirt and garbage stuck on him . `` When he was brought in he looked pale from blood loss , '' said Ramesh Hatti , a doctor at a city hospital . `` He is still in a lot of pain but is now stable . '' Police have not been able to trace the baby 's parents or establish a reason for the attack . Babies are sometimes abandoned by unwed Indian mothers , who fear severe social repercussions for having a child out of wedlock . E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 Reuters . All rights reserved.This material may not be published , broadcast , rewritten , or redistributed . | A newborn Indian baby found abandoned with 26 stab wounds has survived . The baby boy also suffered a cracked skull and exposed intestines . Doctors said he was aged between one and two days . Babies are sometimes abandoned by unwed Indian mothers . | [[55, 88], [38, 59], [66, 95], [0, 6], [9, 34], [84, 108], [147, 187], [111, 118], [167, 187], [370, 431], [188, 253], [256, 304], [736, 790]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Brazilian court ordered Wednesday that 9-year-old Sean Goldman be returned to the custody of his father , David , in the United States , but his Brazilian relatives were expected to try to block the order , a Brazilian official said . Outside his home in New Jersey , David Goldman told reporters he was heartened by the news , but would not consider his efforts successful until he and the boy are reunited . `` I 'm hopeful , '' he said . `` I ca n't be optimistic because I 've gone down there so many times , always under the guise that the rule of law will be followed and Sean will come home to me and his family , and that does n't happen . '' The 3-0 ruling by the Federal Regional Tribunal in Rio de Janeiro upheld a June decision by the 16th Federal Court in Rio , which ordered Sean returned to his home in New Jersey in accordance with the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of Child Abductions . But a Brazilian official with knowledge of the case predicted Wednesday 's order would be appealed . So far , the boy 's Brazilian family has filed 40 appeals , most of them procedural but one substantive . The Brazilian high court is to take up any appeal on Thursday , said Rep. Chris Smith , R-New Jersey , who has been pressing the case for his constituent . `` Frankly , every possible nuance has been appealed by the other side , '' he told CNN 's `` Situation Room . '' `` Remember , this is an abducting family , they 're kidnappers , but they have had a great deal of sway with the court . '' The Supreme Court could still allow Sean Goldman to be returned to his father in the United States while it decides any appeal . Goldman , a former model , said he had last spoken with his son in June , but they did not discuss the custody battle . The case began in 2004 , when his wife , Bruna Bianchi , took their 4-year-old son from their home in New Jersey to Rio de Janeiro for what was to have been a two-week vacation . She never returned , instead remarrying there and retaining custody of their son . She died last year in childbirth . Goldman has argued that , as the sole surviving parent , he should be granted custody . But the boy 's stepfather and his other Brazilian relatives have argued that it would be traumatizing to the boy to remove him from what has been his home for most of his life . The case has drawn high-profile input , including pressure for the boy 's return from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , who said Wednesday in a statement that she was pleased to hear about the decision . `` We appreciate the assistance and cooperation of the government of Brazil in upholding its obligations under the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction , '' she said . `` And it is my hope that this long legal process is now complete and that the Goldman family will be reunited quickly . '' CNN 's Jill Dougherty contributed to this story . | NEW : Clinton : `` It is my hope that this long legal process is now complete '' Dad hopeful , but not optimistic after ruling . Court rules David Goldman should regain custody of his 9-year-old son . Goldman 's wife took son to Brazil in 2004 ; she filed for divorce and later died . | [[2766, 2805], [0, 15], [19, 20], [37, 124], [1819, 1827], [1846, 1911], [1920, 1967]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- English Premier League Fulham produced a superb performance in Switzerland on Wednesday to eliminate opponents Basel from the Europa League with a 3-2 victory . Roy Hodgson 's men went into the away game needing victory to leapfrog their opponents and join Group E winners AS Roma in the last 32 of Europe 's second-tier club competition . Fulham were led by striker Bobby Zamora , who capped a recent scoring spree with two goals just before halftime . Basel hit back with a disputed penalty before Zoltan Gera put Fulham 3-1 ahead with a neat finish . But a Marco Streller 87th minute strike for the home side set up a nervous finish for the visitors , who survived to reach the knockout stages . Roma beat CSKA Sofia in the group 's other match with Alessandro Cerci scornig twice . In Group F , French star Djibril Cisse scored a late double as Panathinaikos booked their passage with a 3-0 home win over Dinamo Bucharest . Ante Rukavina set the Greek giants on their way to the last 32 with a 55th-minute strike . Turkish side Galatasaray won the group but lost 1-0 to Austria 's Sturm Graz , who scored through Daniel Beichler . In Group D , Bundesliga Hertha Berlin beat Sporting Lisbon of Portugal 1-0 through Gojko Kacar 's second half strike . It meant Dutch side Heerenveen were eliminated despite a 5-0 home victory over FK Ventspils . Second-half goals from Gerard Sibon , who scored twice , Mika Vayrynen , Viktor Elm and Darryl Janmaat gave Heerenveen victory , but Hertha 's win spoiled their celebrations . Sporting were already through as group winners . Last season 's UEFA Cup finalists Werder Bremen beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 to top Group L , with both guaranteed their spots in Friday 's draw . Bremen netted three times in the opening 36 minutes through Claudio Pizarro , Naldo and Markus Rosenberg to complete a comfortable win . | Fulham reach last 32 of Europa League at the expense of Basel with 3-2 win in Switzerland . Greek giants Panathinaikos book place in knockout stage with 3-0 win over Dinamo Bucharest . Hertha Berlin go through with 1-0 win over group winners Sporting Lisbon . Fellow Bundesliga side Werder Bremen top Goup L after 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao . | [[0, 15], [49, 158], [805, 815], [818, 946], [1154, 1164], [1167, 1228], [1592, 1679]] |
-LRB- CareerBuilder.com -RRB- -- The importance of references seems to be a hot topic these days . Employers want to make sure they are hiring the right person for the job ; but some thwart the process because checking references can be labor-intensive . On the other hand , job seekers provide references they know will give a glowing report , but employers are getting smarter and finding references you did n't provide . So , what 's the deal ? Do references matter ? Do employers even check them anymore ? What 's the protocol for providing them to a potential employer ? Who are the best people to include as references ? And , if an employer does n't call any of your references , is it a bad sign ? While the definitive answer to any of these questions depends on the employer , overall , yes , references do still matter . The process has just changed . `` References play a huge role in the hiring process , perhaps now more than ever , '' said Heather R. Huhman , founder and president of Come Recommended , an online community that connects internship and entry-level job candidates with employers . '' Oftentimes , hiring managers fall in love with a candidate on paper and then again in an interview , only to find out through a reference check that none of their previous employers would ever hire them again . By checking a candidate 's references , hiring managers save themselves the frustration of hiring a person who is not a good fit for a company . In this economy , where hiring budgets are slim , every hire must be a great fit . '' Provided references are no guarantee . Though the majority of employers do check references , others skip this step . Not only is it labor-intensive to check references for people who might not be poised for a job offer , but Jack Harsh , adjunct professor at the University of Richmond Robins School of Business , said that many employers worry about the risk of liability in rejecting a candidate based on poor references . '' -LSB- Hiring -RSB- decisions can not be based on information that is discriminatory in nature , so to avoid any liability , the checks are forgone , '' Harsh said . `` Sadly , the first reference the employer gets in such cases is from colleagues after employment has begun . '' Steve Langerud , director of career development at Depauw University , adds that sometimes , the quality of references is benign . `` Everyone wants to be helpful and supportive to former employees , but in the end , they offer little substance to a new employer , '' he says . `` Legally , they are limited by what they can or want to say about former employees . I think the old formal system of references is dead in most professional fields . '' Langerud warns that just because an employer is n't checking personal references the traditional way does n't mean he is n't checking references at all . `` Employers are more likely to check the informal , but tangible , behavioral reference sources like LinkedIn , Facebook , credit history -LSB- or -RSB- criminal history than the more subjective references provided by candidates , '' he said . `` Candidates should be much more intentional about crafting a professional identity that serves the role of a ` reference ' but within the context of the work , profession and colleagues you seek to engage . It eliminates the weaknesses inherent in the old style of references that become so watered down they are useless . '' Making the right choices . The last thing you want to do is give an employer useless references , but many job seekers make the mistake of not taking the time to thoughtfully choose the right people to speak on their behalf , said Elaine Varelas , managing partner for Keystone Partners , an outplacement and talent management consulting firm . `` You want people who can speak to your role as a professional , not as a nice neighbor , '' Varelas said . `` Candidates can make their references count by prepping them to discuss their specific skills as they relate to the job and the impact they brought to the job , which can be just the differentiation needed in this highly competitive market . '' Harsh agrees that when he receives a résumé with references attached , he gives them virtually no weight . `` They seldom are specific to the role my company seeks and are not meaningful in considering qualifications or traits of successful candidate , '' he said . Finally , when it comes to protocol for submitting references , the process has changed as well . It used to be that applicants sent them in with their other application materials , but now , Varelas says , you should wait to provide references until you are asked . `` Most companies do not want your references until the end of the process and they will let you know when to provide a list of names and contact information . Do not send written references , '' she said . `` These do not offer the highest impact as they are not specific on how you will fit into the job you are pursuing . It is better to spend your time preparing your references for the kinds of questions they will be asked , and what they can do to help you close an offer . '' Helpful hints . Harsh , Varelas and Langerud offer these 10 tips to ensure you do everything right when it comes to providing references : . 1 . Include references only when requested by an employer . 2 . Carefully consider whom to provide after discussion with the prospective employer . The time to check references is before an offer is made , but after the candidate is either the final candidate or among the final few for the job . 3 . Seek references from people who actually know you and your work . Ask for permission to list them as a reference . 4 . Ask directly if they can provide you with a positive reference for the position -LRB- s -RRB- you are seeking . If they hesitate , move on ! 5 . Prepare your references about who will be calling them and what to focus on when talking about you . Always ask them to call you after they have been called . 6 . Prepare your references to speak consistently about your skills , but not identically . Suggest a different highlight for each person . Have 100 percent confidence in what they will say and how they speak about you , or cross them off the list . 7 . Provide accurate contact information about your references , and ask your references how they prefer to be contacted -LRB- e-mail , phone , etc. -RRB- . 8 . Let your references know what happens to you and the position -LRB- s -RRB- you applied for . Thank your references . 9 . Prepare a LinkedIn site to demonstrate your skills and interests . 10 . Participate in professional blogs to create a history of professional involvement in your field that is independent of your work history . & copy 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 . | Refrences still matter these days , but the process has changed on how they are used . Often times an employer will use more informal tools like Facebook and LinkedIn , said an expert . Make sure to include references only when requested by an employer , and never before . Seek references from people who actually know you and your work , not just personaly . | [[0, 29], [68, 98], [802, 830], [831, 861], [4408, 4415], [4418, 4469], [4472, 4498], [4613, 4674], [5304, 5359], [5304, 5322], [5328, 5359], [5364, 5373], [5388, 5447], [3786, 3874], [5601, 5628], [5622, 5628], [5633, 5666], [5720, 5799]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Manor GP are to be rebranded Virgin Racing ahead of their Formula One debut next season . Manor team chief John Booth and Virgin supremo Richard Branson are due to announce the long-awaited sponsorship tie-up on Tuesday . The news has effectively been confirmed by motor sport 's world governing body , the FIA , as they have announced the 2010 entry list for the F1 world championship . Currently there are 12 teams , with the name Virgin Racing amongst the newcomers for 2010 , joining Lotus F1 Racing , Campos Meta 1 and US F1 Team . The issue of the 13th entry remains unresolved , although Sauber are widely expected to be granted a place on next year 's grid following a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Monaco on December 11 . Peter Sauber last week regained control of the team he sold to BMW four years ago after the German manufacturing giant 's withdrawal from the sport . `` I am very relieved about that development , '' the 66-year-old Swiss , who is hopeful the FIA will now look favorably on the team 's entry , told reporters . `` It would have been a crying shame had one of the best Formula One factories closed down . Regarding the slot on the grid , I am very confident we will be given a final confirmation very shortly . '' The Formula One Commission are due to discuss Toyota 's fate next week , again in Monaco on Wednesday . The Japanese manufacturer pulled out of F1 at the end of last season , despite during the summer signing the new Concorde Agreement that bound them to the sport for the next three years . Speculation has surfaced of late regarding a potential takeover , yet it is unclear whether a buyer would automatically be granted an entry on the basis of Toyota 's signature on the Concorde . In a statement , the FIA said : `` Toyota Motorsport GmbH remains formally bound by the Concorde Agreement to put forward a team for participation , though it has indicated that it will not be in a position to do so . `` An announcement will be made regarding this entry in due course . '' | Manor GP are to be rebranded Virgin Racing ahead of their Formula One debut next season . A formal announcement will be made at a news conference on Tuesday . The news has been confirmed by the FIA , who have announced the 2010 F1 entry list . | [[0, 15], [19, 108], [109, 240], [1981, 2049], [241, 319], [332, 406]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Criminal charges will not be filed against the 18-year-old college freshman who falsely accused five men of raping her in a dormitory bathroom at Hofstra University , an official said Friday . Instead , Danmell Ndonye must participate in a year-long psychiatric program and spend 250 hours in community service for lying to police about what was a consensual sexual encounter with four of the five accused men , Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said in a written statement . Ndonye said she did not engage in sexual activity with Rondell Bedward , the only one of the men who attends Hofstra University . He has returned to classes . Rice said she retains the option of filing criminal charges against Ndonye if she fails to complete the course of therapy or community service . Rice added that filing criminal charges might have made any future false accuser reluctant to recant and tell the truth , possibly leading to an innocent person serving a lengthy prison sentence . Authorities dropped charges and freed the four men they had taken into custody after their accuser changed her story about having been tied up and sexually assaulted in a dormitory bathroom . The woman recanted after authorities told her that part of the incident was recorded on a cell phone video , Rice said . `` That was when she began to tell the truth , '' she said . It is against the law to report a crime when there was not one , the district attorney said . `` Her actions and her demeanor depict a very troubled young woman in need of much help , '' Rice said . Hofstra University has suspended Ndonye . | Danmell Ndonye , 18 , will not face criminal charges for falsely accusing 5 men of rape . Ndonye must participate in yearlong psychiatric program , do community service . She recanted because part of the incident was caught on cell phone video . Hofstra University has suspended Ndonye . | [[0, 24], [28, 103], [71, 103], [108, 192], [231, 338], [1209, 1315], [1590, 1631]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former New York City bouncer was sentenced to life without parole Wednesday for the brutal slaying of a graduate student from Boston , the Brooklyn district attorney 's office said . Darryl Littlejohn , 44 , is already serving prison time for the attempted kidnapping of another student in 2005 . Darryl Littlejohn , 44 , was convicted of first-degree murder last month in the 2006 death of Imette St. Guillen , 24 , who had been studying criminology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice . Littlejohn , who is already serving 25 years to life for the October 2005 attempted kidnapping of a 19-year-old Queens college student , will serve out the sentences consecutively , said Sarah McNaughton of the Brooklyn district attorney 's office . During the trial , witnesses said they saw Littlejohn and St. Guillen leaving The Falls bar in lower Manhattan together early February 25 , 2006 . Littlejohn was working as a bouncer at the bar . Hours later , St. Guillen 's nude body was found in an isolated lot in Brooklyn . Her face was covered with strips of packing tape , and a sock was stuffed into her throat . She died of asphyxiation , and investigators determined she had been raped . Littlejohn was charged with murder after investigators linked his DNA to blood found on plastic ties used to bind St. Guillen 's hands behind her back . Littlejohn 's attorney , Joyce David , has filed an appeal on behalf of her client and maintains his innocence . She said that although Littlejohn has a long criminal record , he has no history of violence against women . The horrific incident spread shockwaves through New York City nightlife , which relies heavily on unlicensed bouncers to keep order in the city 's bars and nightclubs . Littlejohn is being held at New York 's Rikers Island maximum security facility . CNN 's Chris Kokenes and Kristen Hamill contributed to this report . | Darryl Littlejohn was convicted last month of murdering Imette St. Guillen , 24 . Witnesses saw the two leaving Manhattan bar the morning of February 25 , 2006 . Investigators linked his DNA to ties used to bind St. Guillen 's hands behind her back . Lawyer for the former bouncer says he is innocent . | [[327, 344], [352, 439], [418, 439], [442, 522], [773, 789], [792, 910], [1220, 1298], [1308, 1372], [1373, 1395], [1460, 1485]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- This month on MainSail . Shamrock V , a 1930 's Americas Cup challenger at the J-class race in the Solent , Isle of Wight , in 2001 . What makes a `` classic '' yacht ? Is it age , or era ? Are classics born or made ? Is it size and value , or cultural significance ? Classics can be modern and old -- from three-mast 1930s teak works of art like the original America 's Cup racers , to cutting edge , contemporary monsters , like the `` Maltese Falcon '' and the exclusive fleets of luxury boat builders like Perini Navi and Wally . This month CNN 's Mainsail investigates what makes a classic yacht at one of the world 's great yachting regattas . Les Voiles de St Tropez . St Tropez , playground of the rich and famous , a bastion of class , richesse and style , plays host for the 26th year to Les Voiles de St Tropez , a classic event in every possible sense of the word . The regatta gathers together the most extraordinary modern sailing boats alongside the most beautiful traditional yachts , as sailors from all over the world gather to do battle in the Mediterranean 's most glamorous bay . During the week 's racing , presenter Shirley Robertson hitches a ride on board some of the world 's most iconic yachts both ancient and modern , and attempts to find out what makes them `` classics . '' Ernesto Bertarelli . Reporting from Genoa in a world exclusive , Shirley chats to Alinghi team boss , Ernesto Bertarelli and drives the new `` Alinghi 5 '' -- the defender of the America 's Cup . Robertson is likely to be the only person in the world outside of the Alinghi team to get her hands on the wheel of the spectacular 90-foot catamaran . Will this boat , just a few months old , become an instant classic ? And in a report from the Perini Navi Cup in Sardinia , boat builders and skippers of the most glamorous luxury yachts on the planet explain what makes their machines the classics of the future . | What makes a ` classic ' yacht ? Mainsail takes up the challenge to find out . Shirley Robertson hitches a ride on some of the world 's most iconic yachts . She drives the new Alinghi 5 , while chatting to Alinghi team boss Bertarelli . | [[153, 187], [553, 668], [1120, 1145], [1148, 1183], [1270, 1320], [1120, 1145], [1148, 1199], [1389, 1423], [1449, 1479]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The torch for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics was lit in a ceremony at the ancient Greek site of Olympia on Thursday , less than four months ahead of the games ' opening ceremony . Actress Maria Nafpliotou , as a high priestess , lights the flame for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics on Thursday . The torch will be carried on an eight-day trip through Greece , the birthplace of the Olympics , before being transported to Canada for what will be the longest domestic torch relay in the games ' history , officials said . Women dressed in white togas performed a ceremony on the green hillside at Olympia , the home of the Olympic flame and the place where the ancient Olympics took place . A woman playing the role of a high priestess lit the flame by sunlight focused on a mirror , the only way by tradition it can be lit . That fire then was used to light the Vancouver Olympic Torch , which Greek skier and three-time Olympian Vassilis Dimitriadis then carried on the first leg of its journey through Greece . `` The Olympic torch and flame are the symbols of the values and ideals which lie at the heart of the Olympic Games , '' International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said before the ceremony . The torch will carry a message of peace throughout the world , he said -- words echoed by Vancouver 2010 Chief Executive John Furlong . `` Today we build a bridge between ancient Olympia and young Canada , '' he said . `` Canada is a country with a welcoming spirit and a glowing heart . ... We will do all we can to be a shining example of the ideas and values that were first kindled here in this hallowed place . '' After its 1,351-mile -LRB- 2,180-kilometer -RRB- trip through Greece , the torch will be taken to Canada . On October 30 , the first of 12,000 torchbearers will begin carrying it through Canada on what will be a 106-day , 27,900-mile -LRB- 45,000-kilometer -RRB- relay . `` It will be the longest domestic relay in Olympic history , just to be sure every Canadian will be given the right to dream and celebrate , '' Furlong said . The torch relay is derived from ancient rituals in Olympia , where torch and relay races were popular festival events and where heralds traveled throughout Greece to announce the games . The torch for the 2010 Winter Games was designed by transportation and aerospace company Bombardier , a Vancouver Olympic sponsor . The lean curves of the white torch were inspired by the lines carved in the snow by winter sports and by the `` undulating beauty of the Canadian landscape , '' the company said . The torch 's special construction will allow it to burn through a range of winter weather , including snow , rain , sleet , wind and subzero temperatures , Bombardier said . It weighs 3.5 pounds -LRB- 1.6 kilograms -RRB- fully fueled , the company said . The flame is due to arrive in Vancouver , British Columbia , on February 12 when the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Games will be held at the domed BC Place Stadium . | Olympic flame due to arrive in Vancouver , British Columbia , in February . Vancouver Olympic Torch lit in ceremony in Greece 's ancient Olympia . Torchbearers will begin carrying flame through Canada next week on 106-day relay . Vancouver Olympics official : `` It will be the longest domestic relay in Olympic history '' | [[2832, 2873], [0, 15], [42, 131], [405, 512], [1754, 1767], [1770, 1866], [1841, 1917], [405, 512], [1919, 1977]] |
