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Editor 's note : We asked readers to weigh in on CNN.com Live producer Jarrett Bellini 's vacation destination , and you chose South Africa . Check back for updates on his trip . Giraffes are a common sight in Kruger National Park . KRUGER NATIONAL PARK , South Africa -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- I spent two nights sleeping under a full-moon sky , nestled in my trusty hammock at Kruger National Park . Our guides provided us with tents , but I figured I would n't have too many opportunities in my life to slumber in the open bush on the African continent . Thus , I rested more or less exposed throughout the night , hoping that a lion would n't figure that he would n't have too many opportunities in his life to maul a sleeping American tourist in the open bush on the African continent . Needless to say , I survived , and it was magnificent . Visually speaking , I was n't sure what , exactly , to expect from a South African safari , for my complete mental database of safari images spanned a wide variety of distinct landscapes , and most were cartoonishly obstructed by rich , middle-aged tourists covered head to toe in unnecessary beige safari gear . However , Kruger National Park seemed to fit , quite perfectly , my idea of the African savannah . Arid and brown from the winter dry season , it was a forever-long expanse of low trees and dusty earth , the kind that somehow allows the early sun to reflect that perfect glow of stunning reds and oranges . See the animals '' Our guide was a self-proclaimed African bushman named Elson , who seemed to have an amazing one-ness with both the land and the animals . We 'd be driving down one of the many nondescript dirt roads at a fairly fast pace , only to have him hit the brakes of our jeep , slam into reverse and point out a leopard 200 yards away . It would take the rest of us a fair bit of time to finally see what he noticed at a mere passing glance . He knew the land , and he knew the animals -- a talent that proved helpful for finding the less common residents in the savannah . The other creatures carelessly came into view as though the roads and cars were just a natural part of their habitat , a mild annoyance at worst . iReport.com : Share your South Africa experiences and suggestions . Kruger National Park is roughly the same size as Israel , and here , many animals roamed right along the roadside , gnawing on whatever vegetation remained until the rainy season would flourish the plants anew . Seemingly endless miles of terrain , and there they were just feet away from us . If you did n't know you were in a national park , you might think you were in a zoo . That 's how close the animals came to our jeep . Only , here , they were n't in separate enclosures , wandering aimlessly within an artificial terrain . This was truly their home , and we were only passing guests . Giraffes tore away at high branches . Elephants walked fearlessly , one-by-one across the road . Rhinos ... well , the rhinos pretty much just sat there looking stupid . But the zebras frolicked . The hippos splashed in the water . And the baboons stopped at nothing to make me laugh . Of course , the rare lions and leopards pretty much just shaded themselves under distant trees , and the crocs swam silently through the bog . But they were there . And we were there . And it was beautiful . And just as soon as it began , our time in the South African bush was over . A couple of giraffes and elephants met us by the roadside to bid our group farewell as we drove out of the park . The preserve faded silently behind us , and the road ahead paved my way to Swaziland for a short stopover before continuing to the second part of this South African journey . | CNN.com 's Jarrett Bellini is traveling in South Africa . Readers chose his destination and can share their travel suggestions . Bellini will provide updates from South Africa on CNN.com and CNN.com Live . | [[17, 110], [2192, 2203], [2206, 2259]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Typhoon Morakot dumped heavy rain on Taiwan early Saturday and threatened to further soak the recently drought-stricken island . A man fights against strong winds in Hsintien , Taipei county , Taiwan , on Friday . As of 3 a.m. local time , the storm 's eye was over the northern part of the island , CNN forecaster Kevin Corriveau reported , although he noted that slow-moving Morakot is so large it encompassed the entire island . Journalist Andrew Lee in Taipei , citing local media , said the storm had blown off roofs and washed out some bridges . Corriveau said the island has received more than 39 inches -LRB- 99 centimeters -RRB- of rain from the storm , which he said was expected to dump another 39 to 47 inches -LRB- 99 to 119 centimeters -RRB- of rain on Taiwan . The storm made landfall carrying winds of up to 92 mph -LRB- 148 km/h -RRB- , with gusts up to 115 mph -LRB- 185 km/h -RRB- , the Joint Typhoon Warning Center said . iReport.com : See balcony view of heavy rains . Corriveau said the storm was expected to linger over the island for several more hours , and the southern portion of Morakot would likely be passing over Taiwan for hours after that . The storm 's impact had already been felt by Friday morning , with mudslides and landslides occurring on the island . The area has been severely affected by drought in recent months , leaving the ground so hard that it does not absorb the rainfall , Corriveau said . Taiwan 's Central News Agency , acknowledging the drought , cited the Water Resources Agency as saying that the storm had replenished the island 's reservoirs and would put an end to water rationing in several areas . Watch more about the typhoon 's impact '' The storm prompted airlines to cancel flights . Schools and government offices were closed ahead of Morakot 's arrival , according to Taiwan 's Central News Agency . Trading at the Taiwan Stock Exchange was also postponed until Monday , the news agency reported . In China , state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that governments in coastal provinces were readying themselves for the storm and had ordered fishing boats to seek shelter before Thursday night . In Fujian province , about 8.4 million text messages had been sent to citizens warning them to prepare for the typhoon , Xinhua reported . More than 900 people , including Chinese and foreign tourists , have been evacuated from the resort of Nanji Island off east China , the news agency reported . CNN 's Brandon Miller contributed to this report . | Island gets more than 39 inches of rain ; 47 inches more possible . Airlines cancel flights ; schools , government offices , stock exchange closed . More than 900 people evacuated from resort of Nanji Island off east China . | [[571, 679], [665, 679], [696, 794], [1720, 1767], [1739, 1767], [1768, 1838], [1768, 1798], [1841, 1885], [1886, 1954], [2319, 2380], [2383, 2449]] |
YANAGAWA , Japan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Wearing a Nashville School of Law T-shirt , Christopher Savoie walked into a second-floor police interrogation room . In one corner , a stopwatch was running to hold him to the 15 minutes allotted for the interview . A Tennessee court awarded Christopher Savoie custody of his son , Isaac , and daughter , Rebecca . `` I 'm so scared , '' he said . Savoie chose his words carefully , lest police Officer Toshihiro Tanaka cut short the rare interview Savoie was granted with CNN on Thursday . There were so many rules : No recording devices . No tough questions . Speak only in Japanese . `` I want Americans to know what 's happening to me , '' Savoie continued in Japanese . `` I did n't do anything wrong . Children have the right to see both parents . It 's very important for my children to know both parents . '' But Japanese authorities disagree . They have charged Savoie , 38 , a Tennessee native and naturalized Japanese citizen , with kidnapping his two children -- 8-year-old Isaac and 6-year-old Rebecca -- as his estranged wife , Noriko , was walking them to school Monday in Yanagawa , a rural town in southern Japan . Watch what else Savoie had to say '' He headed for the nearest U.S. consulate , in the city of Fukuoka , to try to obtain passports for the children , screaming at the guards to let him in the compound . He was steps away from the front gate but still standing on Japanese soil . Japanese police , alerted by his estranged wife , arrested him . The Savoies were divorced in Tennessee in January after 14 years of marriage . Christopher Savoie had visitation rights with his children , but after he returned from a short summer trip , his estranged wife fled to Japan with the children , according to court documents . A United States court then granted sole custody to Savoie . Watch why the case is complicated '' Japanese law , however , recognizes Noriko Savoie as the primary custodian , regardless of the U.S. court order . The law there also follows a tradition of sole custody divorces . When the couple splits , one parent typically makes a complete and lifelong break from the children . Complicating the matter further is the fact that the couple is still considered married in Japan , because they never divorced there , police said Wednesday . And , police said , the children are Japanese and have Japanese passports . A 1980 Hague Convention standardized laws on international child abduction . But Japan is not a party to that agreement . Savoie was out of luck . If a child in Japan is taken against the wishes of the recognized Japanese parent , the person who took the child is considered an abductor . `` Japanese people think she 's the victim here , '' Savoie said . `` In the States , my ex-wife is the one who 's in the wrong . '' U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley recognized this case as a difficult one . Even though the United States has strong ties with Japan , on this particular issue , the two nations ' points of view could not differ more , he said . In Yanagawa , those who have heard about the abduction case tend to side with the woman . `` They belong with their real mother , '' said one woman , herself a mother of two children . But most have not heard of the case , because it has not been reported in local newspapers or on television . Savoie 's attorney , Tadashi Yoshino , knows the cultural divide will be hard to overcome . `` He technically may have committed a crime according to Japanese law but he should n't be indicted , '' Yoshino said . `` He did it for the love of his children . '' Savoie , a law student who already has a Ph.D. and a M.D. , will spend 10 days in jail while Japanese prosecutors sort out the details of the case . In the interrogation room , Savoie appeared exhausted . Tears welled in his eyes . He glanced over at the police officer , then paused to regain composure . `` I love you , Isaac , Rebecca , '' he said . `` Your daddy loves you forever . I 'll be patient and strong until the day comes that I can see you both again . I am very sorry that I ca n't be with you . '' He was grateful be able to get the words out . Moments earlier , the interview had almost ended after Savoie blurted out in English : `` I love you , '' a message intended for his current wife , Amy , in Nashville . Then , as is Japanese custom , he bowed . And from the other side of the glass barrier , he gave a thumbs up , mouthing the words , `` Thank you . '' | Man charged with abducting his own children denies committing breach . Japanese custom , law on custody differ sharply from those in U.S. Japan is not party to 1980 convention that standardized abduction laws . All parties in current case are Japanese citizens . | [[890, 894], [976, 1051], [2401, 2477], [2482, 2522]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- English Premier League side Chelsea have said they will mount the `` strongest appeal possible '' following the transfer ban placed on the club by world football 's governing body FIFA . English Premier League side Chelsea have been banned by FIFA from signing any new players until 2011 . The punishment , which would prevent any new member joining the squad until 2011 , was dished out after the club were found to have `` induced '' Gael Kukuta to breach his contract in a transfer from French league side Lens in 2007 . In a statement on their official Web site , Chelsea announced their plan to : `` Mount the strongest appeal possible following the decision of FIFA 's Dispute Resolution Chamber over Gaël Kakuta . `` The sanctions are without precedent to this level and totally disproportionate to the alleged offence and the financial penalty imposed . We can not comment further until we receive the full written rationale for this extraordinarily arbitrary decision , '' the statement concluded . The ruling came after Lens complained to FIFA that Chelsea had acted improperly over the transfer of 18-year-old left-winger Kakuta two years ago . The complaint was referred to the body 's Disciplinary Resolution Chamber -LRB- DRC -RRB- who decided to impose a ban on any further player recruitment by last season 's Champions League semifinalists . Have FIFA made the right decision ? Sound Off below . A statement on FIFA 's official Web site read : `` The DRC found that the player had indeed breached a contract signed with the French club . `` Equally , the DRC deemed it to be established that the English club induced the player to such a breach . As a result the player was condemned to pay compensation in the amount of $ 780,000 -LRB- $ 1.1 million -RRB- , for which the club , Chelsea , are jointly and severally liable , and sporting sanctions were imposed on both the player and Chelsea in accordance with art. 17 par . 3 and 4 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players . '' Kakuta , who was voted the side 's academy player of the year in his first 12 months with Chelsea , received a personal suspension of four months as a result of the ruling . `` Chelsea are banned from registering any new players , either nationally or internationally , for the two next entire and consecutive registration periods following the notification of the present decision . '' The first football transfer window in Europe runs from January 1-31 in 2010 ; the second from the end of the current season until August 31 in Europe , and September 1 in Britain next year . Chelsea were also ordered to pay Lens `` training compensation '' of $ 130,000 -LRB- $ 185,000 -RRB- , in a decision the club could appeal at the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport -LRB- CAS -RRB- . Football governing bodies have intervened on two previous occasions in recent times regarding the acquisition of new players by Chelsea . In 2005 , Nigeria midfielder Jon Mikel Obi was ordered by FIFA to return to Norwegian club Lyn Oslo to see out his contract before eventually joining Chelsea , after protracted transfer negotiations had led to disagreement with Manchester United who also claimed they had signed the player . Chelsea were also fined # 300,000 -LRB- $ 490,000 -RRB- by the English Premier League over the capture of England defender Ashley Cole from Arsenal in 2005 . The club were found guilty of breaking rule K3 , which forbade them approaching Cole , who still had two years left on his Arsenal deal , `` by any means while under contract . '' Watch a former Chelsea manager discuss the ban '' The Blues were also warned they could face being docked points if a similar offence occurred during the 2005/2006 season . It is the second time FIFA have handed out a transfer ban on a club . The transfers of Switzerland 's FC Sion were frozen until the end of the 2010 season after they attempted to sign Egypt 's Essam El Hadary before the goalkeeper 's contract with Al-Ahly had expired . | Chelsea to mount the `` strongest appeal possible '' following the club 's ban . Chelsea prevented by FIFA from signing any new players until 2011 . Club found to have `` induced '' Gael Kakuta to breach his contract with Lens . Have FIFA made the right decision ? Sound Off below . | [[0, 143], [543, 584], [587, 739], [114, 205], [206, 308], [206, 241], [267, 308], [309, 389], [1205, 1264], [1269, 1377], [407, 435], [413, 421], [433, 466], [442, 542], [1432, 1477], [1480, 1573], [1587, 1682], [1378, 1413], [1414, 1431]] |
PADANG , Indonesia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The first school assembly since the earthquake was charged with emotion and grief . Students gather for the emotional assembly at their school in Padang , Indonesia . Students at SMA1 High School in Padang have been arriving amid the ruins of their classrooms hoping life will get back to normal quickly . They still do n't know how many pupils were victims of the earthquake . Only half the 800 students turned up Monday . But there was a gasp of shock as the vice principal informed them that one member of staff had been killed in the quake . As prayers and a lament were sung in the yard , the emotion was too much for one teacher who fainted and was carried away . Many students have stories of narrow escapes and cheating death by seconds . Haria Fitri told me she was taking a shower when suddenly the bathroom started shaking violently . She grabbed a towel and ran downstairs and jumped out of a window , just as her house collapsed behind her . Many are clearly traumatized by what happened , mentioning how scared they are that another quake will again turn their world upside down . The teachers too seem stunned by what 's happened . Most of the classrooms here are full of rubble and lessons are now being conducted in a tent outside , provided by United Nations Children 's Fund , or UNICEF . 17-year-old student Harris Putrareza , said : `` When I see my school , very big destruction , I get a little sad , but I am very happy to be back to my school . '' The school 's English teacher , a warm , animated woman called Gustina said : `` They feel very sad , they ca n't control their emotions , what pity our school is broken . '' In some ways the very spirit of the school has been damaged . It was built in 1917 during the Dutch colonial period and has survived numerous earthquakes down the years . But this one ripped the place apart , leaving mountains of red bricks lying on the desks and huge gaping holes in the ceiling . One building is simply too dangerous to enter and may have to be torn down . Everywhere there are little reminders of the day the earth shook so violently : the trophy cabinet full of toppled sports awards , the covered walkways choked with smashed stone pillars . The senior students are already wondering how they will cope when it comes to their important mid-term exams next week . The principal has announced a postponement , while they find a suitable room . Slowly the students at this highly-acclaimed school will refocus on their studies , but no one will forget that day at the end of September when everything changed in Padang . | Death toll from two powerful earthquakes that struck Indonesia has risen to 608 . 343 are still missing officially , although the number could be closer to 1000 . Students at SMA1 High School in Padang said prayers for dead and missing . Many students have stories of narrow escapes and cheating death by seconds . | [[708, 784], [708, 721], [757, 784]] |
-LRB- WIRED -RRB- -- Apple is the exclusive gatekeeper to its iPhone App Store , able to reject apps at will -- as it did July 28 with Google Voice . Some would-be iPhone developers , rejected by Apple , are turning to an unauthorized app store called Cydia . But some developers are n't taking the rejection lying down : They 're turning instead to an unauthorized app store called Cydia , where forbidden wares continue to exist -- and even earn developers some money . That store is operated by Jay Freeman , more fondly known in the iPhone `` Jailbreak '' community as Saurik . Only five months old , his app store Cydia specializes in selling apps that Apple would reject or ban -LRB- or already has -RRB- . To use Cydia or the apps available through it , customers need to jailbreak their phones -- hack them to work around Apple-imposed restrictions -- a process that Apple claims is illegal . Indeed , you can even get a Google Voice app , GV Mobile , through Cydia . After Apple pulled the app from its App Store , developer Sean Kovacs -LRB- who is not affiliated with Google -RRB- made it available for free through Cydia . It 's difficult to get accurate data on how many customers have jailbroken their iPhones . But based on the number of unique device identifiers tracked on his server , Freeman claims that about 4 million , or 10 percent of the 40 million iPhone and iPod Touch owners to date , have installed Cydia . On a recent day , he said 470,000 people were connecting to the Cydia store , up from 350,000 per day just a few months ago . Among many free apps , there are also 15 paid apps in Cydia , and the store has earned $ 220,000 in overall sales in just five months . `` People are so annoyed by Apple and their s -- , and if you give them opportunity to go around it , then they 'll even pay for it , '' said Kim Streich , a developer whose app 3G Unrestrictor earned $ 19,000 in sales in just two weeks through Cydia . Though Cydia is relatively young , the underground `` Jailbreak '' community has existed since the first iPhone launched in 2007 . That year , Apple did n't yet have an app store for its iPhone , stifling the true potential of the device . This limitation inspired digital rebels to hack away at the iPhone 's closed platform in an effort to free its mind . The result ? An app called Installer , opening a door for early iPhone owners to add games , utilities and other third-party software coded by developers . It was n't until 2008 that Apple offered a software development kit for third-party coders to make programs for its iPhone . That led to the opening of the official App Store in July 2008 . Apple 's store grew rapidly , accumulating 65,000 apps and serving over 1.5 billion downloads to date . Many developers abandoned Installer for the more popular App Store , leaving behind an underground space where unauthorized wares could continue to exist . Installer died and became reborn as Cydia , which evolved from an app library into a store in March 2009 . To gain access to Cydia , iPhone owners must jailbreak their smartphones using some freely available tools courtesy of the hacker group iPhone Dev-Team . Given the nature of this procedure , it 's clear Cydia 's primary audience consists of nerdy rebels wishing to utilize the full power of their iPhones , restriction-free . Cydia 's numbers appear small compared to the rare stories we hear about developers turning into millionaires with hot sales of their iPhone apps in the App Store . But the idea behind a store like Cydia is that you do n't have to be huge to make money . With a smaller market , fewer competitors and a reasonably large customer base , each developer has a higher chance for making a quick buck , Freeman said . Plus , you get more personal attention : Developers submitting their app through Cydia need only contact Freeman , and their app can be made available almost immediately . That 's an enticing alternative to Apple 's approval process , which can take months and is notoriously opaque : Some App Store developers have faced difficulty getting answers to simple questions from Apple about their apps . It 's obvious what 's driving iPhone customers toward Cydia : Apple 's rejections and restrictions of major iPhone apps . Most notably , Apple recently banned apps supporting Google Voice , the search giant 's internet-based phone enhancement service that can provide cellphone users with free text messaging and transcribed voicemail . Angry consumers and developers theorize that Apple banned the Google Voice apps so as not to detract business from its partner AT&T 's phone services . The incident has brewed so much controversy that even the Federal Communications Commission has gotten involved , sending letters to AT&T , Apple and Google inquiring about the reasons for the rejections . `` Looks like Apple and AT&T pissed off a lot of people , '' Kovacs wrote in a July 28 blog post . `` I 'll be releasing GV Mobile v1 .2 on Cydia for free today or tomorrow . '' Another high-profile App Store regulation involves SlingPlayer , an app that enables iPhone users to stream video from a Slingbox device hooked up to a TV . When Sling originally submitted the app , it was capable of streaming over both Wi-Fi and the cellular 3G connection . However , Apple requested Sling to modify the app to work on Wi-Fi only . AT&T said this was a necessary move to prevent congestion on its 3G network . That restriction spawned the most successful Cydia app to date , 3G Unrestrictor , developed by Streich . 3G Unrestrictor , a $ 2 app that has sold 9,500 copies , allows the iPhone to circumvent any network limitations imposed by Apple . For example , the app enables SlingPlayer users to stream TV over 3G as well as Wi-Fi ; and when using the VOIP app Skype to place phone calls , customers can also use the cellular connection , whereas normally the app only enables users to dial over Wi-Fi . `` It 's just amazing what you can do on such a little cellphone , and Apple just forbids customers from doing these things , and it 's just a shame , '' Streich said . `` That 's why I 'm so happy there 's a Cydia store . '' Another developer who reports positive experiences with Cydia is Jonathan Zdziarski , who said he has made more money through the unauthorized store than Apple 's App Store . In February , his app iWipe sold 694 copies in Cydia , compared to 91 copies of iErase in the App Store . `` I guess you could say the App Store is kind of like Wal-Mart , with more crap than you 'd ever want to buy , '' Zdziarski said . `` And Cydia is like the general store that has everything you want and need , from fresh cuts of meat to those homemade cookies you ca n't get anywhere else . '' Though some developers say they 're having better experiences selling apps through Cydia , it 's unlikely they will succeed on a longer term , said Rana Sobhany , vice president of Medialets , an iPhone app analytics company . She said the average consumer would prefer to purchase apps through a well trusted source such as Apple . `` There have been all these apps downloaded in the App Store because it 's easy for consumers to find , download and pay for apps , '' Sobhany said . `` This model is new because Apple has been training people how to download music to their iPods for years . '' However , even in the case of the App Store , developers who strike it rich still face challenges recreating their success , said Phillip Ryu , co-creator of the e-book reader Classics , which has sold over 400,000 copies to date . `` If you 're hoping to reach the mainstream , the best you can hope for is your app catches on fire and charts high enough for you to make a windfall , '' Ryu said . `` Essentially you aim for the jackpot , and if you do n't hit that , it 's not going to make you a living . '' Freeman said it was too soon to tell whether Cydia would provide developers stable incomes , but he recommends they give it a try , considering the successes some are experiencing . He admits , however , he is n't making much money as the creator of Cydia : Like Apple , he takes 30 percent of each app sale to cover taxes . `` I do n't make much money off this project , but I value the community , and I look forward to how this changes the device landscape , '' Freeman said . Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $ 1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT ! Click here ! Copyright 2009 Wired.com . | Some would-be iPhone developers are turning instead to an unauthorized app store . The new store , Cydia , specializes in selling apps that Apple would reject or ban . To use Cydia or the apps available through it , customers must jailbreak their phones . Cydia operator : Too soon to tell whether store could earn developers stable incomes . | [[150, 181], [204, 244], [219, 259], [322, 375], [350, 388], [219, 259], [350, 388], [605, 652], [619, 624], [637, 689], [976, 1021], [1024, 1051], [1092, 1134], [713, 747], [761, 801], [3047, 3150], [7865, 7955]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The reaction to Mackenzie Phillips ' detailed account of her sexual relationship with her father , John Phillips , has been explosive , and some of the strongest statements have come from her family . Chynna Phillips said she does n't think anyone could make up having a consensual incestuous relationship . But as the former actress and musician talked with Oprah Winfrey for the second time this week -- this time about the firestorm that erupted from her hour-long interview Wednesday -- she said she does n't regret writing her memoir , `` High on Arrival . '' `` I understand this is a difficult thing for my family , '' Phillips told Winfrey via satellite Friday , `` but nobody 's talking about this , and if I 've started a national dialogue , then I 'm forever grateful . '' Phillips said she has gotten letters and Facebook messages from incest survivors , thanking her for coming forward . `` It 's been heartening and heartbreaking at the same time , '' she said . John Phillips died in 2001 . Two of his former wives , however , have vehemently denied Mackenzie Phillips ' accusations . In an statement to CNN , Michelle Phillips , an original Mamas & Papas bandmate who divorced John in 1970 , called the situation `` very hurtful . '' `` Mackenzie 's drug addiction for 35 years has been the result of many unpleasant experiences , '' Michelle Phillips said . `` Whether her relationship with her father is delusional or not , it is an unfortunate circumstance and very hurtful for our entire family . '' She spoke more strongly to The Hollywood Reporter 's Roger Friedman , telling him , `` Mackenzie has a lot of mental illness . She 's had a needle stuck up her arm for 35 years . ... She did ` Celebrity Rehab , ' and now she writes a book . The whole thing is timed . '' Genevieve Waite , who married John Phillips in 1972 , told Winfrey in a statement that `` John was a good man who had a lot of problems , -LSB- but -RSB- he was incapable , no matter how drunk or drugged he was , to have sexual relations with his own child . '' The fallout from Phillips ' decision to reveal her family 's secrets has been heartbreaking for her sister Bijou as well . Bijou Phillips supplied a statement to Winfrey stating that Mackenzie told her about the incestuous relationship with their father when Bijou was 13 but later denied it . `` This news was confusing and also scary , because I 'd lived alone with him since I was 3 , '' she said . '' -LSB- John Phillips -RSB- was Mr. Mom , loving and encouraging ; the man who raised me would never be capable of such things . '' She also questioned why Mackenzie would leave her alone with their father if he 'd molested the elder sister . Still , Bijou Phillips showed signs of measured support . `` I understand Mackenzie 's need to come clean , but it hurts because the man in question is n't here to defend himself , '' she said . `` I hope she can come to terms with this and find peace . '' Mackenzie Phillips told Winfrey that her family 's disbelief and anger saddened her , especially since she and Bijou Phillips have been very close . Phillips recalled the way Bijou immediately came to her aid when she was arrested last year for cocaine and heroin possession . `` I love my baby sister , and I miss having contact with her , '' Mackenzie said . `` By the time Bijou was living with my father , I felt she was safe . I did take her out of there if I felt like she was n't being watched properly , '' she said in her defense . But she added that Michelle Phillips ' statements were n't as surprising . `` When Michelle found out I was writing this book , she vowed to do everything to discredit me , '' Mackenzie told Winfrey . `` She 's having a textbook reaction , trying to sweep it under the rug . It seems so unkind and ungenerous to lash out in this way ; I do n't have a history of mental illness . I have a history of drug addiction . '' Chynna Phillips , who also sat down with Winfrey on Friday , said she believes that her mother , Michelle , made those statements out of anger and that she does still love Mackenzie , even if she does n't admit it . `` I think the most devastating thing is when people are in denial and do n't want things on a public platform , it 's not something everyone wants to share with the world , '' Chynna Phillips said . `` It 's not something my mom wants plastered all over the papers . '' Chynna told Winfrey that she 'd known about her sister 's history with her father for about 12 years and believes that no one would go out of their way to admit having a consensual incestuous relationship . She 's also not the only one who thinks Mackenzie is telling the truth . Jessica Woods , the daughter of former Mamas & Papas band member Denny Doherty , also wrote in to Winfrey and said her father knew about everything . `` I just watched your show , '' Woods wrote , `` and everything she said is true . My dad told me the awful truth , and he was horrified at what John had done . '' Chynna , who grew up with her mother , said that although she did n't spend a lot of time with John Phillips , the memories she had of him were positive , in spite of the heavy drug use she witnessed . `` He was a very charismatic man , '' she said . `` He was a very talented man and a very loving man in many ways . '' Now one half of the Christian music duo Chynna and Vaughan , Chynna said that her relationship with Mackenzie has grown over the past six months and that she 's proud of her half-sister for having the courage to talk about her past . `` The thing is , who among us have n't done something that we 're highly ashamed of in our lives ? '' she said to Winfrey . `` Who are we to cast the first stone ? In my faith , as a Christian , God told me I need to forgive . Am I happy that she put me in this position ? No , I 'm not . But I have to forgive . It 's 13 years later , and I still have n't digested this information . '' Chynna added that she hopes her sister will take her experiences and use them to help others , offering one piece of advice : `` Get the Lord on board , because you 'll need it . '' | Mackenzie Phillips talks about family 's reaction to her claims of incest . Sister Bijou called experience hurtful but hopes Mackenzie finds peace . John Phillips ' ex-wives do n't think Mackenzie 's story is valid . Chynna Phillips believes Mackenzie , hopes she uses her experience to help others . | [[2916, 2971], [1025, 1048], [1061, 1118], [5961, 6084]] |