-LRB- Tribune Media Services -RRB- -- Three hundred and forty . At the Bandelier National Monument visitors can climb into ancient cliff dwellings used by Native Americans . That 's how many steps and ladder rungs we climb to Bandelier National Monument -LRB- http://www.nps.gov/band/ -RRB- , to crowd into its ancient -LRB- dating back to before 1300 -RRB- cliff dwellings about 50 miles northwest of Santa Fe , New Mexico . Even the kids are impressed that Ancestral Pueblo families lived here before Columbus arrived , even before the Pilgrims stepped foot on Plymouth Rock . We look at the crumbling adobe and try to imagine apartment-type dwellings that stretched more than three stories : We crouch inside the ceremonial Kivas where the ancient people gathered to teach the children , weave , congregate and discuss the affairs of the day . These unique sites -- Bandelier certainly is n't the only one -- and spectacular desert landscape make New Mexico a terrific family destination winter or summer , and one that will win kudos from all ages . Where else can you ski one day -- in Taos or outside of Santa Fe , gallery hop or take a cooking lesson the next , shop or tour museums till you drop and gain a new perspective on Native American history ? New Mexico is home to 22 sovereign Indian nations , including the Navajo Nation , two Apache Tribes and 19 Pueblos . The Pueblo of Acoma -LRB- http://www.skycity.com/ -RRB- , which sits on a 367-foot-high sandstone rock , is considered the oldest inhabited village in the United States . The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque can help you get started -LRB- www.indianpueblo.com -RRB- . You can even stay on a Pueblo -- the deluxe Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa -LRB- http://www.tamaya.hyatt.com -RRB- , owned by the Santa Ana Pueblo and managed by Hyatt , offers holiday packages . The 350-room resort , halfway between Albuquerque and Santa Fe , sits on 500 sprawling acres of a 73,000-acre reservation and is one of the largest resorts ever built on Native American land . And you ca n't beat the Sandia Mountains on the horizon for scenery . Great pains have been taken to respect the ancient spirits at the resort . One of the pools is built in a circle , replicating the ceremonial Kivas that have been an integral part of Pueblo life for centuries . Spa treatments are designed to use products that are indigenous to the area -LRB- how about a hydrating treatment using desert seaweed or an exfoliation treatment with Tamaya Blue Corn flour ? -RRB- The signature Corn Maiden restaurant serves dishes from the region . The profits go back to the Pueblo and fund everything from college scholarships to senior centers . Sure you can hang out by the pool , opt for the spa , or play golf here , but horseback riding through the pueblo 's backcountry to see petroglyphs , making adobe bricks , drums or pottery or visiting the cultural center and museum devoted to the history , culture and art of the Santa Ana Pueblo make this a different experience . `` All of these activities appealed to us , '' said Eric Shimabukuro , who is from suburban Chicago and was busy making bricks one morning with his two daughters , Lauren , 9 , and Carolyn , 7 . New Mexico , I think , as I make my way down the ladder at Bandelier and later , watch my daughters knead the dough for Pueblo bread at the Hyatt Tamaya , under the watchful eye of a member of the Santa Ana Pueblo , can be a terrific winter vacation bet for families whose members are not all equally enthusiastic about spending their entire vacation on the slopes . Especially at holiday time when there are traditional dances at Northern New Mexico Pueblos and a variety of celebrations in Santa Fe and around New Mexico -LRB- www.santafe.org , www.nmtourism.org -RRB- . Santa Fe Mountain Adventures -LRB- www.santafemountainadventures.com -RRB- can help plan a unique sojourn , organizing family activities from touring Bandelier to geocaching , an outdoor treasure-hunting game , to snowshoeing , cooking and pottery making . `` You get so much more out of a visit to a place like this when you 're with a guide , '' offers David Thompson , whose family joined us touring Bandelier with Santa Fe Mountain Adventures guides Bill Neuwirth , a college professor , and Anne Stanley , an artist and guide . As we climb ladders and steps , courtesy of the National Park Service , Neuwirth points out the foot holes in the volcanic rock that the ancient peoples used . We wonder what it was like to live in this community so long ago when 30 was considered old , when children were married as soon as they reached puberty and when everything was about the community , not individuals . They raised corn , -LRB- the Pueblo people have some 50 recipes to prepare corn -RRB- squash and beans . The elevation here is 7,000 feet , but it does n't seem to bother us . Where we hike at Bandelier , there are as many as 50 dwellings in one section -- and the ground floor does n't have any doors or windows . The people who lived here climbed up to the roof and then climbed down into the room , which they probably did to protect their homes . No one , Neuwirth explains , really knows why the ancient Pueblo people decided to leave -- whether it was drought , or illness or an impulse to move to another Mesa ; Neuwirth gestures out to the desert landscape , `` You could n't have walked a meter in any direction without running into pueblo remains . '' As we prepared to fly home , all I could think about were those ancient families -LRB- did their kids drive them crazy sometimes too ? -RRB- and all those Pueblos I would have liked to visit , the cooking classes I did n't have time to schedule , the Santa Fe galleries and museums we missed , -LRB- check out the Eldorado Hotel and Spa 's -LRB- www.eldoradohotel.com -RRB- Winter Wonderland package , valid now through Jan. 31 , 2008 . Starting at $ 199 per night , double occupancy , it includes daily breakfast in the hotel 's Eldorado Court or via room service . -RRB- , and the hikes we did n't attempt . `` We did something different every day ! '' my husband said . More important , no one complained about what we did or where we were going . No one was bored . We ate great food , especially the guacamole at El Pinto restaurant -LRB- www.elpinto.com -RRB- outside of Albuquerque , which was made right in front of us . Not that our New Mexico sojourn was perfect . Traveling with kids -- no matter what their ages -- never is , even in the most spectacular locales . What matters , of course , is the chance to explore a new place -- a new culture -- together . Pass the guacamole , please . E-mail to a friend . -LRB- For more Taking the Kids , visit www.takingthekids.com , where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments . -RRB- . Copyright 2009 EILEEN OGINTZ , DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES , INC. . | Several thousand ancestral Pueblo dwellings can be viewed at Bandelier . New Mexico is home to 22 sovereign Indian nations . Some Pueblos offer tours and activities . | [[1260, 1376]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michael Jackson 's family and about 200 of their closest friends gathered on a hill Thursday evening for their final farewell to the pop singer , who died 10 weeks ago . Thursday 's service for singer Michael Jackson began 90 minutes past the announced start time . Jackson 's burial may lay to rest some of the mystery and controversy that erupted with his sudden death on June 25 . His large family was divided over where the superstar 's final resting place should be , but matriarch Katherine Jackson settled on a crypt inside the well-guarded and ornate Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale , California . Thursday 's service began 90 minutes past the announced start time , leaving dozens of celebrities -- including Elizabeth Taylor -- waiting in their seats for the 26 cars carrying the Jackson clan to arrive . Gallery : Invitation for Jackson 's service '' It began with Jackson 's five brothers -- each wearing a single sequined glove -- carrying his flower-covered bronze casket onto the outdoor stage among six large bouquets of white lilies and white roses , along with green topiaries . His three children , led by daughter , Paris , 11 , placed a crown atop their father 's coffin , which a family spokesman said it was `` to signify the final resting place of the King of Pop . '' Jackson 's children , parents and siblings took their seats in the front row , while his nieces and nephews filled several rows of white chairs behind them . After an opening prayer by Pastor Lucius Smith , soul music legend Gladys Knight sang the gospel hymn `` His Eye Is on the Sparrow . '' Clifton Davis sang `` Never Can Say Goodbye , '' a hit he wrote for The Jackson 5 -- the group that featured a young Michael and his brothers . What was said by Jackson 's father , Joe Jackson , and others who took the lectern is not publicly known , because the family barred news cameras from the ceremony . A family statement issued afterward said close friends and family , including the Rev. Al Sharpton , spoke `` spontaneously to celebrate Michael 's life . '' News helicopters hovering above captured video from a distance , but without sound . Watch media cover Jackson funeral '' Lisa Marie Presley , one of Jackson 's former wives and the daughter of Elvis , attended the service , according to the family statement . It did not mention Debbie Rowe , Jackson 's second wife and the mother of his two oldest children . Macaulay Culkin , the `` Home Alone '' actor who spent time with Jackson during his Neverland Ranch days , was there with his girlfriend , actress Mila Kunis . Actors Corey Feldman and Chris Tucker were also seen arriving for the service . Motown founder Berry Gordy , who gave Jackson and his brothers their first big record deal , and Quincy Jones , who produced Jackson 's `` Thriller '' album , were there . Music producer Teddy Riley , who helped with Jackson 's 1991 `` Dangerous '' album , attended . The guest list included TV executive Suzanne de Passe , who produced a miniseries about Jackson 's family , and Kenny Ortega , who was producing Jackson 's comeback show . Thomas Mesereau , the lawyer who successfully defended Jackson in a child molestation trial , sat just behind the Jackson family . When the hour-long service ended , his brothers lifted Jackson 's casket for a final time to carry him inside the Great Mausoleum , where he was placed in his crypt at 9:43 p.m. PT -LRB- 12:43 a.m. ET Friday -RRB- . The family statement said it was `` his final resting place . '' The family and friends then drove to an Italian restaurant eight miles away , in Pasadena , California , for `` a time of celebration . '' The massive mausoleum , the final resting place for Clark Gable , Carole Lombard and dozens of other celebrities , is normally open to tourists , though the public is denied close access to crypts . Security guards , aided by cameras , keep constant vigil over the graves and crypts , which are surrounded by a world-class collection of art and architecture . The Forest Lawn Web site boasts that the mausoleum , which draws its architectural inspiration from the Campo Santo in Italy , `` has been called the ` New World 's Westminster Abbey ' by Time Magazine . '' Visitors will see `` exact replicas of Michelangelo 's greatest works such as David , Moses , and La Pieta '' and `` Leonardo da Vinci 's immortal Last Supper re-created in brilliant stained glass ; two of the world 's largest paintings , '' the Web site says . Jackson 's burial was delayed by division among family members , though Katherine Jackson would make the final decision , brother Jermaine Jackson recently told CNN . He preferred to see his youngest brother laid to rest at his former Neverland Ranch home , north of Los Angeles in Santa Barbara County , California . That idea was complicated by neighbors who vowed to oppose allowing a grave in the rural area -- and by Jackson family members who said the singer would not want to return to the home where he faced child molestation charges , of which he was ultimately acquitted . The mystery of where Jackson would be buried became a media obsession in the weeks after his death . After his body was loaded onto a helicopter at UCLA 's Ronald Reagan Medical Center hours after his June 25 death , it stayed in the custody of the Los Angeles County coroner for an autopsy . It was only later disclosed that Jackson 's corpse was kept in a refrigerated room at the Hollywood Hills Forest Lawn cemetery until his casket was carried by motorcade to downtown Los Angeles for a public memorial service in the Staples Center arena . Again , speculation about Jackson 's whereabouts grew when the media lost track of his casket after his brothers carried it out of sight inside the arena . It was only recently confirmed that it was taken back to the Hollywood Hills Forest Lawn while awaiting his family 's decision . Though Thursday 's interment may settle one Jackson mystery , a more serious one remains . The coroner announced last week that he had ruled Jackson 's death a homicide . A summary of the coroner 's report said the anesthetic propofol and the sedative lorazepam were the primary drugs responsible for the singer 's death . Los Angeles police detectives have not concluded their criminal investigation and no one has been charged . | Jackson 's three kids , led by daughter , Paris , placed a crown atop their father 's coffin . Clifton Davis sang `` Never Can Say Goodbye , '' a hit he wrote for The Jackson 5 . Guests included Elizabeth Taylor , Lisa Marie Presley and Macaulay Culkin . | [[1161, 1197], [1213, 1255], [1651, 1694], [1700, 1732], [670, 689], [739, 798], [2241, 2259], [2321, 2341]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's early April , and President Obama is on his way to France with the nation 's top diplomat at his side . As he and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton converse in a private room aboard Air Force One , a photographer peers through the half-open door and snaps a candid picture of the formerly bitter campaign rivals . President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton share a conversation on board Air Force One . Photographing two of the most powerful people in the country up-close and personal may seem like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to most Americans . But for photographer Pete Souza , it 's a common occurrence . `` I try to photograph everything . Every meeting that the president does , '' Souza told CNN 's John King on `` State of the Union . '' On leave of absence from his normal post as an assistant professor of photojournalism at Ohio University 's School of Visual Communication , Souza is the chief official White House photographer for President Obama , meaning he has an all-access pass to the president 's most intimate and private moments . `` I look at my job as a visual historian , '' Souza said on Sunday . `` The most important thing is to create a good visual archive for history , so 50 or a hundred years from now , people can go back and look at all these pictures . '' Watch Souza talk to CNN 's John King about his work '' While he relishes his unobstructed seat to a historic administration , he knows his limits . `` I 'm smart enough to know that if he 's having a one-on-one meeting with a head of state , I let them have some privacy , '' he said . `` I let him initiate any conversation . I am not there to take up his time in conversation . '' Souza brings a unique perspective to the job , having also been the official White House photographer during Ronald Reagan 's presidency . He acknowledged that Reagan was probably more formal , but told CNN he sees similarities between the two . See some of Souza 's photos '' `` I think they 're both comfortable with themselves , which makes them great photographic subjects . The presence of the camera in behind-the-scene situations did n't seem to bother either president , which is good for me , '' he said . Souza released four never-before-seen photos on `` State of the Union , '' including one of the president and the first lady sharing a moment on the dance floor at the annual Governor 's Ball , the couple 's first big event at the White House . `` Earth , Wind and Fire was the band and I think the president was singing along to the music . I think their intention is to bring some fun to the White House , too , '' Souza said while reflecting on the picture . Previously a photographer for the Chicago Tribune , Souza began documenting Obama 's ascension to the presidency in 2004 after a former colleague asked him to shoot the young politician 's first year as a U.S. senator . Last year , Souza published `` The Rise of Barack Obama , '' an extensive book of photos chronicling Obama 's rise from junior senator of Illinois to the highest office in the country . When asked to choose one picture as his favorite , Souza selected one of the president and first lady softly butting heads in a freight elevator , surrounded by staffers who appear to be avoiding eye contact with the couple . Michelle Obama is smiling playfully wearing her husband 's jacket . `` I chose this one because it 's a genuine moment . It was chilly in the elevator . He took his coat off , put it around his wife 's shoulders and then there is this private moment going on between the two of them , '' he said . `` It 's just a complete storytelling picture . '' Though the historic nature of Obama 's presidency is not lost on Souza , he does n't view Obama any differently than past commanders in chief . `` Certainly you feel a sense of history , no question about that . When I look at him , I look at him as the president . I do n't look at him as the African-American president , I look at him as the president . '' | Pete Souza is the chief official White House photographer for President Obama . Souza is assistant professor of photojournalism at Ohio University . Formerly with the Chicago Tribune , Souza began following Obama in 2004 . Souza : `` I look at my job as a visual historian '' | [[790, 928], [931, 1003], [790, 928], [931, 1003], [2694, 2743], [2746, 2839], [1099, 1137]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As President Obama marks his 100th day in office , most recent national polls indicate that more than six in 10 Americans approve of the job he 's doing as president . Polls reflect that most Americans approve of President Obama 's performance during his first 100 days in office . According to a CNN poll of polls compiled Wednesday , 63 percent said they approve of how Obama is handling his duties . Twenty-nine percent disapprove . The rating is down 3 percentage points from CNN 's previous poll of polls , which was compiled Sunday . The president 's approval rating stood at 64 percent in a CNN poll of polls in January shortly after his inauguration . `` The number of Americans who think Obama has the right personal qualities to be president has gone up since the campaign last fall , '' said Keating Holland , CNN 's polling director . `` That was n't true for George W. Bush eight years ago , and it may be one reason why Obama 's approval rating is still in the 60s . '' How does Obama compare with his predecessors around the first 100-days mark ? Bush stood at 62 percent in a CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll in April 2001 ; Bill Clinton at 55 percent in a CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll in April 1993 ; George H.W. Bush at 58 percent in a Gallup Poll from April 1989 ; and Ronald Reagan at 67 percent in a Gallup Poll in April 1981 . `` The 100-day mark tends to fall during a period when Americans are still evaluating a new president . The danger period for most presidents comes later in their first year in office , '' Holland said . `` Bill Clinton , for example , still had good marks after his first 100 days , but his approval rating had tanked by June of 1993 . Ronald Reagan 's approval rating stayed over 50 percent until November of his first year in office , but once it slipped below that mark , it stayed under 50 percent for two years . So Obama 's current rating certainly does not indicate that he is out of the woods yet . '' The most recent edition of the CNN poll of polls is an average of seven national surveys taken over the past week : CNN/Opinion Research Corp. -LRB- April 23-26 -RRB- , ABC/Washington Post -LRB- April 21-24 -RRB- , Fox/Opinion Dynamics -LRB- April 22-23 -RRB- , CBS/The New York Times -LRB- April 22-26 -RRB- , Marist -LRB- April 21-23 -RRB- , Quinnipiac -LRB- April 21-27 -RRB- and the Gallup tracking poll -LRB- April 25-27 -RRB- . iReport.com : Grade the first 100 days . The poll of polls does not have a sampling error . | CNN poll of polls finds 63 percent approve of how President Obama handling duties . Obama 's approval rating at 64 percent in CNN poll of polls in January . CNN poll of polls is an average of seven national surveys taken over the past week . | [[81, 197], [198, 311], [217, 311], [312, 363], [366, 432], [570, 689], [312, 363], [570, 689], [312, 363], [1980, 2068], [2046, 2093]] |
Editor 's note : How would you rate President Obama 's first 100 days ? You 'll get a chance to make your opinion known on at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday on the CNN National Report Card . Franklin D. Roosevelt had an ambitious first 100 days , CNN 's Bill Schneider says . WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Senior White House adviser David Axelrod has called the 100-day benchmark an `` odd custom , the journalistic equivalent of the Hallmark holiday . '' But where did the notion of a president 's `` First 100 Days '' originate ? With Franklin D. Roosevelt , another president who took office at a time of dire economic crisis . Roosevelt used his first 100 days to launch the New Deal , his plan to jumpstart the economy and put people back to work . Democrats had just won huge majorities in Congress and were ready to do the president 's bidding . But , should Congress fail to act , Roosevelt would ask for `` broad executive power to wage a war against the emergency , as great as the power that would be given to me if we were , in fact , invaded by a foreign foe , '' he warned in his inaugural address . Watch what FDR 's First 100 Days were like '' Congress gave Roosevelt nearly nearly everything he wanted -- 15 major bills in the first 100 days , including the Emergency Banking Relief Act , the Public Works Administration , the Civilian Conservation Corps , the Tennessee Valley Authority , the National Industrial Recovery Act and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation . Congress also approved the Beer-Wine Revenue Act that anticipated the end of Prohibition . A White House adviser remarked that members of Congress had forgotten to be Republicans or Democrats . Comedian Will Rogers joked at the time that , `` Congress does n't pass legislation any more . They just wave at the bills as they go by . '' Nothing since has equaled FDR 's first 100 days . But as Obama nears the symbolic benchmark , he may have had the boldest 100-day agenda since FDR . Still , Congress has passed only a few major bills , including the $ 787 billion economic stimulus package , the public lands preservation bill and an expansion of children 's health insurance . So what has changed ? Presidents can no longer count on the kind of bipartisan cooperation FDR got in 1933 -- even at a time of crisis . | Franklin Roosevelt used his first 100 days to launch the New Deal . Roosevelt , like President Obama , took office during an economic crisis . Roosevelt quickly acted on 15 major bills . Obama has bold agenda , but little legislation to show for it . | [[180, 233], [620, 676], [550, 567], [572, 619], [1149, 1292], [1198, 1207], [1211, 1393]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lang Lang Revealed - narrated by Jazz Legend Herbie Hancock . Heralded as the `` hottest artist on the classical music planet '' by The New York Times , 27-year-old Lang Lang has played sold out recitals and concerts in every major city in the world . The Chinese child prodigy started playing piano at the age of 3 , won his first competition aged 5 , and today age 27 , he is on Time magazine 's list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World . On this month 's Revealed , we follow the piano prodigy on an adventure out of his classical zone , and into the jazz world to meet his hero , American legend Herbie Hancock . Hancock narrates us through this journey , following Lang Lang back to China for a bittersweet trip down memory lane , and then onto Montreux in Switzerland for his first foray into the jazz world . Today Lang Lang is so much in demand that he is constantly on the move , joking to CNN , `` I am a professional traveler . '' Revealed joins Lang Lang on board his private jet on a trip to China , where his megastardom has reached levels which make public outings rather problematic ; Lang Lang is mobbed as soon as he sets foot on the street . We talk to his parents about the practice regime they implemented from the age of 4 , and the ruthless work ethic that they believe has brought him success . Lang Lang has made it his mission to share classical music around the world , with an emphasis on training children through outreach programs . Following his performance at the opening of Beijing 's 2008 Olympic Games , he became a symbol of the youth and future of China . This status has inspired over 35 million Chinese children to learn to play classical piano - a phenomenon popularly referred to as `` the Lang Lang effect . '' Revealed documents the days leading up to Lang Lang 's next major Chinese performance . He has been selected by the government to perform in celebrations of the 60-year Anniversary of the People 's Republic of China in Tiananmen Square , a fitting performance for the prodigy who is seen to embody modern China . The frenzy surrounding Lang Lang in China inspired iconic piano maker Steinway to create their first piano branded in someone 's name . On a visit to the Steinway shop along the way , Lang Lang meets two aspiring young pianists , and Revealed captures an impromptu masterclass with the two young boys . Lang Lang is not however everyone 's cup of tea . Famously `` loved by some , reviled by others , '' there are those who find his flashy image and demonstrative performing styles at odds with the world of classical music . But Lang Lang is not concerned about that . His mission is to spread a love of music and popularize classical works . Revealed follows him to the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland , where he teams up with his hero , Jazz legend Hancock . The feeling of admiration is entirely mutual , and for Hancock who has not played classical repertoire in many years , he is feeling out of his depth . `` Lang Lang is totally amazing , I 'm pretty terrified to be up on stage playing alongside him . I 've never practiced so much in my life ! '' Backstage another Jazz legend Quincy Jones has popped by for the concert , remarking , `` Lang Lang has taken the world by storm . This is as good as it gets . '' Only 27 years old , Lang Lang is high on life and music , and hungry for as much adventure as he can get his hands on . His energy and enthusiasm rubs off on all those he comes into contact with , and as Revealed quickly discovers , a trail of laughter , hugs and applause seems to follow him everywhere he goes . Tune in to Revealed to join Herbie Hancock as he walks and laughs us through the adventure that brought him and Lang Lang , two worlds , two generations , and two musical genres together . Join Revealed for a glimpse into a musical genius ' life . www.cnn.com/revealed . Watch Lang Lang on Revealed in November at the following times : Wednesday 18 November : 0930 , 1730 Saturday 21 November : 0930 , 1800 , 2130 Sunday 22 November : 0630 , 1830 , 0400 -LRB- all times GMT -RRB- . | Chinese child prodigy Lang Lang started playing piano at the age of three . He has performed at the Beijing Games and China 's 60th anniversary . Watch Lang Lang collaborate with jazz legend Herbie Hancock . | [[288, 351], [1889, 2036], [2860, 2881]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has been accused of `` physical and verbal aggression '' towards a journalist after Sunday 's 1-1 Serie A draw at Atalanta . The Italian Sport Union of Journalists -LRB- USSI -RRB- condemned Mourinho 's alleged actions against Corriere dello Sport 's Andrea Ramazzotti . A statement from the USSI urged Inter president Massimo Moratti , and the country 's governing sporting bodies to investigate . It read : `` The physical and verbal aggression of Inter coach Jose Mourinho towards our colleague Andrea Ramazzotti marks one of the lowest and alarming moments in the relations between football and sporting press . `` Mourinho was already cited , prior to the Champions League game with Rubin Kazan , for his uneducated and disrespectful tone that he used towards certain colleagues . `` This aggression marks an irresponsible and unacceptable escalation . USSI expresses not only its indignation , but a strong concern for gestures and the unspeakable behavior that only increases tensions and controversies . `` It asks president Moratti to intervene energetically so that a member of his club -LRB- Mourinho -RRB- adapts to the great tradition of civility of the club and of the Moratti family . `` It asks as well of the FIGC -LRB- Italian Football Federation -RRB- that the sporting justice panel intervenes to examine the behavior of Mourinho for eventual sanctions . '' Mourinho watched Sunday 's game from the stands as he served a one-match touchline ban . Reports in Italy have claimed a heated argument took place between Mourinho and Ramazzotti outside the team bus . Mourinho has not commented on the incident but Moratti told the club 's official Web site : `` For the moment I do n't want to comment as I still do n't have all the facts , but I 'm sorry . `` I will talk to the head of the union to find out what he means by energetic action . '' | Inter coach Jose Mourinho accused of `` physical and verbal aggression '' towards a journalist . The alleged confrontation happened following the 1-1 Serie A draw at Atalanta on Sunday . The Italian Sport Union of Journalists -LRB- USSI -RRB- have condemned Mourinho 's alleged actions . | [[0, 15], [19, 128], [176, 321], [450, 457], [461, 666], [176, 321]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United States needs to formulate an `` updated strategy '' for Iraq , now that the Bush administration 's 18-month game plan for the country is completed , the head of the Government Accountability Office told lawmakers Wednesday . U.S. soldiers crouch at their positions during a mission in Baquba , northeast of Baghdad , earlier this month . Acting U.S. Comptroller General Gene L. Dodaro appeared before a House Armed Services Committee hearing to discuss last month 's GAO progress report on Iraq , which reaffirmed the need for a renewed strategy in the war-ravaged country . The report , Dodaro said in prepared remarks , noted that `` some gains '' have been made in the security , legislative and economic areas since President Bush last year announced `` The New Way Forward '' -- the near-term goals for Iraq that included the military surge . The surge , or troop escalation , ended this month . `` The United States had made some progress in achieving key goals stated in ` The New Way Forward , ' '' the report said . `` Looking forward , many challenges remain , and an updated strategy is essential . '' Dodaro said the progress report recommended an updated strategy in Iraq to the Departments of State and Defense . He told lawmakers that the departments said they will `` review and refine the current strategy as necessary , but asserted that ` The New Way Forward ' remains valid . '' Dodaro also argued that a renewed strategy is important `` for several reasons . '' The goals and objectives for the present phase end this month and they are `` contained in disparate documents rather than a single strategic plan , '' he said in his prepared remarks . `` Much has changed in Iraq since January 2007 , when the president announced ` The New Way Forward . ' Violence is down , U.S. surge forces are leaving , and a new framework for the U.S. presence in Iraq needs to be agreed upon beyond the U.N. mandate , '' Dodaro said . The GAO report said that while the number of enemy-initiated attacks in Iraq have decreased about 80 percent from June 2007 to June 2008 , the `` security environment remains volatile and dangerous . '' The agency noted that not all of the country 's provinces have lead responsibility for security and less than 10 percent of Iraqi security forces `` were at the highest readiness level . '' The progress report also cited the enactment by Iraqi lawmakers of measures `` to return some Baathists to government , grant amnesty to detained Iraqis and define provincial powers . '' It said there is an `` unfinished '' legislative agenda , citing the need for measures on `` sharing oil revenues , disarming militias , and holding provincial elections . '' A provincial election law was passed on Tuesday by Iraq 's parliament , the Council of Representatives , but Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has rejected it , his office said Wednesday . The measure was strongly opposed by Kurdish lawmakers and Iraq 's Kurdish Regional Government had criticized it , calling for its rejection . It 's not clear whether further negotiations may take place to amend the legislation . As for the economic arena , crude oil production is below U.S. goals , even though it has `` improved for short periods , '' the GAO report said . Goals for water service are `` close to being reached , '' but the daily electricity supply `` met only slightly more than half of demand in early July 2008 . '' It also noted that Iraq `` spent only 24 percent of the $ 27 billion it budgeted for its reconstruction efforts between 2005 and 2007 . '' Dodaro said the Pentagon , State Department and other agencies should `` develop an updated strategy for Iraq that defines U.S. goals and objectives after July 2008 . '' `` This strategy should build on recent security and legislative gains , address the remaining unmet goals and challenges for the near and long term , clearly articulate goals , objectives , roles and responsibilities , and the resources needed , '' he said . | NEW : Head of Government Accountability Office speaks to House committee . Though attacks are down , situation in Iraq remains `` volatile and dangerous '' Report cites `` unfinished '' legislative agenda in Iraq . Iraq 's oil production remains below U.S. goals , report says . | [[190, 265], [1982, 2181], [2007, 2118], [2121, 2181], [2562, 2619], [3180, 3220]] |
ISTANBUL , Turkey -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Were nine attractive young Turkish women duped and imprisoned in a villa by Internet soft-core porn peddlers ? Or did they simply call in the police to help them break their contract with an Internet contest similar to the reality TV show `` Big Brother '' ? A lawyer for the production company , Istanbul Group Electronic Trade Communications and Advertising A.S. , is arguing the latter . In a written statement on the company 's Web site , Hilmi Tufan Cakir denied reports published in the Turkish and international media , that nine women were trapped against their will in an Istanbul villa , while cameras sold their images on the Internet . `` My client organized a contest with reward money , contracts were signed with the contestant girls , '' the lawyer 's statement said . `` In accordance with the contracts signed by the nine girls , this contest was to be broadcast on the Internet live . '' But on Friday , an officer with a Turkish gendarme unit , told CNN that security forces raided the reality show 's villa earlier this week , after they received a complaint . `` We detained one person , '' said the gendarme officer , who asked not to be identified . `` There were eight or nine young girls , some younger then 18 , who were returned to their families . '' Turkish television showed footage of gendarme officers raiding the villa and detaining a suspect earlier this week . The disputed Web-site is a page of hot pink graphics and photos of scantily clad young women , accompanied by throbbing dance music and the title , `` We Are at Home . '' It shows video of the villa and its pool , and flashes photos of the nine female `` contestants '' as well as a list of ratings for viewers , who can vote for their favorite lady via cell phone text message . Audience members were also encouraged to send `` virtual gifts '' to the contestants , like pink panties , beer , chocolate and a pearl necklace . Each resident of the house had their own introductory video . The women , dressed in mini-skirts and bikinis , pose by the villa 's pool , dance around in revealing outfits , and introduce themselves to the camera . In one segment , a hostess named Zeynep Karacan , who wears a long dress with a plunging neck line , reads from cue cards , introduces viewers to the house and its residents , who enter one-by-one waving to the camera and carrying luggage . According to the Web site 's rating system , the second most popular contestant was woman from the town of Kocaeli who went by the name `` Tugce . '' Text on the web-page said she was 18-years old , born on September 14th , 1990 . But in her on-camera appearance , Tugce tells the audience `` I am 16 . '' She wears a purple bikini by the pool and goes on to say `` I came here to be discovered . My biggest dream is to be a model . '' In Turkish press reports , the women said they signed contracts requiring them to pay fines of more then $ 30,000 if they left the show before it completed filming . This is not the first time scandal has rocked the booming reality TV industry in Turkey . In 2005 , a male contestant from the hit show `` Would You Be My Bride ? '' died of an apparent drug overdose after the season wrapped up production . On that show , mothers helped their sons choose a bride . The mother of the young man who killed himself , has since gone on to host another reality match-making TV show . | Police : 8 or 9 young girls , some under 18 , were returned to their families . Turkish television showed footage of gendarme officers raiding the villa . Women were to take part in a Big Brother-style show on the Internet . Report : Women signed contracts requiring them to pay fines if they left show . | [[1211, 1250], [1251, 1275], [1280, 1313], [1317, 1371], [1354, 1433], [155, 270], [885, 933], [2854, 2878], [2881, 2967]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Peruvian authorities say they have arrested four members of a gang that specialized in selling to European labs fat obtained from dead humans . Officials are investigating the disappearance of at least 60 people they believe were killed by gang members in two mountainous states in central Peru , lead prosecutor Jorge Sanz Quiroz said Friday . The four suspects have been charged with murder in the September slaying of a Peruvian man , the prosecutor said . `` They killed to obtain human fat because there were European laboratories that would pay them , '' Sanz Quiroz said . The suspects told authorities they were paid $ 15,000 for a liter -LRB- about 1 quart -RRB- of human fat . Officials did not disclose what possible use laboratories could have for the human fat , but fat can be a component of cosmetics and is used in reconstructive or cosmetic surgery . The use of human fat for any purpose is extremely rare , however , physicians say . Other suspects , including the Peruvian ringleader , have eluded capture , Sanz Quiroz said . Authorities have the names of two Italian suspects who are being sought by Interpol , the 188-nation worldwide police agency , the prosecutor said . He declined to reveal their identities . Sanz Quiroz acknowledged the uniqueness of the allegations . `` We are not making this up , '' he said . `` They have confessed to this . That 's what 's coming out now . '' One of the suspects told officials he had been committing the murders for five years . According to a criminal complaint Sanz Quiroz filed November 18 , officials discovered on September 22 a small container containing a fat-like substance that had been stored at the Bella Durmiente bus station in Lima , Peru 's capital . On November 3 , the complaint says , suspect Serapio Marcos Veramendi Principe was arrested after he retrieved three bottles from the Estrella Polar bus station . The bottles contained a substance authorities believe is human fat , the complaint says . Lab tests are being performed to determine what the substance is . Authorities identified the three other suspects as Elmer Segundo Castillejos Aguero , Hilario Cudena Simon and Enedina Estela Claudio . The suspects identified each other for police in photo lineups , the complaint says . In addition to murder , Veramendi Principe and Castillejos Aguero face weapons charges . Castillejos Aguero , Veramendi Principe and Estela Claudio also face drug charges , authorities said . They are accused in the September 16 killing of Abel Matos Aranda , the criminal complaint says . Authorities believe the substance found at the bus stations is body fat obtained from Matos Aranda . Officials unearthed a partially buried male body November 13 in Huanuco state . They believe it was Matos Aranda . Sanz Quiroz referred to the suspects as `` brujos , '' the Spanish word for witches . He noted that the suspects are part of an Andean mountain culture that believes bodies can be used to ward off evil and prevent disasters . For example , he said , bodies are often buried at the entrances to mine shafts and bridges in the belief they will keep the structures from collapsing . Authorities are calling the suspects `` pishtacos , '' which are Andean mythological creatures . In his 1996 book `` Death in the Andes , '' Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa mentions pishtacos extensively , saying they are half-white ghouls who live in caves , lurk along dark isolated roads and suck the fat out of anyone careless enough to travel Andean roads at night . Andean myth holds that the fat is used to make soaps , lubricants , healing potions and cosmetic creams . Until the arrests , few believed that anything resembling pishtacos existed . `` It 's an Andean myth that we 've now been able to prove , '' said Miguel Jimenez Torres , a spokesman for the prosecutor 's office . Some physicians say human fat is used in some medical procedures , but a few products were taken off the market because they were considered unsafe . The longevity of implants that use human tissue often is not as good , said Atlanta cosmetic surgeon Harold Brody . Nor is there any advantage , he said , to using human fat in cosmetic creams or lotions . `` They 're a little behind the times , '' Brody said . `` It makes a great moisturizer , but it has no advantages over good moisturizers that do n't use human fat . '' New York dermatologist Barry Goldman said he had never heard of human fat being sold on the black market . `` The idea that anybody would use an injectable where you did n't know where it came from would be laughable if it were n't unethical and potentially dangerous , '' he said . Still , the notion of black market human fat seemed possible to him . `` They steal kidneys , so why not this ? '' he asked . `` It is sick , but in the Holocaust they did use skin for lamps . '' | Peruvian authorities reported to have arrested gang who are selling human fat . Officials investigating disappearances of at least 60 people . Two suspects arrested with a plastic container with human fat in it . | [[19, 85], [4462, 4507], [163, 230], [1582, 1668], [1619, 1732], [1916, 1982]] |
-LRB- Health.com -RRB- -- More than one in 10 women develops depression during pregnancy . Now , a new study suggests that women who are treated with antidepressants are more likely to give birth early or to have newborns that need to spend time in a neonatal intensive care unit . Babies of women taking SSRIs were born earlier and were more likely to have been admitted to intensive care . Depression itself can have ill effects for both mom and baby . Therefore , the benefits of the antidepressants -- known as selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors -- may still outweigh the risks for some women , researchers say . `` There is no easy way out of this , '' says Dr. Tim Oberlander , a developmental pediatrician at BC Children 's Hospital , in Vancouver , Canada , who has studied the effects of SSRIs on children exposed in the womb , but was not involved in the current study . `` Depression needs to be managed , and for some women , the use of these medications is appropriate and necessary . '' Health.com : 3 Signs you should stop , adjust , or switch antidepressants . The new study , led by Dr. Najaaraq Lund , of Aarhus University , in Denmark , found that babies whose mothers had taken SSRIs were born earlier and were more likely to require treatment in an NICU . Women have been using SSRIs during pregnancy since the early 1990s , Lund and her colleagues point out in the report , which is published in the October issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine . These drugs , which include Zoloft , Prozac , and others , are widely considered to be the safest type of antidepressant medication to take during pregnancy . It 's been difficult to confirm their safety , however , especially since investigators have to find a way to distinguish between the effects of depression itself -- and habits that depressed women may be more likely to engage in , like drinking and smoking -- and the drug on the newborn . Health.com : Do pregnancy and bipolar disorder mix ? Lund and her colleagues tackled this issue by including a group of women who reported a history of some type of psychiatric illness but were n't taking SSRIs . Some , but not all , of these women had suffered from depression . `` Using this group as a comparison group takes into account possible genetic or lifestyle factors associated with present or previous psychiatric disorders , '' the researcher notes . The analysis included 329 women who took SSRIs in pregnancy , 4,902 with a history of psychiatric illness who were n't taking the drugs , and 51,770 women who reported no history of psychiatric illness and were n't taking SSRIs . All had received prenatal care at Aarhus University Hospital between 1989 and 2006 . Babies of women taking SSRIs were born an average of five days earlier than those born to women who had no mental illness , and were twice as likely to be born preterm . The babies whose mothers took SSRIs were 2.4 times as likely to have been admitted to the NICU than infants who had n't been exposed to the drugs in utero . They were also more than four times as likely to have Apgar scores below eight , just five minutes after birth . -LRB- Apgar scores measure an infant 's health at birth by looking at his or her breathing , heartbeat , reflexes , muscle tone , and skin color ; scores of seven and above are considered normal , and a newborn 's Apgar score has no influence on how he or she will fare later in life . -RRB- . There was no difference between SSRI-exposed babies and unexposed babies in head circumference or birth weight . Antidepressant medication is just one part of the equation in addressing women 's mental health during pregnancy , notes Oberlander , who says depression in pregnancy is a `` huge public health issue '' with lasting implications for women and their children . Helping ensure that women are getting enough social support and adequate nutrition is essential , he adds , while alternative treatments for depression -- such as exercise , light therapy , and omega-3 fatty acids -- ought to be explored further . `` In general , optimizing non-pharmacological treatment would be a really important step , '' he says . He explains that it is essential to follow SSRI-exposed babies as they grow up , to identify any problems and intervene as necessary . However , he and Lund agree that it 's still unclear whether the differences seen at birth will have lasting effects on a child 's development and health . Health.com : 6 Rules for a healthy postpartum slim-down . `` As depression itself can influence birth outcome in a negative direction , treatment is warranted in some cases based on the existing body of evidence , '' Lund says . `` In cases with mild or moderate symptoms , psychotherapy can be used as an alternative treatment . In severe cases and in patients with a history of recurrent , severe depression , continuation or initiation of treatment might be the best option . `` Every single case should be considered individually , and the decision should be made by the woman and her ob-gyn and psychiatrist , '' she says . Health.com : Why you can not wait to treat postpartum depression . Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright Health Magazine 2009 . | Danish study finds babies whose mothers took antidepressants were born earlier . Babies of mothers who took SSRIs were 2.4 times likely to be in intensive care . It 's unclear whether differences seen at birth will have lasting effects on child . | [[91, 94], [97, 221], [1082, 1145], [1161, 1281], [2721, 2802], [123, 165], [205, 281], [282, 310], [333, 391], [1082, 1145], [1161, 1281], [2721, 2727], [2849, 2869], [2891, 2951], [2891, 2926], [2945, 2998], [4326, 4471]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The drinking water in the area of last month 's coal-sludge spill in eastern Tennessee is safe , but elevated levels of arsenic have been found in the sludge , authorities said . Properties near ground zero of the December 22 Tennessee spill are covered in sludge . A billion gallons of the sludge , made up of water and fly ash from a coal-burning Tennessee Valley Authority steam plant in Kingston , Tennessee , swamped 300 acres of mostly private property when a dike on a retention pond collapsed December 22 . All residents in the area were evacuated , and three homes were deemed uninhabitable , according to the TVA . About a dozen other homes were damaged . Preliminary results from water samples taken in the spill area show no unsafe levels of toxins , said Leslie Sims , on-scene coordinator for the Environmental Protection Agency . The testing includes municipal supplies and private wells , he said . Kingston Mayor Troy Beets said he let his grandchildren drink and bathe in city water at his house over the holidays and did n't worry about it . At a Friday news conference , he drank a cup of water he said was straight from the tap in his home . View a map of where the spill occured '' `` I 'm gon na be fine , '' he quipped . However , samples of the fly ash scooped up along roadsides and river banks show elevated levels of arsenic that normally would trigger an EPA response , Sims said . `` These are levels that we consider harmful to humans , '' he said . But the EPA is not responding because the TVA is taking action to fix the problem , he added . Arsenic is a natural element found in soil and minerals , but exposure to it can cause sickness , the National Institutes of Health says . Learn more about arsenic '' The arsenic is in the sludge but not in the air in significant amounts , said Alan Nye , a scientist with the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health , a private scientific consulting company based in Arkansas . `` The bottom line is that the air quality is very good and continues to be so , '' Nye said . That 's not good enough for Suzanne Solomon , who rents a home about 2 1/2 miles downwind from the spill zone . She and her family are moving somewhere they feel will be safe from fly ash that might blow around once it dries . `` We have a 2-year-old daughter whose health is not worth the risk , even if it is a minuscule risk , '' she said . `` I am an opera singer with mild asthma -LSB- and -RSB- I do not wish to expose -LSB- my lungs -RSB- to any dust which might become airborne . ... I do not see any way that they can keep all of this out of the air . '' Rather than try to gather up all the spilled ash , the TVA plans to lock it in place by planting seeds and covering it with mulch , said Bob Summers , the TVA 's operations section chief . `` We 're hearing all kinds of stories , '' said Tom Vereb , whose formerly picturesque lakefront property is now caked in deep , swirling layers of gray muck and debris . `` We 're hearing everything from ` This is perfectly fine to be around , ' to ` Get away , as far as you can , from it . ' So we really do n't know what the right answer is there . We 're not going to get panicked about it . '' Howie Rose , director of the Roane County Emergency Management Agency , said the city of Kingston , about 40 miles west of Knoxville , has asked the EPA for long-term environmental monitoring , `` and we 've got a commitment for that . '' The TVA also is rebuilding the dike , as well as the roads and railroad tracks that were heavily damaged by the rushing sludge . `` It 's 40 feet deep of sludge in the middle of a channel , and they 're talking about four to six weeks of cleanup , '' said Travis Cantrell , another local resident . `` That 'd be a stretch . '' Whether the plant will continue to store its fly ash -- a byproduct of coal-burning -- in ponds will have to be evaluated , said Tim Hope , the TVA 's incident commander . `` I would imagine that things would be done differently , '' Hope said . CNN 's Brooke Baldwin , Taylor Gandossy and Mike Phelan contributed to this report . | EPA says water safe , but arsenic at levels `` considered harmful to humans '' Family moving to avoid potential risk to toddler from arsenic . Mayor chugs cup of water , says , `` I 'm gon na be fine '' Billion gallons of fly-ash sludge from TVA coal plant spilled December 22 . | [[116, 176], [1430, 1484], [1080, 1107], [1110, 1133], [1226, 1245], [285, 316], [319, 347], [285, 316], [340, 418], [285, 316], [433, 533]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Comcast rolled out a Web-based on-demand television and movie service on Tuesday that gives customers access to more than 2,000 hours of television and movies . The move comes as users increasingly are bypassing their TV sets and heading straight to the Web -- both legally and illegally -- to watch their favorite shows . The service , named Fancast XFINITY TV -LRB- formerly called TV Everywhere -RRB- , is the biggest cable industry initiative to keep people from skipping traditional TV service in the United States . `` I watch TV online every day . I find it more convenient than my regular TV ... , '' Michael Heard , a self-employed computer repairman from Atlanta , Georgia , said via e-mail . `` I 'm usually watching TV on one window while reading e-mail or tweets on another . `` And also my time is important , so sitting down and watching a show at 8 or 9 p.m. is n't convenient . Online TV allows me to watch what I want when I want . '' Networks have tried for the past couple of years to find a way to reach Web-watching audiences by streaming content on their Web sites or making partnerships with Hulu , one of the larger online TV sites . Now , Comcast is hoping it can make a dent in the market by serving up premium content . It is available to all Comcast customers , so long as they subscribe to both Internet and Cable service . Heard said he does n't expect to give up Hulu , though many of the same episodes and Web clips will be available on Fancast . Heard , trying out the site Tuesday after it went live , tweeted that he thought the service was `` awesome , '' and he finally had a place where he could watch the entire series of `` The Sopranos . '' `` The quality , it 's really clear and loads fast , '' he said , though he noted there were still some bugs in the product . Heard occasionally had to reload the site , and felt that installing the video player and authorizing the computer took a bit more time and was harder than simply pressing play on Hulu . The service is getting mixed reviews on Twitter , with customers giving instant feedback about their experiences . Some complained that high-definition videos , which are available on Hulu , are not available on Comcast 's service . Others complained about having to download a separate video player , the service not being compatible with the Linux operating system , and only being able to authorize the service on a total of three computers . Comcast hopes to wow customers even more in the future . In the next six months , after the service has gone through more beta testing , the company plans to open the service to a broader customer base . Customers will be able to access all content -- depending on the tiered level of service they subscribe to . Those not paying for HBO regularly , for example , wo n't be able to snag the newest episode of `` Curb Your Enthusiasm '' online . In addition to catching up with sites like Hulu and Clicker , Comcast executives told media outlets they expect to serve up a feature that Tivo fans have come to love -- allowing customers to program their DVR from afar . Executives said they hope the service would be available in about six months . To access the content , users simply need to log in with their Comcast e-mail address at fancast.com . The site is offering live online help , including help retrieving those addresses . | Comcast 's Fancast XFINITY TV goes live Tuesday for its Internet , TV subscribers . Service follows trend of trying to keep users from abandoning cable TV for Web . Site allows users access to premium content , like HBO , if they subscribe . New user finds a few bugs , but calls site `` awesome '' for its selection and load time . | [[19, 99], [1499, 1504], [1556, 1615], [1755, 1765], [1768, 1827]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Everton scored twice late on and goalkeeper Tim Howard saved an injury-time penalty as they fought back to secure a 2-2 Premier League home draw with Tottenham on Sunday . Jermain Defoe gave the visitors the lead soon after the interval when nipping in front of Tony Hibbert to convert Aaron Lennon 's cross at the near post for his 13th goal of the season . And they doubled their advantage soon after when defender Michael Dawson headed home a Niko Kranjcar corner . But Everton got a foothold back in the game when Seamus Coleman 's run and cross was converted by fellow-substitute Louis Saha in the 78th minute . And Tim Cahill rescued a point for the home side with four minutes remaining when he stooped low to head home Leighton Baines ' bouncing cross . However , there was still further drama to come when Hibbert was penalized for crashing into Wilson Palacios in the area . However , England striker Defoe smashed his penalty too close to Howard and the keeper pulled off a fine save to give out-of-form Everton a morale-boosting point . The result means Tottenham remain in fourth place , behind north London rivals Arsenal , while Everton have now won just one of their last nine league games . In the day 's other match , Bobby Zamora scored the only goal of the game as Fulham beat Sunderland 1-0 to move up to eighth place in the table . | Everton recover from 2-0 behind to earn a 2-2 Premier League draw with Tottenham . Jermain Defoe misses an injury time penalty to give the visitors all three points . Bobby Zamora scores the only goal to give Fulham a 1-0 victory at home to Sunderland . | [[63, 190], [1227, 1252], [1255, 1330], [1304, 1372]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A parade of world leaders took the lectern at the United Nations on Wednesday . But days before the speeches on a host of issues , the global body quietly undertook an issue that often flies under the radar : Women . The United Nations consolidated four agencies that tackle women 's issues and created a new super agency . Last week , the United Nations consolidated four agencies that tackle women 's issues and created a new super agency . Humanitarian workers around the world embraced the move . It was about time , they said , that the world got serious about how half its population lives . The 1945 charter on which the United Nations was founded mandates equal rights for men and women . Since then , the United Nations has added new agencies that focus specifically on children , the environment , refugees , health , education , atomic energy and Palestinians . All report directly to the secretary general , except the agencies pertaining to women . Women 's advocates said the agencies were run by lower-ranking officials and lacked clout . In 2006 , a high-level panel on U.N. reform described the women 's agencies as `` incoherent , under-resourced and fragmented . '' It recommended that the United Nations create a dynamic agency focused on gender equality and women 's empowerment . And last year , a coalition of 300 private development agencies launched the European Campaign for Gender Equality Architecture Reform -LRB- GEAR -RRB- , which pressured the United Nations to create a single organization to address what it described as consistent neglect of women 's needs . Paula Donovan , co-director of AIDS-Free World , said a double standard persists , despite the image of the United Nations as a strong women 's advocacy machine . The only thing the U.N. Development Fund for Women -LRB- UNIFEM -RRB- has in common with the well-known U.N. Children 's Fund -LRB- UNICEF -RRB- is a similar sounding name , Donovan said . UNIFEM had neither the high-level U.N. staff nor the money of UNICEF , said Donovan , who worked at UNICEF for 15 years . She said UNIFEM 's entire global budget equaled the budget of the UNICEF operation in Ethiopia . Donovan hopes the new agency will `` lift the ideals that are worded so eloquently in U.N. declarations and resolutions off of the inert pages they 're written on and plant them in real women 's lives . '' `` Women who have been leading and achieving for decades without the help of the U.N. system will now enjoy the strengths and benefits that the U.N. can offer , '' she said . Development agencies shared high expectations for the new agency 's promotion of women 's rights in a world where a disproportionate number of the suffering and persecuted are female . `` This is a great move , '' said Helene Gayle , president of CARE , an international humanitarian agency that focuses on empowering women and girls in developing nations . `` Now , what 's needed are resources , a clear mandate and strong leadership , '' she said . `` But I think what we 're looking for most is the accountability to make sure gender is integrated into all U.N. strategies . It 's up to member states to move quickly , get this new agency off on the right foot and turn the plan into reality . '' Ahead of this week 's U.N. meetings , UNIFEM issued a report on the progress of women 's rights , part of a set of development goals that global agencies have committed to achieving by 2015 . `` Implementation still has a long way to go in translating commitments to women 's rights into changes in women 's lives , '' UNIFEM said . Roughly 60 percent of the world 's population living in poverty are women and girls . According to UNIFEM : . • Women are outnumbered four to one in legislatures around the world . • Over 60 percent of all unpaid family workers globally are women , and women still earn on average 17 percent less than men . • About one-third of women still suffer gender-based violence during their lives . • In some parts of the world , one in 10 women dies from pregnancy-related causes even though the means for preventing maternal mortality are cost-effective and well-known . `` Gender gaps on this scale are symptomatic of an accountability crisis , '' UNIFEM said . `` Governments and multilateral organizations have a responsibility to do a better job of answering to women . '' Last week , the General Assembly voted to merge UNIFEM and three other U.N. women 's agencies to better address glaring gender inequities . In Kenya , for example , the Parliament adopted a new sexual offense bill that hands a minimum 10-year-sentence to a man who is convicted of rape . If he is acquitted , his accuser goes to jail for 10 years . The bill was adopted two years ago over the objections of women lawmakers . Donovan cited the Kenyan law as an example of the uphill climb women face in developing nations . She said AIDS-Free World and other non-governmental organizations are urging the United Nations to fund the new women 's agency with an initial $ 1 billion budget . Advocates would also like to see a presence of the agency in every developing nation , she said . HIV/AIDS agencies especially welcomed the news . `` This is a historic opportunity to advance the rights of women and girls , '' said Michel Sidibe , executive director of the U.N. agency on HIV/AIDS . He noted that 60 percent of people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa are women . Some aid agencies say that number is as high as 75 percent . Donovan said the new agency has the potential to change the way the United Nations functions in everything it does , as every institution -- whether it 's a courtroom or classroom , a political party or a pub , a gymnasium or a country club -- opens its doors to women . And treats them differently , once they step inside . | United Nations consolidates agencies , creates group focused on women 's issues . Women 's advocates say previous agencies lacked clout . Roughly 60 percent of the world 's population living in poverty are women and girls . | [[236, 342], [343, 352], [355, 461], [1204, 1320], [1224, 1320], [1491, 1612], [981, 1072], [981, 999], [1005, 1017], [1058, 1072], [2665, 2672], [2679, 2749], [3599, 3644], [3663, 3684], [3780, 3826], [3836, 3845], [5372, 5392], [5431, 5442]] |
Editor 's note : Danyel Smith is the chief content officer of Vibe Media Group and the editor-in-chief of Vibe . Danyel Smith says Michael Jackson sacrificed himself in the name of his art . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It falls to me to prepare a statement on behalf of Vibe magazine when someone is promoted , when there is trouble , or when something major happens in the world of pop . It occasionally falls to me to write an obituary or a tribute when an entertainer dies . It 's a part of my job . One has to do it quickly , and I 've never been prepared . Yet I 've been prepping for this one my whole life . Michael Jackson has died at the age of 50 . The sorrow at his passing is palpable , and wet , and illogical -- in my 20 years of being a critic and an editor , I 've never met him . But this is a death in the family . I 've known Jackson 's work since I was 5 years old and was given The Jackson 5 's `` ABC '' as a gift . He was on the surface the most uncomplicated of all boys -- beautiful , emotional , untouchable , ours . Michael has bruised my heart many times -- his antics and the accusations , his seeming desire not to be , at least physically , who he 'd been . Which is who I am . But as his funeral is prepared , I , like the Jackson brothers sang with optimistic melancholy in 1976 , think about the good times . There is no moonwalk down memory lane about Michael . The legends mix in with the rumors mix in with the ice-cold facts of 1960s black working-class Gary , Indiana . That mixes in with girls fainting at the sight of him when he was barely a teenager ; which mixes with the many sold-out tours , and with Michael collaborating with Quincy Jones on 1979 's `` Off the Wall '' and 1982 's `` Thriller . '' There is the alleged abuse inflicted on Jackson and his brothers by his father , Joe , along with the strong love and late rivalry with his superstar sister , Janet . There is the magic and melodrama of Motown . The accusation of child abuse -LRB- no charge ; he agreed to a settlement in a lawsuit against him in 1994 -RRB- , and the 2005 trial in which Jackson was acquitted of child molestation and other heinous charges . There is the drastic change of his skin color , the radical narrowing of his nose , the short marriage to Elvis Presley 's daughter , the friendship with Emmanuel Lewis , the 13 Grammys , the 13 No. 1 singles , the two inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , and the haunting , otherworldly performance at Motown 's 25th Anniversary special . The way he integrated MTV in 1983 with `` Billie Jean , '' the `` We Are the World '' extravaganzas , the face masks , the oxygen tanks , the Neverland Ranch -- all that mixes in with everything from `` Stop the Love You Save '' to `` Dancing Machine , '' `` Wan na Be Startin ' Somethin' , '' `` P.Y.T. , '' `` Man in The Mirror , '' adding up to the more than 750 million albums sold worldwide ... I mean . And this is not the half , the tenth , the thousandth of what he was . It comes down to the fact that Michael Jackson gave . Whether he chose to or did it because it was all he knew , he sacrificed himself in the name of his art . Jackson gave almost his entire life on this planet to singing , to dancing , to recording , to performing . He practiced , he watched James Brown and Jackie Wilson and Diana Ross and he watched his brothers . He bent , when he had to , to the will of those who could have done better by him . He was knowing enough about who he was to pretty much demand we all call him The King of Pop , but it was the public shyness , the nerdiness of Michael Jackson that endeared . The whispery voice juxtaposed with the explosive grace he demonstrated on stage and on record . The tenderness , especially of his childhood work , and of `` Off the Wall , '' that seduced , and that inspired loyalty . He made me a believer . He made millions believe . I saw The Jacksons in 1981 in Los Angeles on the Triumph tour , sat in the nosebleeds and was living a dream . It was ecstasy , for what I know of it -- unadulterated joy at witnessing . I saw The Jackson 5 live in 1972 at the Circle Star Theater in San Carlos , California . My mother got tickets for herself , my sister and me for my 7th birthday . What moves a heart ? What makes a fan ? I deserted my family and dashed toward the revolving stage . I told people until I was in my teens that Michael Jackson touched my hand . I know he did n't . I never got close , I was 7 and my mother grabbed me back . I know he did n't touch me , but he did touch me . I swear he did . Is it as simple as saying that an era has closed , that part of our childhood and teen years has died with him , that we have to face true adulthood with its Adult Contemporary radio formats , logical love , and guided tours through Neverland ? Is the world grieving Michael Jackson , or mourning for a time when such earnest fandom was possible ? Michael was truly something rare , the last of an endangered species . That he is the best entertainer who ever lived I will argue for life , and I come from an Elvis Presley and Motown household . iReport.com : Share your favorite memory of Jackson . In his absolute prime -LRB- 1974-1986 -RRB- there was no holding back . There was no cool . Michael Jackson had a sense of humor , but there was little he did , as a performer , with a wink or a nod to himself at our expense . He sometimes got tired of singing `` ABC , '' and the ditties of his -LRB- and my -RRB- childhood , but he was working . We could see it . It 's a dying art . We took and take pride in it . For a time , with the white gloves and flooding pants and loafers and odd military jackets , we emulated it . He gave himself to the world . And Michael Jackson left nothing but blood on the dance floor . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Danyel Smith . | Danyel Smith : Michael Jackson made millions believe . She says he gave almost all of his life to entertaining others . Smith : He sacrificed and left nothing but blood on the dance floor . Smith believes Jackson was the best entertainer who ever lived . | [[3867, 3893], [3867, 3869], [3875, 3893], [113, 190], [5729, 5792]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Gennaro Gattuso has ended speculation over his future by signing a new AC Milan contract , the Serie A club have announced . Gattuso has been linked with moves to the English Premier League in recent weeks as he was said to be unhappy with his first-team opportunities after battling injury . But the club have confirmed he will be remaining in Milan for the next three years . `` Milan announce that Rino Gattuso has extended his contract with the club until 30 June 2012 , '' said a statement on the club 's official Web site . Gattuso , who turns 32 next month , has spent the last decade with Milan after spells with Perugia , Glasgow giants Rangers and Salernitana early in his career . He also has 70 caps for Italy and was a member of the World Cup-winning squad in 2006 . | Gennaro Gattuso has ended speculation over his future by signing a new contract at AC Milan . Gattuso has been linked with moves to the English Premier League in recent weeks . But the club have confirmed he will be remaining in Milan for the next three years . | [[19, 107], [0, 15], [73, 107], [316, 396], [400, 491], [144, 224], [19, 107], [0, 15], [73, 107], [108, 143], [316, 396], [400, 491]] |