SARATOGA SPRINGS , New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two years ago , Dawn Warfield was drowning in debt . Dawn Warfield sold one of her two video stores to help reduce her debts . The average American household has $ 8,329 in credit card debt , according to the Nilson Report , a credit industry newsletter . Warfield had nearly 10 times that amount . At its worst point , her debt totalled nearly $ 80,000 . She had 17 credit cards and admits that living beyond her means was part of the problem . `` I 'll own up to that , '' she said . `` There is always unforeseen expenses , and when you are making the minimum payments on these credit cards , when you think you ca n't afford to make more than that , they do n't go down . '' But Warfield 's spending was not the only factor working against her . Watch Warfield describe how the debt piled up , and how she started paying it off '' She was in the middle of an expensive divorce and had been charging business expenses to her personal credit cards when she opened a second location of her video store . `` Every month I was writing out 17 checks , '' she said . `` And the interest rates ranged from like 6 percent to 33 percent . So it was impossible . `` I was transferring balances from one card to another , and every time I got a card to a decent interest rate , I felt like one of the cards would come off the promotional interest rate , and I was just never catching up . '' So Warfield took matters into her own hands . She sold the second location of her video store , stopped using her credit cards and decided it was time to get help . `` I sat down one day and I called each credit card one by one , and I asked each one to work with me ... to lower my interest rate . '' The credit card companies did not respond to her plea . Instead , she was directed to the debt management program of the nonprofit Consumer Credit Counseling Service , part of Money Management International . Counselor Eric Jackson helped Warfield analyze her bills and expenses and created a plan to help her get lower interest rates . Now she makes a single monthly payment . `` I do n't even have to think about it , which makes it a lot easier for me , because when you have a lot of debt , it 's not just financial , but it 's emotional , you know , even physical , '' Warfield said . `` You think about it all the time . '' Adds Jackson : `` She 's making her payments on time , they 're posting to her creditor accounts , she has very low interest rates -- that was one of the benefits -- and she 's definitely doing well . `` She is on track to get all her debts paid off in full within the five years . '' Today , Warfield is less than $ 40,000 in debt . `` I 'm about halfway , '' she said . `` It has n't been easy , but we 're getting there . '' Are you fighting the recession , using innovative techniques to stay ahead in this economy or overcoming financial adversity ? Share your story with us by sending an e-mail to [email protected] , and you could be profiled in an upcoming segment on CNN . | Two years ago , Dawn Warfield had $ 80,000 in debt on 17 credit cards . The video store owner was facing a divorce and expanding her business . She also admits that living beyond her means was part of the problem . Nonprofit counseling service is helping her get lower rates and pay off her debts . | [[63, 99], [346, 364], [367, 402], [403, 426], [882, 927], [882, 885], [920, 1051], [403, 406], [431, 492], [1799, 1925], [1942, 1964], [2016, 2069], [2462, 2550]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Josh Rouse is a chameleon . And a busy one , too . Josh Rouse has made his name with well-crafted songs in a variety of styles . Listeners to his first album , 1998 's `` Dressed Up Like Nebraska , '' may have lumped him into the alt-country movement . Aside from Rouse 's rough , intimate voice , that album sounds little like 2003 's `` 1972 , '' which features songs such as `` Love Vibration '' and `` Comeback -LRB- Light Therapy -RRB- '' and has a funkier , more upbeat production to match . The 36-year-old singer 's willingness to follow several paths may have come from moving around as a child . Rouse was born in Nebraska and grew up around the West and the South . `` It really shaped me as a person , '' he told the Toronto Sun . `` There 's an openness to the sound that I think I got from moving to , say , a big city in California to a Wyoming town of five or six hundred . '' Though he has yet to have a breakthrough single in the United States , his music has appeared in the movie `` Vanilla Sky '' and TV shows including `` Dawson 's Creek '' and `` Party of Five . '' He 's also admired by fellow songwriters . In 2004 , the Australian newspaper The -LRB- Melbourne -RRB- Age noted Rouse was going to have dinner with Edie Brickell , the `` What I Am '' singer who is married to Paul Simon . `` She called me and said , ' I love `` 1972 , '' ' and I was like , ' I was listening to you when I was 16 -- and you 're married to Paul Simon ! ' '' Rouse told the paper . On the business side , he 's marching to his own drummer . On joshrouse.com , Rouse 's Web site , he sells his `` Bedroom Classics '' -- dozens of songs Rouse recorded live or in random locations -LRB- hotel rooms , apartments -RRB- available to fans . For those who like a more traditional medium , the CD , Rhino Records recently compiled a two-disc set of Rouse 's material -- including several demos and outtakes -- for `` The Best of the Rykodisc Years , '' which covers the first seven years of Rouse 's career . `` Listening to this collection of tracks taken ... it 's plain that Josh Rouse arrived fully formed , '' writes Allmusic.com 's Tim Sendra . `` From his first release ... he was already a thoughtful writer with a heartbreakingly intimate voice and the unfailing ability to wrap his melancholy in warm and sweet melodies . '' Rouse answered several questions via e-mail for CNN.com . The following is an edited version of the interview . CNN : Your music showcases a number of styles -- the fairly basic sound of the early records , the early - '70s infused stuff from `` 1972 , '' and then there are songs like `` Miserable South '' that would sound comfortable coming from Otis Redding or Al Green . So , though it 's a cliché , what are your influences ? Josh Rouse : Anything that is soulful and honest is an influence . There are too many musicians/writers to name . CNN : Are you surprised that Rhino put together a `` best of '' ? Rouse : No , I was aware that they were planning on doing it . It 's nice to reflect on the body of work I 've created . CNN : One of your songs , `` Directions , '' was on the `` Vanilla Sky '' soundtrack . What effect , if any , did this have on your career ? Rouse : Well , I got to meet Cameron Crowe , and he seemed nice . I 'm sure it exposed my music to some people who might not of heard it otherwise . However , it did not have a Zach Braff effect on my career . CNN : With all the material on the Web , as well as your albums , you 're obviously a prolific songwriter . Has it been helpful to put all that out there , or have some people criticized you for releasing too much , as Ryan Adams has been criticized ? Rouse : More than being criticized for releasing a lot , I think it 's more difficult to receive a lot of attention for one specific record . Sometimes -LSB- the -RSB- press does n't want to write on a songwriter they just wrote about a year or two ago . I think my fan base is grateful . CNN : Which of your songs are among your favorites , and why ? Which would you like to have back -- or rework ? Rouse : `` 1972 '' is a beautiful song all the way around . I do n't think I ever want to rework anything . I 'm constantly trying to move forward . Sometimes you say , `` I wish that was faster , etc. '' but it I 'm not going to go back and re-record it . CNN : In the album notes , you mention that you write best when you 're in motion -- getting ideas for melodies in taxicabs , for example . How do you hold on to those ? Rouse : If they 're good , I can usually remember them . I also have a variety of small handheld recorders . CNN : You 've got songs referring to Nebraska , the Hamptons , Nashville ... have you thought of pulling a Sufjan Stevens and profiling a state ? Rouse : No , and I 'm not sure half of those Sufjan songs are profiling a state . However , it makes for a great marketing tool . CNN : You say you feel as if these albums are your `` first stage . '' What 's next ? Rouse : I 'm currently working on an Afro-Brazilian record in Spanish . | Josh Rouse has fans among other songwriters . `` Love Vibration '' singer has no hits , but songs in TV shows , movies . What 's next ? `` Afro-Brazilian record in Spanish '' | [[1108, 1113], [1119, 1150], [981, 1018], [4972, 4986], [4995, 4996], [5000, 5058]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Monstrosities , eyesores , nightmares of architecture -- call them what you like , ugly buildings are sadly all around us . Worst in Britain : The Bullring Shopping Centre in Birmingham was voted as the country 's ugliest building . And you can not simply define one category of hideous architecture . There is ugly , and then there is Ugly . The latter often open in controversial circumstances : There may be protests from local residents , and there can even be calls to knock them down . Yes , these are the world 's ugliest buildings . From the divisive Millennium Dome -LRB- 02 Arena -RRB- in London , to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland , and the incomplete Ryugyong Hotel in North Korea -- we have compiled a gallery of ten of the world 's ugliest buildings for your viewing displeasure . Although the buildings shown are scattered across the globe , they share several things in common . All of them had big budgets , most were attempts at creating contemporary or futuristic styling , and they have all divided opinion among local residents , architects , and the general public . • Click here to see photos of the world 's ugliest buildings '' And these largely unpleasant buildings should not be treated as a joke . Sometimes the architecture can have a grave impact on the perception of a city or region . Birmingham , in the Midlands of the United Kingdom , for example , was recently voted the ugliest city in the country through a national poll . This came after the city 's Bullring Shopping Centre and the Birmingham Central Library were named as the number one and two ugliest buildings in the country . And far from it being a case of the rest of the country bashing the area , in a local poll some 40 percent of local residents agreed that their city was home to the single ugliest building in the country . Do you have any ugly buildings you would like to name and shame ? Let us know what you think of the buildings in our photo gallery and tell us some others that could make it by posting a comment in the Sound Off box below . We 'll publish the best . | The 02 Arena in London was the world 's ugliest building on the Forbes list . Birmingham 's Bullring shopping Center was voted as Britain 's ugliest building . North Korea 's Ryugyong Hotel has been criticized by many people . | [[160, 176], [179, 268], [1510, 1589], [1761, 1875]] |
BERLIN , Germany -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. officials urged American citizens in Germany to keep a low profile and remain wary of their surroundings after the terrorist organization al Qaeda posted a video message threatening attacks in the country . German special police patrol in Berlin last month during a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benajmin Netanyahu . A State Department travel alert , issued Wednesday , remains in effect until November 11 -- two weeks after Germany holds its federal elections on Sunday . Al Qaeda posted its video threat on the Internet on September 18 , vowing attacks if the elections do not come out the way it wants . The same day , the German government reacted to the video by raising its own alert level and heightening security . The British Foreign Office has also issued an advisory to its citizens living and traveling to Germany . The State Department travel alert asks Americans to keep abreast of news reports and consider the security procedures in place when they visit public places or pick hotels and restaurants . Germany 's interior ministry said earlier this month that the country has noted an increase in threats by al Qaeda and other Islamist groups since the beginning of the year . In the nearly 26-minute video statement , a man identified as Bekay Harrach , using the pseudonym Abu Talha and speaking in German , said that , if the September 27 elections vote into power parties that do not pledge to pull German troops from Afghanistan , there will be a `` rude awakening . '' The speaker called on Muslims living in Germany to stay away from public life during the first two weeks after the elections , implying that any attacks would take place then . The speaker repeatedly criticized German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her support of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan . He also criticized Merkel 's rivals , the Social Democrats , but offered the possibility of a `` peace offer . '' `` If the German people vote for peace , then the Mujahedeen will choose peace with Germany as well , '' he said . `` And with the withdrawal of the last German soldier from Afghanistan , the last Mujahed will also leave Germany . Al Qaeda gives you their word . '' | Al Qaeda terror group posts video message threatening attacks in Germany . U.S. officials urge their citizens in Germany to keep low profile and be wary . Germany 's interior ministry report increase in threats by al Qaeda this year . Message criticizes Chancellor Merkel over wars in Iraq and Afghanistan . | [[152, 247], [516, 580], [516, 524], [583, 597], [9, 32], [36, 181], [1061, 1235], [1114, 1235], [1711, 1830]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- By the end of World War II in April 1945 , with about two-thirds of European Jewry wiped out , Jewish survivors stepped out of the darkness in search of a place to call home . Bestselling author Anita Diamant releases her latest historical novel , `` Day After Night . '' About 250,000 were considered displaced persons , according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum . A growing number of Jews -- before , during and especially after the war -- dreamt of helping to build a Jewish homeland in what was , at the time , British-controlled Palestine . `` Getting out of Europe , for a lot of people , felt like getting out of a graveyard , '' said bestselling author Anita Diamant , whose newest book focuses on this period . `` Palestine was like over the rainbow , practically . It was somewhere that they knew they were wanted , at least by the Jewish community in Palestine , and it was a way to start over again in a completely new world . '' Immigration quotas , however , meant that the more than 100,000 Jews who arrived between 1945 and 1948 , when Israel was declared a state , did so illegally . Most of those who were captured were sent to internment camps in places like Cyprus . But some Jewish prisoners ended up at a camp in Palestine called Atlit , located on the Mediterranean coast near the city of Haifa . Living in barracks and peering through barbed wire , these Holocaust survivors lived in limbo between their past and their future . `` Nobody else wanted them , so they wanted to go to Palestine , '' Diamant said . `` There was this bottleneck . It was a big problem for the British , and it was also a public relations nightmare for the British . '' Watch Diamant talk about her new book '' One night in October 1945 , members of the Palmach -- an underground Jewish fighting force originally created to help the British fight the Nazis -- broke into Atlit and helped more than 200 prisoners escape . Central in this charge was Yitzhak Rabin , who would go on to be Israel 's prime minister , and who was assassinated by a Jewish extremist in 1995 . Diamant , author of `` The Red Tent , '' among other books , delves into the lives of four women who were part of this experience in her latest historical novel , `` Day After Night . '' Carrying with them different wartime experiences , they are : a Polish partisan fighter , a Parisian woman who was forced into prostitution , a Dutch Jew who was in hiding , and a concentration camp survivor . CNN sat down with Diamant , a daughter of Holocaust survivors , to talk about her latest book , the reason this story is relatively unknown and her attempt to stay out of Middle East politics . CNN : How did you decide to focus on this specific story ? Diamant : The story found me , the way I think all of my novels found me . My daughter was in Israel on a semester program when she was 15 , in 2000 , and my husband and I went on the parents ' trip . So we were on and off the buses with the kids as they did their field trips , and one of the field trips was in Atlit . We were given the tour , and we were told the story of this escape and about these so-called illegal immigrants . And I thought there 's a novel . CNN : This is n't a piece of Israel 's history that many seem to know about . Why is that ? Diamant : American Jews , even people who know Haifa well , who know Israel well , it comes as a surprise to them . It 's not one of the big bloody chapters . It was early in the conflict in terms of Jewish resistance . After this they started bombing train tracks and doing more overt military resistance to the British occupation , as it was known then . Part of the reason we do n't know about it is that I think the Holocaust is still such a huge shadow , and it 's still something we focus on . This is a relatively tender interlude . It 's not the founding of the state , and it 's not the Holocaust . CNN : Are the characters based on real women you learned about in your research ? Diamant : No , they 're my girls . I invented them based on some stories that I had heard and read . ... There were women partisan fighters . I know that women were forced to do things against their will to survive . A lot of people were in hiding . It 's sort of based on common knowledge about what happened during the war but at the same time trying to flesh out women 's stories which I still think are under-told . CNN : What was the central struggle facing these women and the people in Atlit in general ? Diamant : It 's the struggle to continue after great loss , great pain and great suffering . How do you cope with those memories ? Where do you put them ? How do you carry them with you into the future ? How much do you have to forget in order to live , to continue ? ... We are a resilient species . Life moves on and they fall in love . And they 're coming back to life , their bodies are coming back to life . A lot of marriages happened in displaced persons camps and camps like this , and a lot of babies were conceived in places like this , too , because life demands that we continue . But that can feel also like a betrayal of all the people you lost , so it 's a painful tension -- the past and the future . CNN : Politically , everything that involves Israel is so loaded . Did you worry about this ? Did you factor in how history unfolded after this ? Diamant : I focused it very narrowly on this one little window of history . For it to have integrity , telling the story of that period , you ca n't know what happens next . So I really focused on their stories , their personal stories . Maybe that 's a cop-out ? But in writing a historical novel , you ca n't go outside of the box . I do n't think I can . Although ... a couple characters say , `` They told us there was nobody here . There are all these Arabs here . '' There was a slogan : `` People without a land , and a land without a people . '' That was the slogan in Europe that was used to drum up Zionist support . But in fact there were people in the land , and they got there and they went , `` What ? No one told us . '' Jews have been grappling with that fact from before the founding of the state . So it 's acknowledged in here , but it 's not the center of the book . | After Holocaust , before Israel became a state , 100,000 survivors immigrated illegally . Some were imprisoned in British-controlled Palestine and later freed in breakout . Bestselling author Anita Diamant explores this chapter in new book , ` Day After Night ' Characters face question : ` How much do you have to forget in order to live ? ' | [[994, 1012], [1025, 1096], [1036, 1062], [1134, 1152], [567, 574], [575, 597], [213, 282], [686, 726], [694, 726], [747, 771], [4739, 4778]] |
Editor 's note : Leslie Sanchez , a Republican who was director of the White House Initiative on Hispanic Education from 2001 to 2003 , is the author of a forthcoming book , `` You 've Come a Long Way , Maybe : Sarah , Michelle , Hillary and the Shaping of the New American Woman . '' Sanchez is CEO of the Impacto Group , which specializes in market research about women and Hispanics . Leslie Sanchez says Michelle Obama 's fashion choices have helped create a positive image for the first lady . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In just 200 days , Michelle Obama has put her own stamp on one of America 's most unusual political positions -- the unelected , undefined job of being first lady . And the way she 's done it ? It 's largely through the fashion choices she 's made . Each of her predecessors has brought a unique perspective and personality to the east wing of the White House , helping to shape how the nation views the president and how the world views the nation . The use of fashion and image as a political strategy is an underrated factor . While Washington 's political cognoscenti debate the successes and failures of the young Obama presidency , one half of Washington 's newest power couple fine tunes fashion as a political strategy -- and it 's working for her . See photos of Michelle Obama 's fashion '' The fashion authorities who are gathered this week in New York for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week , more than seven months into the Obama presidency , are watching Michelle Obama 's redefinition of the role of first lady with professional and personal interest . The contemporary standard for the job was set decades ago by Jacqueline Kennedy , who had both a high sense of fashion and the style to pull it off . Carl Sferrazza Anthony , the historian at the National First Ladies ' Library , points out that Mrs. Kennedy wanted to be well-dressed , liked European style and had American designers copy it . She even went as far as to personally design her own outfits on three important state occasions , including her famous White House dinner for Nobel laureates , while letting other designers take the credit . The comparisons between Mrs. Kennedy and Mrs. Obama are as apt as the comparisons between their husbands . Michelle Obama comes across as feminine yet strong , professional and , unlike Mrs. Kennedy , approachable . She 's a thoughtful presence on the national stage , but it 's a very different kind of style from what we associate with Jackie Kennedy , who displayed a style of wealth , youth and glamor to an adoring middle class . Mrs. Obama , on the other hand , is portrayed as a take-charge woman who is sensitive to today 's economic realities . Not stylish in her own right , she blends advice from her noted advisers to appear independent and progressive , yet `` in touch . '' But while Jackie was high fashion , Michelle Obama is trendy but traditional . And that approachability extends to her personal style as well , her advisors having absorbed the lesson that the first lady 's style is all too easily linked to her husband 's presidency . Ronald Reagan 's opponents used his wife Nancy 's interest in fashion and her intent to look like the wife of a president , rather than mimic the school-marmish attire of her predecessor , as a gateway through which to attack the president . Mrs. Reagan 's wardrobe choices , especially her designer Adolfo dresses , were used to make her husband seem insensitive to the poor and hungry . Mrs. Obama has avoided making the same mistake during the worst economic times in recent memory . She seems to have made a calculated decision to avoid that trap by focusing on emerging designers , like Jason Wu for her inaugural gown or choosing to wear trendy , off-the-rack clothes like the J. Crew gloves , sweater and skirt she chose for her husband 's inauguration . And whatever the style mavens have to say about that , it produces political benefits . J. Crew 's shares jumped 10 percent within 24 hours after the nation saw her in its clothing , which prompted NBC 's Conan O'Brien to suggest the president consider wearing a Buick . As Women 's Wear Daily media reporter Stephanie Smith says , this child of Chicago 's South Side has become `` the biggest celebrity in the world . '' Forbes lists her among the `` Most Powerful Women , '' and there 's no doubt she 's expanding the boundaries of perceptions surrounding the role of a `` traditional '' first lady , balancing her visits to homeless shelters and military bases with taking part in her children 's soccer games . As The New York Times reported , Mrs. Obama `` pointedly controlled her look on the covers of People , Essence , More and O , Oprah Winfrey 's magazine . Editors at Essence , who suggested colors , styles and accessories , said her staff did not call to acknowledge their overtures . ... Lesley Jane Seymour , the editor-in-chief of More ... said Mrs. Obama refused to wear anything other than her own clothes for their October cover . ` She wanted none of that . She was creating the cover . She was creating the image . There 's definitely a will of steel there . ' '' According to Anthony , the general public 's fascination with Michelle Obama spills over and helps the administration . To him , everything the media and the public criticize or praise is visual . `` It 's not anything she 's saying or doing . That 's perhaps somewhat tactical . If she 's unpopular based on her clothes choices , the White House can say it 's really not of importance . '' IMG executive Fern Mallis , the creative inspiration behind New York 's Fashion Week , says `` most first ladies have always been on a pedestal of expensive , elegant clothing , of couture evening gowns . It 's something that people ca n't really relate to . '' This was especially true during the Kennedy years . Even if most American women wanted Jackie 's dresses , Anthony points out , they could not buy them . These clothes were not only too expensive -- they were n't even available at the high-end stores . They were one of a kind . Mrs. Obama , because she has made fashion `` more democratic , '' says style expert Robert Verdi , has made her own impact on a world full of elites and -- let 's face it -- snobs . Mrs. Kennedy , he says , `` was very contemporary and up-to-the-moment in fashion . But fashion at that time as not democratic . There was no Zara , no J. Crew , no Banana Republic . It was not accessible ; it was exclusively aspirational . '' On balance , though , Michelle Obama has shown a feminine but bold approach to her style by rattling the image of what a `` Washington '' first lady must look like . For other professional women and moms , the impact may not be purely imitation , as was the case with Jackie Kennedy , but rather the timely embracing of a new image of a modern , professional woman . Whatever it is , it 's clearly by design . The push-pull of knowing fashion and appropriately wearing fashion may take Mrs. Obama longer to manage . Though a risk-taker and eager to highlight the equivalent of `` mom and pop '' designers , she , like many women , is still safely wearing styles others create rather than something new we could aspire to . Still -- whatever the implications for fashion -- on a political level , the first lady 's approach is working . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Leslie Sanchez . | Leslie Sanchez : Fashion choices are important strategy for a First Lady . She says Michelle Obama has wisely chosen image of a modern professional . She says other First Ladies have communicated an elite and expensive image . Sanchez : Michelle Obama 's style fits the times Americans live in . | [[5527, 5552], [5614, 5731]] |
-LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- Your mission , if you choose to accept it , is to seek out covert items at fast food chains around the country . Not all food items are always listed on restaurant menus . Be warned , this mission includes very real dangers such as hardening arteries and skyrocketing cholesterol . We 've compiled a list to get you started . 1 . If you 're at Starbucks and in need of just a little caffeine , do n't worry -- there 's a tiny option for you . It 's the Short size , and they do n't advertise it . It 's like a little baby cup of coffee . It also comes in handy when you 're scrounging for change and do n't have enough for a tall -LRB- not that that has ever happened to me -RRB- . 2 . It 's a good thing we do n't have Jamba Juice here in Iowa , because I would be all over candy-based smoothies . Because it 's considered a health-food chain , Jamba Juice does n't officially list these on their in-store menus , but the Web site Mighty Foods assures us that the secret flavors exist . The ones they confirmed with the company 's headquarters include Strawberry Shortcake , White Gummy Bear , PB&J , Various flavors of Starbursts , Fruity Pebbles , Push-Up Pops , and Skittles . Other tantalizing flavors that are rumored to exist : Chocolate Gummi Bear , Apple Pie , Sourpatch Kid , Tootsie Roll , and Now and Later . 3 . This one might be my favorite . At Fatburger , you can order a Hypocrite -- a veggie burger topped with crispy strips of bacon . 4 . Chipotle has a whole secret menu that is limited only by your imagination -- they have a store policy that says that if they have the item available , they will make it for you . Things that have been tested include nachos , quesadillas , taco salads and single tacos . Some stores are testing out quesadillas as a regular menu item , however , so maybe someday soon you wo n't need a super-secret handshake to order one . Mental Floss : 7 food promotions gone horribly wrong . 5 . If you 're at Wendy 's and you 're really hungry -- like , three-patties-just-won ` t-cut-it hungry -- go ahead and order the Grand Slam , which is four patties stacked on a bun . This option is only available at select Wendy 's , and it 's also known as the Meat Cube . 6 . Several places , including McDonald 's and In-N-Out , will serve you the Neapolitan milkshake . It 's just what it sounds like -- chocolate , vanilla and strawberry shakes layered in a cup . 7 . In-N-Out Burger 's `` secret menu '' is n't so secret these days -- in fact , they 've posted it on their Web site . But in case you 're not in the habit of surfing fast food Web sites , here 's the skinny on their rather un-skinny items : ordering something `` Animal Style '' at In-N-Out means you 're going to get it with lettuce , tomato , a mustard-cooked beef patty , pickles , extra spread -LRB- it 's sort of Thousand-Islandy -RRB- and grilled onions . You can even get your fries Animal Style . Mental Floss : Why is it called `` Thousand Island '' dressing ? `` Protein Style '' is a burger wrapped in a lettuce leaf instead of a bun . A Grilled Cheese is two slices of American cheese , lettuce , tomato and spread on a bun -LRB- grilled onions if you so choose -RRB- . And you can get just about any combo of meat and cheese that you want if you order it like you 're ordering lumber : 3 × 3 gets you three beef patties and three slices of cheese , 4 × 4 gets you four of each , and so on . According to photos posted at SuperSizedMeals.com , one gluttonous patron requested and received a 100x100 at a Las Vegas store a few years ago . One item not listed on the Web site secret menu : the Flying Dutchman , which is two slices of cheese sandwiched between two patties , hold the bun . 8 . Feeling a little health-conscious at Popeye 's ? If you are , you really should have gone somewhere else . But there 's a little hope for you -- ordering `` naked chicken '' will get you breading-free poultry . The word is that this is on the menu at some Popeye 's , but not all of them , although it is an option at all of them . 9 . Like Chipotle , Taco Bell will make you just about anything within reason as long as they have the ingredients for it . Since most of the food at Taco Bell is made out of the same basic items , that means you can probably ask for most discontinued items and get them . One `` secret , '' though , is that they have a not-advertised green chili sauce at most locations , and apparently it 's excellent . 10 . Some Subways will still make you the popular pizza sub from the 1990s . Once the chain decided to make their focus healthy eating , the pizza sub disappeared from the menu in most places -LRB- the word is that Canadian and Mexican Subways still offer them on a regular basis -RRB- . But if you ask , lots of places will still make it for you . Be warned , though -- Jared would not approve of the nine slices of pepperoni and copious amounts of cheese slathered in marinara sauce . Mental Floss : Brief history of dubious dieting . For more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright , Mental Floss LLC . All rights reserved . | Some fast food outlets have not-on-menu items you can get if you ask for them . Fatburger 's Hypocrite is bacon-topped veggie burger ; Popeye 's offers naked chicken . Some Subways will still make the popular pizza sub from the 1990s . Wendy 's offers the Meat Cube ; McDonald 's has a Neapolitan milkshake . | [[1486, 1559], [1385, 1444], [1429, 1481], [4485, 4508], [4514, 4556], [4485, 4556], [2243, 2294], [2297, 2338]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A store owner in New York who is being hailed as a hero after rescuing a 4-year-old boy from a burning building said he plans to visit the child in the hospital Friday . Horia Cretan climbed up a fire escape and helped save a boy through the window of a burning building . Horia Cretan , who owns an electronics store in the Bronx structure where the fire broke out , also hopes to meet Christopher 's parents for the first time , he told CNN 's `` American Morning . '' The boy is expected to recover , Cretan said . The child was taken to Jacobi Medical Center , where a nurse said she could n't provide his condition . Cretan , who moved to the United States from Romania 15 years ago , said he was inside his store Wednesday when he heard a child 's screams . It was about 4 p.m. , he said , about the time children play outside after getting out of school , but he said the screams he heard were `` totally different . '' He reached a fire escape and climbed to the fourth floor , where a firefighter handed the boy to him through a smoke-clouded window , video from the scene shows . `` What I was worried about is , is he still alive ? Because his head just dropped , and he was n't helping himself or helping me , '' Cretan said . `` He just could n't hold his weight and he was unconscious . '' While the firefighter was handing over the boy , other crew members were trying to get into the building 's main entrance to make their way to the apartment where the fire was , the store owner said . Cretan covered himself and the boy with a blanket or curtain to shield themselves from falling debris and glass , which cut the boy on the leg . Watch Cretan describe the rescue '' During the rescue , the boy 's brother stood below , yelling , the rescuer said . Christopher was given oxygen on the ground and taken to the hospital . Cretan said it was n't the first time he rescued someone . He said he rescued his sister from a fire in Romania that killed their father . The 33-year-old Cretan said he was 12 years old at the time . `` It was a sad story , a tragic moment at the time , '' he said , referring to the Romanian incident . `` And you know , it had an impact on people around the neighborhood like it does right now . It 's amazing . This just skyrocketed . '' Cretan said he 's received messages across the globe about the Bronx incident . `` This has become famous because somebody happened to be on the corner with the camera pretty much . You do n't do things like this for merit . The merit in itself is you save somebody , '' Cretan said . `` And the whole community 's just being great . Adopting me like a son , and I 'm a part of a big family and I 'm happy to have them in my life . '' | Horia Cretan says he was working in his store when he heard a child 's screams . The boy is expected to recover , says Cretan , who plans to visit the child . He says he has received messages from around the world . Cretan says at 12 he rescued his sister from a fire in which his father died . | [[650, 656], [718, 756], [723, 746], [757, 791], [0, 24], [140, 197], [499, 529], [2309, 2388], [2321, 2388], [1926, 1978], [2006, 2067], [2034, 2067]] |
NAIROBI , Kenya -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kenya needs $ 230 million over the next six months to feed millions affected by drought , the United Nations said in a new report . Farmers carry food handouts from the World Food Programme at a distribution spot near Nanyuki . The three-year failure of annual rains has reduced crop output , the main source of food for the country of 37 million . The drought has also affected water production and prompted power rationing in the east African nation . Kenya gets most of its energy from hydro-generation . About 3.8 million Kenyans need emergency food aid , and conditions are expected to deteriorate in the next few months , the United Nations World Food Programme said Wednesday . The rate among children under 5 suffering malnutrition has gone from 15 to 20 percent in some cases , the report said . `` People are already going hungry , malnutrition is preying on more and more young children , cattle are dying -- we face a huge challenge and are urging the international community to provide us with the resources we need to get the job done , '' said Burkard Oberle , Kenya director of the World Food Programme . The organization said it is helping about 2.6 million people in Kenya affected by drought while the government is supporting 1.2 million more until the end of October . `` In order to feed all 3.8 million people for the next six months , WFP and the Kenyan government will require strong support from donors in the weeks ahead , '' the report said . More than 17 million people across the Horn of Africa need help from the United Nations , which is battling funding shortfalls . Some of the most dire nations include Somalia and Uganda , which need $ 164 million and $ 96 million respectively . | U.N. : Kenya needs $ 230 million to feed millions affected by drought . Three-year failure of annual rains has hit crops that feed country of 37 million . About 3.8 million Kenyans need emergency food aid ; conditions set to worsen . | [[35, 85], [86, 122], [263, 325], [543, 592], [599, 660]] |
BEIJING , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Chinese leaders Monday mourned the death of Zhuo Lin , wife of former national leader Deng Xiaoping . Zhuo Lin , center , mourns at husband Deng Xiaoping 's funeral in 1997 . Zhuo , a former consultant of the Central Military Commission General Office , died July 29 at age 93 and was cremated Monday , state-run news agency Xinhua reported . She was `` an excellent Communist Party of China member and time-honored loyal communist fighter , '' the party said in a written statement . Zhuo stood by Deng through decades of what CNN once described as `` amazing comebacks '' from `` political purges . '' Though a committed Communist revolutionary , Deng also was a chief architect of some key reforms that reshaped China 's economy . Zhuo met Deng in 1939 when they were young revolutionaries . She became his third wife and mother of his two sons and three daughters . When Deng rose to prominence as the most powerful leader of China , the family became China 's `` first family . '' Zhuo and Deng remained together until his death in 1997 . Part of their story includes time spent together in exile . In 1966 , Deng proposed major reforms including free markets for farmers and incentive bonuses . He was quickly denounced as a `` capitalist roader , '' a Maoist term used for people embracing capitalist ideals . He was under house arrest for two years , paraded in a dunce cap through the streets of Beijing and forced to wait tables at a Communist Party school . In 1969 , Deng , Zhuo and several of their children were exiled to Jiangxi province in southeastern China . Deng later said only a personal security team supplied by Chinese leader Mao Zedong protected him from being killed . As Xinhua reported , Zhuo was Deng 's companion `` through thick and thin . '' When he ascended to power in 1978 , Deng argued that `` poverty is not socialism '' and encouraged the creation of a market economy and capitalist-like enterprises . By the early 1990s his reforms had helped lift an estimated 170 million peasants out of extreme poverty . But he refused to abolish the power of the Communist Party over the lives of China 's citizens . And he apparently approved the brutal suppression of unarmed demonstrators in Beijing 's Tiananmen Square in June 1989 . The remarkable ups and downs of Deng Xiaoping 's long political career took a dramatic toll on Deng and Zhuo 's children , CNN reported in 1999 , `` leaving one son crippled from an attack during the Cultural Revolution but , in more recent years , enabling all five Deng heirs to succeed in business , government or the arts . '' The Cultural Revolution was initiated by Mao in 1966 to purge reformists and return the country to his style of communism . Zhuo took on various roles in the Chinese government . In 1978 , she was appointed a consultant of the Central Military Commission General Office , Xinhua reported . `` She served as a deputy to the fourth and fifth National People 's Congress and was awarded the Independence Merit Medal from the People 's Liberation Army in 1988 , '' the news agency said . `` My father and mother did not just share a family , they shared political ideals and life pursuits , '' said Deng Rong , in a Xinhua report . According to Xinhua , several leaders and former statesmen attended Zhuo 's cremation ceremony , including President Hu Jintao , former President Jiang Zemin , legislator Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao . `` To complete the last trip with her beloved husband , Zhuo chose to have her ashes scattered at sea as her husband 's were , '' Xinhua reported . | Chinese Community Party calls her `` time-honored loyal communist fighter '' Zhuo Lin , wife of Deng Xiaoping , died July 29 at the age of 93 . Child says mother , father `` shared political ideals and life pursuits '' News agency : Zhuo wanted her ashes spread at sea , just as Deng 's were . | [[378, 474], [210, 214], [289, 311], [3168, 3214], [3521, 3581], [3540, 3589]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Obama administration has unveiled a government `` app store '' designed to push the federal bureaucracy into the era of cloud computing . The Obama administration is pushing for the government to use cloud-computing technologies . The change means some federal employees will begin using services like YouTube , Gmail and WordPress , which store data on private Internet servers instead of on those paid for with public money . The process will start small but will ramp up quickly , Vivek Kundra , the U.S. chief information officer , said in a blog post on Tuesday . `` Our policies lag behind new trends , causing unnecessary restrictions on the use of new technology , '' Kundra writes in the post on WhiteHouse.gov . `` We are dedicated to addressing these barriers and to improving the way government leverages new technology . '' The app store is designed for federal employees doing official government business and is not intended for use by the public . Also on Tuesday , Google announced the creation of a `` government cloud , '' in which public data will be stored on Google computer servers by 2010 . According to a Google blog post , this dedicated space will serve the needs of federal , state and local governments . With `` cloud computing , '' users access applications that exist online instead of on their computers ' hard drives . Both projects are designed to save the government money and to give government employees access to tools sometimes used in the private sector . The measures fall in line with the Obama administration 's efforts to get the federal government up to speed with the latest technologies . Kundra wrote that the cost savings could be significant . The federal government spends $ 75 billion per year on data storage and other information technology costs , he wrote . A video on the new app store Web site also says government servers that host government Web sites and infrastructure often waste energy and money because they duplicate the efforts of the private sector . The app store , which is online at apps.gov , is essentially a compilation of Web programs , tools and services available to some government employees . A social media page , for instance , explains the possible uses of Web sites like YouTube , TwitVid and Flickr . People using the site have to log in and submit requests for approval before gaining access . Many of the applications , such as those mentioned , are free . Other business software in the government app store requires payment . `` With more rapid access to innovative IT solutions , agencies can spend less time and taxpayer dollars on procedural items and focus more on using technology to achieve their missions , '' writes Kundra . Ben Parr , associate editor at the social media blog Mashable , said it 's smart for the government to turn to third-party tech companies that know their stuff better than federal bureaucrats . `` I 'm a fan of it , because in most circumstances government is inefficient and this is a big way to really bring government up to speed in terms of computing , '' he said . `` There are a lot of places where the government is far behind . '' Some privacy experts are concerned about the fact that some public data could end up on private-run computer servers , however . Marc Rotenberg , executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center , said people are required to submit information to the government and their data should be protected . `` We 're not against the cloud computing model but there are real concerns here , both about privacy and security online , '' he said . He questioned whether Google , for example , would be able to use keywords from heath records to push pharmaceutical company ads at the American public . The details of government agreements about cloud computing need to be more public to ensure proper encryption techniques are taken and privacy laws are upheld , he said . `` I think it might make people wonder why government data is being commercialized in this way , '' he said . Parr said most government data is public anyway . `` So I definitely do n't expect to see the CIA posting private documents on Scribd , '' he said , referring to the site where people can publish documents and other writing . | The `` app store '' would be for federal workers doing government business . The site , at apps.gov , seeks to offer and explain cloud computing programs . The administration says such programs could save the government money . Google also announces a `` government cloud '' where public data may be stored . | [[0, 15], [19, 85], [860, 907], [890, 942], [992, 1002], [1005, 1059]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When the late Sen. Edward Kennedy was growing up , there was a family edict : Kennedy men do n't cry . Rep. Patrick Kennedy , left , and Ted Kennedy Jr. appear on `` Larry King Live '' on Monday evening . On `` Larry King Live '' Monday night , the senator 's sons -- Ted Kennedy Jr. and Rep. Patrick Kennedy -- said times have changed , and that includes the no-tears rule of an earlier generation . In a wide-ranging interview , they also discussed the moment of their father 's passing , how their mother , Joan , was handling her ex-husband 's death , the legacy of Chappaquiddick , the Kennedy `` curse '' and their impressions of their dad 's memoir , `` True Compass . '' The 77-year-old senator died August 25 after a battle with brain cancer . `` You know my father was very good at overcoming his own kind of old , traditional sense of not talking about your feelings , not really expressing a lot of emotions , '' Patrick Kennedy told King . The family has had plenty of moments over which to shed tears . King asked Ted Kennedy Jr. if there was crying when he lost his leg to cancer as a boy . `` Absolutely , '' he replied . Ted Kennedy Jr. said his father 's memoirs explore his father 's emotional tribulations . '' -LSB- It talks -RSB- about the very difficult things that he had to do , for example telling my grandfather that my uncle Jack had been killed . '' Both sons said their father 's last year was a gift to them and the family . His brothers -- President John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy -- had their lives cut short by assassinations in the 1960s . Watch sons tell of their last year with their father '' `` He also was able to enjoy a lot of accolades , not just from obviously his natural constituencies in the Democratic Party , but ... quite moving testaments from many of his Republican colleagues , '' Teddy Kennedy Jr. said . `` It was really wonderful to see my father actually be able to revel in a lot of those compliments that people had to say about my dad . '' `` The really beautiful part about having that extra year with him where he did n't have to traipse all around the world and all around the country was that he was able to spend time with us , and we were able to be there for him emotionally and physically , '' Patrick Kennedy said . Despite their many family tragedies , they debunked the so-called `` Kennedy curse . '' `` You do n't buy the idea of a curse ? '' King asked . `` No . No . Obviously my dad had a sense of spirituality that transcended his ability to face these problems , you know , in a way that would have otherwise paralyzed the normal person , '' Patrick Kennedy said . Ted Kennedy Jr. added , `` The Kennedy family has had to endure these things in a very open way . But our family is just like ... every other family in America in many ways . '' He also described the moment of his father 's passing . `` I was there , Larry . It was very peaceful . ... He was suffering in those last few weeks -LSB- so -RSB- it really did take the sting out of his final passing . ... And it was a very peaceful , extremely spiritual thing . '' The sons elaborated on how their mother , Joan , has handled being divorced , her ex-husband 's death and their thoughts on their stepmother . `` My dad was and remains a central figure in her life . Obviously , they both shared so much of their lives together , '' Patrick Kennedy said . `` The fact is that my dad and Vicki -LSB- Sen. Edward Kennedy 's second wife -RSB- were so gracious . In all of the holidays , my mom was included . There was n't any of this bitterness and everything . ... And I really am so grateful to Vicki for that , to my dad for that . `` Vicki was such a great sense of support to my dad at the end . `` My mom has been such an inspiration to me , '' Patrick Kennedy went on . `` She has struggled , as we talked about in an earlier program , with this disease called alcoholism , which I suffer from as well . She 's been so public in her fight on this that she 's inspired so many people and inspired me . '' The sons also talked about their father 's memoirs , including the now-infamous episode at Chappaquiddick . After a July 18 , 1969 , party for those who had worked on Robert Kennedy 's presidential campaign , Ted Kennedy drove his car off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island , Massachusetts . Although he managed to escape , his passenger , Mary Jo Kopechne , drowned . Kennedy did not report the incident immediately and later pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident . `` Years ago , he spoke to me about exactly what happened that night , '' Ted Kennedy Jr. told King . `` And I knew how sorry my father has been each and every day of his life for what happened that night . If he could undo that moment , he would give anything to have been able to do so . `` And in this book ... he does n't make an excuse -- any excuses . He accepts responsibility for what happened . But ... it 's what you do with these tragic events that happen in your life that 's really the measure of the person . '' They said they drew a lot of inspiration from reading `` True Compass . '' `` I feel like this book ... is a gift . It 's a gift to me and my children who of course knew him as a grandfather but never really knew him as a man in the fullest sense of the word , '' Ted Kennedy Jr. said . `` I was a little worried when I first opened up the pages because even though he 'd been talking about it and even though I 'd heard many of these stories before , I really did n't know what to expect . And what I found was ... a riveting , riveting two-day read . '' `` Many people castigated him and attacked him and made him a caricature where he actually was a very real person as we 've seen in this book , '' Patrick Kennedy told King . `` There was n't a better politician around . My dad had the ability to just connect with anybody . '' | Sons of late Sen. Edward Kennedy say dad learned to embrace emotional side . They say they do n't believe in the so-called `` Kennedy curse '' Ted Kennedy Jr. says moment of his father 's passing was peaceful , spiritual . On Chappaquiddick : He accepted responsibility for what happened , sons say . | [[2844, 2846], [2852, 2899], [2925, 2947], [3068, 3124], [4907, 4952], [4907, 4909], [4933, 4952]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Just three weeks after Jon and Kate Gosselin announced their separation , there is speculation of a new plus-one in the mix for `` Jon & Kate Plus 8 . '' Jon Gosselin , here with his sons , was photographed on vacation with another woman . Fans of the show are buzzing about photos of Jon Gosselin apparently on vacation in Saint-Tropez , France , with a young woman who is definitely not his wife and reality TV co-star . People.com identified her as Hailey Glassman , the daughter of Dr. Lawrence Glassman , a surgeon who famously performed a tummy tuck on Kate that was documented for the Gosselins ' hit TLC show . Gosselin and Glassman appeared to be the guests of designer Christian Audigier , creator of the Ed Hardy line , and the pair was spotted holding hands , smoking together and lounging aboard Audigier 's yacht . The Gosselins ' marriage became the focus of their reality show -- which had followed the adventures of the pair raising a set of twins and sextuplets -- amid allegations that Jon was cheating on Kate with 23-year-old teacher Deanna Hummel . Jon repeatedly denied that he had strayed . But after much speculation and tension on the show , the couple announced in June that they had separated . The same day , Kate filed for divorce . Given the media spotlight , dating coach Patti Feinstein said , it 's not a good idea for Gosselin to be out with another woman so soon after the marital rift . `` You need to take a little time off from dating , because there is this rebound period , '' Feinstein said . `` He 's probably feeling that he was n't getting enough attention from his wife , so he 's all lonely , and he needs to be stroked up . `` Once he gets the feeling that ` I 'm loveable ; I 'm worthy ; someone loves me for me and wants to put me first , ' '' Feinstein theorized , `` then that person he is dating , either he will dump her , or she will dump him . '' Relationship expert Nancy Slotnick said the unfortunate ones in the high-profile tabloid fodder are the Gosselin children : 8-year-old twins Cara and Mady and 5-year-old sextuplets Aaden , Collin , Joel , Alexis , Hannah and Leah . `` Their whole TV show is based on them being parents and caring for all of these kids they have , and both of them seem totally wrapped up in themselves , '' Slotnick said . `` It 's strange that -LSB- Jon -RSB- feels like he has to deny the whole thing , then at the same time he is flaunting it . '' Psychotherapist M. Gary Neuman advises that parents should wait about a year after a separation before introducing a relationship to their children . `` Children need about a year at least to adjust to the new sense of family and to develop individual relationships with each parent , '' said Neuman , the author of `` Helping Your Kids Cope With Divorce the Sandcastles Way . '' `` When Dad has a girlfriend , then kids can see that as an intrusion on their time and their situation . '' Neuman , whose Sandcastles program for children of divorce is mandatory through the court system in several states , said children go through a great deal of emotional turmoil in the wake of a broken marriage . Couples should wait at least six months to even let their kids know that they are actively dating , Neuman said . `` It is hurtful to children to think that their parents are dating when it is done so soon after a separation , '' Neuman said . `` Because what it says is that it is minimizing the marriage , and the marriage is crucial to children because they came from this union , and they want to know that their parents were in love when -LSB- the children -RSB- were born . `` The idea that there could be such a quick move to dating that the children are aware of could devalue their parents ' relationship and therefore themselves . '' Neuman noted that parents going through a divorce can date privately but said they should also consider counseling before entering another serious relationship to guard against the high divorce rate for second marriages . Jon Gosselin has n't commented on the seriousness of his apparent relationship or even confirmed that it is a relationship . He told People that he felt `` very relaxed '' during his time away , though he added : `` I keep thinking about the kids and missing them . '' | Speculation arises about possible girlfriend for Jon Gosselin . Reality star is photographed with another woman in the South of France . Gosselins announced three weeks ago that they are divorcing . Dating coach : `` You need to take a little time off from dating '' | [[93, 169], [173, 185], [202, 206], [209, 258], [42, 90], [1138, 1184], [1187, 1241], [1282, 1287], [1310, 1343], [1346, 1409]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Re-elected German Chancellor Angela Merkel is eyeing a new coalition to replace the `` grand coalition '' her Christian Democratic Union -LRB- CDU -RRB- party shared with the Social Democratic Party -LRB- SPD -RRB- in the previous parliament . Angela Merkel has pledged to be `` a Chancellor for all Germans '' . If , as expected , Merkel forms a new coalition with the Free Democratic Party -LRB- FPD -RRB- it will have wide-reaching implications for Germans . The FPD are more economically liberal than Merkel 's previous partner , the SPD . According to CNN 's Fred Pleitgen , the FPD led by Guido Westerwelle will push for control of some key positions in the new government , including perhaps the finance ministry . Pleitgen believes that economic policy is likely to change dramatically . `` This means a whole lot more pro-business politics for Germany than in the past . You 'll probably see tax cuts and it will probably mean smaller government than seen in the past four years , '' he said . Speaking at a post-election news conference on Monday , Merkel said that the result is an opportunity to build a smaller government . `` If one looks at the majority relationships , we will be dealing with a smaller partner , the FDP , '' she said . `` We are happy to use this chance in very difficult economic times to secure jobs , create new ones and drive growth more decisively . '' Merkel also pledged to be `` a Chancellor for all Germans '' . The election was disastrous for her rival , foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the SPD who saw their vote fall 10 percent from 34.2 percent in 2005 to 23 percent . The result is the SPD 's worst result since World War II . The results leave the CDU as the strongest party in the German parliament with 27.3 percent of the popular vote -- slightly down on the 27.8 percent it achieved four years ago . Despite being the biggest party in the Bundestag , the vote marked one of the CDU 's poorest showings in an election . But its traditional coalition with the Christian Social Union -- who won 6.5 percent of the vote -- means that the CDU/CSU bloc won 33.8 percent of the vote . The biggest winners on election night were the Free Democratic Party -LRB- FPD -RRB- whose share of the vote rose nearly five percent from 9.8 to 14.6 percent . | Angela Merkel is elected German chancellor for a second time . Rival Social Democratic Party suffers worst election night since WWII . Merkel expected to form coalition with economically liberal Free Democratic Party . | [[19, 21], [22, 61], [1474, 1570], [1648, 1706], [351, 426]] |
-LRB- REAL SIMPLE -RRB- -- The summers of my youth were filled with the kinds of activities that were common to every kid in the 80s but are considered almost death-defying these days : tree climbing , bike riding without a helmet , and daylong road trips spent in the backseat of the family car , where we bounced around like Super Balls , nary a seat belt in sight . Kate Simonson and her dad , Mike Fieseler , at her home in Iowa . Still , my mother was safety-obsessed about some things , like swimming lessons . Year after year , she forced me to take them at our local pool in Iowa City . Having to go against my will seemed all the more unfair to me , since my mother could not swim and was actually afraid of the water . But my mother reasoned that if water came between her children and their safety , she would be helpless . `` I ca n't save you , '' she would calmly state in answer to my pleas to bow out of the lessons . `` So I 'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you can save yourself . '' Real Simple : Mother-daughter relationships . It 's no wonder she embraced this philosophy of self-reliance . She knew how unexpectedly life can rob you of someone you care about . My parents adopted me as an infant and went on to have a biological child -- my brother , Jason -- a couple of years later . My dad was an electrician , and he died in an accident on the job when I was three . After his death , my mother had to raise us alone , and she was acutely aware that she was truly on her own , with no backup plan . She was fiercely strong and yet constantly fearful . I have almost no memories of my father . Instead I remember Mike Fieseler . He was a former industrial-arts teacher whom my mother dated off and on for much of my childhood . Jason and I were n't his biggest fans . He was a man of strict rules , while my mom 's approach could be more properly deemed overindulgent leniency . iReport.com : Share your bonding with dad memories . We resented having to share the spotlight with him -- a sentiment that was particularly strong every Christmas morning , when we had to wait for him to arrive before we could open gifts . -LRB- There is little a man can do to endear himself to children less than delaying Christmas-morning gratification . -RRB- And when they stopped dating , when I was 15 , I was n't unhappy to see him go . Real Simple : Small , helpful gestures with big impact . Then , on February 18 , 1991 , when I was 17 , my mother suddenly died of a brain aneurysm . One minute she was laughing with friends , enjoying an evening out ; the next , she was unconscious on the floor . She never woke up . Just 19 hours later , she was dead , leaving my 15-year-old brother and me orphans . In the moments of shock and horror that followed , my relatives all gathered in the hospital , and I went home with only a close friend for company -LRB- Jason followed a while later -RRB- . We spent that night on our own . I was numb ; it had all happened so fast . I could barely think beyond the immediate moment . The next morning , my grandfather , aunts , and uncles were still immersed in their own mourning . Shell-shocked as I was , I knew I had to let people know what had happened . I saw my mother 's address book lying where she had set it only days before and started dialing . One of the phone numbers I found was Mike 's . Even though he lived about an hour away , it felt like he was there in an instant . As soon as he walked in , he took charge -- and took care of Jason and me . Among other small kindnesses , he gave me a credit card and said , `` Why do n't you buy something to wear to the funeral ? '' He gave me permission to be a 17-year-old -- to focus on the more mundane issue of what I was going to wear instead of weighty adult concerns . Real Simple : Father 's Day gift ideas . Generally , when children are orphaned , a family member comes forward to take them in . This did n't happen in our case . Everyone had a good reason , I suppose . My mom 's father was too old to assume responsibility for us ; my mother 's sister and her husband had three kids of their own and were n't able to take in any others ; her other two siblings were both single and worked long hours . The guardian named in my mother 's will was a babysitter that none of us had seen in 15 years . But I can tell you this : Abandonment , even for very good reasons , feels awful . It was heartbreaking and terrifying to have lost the person we loved most and then to be set adrift . Months passed and it felt like our relatives could offer no reassurances . The only news we got was that if Jason and I remained without a guardian , we would have to enter foster care . Our mother was gone , and there was nothing we could do to save ourselves . And , once again , there was Mike . After the funeral , he was a constant presence . He made sure that food filled the cupboards , the bills were paid , and the lawn was mowed . -LRB- Mike 's adult daughter , Linda , pitched in and took care of his house . -RRB- He made sure I went back to school even when it was the last thing I wanted to do . His overbearing personality -- the trait I had hated the most -- is what comforted me the most and got me through those difficult days . Mike says that Linda came up with the idea to make his role with Jason and me official -- he could become our guardian . He was on board right away . Mike still says he never considered not doing it ; caring for us was simply the right thing to do . One day he made us his offer . In a moment where the grief of loss and the pain of being unwanted threatened to capture my very breath , this man , whose only tie to us was having dated my mother , said he would be honored to take us in . From that moment on , everything was different . His girlfriend , Patty , threw us a `` guardian party '' when the paperwork became official . It was just a small gathering , but it made us feel special . I received a key chain with my initials , and I remember thinking that the idea behind it was so lovely . Over the years , Mike has become not merely a legal guardian but a real father to me . When I fell into depression in college , unable to get past thoughts of my mother and all I had lost , he was there to listen . When my husband , Eric , and I bought our first house , Mike spent weekends installing insulation and repairing our gutters . He never wrote me off as a good , mature kid who could handle everything herself . He walked the line between trusting me and recognizing when I might need help . And what more could you want from a father than that ? His was an unconventional path to parenthood , to say the least . It is not by birth or adoption that I consider this man to be my father ; it is n't even through his presence in my childhood . It is rather by sheer good luck on my part . Before he made that generous offer , I felt as though I had lost my mooring and the waters were flooding in ; afterward , I simply felt rescued . If my mother had taught me to be strong and depend on myself , Mike imparted his own lesson -- that the world will provide for you , even when you least expect it . Eight years after Mike stepped forward , he walked me down the aisle . Four years after that , I gave birth to his first granddaughter , Emily Michl Simonson . -LRB- Mike 's legal name is Michl . -RRB- The name is a reminder of my saved past and a promise for the future , and I hope one day Emily will see that as well . Because as much as I plan to teach her to swim -LRB- indeed , she 's now six and enrolled in lessons -RRB- , I also want her to know this : No matter how fast the waters rise , no matter how hard it may be to keep her head above the waves , someone will throw her a line . Get a FREE TRIAL issue of Real Simple - CLICK HERE ! Copyright © 2009 Time Inc. . All rights reserved . | Kate Simonson was n't so fond of Mike Fieseler when he was dating her mother . After her mom died , Mike came for the funeral and helped Kate and her brother . He eventually adopted the kids , helped Kate get through college . Kate considers Mike her father and he walked her down the aisle at her wedding . | [[5661, 5669], [5693, 5719], [6735, 6770], [7183, 7221], [7224, 7253]] |
TAMPA BAY , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Judging by her proud expression as she left the parking lot in her 1991 Honda Accord for the first time , Jessica Ostrofsky could have been driving a brand new sports car . Susan Jacobs ' Wheels of Success program helps low-income workers get their own cars . `` I 'm so happy , '' she said with a laugh . `` Having this -LSB- car -RSB- is going to change my life drastically because it 's going to make me totally independent . '' Ostrofsky , 31 , a single mother of three , had been leaving her house before dawn -- toting a stroller , car seat , diaper bag and purse -- to catch a bus . She would go first to her children 's baby sitter and then to work . The trip took up to three hours . But on Labor Day , the St. Petersburg , Florida , resident and 19 others received their own cars , thanks to Susan Jacobs ' Wheels of Success program . Since 2003 , Wheels of Success has refurbished 280 donated cars for low-income individuals and families and helped another 280 clients with vehicle-related services . `` Receiving ... the car is more than just the car , '' said Jacobs . `` People literally see how it 's going to change their life '' by knocking down an obstacle that had gotten in their way due to lack of transportation . Jacobs would know . The 59-year-old Tampa resident lost access to reliable transportation more than a decade ago when she ended a relationship and left her car behind . While staying with a friend who lived far from a bus line and across town from Jacobs ' evening job , she had to hitch rides to work . That did not last long , Jacobs said , thanks to a used car dealership owner who loaned Jacobs three clunkers while she saved the money to buy her own car . But soon she saw others in a similar predicament . In 2000 , as the manager of a staffing agency , Jacobs was struck by the high number of clients who lost jobs in which her office had placed them because they could n't always get there . Others turned down positions and promotions because limited public transportation kept them from early or late shifts . Jacobs was laid off from her job at the staffing firm in 2001 and turned it into an opportunity to figure out how to `` keep working families working . '' She founded Wheels of Success in 2003 with two donated cars . The organization gives low-cost , donated and refurbished vehicles to qualified full-time workers or those with job offers . Employers or social service agencies refer the applicants to the group . Once they receive their vehicles , they must make low monthly payments based on their personal budgets . Those contributions average $ 40 and go toward repairing cars for other recipients . `` These are used cars . They 're not going to last forever , '' said Jacobs . `` What I tell people is , ` This probably is n't your dream car , but hopefully it 's going to get you to your dream . ' '' Jacobs ' group is able to restore donated clunkers to roadworthy operation by partnering with local companies and corporations that help provide auto body work at significantly discounted rates . Wheels of Success cars come with a free , one-year membership to the American Automobile Association . The organization also helps clients with ongoing repair , licensing , insurance and replacement of a car when it dies . Watch how Jacobs and her group provide working wheels for families '' Clients are required to complete a car maintenance class and donate three volunteer hours to Wheels of Success per month . This helps the group serve more clients and gives each recipient the ability to `` pay it forward , '' said Jacobs . On any given day , Jacobs reports about 100 qualified recipients on the waiting list for vehicles . About 60 new requests come in every other month . `` We would like nothing better than for there not to be a need for us , '' she said . `` But that is n't realistic in the near future and might not be realistic even long-term for people who have three children and day care . '' And recipients agree . `` Susan Jacobs is actually saving my life -LSB- because -RSB- she 's saving my job , '' said Ostrofsky , who had been consistently late arriving to work because of the inconsistency of her bus 's arrival . `` In turn , she saves my apartment and saves me taking care of my children . '' Watch Ostrofsky receive her Wheels of Success car '' For Jacobs , seeing the results of her work inspires her . `` I love what I do , '' she said . `` My life has made a difference . '' Want to get involved ? Check out Wheels of Success and see how to help . | Susan Jacobs created Wheels of Success to help low-income workers get cars . The organization gives donated , refurbished vehicles to qualified applicants . Lack of transportation often gets in the way of people making a living , Jacobs says . The top 10 CNN Heroes will be announced on October 1 . | [[212, 298], [2312, 2418], [2312, 2328], [2358, 2427], [1171, 1274]] |