Paris , France -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- French investigators said they are looking into problems encountered by an Air France jet last month in nearly the same spot over the Atlantic where another Air France jet mysteriously crashed in June . Air France flight 445 was flying from Rio de Janeiro , Brazil , to Paris , France , the night of Nov. 29 when it encountered the problems , the French accident investigation agency , BEA , said in a news release this week . It is the same route taken by Air France flight 447 when it went down in the Atlantic Ocean in stormy weather June 1 , killing all 228 people aboard . The investigation agency has not established the cause of the crash , and large parts of the plane -- including both flight recorders -- have never been found . `` The analysis of what happened could lead to complementary explanations about the accident of flight AF 447 , '' the investigation agency said . Flight 445 encountered `` severe turbulence '' about four hours after takeoff on Nov. 29 , forcing the pilots to descend , Air France said in a statement after the flight . The crew sent out an emergency radio message to indicate it had left its flight level , Air France said . The flight , with 215 people aboard , `` continued normally '' after half an hour of moderate to severe turbulence , the airline said . Air France declined to comment on the investigation agency 's statement this week . The BEA said the November flight was an Airbus A330-203 , the same model involved in the June crash , but Air France said the November incident involved an Airbus A330-200 . While French authorities have not yet determined what caused the June crash , tests have brought into question the performance of pitot tubes , which are used to measure the pressure exerted on the plane as it flies through the air , and are part of a system used to determine air speed . Flight 447 sent out 24 automated error messages before it crashed that suggested the plane may have been flying too fast or too slow through the thunderstorms , officials have said . The European Aviation Safety Agency -LRB- EASA -RRB- issued a directive in late August requiring airlines to replace pitot tubes manufactured by Thales Avionics on Airbus A330s and A340s . It said airlines should replace them with other Thales tubes and those manufactured by Goodrich . -- CNN 's Luc Lacroix contributed to this report . | Air France jet encountered problems near where Airbus jet crashed earlier this year . Flight 445 encountered `` severe turbulence '' about 4 hours after takeoff on Nov. 29 . Flight 447 went down in the Atlantic Ocean on June 1 , killing 228 people . | [[82, 148], [920, 997], [1237, 1313], [164, 176], [183, 236], [467, 577], [580, 611]] |
MOSCOW , Russia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As I raised my hands toward the ceiling and then pointed them toward my head , I had to wonder : How would the 19th-century Russian writer Nikolai Gogol feel if he knew that a bunch of foreigners were dancing the YMCA at a nightclub named after him ? The iconic St. Basil 's Cathedral in Red Square takes on a brighter , more colorful look at night . Gogol the man is considered the father of modern Russian realism , with works such as `` Dead Souls . '' Gogol the cafe-club is considered a favorite hangout for Russians and expatriates alike , perfect for meals , coffee , fruity cocktails and music 'til everyone clears out around 2:30 a.m. , when Moscow 's `` real '' nightclubs heat up . Since the Soviet Union fell in 1991 , Russia 's capital city has progressed in many ways , breaking free of old social structures while struggling to maintain its cultural heritage . The city has preserved a lot of its old beauty , boasting monuments such as St. Basil 's Cathedral and gorgeous landscapes such as Tsaritsino Park . At the same time , there are Internet cafes and 24-hour bookstores , and you 'd be hard-pressed to meet someone who does n't carry a cell phone . But , as an American studying abroad at Moscow State University , I sometimes felt perplexed in this immense modern metropolis that still makes certain familiar conveniences inconvenient . In Moscow , kiosks for adding money to your cell phone seem far more common than ATMs . Even nice restaurants with $ 40-minimum meals -- for example , the best beef stroganoff and fried cheese balls of your life -- accept only cash , no cards . After two weeks , I never figured out where to buy a nail clipper -- but I did see Vladimir Lenin 's body , perfectly preserved since 1924 . View more photos of Moscow '' At the university , I had to present a special ID card to one set of guards at the entrance , a dorm pass to another crew , and then confront a third layer of hallway-based security before arriving at my room . I also needed written approval from my floor 's `` administrator '' to take luggage out of the building . Then , there 's money . Moscow , or `` Moskva '' in Russian , holds the distinction of the world 's most expensive city , according to Mercer 's 2008 Worldwide Cost of Living Survey . Be prepared for fees from your bank and the Russian bank whenever you use an ATM . Try to stay away from touristy restaurants for meals , and do your souvenir shopping at Izmailovsky Market -LRB- Metro : Izmailovsky Park -RRB- instead of in stores . The expatriates I encountered all echoed the sentiment that Moscow is a city of constant stress . Maybe that 's why I will always love most the Moscow I experienced at night . The monuments that look mildly impressive by day suddenly come to life with light against the onyx sky . You can look out over Sparrow Hills and see the endless glittering skyline , or settle down somewhere like Gogol -LRB- Metro : Tverskaya -RRB- for vodka-enhanced beverages and music from around the world . And , as long as you know `` Mozhna ? '' -LRB- `` May I ? '' -RRB- and `` Spasiba '' -LRB- `` Thank you -RRB- , '' it matters less that few people speak substantial English . Café Bilingua -LRB- Metro : Chistye Prudy -RRB- is another cozy place to mingle with locals and ex-pats for hours on end -- you can have your coffee in the tiny two-story book shop , or take it up to the restaurant and performance section . Another bar I liked is Etage -LRB- Metro : Pushkinskaya -RRB- , right off Pushkin 's Square near a large neon-light sculpture of flowers -LRB- how would the great poet feel about that ? -RRB- . Nightclubs dedicated to too-many-people-to-move dance floors do n't start up until well after midnight . Propaganda -LRB- Metro : Lubyanka -RRB- , conveniently located near the headquarters of the KGB , spins all kinds of dance music -- go on a Thursday evening for a less crowded experience . Then there 's The Real McCoy -LRB- Metro : Barrikadnaya -RRB- , so packed with people that merely crossing the room to stand in the bathroom line requires bumping bodies to the beat . At first we could n't even get in because the bouncer shook his head at my Swiss friend . But , as always , it 's all about who you know -- my Spanish friend 's Spanish friend had VIP status , so we went as his entourage to an upscale restaurant-like room in the back . Part of my Moscow nightlife adventures included riding on an overnight train . For my trip from St. Petersburg to Moscow , I had been told at every ticket office that only seats were available . But upon boarding at midnight , I asked a crew member if I could have a bed . Five minutes and $ 80 later , the fleshy man who took my ticket had locked me into a less-than-closet-sized space with him . I prepared to claw at the door with my untrimmed nails and scream . `` Close , '' he said . Then he unlocked it to demonstrate `` open . '' He stepped out , gave me a stiff wave , and said , `` See you in Moskva . '' I sighed and fell asleep on the child-sized mattress . Among the plethora of Moscow 's unspoken rules : Do not talk in the elevators or hallways of your student dorm . Accustomed to the silence , one night I was surprised to hear the glorious sound of a Frédéric Chopin nocturne coming from behind a security guard 's desk . `` Mozhna ? '' I asked , pointing to the door his chair blocked . He just shrugged , so I quietly ducked behind him and pulled the handle . Behold , a secret two-story ballroom with tables and chairs and an upright piano in the corner , and a Russian student who abruptly lifted his hands from the piano keys when I sat down . We took turns playing -LRB- thus , my failed-love song `` Sad Panda '' debuted on a new continent -RRB- and , in broken but passionate English , he told me how he wished he could sound like the Russian-American pianist Vladimir Horowitz , and said he often comes with his friend to play around 9 p.m. . As if it were the end of a great Russian novel , I never heard music in that hallway again . | The preserved body of Vladimir Lenin is on display in Moscow 's Red Square . Moscow has been named the world 's most expensive city . Izmailovsky Market has the best souvenir shopping at reasonable prices . iReport.com : Show us your travel snapshots . | [[1723, 1745], [1748, 1780], [2152, 2187], [2190, 2247], [2395, 2398], [2454, 2513]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Italy 's Valentino Rossi gave his bid to seal a seventh Moto GP world title at the Malaysian Grand Prix a boost after qualifying for the race in pole position . The defending champion set a name lap-record time of 2 minutes 00.518 seconds despite sweltering conditions on Saturday . The time smashed Casey Stoner 's 2007 lap record of 2 minutes 02.108 seconds . The Yamaha rider celebrated his seventh pole of the season by pulling a wheelie as he drove into the pit lane at the Sepang circuit . The 5.5-kilometer track that is situated south of the capital Kuala Lumpur , is a notoriously tought test for rider and machine alike with its combination of tight corners , long straights and tough high-speed bends . The 30-year-old currently leads the world championship by 38 points , a position that means a top-four finish at Sepang would seal the title on Sunday . Rossi 's teammate Jorge Lorenzo qualified in second place , just 0.569 sec behind -- a result that prompted Rossi to pay tribute to the hard work of his team . `` The team worked well , the bike performed well , hence I was able to go faster . `` Starting from pole is important since the -LRB- first -RRB- corner is far away , '' he added . Spaniard Dani Pedrosa -LRB- Honda -RRB- was 0.736 sec behind Rossi while Australian Stoner was fourth at 0.937 sec . Ducati rider Stoner , who finished ahead of Rossi in last weekend 's Australian Grand Prix to take the win , is third in the world championship standings , with Pedrosa fourth on a Honda . | Italy 's Valentino Rossi qualifies in pole position for the Malaysian Moto GP . The 30-year-old 's fastest time smashed the lap record at the Sepang circuit . Rossi currently leads the world championship by 38 points with two races left . The defending champion can clinch his seventh title with a top-four finish . | [[0, 15], [44, 179], [180, 257], [302, 380], [733, 800], [803, 885]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Florida man is using billboards with an image of the burning World Trade Center to encourage votes for a Republican presidential candidate , drawing criticism for politicizing the 9/11 attacks . Businessman Mike Meehan says he has put up three billboards such as this one around Orlando , Florida . `` Please Do n't Vote for a Democrat '' reads the type over the picture of the twin towers after hijacked airliners hit them on September , 11 , 2001 . Mike Meehan , a St. Cloud , Florida , businessman who paid to post the billboards in the Orlando area , said former President Clinton should have put a stop to Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda before 9/11 . He said a Republican president would have done so . `` I believe 9/11 could have been prevented if we 'd had a Republican president at the time , '' Meehan said Wednesday on CNN 's `` American Morning . '' But Democrats and Republicans are saying Meehan should n't be using a 9/11 image to make a political point . `` This is a blatant exploitation of that terrible tragedy for political and , perhaps even worse , personal gain , '' Bill Robinson , the Orange County , Florida , Democratic Party chairman told CNN affiliate WFTV-TV in Orlando . The local Republican Party called the billboard `` inappropriate , '' according to WFTV . `` There are many ways to convey the importance of national security in this election without going to extremes , and we encourage a constructive dialogue , '' the Florida Republican Party said in a statement Tuesday . According to Meehan , President Bush has done `` an excellent job ... going after these terrorists . '' Watch Meehan 's take on terrorism and the election '' `` You got to remember all the ... people that George Bush did catch and how much success he did have . And we have n't had an attack on this soil since 9/11 , '' Meehan said . `` Unlike Bill Clinton , who actually had bin Laden right in his hand and through the CIA and other high officials decide to get him go , '' Meehan said . In a 2006 interview with `` Fox News Sunday , '' Clinton said he authorized the killing of bin Laden in 2000 after the attack on the Navy warship USS Cole in Yemen , but the order was never carried out because U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies refused to certify that bin Laden was behind the Cole attack . `` I got closer to killing him than anybody has gotten since , '' Clinton said in the 2006 interview . Meehan also is using the billboard to promote his Web site , the republicansong.com , where he 's trying to sell copies of his song , `` Please Do n't Vote for a Democrat . '' The song goes beyond the national security issue , ripping Democrats on taxation and energy issues , too . `` They want to take the money from the hard workin ' man , and give it to the lazy folks that do n't give a damn , '' Meehan sings . Another verse takes on the oil issue . `` We 're not fightin ' for oil , we got plenty if we drill it , '' he sings . The song 's not a moneymaker , he said , just an effort to recoup some of what he 's invested in the billboards . A copy of the song on CD cost $ 5 on the Web site , and the site points out that Meehan can be hired to perform at a `` concert , party , meeting or event . '' `` I 'm willing to pay the cost for the fact that our soldiers that have died protecting this country have paid a heck of a lot more than what these billboards cost , '' Meehan told `` American Morning . '' Florida resident Mary Anderson told WFTV she does n't see politics when she 's looking at the billboard . `` Just looking at it , I 'm not thinking about Democrat or Republican , I 'm thinking about the twin towers and all the people killed , '' she told WFTV . | Billboards use image from 9/11 to encourage GOP votes . 9/11 image wrong for ad , say Florida political parties . Floridian praises President Bush , says ex-President Clinton failed to stop al Qaeda . | [[0, 15], [19, 100], [70, 159], [885, 961], [915, 989], [472, 483], [576, 674]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` For architects , perfection is necessary , '' said Japanese architect Kengo Kuma . `` It is my mission to use the kindness and delicateness that old architecture had . I believe that this mission is not easy to complete . So I am planning to work until I fall down . '' With nearly 60 projects on the go across the world , Kuma 's search for perfection is all consuming ; he rarely takes a day off from work and sometimes even finished projects are analyzed and amended . The 55-year-old from Tokyo has become synonymous with delicate simplicity and sensitivity to a building 's surrounding . From the Great -LRB- Bamboo -RRB- Wall House located near the Great Wall of China outside of Beijing to the Suntory Museum of Art in Tokyo , Kuma has employed natural materials that complement a building 's location to great acclaim . View the gallery of Kuma 's spectacular buildings . `` I try to catch the atmosphere of the place where we build the house . We try to find out how the people live there and what kind of materials they use . After we find out the atmosphere of the place , we will think how we can relate that with the architecture . '' Using mostly glass and Chinese bamboo to make the house by the Great Wall , it comfortably blended into the natural surroundings , but the Suntory Museum of Art , completed in 2007 presented different challenges . `` Usually , a building in a massive developed area tends to be a sad building . However , I wanted to make a building which is warm and could feel a human 's touch . To make that ideal building , I used natural material such as Japanese paper and paulownia -LSB- wood -RSB- . I wanted to take back the human element even if the building was inside the city . '' Much of modern architecture is often unfairly portrayed as lacking that human element , but Kuma 's focus on retrieving and remaining Japanese traditions in architecture has gone some way to dispel that myth . It is a far cry from his initial architectural fascination with concrete , in part inspired by the Olympic stadium designed by Kenzo Tange for the 1964 Games in Tokyo . `` I learned that architecture can impress people . If the Olympics were not held in Tokyo , I might not have become an architect , '' he told CNN . If Tange 's buildings for the Olympics were responsible for sparking Kuma 's imagination , he 's followed a different path in his career . After earning a master 's degree in architecture from The University of Tokyo in 1979 and further study at Columbia University in New York , he returned to Japan in 1986 -- a boom time for architects . `` People who were only about 30-years-old could design a building . It was an era of post-modernism and a lot of young people were making outstanding buildings during that time . '' But the economic recession hit Japan in 1992 and it had a profound impact on Kuma 's life and changed his attitude to architecture . `` I did n't have a job in Tokyo for 10 years . I was designing small buildings in the countryside . I worked with a craftsman and studied how to use natural materials in those 10 years . From this experience , I learned the great aspects of Japanese traditional architecture . I started to design traditional Japanese architecture and foreign people took notice of the design , '' he said . `` I think the cities of Japan are a bit damaged by the concrete buildings , '' Kuma added . `` Because of the sub-prime issue and now another economic crisis , I feel this is again a good opportunity for architects to design buildings slowly . '' In focusing taking a more holistic approach to his craft , Kuma has promoted the humanizing elements of architecture and its ability of improve people 's lives . It 's an approach that he has likened to making sushi . `` There are two important things to make sushi . One is the material and the other is the skill ... For sushi , both the power of the material and skill is important and their balance is very important . `` I believe that this balance is what people want , '' Kuma continued . `` People and society are seeking the thing like sushi for the architecture and their city . A variety of people are interested in Japanese architecture and traditions and this is parallel to why sushi is popular in Western country . '' | Japanese architect has popularized sensitive Japanese traditions in buildings . Has works across the world including museums and private residences . `` Architecture is like sushi : balance of material and skill is very important '' | [[1839, 1956], [3734, 3789], [3757, 3789], [3790, 3839], [3803, 3839], [3961, 3994]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- That 's right , I said it . And I mean it . Roland Martin says the GOP is missing its chance to win black voters . The GOP as a whole is completely scared of black voters , and the actions by the front-runners for the party 's 2008 nomination show they are continuing the same silly political games the party has played for years . Oh , do n't bother tossing out the appointments of Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice as secretary of state by Bush . Yes , they are African-American . But I 'm speaking of the party . Ever since Richard Nixon ran for the White House , the GOP has run on a `` Southern Strategy , '' meant to alienate blacks in an effort to garner white voters . They 've worked the strategy to perfection . When he was head of the Republican National Committee , Ken Mehlman apologized for that strategy as he sought to make inroads among black voters . Republicans will tell you they are the party of Abraham Lincoln , who signed the Emancipation Proclamation , but their outreach efforts to black voters are lacking . Oh , yes , I know . Democrats have a stranglehold on the black vote , receiving upward of 90 percent in national elections . A significant part of that is a result of the party seeing blacks as the backbone of the party . But the reality is that when you have only one party that truly makes a play for those voters , of course you will see such disparities ! That 's why it 's dumb , dumb , and dumber for the leading GOP candidates to skip Thursday 's debate hosted by Tavis Smiley and airing on PBS . Mitt Romney , Rudy Giuliani , Fred Thompson and Sen. John McCain have all cited `` scheduling conflicts '' as the reason for their lack of attendance to debate at Morgan State University in Baltimore , Maryland , even though Smiley personnel tell me they began discussions with then-RNC head Mehlman in February 2006 . When the debate was announced earlier this year , along with a Democratic forum held in June at Howard University , the RNC promised their candidates would speak . But those of us who follow politics knew that was n't going to happen . This summer , all of the Republican candidates , save Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo , skipped the NAACP and the National Urban League conventions . OK , I get the former , but the Urban League ? President Bush has spoken there several times as president ! The GOP keeps blowing a big opportunity by ignoring blacks . And what about the debate sponsored by Spanish language TV station Univision ? Only McCain accepted the invite . Today 's generation of blacks and Latinos should n't be seen as the same as their parents . An increasing number of people are refusing to identify themselves with a party , and looking at issues . Latinos have been a huge part of the Republican outreach , but the immigration debate is turning that in a different direction . Why should the GOP talk to black voters , and what would they talk about ? First , I can tell you that immigration is huge in the black community , and gets folks riled up in a hurry -LRB- you ought to see my talk show lines when this comes up -RRB- . Education and health care are also major . And every GOP debate has been about faith in the public square , and we know that plays well with black voters . Now , when it comes to the war in Iraq , the GOP can forget that tune . No one is listening . And they are completely uneven on the issue of civil rights . Here is an example that further explains the GOP 's stupidity on this topic . Several years ago , a Republican in the Dallas-Fort Worth area was trying to unseat then-Rep . Martin Frost , a heavily entrenched Democrat . That summer , a series of black churches were being burned . My good friend , Michael Williams , a third-generation black Republican , was planning to hold a fundraiser at his home for the GOP candidate . He called the campaign and said it would be a good idea for the candidate to make a statement on the burnings , condemning them and saying it did n't make sense . The campaign said no . Williams called back and made the suggestion again , and the response was they did n't want to seem as if they were pandering to the black community . He laughed at that because the campaign was bringing then-Rep . J.C. Watts , a prominent black Republican , to visit black churches with the candidate . Hello ! That 's pandering . So Williams told his wife , Donna , what the candidate said . She replied , `` Any man who is such a coward that he ca n't speak against churches being burned is not welcome in my home . '' The fundraiser was called off . Here was a simple opportunity to actually show that he cared , but the candidate was so scared to say something , he turned off a campaign donor . Will speaking at one debate turn around decades of black support for the Democrats ? Nope . But not speaking will just mean business as usual , and the GOP needs less of that . Roland S. Martin is a nationally award-winning , multifaceted journalist and CNN contributor . Martin is studying to receive his master 's degree in Christian Communications at Louisiana Baptist University , and is the author of `` Listening to the Spirit Within : 50 Perspectives on Faith . '' You can read more of his columns at www.rolandsmartin.com . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer . E-mail to a friend . | Martin : Republican outreach efforts to black voters are lacking . Martin : Democrats win the black vote because they try for it . Martin : GOP could appeal to blacks on immigration , education , health care . | [[63, 133], [82, 133], [1001, 1053], [2366, 2426], [3119, 3161]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Brenda Gardenhire shows off her new home with pride . It looks like an oversized shopping cart covered with a khaki canvas . But to her , it 's `` wonderful '' -- a stepping stone to get her off the streets and get her life back in order . Brenda Gardenhire was homeless over the last year , until she got her EDAR unit . `` It 's like your own home , your own apartment , your own room , '' she said , showing off the 7-foot-long living space on wheels . `` No one else can come in here but me . '' Gardenhire is talking about her makeshift home called an EDAR , which stands for Everyone Deserves A Roof . The units are being distributed to homeless people in the Los Angeles area by the Everyone Deserves A Roof nonprofit organization . It 's the brainchild of `` Revenge of the Nerds '' movie producer Peter Samuelson , who has spent much of his life working with charities to help impoverished children . He got the idea to help the homeless in recent years as he rode his bicycle from Los Angeles to the beach at Santa Monica . Watch a canvas-covered ` home ' for the homeless '' On those bike rides , he began seeing more and more homeless people . But he did n't just whiz by . He stopped to talk with them -- 62 people in all . One by one , he listened to their needs and what they wanted most : a roof over their heads . And the idea for the EDAR was born . iReport.com : Homeless in pink tents . `` If you had to define the value of a civilization , it 's not how many SUVs you 've got , '' Samuelson said . `` To me , I think it 's how well do we take care of our children , our homeless people , our mentally ill , those less fortunate . '' He partnered with the Pasadena Art Center College of Design for a design contest and the current contraption was created . Each unit costs about $ 500 to make . The four-wheeled home has an expandable base that stays off the ground and is covered by a canvas , giving it the feel of a tent . It extends 86 inches and is 32 inches wide , thin enough to fit through standard doorways . Each unit has a mattress and sleeping bag to provide comfort . It 's also flame-retardant and sturdy enough to keep its occupants dry during heavy rains . A braking mechanism prevents the unit from rolling away at night . They also come with a chain and padlock to prevent it from being stolen . Samuelson said he initially wanted to build more permanent shelters for all of the homeless people in the Los Angeles area . `` But when you do the math , you 're looking at $ 3 billion to get 60,000 people off the damp concrete , and that 's just in L.A. , '' he said , explaining why he opted for the cheaper EDAR instead of permanent shelters . He said the EDAR is n't a perfect solution , but it 's a good , economical stopgap . `` This is $ 500 to get a man or a woman or a child off the damp concrete , '' he said . `` I do n't think it 's the best . ... But for now , I think a little bit of privacy -- not being rained on , not sleeping on the ground , not getting pneumonia from the damp -- has a little bit of value . '' Jose Font , 50 , agrees . He got an EDAR late last year . He said he 's been homeless off and on since 1979 . He slept on a tarp with a blanket and worked on computer repairs before he became one of about 60 people to get an EDAR . `` Everybody calls it the hobo condo . Everybody envies me because I sleep on a mattress inside , '' he said . `` It makes me feel like I 've got something to come to . It feels more like a home than just a tarp and concrete . '' He added , `` It 's light as a feather when I push it . I can put it anywhere . '' Font keeps it locked to a telephone on public property when he 's away . James Ramirez , a social worker with the Venice Community Housing Corporation , said he has been able to use the EDAR as incentive to get people 's lives back on track . `` What we 're doing is using the EDAR as a carrot for them to come in to see us , '' Ramirez said . `` They want the EDAR because they want to keep dry when it 's raining and they want a place to stay at night that 's comfortable . So we 're using this to connect with them . '' `` For us , it 's working really well , '' he said . `` This is their home . This is what they 're proud of at this moment . ... It means a step in the right direction to get back into society . '' The EDAR organization says it 's starting with baby steps . In addition to the 60 units already given out , another 110 units have been ordered . The units are distributed to shelters , churches and other organizations that help the homeless . Those groups then distribute the units . The EDAR group tries to stay in phone contact with its users every week or two . EDAR.org : How you can help . EDAR currently has about 30 people on a waiting list , plus another 10 shelters in the Los Angeles area . The organization is also looking at land provided by a local authority where they could let women and families stay on a site that also has functioning bathrooms . EDAR has fielded dozens more calls from across the country and around the world about the units . Samuelson said they 're `` studying what works best '' and looking at an array of options . `` People talk about the homeless as if it 's some homogeneous group of drunken , unemployed , too-lazy-to-get-a-job men . They 're totally wrong . They need to come meet people , '' he said . `` What 's the point in having a society if it 's devoid of helping people less fortunate ? '' He added , `` As we raise money , we will get people off the concrete . '' For Brenda Gardenhire , that means the world . `` It 's a step up to you . It 's like you 're making progress , '' she said . `` Now , I have me a little place to stay . I 'm moving up . '' CNN 's Traci Tamura and Gregg Canes contributed to this report . | A Los Angeles-based charity has begun distributing makeshift tents . Charity was brainchild of `` Revenge of the Nerds '' movie producer Peter Samuelson . `` This is $ 500 to get a man or a woman or a child off the damp concrete , '' he says . Homeless man : `` Everybody calls it the hobo condo '' | [[652, 783], [784, 849], [2811, 2884], [2887, 2899], [4217, 4229], [5411, 5423], [3341, 3379]] |
BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man in a wheelchair blew himself up Monday in a northern Iraqi police station , killing three National Police officers , including a commander , police said . Soldiers stand by as pilgrims gather Sunday in Karbala for al-Arbaeen , one of holiest days on the Shiite calendar . The attack also wounded nine officers on the police force , which the Iraqi Interior Ministry operates . The bombing in Samarra raises concern about the recent tactics employed by insurgents in Iraq . Bombs have been placed inside dead animals and hidden in carts . And in recent days , vagrants have been involved in bombings . `` As a sign of desperation , some of those terrorists resorted to some new methods and techniques , '' said Maj. Gen. Qassim Atta , spokesman for Baghdad 's security plan . One of the tactics is the use of remote-controlled `` sticky '' bombs , small enough to tape under vehicles . A high-ranking Samarra police official said the disabled man came to meet with Brig. Gen. Abdul Jabbar Rabei Muttar , deputy commander of security , at the security operations building in Samarra . The pair met last week as well . The man was searched when he entered the building , but police did n't look under his wheelchair seat , where the explosives had been placed . The man , who police say was cogent , detonated the explosives when Muttar approached him . Also Monday , a roadside bomb exploded in the middle of a crowd of Shiite Muslims in Baghdad , killing three people and wounding 15 , an Interior Ministry official said . The strike , in southeastern Baghdad 's Zafaraniya district , is the latest attack against pilgrims trekking to Karbala for al-Arbaeen , one of the holiest days of the Shiite religious calendar . It falls on Wednesday . On Sunday , a suicide bomber in Iskandariya killed at least 45 people and wounded 68 others , and armed militants attacked pilgrims in southern Baghdad , killing three and wounding more than 30 others . Pilgrims traditionally make their way to Karbala on foot as a demonstration of piety , and those who head to the city from Baghdad go through Babil province , where Iskandariya is located . Joint forces have stepped up patrols during the pilgrimage to protect the thousands headed to Karbala . Last year , more than 180 pilgrims were killed in a series of attacks , most during twin suicide bombings in Hilla , Babil province 's capital . Sunday 's attack in Iskandariya , conducted by a bomber wearing an explosive vest , prompted authorities there to replace the police chief , Hilla police said . More National Police officers have been deployed to Babil to ensure the safety of pilgrims heading to Karbala , a police official said . The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and American-led coalition forces condemned Sunday 's `` barbaric attacks in Baghdad and Iskandariya '' against `` innocent citizens participating in an important religious commemoration . '' Every year , thousands of pilgrims amass in Karbala for al-Arbaeen , which commemorates the end of a 40-day mourning period for Imam Hussein , the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed . Hussein , one of the most revered Shiite martyrs , is buried in Karbala , about 60 miles southwest of Baghdad . Karbala 's main holy site is the gold-domed Imam Hussein Shrine . Other developments . CNN 's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report . | Iraqi major says attacks show how insurgents are resorting to new methods . Police : Bomber had met at least twice with deputy security chief before blast . Three people are killed , 15 injured in roadside attack in southeastern Baghdad . Pilgrims on way to Karbala for al-Arbaeen , one of holiest days on Shiite calendar . | [[417, 479], [461, 512], [679, 739], [925, 1100], [1396, 1402], [1486, 1522], [1880, 1895], [1936, 1984], [195, 249], [1562, 1621], [1624, 1696]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Archaeologists in Israel have discovered what they believe is the bust of a Roman boxer from the second or third century . The figurine is small -- about 6 centimeters high by 4 centimeters wide -- but very detailed , archaeologists say . `` It seems that what we have here is a unique find , '' the two directors of the excavation said in a statement released Monday by the Israel Antiquities Authority . The figurine , made of marble , comes from a time when `` the art of Roman sculpture reached its zenith , '' Doron Ben-Ami and Yana Tchekhanovets said . It 's tiny -- only about 6 centimeters high by 4 centimeters wide , Ben-Ami told CNN . `` That 's why it is so impressive . It 's so small , but still you can see every little detail on the marble , '' he said . The archaeologists believe a merchant family from the eastern part of the Roman Empire most likely passed down the `` precious object '' through the generations until the fourth or fifth century , when an unfortunate family member had it with him at a public building , perhaps a hostel -- and an earthquake struck . A team has been digging up the building in the City of David , part of Jerusalem . The object is part of the `` silent testimony of the drama that occurred in this impressive structure prior to its collapse , '' the Israel Antiquities Authority said . The `` short hair style , the prominent lobes and curves of the ears , as well as the almond-shaped eyes suggest that the object most likely portrays an athlete , probably a boxer , '' the statement said . Little bits of the sculpture have broken off . It is missing part of the nose and mouth , Ben-Ami said . `` The high level of finish on the figurine is extraordinary , '' Ben-Ami and Tchekhanovets said in their statement . They added : `` To the best of our knowledge , to date no similar artifact made of marble -LRB- or any other kind of stone -RRB- bearing the same image that was just found has been discovered in excavations elsewhere in the country . '' A few similar artifacts made of bronze have been found `` at different sites in the country and they have been found in large numbers in different places throughout the Roman Empire , where the overwhelming majority of them date to the third century CE -LRB- the Roman period -RRB- . '' Two tiny holes in the figurine suggest it was used as a suspended weight together with a balance scale , the archaeologists said . Last month , the excavation team at this same site discovered `` one of the largest and most impressive coin hoards ever found in Jerusalem , '' the Israel Antiquities Authority said . `` It consists of 264 gold coins and was found at about the same time as a gold earring , inlaid with expensive pearls and remarkably well preserved . '' `` Every single object has a story behind it , '' Ben-Ami said in an interview with CNN . `` Behind every object there are people . And , for us , the most important thing is to try to tell the stories behind these items . '' | Archaeologists in Israel unearth tiny marble figurine . Details on bust suggest it is that of an athlete , probably a boxer . `` High level of finish on the figurine is extraordinary , '' archaeologist says . Stash of gold coins was found last month at the same site . | [[0, 141], [425, 437], [440, 454], [0, 141], [65, 141], [1359, 1364], [1385, 1557], [1670, 1732], [2443, 2453], [2456, 2558]] |
Editor 's note : Gloria Borger is a senior political analyst for CNN , appearing regularly on CNN 's `` The Situation Room , '' `` Campbell Brown , '' `` AC360 ° '' and `` State of the Union With John King , '' as well as special event coverage . Gloria Borger says we could be in for a month of venting sessions aimed at members of Congress . WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ah , the summer . Time for all those members of Congress to go home , meet with their constituents , get their input on health care reform and take back what they have learned from the voters . Not exactly . In some town hall meetings around the country , anger and fear are trumping any constructive argument -- at least so far . Recently , for instance , Sen. Arlen Specter held a town hall meeting with Kathleen Sebelius , the Health and Human Services secretary . In attempting to answer questions , they were shouted down by folks more interested in venting than discussing . On the conservative FreedomWorks Web site , the display was headlined `` Specter Gets Schooled . '' Above the video of the event , the site says '' ... this is a must watch and a must emulate at town halls across the country over the next month . '' Really ? What about those folks who are actually interested in debating and discussing a very complex issue they 're trying to digest ? There are some who may actually want to figure out the best way to solve the health care problem . What ever happened to asking questions about the quality of care , the cost of insurance , the impact of any public plan on the health care system ? After all , this has been a turbulent economic time for this country , and another huge shock to the system is naturally worrisome . Especially when it comes to an issue as complex as health care . But it 's not just the folks at these town halls who have learned how to heckle . Their bad behavior is a derivative of the questionable quality of the political debate they listen to every day . Indeed , if there 's one thing we 've gotten really good at over the years , it 's this : reducing complicated problems to bite-sized slogans . It seems to work , so we keep doing it . Ipso facto , Obama 's reform ideas become `` socialism '' to his Republican critics . And the administration is not above creating a handy bogeyman of its own : the insurance companies . At least according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , who accuses them of `` full-force carpet-bombing and shock and awe against the public option . '' Too bad they actually support the rest of reform , and are still running positive ads about the effort . They were n't at the table at all 16 years ago when Hillary Clinton 's effort at reform failed . The world has changed since then , and the congressional plans for reforming health care have changed , too . But the invective of the debate , sad to say , has not . The effort on Capitol Hill has been serious . I hate to sound like Pollyanna , but members of Congress are actually doing some real work . Some policy differences may never get resolved because they are too ideological ; others are regional , and that 's tough , too . But they 're working at it , for hours on end , behind closed doors . No cameras , no grandstanding . One of those working the hardest , Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa , was derided at a town hall recently on the matter of his own health insurance . So here 's the fellow who is spending every waking hour trying to get a bipartisan measure that can pass the Senate -- and be fair to Iowans -- and he goes home and gets an earful . Maybe the discourse will become more productive as the summer progresses . And maybe not . But the health care dilemma remains , no matter how loud the discussion . As John F. Kennedy told us , `` To govern is to choose . '' Especially when the choices are not easy . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gloria Borger . | Gloria Borger : Congressional recess provides chance for health care discussion . She says some people more interested in shouting than serious talk . She says Congress is grappling with a tough , complex issue . Borger : Stop reducing complicated issues to simplistic sound bites . | [[842, 875], [878, 954], [1225, 1236], [1241, 1312], [1214, 1236], [1281, 1340], [2060, 2062], [2073, 2126]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hold on to the audacity of hope but shun the arrogance of over-promising . A scholar says President Obama could learn from Lyndon Johnson 's Great Society mistakes . That 's the message from a scholar who says President Obama can learn much from the success and mistakes of another ambitious attempt to remake America . Robert Weisbrot , co-author of `` The Liberal Hour : Washington and the Politics of Change in the 1960s , '' says the Great Society revolution was `` tremendously liberating '' for members of the most vulnerable groups in America . The Great Society was President Lyndon Johnson 's sprawling legislative attempts in the mid-1960s to lift Americans out of poverty , erase racial injustice and clean up the environment . But historical circumstances wo n't permit Obama to push through his own Great Society , Weisbrot says . `` Obama is living in a different age , '' Weisbrot said . `` The circumstances wo n't permit him to be another Lyndon Johnson . '' Obama came to office with the nation 's economic institutions verging on collapse . He also has to contend with bitter partisanship and a public that 's suspicious of big government programs . `` Obama needs to not only learn lessons from the Great Society but keep in mind the limits of what he can draw from a fundamentally different age , '' Weisbrot said . Americans were ready for the Great Society when Johnson became president , he says . The country was enjoying a post-World War II economic boom . The Republican and Democratic parties worked together because both had a significant number of moderates . And people had more faith in the federal government , which had led the nation out of the Great Depression and World War II and helped rebuild the European economy , Weisbrot says . `` For many Americans , the federal government could achieve anything for which there was a national mandate , '' Weisbrot said . Yet that same optimism helped stain the Great Society 's legacy , Weisbrot says . He says Johnson framed the Great Society as a war to defeat poverty and racial injustice . He over-promised , particularly when the Vietnam War began to drain away resources for the Great Society . `` Lyndon Johnson dealt in hyperbole , '' Weisbrot said . `` It works well in getting legislation through Congress , but it sets the nation up for disillusionment when the promised Utopia did n't materialize . '' | Scholar : Circumstances wo n't allow another Great Society . Obama could learn from President Johnson 's mistakes , he says . Did Great Society sputter because Johnson over-promised ? | [[185, 219], [762, 844], [94, 184], [104, 184], [210, 219], [224, 318], [2094, 2096], [2102, 2110], [2113, 2200]] |
BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ramadan , the holy month of Islam , began Saturday with Iraqis hoping for tranquility but fearful after recent attacks that have shaken the country . Plastic flowers and banners hang on cars destroyed in Wednesday 's bombings in Baghdad . Al-Iraqia state TV interrupted regular programming Saturday afternoon to broadcast Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki 's address to Iraqis on the occasion of the start of the holy month . The prime minister said that as he congratulates Iraqis , his `` heart is full of sadness and sorrow . '' Four Iraqi soldiers and a government worker were killed Saturday in attacks in Baghdad and Mosul , according to an official of the Interior Ministry . Gunmen opened fire earlier in the day on an army checkpoint in the Sunni neighborhood of Adhamiya in northeastern Baghdad , killing two soldiers and wounding one . Two more soldiers died and two were wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near an Iraqi army patrol in Zummar , about 50 miles northwest of Mosul . Mosul is 260 miles north of Baghdad . A bomb left inside the district manager 's office in the Qahira neighborhood in eastern Mosul killed the manager and two children . A roadside bomb also exploded near a car and wounded two people in the Saidiya district of southeastern Baghdad . The holy month of Ramadan , considered to be a time of peace and giving , is when Muslims across the world fast from dawn until dusk , and its observance is one of the five pillars of Islam . But since the start of the war , Iraqis every year brace for an uptick in violence during the holy month . Some years have seen a rise in suicide attacks . Extremist attacks during Ramadan are sometimes `` fueled by a belief that to carry out violence -- ` jihad , ' a suicide bombing -- during a holy month such as this one will gain them more credibility with the Lord , '' said CNN Correspondent Arwa Damon in Baghdad . Ramadan `` is meant to be a time to show one 's devotion to God , a time of sacrifice , '' said Damon , `` Unfortunately , even though it is very much intended to be a time of peace ... it has proven over the last few years in places like here in Iraq to be a time of increased violence . '' On Wednesday , more than 100 people were killed and more than 500 were wounded in a series of truck bombings in Baghdad . It was the deadliest day since the United States pulled its combat troops from Iraqi cities and towns nearly two months ago and left security in the hands of the Iraqis . Watch report on bombings of Iraqi ministries '' At least four people were killed and 76 were wounded Thursday in a string of bombings in Babil province , according to the Iraqi government . It is not just Iraq where extremists see Ramadan as a time of opportunity . Kuwait 's state-run news agency reported earlier in August that security forces had arrested six Kuwaitis linked to al Qaeda who had planned to attack a U.S. military installation . The suspects had planned to bomb Camp Arifjan in Kuwait during Ramadan , Kuwaiti security sources told CNN . CNN 's Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report . | Iraqis hope for peace but fearful with start of Muslim holy month . In recent years , Ramadan in Iraq has been time of increased violence . This week , dozens have died in series of bombings in Iraqi capital . | [[90, 144], [2176, 2212], [2106, 2175], [2216, 2228], [2231, 2267]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The drama of the action in-and-around the golf course has enraptured fans of the game through the generations and around the world . But the same drama that pulls in the crowds has also provided rich material for filmmakers too . Stars of the screen including Dean Martin , Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy have all starred in club-themed movies , as have more contemporary celebrities like Adam Sandler , Bill Murray , Chevy Chase and Will Smith . Though the stories committed to celluloid vary in their approach - from The Stooges comedic farce entitled `` Three Little Beers , '' to the Ben Hogan biopic `` Follow the Sun , '' - the central attraction of golf remains at all the film 's core . Here is CNN 's best ten golf movies ever made - do you agree with our selection ? If there is another film you feel should be included then add your comments to the Sound Off below . | The drama and comedy of golf has provided great material for film makers . Funny films Caddyshack and Happy Gilmore lead the list . Dean Martin , Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn all starred down the years . SOUND OFF - Do you agree with the ten movies CNN has picked ? | [[156, 242], [249, 328], [373, 470]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- China 's space program has really taken off in the last six years . Back to Earth : Yang Liwei faces the cameras on returning to Earth in 2003 . In 2003 Yang Liwei became a national hero when he became the first Chinese man in space , followed five years later by Zhai Zhigang who became the first `` taikonaut '' to make a spacewalk . `` The moment I stepped out of the hatch and entered space , the sensation of completely becoming one with space was a feeling I had never felt before on Earth , '' Zhai told CNN . `` I deliberately looked into outer space , looking past my toes and deep into outer space . The differing brightness and distances of the celestial bodies really brought out the deepness of outer space . The vast , boundless expanse of outer space stirred my soul . '' View the photo gallery to learn more about the history of China 's space program . From out of this world moments to their place in Chinese history , these two pioneering spacemen tell CNN 's John Vause about their missions , how they had prepared for the worst should things go wrong and if China and other nations with the moon in their sights are creating a new international space race . | Chinese `` taikonauts '' Yang Liwei and Zhai Zhigang talk to CNN . First Chinese man in space and first Chinese to conduct a spacewalk , respectively . Talk about their historic moments to international space race . | [[283, 295], [300, 354]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The House of Representatives passed a $ 3.55 trillion budget for fiscal year 2010 Thursday night , capping off weeks of acrimonious partisan debate and a long day of voting marked by the defeat of several alternative plans . The U.S. House passed a $ 3.55 trillion budget for fiscal year 2010 Thursday night . The House version of the budget passed by a margin of 233-196 in a virtual party-line vote . All but 20 House Democrats supported it ; no House Republican voted in favor . In London , England , where he has been attending the Group of 20 summit , President Obama lauded the House vote . `` Tonight , the House of Representatives took another step toward rebuilding our struggling economy , '' he said in a statement . `` And by making hard choices and challenging the old ways of doing business , we will cut in half the budget deficit we inherited within four years . With this vote comes an obligation to pursue our efforts to go through the budget line-by-line , searching for additional savings . Like the families we serve , we must cut the things we do n't need to invest in those we do . '' The Senate plans a vote on its $ 3.53 trillion version of the budget later Thursday night . That vote , too , is expected to fall on party lines . Moderate GOP Sens. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine , who voted in favor of Obama 's stimulus bill last month , intend to vote against what is essentially the blueprint of Obama 's economic policies going forward . The House budget largely tracks Obama 's initial proposed spending plan , with the exception of a decision to drop his $ 250 billion request for potential future bailouts of struggling financial institutions . Watch more on Obama 's budget details '' Fiscally conservative House Democrats , known as Blue Dogs , also negotiated with House Democratic leaders to cut $ 7 billion from the president 's $ 540 billion request for nondefense discretionary spending . Under the House Democrats ' plan , the federal government will run an anticipated deficit of $ 1.2 trillion in the next fiscal year . Their plan promises to cut the deficit by more than half by 2013 . House Democrats agreed to extend the middle class tax cut that was included in the recently passed economic stimulus plan , but failed to specify how the cut would be paid for after 2010 . They also included language that allows for the controversial procedure called `` budget reconciliation '' for health care , a tool that would limit debate on major policy legislation . Senate Democrats did not include reconciliation in their version of the budget . The matter is guaranteed to be a major partisan sticking point when the two chambers meet to hammer out a final version of next year 's spending plan . If it passes , it would allow the Senate to pass Obama 's proposed health-care reform without the threat of a Republican-led Senate filibuster . Sen. Mike Enzi , R-Wyoming , speaking for most of his GOP Senate colleagues , warned Tuesday that if a health-care `` reconciliation winds up in the budget bill , it 'll be like a declaration of war . ... I hope that that wedge does n't get thrown in there . '' Both the House and the Senate version of the budget allow former President George W. Bush 's tax cuts for couples who make more than $ 250,000 to expire in 2010 , and both plans let Obama 's signature tax cuts -- $ 400 for individuals and $ 800 for couples -- expire as well , unless the White House finds a way to pay for them . Under the House plan , the cuts would expire in 2010 ; in the Senate plan , they would expire in 2012 . Key differences between House and Senate include deficits and nonmilitary discretionary spending . The House budget would reduce the deficit from $ 1.7 trillion in 2009 to $ 598 billion in 2014 , House Democrats said , while the Senate Democrats say their plan would bring the deficit down an additional $ 80 billion . The House rejected an alternative proposal put forward by the GOP leadership , which called for $ 4.8 trillion less in overall spending over the next decade , in part through a five-year freeze in most non-defense discretionary spending . `` House Republicans were united in the desire to find reasonable solutions for middle-class families , focused directly on creating jobs , tax relief and empowering small businesses to survive and grow , '' said House Minority Whip Eric Cantor . `` The Republican budget was crafted to help those Americans worried about their jobs , their health care , their financial security , and their real fears that Washington is spending and borrowing money that America does not have . Republicans offered a comprehensive budget that provides the American people with the ideas , energy and common-sense solutions they are looking for . '' Among other things , the House GOP 's version of the budget would have repealed the entire $ 787 billion economic stimulus package except for an extension of unemployment insurance benefits . It also would have rolled back a recently passed 8 percent spending boost in the budget for the remainder of the current fiscal year . Watch more on the GOP budget alternative '' Thirty-eight Republicans voted against their own leadership 's bill in that vote , while two Democrats voted in favor of it . The final vote was 293-137 against the GOP proposal . Overall , the Republican version of the budget called for $ 3.6 trillion less in borrowing over the next 10 years . CNN 's Dana Bash and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report . | NEW : In England , President Obama praises House vote . Budget passes 233-196 in party-line vote ; no House Republican voted in favor . Budget drops Obama 's $ 250 billion request for potential financial institution bailouts . Senate plans vote on its $ 3.53 trillion version of budget later Thursday night . | [[512, 521], [587, 626], [361, 432], [475, 511], [1638, 1751], [1138, 1229]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The new seven wonders of the world were named Saturday following an online vote that generated server-crushing traffic in its final hours . The Great Wall of China was among the top vote-getters of the `` New 7 Wonders of the World '' project . The final tally produced this list of the world 's top human-built wonders : . • The Great Wall of China . • Petra in Jordan . • Brazil 's statue of Christ the Redeemer . • Peru 's Machu Picchu . • Mexico 's Chichen Itza pyramid . • The Colosseum in Rome . • India 's Taj Mahal . Before the vote ended Friday , organizers said more than 90 million votes had been cast for 21 sites . Watch the contenders and controversy surrounding the ` new ' seven wonders '' Voting at the Web site , www.new7wonders.com , ended at 6 p.m. ET Friday . Traffic was so heavy Friday that the site was crashing at times . One message urged voters to use text messages as an alternative form of voting . `` Keep on voting , as it is your votes that decide the New 7 Wonders of the World , '' the message said . `` We have traffic that is simply off the scale , '' Tia Vering , spokeswoman for the `` New 7 Wonders of the World '' campaign , told CNN.com . `` Things are just going ballistic . '' The new wonders were announced at a star-studded event Saturday in Lisbon , Portugal , that featured performances by Jennifer Lopez and Chaka Khan . The event was hosted by Oscar winners Hilary Swank and Ben Kingsley as well as Bollywood star Bipasha Basu . Send CNN.com photos and video of your favorite `` wonder '' The top contenders for the seven wonders were last made public in early June . The oldest candidate was Britain 's Stonehenge ; the newest was Australia 's Sydney Opera House . The U.S. Statue of Liberty also was among the choices . Voting nearly doubled after the June results , when organizers said about 50 million votes had been cast . A single user can cast multiple votes . To be considered for the competition , all structures had to be built or discovered before 2000 . All are among top tourist attractions around the world . Of the seven ancient wonders of the world , only one remains standing today , the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt . Some nations have enthusiastically endorsed the new wonders campaign . Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Jordan 's Queen Rania actively promoted their countries ' hopefuls . But the new wonders campaign has n't been universally recognized . The United Nations ' cultural organization , UNESCO , issued a statement saying it has `` no link whatsoever '' to the vote . Egypt 's top antiquities expert also objected to the list . He said Egypt 's pyramids are a `` symbol of the genius of the ancient people '' -- and are above any sort of online poll . As a result , the organizers struck up a compromise . The pyramids have been assured honorary status , in addition to the new seven wonders . The new wonders project was the brainchild of Swiss businessman Bernard Weber . He said he wanted to invite the people of the world to take part in selecting the world 's greatest wonders . `` So that everybody can decide what the new seven wonders should be and not some government , not some individuals , not some institutions , '' he said . Vering said she believes the vote has accomplished that goal . `` We 've managed to bring culture out of the museum -- out of the dusty , dry academic corners -- and have people talk about it , '' she said . `` That , we feel , is the greatest achievement of this campaign . '' E-mail to a friend . | NEW : . Star-studded event in Lisbon , Portugal , unveils the new wonders . Voting in the final hours so intense the Web site crashed at times . Pyramids of Giza given honorary status as a `` wonders '' member . | [[1239, 1312], [0, 15], [74, 158], [833, 865], [2823, 2869]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- What do Elvis , Kim Kardashian , the Jonas Brothers , Dilbert and teen vampires have in common ? Calendars like this one featuring the movie `` Twilight '' are big sellers . They are all subjects of hot calendars . Be it pinned to the wall , tucked in a pocket or lounging on a desk , calendars have maintained popularity even as they face stiff competition from technology . While just about every cell phone or PDA allows users to keep track of those ever important events and appointments , calendars still seem to hold an allure for users day by day . `` We do not see technology-based calendars as the competition , '' said Robert Gilbreath , director of marketing for Calendars.com , one of the largest e-commerce sites for calendars on the Web . `` They do not evoke memories of past occurrences , experiences , and pleasures . '' A cell phone calendar also ca n't give fans the opportunity to gaze upon 12 images of their favorite celebrity or object of desire in the comfort of their own home or office . Some of Calendars.com 's most popular sellers include classic movie stars like Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne as well as today 's hottest fan favorites like the cast of the movie `` Twilight . '' Calendars featuring beautiful women who also happen to be celebrities are also always in demand such as those featuring `` Transformers '' actress Megan Fox , Hugh Hefner 's former girlfriends , known as The Girls Next Door , and a perennial favorite -- the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Calendar . If sales are any indication , print calendars are still holding their own . `` We 've seen double-digit annual growth in our e-commerce channel every year until the last one , '' said Paul Hoffman , chief operating officer of Calendar Holdings LLC , parent company of Calendars.com and Calendar Club retail stores . `` We are very optimistic about the future growth online . '' Calendars have a long history as a part of American culture . Larry Krug , one of the founders of the Calendar Collectors Society , said calendars used to be must have collectors items when they were produced using the works of famous photographers and artists such as Norman Rockwell . Calendars still have their enthusiasts , Krug said , especially among those who are able to tie in calendars to an already existing passion , such as collecting Coca-Cola memorabilia . `` People collect different kinds of calendars , '' he said . `` There are wall calendars , desk calendars , pocket calendars , towel calendars and calendar plates . It 's really a very broad and interesting area . '' And while there are a multitude of calendars that can be found -- often in a kiosk at the mall where a savvy shopper knows the prices will drop after the first of the year -- there are some that start out as collectors ' items even before they are produced . The Pirelli calendar , with its limited availability and artistic nude photos of some of the world 's most beautiful models , has become a sought-after item known for its exclusivity . Gruppo Campari , the makers of spirits , wines and soft drinks , also produces a limited-edition calendar every year which is not for sale and has featured various starlets including Eva Mendes , Jessica Alba and Salma Hayek . Since 2000 , the company has employed world-famous and emerging photographers to capture the images , which are designed to tell a story within the calendar . Chiara Bressani , head of Gruppo Campari 's Communication , said the calendars are marketing works of art . `` The calendar is always trying to convey seduction and passion , '' Bressani said . `` It 's a creative way of showing what Campari is . '' She said the women chosen to appear in the calendars are selected because they convey the Campari values . The calendars have become very popular in Europe and the United States , Bressani said , despite the fact -- or maybe because -- they are not easy to obtain . '' -LSB- The popularity -RSB- is growing every year , '' said Bressani , whose company has chosen Bond girl Olga Kurylenko to appear in the upcoming 2010 calendar . `` You can enjoy the pictures on the Web , but it 's a different feeling when you have the calendar in your hands . '' | Celebrity calendars still the rage among fans . Calendars featuring stars and beautiful women among top sellers . Limited-edition Campari calendar features international starlets . | [[2190, 2228], [1033, 1210], [1228, 1263], [1298, 1337], [3037, 3051], [3107, 3263]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Senior Taliban official Maulvi Faqir Mohammad has named himself acting head of the Pakistani Taliban , a close relative of Mohammad and local Taliban spokesmen in Pakistan 's federally administered tribal areas told CNN Wednesday . Baitullah Mehsud , right , and a bodyguard arrive at a meeting in South Waziristan , Pakistan , in 2004 . Pakistani and U.S. officials believe that the group 's leader , Baitullah Mehsud , was killed in an August 5 drone attack in Waziristan . Through his relative , however , Mohammad said that Mehsud is alive but ill and temporarily unable to perform his duties . Mohammad believes that he is in line to lead the group because he is a deputy of Mehsud 's , the relative said . A year ago , Mohammad was falsely believed killed in a Pakistani airstrike , according to media reports at the time . The relative also said that Mohammad appointed Haji Muslim Khan as the group 's spokesman . Khan is a former provincial Taliban spokesman in Swat . Pakistani officials announced Tuesday that two top figures in the Pakistani Taliban had been arrested . Saif Ullah is believed to have been Mehsud 's right-hand man , and Maulvi Umar is the well-known spokesman for the militant group . Umar recently declared that Mehsud had not been killed in the drone strike on his father-in-law 's house , but a senior Pakistani official said Umar had admitted under questioning that Mehsud was dead . The top U.S. envoy to the region , Richard Holbrooke , said the Pakistani Taliban have not confirmed his death because of an ongoing power struggle over his successor . Journalist Janummah Hashaimzada contributed to this report . | Group 's leader is believed to have been killed in air attack this month . Deputy claims leadership ; he was falsely believed killed last year . Pakistani officials announce arrest of two top Taliban figures . | [[357, 494], [399, 418], [431, 494], [731, 741], [744, 805], [997, 1080], [1035, 1100]] |
Miami , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- He wanted to sit outside for a while and enjoy the night air , then took a shower and curled up on the couch to watch a cartoon movie . A boring night by many teenagers ' standards . But 15-year-old Michael Brewer , who suffered burns over 65 percent of his body in October -- allegedly at the hands of a group of youths he knew -- reveled in it , his mother told reporters Wednesday . Being out of a hospital burn unit , she said , was `` the only thing he wanted for Christmas . '' `` He 's really looking forward to spending Christmas with his family , '' Valerie Brewer said of her son , who was released from the University of Miami 's Jackson Memorial Hospital Burn Center on Tuesday . `` We hope everybody has as wonderful a Christmas as we 're going to have . '' Three teens -- Denver Jarvis and Matthew Bent , both 15 , and Jesus Mendez , 16 -- are accused of being in a group that poured alcohol over Brewer and set him ablaze October 12 in what police said was a dispute over $ 40 , a video game and a bicycle . All three teens are charged as adults with one count of attempted murder . Each has pleaded not guilty . If convicted , each could face a sentence of up to 30 years in prison . The family did not return to their Deerfield Beach , Florida , home , and does not plan to , Valerie Brewer said . Instead , they went to `` a safe place '' -- both so they can have privacy and so Michael Brewer can feel secure . `` He does n't feel safe going back to the neighborhood , '' she said . `` The families of the boys live within five blocks of us . He does fear for his life going back there . ... He does n't want to go back and I do n't blame him . We 're looking forward to moving on and having some peace . '' She told CNN in an interview later Wednesday the family is looking for another home . Brewer , who suffered second - and third-degree burns over about two-thirds of his body , has `` a long road ahead of him , '' Dr. Louis Pizano , associate director of the burn center , said Wednesday . He faces hours of physical therapy five days a week , Pizano said -- a painful process both because of the burns and because of muscle atrophy resulting from the recovery process . Therapists are working to help him walk more easily and regain a range of motion in his arms and legs , Pizano said . Doctors are hopeful Brewer will not require any more skin grafts , he said . Valerie Brewer told CNN in a later interview Wednesday that her son managed to shower `` all by himself '' Tuesday night . Showers can be excruciating for him , she said , as it hurts when the soap and water hit his open wounds . Plus , she said , he must take a piece of gauze and wipe his wounds to get any dead skin off . `` He 's very courageous for doing it by himself . '' Besides his painful treatment and recovery , Brewer suffered an emotional toll , his mother said . `` He really does n't talk about it with me or with his father , '' Valerie Brewer said . `` He talks to the therapists about it because he does n't want to upset us . '' He takes medication to help with night terrors , she told CNN , but `` he wakes up every night with nightmares . '' She said she sleeps about three or four hours a night , depending on how many times her son wakes up in pain or with a nightmare . Detectives say eyewitnesses told them that Mendez used a lighter to set fire to Brewer after Jarvis poured alcohol over him . Bent allegedly encouraged the attack , police said . Brewer jumped into a pool at his apartment complex to put out the flames . Authorities have said Mendez admitted setting Brewer on fire . According to an arrest transcript , the boy said he made a `` bad decision . '' Pizano said Wednesday he would have predicted a six-moth hospital stay for Brewer . While he said it is `` miraculous '' that Brewer was released in two months , `` the reason why he 's home so early is because of him . '' He said Brewer did everything he needed to do , a formidable task even for an injured adult . `` He followed everything to the T , and he got home early . '' Brewer will be home-schooled for the rest of this year and possibly next to allow his recovery to progress , Valerie Brewer said . `` He never gave up on anything , '' she said . `` He got a little depressed once in a while -- anybody would , going through this kind of situation -- but his will to live is just unbelievable , and to move on and live a happy , normal life . '' She told CNN , `` He 's such inspiration to me . Seeing him go through this -- I know the rest of his life , he 's going to have challenges , but nothing is going to ever amount to what he has gone through now , and what he 's going to go through for the next several months . '' | Michael Brewer , 15 , was severely burned in October , allegedly by teens he knew . Getting out of hospital was `` the only thing he wanted for Christmas , '' his mom says . Brewer family to spend holiday at `` a safe place , '' not their old home . Doctors credit Brewer 's `` miraculous '' recovery to his determination , spirit . | [[222, 248], [255, 308], [806, 811], [957, 1002], [421, 454], [468, 489], [475, 515], [2887, 2904], [1235, 1302], [1360, 1391]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man described as a former employee shot and killed two people and seriously wounded another at a Baton Rouge , Louisiana , construction company before workers wrestled him to the ground , sheriff 's officials said . Dianna Tullier , 44 , of Walker , Louisiana , and Cheryl D. Boykin , 55 , of Denham Springs , Louisiana were pronounced dead at the scene , officials said . They were both clerical workers in the construction office . The suspect , identified as Richard Matthews , 53 , of Slaughter , Louisiana , parked outside Grady Crawford Construction Co. shortly before 2 p.m. and entered a building , where he shot a female dispatcher , said Baton Rouge Sheriff 's Office Public Information Officer Casey Rayborn Hicks . Hicks said Matthews then went into a second company building and killed two people inside . Matthews left the second building to reload his weapon , Hicks said . He re-entered that building , shot at and missed a fourth person , Hicks said . Four people then wrestled Matthews to the ground . One of them , a foreman at the construction company , put his finger between Matthews ' finger and the trigger guard of Matthews ' gun , stopping the gunman from shooting , Hicks said . The four people held Matthews down until police arrived . Matthews was transported to the sheriff 's office in downtown Baton Rouge , Hicks said , and was being questioned . Hicks said police are uncertain if Matthews has prior arrests , mental health or substance abuse issues . Matthews will be booked on two counts of first degree murder and two counts of attempted murder , Hicks said . As he was escorted in for questioning , in response to a reporter 's question about the shooting , the Matthews replied numerous times : `` I could n't get my unemployment , they would n't give me my unemployment . '' CNN 's Shawn Nottingham contributed to this report . | NEW : Victims from Walker , Louisiana , and Denham Springs , Louisiana , official says . Official : Worker put finger between trigger guard of gun to stop suspect from shooting more . Officials identify suspect as Richard Matthews , 53 , of Slaughter , Louisiana . Suspect : `` They would n't give me my unemployment '' as he is escorted by police . | [[1041, 1052], [1095, 1175], [1041, 1052], [1178, 1211], [1178, 1202], [1214, 1226], [455, 466], [469, 580], [455, 576], [607, 739], [1618, 1655], [1756, 1789], [1792, 1832]] |