GAZA CITY -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A large explosion late Tuesday at a wedding party for relatives of a Fatah leader injured at least 50 people in Gaza , Palestinian medical sources said . A bomb Tuesday injured relatives of Mohammed Dahlan , the Palestinian Authority 's national security adviser . Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan , the uncle of the groom , did not attend the wedding , according to witnesses . The cause of the explosion , which occurred at 11:10 p.m. in Khan Younis , was not known . Dahlan is the Palestinian Authority 's national security adviser . Details of Tuesday 's explosion were not immediately clear . Dahlan 's associates in recent years have been targeted by Hamas as tensions between the militant group and rival Fatah -- the Palestine Liberation Organization 's largest faction -- escalated . In January 2007 , Hamas gunmen tried to kill Dahlan 's bodyguard . Dahlan was not present at the time of the attack . In that month alone , Fatah and Hamas militants abducted more than 50 members of their rival groups -- most of them in the West Bank town of Nablus -- according to Palestinian security sources . Dahlan 's nephew was kidnapped the next month amid a fragile cease-fire between supporters of Hamas and Fatah . In late December 2006 , Hamas accused Dahlan of orchestrating an assassination attempt on its leader Ismail Haniya . Haniya 's son was injured in the attack . Dahlan has described himself to CNN in the past as being involved in directing Fatah 's military response to Hamas ' military `` provocation . '' Dahlan is particularly disliked by Hamas because during his leadership of the Preventive Security Forces in the 1990s , Hamas members were apprehended and tortured . After a series of suicide bombings in Israel in 1996 , Dahlan took a major part in the Palestinian Authority 's effort to crack down on Hamas . CNN 's Talal Abu-Rahma in Gaza City contributed to this report . | Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan is uncle of the groom . Dahlan did not attend the wedding in Gaza . The cause of the explosion is not known . Hamas says Dahlan has sought to assassinate its leader Ismail Haniya . | [[294, 322], [350, 376], [404, 430], [479, 494], [562, 622], [1243, 1264], [1267, 1343]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Although Elizabeth Woodville lived centuries ago , author Philippa Gregory believes women today will find they have a commonality with her . Philippa Gregory took years to research and write `` The White Queen . '' Gregory 's new novel `` The White Queen '' focuses on the life of Woodville , who was Queen consort to England 's Edward IV , and the events that came to be known as the Wars of the Roses . Gregory is herself often referred to in majestic terms as the `` queen of historical fiction . '' She has enjoyed international success after a series of best-selling novels , including `` The Other Boleyn Girl , '' which was made into a feature film starring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson . The new book , which was years in the making , has Gregory departing from the exploits of the Tudor family and delving into the lives of their predecessors , the Plantagenets . Woodville , a commoner , captured the heart of England 's King Edward IV . She was also the mother of Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury , who came to be known as the `` Princes in the Tower . '' Their disappearances , and presumed deaths , have long been an enduring mystery . That intrigue , and Woodville 's fascinating life , appealed to the historian in Gregory . The British author talked to CNN about her new direction , why Americans ca n't get enough of historic kings and queens and why she loves living in the past . CNN : Your Tudor series has been so successful . What took you in this direction ? Philippa Gregory : I think I felt like I had written a lot on the Tudors and although they are such fascinating characters and -LSB- there are -RSB- still some I would like to write about , I just got so interested in the back-story , the family that was there before the Tudors , and I thought I 'd see if I could take the audience with me . I knew I wanted to do it so I thought I would take the chance . CNN : What drew you to Elizabeth Woodville ? Gregory : She is , herself , such an extraordinary character and a spectator of extraordinary times . And , of course , she is the mother of the Princes in the Tower which is possibly the greatest mystery in English history . Watch Gregory talk about her new novel '' CNN : Why do you think people are still so fascinated with the princes ? Gregory : I think because it involves two completely innocent young boys . It really focuses on the absolute wickedness of Richard III , and of course that is debatable , so you 've got some controversy there to start off there . It 's very much about could Elizabeth have protected them or should she have done so . In a sense , it questions her as a mother and a queen . I think the debate about Richard III is probably the key thing . CNN : Do you think modern-day women will be able to relate to Elizabeth ? Gregory : Oh yes . What we see in Elizabeth and what we see in some of the other historical heroines are women who are in an appalling situation . They have no legal rights , they have no financial rights , they have no security and the likelihood of them dying in childbirth was always very , very high . You were talking about a terribly dangerous life for women . Although women today have fantastic rights in comparison , I think we still often have a sense of being in a man 's world and having to play by men 's rules . I know women identify with that because they often write to me and say they draw great strength and courage from these women who are , in a sense , our heroines . CNN : You have such a huge fan base in the United States . What do you think it is about Americans which draws us to royalty ? Gregory : I do n't know that it 's royalty . I thing a lot of people have a great deal of interest in the royal family , but in a sense the Tudors or even Plantagenets are so far from the modern royal family that I do n't think it 's that sort of snobbery . I think actually that a lot of American women find it quite hard to fit into modern , American society . They find the conflicts and difficulties of the past a very fruitful escape , so it 's lovely just to stop worrying about now and go to somewhere else , but I think women also use the books as a type of role model of how to cope . The Plantagenet women , Elizabeth Woodville the White Queen , they are fighting mythic , epic battles to survive . We fight much more ordinary battles , but sometimes you need the same courage . CNN : What do you enjoy about writing historical fiction ? Gregory : I love the research . I am a historian by profession so that 's probably the biggest thing for me . The reason that I write historical fiction is so that I can set the story in the past and explore the past . I like the form of it as well . I 'm quite a technical writer . I think about how it works and I think the challenge of making the past come alive for the reader is a huge one . CNN : Having had a book made into a film , does that affect your writing at all ? Are you thinking about the fact that a new novel might become a movie ? Gregory : No . One of the funny things is that getting the history right , doing intense amounts of research , trying to make the characters come alive , living with the characters and putting it all in first person , present tense which is technically quite challenging , all of that keeps me busy enough . I do n't even think about the readers . I just think about how the novel is working as a novel . I never think about what will happen with it after I am done . | Philippa Gregory has found fame writing historical fiction . Her new novel , `` The White Queen , '' is set during the Wars of the Roses . Gregory believes modern-day readers will be able to relate to the protagonist . Story tells perspective of Elizabeth Woodville , Queen consort to Edward IV . | [[160, 176], [204, 230], [70, 159], [234, 254], [277, 309], [300, 309], [316, 357]] |
MIAMI BEACH , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- On the grainy , silent black and white video , it 's hard to tell exactly what happened the night of June 14 in Miami Beach . But one thing is certain : A tourist , Husien Shehada , can be seen falling to the ground , shot by a police officer . Shehada , 29 , later died . Husien Shehada , at left with his brother , Samer , was shot dead by Miami Beach police on June 14 . Four nights later , again in Miami Beach , Lawrence McCoy allegedly pistol-whipped a cab driver and led police on a chase . Police say shots were exchanged . McCoy , also 29 , was killed . Officer Adam Tavss , a 34-year-old former history teacher with three years on the force , was involved in both police shootings , the first in Miami Beach since 2003 . Although it is not yet clear whether Tavss fired one of the shots that killed McCoy , questions are being raised as to whether the officer was cleared for patrol duty too soon after the first shooting . Police and the Miami-Dade County state attorney 's office are investigating the shootings . The inquiry is expected to last several more months . All the records and reports have been sealed . Watch surveillance video of the first shooting '' The families of Shehada and McCoy are asking the Justice Department to investigate . Tavss , who is now assigned to desk duty , declined through his attorney to speak with CNN , citing the ongoing investigation . Miami Beach Police Chief Carlos Noriega has defended both shootings . `` It is important to note that the subjects in both cases had exhibited aggressive , violent , non-compliant and criminal behavior , '' the chief said in a statement to the media . Noriega added that officers `` are required to make split-second decisions based on a variety of factors and can not afford to hesitate or be wrong . '' The Miami Beach department 's standard operating procedure for use of force , a copy of which was obtained by CNN , states that any officer involved in a fatal shooting must be assigned to administrative duties for at least 72 hours . The department also mandates psychological support . Tavss was removed from duty for 72 hours , evaluated and then cleared by Noriega to return to patrol , which is departmental policy . On his first day back out on the street , Tavss was involved in the second shooting . Each of the nation 's 20,000 police departments sets its own policy for police involved in shootings and fatalities . Some departments keep the officers off the streets for a week or longer . In virtually all cases , psychological evaluation and counseling are mandatory . Watch CNN 's report on the shootings '' Maria Haberfeld , a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and an expert on police use of force and stress management , said she had never heard of an officer being involved in two shootings within four days . `` I think it 's a gross error of judgment for any police department to maintain a rule that allows an officer who was involved in a fatal shooting to be back on the streets four days after the incident , '' Haberfeld said . A study by the Justice Department 's National Institute of Justice found that officers involved in fatal shootings can be affected for months afterward . `` In the days , weeks and months that follow a shooting , officers may suffer adverse reactions such as sleep interruption , anxiety and depression , '' a report on the study said . Officers `` experienced a range of psychological , emotional and physiological reactions that distorted time , distance , sight and sound , '' the study concluded . In some cases , the study found , officers could not recall firing their weapons . But even experts are undecided on just how much time off the street is enough , because every incident and every police officer is different . `` It 's hard for me to estimate whether it 's weeks or a little bit more , but certainly not days ; certainly not hours . It 's just too irresponsible toward the officer and toward the society the officer needs to serve , '' Haberfeld said . Police officers across the country train on how to make difficult split-second decisions on the use of deadly force . The sheriff in neighboring Broward County uses an interactive video screen that places officers into scenarios they might face while on patrol . `` In less than half a second , your pulse may go from 60 to 160 , 170 , and your heart 's beating out of your chest , and you have to make a split-second decision , '' Broward Sheriff 's Sgt. Bill Pennypacker said . Witnesses , police and surveillance video obtained by CNN provide the following , sometimes conflicting , accounts of what happened during the two Miami Beach shootings : . Husien Shehada and his brother , Samer , had come from Virginia to spend a long weekend with their girlfriends in Miami Beach . Early on Sunday , June 14 , they got into a scuffle with another group of men , who intervened after Samer Shehada allegedly assaulted his girlfriend . Investigators said they believe that the two brothers were looking for revenge against those men when somebody called 911 , reporting that two men were walking down the street and that one of them might be carrying a machine gun . The callers said they could see the outline of a large gun underneath his white shirt , and he was carrying it in his left hand . In a color security camera tape released by the Miami Beach Police Department , it appears that one of the brothers was carrying something under his shirt , holding it with his left hand . Tavss and other officers approached the brothers in front of Twist , a popular South Beach nightclub . A grainy black and white videotape shows the brothers together and Husien Shehada falling to the ground . A police officer can then be seen approaching . Samer Shehada said he and his brother were cooperating . `` His hands were up for a good two seconds , three seconds , '' Samer Shehada said . `` He was n't in the process of raising his hands . His hands were up . '' One witness told CNN that when Tavss approached the brothers with his gun drawn , the brothers were belligerent . The witness , Derek Reynolds , was working security at the club that night . He said the two men cursed at police and would n't put their hands up . `` It got intense . ... They were n't cooperating , '' he said . `` One guy reached behind him , and he got shot . '' Law enforcement sources say a coat hanger and a bottle were found at the scene , but no gun was found . Samer Shehada said that neither he nor his brother was carrying a coat hanger , much less a gun . After the shooting , Tavss was relieved of duty for 72 hours , per department policy . When he returned to street patrol , he was one of several officers who responded to a 911 call reporting that that a taxi driver had been pistol-whipped and his cab stolen . Police confronted Lawrence McCoy on a Miami Beach causeway . According to police , McCoy ran and fired at the officers . McCoy was shot dead by police . It is not yet known whether Tavss fired any shots . John Contini , an attorney representing the families of both men shot by police , said McCoy was shot nine to 11 times . No weapon was found on McCoy . Police found a gun several days later in Biscayne Bay , but they say they do n't know if it belonged to McCoy . Lawrence McCoy Sr. said his son 's civil rights were violated . `` Michael Vick was convicted and put in jail for two years for killing dogs -- for killing dogs . I want justice for my son , '' he said . Contini said Tavss should be in jail . He also questioned the policy that allowed him back on the street so quickly . `` In fairness to the officer , you do n't put him on the street , with a gun and a badge , to be in this situation without allowing for a period of decompression -- for the officer 's sake , to get some help , '' Contini said . | Miami Beach police officer Adam Tavss is involved in two police shootings . Second shooting happened on his first day back on street . Questions are being raised as to whether he was cleared for duty too soon . Miami Beach police chief decides when an officer is ready to return . | [[604, 622], [694, 731], [2825, 2889], [2258, 2297], [2300, 2343], [2825, 2889], [3021, 3073], [856, 974]] |
PORT OF SPAIN , Trinidad and Tobago -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama said Sunday the 34-nation Summit of the Americas was a `` very productive '' meeting that proved hemispheric progress is possible if countries set aside `` stale debates and old ideologies . '' President Obama addresses reporters before leaving Trinidad for Washington on Sunday . Speaking to reporters at the conclusion of the summit , Obama cited a potential thaw in relations between the United States and longtime adversaries Cuba and Venezuela , but said the ultimate test `` is not simply words , but deeds . '' Leaders did not `` see eye to eye '' on some important issues , but the meeting proved it is possible to `` disagree respectfully , '' the president said . Obama highlighted the importance of using American diplomacy and development aid in `` more intelligent ways . '' Watch Obama talk about summit '' He reached out to the Cuban government before the summit by lifting all restrictions on U.S. citizens wishing to visit or send remittances to relatives in Cuba . Cuba was not represented at the summit , but Obama noted that the leaders of other countries highlighted Cuba 's program that sends `` thousands of doctors '' throughout the hemisphere . A number of countries depend heavily on Cuba 's medical assistance program . `` It 's a reminder ... that if our only interaction with many of these countries is drug interdiction -- if our only interaction is military -- then we may not be developing the connections that can over time increase our influence and have a beneficial effect , '' he said . Obama called Cuban President Raul Castro 's recent indication of a willingness to discuss human rights issues `` a sign of progress . '' But he said the Cuban government could send a much clearer , more positive signal by releasing political prisoners or reducing fees charged on remittances that Americans send to relatives in the country . Change in Cuba will not come quickly , but it is good for other countries to see that `` we are not dug in into policies that were formulated before I was born , '' Obama said . U.S. policy on Cuba has remained largely unchanged since 1962 , when the U.S. government imposed a trade embargo . Turning to Venezuela , Obama conceded Washington has vast differences with that country 's president on economic and foreign policy issues . But he said the strategic interests of the United States would not be endangered by having a `` more constructive relationship '' with the oil-rich nation . Asked what an `` Obama doctrine '' would be , he declined to give a specific answer , but he outlined broad principles such as the importance of listening to other countries . The United States , Obama said , remains the most powerful nation in the world but can not solve problems such as climate change , drugs and terrorism on its own . `` If you start with that approach , you are inclined to listen , and not just talk , '' he said . Obama , who was set to return to Washington on Sunday , added that the United States is at its best when it stands `` for universal ideals -LSB- such as -RSB- freedom of speech and religion . '' `` If we confess to having strayed from -LSB- our -RSB- values , it strengthens our hand -LSB- and -RSB- allows us to speak with greater moral force and clarity , '' he said . The president was criticized over the weekend by several leading Republicans and former CIA director Michael Hayden for releasing four Bush-era memos outlining terror interrogation methods used against suspected al Qaeda operatives . Read about Hayden 's criticism . When he released the documents Thursday Obama said the United States needs to `` right its course in concert with our core values . '' | Obama cites potential thaw in U.S. relations with Venezuela , Cuba . Obama : Cuba 's apparent willingness to discuss human rights `` a sign of progress '' Cuba was topic at weekend summit , though not represented there . Obama : Using diplomacy , development aid in `` more intelligent ways '' important . | [[408, 519], [1595, 1673], [1660, 1704], [1054, 1092], [745, 855], [745, 750], [778, 825]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Richard Strandlof said he survived the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon . He said he survived again when a roadside bomb went off in Iraq , killing four fellow Marines . He 'd point to his head and tell people he had a metal plate , collateral damage from the explosion . Richard Strandlof says he did n't mean to cause harm when he lied about being a military veteran . None of it was true . On Friday , the FBI arrested him on the rare charge of `` stolen valor . '' Strandlof , 32 , was held `` for false claims about receipt of military decorations or medals , '' an FBI news release said . Charges had been filed in Denver , Colorado , the week before , the bureau said . `` The penalty for his crime is up to one year incarceration and a $ 100,000 fine , '' it said . Before his deception was revealed , crowds ate up his story . He canvassed Colorado appearing at the sides of politicians . Inspiring and seemingly authentic , he spoke on behalf of veterans at the state Capitol . He formed a group called the Colorado Veterans Alliance . The whole thing was a lie , he admitted to CNN 's Anderson Cooper earlier this year . Watch Strandlof discuss case in June . '' He was n't at the Pentagon . He was never a Marine . He never served his country . He never graduated from the Naval Academy . He claimed his real name was Rick Duncan . Where was he on 9/11 , the day he said he witnessed heroism firsthand ? `` I was in San Jose , California , watching it in horror on TV with a few other people , '' Strandlof told CNN . He was at a homeless shelter at the time . Strandlof denies being a pathological liar . He says he suffered from `` some severely underdiagnosed mental illness '' and he got caught up in the moment around `` people who are passionate and loved what they did . '' He told CNN he had put on a `` production , which I 'm sorry for . '' `` Hopefully the people that I hurt can in some way gain closure from that , and I myself do n't know what I can do , short of leaving them alone and not being in their lives , to make that happen , '' Strandlof said . He said he 's not sure exactly how he 's hurt people . `` It 's not for me to say , and time will tell , '' he said . Hal Bidlack , a former Air Force lieutenant colonel , is one of those people . He ran for Congress as a Democrat and had Strandlof appear with him . Bidlack -- who lost to incumbent Republican Doug Lamborn -- is n't too happy . `` Once one lie fell apart , the whole series of things ... just cascaded into an ocean of lies , '' he said . Bidlack was at the Pentagon when it came under attack on September 11 , 2001 . He now realizes that Strandlof stole portions of his own story . `` Now that we know he 's a lying fraud , '' Bidlack said , `` I think he was just parroting my own story back to me . '' `` There are an awful lot of things that he kept straight to try to fool an awful lot of people for an awful long time . '' Doug Sterner has catalogued hundreds of people claiming to be military veterans who never served in the military . He says it 's typical for those perpetuating the hoaxes to claim mental illness . `` I do n't buy that , '' Sterner said . `` What he was doing was looking for a cause to promote himself . I see this repeatedly . I 've had a hundred cases just this year like Rick Strandlof 's . ... What they 're doing is building a kingdom of self and feeding their own ego . '' Sterner has pushed for a federal database listing the names and citations of all decorated military veterans to help put an end to such cases . He said Strandlof has robbed true veterans of their veracity . `` Doing good does not take away from the bad that he did , '' he said . `` Because of Rick Strandlof , the next global war on terrorism veteran that speaks in a school or talks to the media or gets involved in politics is going to be questioned . '' Ryan Gallucci , a spokesman for AMVETS , agreed . `` Strandlof 's actions dishonor the actual sacrifices of veterans , '' he told CNN Monday . `` Second , by commissioning his own advocacy group , Strandlof diverted philanthropy dollars for legitimate causes within the veterans community , '' Gallucci said . `` Personally , it just sickens me , '' Gallucci added . `` As a veteran of the war in Iraq , it 's unfathomable that someone would propagate such a lie at a time when American men and women are actually putting their lives on the line , and American families are coping with the loss of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice . '' According to the Denver Post , Strandlof came to authorities ' attention first in 1997 , when he was sentenced to five years on forgery and bad-check charges . The FBI was investigating him for fraud when he spoke to CNN -- a charge he denied . `` We did not take money to use on non-veterans projects . I did not enrich myself on this . I did not gain any money from this , '' he said . He has not been charged with fraud . That 's not the point , said Sterner . `` The one thing he robbed from every veteran that comes out now is credibility . '' Gallucci called Strandlof a `` con man '' and the case `` morally repugnant . '' `` Strandlof 's actions are exploitation plain and simple , and AMVETS is eager to see justice served , '' Gallucci said . CNN 's Joe Johns contributed to this report . | Richard Strandlof said he survived 9/11 Pentagon attack , Iraq bombing . In June , Strandlof admitted he lied . Penalty for stolen valor is up to one year in jail , up to $ 100,000 fine . Strandlof formed Colorado Veterans Alliance . | [[19, 88], [89, 152], [692, 773], [1003, 1060], [1013, 1060]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hidden under a quaint resort 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks , Alaska , lies a treasure trove of potential energy that 's free and available 24/7 . `` Imagineer '' Bernie Karl and his wife , Connie , own Chena Hot Springs Resort near Fairbanks , Alaska . Alaskan entrepreneur Bernie Karl has pioneered modern technology to tap into one of Earth 's oldest energy resources : hot water . Karl , 56 , likes to call himself an `` imagineer . '' Using imagination to fuel his engineering ambitions , this tenacious thinker and self-starter has figured out a way to generate electricity using water that 's the temperature of a cup of coffee -- about 165 degrees Fahrenheit . `` There 's more opportunity now than there has ever been in the history of man , but we have to reinvent ourselves , '' Karl said . Karl was determined to reinvent the way he consumed energy after he and his wife , Connie , purchased the Chena Hot Springs Resort from the state of Alaska in 1998 . `` After we purchased the hot spring , I could n't believe it , the swimming pool and the hot spring were being heated by diesel fuel , 1,000 gallons every month ! '' Karl said . To slash costs and to use resources that were right under his nose , Karl invented a portable geothermal power plant . In a little more than three years , Karl and his wife have severed the facility 's dependence on diesel fuel and have saved $ 625,000 , he said . Karl 's partnered with the Department of Energy to fund half of a $ 1.4 million exploration project to find and characterize the geothermal resources at Chena Hot Springs . `` It 's a model for what you can do , '' said Karl . Karl developed his tenacity from growing up as the sixth child of 16 siblings on a farm outside of Peoria , Illinois . He said his parents taught him hard work , how to recycle his clothes and shoes , and how to compost food and farm wastes . In the late 1970s , Karl was active in gold mining in Alaska 's Central District , and he established the state 's largest recycling facility in 1984 , he said . Many of his ideas stem from finding alternative ways to use and reuse resources he already has at his fingertips . After acquiring the 400-acre resort , Karl began trapping water from the underground hot springs , which produce enough power to heat the facility 's greenhouses year-round . Most recently , Karl has turned his invention into a separate business by contracting with Peppermill hotel and casino in Reno , Nevada , to build a similar system there . His portable geothermal generator units cost from $ 350,000 to $ 375,000 , each with the potential to generate enough power for 250 average American homes per year . ` Hot taps ' His energy-generating machine lies on a flatbed truck and can be hooked up to oil and gas wells or other heat-emitting sources to generate electricity . Karl adds a branch connection to an oil or gas pipeline , and the process begins when he `` hot taps '' into waste water coming through the pipes . The hot water enters the tubes of an evaporator encased in a common refrigerant found in many air conditioning systems . As the hot water passes through the evaporator , it begins to boil the refrigerant in the casing surrounding the tubes . The heat given off by the boiling refrigerant then causes an attached turbine to spin , which jump-starts a generator , producing electrical power . Next , cooling water enters from another source , recondensing the vapor refrigerant into a liquid . A pump pushes the liquid refrigerant back to the evaporator , so the cycle can start again . The difference in temperatures drives the entire `` binary system . '' This setup works exactly the opposite of a refrigerator . `` Chena Hot Springs is home to the lowest-temperature geothermal resource to be used for commercial power production in the world , '' Karl said . `` Oil companies do n't drill wells for water , but they have some 5,000 kilowatts of geothermal power at their disposal in unused oil wells . Let 's pick the low-hanging fruit and use the wells we have for oil for geothermal power , '' he said . Citing a 2007 Massachusetts Institute of Technology study , Karl said harnessing just 2 percent of Earth 's internal energy could provide 2,000 times more energy than the entire planet currently consumes -- all free of polluting greenhouse gas emissions . `` Everything goes back , there is no pollution , no smokestack , '' he said . `` We are going to go recycle oil wells and recycle water and put it back in the ground . '' Sizzle from the center of the Earth . Though Karl 's lower-temperature approach is new , for more than a century , people have been trying to generate electricity from the heat that sizzles from the center of the Earth -- using it to cook , bathe and for electricity . In fact , the word `` geothermal '' comes from the Greek words geo -LRB- Earth -RRB- and therme -LRB- heat -RRB- . `` We 've determined that heat mining can be economical in the short term , based on a global analysis of existing geothermal systems , an assessment of the total U.S. resource and continuing improvements in deep-drilling and reservoir stimulation technology , '' said MIT professor Jefferson W. Tester . In a 2007 study , professors at MIT found that mining the huge amounts of heat that reside as stored thermal energy in the Earth 's hard rock crust could supply a substantial portion of the electricity the United States will need in the future , probably at competitive prices and with minimal environmental impact . '' ... if we just drill deep enough , most of the U.S. can be transformed into a huge geothermal power zone while drastically reducing the nation 's carbon footprint , '' the MIT report said . Widespread geothermal power fuels electricity in a couple dozen countries , with the small island nation of Iceland leading the pack . An unusual abundance of geothermal sources creates 30 percent of Iceland 's energy , according to its National Energy Authority . `` Imagination is so important , '' said Karl , whose resort houses 65 employees and can house 210 guests at maximum capacity . `` If Bernie Karl , one of the smallest mom-and-pop operators in the world , can do these things , then why ca n't all of us ? '' | Resort owner makes electricity with water the temperature of a cup of coffee . Alaskan entrepreneur goes from diesel to geothermal , saving $ 625K in 3 years . He invented portable geothermal generator that he says can power 250 homes . MIT : Most of U.S. can be transformed into a huge geothermal power zone . | [[514, 675], [570, 571], [576, 688], [3368, 3396], [1286, 1319], [1322, 1394], [1286, 1319], [1322, 1339], [1390, 1419], [1236, 1285], [2611, 2691], [5585, 5656]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A potential victim became a compassionate counselor during a recent robbery attempt , changing the would-be criminal 's mind -- and apparently his religion . Surveillance video shows storekeeper Mohammad Sohail holding a robber at bay with a shotgun . Storekeeper Mohammad Sohail was closing up his Long Island convenience store just after midnight on May 21 when -- as shown on the store 's surveillance video -- a man came in wielding a baseball bat and demanding money . `` He said , ` Hurry up and give me the money , give me the money ! ' and I said , ` Hold on ' , '' Sohail recalled in a phone interview with CNN on Tuesday , after the store video and his story was carried on local TV . Sohail said he reached under the counter , grabbed his gun and told the robber to drop the bat and get down on his knees . `` He 's crying like a baby , '' Sohail said . `` He says , ` Do n't call police , do n't shoot me , I have no money , I have no food in my house . ' '' Amidst the man 's apologies and pleas , Sohail said he felt a surge of compassion . He made the man promise never to rob anyone again and when he agreed , Sohail gave him $ 40 and a loaf of bread . `` When he gets $ 40 , he 's very impressed , he says , ' I want to be a Muslim just like you , ' '' Sohail said , adding he had the would-be criminal recite an Islamic oath . `` I said ` Congratulations . You are now a Muslim and your name is Nawaz Sharif Zardari . ' '' When asked why he chose the hybrid of two Pakistani presidents ' names , the Pakistani immigrant laughed and said he had been watching a South Asian news channel moments before the confrontation . Sohail said the man fled the store when he turned away to get the man some free milk . He said police might still be looking for the suspect but he does n't intend to press charges . `` The guy , you know , everybody has a hard time right now , it 's too bad for everybody right now in this economy , '' said the storekeeper . | Long Island storekeeper Mohammad Sohail faces man wielding baseball bat . Sohail grabs shotgun ; stunned man begins to cry , says he has no food at home . Man 's story tugs at Sohail 's heartstrings , and he offers man money , bread , milk . After act of compassion , man says he wants to become a Muslim like Sohail . | [[442, 501], [965, 993], [1137, 1151], [1154, 1196], [1243, 1250], [1255, 1290]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The British military marked a grim milestone Friday as the number of troops killed in Afghanistan surpassed the death toll in Iraq . A British Marine is shown in Arbroath , Scotland , last year on the eve of a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan . An especially bloody 10 days in Afghanistan 's troubled Helmand province claimed 15 British lives , putting the total number of dead in that conflict at 184 , the Defense Ministry said . The British military has lost 179 soldiers in Iraq . Five soldiers were killed Friday in two explosions that rocked the same patrol near the town of Sangin in Helmand province , where British troops are based . The Defence Ministry earlier announced the deaths of three other soldiers in Helmand . British troops have joined with roughly 4,000 U.S. Marines and sailors , and several hundred Afghan security forces , in Operation Khanjar , a drive to secure Helmand before Afghanistan 's presidential elections in August . See a map of Helmand province '' Britain 's Chief of the Defense Staff , Jock Stirrup , issued a video statement in which he mourned the latest losses . Watch profiles of six British soldiers killled in Afghanistan on the same day '' `` It 's important we also remember why our people are fighting in Afghanistan and what they 're achieving through their sacrifice and their courage , '' Stirrup said . `` The mission in Afghanistan is about supporting the delivery of governance in order to reduce the opportunities for extremist terrorist groups who are a direct threat to the United Kingdom , its citizens , and their interests . '' Results are starting to emerge , he said , but the military still has a long way to go . `` It 's tough going because the Taliban have rightly identified Helmand as their vital ground , '' he said . `` If they lose there , they lose everywhere , and they 're throwing everything they have into it . But they are losing . '' Watch a gallery of Britain mourning its fallen in Afghanistan '' British Prime Minister Gordon Brown spoke about the military casualties while at the G8 summit in Italy on Friday , calling it a `` very hard summer '' so far for British forces . `` Our resolution to complete the work that we have started in Afghanistan and Pakistan is undiminished , '' he said . `` We knew from the start that defeating the insurgency in Helmand would be a hard and dangerous job , but it is vital . '' | UK military deaths in Afghanistan now at 184 , five more than in Iraq . 15 British lives lost in past 10 days in Afghanistan 's Helmand province . UK forces have joined with U.S. , Afghan troops in offensive in Helmand . Drive in Helmand is part of effort to secure country before August elections . | [[134, 168], [286, 358], [386, 442], [473, 525], [286, 383], [286, 358], [386, 442], [912, 994]] |
KAMPALA , Uganda -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At least 21 people were killed and more than 80 others injured during three days of rioting here last week , a police spokeswoman said Monday . Ugandan police ride past a burning barricade in the Natete suburb of Kampala on Friday . Police spokeswoman Judith Nabakooba said 663 people had been arrested and 86 people had been injured . President Yoweri Museveni is to address the violence in a speech to parliament slated for Tuesday afternoon . Though the mood on the streets in the capital city was calm Monday , tensions between Museveni and the Buganda kingdom -- headed by King Ronald Mutebi II , the ruler of the Baganda tribe -- have intensified in recent years . They erupted into violence last Thursday , when the government said it would not allow the king to travel to an area inhabited by a renegade rival group . Kings in the east African nation are limited to a ceremonial role overseeing traditional and cultural affairs . Government officials and the Buganda kingdom have been at odds for years , sparring over land , sovereignty and political power . After the travel ban , mostly young Bagandans took to the streets , stealing ammunition from a police station and confronting officers , accusing them of harassment . `` The government is wrong to undermine cultural institutions , which are the backbone of Uganda 's heritage , '' said Mzamiru Balidha , a resident of Kampala . `` Cultural leaders must be left alone since they are not interfering in politics . '' Rioters burned tires and cars , set buildings afire and looted stores . Streets in the capital were strewn with debris over the weekend , including torched cars and burned tires . By Sunday , police and the army were patrolling deserted streets as residents tried to return to normalcy after the protests . `` I 'm happy to see that there is peace now , '' said Harry Sagara of Kampala . `` Now people can return to work . '' A government official said Sunday that the two leaders have pledged to meet and address their differences . `` Both the central government and the king are still working out details of the meeting , '' said Daudi Migereko , the minister of parliamentary affairs . In Washington , the U.S. State Department cautioned Americans in Uganda about the potential for more violent demonstrations this week . `` U.S. citizens should be aware that even peaceful gatherings and demonstrations can turn unexpectedly violent , '' the State Department travel alert states . Bagandans are the dominant ethnic group and one of four ancient kingdoms in the nation . Journalist Samson Ntale in Kampala , Uganda , contributed to this report . | NEW : Ugandan president to address parliament Monday on deadly riots . NEW : Death toll from three days of rioting rises to 21 ; 86 injured , 663 arrested . U.S. government warns Americans in Uganda of potential danger of more violence . Rioting sparked by central government 's travel ban on a tribal king . | [[372, 436], [0, 7], [10, 32], [39, 70], [81, 142], [269, 371], [339, 371], [305, 338], [2209, 2222], [2225, 2300], [755, 823], [1104, 1124], [1127, 1169]] |
-LRB- WIRED -RRB- -- The U.S. Marine Corps has banned Twitter , Facebook , MySpace and other social media sites from its networks , effective immediately . The Marine Corps fears that social media sites such as Facebook could pose a security risk . `` These internet sites in general are a proven haven for malicious actors and content and are particularly high risk due to information exposure , user generated content and targeting by adversaries , '' reads a Marine Corps order , issued Monday . `` The very nature of SNS -LSB- social network sites -RSB- creates a larger attack and exploitation window , exposes unnecessary information to adversaries and provides an easy conduit for information leakage that puts OPSEC -LSB- operational security -RSB- , COMSEC -LSB- communications security -RSB- , -LSB- and -RSB- personnel ... at an elevated risk of compromise . '' The Marines ' ban will last a year . It was drawn up in response to a late July warning from U.S. Strategic Command , which told the rest of the military it was considering a Defense Department-wide ban on the Web 2.0 sites , due to network security concerns . Scams , worms , and Trojans often spread unchecked throughout social media sites , passed along from one online friend to the next . `` The mechanisms for social networking were never designed for security and filtering . They make it way too easy for people with bad intentions to push malicious code to unsuspecting users , '' a Stratcom source told Wired.com . Yet many within the Pentagon 's highest ranks find value in the Web 2.0 tools . The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has 4,000 followers on Twitter . The Department of Defense is getting ready to unveil a new home page , packed with social media tools . The Army recently ordered all U.S. bases to provide access to Facebook . Top generals now blog from the battlefield . `` OPSEC is paramount . We will have procedures in place to deal with that , '' Price Floyd , the Pentagon 's newly-appointed social media czar , said . `` What we ca n't do is let security concerns trump doing business . We have to do business ... We need to be everywhere men and women in uniform are and the public is . If that 's MySpace and YouTube , that 's where we need to be , too , '' Floyd said . The Marines say they will issue waivers to the Web 2.0 blockade , if a `` mission critical need '' can be proven . And they will continue to allow access to the military 's internal `` SNS-like services . '' But for most members of the Corps , access to the real , public social networks is now shut off for the next year . Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $ 1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT ! Click here ! Copyright 2009 Wired.com . | U.S. Marine Corps bans Twitter , Facebook , MySpace and other social media sites . Order , issued Monday , states that information on the sites poses a security risk . The Marines ' ban is effective immediately and will last a year . U.S. Army recently ordered all U.S. bases to provide access to Facebook . | [[0, 17], [30, 129], [156, 248], [451, 453], [483, 498], [873, 909], [1757, 1829], [1783, 1829]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- English rugby coach Dean Richards has been banned from coaching for three years for his part in masterminding a fake blood injury to one of his players . English rugby coach Dean Richards admitted asking his player to fake an injury using artificial blood . In a scandal dubbed `` bloodgate '' the 46-year-old admitted to getting one of his players to use fake blood to feign injury in order to make an otherwise impossible substitution happen at a crucial time in a European Cup quarterfinal between his side Harlequins and Leinster . Sport is littered with competitive personalities , but some are prepared to go further than others in order to achieve victory . Do you agree with CNN 's list of sport 's top ten notorious rulebreakers ? 1 . Diego Maradona , football - For years Maradona shared the credit for his most remembered goal with a higher being . `` A little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God '' was his account of how he scored the opener in Argentina 's 2-1 victory over England during the 1986 World Cup semi-final . However , in 2005 Maradona admitted that it was less divine intervention than retribution that was behind the now infamous goal . Referring to the British control of the Falkland Islands which lie just off Argentina and were the scene of a bitter war in 1982 , he said : `` I do n't for a second regret scoring that goal with my hand . . whoever robs a thief gets a 100-year pardon . '' 2 . Rosie Ruiz , the marathon - After taking gold-medal in the 1980 Boston Marathon and setting the third-fastest time ever recorded for a female runner in the process , many spectators noticed how remarkably sweat-free and relaxed the 23-year old Ruiz appeared as she took to the winner 's podium . Race officials were also dismayed by the jubilant victor 's absence from the numerous photographs taken during the competition , and none of the checkpoint monitors or fellow runners were able to recognize the young champion after the 26-mile race had ended . It was not long before a few members of the crowd came forward to reveal that they had seen Ruiz simply jump in during the last half-mile , where she duly sprinted to the finish line . 3 . Carlos `` Panama '' Lewis , boxing - In the early 1980s `` Panama '' was regarded as one of the most formidable boxing trainers of his time . These days he is typically regarded as one of the sports murkiest operatives . Panama 's lowly stature was secured during the 1983 fight between his boxer Lewis Resto and Billy Collins Jr. . Before the fight Panama had soaked Resto 's hands in plaster of Paris and removed the padding from his gloves . Resto punched Collins Jr to a pulp and , nine months later , Collins Jr - suffering from depression caused by the fight - died in a car accident that many believe was suicide . Diego Maradona scores against England for Argentina using what he called the `` hand of God . '' 4 . Spain 's 2000 Paralympic team , basketball - The 2000 Sydney Paralympics witnessed the basketball team from Spain take the gold medal in the `` intellectual disability '' category . However , soon after Carlos Ribagorda , an undercover journalist , revealed that the players on Spain 's team had not actually undergone the testing required to prove mental deficiency . It turned out that ten of the twelve players on the Spain basketball team had no such disability . The International Paralympic Committee subsequently decided to scrap the category due to the difficulties of assessing the disabilities of performers . 5 . Michel Pollentier , cycling - In 1978 the Belgian rider was ahead of the rest of the field after the mountain stage of the Tour de France . He submitted a urine sample which came back clean from drugs , the only problem was it was n't his urine ! It transpired that Pollentier had used a sample given to him by his teammate that was delivered via a plastic pipe concealed in his shorts , he was subsequently thrown from the Tour . 6 . Dwain Chambers , athletics - The British sprinter had high hopes of taking on the world 's elite after showing early potential but his career was derailed when he tested positive for the banned substance THG in 2003 . Slapped with a two-year suspension and lifetime ban from the British Olympic Association -LRB- BOA -RRB- Chambers later revealed he was taking a cocktail of seven different drugs . 7 . Boris Onishchenko , fencing - As a fencer for the Soviet Union , Boris Onishchenko performed unbelievably for his nation 's modern pentathlon team at the 1976 Olympics . And there was good reason as the British team , who complained to the organizers , suspected . It turns out the wily athlete used an illegal switch to trigger the system that registered a hit from his foil on his opponents , which guaranteed him victory . The illegal switch on his grip was discovered resulting in his disqualification from the Games . The British sprinter Dwain Chambers admitted to taking a cocktail of seven different drugs while competing . 8 . Dora Ratjen , high jump - In the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin , Adolf Hitler was determined to prove his philosophy about the Aryan race -- that meant winning at any cost . Ratjen , who was known for her low voice and reluctance to share the shower room with the other female athletes , was the German entry for the women 's high jump . After setting a new world record , Britain 's Dorothy Tyler , the former holder , suggested to officials that Ratjen was a man . After some research Ratjen was found serving as a waiter called Hermann . Dora , born Hermann Ratjen , had in fact been a member of the Hitler Youth and said that the Nazis had made him participate as a woman . 9 . Fred Lorz , the marathon - In the burning heat of the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis , only 14 of the 32 starting marathon runners made the finish line . All the more credit then to Fred Lorz , the New Yorker who burst through the white tape after three hours and 13 minutes , to be announced the winner . Having bagged a photograph with the Alice Roosevelt , daughter of the President of the United States , Lorz was on his way to collect an apparently well-deserved gold medal . However , word soon spread that the American had spent nearly half the marathon sitting down ... in a car . Despite claiming it was just a practical joke , Lorz received a lifetime ban . 10 . Ben Johnson , 100 meters - Having taken gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and slicing four-hundredths of a second off the world record , Canada 's 100m sprint champion took to the mic : `` I 'd like to say my name is Benjamin Sinclair Johnson Jnr and this world record will last 50 years , maybe 100 . '' Only hours after the race had ended , a urine sample belonging to the sprinter was found to contain the anabolic steroid stanozolal resulting in the time being scrapped from the record books . Johnson protested his innocence but , after a two-year suspension , he was banned in 1993 for testing positive again - and this time it was for life . | English rugby coach Dean Richards banned for role in `` bloodgate '' Coach asked player to use fake blood to feign injury in order to be replaced . Richards is not the first sports person to break the rules in order to win . Sound Off : Do you agree with CNN 's list of sport 's most notorious rulebreakers ? | [[0, 15], [39, 128], [0, 15], [115, 172], [173, 276], [223, 276], [277, 289], [313, 410], [610, 614], [663, 683], [684, 758]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dominick Dunne , the former Hollywood producer and best-selling author known for his Vanity Fair essays on the courtroom travails of the rich and famous , died Wednesday in New York city after a long battle with bladder cancer . Dominick Dunne wrote five best selling books and covered high society crimes for Vanity Fair . Dunne , who described himself as `` a high-class Zelig , '' was 83 . Called `` Nick '' by his friends , Dunne was putting the finishing touches on his final novel , which he said he planned to call `` Too Much Money , '' when his health took a turn for the worse . He flew to Germany earlier this month for another round of stem cell treatments at the same Bavarian clinic where the late Farrah Fawcett was treated . He was hospitalized upon his return to New York , then sent home . As a correspondent for Vanity Fair magazine , Dunne was a fixture at some of the most famous trials of our times -- Claus von Bulow , William Kennedy Smith , the Menendez brothers , O.J. Simpson , Michael Skakel and Phil Spector . He discovered his magazine writing career in his 50s , through personal tragedy -- his daughter 's murder . He vented his anger at the legal system in `` Justice : A Father 's Account of the Trial of his Daughter 's Killer , '' following the murder trial of John Sweeney , the estranged boyfriend who strangled 22-year-old Dominique Dunne , in 1982 . Sweeney spent fewer than three years in prison . Dunne 's article was published by Vanity Fair and he accepted then-editor Tina Brown 's offer to write full-time for the magazine . Calling himself a `` diarist , '' Dunne dropped bold-faced names as he spilled behind-the-scenes nuggets gleaned from courtrooms and dinner parties alike . `` It is fair to say that the halls of Vanity Fair will be lonelier without him and that , indeed , we will not see his like anytime soon , if ever again , '' said editor Graydon Carter in a tribute posted on the magazine 's Web site . He bristled at one writer 's oft-repeated description of him as `` Judith Krantz in pants . '' He preferred to be known as a crime victim 's advocate and frequently spoke at events sponsored by victims ' groups . The fact he personally knew many of the people he wrote about set Dunne apart from other crime writers . Dunne wrote that he met music producer Phil Spector for dinner three times during the Simpson murder trial . `` He knew every detail of the trial and story , '' Dunne wrote . `` He carried a gun when we saw each other , but he never pulled it on me . '' Spector later became a defendant in a trial Dunne covered . He spoke to CNN in June , while promoting the DVD release of a documentary of his life called `` After the Party . '' At the time , he said he was feeling well , happy , and hopeful the treatments were working . `` I 'm pro stem cell , '' he said . But even then , he seemed to know he was in a race against time . `` I want to have one more best seller , before I cool , '' Dunne said . `` It 's wonderful to have a best seller . '' He said his personal story puts the lie to the claim by another high society writer , the late F. Scott Fitzgerald , that there are no second acts in life . `` This is the third act , '' Dunne said . `` I have a novel coming out . I finally got it finished in the clinic ... I 'm calling it ` Too Much Money . ' That 's a hooking title . '' Dunne looked back on his life during the hour-long lunchtime phone chat . He said he had just one regret -- his failed marriage to his wife , Lenny , who died in 1997 . The couple never formally divorced . `` I loved that marriage , '' he said . `` Lenny was the love of my life . And yet I ruined it . I was n't formed yet . The regret is that I hurt her . '' Marc Juris , truTV 's executive vice president , recalled Dunne as `` a master storyteller ... who always kept his eye on the human story behind the crimes . '' Besides hosting his own show on truTV , Dunne appeared frequently on CNN 's `` Larry King Live . '' `` Dominick Dunne was one of the finest people I 've known , '' King said . `` He was a terrific writer , a raconteur , and a familiar face on ` Larry King Live ' for many years . He was a wonderful human being . '' In court , Dunne always dressed impeccably , wearing dark jackets and gray flannels , sharply starched shirts complete with cufflinks and club-style ties . He used a fountain pen to jot notes in small bound notebooks . He was unabashedly pro-prosecution , although he said he `` lost no sleep '' over Robert Blake 's acquittal on a charge of killing his wife , and was troubled by Martha Stewart 's conviction on lying to investigators about a stock deal . When Simpson 's acquittal was announced in 1995 , Dunne 's jaw dropped and the courtroom cameras caught his expression . It became an iconic image . Simpson later was found liable in a wrongful death suit and ordered to pay more than $ 33 million to the victims ' families . Dunne had been battling cancer for several years -- a fight that became widely known when he collapsed in court last year while covering Simpson 's Las Vegas armed robbery trial . He was n't in court to see Simpson sentenced to prison . Dunne 's life story reads like one of his novels . He was born to a well-to-do family in Hartford , Connecticut , in 1925 ; his father was a cardiac specialist . Dunne attended preppy Williams College , and fought in the Battle of the Bulge , winning the Bronze star . He later found work in New York as a stage manager for `` The Howdy Doody Show , '' a popular kids ' show when television was in its infancy . He moved to Hollywood , rubbing elbows with the biggest names in show business during the 1960s , and became a movie producer . But he soon became addicted to alcohol and drugs , hit bottom and became his own worst nightmare -- a nobody . He sobered up and retired to a one-room cabin in Oregon to write his first novel , then headed back to New York with just a suitcase and his typewriter . In 1985 , Dunne wrote his first best-seller , `` The Two Mrs. Grenvilles , '' loosely based on a society killing . That success was followed by `` People Like Us , '' `` An Inconvenient Woman , '' `` A Season in Purgatory , '' and , following the Simpson trial , `` Another City , Not my Own . '' His brother , the late John Gregory Dunne , was an accomplished author and was married to Joan Didion , a wit and famous writer . In fact , Dunne has said , he was so daunted by their talent that it probably delayed the start of his own writing career by decades . Asked if he believed in past lives , Dunne , ever the firm believer in second acts , said : `` I believe in future ones . '' | Dunne had been receiving stem cell treatments in Europe for bladder cancer . He was working on his final novel , due out in December . Dunne covered the trials of the wealthy and notorious for Vanity Fair . He also wrote best-sellers and hosted a show on truTV . | [[617, 724], [456, 514], [3260, 3287], [79, 180], [257, 351], [257, 271], [306, 351], [1467, 1512], [2599, 2622], [3920, 3957]] |
FORT HOOD , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Families of tens of thousands of soldiers based at Fort Hood have one military wife to thank for a more normal routine at the base . A blunt conversation with an Army wife started Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch on the path toward his family-first policies . When Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch first took over as commander of the largest Army base in the United States , a soldier 's wife approached him and gave him a talking to about how soldiers do n't `` really '' get to spend time at home when they come home from war . `` She said ` General , do n't talk to us about dwell time . Because my husband might as well be in Iraq , ' '' Lynch told CNN last week . '' ` He comes home after the kids go to bed , we never see him on weekends and you take him away to train all the time . ' '' Lynch said that woman 's comments `` really hit me in the gut . '' In response , Lynch made `` focus on the family '' a key part of Fort Hood 's environment . He insists that every soldier on a day schedule leave work in to be home for dinner by 6 p.m. On Thursday , many are told to leave by 3 p.m. so they can have the afternoon with the family . And no one at Fort Hood works weekends unless Lynch signs off on it . He likes to point out that when a soldier deploys overseas , the only thing he ca n't get is time with his family , so it 's important to get it between deployments -- what the military calls `` dwell time . '' Lynch 's `` home by dinner '' order creates a daily traffic jam on the base in Killeen , Texas , as tens of thousands of soldiers leave at once . Master Sgt. Guadalupe Stratman enjoys Fort Hood 's family-first attitude . She has a husband and three sons . When she 's not cooking dinner after leaving the base , she 's helping with homework or `` just watching them grow . '' It 's not just about keeping military spouses and children happy , it 's about creating a more resilient soldier ; one less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol , injure or kill himself in a traffic accident or fall to suicide , Lynch says . It 's working . No soldier has been killed on the roads around Fort Hood in more than 200 days . And although the base has seen two suicides since the start of the year , that is much less than some other major Army bases . Lynch is taking other steps to battle stress and suicides at Fort Hood . He 's opened a soldier `` Resiliency Campus '' -- a city-block-sized collection of buildings with programs and activities aimed at improving a soldier 's mind , body and spirit . And there is a weekly meeting of the base 's `` suicide prevention board , '' which Lynch usually chairs . This is n't to say that all the soldiers at Fort Hood are completely well-adjusted and ready for their next deployment . CNN spoke to one squad of soldiers who 'd returned from a deployment to Fort Hood just a week before our visit . One soldier said he has `` anger issues . I get angry over a lot of little things . '' Others are bothered by crowds or just driving around town . But even those young veterans , for whom the stress of being in a war zone continues after their return to their home base , have found ways to cope . The spend their off-hours together playing video games or just remembering what they went through together . `` Some of the roughest times we 've had , we sit back and laugh , '' Pfc. Keven Abbott said . `` We are very well together -- you can not bring us down . '' Watch CNN 's Barbara Starr report on sorrows and joys of returning home '' The successful fight against stress at Fort Hood is getting noticed at the Pentagon . Among others , Adm. Michael Mullen , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , has praised Lynch 's programs . But just after CNN 's visit to Fort Hood , the Defense Department sent out a news release announcing that Lynch would be moving on to his next job in the Army . What remains to be seen is whether his ideas about putting families first and creating `` resilient soldiers '' will carry on at Fort Hood after he leaves . | Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch at Fort Hood had blunt conversation with Army wife over priorities . He instituted a family-first program , including orders to be home for dinner by 6 . Fewer accidents , stress and suicides at largest Army base in U.S. now reported . `` Suicide prevention board '' meets weekly ; Lynch usually chairs . | [[170, 236], [887, 964], [1436, 1522], [2526, 2598], [2601, 2603], [2616, 2632]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Caring for a car has you a befuddled . The honeymoon 's over , and bureaucratic tasks are beating out bliss . You 're meeting with a prospective babysitter or housekeeper , a stranger you 'll entrust with much of your life . Rory Tahari , with son Jeremey , hopes to make life 's to-do 's more manageable with a new book and iPhone app . How do you know what to do ? Where should you go and when ? What should you ask these people ? You need a list ! If figuring out the answers to these kinds of questions leaves you loopy , Rory Tahari has a new book that may have your name on it . `` Lists for Life : The Essential Guide to Getting Organized and Tackling Tough To-Dos '' is just what it says it is : a compilation of lists to help readers navigate everything they might need for weddings and funerals , household maintenance and vacations , divorces and diaper bags . Watch Tahari discuss the book '' Along the same lines , she 's behind a new iPhone application -- a travel packing list , available through the iTunes store -- that she said has been downloaded in about a dozen countries . `` It 's just how my brain is wired . It 's part of my DNA , '' said Tahari , vice chairwoman and creative director of Elie Tahari , the fashion design house bearing her husband 's name . `` I do n't know how to operate other than to make a list . '' CNN sat down with Tahari to discuss when her list-making started , what she 's passed on to her children -LRB- son Jeremey , 8 , weighs in -RRB- and how being stuck in a snowstorm inspired her . Here are excerpts from that interview . CNN : You 've earned the nickname `` The List Mistress , '' but when did this , dare I say , obsession start ? Tahari : From a very young age , I was a compulsive list-maker . I was always organizing something or doing some kind of list . The first list I really remember making was taking an inventory of every piece of clothing in my closet and seeing how many different outfits I could make . I think I came up with 112 combinations . CNN : The book covers such a wide range of topics : weddings , the home , pregnancy , travel , medical , emergencies , divorce and more . How many of these lists are or were based on your own organizational needs ? Tahari : Ninety percent of the book came from actual experiences I 've lived through myself . The other 10 percent , I basically did the research . -LSB- She has a degree in journalism and is a former TV producer . -RSB- . I fell off a horse two years ago , and I broke my back . I 'd never been hospitalized before , so I never knew what it was like to be hospitalized . If you have a friend or family member who 's in the hospital , bring them a blanket . They 're always going to be cold , and the blankets they give you in the hospital do n't cut it . And the nurses ? You need them ; they do n't need you . A little batch of cookies or brownies goes a long way with the nurses . And you know what ? You 'll have a lot better hospital stay . CNN : Some of these to-do lists seem more fitting and standard than others . How did you decide what would go in the book ? Tahari : People say , `` Why the emergency chapter ? If you 're in the middle of an emergency , you 're not going to grab the book . '' Obviously , you 're not going to have the book with you in the middle of the emergency . ... But I lived through at least three tornados in Atlanta -LSB- Georgia -RSB- , one terrorist attack in New York and one blackout in New York . And after the blackout , I realized my family does n't have a plan . I wanted to at least stimulate the idea of having a plan . CNN : Can you give me an example of a topic you had to research ? Tahari : Cars . I had to have help with cars . Although , in fourth or fifth grade , there was some crazy snowstorm in Atlanta -LSB- where she grew up -RSB- . I was stuck in carpool on the way home from school with eight people for eight hours . I had one Tootsie Roll in my backpack , and let me tell you , a Tootsie Roll between eight people did not go far . So I decided in the car section that I wanted to have an emergency road list , a check list of things to have in the car . I was stuck in the car for eight hours , starving to death . CNN : You 've used list making to help friends figure out practical things they need to do , but do the lists you 've made over the years ever venture into the emotional or psychological -- say , for example , pro-con lists for staying in a relationship ? Tahari : This book is not an advice guide . It 's a to-do list . There 's not a lot of prose in the book . I just want to be told what to do . I do n't really want to hear advice . I do n't need to hear the story . Just tell me what to do . CNN : So , Jeremey , how organized are you ? Jeremey : In school , I do n't have such an organized desk because I 'm always busy and do n't have time to clean up . But I do make some kinds of lists . I sort of have a list in my head . I memorize it . CNN : How about when you go on a trip , Jeremey ? Are you a good packer or unpacker ? Jeremey : I would write down stuff on paper and then stick it on the drawers in the hotel -LSB- so he knows where everything is -RSB- . My dad , when he 's packing , he just takes all the clothes and goes like this -LSB- imitating his dad 's voice -RSB- , `` Jeremey , help me throw in the clothes . '' I try to fold them up and put them in . I 'm like , `` Dad , you 're not supposed to do that . '' Tahari : I definitely think he is taking after me . | Figuring out to-do lists of life made easier with new book and iPhone app . Rory Tahari , wife of fashion designer Elie Tahari , has kept lists since childhood . `` It 's just how my brain is wired . It 's part of my DNA , '' she says . | [[262, 284], [295, 374], [1133, 1169], [1170, 1190]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Landslides unleashed by tropical depression Parma across the Philippine province of Benguet have killed at least 122 people and left 31 missing , officials said Friday . A boatman transports three empty wooden coffins on the edge of Laguna Lake east of Manila on Thursday . Four people had been found alive in debris , and at least 22 had been injured by landslides that started Thursday afternoon and continued all night , affecting several municipalities , said Elmer Foria , police senior superintendent . Parma , which had been downgraded from a typhoon , poured more rain onto sodden and already weakened ground . Flooding had inundated 32 towns and two cities , Dagupan and Urdaneta , according to Rocky Baraan , provincial administrator of Pangasinan . Some 35,000 people had fled to evacuation centers , the official Philippines News Agency reported , citing the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council . The worst-hit areas included Bayambang , Alcala and Basista , the news agency reported . People clambered onto rooftops as floodwaters rose , calling and texting for help . Rescue trucks were hampered by floodwaters that reach the roofs of single-story houses , Baraan said . About 16 rubber rescue boats had been deployed . Since the rains started in central Luzon , three dams in the Pangasinan area have been releasing vast amounts of water -- up to 10 million cubic meters per hour at one dam , dam officials said . Water passing through the three dams -- the Ambuklao , the Binga and the San Roque -- is rushing into the Agno River , which has been swollen since Thursday and affects seven towns in eastern Pangasinan , dam officials said . Water released from the San Roque dam has contributed to the flooding in eastern Pangasinan , acknowledged Alex Palada , division manager for flood forecasting and warning of the National Power Corporation . Dam officials had no choice but to maintain safe water levels , he added , noting that he alerted Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino . The governor started to evacuate residents Thursday when the Agno River started to rise , Palada said . In the last several days , water has become the Philippines ' biggest enemy , as Parma , locally known as `` Pepeng , '' dumped as much as 36 inches -LRB- 91.4 centimeters -RRB- of rain in some parts of the nation of islands , compounding misery in areas already flooded by earlier storm Ketsana . Parma was forecast to have winds of no greater than 39 mph -LRB- 63 kph -RRB- by Friday . The U.S. Navy was expected to join rescue operations in Pangasinan , according to the agency . Journalist Lilibeth Frondoso and CNN 's Judy Kwon contributed to this report . | Three dams in Pangasinan area release vast amounts of water , officials say . Death toll rises . Flooding inundates 32 towns , two cities , says Pangasinan administrator . Report : Worst-hit areas in Pangasinan province are Bayambang , Alcala and Basista . | [[1258, 1273], [1301, 1376], [1679, 1770], [638, 707], [638, 646], [710, 765], [933, 992]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Around 1,000 people accused of being witches in Gambia have been locked up in secret detention centers and forced to drink a dangerous hallucinogenic potion , according to human rights organization Amnesty International . Amnesty claims Gambian President Yahya Jammeh , pictured in 2006 , invited `` witch doctors '' to the West African nation . At least two people have died after drinking the liquid while many more have suffered serious kidney problems . Others suffered injuries as a result of being severely beaten , Amnesty said Wednesday as it called on authorities to `` put an immediate stop to the witch-hunting campaign . '' Amnesty claimed Gambian President Yahya Jammeh had invited `` witch doctors '' -- believed to be from neighboring Guinea -- to the West African nation following the death of his aunt . Jammeh , a former soldier who has ruled Gambia since leading a military coup in 1994 , is reported to believe that witchcraft was involved in her death , according to Amnesty . CNN contacted State House , the presidential residence in the Gambian capital , Banjul , but no-one was available to comment . `` I have no information , '' a woman told CNN . Victims and their relatives tell Amnesty that `` witch doctors '' accompanied by police , soldiers and security forces have been visiting villages and seizing people accused of being witches by force and at gunpoint . Members of Jammeh 's personal guard , known as `` green boys , '' are also alleged to have taken part in the campaign . In the most recent incident on March 9 , 300 people from the village of Sintet were forced to go to a farm owned by Jammehk , Amnesty said . One of those seized said he had been held for five days and forced to drink `` dirty water '' containing poisonous herbs which caused instant diarrhoea and vomiting . `` I experienced and witnessed such abuse and humiliation . I can not believe that this type of treatment is taking place in Gambia . It is from the dark ages , '' the victim told Amnesty . Hundreds of Gambians have also fled to neighboring Senegal following attacks on their villages , according to Amnesty . It also said it was concerned that a prominent opposition lawmaker , Halifa Sallah , who was arrested earlier this month after investigating the witchcraft claims for a newspaper , could be at risk of being tortured while in custody . Halifa , a former presidential candidate , heads the People 's Democratic Organization of Independence and Socialism and is minority leader in Gambia 's national assembly . | Amnesty International : 1,000 seized in Gambia in `` witch-hunt '' campaign . Victims forced to drink dangerous hallucinogenic potion ; at least two have died . Amnesty says Gambian President Yahya Jammeh is behind the campaign . Jammeh reportedly believes witchcraft involved in aunt 's death , Amnesty says . | [[26, 73], [0, 15], [178, 216], [0, 15], [126, 175], [365, 420], [241, 286], [0, 15], [178, 216], [241, 286], [840, 846], [927, 991], [840, 846], [939, 1016], [1657, 1671]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Typhoon Morakot bore down on Taiwan Friday , packing 89 mph -LRB- 143 kph -RRB- winds and threatening to soak the entire island when it makes landfall Saturday morning , Taiwan 's Central Weather Bureau said . A man fights against strong winds in Hsintien , Taipei county , Taiwan , on Friday . As of 10 a.m. Friday -LRB- 2 a.m. GMT -RRB- , wind gusts were reaching 112 mph , and Morakot , a medium-strength typhoon , was moving west-northwest at 14 mph en route to landfall , the agency said . Already , mudslides and landslides were occurring on the land , as airlines canceled flights , and government offices , schools and the Taiwan Stock Exchange closed for the day , according to Taiwan 's Central News Agency . The storm was centered about 124 miles -LRB- 200 km -RRB- southeast of Taipei and could wind up directly over the capital , said CNN meteorologist Kevin Corriveau . He predicted its impact would be massive . `` This storm has already dumped about 400 millimeters -LRB- 16 inches -RRB- of rain in the central and southern part of the island , and they 're still expecting another 500 -LRB- 20 inches -RRB- to 800 millimeters -LRB- 32 inches -RRB- of rain over the next 24 to 48 hours , '' he said . Watch how the storm is affecting life on the island '' Drought in recent months has severely affected the area , leaving the ground so hard that it can not absorb the rainfall , Corriveau said . However , the island tends to prepare well for typhoons , Corriveau added . `` They take it very seriously , '' Corriveau said . `` Just like Cuba is very good at handling hurricanes , Taiwan is very good at handling typhoons . '' On Thursday , Taiwanese Premier Liu Chao-shiuan examined the island 's emergency operation center and asked all personnel to stay on high alert over the next day , with the typhoon forecast to `` affect all regions of Taiwan , '' according to CNA . Taiwan and eastern China are particularly vulnerable to flash flooding and mudslides because of the proximity of the mountains to the sea . Once it hits land , Morakot is expected to weaken to tropical storm strength , the Central Weather Bureau reported . | NEW : Storm about 200 km -LRB- 124 miles -RRB- southeast of Taipei , CNN meteorologist says . NEW : Mudslides and landslides occur already Friday morning . NEW : Airlines cancel flights ; schools , government offices , stock exchange closed . Taiwan is vulnerable to flash flooding , mudslides because mountains are near sea . | [[738, 815], [514, 575], [581, 606], [613, 690], [613, 671], [693, 737], [1911, 2050], [1911, 1935], [1964, 2050]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Aerosmith announced the cancellation of the remainder of its summer tour Thursday , more than a week after the band 's lead singer tumbled off stage in South Dakota . Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler fell off stage August 5 while dancing to `` Love in an Elevator . '' `` Due to injuries Steven Tyler sustained last week when he fell from the stage during a concert in Sturgis , South Dakota , doctors have advised the lead singer to take the time to properly recuperate from the accident that resulted in a broken shoulder and stitches to his head , '' the band said in a statement . The accident happened August 5 during a concert at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in western South Dakota . Tyler was dancing during `` Love in an Elevator '' when he fell . He was airlifted to a local hospital for initial treatment before returning to Boston , Massachusetts , for treatment with his own doctors . `` Words ca n't express the sadness I feel for having to cancel this tour , '' said guitarist Joe Perry . `` We hope we can get the Aerosmith machine up and running again as soon as possible . '' `` We never anticipated this tour coming to such a swift and unfortunate ending , '' guitarist Brad Whitford said . `` Our thoughts and prayers go out to Steven for a speedy recovery and return to good health . '' Tyler 's fall was the second mishap for the lead singer during their tour with ZZ Top . Five shows were postponed in July after Tyler sprained his leg . The band said refunds will be issued for all canceled shows . | Lead singer Steven Tyler fell off stage during South Dakota show last week . He broke his shoulder and received stitches to his head ; doctors advise rest . Fall was second mishap for Tyler during Aerosmith 's tour with ZZ Top . Band says refunds will be issued for all canceled shows . | [[126, 185], [186, 286], [300, 397], [413, 509], [497, 509], [515, 569], [186, 286], [1329, 1416], [1482, 1543], [1496, 1543]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama 's decision to grant some benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees is seen by some as his attempt to extend an olive branch to the gay and lesbian community , but critics say it 's `` too little , too late . '' Some critics say President Obama has let the gay community down . `` It seems to me at least to be a nice gesture , but a disappointment , '' said Richard Kim , a senior editor at The Nation magazine . The memorandum Obama signed Wednesday is not expected to grant health and retirement benefits to same-sex partners , as that is prohibited under the Defense of Marriage Act . `` It will absolutely be seen as something good -- but I think , for example , it not including full health insurance -- that is going to put a real microscope on that question . You know , why not ? '' Kim said , adding that the memo applies only to federal employees , so most people will not be affected by it . Charles Moran , the spokesman for the Log Cabin Republicans , said the lack of full benefits in Thursday 's memorandum shows a lack of commitment to the gay community . `` That 's the part that just shows that the Obama administration really is n't serious about their promises to the gay and lesbian community . Things like the health benefits , things like retirement benefits and coverage for spouses . These are the core issues , '' Moran said . `` Why start the marathon if you 're not serious about ending the race ? '' he added . White House officials involved in discussions with gay-rights advocates say that Obama favors extending full health care benefits to same-sex couples but that will take legislation to accomplish . Moran said Obama has had multiple opportunities to fulfill his promises to the gay and lesbian community -- including by repealing the military 's `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' policy and standing against the Justice Department motion filed last week in support of the Defense of Marriage Act . `` Here we are , several months after he 's been inaugurated , and we 've gotten basically nothing . So it is too little , too late , '' Moran said . White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama will keep his word . '' -LSB- Extending benefits to same-sex couples -RSB- is a matter of fairness . The president is committed to ensuring that fairness as well as working on and fulfilling other promises that he has made in the campaign around things like ` do n't ask , do n't tell , ' '' Gibbs said . The president has faced sharp criticism over the Justice Department 's filing in support of the Defense of Marriage Act , which opposes same-sex marriage . The act used the government 's interest in opposing incestuous marriages to support its position against same-sex marriage . Openly gay Rep. Barney Frank said the Obama administration made a `` big mistake '' and is calling on the president to clearly explain his views on the matter . `` The wording they used was inappropriate , '' the Massachusetts Democrat told the Boston Herald in an interview published in the paper 's Wednesday edition . Many gay activists have called on Frank and other gay members of Congress to speak out against the recent Department of Justice brief . The rancor threatens to disrupt a big Democratic National Committee gay fundraiser in Washington next week . Vice President Biden is the guest at next Thursday 's DNC 's LBGT Leadership Council 10th Annual Dinner in Washington . Critics are calling for Frank and other gay congressional leaders to boycott the dinner , for which tickets go for $ 1,000 to $ 30,000 a plate . Activist David Mixner and blogger Andy Towle , two well-known gay rights advocates , announced that they were pulling out , citing disappointment with the Defense of Marriage Act brief . iReport.com : Share your thoughts on Obama and same-sex marriage . The president also rankled gay advocates before his inauguration when he named megachurch pastor the Rev. Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his swearing-in . Warren , in an interview with Belief.net , likened homosexuality to bestiality and incest . He also supported California 's Proposition 8 , which banned same-sex marriage in that state . During the Warren controversy , Obama -- who frequently spoke in favor of gay and lesbian rights during the campaign but has said he opposes same-sex marriage -- declared himself `` a fierce advocate for gay and lesbian Americans . '' Given the support Obama received from the gay community during the campaign season , Kim said so far , the Obama administration has let gay and lesbian rights activists down . Obama got 70 percent of the vote from those who identified themselves as gay , lesbian or bisexual , according to CNN exit polls . `` I think there is an overwhelming feeling that he has not lived up to expectations on these matters , '' he said . But , he added , `` there 's some sympathy for him -- there 's the worst recession since the Great Depression , troops are in two different countries in the Middle East -- so there 's a lot on his plate . '' Kim said Obama 's full agenda , however , should n't be used as an excuse to delay action on gay rights issues . If the administration waits until there is a news hole , then the issues will be subject to a lot of debate , he said . `` In the middle of the health care debate , saying we 're going to do health care , we 're going to fix the economy and then this other -LSB- gay rights -RSB- stuff -- of course it 's right . It does n't require a national debate , '' he said . `` This is stuff that 's been debated forever . America does not need a huge national debate on some of these issues , '' Kim said . Kim said while Obama has disappointed the gay community , he still has some time to make good on his campaign promises . `` I think people will wait through the first two legislative sessions , but then after that some of this stuff does need to move to the front , '' he said . | NEW : White House officials : Obama favors full benefits , but legislation is needed . Obama expands some benefits to same-sex partners , but not health care . `` Nice gesture , but a disappointment , '' says Richard Kim , senior editor of The Nation . Some critics show discontent by pulling out of DNC gay fundraising dinner . | [[1489, 1519], [1540, 1669], [1643, 1685], [19, 34], [47, 115], [462, 576], [716, 754], [326, 373], [399, 418], [5666, 5679], [3221, 3329], [3595, 3639], [3680, 3781]] |
JAKARTA , Indonesia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Explosions tore through two luxury hotels Friday morning in south Jakarta , Indonesia , killing at least eight people , a presidential spokesman said . Counter-terrorist police commandos secure the damaged Ritz-Carlton hotel in Jakarta on Friday after the blasts . The number of injured was in the 40s , said Dino Patti Djalal , spokesman for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono . They were taken to area hospitals . Hours later , local television reported a car bombing in north Jakarta , but that report was immediately contradicted by various other media sources . Police sealed off the area around both hotel blasts , one in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and the other at the J.W. Marriott Hotel , about 50 meters away . Djalal said the attacks were coordinated . Forensics experts are collecting evidence at the `` disturbing scene , '' Djalal said . He said he had few details about the blasts , which occurred about 7:45 a.m. -LRB- 8:45 p.m. Thursday ET -RRB- on Friday , Islam 's holy day . `` What I can say is one of the most damaged areas that we looked at , where the bodies were , was a lounge area in the Marriott near the lobby , '' he said . `` That seems to be the epicenter of the bomb . '' `` This is a blow to us , but I do n't have any doubts that we will be able to uncover and find out the perpetrators , '' Djalal said . Police said the bomb at the Marriott likely came from the basement beneath the coffee shop on the ground floor , which would have been busy at breakfast time . In a Twitter post four hours after the blast , Marriott said : `` Police responded immediately , sealed off the area . Guests @ both hotels have been evacuated & have been moved to a secure location . '' At the Ritz , windows were blown out on the second floor , as though the blast occurred from inside a hotel restaurant that would also have been crowded with a breakfast crowd , said witness Greg Woolstencroft . Another witness counted four foreigners among the wounded , according to state-run Antara New Agency . The Ritz-Carlton Hotel was to have accommodated soccer players from Britain 's Manchester United , who were expected to arrive in Jakarta on Sunday . Watch a report on suspects behind the blasts '' U.S. Embassy Press Attache Paul Belmont told CNN no U.S. casualties have been confirmed and that the embassy was monitoring the situation closely . The death toll may be higher than reported , said CNN contributor Tom Fuentes , a former FBI assistant director of international operations . He said two U.S. businessmen were treated for minor injuries . `` There was a boom and the building shook , and then subsequently two more , '' said hotel guest Don Hammer , who was leaving his room in the Marriott when the blast occurred . `` The shocking part was entering the lobby , where the glass at the front of the hotel was all blown out and blood was spattered across the floor , but most people were leaving calmly . '' Woolstencroft had just walked past the hotels and had gone to his nearby apartment when he heard an explosion . `` I looked out my window and I saw a huge cloud of brownish smoke go up , '' he told CNN in a telephone interview . `` I grabbed my iPhone to go downstairs ... and then the second bomb went off at the Ritz-Carlton , so I then ran around to the Ritz-Carlton and I was able to find that there had been a massive bomb that went off in this ... restaurant area and the explosion had blown out both sides of the hotel . `` I found inside the body of what appears to be a suicide bomber , it looked like someone who had been a suicide bomber or someone who had been very , very close to the explosion . Watch an eyewitness report of the blasts '' `` I also noticed that there were a number of injured people being taken off to hospital , but I only noticed one dead person at this point and time , that 's all I saw . There has been extensive damage to both buildings , and at this point and time of course all the authorities are blocking up all the area and starting an investigation . '' He added , `` It 's obviously targeted establishments where there are Westerners and expats ... I can only assume it 's something to try and send a message . '' The television executive said he had lived at the Ritz for a year before moving to his nearby apartment and had been impressed by the facility 's security . `` I just do n't know how someone could get in there with a bomb , given the level of security and screening that people have to go through , '' he said , citing armed guards at checkpoints and thorough searches of people , bags and vehicles . The Marriott was the site of a terrorist attack in August 2003 that killed 12 people . In that attack , an explosives-laden vehicle pulled into the motor lobby of the Marriott and exploded at the height of the lunch hour . Friday 's attack `` was not nearly as bad , '' said John Aglionby , a reporter for the Financial Times who was at the site of both blasts . Former CNN producer John Towriss , who has spent many years in Jakarta , said the Marriott and Ritz often share employees and an underground passageway connects the two buildings that sit across the road from each other . Towriss said the Marriott has beefed up security since the 2003 attacks , making it impossible for people to drive up to the hotel in cars . Both hotels set up metal detectors and thick concrete barriers to prevent car bombers . `` I always thought I was safer at the Marriott because I thought it had already been bombed once , '' Towriss said . `` I thought that another hotel would be targeted . '' CNN 's Andy Saputra in Jakarta and Miranda Leitsinger in Hong Kong . contributed to this story . | NEW : Death toll rises to eight , a presidential spokesman says . Explosions hit Ritz-Carlton and J.W. Marriott hotels in Jakarta . At the Ritz , second floor windows blown out , as though blast occurred from within . The Marriott was the site of a terrorist attack in August 2003 that killed 12 people . | [[10, 35], [127, 156], [159, 190], [39, 87], [191, 303], [233, 294], [1740, 1751], [1754, 1796], [4634, 4696], [4685, 4696], [4702, 4720]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The man charged with murder in the shooting death of a guard at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum was denied bail Wednesday and will undergo psychiatric testing against his will . `` Your Constitution guarantees me a speedy and fair trial , '' James von Brunn said from his wheelchair . James von Brunn ignored the advice of the judge and his defense attorney and addressed the court during a hearing to fight any delays as prosecutors press their case . `` Your Constitution guarantees me a speedy and fair trial , '' he said from his wheelchair during the hearing before U.S. District Judge Reginald Walton . But Walton granted the defense request for a mental evaluation , which will take place within the next 30 days at a facility in Butner , North Carolina . Von Brunn , a self-avowed white supremacist , will remain in custody after the judge said there were no conditions for release that would protect the public . Federal prosecutor Nicole Waid said von Brunn is `` dangerous because this defendant has nothing to lose , '' and that he wants to be `` a martyr for his cause . '' Von Brunn 's attorney , public defender A.J. Kramer , did not challenge the government 's request to deny bail , saying `` we do n't have any evidence to offer at this time . '' Kramer also convinced the judge to order a competency exam , which will include observations as to whether von Brunn understands the charges and can assist in his own defense . Prosecutors said four of the charges in the indictment are capital offenses and could mean the death penalty if he is convicted . Waid told the judge the government 's evidence is `` overwhelming '' and includes security camera video from the June 10 attack , in which von Brunn is seen raising a gun and shooting guard Stephen Tyrone Johns , who had opened the door for him . As Johns stumbled back mortally wounded , Waid said , `` you can see the defendant fire two more times , '' before he is shot and wounded by other guards . Also seen on the tape is the weapon being taken from von Brunn 's hands , the prosecutor said . During the discussions about psychiatric testing , von Brunn looked at spectators in the courtroom and shook his head as if to say `` no , '' when it became clear he would not be arraigned on the charges unless he is deemed competent . `` Mr. von Brunn , I advise that you not speak , '' the judge said , explaining that his attorney can best represent him . But von Brunn ignored his advice . `` I 'm a United States citizen , and as a U.S. Naval officer , I swore to protect my country , '' he said . `` I take my vows very seriously . '' The 89-year-old World War II veteran did not explain his remarks . | NEW : Bail denied for accused Holocaust Memorial Museum shooter . During hearing , James von Brunn says he does n't want a psychiatric evaluation . U.S. District Court judge orders an evaluation anyway , within 30 days . Von Brunn is charged in the death of Holocaust museum guard Stephen Johns . | [[0, 26], [129, 154], [2104, 2152], [2155, 2164], [2207, 2240], [681, 706], [713, 776], [30, 90]] |
UTTAR PRADESH , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Indian police office grabs two fists-full of a suspect 's hair ; twists and then lifts until the suspect 's feet dangle off ground . The suspect : A 6-year-old girl accused of stealing 280 rupees or about 6 dollars . The incident resulted in one officer being fired , another suspended . Charges against the girl were dropped . It was all caught on tape in February of this year . Harcharand Singh and his wife . Mr Singh says their son , accused of thief , died in police custody . Two years earlier in another Indian state another caught on tape moment . A police officer watches as a crowd beats an accused thief . Then the policeman binds the suspect and ends up dragging him behind a motorcycle leaving large raw patches of skin on the suspect 's body . The accused survived the thrashing . Two officers were fired in the incident but were later reinstated by a panel that blamed the crowd . Brutal police tactics are all too common in India according to the latest report by Human Rights Watch in India . Naureen Shah with Human Rights Watch says the report is based on interviews with 80 police , 60 alleged victims and other experts . `` The police are taking the law into their own hands . '' Shah says . `` They are acting as a vigilante force and they 're saying this is a bad guy instead of building a case against him we 're going to kill him , we 're going to take these harsh measure cause it has to get done . '' `` Police administration are meant to protect , but they are becoming predators . '' Harcharand Singh says . He is the father of a suspect he says died in police custody . Singh and his wife are dirt poor and partially blind . They sit on a bed with tears in their eyes as they speak about losing their son Pradeep . They say police hauled Pradeep away one night accusing him of being involved in a car theft and shooting . Days later they say he died in police custody . Police refused to comment on the case or the report . `` We are scared . '' Mother Ram Vati Singh says through tears . `` What else can we do ? We have no money so that we can leave or put up a fight with the police . '' The case was one of dozens highlighted in the Human Rights Watch report used as yet another example of what they say is out of control police behavior . Watch a report on abuse cases '' But the report also revealed something else . The terrible conditions police work and live in . Many live in police stations for days even months at a time unable to go home to see their families because they are expected to be on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week . Some work and live in tents in scorching temperatures . Their bathroom facilities are often wretched . Their cooking facilities sometimes made up of bricks with fire wood . The number of cases and pressure to solve them is intense . Police also say they are short staffed . One police official told us in his jurisdiction there are 70 police for a population of 250-thousand people , something CNN is unable to independently confirm . There are no computers for reports so police officers fill everything out by hand . Some departments even run out of paper to write the reports according to the Human Rights Watch report . Former Delhi Police Commissioner Ved Marwah says the conditions are dire . `` The policemen are treated very inhumanly and that 's why he gets desensitized and brutalized by his living and working conditions an by his interaction with the common citizen and with his superiors and that desensitization is reflected in the way an average policeman deals with the public at large . '' Marwah says . Marwah says there is also interference from politicians in police investigations . `` Politics plays a very negative role . '' He says . Today 's politicians , every politician there are good politicians and bad politicians , every politician looks upon it as a profession and he 's there to make a quick buck and when he gets that control over the police , he uses an misuses not to ensure that the police enforces the rule of law , but to see that the police commits or does n't commit a particular action to help him in his personal ends . '' Efforts to reform police activities were ordered by India 's supreme court three years ago . Marwah and Human Rights Watch both agree the ruling was never implemented . However the current government is promising changes . But Marwah says until it really happens , the abuses by and to police will continue unabated . `` Because ultimately the police , unlike the army , is absolutely under political control . He says `` If those who control the police have no will to reform it , then nothing is going to happen . '' | Video shows girl being physically abused by police , rights group says . Human Rights Watch says some police are becoming vigilantes . Report also shows poor conditions that police are expected to work under . The government has promised changes . | [[3243, 3317], [4363, 4408]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- To hear some Guatemalans tell it , three coordinated attacks that killed four prison officials in five hours Monday hardly raised anyone 's pulse . Police arrests two suspects in one of the three attacks . They 're used to this level of violence , said Fernando Carrera Castro , director of the Central American Institute for Fiscal Studies in Guatemala City . Although what happened is normal in Guatemala , Carrera said , that 's not to say that citizens are not concerned . `` We 're as scared as ever , '' he said Tuesday . Heather Berkman , a Central America analyst with the Eurasia Group consulting firm , also has come to expect the violence . `` What else is new ? '' she said when asked about the killings . Samuel Logan , an expert on Latin American gangs , said all of Central America is under attack from organized crime cartels because the region is pinched between Colombia and Mexico , the two biggest sources of drugs in the area . U.S. interdiction efforts that have targeted the flow of drugs through the Caribbean Sea also have forced cartels to travel through the Central American isthmus , Logan said . Within Central America , he said , Guatemala , Honduras and El Salvador have the worst problems . Among those three nations , Guatemala stands out . `` When you talk about a country being hollowed out by organized crime , Guatemala is at the top of the list , '' Logan said . There are two main reasons , he said : geography and an incompetent and corrupt government . `` Guatemala bunches right up against Mexico , '' Logan said . `` Any spillover effect is almost certainly going south . '' Said Berkman , `` The narcos are coming down from Mexico . '' In addition , Logan said , the federal government is not able to control large segments of the country . For example , Peten state in northern Guatemala , bordered on two sides by Mexico , is lawless , he said . Berkman made the same point . `` The narcos control about 40 percent of the territory down there , which is pretty amazing , '' she said . Berkman also pointed out that the government has reduced anti-crime spending in the 2010 budget because of the nation 's dire economic situation . `` If you do n't have resources , you ca n't pay for troops and supplies and intelligence , '' she said . Logan , who just wrote a book on the Mara Salvatrucha gang of Central America , said there are two main criminal elements in Guatemala : drug cartels that deal in large-scale exportation and street gangs that sell drugs at the retail level and are involved in other crimes , such as robbery and extortion . In some cases , they work together . When those criminals get arrested , they continue their activities on the inside . `` The prisons , in general , are centers of corruption , '' Carrera said . `` From inside prison , they direct kidnappings , extortion , drug trafficking . '' Monday 's attacks on the prison officials resulted from efforts to weed out corruption in the nation 's prisons , Carrera said . Officials have been clamping down on what goods inmates can receive and the use of cell phones within prison walls . They also are transferring some top-level criminals to high-security prisons . `` What happened is a reaction from gangs who want control of the prisons , '' Carrera said . `` They 're trying to show strength through force . To generate fear . '' Interior Minister Raul Velasquez was quoted in several newspapers Tuesday as saying the attacks were in retaliation for the recent transfer of several gang leaders to high-security prisons . Two arrests have been made in Monday 's shootings and the investigation continues , said Rudy Esquivel , spokesman for the Guatemalan prison system . `` This was a very structured job ; very well-defined , '' Esquivel said from Guatemala City , the nation 's capital . Killed were a prison assistant director , a warden and two guards . One guard and a shooting suspect were wounded , as were three citizens . One of the wounded was a woman in the eighth month of pregnancy , news accounts said . According to published reports in the Prensa Libre , La Hora , El Periodico de Guatemala and Siglo 21 newspapers , this is what happened : . The first attack occurred around 7 a.m. Monday in Guatemala City when two gunmen on a motorcycle fired an AK-47 assault rifle at three guards who were transporting a prisoner . One of the guards was killed and another wounded . A national civil police unit driving in front of the prison detail gave chase and captured the suspects , one of whom suffered a serious leg injury . The second attack happened 10 minutes later , when the warden at the prison in the city of Guastatoya , in central Guatemala , was gunned down while he ate in front of the Hospital General San Juan de Dios . The warden , Felix Gabriel Garcia Reyes , was at the hospital to pick up the body of a prisoner who had died after surgery . Two men and a pregnant 19-year-old woman were wounded in the attack . Witnesses told police four men in a green vehicle fired and fled . Authorities found an abandoned Mitsubishi nearby that matched the description . Inside , they found a 9 mm pistol and ammunition for other weapons . The third attack occurred around noon on the Inter-American Highway near the city of Chimaltenango , where Javier Bac Tzul , 40 , was the prison 's assistant director . He and his 31-year-old driver were killed as they returned to the prison after a trip to Guatemala City . Authorities said they found AK-47 shells at the scene . Chimaltenango Gov. Hector Lopez said a prison director and two assistant directors already have been killed in the state , Prensa Libre reported . Analyst Berkman sees little hope . `` It 's a lose-lose situation , no matter how you look at it , '' she said . | Four killed in three orchestrated attacks , local papers say . Analysts blame attacks on flow of drugs through country . Guatemala on route from Mexico to Colombia , two biggest sources of drugs in area . Analysts also blame Guatemalan government they say is incompetent and corrupt . | [[54, 166], [1449, 1456], [1459, 1512]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- George Lucas did n't get to be a billionaire by delegating . George Lucas says he was `` completely surprised '' by `` Star Wars in Concert . '' Holding fast to his vision -- and his marketing rights -- for the `` Star Wars '' empire has made it the biggest franchise in history , and made Lucas one of the most powerful people in entertainment . But while he 's enthusiastic about the new touring show `` Star Wars In Concert , '' it was n't his idea , and when I talked with him before the first Los Angeles performance this week , he kept giving the credit to others . `` Star Wars In Concert '' is built around John Williams ' well-known scores from the films , performed by a symphony orchestra and choir , and accompanied by specially edited clips from all six movies , displayed on a mammoth LED screen . Watch Lucas rave about the show '' Anthony Daniels , who has played and voiced the golden protocol droid `` C3PO '' in every film and most of the spinoffs , provides live narration -- and another reason for the `` Star Wars '' fans in the audience , especially those waving lightsabers and dressed as everything from sand people to Imperial stormtroopers , to cheer mightily , as they did the night I interviewed Lucas . iReporter praises the ` Force ' of the show . George Lucas : I 've seen some presentations of , you know , live orchestras with `` Star Wars '' clips , and that sort of thing . But this is so much more than that -- it 's so much more emotional , because what they 've done is taken the emotional content of the score ... one is obviously the Imperial March , one is obviously romantic ... and then they 've cut all the pictures around that from all the movies , so that you get this really wide range of visuals going with the music , and it really is quite powerful when you see the depictions of all of the various Imperial shenanigans that were going on over the Imperial March . CNN : Obviously , when John Williams did the music for the original film , neither of you could have guessed your association would last so long , or that you 'd be so identified with each other . How did he get involved originally ? Lucas : What I did was , I was doing this space opera , and I was talking to Steve Spielberg and I said , `` Look , I 've got to get somebody who really knows the old-fashioned music score , I really am doing some giant romantic action adventure , you know , throwback to the '30s , and who do you know that can do that ? '' And he said , `` Oh , there 's only one person who can do that and that 's John Williams -- he did ` Jaws ' and he 's perfect . '' And I said OK , and I met him , and we hit it off , you know , perfectly , and doing the first film was such a great experience -- he 's so wonderful to work with -- that , you know , I 'll never let him go . And Steve wo n't let him go either ! CNN : How did this show come together ? Lucas : Howard ! -LSB- Lucas calls over Howard Roffman , the president of Lucas Licensing . -RSB- You 're the man who did the whole thing -- I 've got nothing to do with it . ... We would kid him about how his concert was going and he had to get Johnny -LSB- Williams -RSB- to buy in and me to buy in . Howard Roffman : Well , he always got it from the beginning , so he was an easy sell . CNN : But what was it he `` got '' ? How did you sell him on a new concept for his franchise ? Roffman : I think he understood that the music was so powerful and the images are so powerful that when you put that together with a live orchestra on a big venue , I mean , who would not be thrilled to see that ? CNN : It 's a very different experience , being live . Lucas : It 's very powerful . I was completely surprised by it . And I 've seen other live orchestra performances with `` Star Wars '' images , but nothing like this -- I mean this really works , because it was edited specifically to bring out the emotion . | `` Star Wars in Concert ' features John Williams ' music and scenes from films . George Lucas supported idea , though he 's quick to give credit to others . Effect of the arrangement ? `` It 's very powerful , '' says Lucas . `` Star Wars '' remains a tremendously successful franchise . | [[616, 707], [760, 817], [502, 575], [578, 615], [3690, 3695], [3701, 3719]] |