Parkersburg , West Virginia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At nearly $ 12.1 trillion , the U.S. national debt has reached a size that is incomprehensible to most people and as intangible as the ' `` Big Bang '' or bipartisanship . But it is real in West Virginia , where a small , nearly anonymous group of government accountants calculate the public debt to the penny each day , living a mathematic nightmare and number cruncher 's dream . At a large desk in Parkersburg , Jaime Saling watches over roughly 6,500 pieces of data and trillions of dollars each day . Her title takes up a few characters itself : Saling is the debt accounting branch manager for the Bureau of Public Debt . She and a division of just 15 people quietly and relentlessly work to account for every penny of the national debt . It is tedious and potentially overwhelming work , but Saling acts as if she flies jet fighters . `` I get very excited , '' the petite and energetic Saling says , `` They call me a nerd , several times ; I think it 's because I get very excited about all the work we do . '' That work happens in a simple one-story , brick building in Parkersburg , some 300 miles from Washington . The public debt offices landed there thanks to heavyweight home-state Sen. Robert Byrd . The bureau 's offices are tucked into a corner of town that 's easy to miss . A brown hill and train track sit on one side , parking lots for county offices on the other . The locale is still a surprise to some . `` Every now and then we get a comment , ` Where are you ? Parkersburg ? ' '' Saling says . The public debt building has become a number nerds ' paradise . Employees say they balance their checkbooks at least weekly , some daily . A big happy-face sign marks progress on a recent audit . A written goal is taped to a Nerf-sized football . And the security guards brag that someone brings in a cake about every other day . Inside , Saling 's office is pin-neat , but her computer screen is cramped . A full-screen photo of Saling 's 4 - and 5-year-old children is covered by dozens of icons for spreadsheets and documents , so that glimpses of bright blonde hair poke out from under a field of white data squares . `` I need to clean it out right now , '' Saling says with a shrug , then laughs . She then calls up the brain of the debt-management system , a software program called PARS , or Public debt Accounting and Reporting System . The acronym is a pun only an accountant would love . `` Par value '' means `` stated value '' in the field . PARS is a custom program , designed in the early '90s to check and double-check the constant buying and selling of U.S. debt . Thanks in part to the debt software , what used to take 100 people a month to compute now is done by 15 people in a day . Even so , the program looks like it 's from another time , with a black screen and neon-colored letters that recall computer monitors of the `` War Games '' era . `` It is outdated , '' Saling says of the font . But she insists the program itself still operates well . Annual government reviews of PARS back that up . And the division overall has a remarkable record of 13 straight years of unqualified audits , the accounting gold standard of accuracy . That brings a massive smile to Saling 's face ; you see how someone so enthusiastic can be called a nerd . `` Things like that make me very excited . '' -LRB- Her favorite report , by the way , is the `` schedules of public debt '' . -RRB- . Each day , to check the funds flowing in and out of the public debt , Saling types in five-digit codes into PARS and checks a slew of accounts . She knows about 50 of those codes by heart . In general , there is a scale to this work that would disrupt most minds . `` Most people do n't have a sense of it until they come here and see it , '' said accounting director Mike Linder , who is Saling 's boss . `` Most calculators do n't handle what we do . '' And almost no one sees the debt as they do . `` A lot of people , I do n't think realize what the debt 's made of , '' Saling put forth . `` In that $ 12 trillion you have both debt held by the public and intragovernmental holdings . '' In other words , the debt held by those outside the government and debt the government owes to itself , such as money borrowed from the Social Security Trust Fund . At the end of November , $ 7.7 trillion was debt held by the public and $ 4.4 trillion was intragovernmental holdings . Saling sees a heartbeat in the numbers . `` It 's actually helping us operate government . '' And never has government been larger . But Saling and these accountants of the people are careful on that note . `` It 's not that we 're saying this is the right thing to do , '' she states matter-of-factly . `` A lot of times we 're saying , ` If they pass this , how are we going to account for it ? ' A lot of times that takes a lot of meetings . '' Saling is right , in the age of deficits and debt , all of that literally keeps government operating . Yet those trillions of dollars are overseen by a small division that works without contractors and is content with a software system that may look clunky , but which they insist works more than well . There is an irony here . These self-proclaimed nerds oversee the very symbol of big government but exude sobriety and restraint . Saling and her staff are nearly anonymous but deeply significant . And they are more than happy that way . | In West Virginia , a small group of accountants calculate the public debt to the penny each day . `` Most calculators do n't handle what we do , '' accounting director says . The program accountants use is outdated , but works well , Jaime Saling says . The public debt building has become a number nerds ' paradise . | [[237, 250], [259, 365], [675, 711], [724, 791], [3809, 3848], [2988, 3040], [1568, 1631]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- He was a cold , calculating , `` morally depraved '' man who spent the last years of his socialite and megaphilanthropist mother 's life bilking her fortune to line his pockets . That 's one way to see Anthony Marshall -- and it 's the only way , according to the prosecutors who secured a conviction against him for grand larceny and scheming to defraud his mother , Brooke Astor . Now as the 85-year-old son prepares to be sentenced Monday for his crimes , another portrait of him has emerged -- thanks to close friends and celebrity acquaintances -LRB- including Al Roker and Whoopi Goldberg -RRB- who sent letters to the court in hopes of saving him from a lengthy prison sentence . The man prosecutors described during the trial is apparently unrecognizable to many of Marshall 's friends and acquaintances . He was a loyal , churchgoing man , a Purple Heart recipient wounded in Iwo Jima during World War II and a son who tried mightily but could never live up to the high ideals of his socialite mother , according to letters friends submitted to the court . And now , they say he is a frail and sickly man who has faced extreme humiliation and would essentially be given a death sentence if a judge hands down the maximum sentence allowed . It will be up to Judge A. Kirke Bartley Jr. to decide how to reconcile the two portraits of Tony Marshall . He faces a minimum one to three years , or as much as eight to 25 years in state prison . The drastically differing views have only further heightened interest in the case , which during the trial stage was a tabloid feeding frenzy , fostering headlines such as `` Bad heir day , '' `` Mrs. Astor 's disaster '' and `` DA 's kick in the Astor . '' The witness list was a virtual `` Who 's Who '' of New York 's social elite -- including Henry Kissinger , Graydon Carter , Barbara Walters , Vartan Gregorian and Annette de la Renta . During the case , prosecutors and witnesses portrayed Marshall as an only son preying on his physically and mentally ill 101-year-old mother . Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann called the case `` disturbing , '' and said the trial told the story of `` how a son , an only son , would stoop so low to steal from his own mother in the sunset years of her life in order to line his own pockets and the pockets of his wife . '' His only goal , they said , was to selfishly tap her fortune -- money that prosecutors said Astor intended to donate to ordinary New Yorkers who needed help after she died . He was convicted of the most serious charges against him -- first-degree grand larceny and scheming to defraud . One of the most serious convictions involved Marshall giving himself a $ 1 million-a-year raise for handling his mother 's affairs , Seidemann said . During trial testimony , Marshall 's lawyers called no character witnesses to come to his defense . So the new letters from friends are the first attempts by those who know him to share what they believe is his true character . Whoopi Goldberg told a judge in her letter that she met Tony Marshall and his wife , Charlene , 10 years ago when Goldberg moved into a building on the Upper East Side with Frank Langella . Unlike other residents who turned their nose up at her , Goldberg said she became quick friends with the Marshalls . Her interactions with Tony , she wrote , gave her an insight into his relationship with his mother , and in turn taught her about how fame can affect family dynamics . `` I also understand what it must be like for my own daughter to be around my fame , '' she wrote . `` I am not comparing myself to Mrs. Astor , but I 've seen how you can be dismissed as not being good enough , or hip enough , and seeing it happen to Tony made me make sure that it did n't happen to my own daughter . '' The humiliation and ugliness of the trial was punishment enough and a prison sentence would be unjust , friends argued in the letters . Marshall 's cardiologist , Kenneth W. Franklin , also wrote to urge the judge to consider his age and health in sentencing . A prison sentence `` will accelerate his deterioration from cardiac and neurologic disease and would result in his premature death due to medical complications , '' he wrote . NBC 's `` Today '' show weatherman Al Roker came to Marshall 's defense too , having met him at his church 10 years ago . He argued Marshall had suffered enough , paying a price greater than any sentence a judge could hand down -- seeing his son turn on him during the trial and being portrayed in a negative light each day . `` Given his advanced age and deteriorating health , justice may be better served by turning a compassionate eye towards this good son , father and patriot and finding it in your heart not to add ` prisoner ' to Anthony Marshall 's otherwise unblemished resume , '' Roker wrote in his letter to the court . Goldberg too , believed `` breaking this man '' by putting him in prison , was not the right punishment . `` Please do n't put him in jail , '' she writes at the end of her letter . `` It would only amount to an unnecessary cruelty that would serve no real purpose . Has n't Tony been through enough ? '' CNN 's Beth Karas and Jessica Ravitz contributed to this report . | Whoopi Goldberg , Al Roker among those asking for a compassionate sentence . Tony Marshall convicted of bilking mom Brooke Astor of money before her death . Marshall faces a minimum one to three years , or as much as eight to 25 years in state prison . Friends cite Marshall 's age of 85 , deteriorating health , among reasons for light sentence . | [[61, 84], [89, 172], [131, 206], [372, 393], [1385, 1422], [1094, 1101], [1104, 1141], [3949, 3973], [4003, 4073], [4074, 4094], [4169, 4233], [4577, 4626]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Formula 1 will continue to take place in Britain for the next 17 years after a deal was struck between Silverstone 's owners and the sport 's chief Bernie Ecclestone . Monday 's announcement by the track 's owners means the oldest venue on the F1 calendar keeps its place . Silverstone 's comeback took place despite rival track Donington Park being awarded the contract to host the British Grand Prix from 2010 . However , that circuit lost out after failing to secure the $ 200 million needed to fund redevelopment plans . That had led to fears Ecclestone would look to move the race abroad . Silverstone managing director Richard Phillips told the Press Association : `` We 've always had five-year deals and never been able to get the investment we needed to redevelop . `` But 17 years gives us the ability to invest and move forward . We 've always had the belief the British Grand Prix was an important cornerstone of Formula One but , with Bernie , you 're never quite sure . Phillips described the deal as `` peace in our time '' between the circuit 's owners , the British Racing Drivers Club -LRB- BRDC -RRB- , and Ecclestone . `` The relationship with Formula One Management has been improving , '' added Phillips . `` There 's a good working relationship with him now and we do n't have any issues . '' Applauding the negotiating team , BRDC president and 1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill told the Press Association : `` It 's not easy to enter into an agreement of this magnitude . It 's a big commitment . `` But the BRDC felt we wanted this relationship to continue , and we were prepared to back the negotiating team , with the level of risk satisfactory for the deal to go ahead . `` This announcement is tremendous news . It really does cement Silverstone as a motor sport venue and is incredibly satisfying for the BRDC to cement its relationship with F1 . '' | Formula 1 will continue in Britain after deal between Silverstone and sport 's chief Bernie Ecclestone . Announcement by the track 's owners means the oldest race on the F1 calendar keeps its place . Donington was to host British Grand Prix from 2010 but failed to secure $ 200 million for redevelopment . | [[0, 6], [9, 32], [36, 119], [107, 183], [204, 291], [256, 309], [353, 449], [460, 560]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Barack Obama is sworn in as president January 20 , there will be music -- by , among others , Aretha Franklin , Yo-Yo Ma , Itzhak Perlman and the U.S. Marine Band . There will be prayers and speeches -- including Obama 's inaugural address . And for the fourth time in the nation 's 56 inauguration ceremonies , there will be poetry -- by someone far less well-known . Elizabeth Alexander says poetry can help solve problems by looking at them from a fresh angle . After the president 's speech , Elizabeth Alexander will read a poem she is writing for the occasion . Alexander is a 46-year-old Yale University professor and a friend and former faculty colleague of Obama 's . She joins three other poets who have read at inaugural ceremonies -- Robert Frost in 1961 for John F. Kennedy 's inauguration and Maya Angelou and Miller Williams , who read at Bill Clinton 's 1993 and 1997 inaugurations . Alexander has written five books of poetry , including `` American Sublime , '' a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2005 . Her father is Clifford Alexander , secretary of the Army in the Carter administration , and her mother teaches history at George Washington University . Her brother is an adviser to Obama 's transition team . Alexander 's view of poetry is captured in a few lines from `` American Sublime '' -LRB- Graywolf Press -RRB- : . Poetry is what you find / in the dirt in the corner , . overhear on the bus , God / in the details , the only way . to get from here to there . / Poetry -LRB- and now my voice is rising -RRB- . is not all love , love , love , / and I 'm sorry the dog died . Poetry -LRB- here I hear myself loudest -RRB- / is the human voice , . and are we not of interest to each other ? Alexander spoke Friday to CNN.com . CNN : What do you think is the role of a poet in a ceremony like this ? Alexander : I think that the fact that President-elect Obama has decided to have a poem in this ceremony is a wonderful affirmation to the power of language , the way in which poetry gives us distilled and mindful and careful language that can both give us a moment of pause , a moment of contemplation and that can also ... look at the world from a slightly different angle . CNN : You met Barack Obama when you were both teaching at the University of Chicago ? Alexander : In the community in Hyde Park , he and Mrs. Obama were just people I 'd heard about for a long time and heard wonderful things about , and we were of a generation . ... He was in the law school , and I was in the Department of English so our day-to-day work did n't really cross so much . ... -LSB- We were in -RSB- the community of people who were at that time in our early 30s , thinking about the different ways that we could contribute to improving things with whatever skills we had -- political skills , intellectual skills , skills in the discipline of law , in literature , artistic skills . That was the common ground , thinking about how we could contribute to bettering our community . CNN : And you did it by writing ? Alexander : By writing and teaching . I 've been a professor for many years now , and I now teach in the African-American studies department and the English Department at Yale . ... My teaching is incredibly important to me ... helping people see that the study of African-American history and culture is fundamental to understanding this country that we live in . It 's been wonderful to be able to share those riches of the culture over the years . CNN : We have this historical moment , the 80th birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King , the inauguration of the first African-American president . How does that resonate with you ? Alexander : It 's amazing , is n't it ? I just shake my head and say , `` Is n't that something ? '' The civil rights struggle in this country and in the world is not over because we have an African-American president . At the same time , this must be recognized as a tremendous moment in our nation 's history . I ca n't tell you how many older people have said to me , `` I never thought I 'd live to see this day . '' The fact that this country has -- with a multiracial coalition -- elected an extraordinary president who is African-American really does feel like just an exquisite moment for us to savor even as we recognize there 's still a tremendous amount of work ahead of us . CNN : What 's ahead of us ? Alexander : Oh my goodness , so much . There are wars or conflicts in many different places , there are potentially incipient conflicts in different places , there 's the tremendous challenge of the economy . ... The larger metaphysical challenge is to think about how to work together in new ways that are , if not post-partisan -- because I do n't think there 's anything wrong with partisanship per se -- borne of new coalitions . Within our communities large and small , making new coalitions and finding common ground is absolutely what we 're going to have to do in order to make things better . CNN : Can poetry help in that regard ? Alexander : I do believe that it can . The way in which poetry models precise and mindful language is useful , because after all if we ca n't be precise with language , how can we share ideas ? Also the felicity of art ... the way in which it makes you draw a breath and look at the world in a different way is very useful to the process of thinking through new solutions . You can look straight in front of you and never get any yield to a problem , but if you can look around the back of it or step to the side of it , those are the ways that we experience some movement with calcified problems . CNN : So you 're going to write a poem about health care ? Alexander : That would be fun . Of course , this -LSB- poem for the inauguration -RSB- is an occasional poem , it has to serve the moment , it has to serve the day , right ? So those are the challenges of writing something that makes sense at this moment on this particular day . But of course , what I hope to do , rather than the laundry list poem , is to find language that will hopefully have a little resonance after the day is done . CNN : Will you show it to anybody before you read it ? Alexander : I show it to my husband -LSB- artist Ficre Ghebreyesus -RSB- , and he is my first , last and best critic . CNN : You wrote an essay about Gwendolyn Brooks -LSB- the Pulitzer Prize-winning African-American poet -RSB- in which you said that `` the pressure on creative work can be intense for artists who belong to groups still struggling for their fair shake in society . '' And then later on you said you 've seen your work `` overpraised by narrow-minded white critics '' and `` criticized small-mindedly by more than one black woman elder poet -- the same poets I imagined would be pleased by it . '' Your work is read very differently depending on who 's reading it ? Alexander : I think what I was trying to say is that at the end of the day , demographics does n't really tell you about how your work is going to be received . ... On the one hand , I have devoted much of my work to African-American culture . That 's my group , that 's who I am , -LSB- I 'm -RSB- proud and unambiguous about that -- but at the same time , one of the really great discoveries of a life in poetry has been that poetry is quirky . It reaches people unexpectedly . You really , really ca n't predict who is going to connect with various aspects of your work . That 's been a real gift to me ; it 's made me try not to assume too much about who thinks what and who is able to gain something from work . CNN : You have two children ? Alexander : Two sons , 9 and 10 . CNN : How do they feel about the poem ? Alexander : They are so excited , and that 's of course a lovely thing . And in the excitement , we still live in our every day , so mommy is still mommy , and all the mommy things are expected of me , and that 's the way I like it . CNN : What are your tastes in music ? Alexander : Jazz is the music that I know deepest and love the most , and I mean jazz across the board because that 's an incredibly diverse art , and also I must say , R&B , funk and soul speak very powerfully to me . CNN : Favorite artists ? Alexander : Thelonious Monk is quite a favorite artist . Marvin Gaye , John Coltrane , and also the breadth and accomplishment over a career of Duke Ellington . CNN : And Aretha Franklin ? Alexander : Can you imagine ? I get to hear her at close range . Boy , that 's going to be my gift for the year . | Elizabeth Alexander will be fourth poet to read at an inauguration . Alexander : Poetry can provide a fresh way of looking at problems . She says poetry is quirky and no one can predict how people will react to it . | [[266, 392], [701, 790], [393, 488], [418, 488], [2163, 2166], [2176, 2227], [7363, 7366], [7376, 7457]] |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.