HONG KONG , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An imperial `` dragon '' throne owned by a Chinese emperor set the world auction record for Chinese furniture Thursday , selling for about US $ 11 million . Nicolas Chow of Sotheby 's , pictured , said mainland Chinese buyers were `` ready to pay the premium . '' There was frenzied bidding among mainland , Hong Kong and Taiwan collectors at the Sotheby 's auction in Hong Kong . Thirty-six bids came in 10 minutes , with tension building as a new telephone bidder jumped into the competition . `` These mainland -LRB- China -RRB- buyers , mainland collectors are ready to pay the premium it takes to secure an object of this quality , '' said Nicolas Chow , international head of Chinese ceramics and art at Sotheby 's . The winning bid of US $ 11,068,193 -LRB- HK $ 85,780,000 -RRB- was by a private Shanghai businessman . It was nearly triple the estimate of US $ 3.9 million -LRB- HK $ 30 million -RRB- , Sotheby 's said . Watch why the throne is so prized '' `` This is the place from which the emperor conducted his stately affairs and received foreign envoys and basically , this is a seat of power , '' Chow said . `` No one else should have sat down in this place . '' The throne belonged to Emperor Qianlong , who ruled from 1736-1795 . The 4.6 foot-long -LRB- 140 centimeters -RRB- piece is considered rare and prized because of the zitan wood from which it was carved . It also features carved panels , curved legs and an elaborate `` Five Dragon '' carving on the front and back . The number five represents the `` five blessings '' of old age , wealth , health , virtue and peaceful death , according to Sotheby 's . Other pieces that sold Thursday included a celadon ground butterfly vase . The Qianlong period piece sold for US $ 2.74 million -LRB- HK $ 21.3 million -RRB- . CNN 's Pauline Chiou contributed to this report . | Private Shanghai businessman puts forth winning bid of US $ 11,068,193 -LRB- HK$ 85 M -RRB- . Frenzied bidding occurs among mainland , Hong Kong and Taiwan collectors . Throne has carved panels , curved legs and a `` Five Dragon '' carving on front and back . It belonged to Emperor Qianlong , who ruled from 1736-1795 . | [[760, 803], [760, 862], [301, 417], [1420, 1422], [1428, 1499], [1485, 1531], [1216, 1255], [1239, 1255], [1262, 1284]] |
TEHRAN , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ameneh Bahrami is certain that one day she 'll meet someone , fall in love and get married . But when her wedding day comes , her husband wo n't see her eyes , and she wo n't see her husband . Bahrami is blind , the victim of an acid attack by a spurned suitor . Ameneh Bahrami said her attacker pestered her with marriage demands . If she gets her way , her attacker will suffer the same fate . The 31-year-old Iranian is demanding the ancient punishment of `` an eye for an eye , '' and , in accordance with Islamic law , she wants to blind Majid Movahedi , the man who blinded her . `` I do n't want to blind him for revenge , '' Bahrami said in her parents ' Tehran apartment . `` I 'm doing this to prevent it from happening to someone else . '' Bahrami says she first crossed paths with Movahedi in 2002 , when they attended the same university . She was a 24-year-old electronics student . He was 19 . She never noticed him until they shared a class . He sat next to her one day and brushed up against her . Bahrami says she knew it was n't an accident . `` I moved away from him , '' she said , `` but he brushed up against me again . '' Watch Bahrami return to the attack scene for the first time '' When Bahrami stood up in class and screamed for him to stop , Movahedi just looked at her in stunned silence . He would n't stay silent for long . Bahrami said that over the next two years , Movahedi kept harassing her and making threats , even as he asked her to marry him . `` He told me he would kill me . He said , ` You have to say yes . ' '' On a November afternoon in 2004 , Movahedi 's threats turned to violence . That day at 4:30 p.m. , Bahrami left the medical engineering company where she worked . As she walked to the bus stop , she remembers sensing someone behind her . She turned around and was startled to see Movahedi . A moment later came the agonizing pain . Movahedi had thrown something over her . What felt like fire on her face was acid searing through her skin . `` I was just yelling , ` I 'm burning ! I 'm burning ! For God 's sake , somebody help me ! ' '' The acid seeped into Bahrami 's eyes and streamed down her face and into her mouth . When she covered her face with her hands , streaks of acid ran down her fingers and onto her forearms . Watch how the still-pungent acid destroyed Bahrami 's clothes '' Two weeks after the attack , Movahedi turned himself in to police and confessed in court . He was convicted in 2005 and has been behind bars all along . Bahrami 's lawyer , Ali Sarrafi , said Movahedi had never shown any remorse . `` He says he did it because he loved her , '' Sarrafi said . Attack victims in Iran usually accept `` blood money '' : a fine in lieu of harsh punishment . With no insurance and mounting medical bills , Bahrami could 've used the cash , but she said no . `` I told the judge I want an eye for an eye , '' Bahrami said . `` People like him should be made to feel my suffering . '' Watch how the acid destroyed Bahrami 's eyes -LRB- includes graphic content -RRB- '' Bahrami 's demand has outraged some human rights activists . Criticizing acid-attack victims is almost unheard of , but some Internet bloggers have condemned Bahrami 's decision . `` We can not condone such cruel punishment , '' wrote one blogger . `` To willingly inflict the same treatment on a person under court order is a violation of human rights . '' Late last year , an Iranian court gave Bahrami what she asked for . It sentenced Movahedi to be blinded with drops of acid in each eye . This month , the courts rejected Movahedi 's appeal . Bahrami 's lawyer , Sarrafi , said the sentencing might be carried out in a matter of weeks . He said he does n't think Bahrami will change her mind . Neither does Bahrami . `` If I do n't do this and there is another acid attack , I will never forgive myself for as long as I live , '' she said . Bahrami is largely self-sufficient despite not being able to see . She can make a salad , prepare tea and walk up the five flights of stairs that lead to her parents ' apartment . She has undergone more than a dozen surgeries on her badly scarred face , but she says there are many more to come . She ca n't afford to pay for her medical care , so she 's using the Internet to raise money . She 's lost her big brown eyes , but she likes to smile , especially when she imagines her wedding day . `` I always see myself as someone who can see and sometimes see myself in a beautiful wedding gown , and why not ? '' | Woman blinded , disfigured by acid wins case to have attacker also blinded by acid . Ameneh Bahrami wants `` eye for an eye '' punishment to be deterrent to others . Court-ordered blinding of Majid Movahedi may happen within weeks , lawyer says . | [[388, 428], [429, 554], [3629, 3646], [3659, 3722]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Twenty-three suspects , including nine American Airlines employees , were arrested Tuesday for allegedly transporting nearly $ 20 million worth of cocaine on flights into and out of Puerto Rico , federal authorities said . Manuel Santiago-Alvarado , an American Airlines control crew chief , is among the suspects arrested Tuesday . Most of the commercial flights carrying suitcases stuffed with illicit drugs came into San Juan , which was a transshipment point for drugs bound for cities on the U.S. mainland , authorities said . The drug trafficking organization headed by defendant Wilfredo Rodriguez Rosade had been operating since 1999 , according to the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI , which participated in the long-running investigation . In a September 9 indictment unsealed Tuesday , Justice Department officials also moved to seize $ 18 million worth of property owned by the suspects , including seven homes , three businesses and an apartment complex . All but one of the arrests occurred in Puerto Rico . The lone arrest on the U.S. mainland was in Miami , Florida . Drug Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Javier Pena said the airline industry cooperated in the investigation . `` By denying the drug traffickers alternate smuggling routes , we disrupt the flow of drugs into Puerto Rico and discourage the use of the island as a transshipment point in the Caribbean , '' he said in a news release . The agency said that if they are convicted , the defendants taken into custody would face sentences ranging from 10 years to life in prison and personal fines of up to $ 4 million . American Airlines issued a statement confirming some employees had been arrested , but could not confirm the number because of its privacy policy , spokesman Tim Wagner said in an e-mail . The airline has been working with authorities , he said . `` As a company , we hope that the actions of a few employees do n't reflect negatively on the tens of thousands of ethical American Airlines employees who work hard to serve the public daily , '' Wagner wrote . | 9 airline employees among those accused of smuggling $ 20 million in cocaine . Most of flights were into or out of San Juan , Puerto Rico . DEA and FBI say operation had been running since 1999 . Justice Department moves to seize $ 18 million in property . | [[0, 15], [32, 40], [43, 85], [0, 15], [76, 212], [551, 660], [551, 630], [663, 723], [716, 723], [732, 780], [781, 825], [828, 856], [862, 907]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro will include rugby union sevens , a shortened version of the 15-player game , and golf as sports , the International Olympic Committee -LRB- IOC -RRB- announced . The IOC announced Rio 's successful bid for the 2016 Olympic Games last week . Two months ago the IOC 's executive board voted to include the sports in the program , a proposal that was ratified by the body 's members at a meeting in Copenhagen , Denmark , on Friday . Rugby sevens , a sport played with exactly the same rules as the regular version -- just with less players , garnered 81 votes in favor while eight were against and one abstained . Golf was voted in with 63 votes to 27 , with two abstentions -- it means the number of `` Olympic '' sports has reached the IOC 's stated maximum of 28 . Blog : Money , money , money should be new Olympic motto . The vote was delayed as some IOC members cast doubt on the selection process that had seen the two sports put forward , but on announcing the result IOC president Jacques Rogge said : `` Time will show your decision was very wise . '' The two disciplines will be part of the 2016 and 2020 Games as a result of the vote , a move that prompted IRB president Bernard Lapasset to tell reporters : `` This is an historic moment for our sport and for the global rugby community , who were united in their support . '' Rugby 's world governing body , the IRB , has promised to end its World Cup Sevens event in order to allow 12 men 's and women 's teams to take part in the competition . Similarly , the International Golf Federation -LRB- IGF -RRB- has said that of the 60 players who will compete in the men 's and women 's tournament over 72 holes , the world 's top stars will all be present . The executive director of the IGF 's Olympic Golf Committee , Ty Votaw , was equally delighted . After coordinating the successful Olympic bid of his sport , he said : `` We are elated the IOC membership has accepted golf as an Olympic sport , and look forward to seeing the world 's best golfers compete for gold at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro . '' Softball , squash , baseball , karate and roller sports all bid to be accepted as Olympic sports but were turned down by the executive board two months ago . Golf previously featured at the Paris Games of 1900 and in St Louis in 1904 , while Olympic medals could be won by rugby players who contested the 15-a-side format from 1900-24 . Meanwhile , Rogge has been re-elected unopposed as president . The Belgian will serve his final four years , which takes him through the London 2012 Olympics before stepping down in 2013 , after being re-elected by 88 votes to one . | The IOC have voted rugby union sevens and golf into the 2016 Olympic Games . Rugby sevens garnered 81 votes in favor of their inclusion with eight against . Golf was voted into the Olympics with 63 votes to 27 with just two abstentions . The Olympic Games in 2016 will be held in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil . | [[1121, 1204], [492, 504], [601, 621], [634, 672], [634, 672], [673, 710], [2049, 2137]] |
Editor 's note : On CNN 's `` State of the Union , '' host and chief national correspondent John King goes outside the Beltway to report on issues affecting communities across the country . Pope McLean Jr. tells CNN 's John King that a lot of farms are hurting because of the global recession . LEXINGTON , Kentucky -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Crestwood Farm is tucked into the rolling hillsides of Kentucky 's legendary bluegrass country . Kipling and Unbridled Energy are among the stallions critical to the reputation -- and the bottom line -- of the McLean family business . And just how do the stallions prove their value ? `` When their progeny does well on the race track , '' Pope McLean Jr. said . `` Ca n't bluff that . That 's when they prove what they are worth . '' Pope McLean Sr. got into the horse business in college and took over Crestwood Farm in 1970 . His son worked on the farm while growing up . After college he took a job in the financial sector , but in 1991 he returned to Crestwood . His brother Marc returned a few years later , and their younger sister Grandison joined after she graduated from college . `` It 's been pretty much a family business since that point , '' Pope McLean Jr. said during a tour of the 1,000 acre property . Kentucky is to horse racing what Michigan is to the domestic auto industry . Racing and breeding thoroughbreds is a multibillion-dollar business in the state and the source of some 100,000 jobs . But `` The Sport of Kings '' is hardly exempt from these painful economic times , and in fact is taking a severe blow in the global recession . `` It 's truly an international industry , so we have people , a lot of buyers , from Europe come in . And they have dialed back , '' McLean said . `` Domestic buyers have dialed back their participation , as well . The good horses are still bringing decent money , but everyone has to lower their expectations . '' At this year 's Keeneland September Yearling Sale , which McLean calls the horse industry 's version of the NBA draft , the gross was down more than 41 percent from last year , the largest year-to-year drop in the 66-year history of the auction . `` The prices are down , and our production costs increased with commodity prices going up and so forth , so it definitely puts a squeeze on commercial breeding operations , '' McLean said . `` A lot of farms are hurting . And then you have the credit squeeze that has hurt a lot of farms , too . '' McLean sees another lean year next year , and then hopes for a rebound because of an odd twist to the laws of supply and demand . In 2008 , when the stock market was plummeting , 30 percent fewer mares were bred , so the supply of horses available at auction the year after next will be smaller . `` I think people just decided to pull back , '' McLean said . `` So the supply of horses available at auction will be reduced and that should start to help market conditions . '' At Crestwood , McLean predicts an `` about even '' year . `` We 're down at bit , '' at the moment , he says . `` I feel pretty sure there will be quite a few farms that will go out of business . '' Out of business is an all too common theme in Hazard , a coal country town in Eastern Kentucky 's Appalachia region about 120 miles away from Lexington and horse country . Statewide , the unemployment rate in Kentucky is 11.1 percent . Hazard is the county seat in Perry County , where the jobless rate has been on a steady climb and is 12.7 percent . On Main Street , a clothing and novelty store is closing down , along with an adjacent print and copying shop . Fallout , locals say , from the closing of a uniform plant that had employed more than 140 people , and then a Weyerhaeuser lumber facility that employed 180 . Joanne Caron knew there were problems when Weyerhaeuser canceled weekend shifts , `` but we did n't think it would be that drastic . '' The bad news came suddenly in March when workers were told their jobs were being eliminated immediately . `` They called us in the conference room and said due to market conditions , you know , they had to shut us down . '' Caron has been looking for work for seven months . Nothing . Her unemployment check is $ 746 every two weeks . She cashed in her Weyerhaeuser 401 -LRB- k -RRB- and , despite the long-term risks , allows herself a small slice of that money every month , as well . `` My daughter likes to eat , and she likes clothes , '' Caron said with a shrug . `` And we like heat and air conditioning . That 's the choices we have to make . '' Her 19-year-old is enrolled at the local community college , where Joanne also plans to take classes in hopes of improving her job prospects . Two older daughters completed college over the past two years , one in Florida and other here in Kentucky , but neither has been able to find work . `` So everything I told them as they were growing up : go to college , get a degree so you can get a good job , it 's just not working out that way . '' Caron tries to keep her spirits up , dryly joking that `` you get to see everybody during the day because nobody 's at work . '' But the long search can be demoralizing . `` I worked all my life and now I 'm collecting an unemployment check . I feel real uncomfortable about that , but there 's no jobs available . '' When Caron returned to the Weyerhaeuser plant for the first time , it made her feel sad . `` The last shift I worked was 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Twelve hour shifts , '' she said as she looked through the fence , chained and padlocked shut . `` Sad to see it like this , '' Caron said . `` I made a lot of good friends working there . We had good times working in there . It was n't a glamorous job , but we had fun and we got along , and I miss seeing those people every day . '' | Horse racing industry is the source of some 100,000 jobs in Kentucky . Domestic and international buyers have dialed back participation , horse farmer says . Unemployment rate in Kentucky is 11.1 percent . Kentucky resident jokes , `` You get to see everybody ... because nobody 's at work '' | [[1333, 1451], [1699, 1724], [1744, 1799], [3307, 3316], [3319, 3370], [5031, 5119]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Beginning Saturday , many air travelers will be asked their birth dates and genders when making airline reservations . The new travel rules are the latest `` visible '' expansion of the Secure Flight program . It 's the latest `` publicly visible '' expansion of Secure Flight , a program that transfers responsibility for checking air passengers ' identities from the airlines to the federal government , the Transportation Security Administration said . The change keeps the agency on track to assume responsibility for ID checks on all domestic flights by early next year , according to the TSA . Currently , the airlines check passenger identifications against lists of suspected terrorists . But the 9/11 Commission said the job was better suited for the federal government , which compiles the `` terror watch lists . '' Government control increases security , according to the TSA , while reducing the number of instances in which innocent people are mistakenly confused with possible terrorists having similar or identical names . In May , the federal government began the first public phase of `` Secure Flight '' when four small airlines began asking passengers to provide their names , as the names appeared on the government-issued IDs they would be traveling with , when making reservations . Since then , additional airlines have begun asking for full names , TSA spokeswoman Sterling Payne said , though she declined to say how many airlines are participating for security reasons . The new change requires travelers to provide three pieces of information when making reservations : the passenger 's full name as it appears on the government-issued ID they will be using , their birth date and their gender . The airline will transmit that information to the TSA , which will compare it to a `` no-fly '' list of people prohibited from flying or a list of `` selectees '' who can fly after they pass additional physical screening . If passengers are not asked for this addition information , they should not be concerned , as it will not affect their travel , the agency said . Early efforts to create the Secure Flight program were beset by problems , including program delays and complaints of privacy breaches . Finally , in 2006 , after the TSA spent more than $ 130 million and four years on the system , then-TSA Director Kip Hawley ordered a complete overhaul of the program and dropped plans to check passengers ' names against commercial databases , one of the most contentious features of the program . `` Secure Flight is a key tool in confirming that someone identified as a ` No Fly ' does not receive a boarding pass , '' TSA acting Administrator Gale Rossides said in a statement Wednesday . `` Secure Flight will make travel safer and easier for passengers . '' The TSA says it plans to vet 100 percent of passengers on all domestic commercial flights by early next year and 100 percent of passengers on all international commercial flights by the end of 2010 . | Many travelers will be asked for birth dates , genders on reservation . Federal government taking over responsibility of checking identities . TSA expects to check all domestic passengers by early next year . If you are n't asked for information , agency says , do n't be concerned . | [[49, 148], [1528, 1600], [1552, 1625], [1697, 1753], [309, 318], [324, 433], [486, 604], [2823, 3022], [2836, 2961], [2105, 2122]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hurricane Felicia had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph Thursday , but forecasters predicted the storm , which is heading toward Hawaii , would weaken in the Pacific later in the day . Forecasters predict Hurricane Felicia will weaken as it moves over colder water . The Category 4 storm 's reduction in intensity was expected to come as it moved over cooler waters , according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami , Florida . Felicia could reach Hawaii on Tuesday morning , according to forecast tracks , but by that time the storm will have weakened to a tropical depression with winds of about 35 mph , the center said . As of 8 a.m. local time , Felicia 's center was about 1,510 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico 's Baja California and 1,545 miles east of Hilo , Hawaii . Hurricanes 101 : How hurricanes are classified '' The storm was moving northwest near 10 mph , and a gradual turn to the west-northwest was expected over the next 48 hours . `` If anything , it will be a rain-making system over the -LRB- Hawaiian -RRB- islands , '' said Richard Knabb , deputy director of the Central Pacific Hurricane Center . Knabb said there are no real storm preparations under way in Hawaii , but officials are keeping an eye on the storm `` just in case . '' | Hurricane Felicia reaches Category 4 status on Wednesday . Storm expected to weaken before it hits Hawaii on Monday . Hurricane season runs through November 30 . | [[91, 204], [205, 260], [225, 286], [287, 354], [287, 333], [347, 385]] |
Editor 's note : This is an excerpt from Jane Velez-Mitchell 's new book `` iWant '' published by HCI Books . Velez-Mitchell anchors `` Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell '' on HLN nightly at 7 p.m. ET . Jane Velez-Mitchell writes about her journey from addiction and overconsumption to a simpler , honest life . This is the story of my ch ... ch ... changes , which took me from insanity to clarity , from egocentricity to altruism , from alcoholism to activism . These changes have marked an evolution in what I want from this life . I am what I want . What I seek to consume , possess , and achieve is a mirror that reflects my lusts and cravings , values and priorities , and moral boundaries or lack thereof . I am happy to say that what I want today is much less toxic and self-centered than what I used to want . It 's taken decades of self-examination to peel back the layers and figure out what really makes me happy . And while I 'm still searching for my ultimate bliss , I know for sure it 's not what I once thought it was . It 's not alcohol , cigarettes , money , food , sugar , or status symbols : I 've consumed all of those in massive quantities , and they 've just made me miserable . Now , I want what ca n't be tasted , smoked , worn , seen , or counted . It 's the opposite of material . As sappy as it might sound , what I want is spiritual . Watch Jane talk about her new book '' The shift from material to spiritual is a particular challenge in our culture . We have allowed ourselves to be defined by our consumption , instead of by our ability to move beyond it . To keep consumers consuming , the corporate culture has brainwashed us into thinking we can change ourselves by changing what we buy , which pills we pop , what type of booze we swill , what gated community we join , what kind of golf clubs we swing , and what kind of cancer sticks we dangle between our lips . We 've been told that certain consumer choices say a lot about us , that they reveal our character . If we 've stepped up to a more prestigious brand , we 've changed for the better . Nonsense ! We can not consume our way into personal growth . Yet , millions of us have bought into this cynical concept of faux identity . If you keep buying the `` latest and the greatest '' but feel like you 're stuck in the same place , you 're just changing labels , and that 's not changing . That 's rearranging . Real change occurs on the emotional , psychological , and spiritual levels , not in a shopping mall , a car dealership , online , at the drugstore , at the liquor store , or at the fast-food joint . For too long , we have allowed ourselves to be manipulated by forces whose sole purpose is PROFIT and POWER . We have given advertisers leave to claim that inanimate objects have spiritual qualities . One ad , in perhaps the world 's most prestigious newspaper , urges us to buy an expensive diamond by insisting that such a purchase will feed the soul , lift the spirit , and increase our resolve to achieve whatever we wish . Really ? How exactly does a diamond feed the soul ? It 's absurd ! This is false advertising . Today , as a culture , we are awash in false advertising . As a society , we 've lent legitimacy to these patent lies by literally buying into them . As a result of this unnecessary , self-indulgent consumption , we 've gone a long way toward destroying our natural environment with our waste . Perhaps most important , by obsessing about material things , we 've cheated ourselves out of the most fundamental aspect of the human experience : real experiences that result in real growth . Unlike diamonds , meaningful experiences can actually feed the soul , resulting in self-development and self-knowledge . Authentic change has allowed me to gradually learn why I 'm here experiencing this existence as well as what I am destined to contribute during my lifetime . For me , meaningful change has been about getting sober , becoming honest , and adopting a new attitude . Sobriety has allowed me to shift the criteria I use for all the decisions I make from an ego-based formula of what 's in it for me to a more evolved formula based on compassion for other people , other living creatures , and our environment . It 's an ongoing struggle , and there are many times when I fail . But I keep trying . This book is my story of how I 've progressed from self-obsession to a life that I hope will count . In the tradition of the Twelve Steps created by Alcoholics Anonymous , I 'm going to lay out what it was like , what happened to change me , and what it 's like now . For thirty years as a television news reporter , I 've been recounting other people 's mostly sordid stories . Frankly , the prospect of airing my own dirty laundry scares the wits out of me . The very thought of this sparks a flood of memories , primarily featuring the many stupid and embarrassing things I 've done over the years , especially before I got sober . My face burns at the prospect of sharing some of these memories with you . I know we 're all only as sick as our secrets . By pouring out the intimate details of my personal history , I am trying to get healthier through honesty . Still , I ca n't help but wonder if you really have to know every single one of my secrets . Is that what is meant by rigorous honesty ? These thoughts swirl through my mind as I huddle under my covers unable to sleep ... ... There 's so much to tell . But would you want to know everything about my personal struggles ? You may simply be reading this book because you 're interested in my life , and for that I thank you . But if you identify with my story , then we will both learn from my experience . That is the essence of all recovery programs . Many of the battles I 'm fighting , the compulsions I 'm struggling to conquer , are the same as those experienced by many of my friends , relatives , coworkers , and neighbors . Some struggle with overeating , with alcohol or drugs , with workaholism , with codependency , with compulsive spending , with gambling , with sex addiction , or with facing the truth about themselves -- whatever that truth may be . And virtually everyone I know , including myself , suffers from generic overconsumption -- a chronic craving for more of everything that is poisoning our lives , not to mention our oceans , skies , and forests . My friend once called himself a tornado of consumption . That description fits most Americans . Sadly , we 're a nation of addicts . For a multitude of reasons -- our health , our finances , and our environment , among them -- we need to take immediate action to reduce our collective consumption levels . Unfortunately , addicts do n't respond to reason or rationality . Just as you ca n't reason with a drunk who is on a binge , we are not going to lecture our way out of America 's consumption mess . Fortunately , there are proven recovery methods out there that can help us get a handle on our addictive consumption . I 've used them to deal with my plethora of addictions , and I will share these techniques with you while I tell you my story . From IWANT by Jane Velez-Mitchell . Available wherever books are sold . Copyright © 2009 Jane Velez-Mitchell . All Rights Reserved . | Jane Velez-Mitchell writes of her journey from addiction to a simpler , honest life . She says it 's taken decades of self-examination to find out what makes her happy . Velez-Mitchell : `` Change occurs on the emotional , psychological , and spiritual levels '' | [[201, 309], [817, 856], [885, 924], [817, 891], [901, 924], [2404, 2594]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The world 's top pound-for-pound fighter , Manny Pacquiao , will attempt to win a world title in a fourth division by taking on three-time world champion Miguel Cotto in his next bout . Manny Pacquiao will take on Miguel Cotto in his next fight scheduled for Novermber 18 . The Filipino boxer will fight the 28-year-old Puerto Rican for the WBO welterweight title at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas , America on November 14 it has been confirmed . Promoter Bob Arum , who represents both fighters , announced that although contracts still need to be signed , verbal agreements have been given : `` I 'm very excited about this because it 's a good fight for boxing -LSB- and -RSB- it was n't difficult to do , because they both wanted the fight , '' Arum told the Los Angeles Times . Pacquiao is a national hero in the Philippines but has seen his popularity grow around the world since his comprehensive victory over British fighter Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas . The man dubbed the `` National Fist '' is currently rated by The Ring , the sport 's most respected trade magazine , as the best boxer in the world . His career earnings stand at an estimated $ 50M and he stands to bank further millions with the Cotto fee , however , Arum has yet to announce how the purse will be split . Pacquiao has been in devastating form in recent times , racking up a string of victories in four different weight divisions . Mexico 's super-featherweight Juan Manuel Marquez was dispatched by the `` Pac Man '' before the 30-year-old secured further wins against America 's David Diaz -LRB- lightweight -RRB- and Oscar de la Hoya -LRB- welterweight -RRB- before a devastating show of force against British light-welterweight Ricky Hatton . Cotto survived a recent split decision result against Ghana 's Joshua Clottey despite suffering a bad cut over one of his eyes during the bout and has only lost once in his career thus far to 31-year-old Mexican Antonio Margarito . Arum said a press tour with the fighters will start Sept. 9 in Los Angeles . | Manny Pacquiao will fight Puerto Rico 's Miguel Cotto in his next fight . The Filipino will be aiming to win the WBO welterweight title . The bout will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on November 14 . The `` Pac Man '' is currently rated the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world . | [[0, 15], [68, 204], [205, 292], [293, 406], [293, 406]] |
Editor 's note : We asked readers to weigh in on CNN.com Live producer Jarrett Bellini 's vacation destination , and you chose South Africa . Check back for a wrap-up of his trip . Jarrett Bellini explores South Africa 's Cape of Good Hope . CAPE TOWN , South Africa -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The very best travel days often happen when good karma and perfect timing collide . And , somehow , on this morning , it also took a bit of tequila . Of course , normally , the latter ingredient tends to be counterintuitive . But not here . I arrived at the reception desk-slash-bar of my hostel , Long Street Backpackers , at 8:40 in the morning to be picked up for a full day of shark-diving . Fun . Productive . Presumably safe . However , it was then that I learned that the seas were deemed too rough , and the tour was cancelled . Bugger . Next thing I know , a glass of tequila is slammed in front of me with a bit of sage bartender advice , `` Might as well . '' Normally , one would simply decline and go about attempting to have a relatively human-like existence on planet Earth . But at this place , there 's really no backing out . In fact , unless you like spontaneous hat parties and have a thing for sleeping under tables , it 's best not to hang out in the reception room . Fortunately , I 'm a rather strong-willed individual , free-thinking and confident . So , naturally , I buckled under the pressure . What can I say ? I like these people . They wear funny hats . But as I was sitting there with a few other hostel folks who , apparently , also found it completely fit to begin ruining their day before nine , a Dutch kid came into the room and offhandedly mentioned that he and two Dutch girls had a car and were driving out to the Cape of Good Hope . My ears perked up . `` Can I come ? '' And just like that , I was rescued from the gates of hell . I love you , Holland ! The Cape of Good Hope is the southwestern-most point of the African continent , and it 's an absolute thing of beauty . Panoramic views paint the sky as waves crash against the rocky shore . Here , the Atlantic and Indian Oceans become one . But not really . A decorative sign in the gift shop boasts : Where Two Oceans Merge . However , the real currents actually come together a little farther east . It 's still amazingly beautiful , so , you know ... whatever . And after a full day of hiking and exploring the Cape with my new friends , we arrived back at the hostel to find our other friends right where we left them . Their heads turned as I entered , and one of them yelled out , `` Jarrett ! Shots ! '' Might as well . | CNN.com 's Jarrett Bellini traveled to South Africa . Readers chose his destination and shared their travel suggestions . A chance meeting provided a spectacular day at the Cape of Good Hope . | [[17, 110]] |
NEW DELHI , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Indian tourism authorities will be holding English classes for auto-rickshaw drivers in New Delhi as the city prepares to host the Commonwealth Games in 2010 . Auto-rickshaw drivers are being taught English ahead of the Commenwealth Games . More than 40,000 natural gas-fueled auto-rickshaws , or motorized three-wheeled taxis , run on the Indian capital 's dilapidated roads , according to the city government statistics . The city is expected to host around 100,000 tourists during the Commonwealth Games scheduled from October 3-14 in 2010 . About 9,000 athletes and officials of 52 Commonwealth countries are likely to participate . Some 8,000 auto-rickshaw drivers will be enrolled in the training program that will involve classes in yoga , life skills , first aid , spoken English and psychometric tests , federal Tourism Secretary Sujit Banerjee announced Tuesday . Each trainee will be paid Rs 200 , or about $ 4 , daily for attending the program spread over 200 sessions for a year . Indian auto-rickshaw drivers have often been accused of overcharging , refusing short trips and misbehavior . Traffic authorities have in the past opened a range of avenues for passengers to lodge their complaints -- such as on help lines , via text messages or simply calling a telephone number printed on the three-wheeled cabs . `` The India image that we strive to convey to a foreign tourist depends , to a large degree , on how good the taxi/auto-rickshaw -LRB- driver -RRB- that he or she meets is in his demeanor and conduct , '' Banerjee remarked . | More than 40,000 auto-rickshaws ply roads of Indian capital . City expected to host 100,000 tourists during Commonwealth Games . 8,000 auto-rickshaw drivers will be enrolled in training program . | [[278, 363], [366, 412], [278, 363], [415, 460], [461, 553], [461, 469], [482, 571], [674, 747]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former Serbian President Milan Milutinovic was Thursday found not guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Kosovo by a U.N. tribunal . Milan Milutinovic had was cleared of war crimes in Kosovo . Five other former high-ranking Serb officials -- Nikola Sainovic , Dragoljub Ojdanic , Nebojsa Pavkovic , Vladimir Lazarevic and Sreten Lukic -- were found guilty on all or some of the same charges . The judgment was the first by The Hague , Netherlands-based tribunal for crimes by the former Yugoslav and Serbian forces during a military campaign against Kosovo 's ethnic Albanians in 1999 . Their crimes took place during a Serb-led military campaign against Kosovo 's ethnic Albanian population during the first six months of 1999 before a NATO bombing campaign forced a halt to the operation . Sainovic , former Yugoslav deputy prime minister and Pavkovic , a former Yugoslav army general were each sentenced to 22 years in prison for crimes against humanity and war crimes . Watch Milutinovic receive not guilty verdict '' Lazarevic , another ex-general and Ojdanic , who was chief of general staff , were each sentenced to 15 years on charges of forced deportation of Kosovo 's ethnic Albanian population . The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia had heard during the two year tribunal how military forces of the former Republic of Yugoslavia and Serbia waged a campaign of terror against Kosovo Albanians . The court said Milutinovic did n't have `` direct individual control '' over the army and that `` in practice '' then-Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic `` exercised actual command authority '' over the army during the NATO campaign . Milosevic eventually surrendered to Serbian authorities in 2001 and had been extradited to The Hague , where he was on trial between 2002 and 2006 for the alleged offences in Kosovo and for alleged crimes in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina . He died from natural causes in March 2006 before the trial ended and before a judgment was made . He was the first sitting head of state to be charged for war crimes when he was indicted in 1999 . Kosovo 's government declared its independence from Serbia in February 2008 after being administered by the United Nations since 1999 . The U.S. , Britain and France have recognized Kosovo 's independence , but China and Russia joined Serbia in opposing the move . | U.N. tribunal clears ex-Serb President Milan Milutinovic of war crimes . Milutinovic , 4 other top Serbs officials face charges of crimes against humanity . Allegations centered on Serb-led campaign in Kosovo in 1999 . | [[0, 15], [19, 164], [165, 224], [243, 247], [248, 270], [425, 618], [619, 790]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- From the time she was an 11-year-old , blue-eyed , freckle-faced blonde until she was a 29-year-old woman with two children , Jaycee Dugard was kept locked away in a backyard compound of sheds and tarps by a couple who police say abducted her . Jaycee Dugard was locked in a shed tucked under a blue tarp in her alleged captor 's backyard . She was more than 160 miles from home , and her family had no idea where she was . Nobody else knew she was there except the couple who snatched her off the street in front of her house in South Lake Tahoe , California , in 1991 , and took her straight to the soundproof shed , police said . Dugard 's pocket of Phillip and Nancy Garrido 's backyard in Antioch , California , was so overgrown no one even knew it existed . The details about Dugard 's time in captivity emerged Thursday after one of Northern California 's most enduring mysteries was solved and the Garridos were arrested and accused of her kidnapping . Anyone who came across the couple 's backyard , littered with garbage cans and a dishwasher , would assume that it ended at a 6-foot fence . Watch aerial images of the backyard compound '' `` You could walk through the backyard and never know there was another set of living circumstances , '' said Fred Kollar , undersheriff of El Dorado County . `` There was nothing that would cause you to question it . You ca n't see it from either adjoining property . It was presumably well arranged . '' But tucked away beyond the tangle of bushes , high grass and trees was a blue tarp that concealed the only world Dugard had known since her abduction . Kollar said the property had `` a hidden backyard within a backyard . '' It included several sheds no taller than 6 feet , two tents and several outbuildings , `` where Jaycee and the girls spent most of their lives . '' It also held a vehicle that matched the description of the car used in Dugard 's kidnapping , Kollar said . The `` secondary '' backyard was inside the first and was `` screened from view . '' One of the sheds was soundproof , he said . In it were sheds and tarps , a makeshift bathroom and shower , along with electricity supplied by extension cords . Kollar compared the primitive conditions to camping . Dugard lived for several years there by herself . The sheds were locked from the outside . She grew up and had her captor 's children there , and raised them there . `` None of them have ever been to school , they 've never been to a doctor , '' Kollar said . `` They were kept in complete isolation in this compound , if you will , at the rear of the house , '' he said . `` They were born there . '' The children , both girls , are now 15 and 11 . `` They are all in good health , '' Kollar said in response to a question about how Dugard and her children are doing . `` But living in a backyard for the last 18 years does take its toll . '' | Jaycee Dugard locked in soundproof sheds in alleged captor 's backyard for 18 years . Compound of sheds , tarps equipped with makeshift bathroom and shower . Dugard also had two children with her captor , gave birth and raised them there . Authorities : `` They were kept in complete isolation in this compound '' | [[145, 221], [264, 330], [292, 359], [2041, 2072], [2826, 2827], [2832, 2874], [2825, 2895], [145, 221], [292, 359], [2085, 2145], [2346, 2349], [2362, 2394], [2346, 2349], [2401, 2420], [145, 221], [2515, 2571]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than 1,100 people worldwide have died from swine flu since it emerged in Mexico and the U.S. in April , according to the latest figures from the World Health Organization . A young girl wears a mask at a hospital in Hanoi . Vietnam reported its first death from swine flu this week . As of July 31 , the total number of victims killed by the H1N1 virus , also known as swine flu , stood at 1,154 -- an increase of 338 since WHO 's previous update on July 27 . The virus has spread around the world with unprecedented speed , spreading as widely in six weeks as common influenza viruses spread in the six months , according to WHO . WHO data showed the total number of laboratory confirmed cases at 162,380 , but the number could be higher since individual cases no longer have to be tested or reported . The total number of countries and territories reporting at least one case of infection now stands at 168 , with new cases reported in Azerbaijan , Gabon , Grenada , Kazakhstan , Moldova , Monaco , Nauru , Swaziland and Suriname . In the United States , federal health officials are worried about the upcoming flu season . They say nearly 160 million Americans may need to be vaccinated against the H1N1 virus , but it wo n't be as simple as a single shot . In a background briefing with reporters on Tuesday , two senior administration officials said the vaccine , which is still in clinical trials , would require two shots . The first shot would be followed by a second shot three weeks later . Immunity to the virus would finally kick in two weeks after that . That means someone who is vaccinated by the time the program is expected to launch in late October wo n't get protection until late fall . On Tuesday , British-based pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithKline announced it had signed contracts with nine governments to provide 96 million doses of a H1N1 vaccine and was in ongoing discussions with governments to provide further supplies . GlaxoSmithKline has already signed deals worth $ 250 million in total to provide 195 million doses and plans to donate 50 million doses to the World Health Organization . `` First supplies of the vaccine will be available to governments from September onwards , with shipments expected in the second half of 2009 and early 2010 , '' GlaxoSmithKline said in a statement . `` The exact pace of delivery will be dependent on capacity and the yield of the influenza strain . '' Details of the immunization program were revealed as part of the government 's overall plan to deal with what is expected to be a difficult flu season . The federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices last week issued sweeping guidelines for a vaccination campaign against the swine flu strain , identifying more than half the population as targets for the first round of vaccinations . The priority groups include pregnant women , health care and emergency services personnel , children , adolescents and young adults from six months to 24 years of age , household and caregiver contacts of children younger than six months and healthy adults with certain medical conditions . The symptoms of swine flu are similar to that of seasonal flu and include fever , cough , sore throat , aches and runny nose , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . A significant number of infected people have also reported diarrhea and vomiting . | WHO : Swine flu deaths up 338 in recent days to 1,154 in total worldwide . WHO : Virus spreads in 6 weeks as far as most viruses spread in 6 months . U.S. plans to vaccinate nearly 160M Americans ahead of winter `` flu season '' GlaxoSmithKline has signed deals to provide 291 million doses of vaccine this year . | [[0, 15], [19, 125], [0, 15], [128, 196], [324, 351], [405, 419], [0, 15], [128, 196], [484, 493], [549, 609], [585, 634], [585, 609], [637, 655], [3264, 3325], [1150, 1236], [1731, 1741], [1744, 1851]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Holly Williams is one of the only artists in country music male or female who does n't have a stylist . But then again , she might be the only entertainer in Nashville who owns a clothing boutique . Holly Williams is daughter of musician Hank Williams Jr. and granddaughter of musician Hank Williams Sr. . The chic women 's store is named H. Audrey after her maternal grandmother , who was the first wife of the late country music icon Hank Williams . Holly 's father is Bocephus -- the legendary hellraiser and three-time CMA Entertainer of the Year otherwise known as Hank Williams Jr. . She got her height from him . With heels on , she 's about 6-foot-3 -- all tanned legs and long , blonde hair . She looks like a star . And at 28 , she wants to earn the right to be one . Williams just released her sophomore album , `` Here With Me '' -LRB- Mercury Nashville -RRB- . Most of the 11 tracks are self-penned , and she sings them with emotional honesty in a smoky , soulful voice . The characters in her lyrics are friends , family and lovers from the past . She also has a man in her present : On July 24 , she became engaged to Chris Coleman , the drummer in her band . Watch Williams show off her talents '' Williams spoke with CNN about her new album and her family 's legacy . The following is an edited version of the interview . CNN : Your new album was released the same day as your dad 's new album . Was that planned ? Holly Williams : It was n't planned at all . About three weeks before my release , I was looking over to see who else was coming out that day , and it said , `` Hank Jr. '' -- and I 'm going , `` Is this something my manager planned ? '' And it 's just so random , because out of the 52 weeks of the year , it just happened . CNN : What did he think about the album ? Williams : Well , this is embarrassing , but I have n't sent him a copy yet ! I need to . He 's heard two of the singles . He 's always been a huge supporter of the songwriting , and just been a great encourager with me . CNN : What was it like when you were growing up ? Williams : Well , my mom raised my sister and me . -LSB- My parents -RSB- split when we were 3 and 5 , and he was touring 300 nights a year . We 'd see him every few months when he was off the road , and we 'd go up there and hunt and fish and be on the farm . But my mom did all the rules and curfews and all that . CNN : Your mother does n't seem jaded by the music industry at all . Williams : Oh , she does n't at all . They split in ' 83 , so when they first got married in ' 77 , he was still a struggling artist and doing small theater shows . My single out right now is called `` Mama '' that I wrote ... is kind of a thank-you song , because she was always the most positive influence -- had so much light . My dad always talks about what a great mom she was , and they 're still close friends . CNN : What was it like for you going into the music industry ? Was there a lot of pressure ? Williams : The songwriting hit me at a very young age . Eight , 9 , 10 is when I started writing . Went away from it for a few years , and at 17 picked up a guitar and it was just on from there . I 'm 28 now , and I 've been doing it for 10 years nonstop . I put out an EP myself when I was 20 , and paid 200 bucks for my Web site , and traveled over in the U.K. alone with a backpack . And in the U.S. , I just took my mom 's Suburban and followed everyone from Train , John Mellencamp , Billy Bob Thornton -- everyone 's bus -- and just did any show I could , whether they paid or not . Just played , played , played . CNN : Do you remember the first song you wrote when you were 8 ? Williams : I do . The first song I wrote was called `` Who Am I , '' and it 's funny because it was very serious . I had a very happy childhood , but it was very introspective about this broken marriage , and I wanted Tiffany or Debbie Gibson to cut it . I remember just telling my mom , `` Just please call the publishing company . ... `` I was so ambitious . I remember making cassette tapes and mailing them to Music Row . CNN : What was the reaction from those tapes ? Williams : I 'm sure there was never any response . I 'm sure people just laughed . I was not as talented as Taylor Swift when I was 15 , 16 . I could write a decent song , but I could n't sing that well at that age . CNN : You have a love for rock 'n' roll . Why did you go into country with this album ? Williams : Growing up in my house , you would assume I was growing up around country music with my dad being Hank Williams Jr. . But he did not bring music home . He always said , `` I 'm not Bocephus to you . I 'm Daddy . '' So I was really left to my own devices to find music on my own . And I really fell in love with the singer-songwriters of the '70s -- Tom Waits , Neil Young , Jackson Browne , Bob Dylan , Joni Mitchell , Carole King -- that whole era really struck me . And when I heard Hank Williams Sr. 's name mentioned from those people -- from Leonard Cohen to Bruce Springsteen -- that 's what really brought me back around to learning more about my grandfather . My music is still based in that singer-songwriter tradition . Adding a fiddle and steel guitar makes it more country , and adding blazing electric guitars makes it more rock . I 'm on a country label now . CNN : You also own a clothing boutique in Nashville called H. Audrey . Williams : Everything I have on , except my shoes , is from there . ... It 's a struggle in this economy , but we make enough to pay our payroll and buy the clothes . And it 's nice to fold jeans every now and again , and get my mind out of myself . CNN : When you 're writing down your goals on your wish list , what is it you really want ? Williams : I would love to sell a million records . I would love to play in arenas -- but what I really want to build is a core fanbase , and just hopefully build a place in the Williams family . | Country music scion Holly Williams has new album out , `` Here With Me '' Williams is daughter of Hank Jr. , granddaughter of Hank Sr. . Williams sings country , but influenced by '70s singer-songwriters . | [[243, 329], [5158, 5166], [5170, 5219]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For the first time since September 11 , 2001 , the rich chords of a chapel organ damaged in the terrorist attacks echoed through New York City 's historic St. Paul 's Chapel . Organist Marilyn Haskel rehearses for Easter services at St. Paul 's Chapel in New York . In the months following the attacks , the chapel became a makeshift bunker for recovery and relief workers . Working round the clock , hundreds of volunteers transformed St. Paul 's into a place for rest , meals , prayer and counseling for city firefighters , police and construction workers clearing the rubble just blocks away at Ground Zero . When St. Paul 's Chapel reopened to the public on August 25 , 2002 , the organ was clogged with debris and could not be played . Organist Marilyn Haskel 's rehearsal on Friday for Easter Sunday services marked the instrument 's triumphant return to functionality after Mann & Trupiano organ builders of Brooklyn removed 2.5 gallons of dirt and debris in a thorough `` resuscitation . '' `` When a pipe sounds we say that it ` speaks . ' And if it does n't ` speak ' clearly , then the sound is n't as interesting and colorful , '' Haskel told CNN Friday morning . With its airways clear , `` This one is exactly right , '' she said . Haskel rehearsed two pieces : `` God 's Paschal Lamb is Sacrificed for Us '' and `` Good Christians All Rejoice and Sing . '' Watch and listen to the rehearsal '' Built in stages between 1764 and 1796 , the chapel is Manhattan 's oldest continuously used public building . Designed in Georgian Classic-Revival style , it boasts handmade woodwork , carvings , and door hinges as well as 14 Waterford chandeliers installed in 1802 . The chapel 's original organ was built in London . In the years since , a number of instruments have called St. Paul 's Chapel home . The 1,680-pipe instrument currently housed within the chapel 's elaborate original 200-year-old mahogony case was built in 1964 by of Schlicker Organ Co. of Buffalo , New York . The chapel now serves as host to a series of 9/11 memorial exhibits . As Haskel played Friday morning , tourists from around the world browsed the displays . A man from the Bronx who assisted the New York Fire Department in the months after the attacks remembered a time when the chapel `` closed its door to souls and opened it to bodies '' and the organ fell silent under the clamor of refuge-seeking firemen , police officers and other workers . He said he was attending Friday morning 's rehearsal to hear the organ played for the first time . `` The organ was not usable then , '' Haskel said of the months following the 9/11 attacks . `` For me , in being able to be here -- and meeting people who were here during 9/11 -- to be able to play organ music that should be happening in this room is a great honor , '' she said . | Organ in St. Paul 's Chapel in New York had been silent since September 11 , 2001 . The instrument 's builders removed 2.5 gallons of dirt and debris left by 9/11 attacks . Organist 's Good Friday rehearsal marks instrument 's return to functionality . After attacks , historic chapel was makeshift bunker for recovery and relief workers . | [[909, 1006], [204, 293], [769, 902], [294, 329], [332, 402]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Union workers armed with an estimated 1.5 million signatures converged on Washington on Wednesday , demanding that Congress pass their highest-priority legislation . Union chief Andy Stern wants workers to have another way to organize besides relying on a secret ballot . They are lobbying for the Employee Free Choice Act . The legislation would allow a company 's employees to openly sign a card demanding a union and then , if a majority sign , the company involved would have 90 days to negotiate . The act would also stiffen federal laws that bar employers from intimidating or firing workers who try to bring in a union . But while the battle is just beginning on Capitol Hill , business owners like Dave Bego have been in the center of the fight for some time . Bego , of Indianapolis , Indiana , is the owner of EMS , a company that provides janitors to businesses around the country . The family-owned company has been under fire by one of the nation 's most powerful labor organizations , the Service Employees International Union . The 1.8 million-member SEIU argues that EMS intimidates , harasses and violates the rights of workers wanting to unionize . It has made the company a target of repeated protests for about three years . But Bego said the claims are unfounded , and it 's the union that has harassed him . Watch how company , union are at odds '' He said the union has sent his clients threatening letters for using his company , staged noisy protests , confronted employees , blocked building entrances and released balloons in a client 's building to disrupt business . He said his workers do n't want a union , because they make more in pay and benefits without having to pay SEIU 's labor dues . `` We have several hundred people working for us in Indianapolis -LSB- alone -RSB- , '' Bego said . `` They 've been after us for almost three years , and they 've got only about 10 or 12 people interested in what they said . If our people really needed protecting , do n't you think they 'd be out in mass droves in the street with the union protesting EMS ? Do you think we 'd still be in business ? I do n't think so . '' But union workers CNN talked to said EMS employees are afraid to speak publicly because they might get fired , as Shaneka Brown said she was . She said EMS fired her after she complained about what she said were unsafe conditions . `` We 're not the only ones , '' Brown said . `` There are millions of other janitors and millions and millions of other companies that are going through same similarities or different similarities , but they 're going through things that are not right and not safe . '' That 's why she supports the Employee Free Choice Act , she said . `` When polls show that 60 percent of the workers in America want to organize , yet only 7 percent belong to unions , you know something 's broken , '' one of the bill 's sponsors , Iowa Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin , told Wednesday 's union rally in Washington . The option to vote by secret ballot would still be available . But critics say the measure -- dubbed the `` card check '' bill by its opponents -- would effectively eliminate union elections , removing a fundamental hard-earned right of workers and forcing some workers into unions they do n't want to join . `` Card check is real simple , '' Bego said . `` They want to eliminate the secret ballot election . And that is kind of like saying , ` We 're going to elect the president of our country by signing cards . We 're going to go door to door and you 're going to sign a card for who you want to be president . ' '' Bego said if his employees want a union , they should be able to secretly vote for one . He offered to hold union elections at his company , but only if they were monitored by the National Labor Relations Board and involved secret ballots . He said the union did not respond , but continued the protests . He took out an ad in the Indianapolis Star , challenging SEIU to `` fish or cut bait . '' Andy Stern , president of the SEIU and a major supporter of President Barack Obama , said the legislation provides employees who have been intimidated by their employers an opportunity to freely and openly support a union . `` This is n't necessarily an election , '' Stern said . `` This is people wanting to start an organization . '' `` This is workers ' choice , '' Stern said . `` They can have a secret ballot , or they can legally affirm by a majority of them signing cards . '' Stern would appear to have the muscle to push the legislation through Congress . The SEIU was the largest contributor to Democratic campaigns this election , pumping $ 85 million into campaigns and get-out-the-vote drives . The union said 2,000 members temporarily gave up their jobs to work for Obama 's election , and Stern said politicians who made the unions promises during the campaign now need to keep them . `` We can lobby , we can petition , we can use the same things we use in the electoral process to un-elect people , '' he said . Asked if elected officials should be afraid of him , Stern replied , `` Everyone should be scared '' of not living up to promises . CNN 's Marcus Hooper contributed to this report . | Bill would let employees openly sign a card demanding a union . If a majority sign , company would have 90 days to negotiate . Current method of deciding whether to organize -- secret ballot -- would still be option . Union workers give Congress estimated 1.5 million signatures backing bill . | [[344, 443], [465, 521], [3000, 3047], [3051, 3062], [3000, 3035], [3042, 3062], [3621, 3709], [4400, 4432], [19, 79], [44, 116]] |
Editor 's note : Ivan Watson is CNN 's correspondent based in Istanbul , Turkey . The Bamiyan Valley is a visually and archaeologically stunning part of Afghanistan . The region hopes to build its tourism industry . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thursday is `` Chinese night '' at the Hotel Silk Road in Afghanistan 's Bamiyan province . Hungry guests sip cans of Coke and nonalcoholic beer and pick at a buffet that includes General Tsao 's chicken , egg drop soup and slices of sweet green melon grown in nearby fields . When a vegetarian diner arrives , the hotel 's Japanese owner , Hiromi Yasui , runs back to the kitchen to whip up a dish of spinach , garlic and steamed rice . `` This is the most clean kitchen in Bamiyan , '' she boasts in heavily accented English , as she directs her staff of Afghan assistants in fluent Dari . Yasui proudly points to an electric dishwasher , perhaps the only one of its kind in this battle-scarred Afghan province . The Hotel Silk Road has been open for less than two years . The green concrete walls of this compound jar somewhat with the brown , mud brick architecture of Bamiyan Valley . But the hotel is probably the largest foreign private investment in Bamiyan 's fledgling tourism industry since the overthrow of the Taliban eight years ago . See photos of the Bamiyan Province '' Aid workers say tourism is one of the greatest economic hopes for reviving this isolated , yet visually -- and archaeologically -- stunning part of Afghanistan , a region that has seen little infrastructure development over the last eight years , even though Bamiyan is one of the safest parts of the country . Tour the Bamiyan Valley 's caves '' `` The natural resources and cultural resources here are probably the single best place for economic development to happen , around revitalizing the tourism industry here , '' says Bob Thelen , the representative for the Aga Khan Development Network in Bamiyan . The nonprofit organization has been working with the government of New Zealand to distribute $ 1.2 million over a three-year period to develop eco-tourism as an industry in Bamiyan . Bamiyan first attracted widespread international attention in 2001 , when Taliban militants spent weeks blowing up two giant statues of Buddha . For more than 1,500 years , these colossal figures -- one was 53 meters -LRB- 174 feet -RRB- high , the other 35 meters -LRB- 115 feet -RRB- -- stood like sentries overlooking this alpine valley . Today , the massive caves where the Buddhas once stood are huge , empty pockets carved into cliffs that dominate the countryside . Despite the loss of these archaeological treasures , the cave network of monasteries that honeycomb the cliffs , as well as Bamiyan 's breathtaking mountains and alpine lakes , continue to attract a trickle of both Afghan and foreign tourists . Hotel Silk Road owner Yasui spotted Bamiyan 's potential when she first traveled here as a photojournalist in 1996 . `` Before the war , this was a touristic place , '' she says . `` More than 7,000 cars a day visited here . '' In the '60s and '70s , Afghanistan was a Central Asian stop on the Hippie Trail , a destination favored by hash-smoking Western visitors driving Volkswagen vans . But the Soviet invasion of 1979 plunged the country into a decades-long spiral of conflict . Bamiyan became the site of horrific massacres during the civil war of the 1990s and the subsequent rise of the Taliban . The Taliban 's overthrow in 2001 seemed to open the door to new opportunity . In 2002 , with the help of her Afghan husband and a Japanese investor who fronted hundreds of thousands of dollars , Yasui purchased a plot of land next to a bend in the river that runs through the valley . The couple then spent the next five years building their hotel . `` I like Afghanistan , I like Bamiyan , '' Yasui explains . '' -LSB- But in the past , -RSB- I did n't want to stay more than three days , because there was no shower , no place to sleep . '' Yasui 's hotel opened in 2007 . Rooms cost $ 100 a night , pricing them far out of the range of most Afghans . Guests must remove their shoes at the entrance and wear slippers , in accordance with Yasui 's strict standards of hygiene . `` The furniture has all been imported from Pakistan , '' Yasui said . `` I bought the water glasses from the PX -LSB- American military supermarket -RSB- in Kabul . '' Yasui is not the only hotelier in Bamiyan . In 2003 , an Afghan businessman named Raziq got a jump-start on the local tourism industry , when he and several partners rented a house on a plateau offering a spectacular view of the Buddha cliffs . The building had been housing American special forces soldiers . Raziq and his partners rechristened it the Roof of Bamiyan Hotel . Raziq , an ethnic Hazara who learned American-accented English catering to foreigners on Kabul 's touristic Chicken Street , says he got his inspiration to open a hotel after he saw female Western backpackers paying to sleep on the floor of a grimy tea shop in Bamiyan 's dusty bazaar . Over the last year , the Afghan government declared Bamiyan 's Band-i-Amir lake , which sits 3,000 meters -LRB- 9,843 feet -RRB- above sea level , the country 's first national park . The New Zealand-funded eco-tourism project , in conjunction with the Aga Khan Foundation , also recently trained 22 young male and female Afghans to be professional tour guides . The three-month course included `` the relevant topics for this area , geology , archaeology , history , hospitality , English , communication skills , '' said Thelen , of the Aga Khan Development Network . One of these guides is former Roof of Bamiyan employee Jawad Wafa . Though only 23 years old , this ambitious young Afghan plans to launch a tourism and logistics company , complete with a fleet of rental vehicles and guides . `` The first thing we need to have more tourists in Bamiyan , we need security and peace . The second one is roads , '' Wafa says . Eight years after the overthrow of the Taliban , the entire province of Bamiyan has barely 3 kilometers -LRB- about 2 miles -RRB- of paved roads . Travel here from Kabul requires at least seven hours driving on a bone-jarring dirt track . But even this isolated oasis is feeling the threat of the mounting violence spreading across the country . `` Every time there is a bomb in Kabul , visitors cancel reservations , '' says Raziq , operator of the Roof of Bamiyan Hotel . And in recent months , troops from New Zealand have documented a spike in insurgent attacks , mostly along Bamiyan 's border with Baghlan province , a region where Taliban insurgents have grown increasingly active . `` As much as on the one hand you can promote Bamiyan and other pockets throughout Afghanistan as secure and peaceful , there 's always the very real threat of violence , '' Thelen said . Tour operators saw a dramatic drop in foreign visitors this summer , due to the uncertainty and violence surrounding the August 20 presidential elections . In fact , the handful of people seen touring the remains of the Buddha statues last week were mostly American aid workers . They were sent by their organizations from less secure parts of Afghanistan , to take temporary shelter within the mountain walls of Bamiyan Valley . | Bamiyan is one of the safest parts of Afghanistan . Since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001 , hotels have opened in the region . Colossal Buddha statues destroyed by the Taliban once towered over the valley . Stunning terrain and a cave network of monasteries draw tourists . | [[1581, 1632], [1129, 1283], [3438, 3515], [2189, 2259], [82, 166], [1322, 1449], [2641, 2672], [2765, 2832]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One of the most unexpected controversies of the Obama administration came to a head Tuesday as the president delivered a hotly debated back-to-school speech to students across the country . President Obama speaks to students Tuesday at Wakefield High School in Arlington , Virginia . Many conservatives expressed fear over the past week that the president 's address would be used to push a partisan political agenda . Obama , however , avoided any mention of political initiatives . He repeatedly urged students to work hard and stay in school . `` There is no excuse for not trying , '' he told students at Wakefield High School in Arlington , Virginia . Watch Obama speak to the students '' `` This is n't just important for your own life and your own future . What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country . What you 're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future . '' Read text of Obama 's speech to students -LRB- pdf -RRB- . Several Cabinet officials are slated to deliver similar messages at various schools across the country throughout the day . In the past week , news of Obama 's speech had upset some parents . `` Thinking about my kids in school having to listen to that just really upsets me , '' suburban Colorado mother Shanneen Barron told CNN Denver affiliate KMGH last week , before the text of the speech was released . `` I 'm an American . They are Americans , and I do n't feel that 's OK . I feel very scared to be in this country with our leadership right now . '' But Amy Veasley , a parent from the Dallas , Texas , area , said Monday that she was surprised by the controversy . `` The president of our country wants to call our students to action . I 'm not sure why parents would n't want their students to hear out the leader of our country , '' she said . A Baltimore , Maryland , teacher who asked not to be identified bemoaned the fact that the country has `` become so polarized that we believe that our president is an enemy and not our leader . '' During George W. Bush 's presidency , she said , `` whether I disagreed or not , I still saw him as a leader . '' iReport.com : Share your thoughts on Obama 's speech . White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday that `` it 's a sad state of affairs that many in this country politically would rather start an ` Animal House ' food fight rather than inspire kids to stay in school . '' Some school administrators had decided to show the president 's speech , but others decided against it . And others were leaving the decision in the hands of individual teachers . One school district in Toronto , Ohio , decided to air the speech live for students in the third grade and up but not show it to younger children , according to CNN affiliate WTOV . Nine out of 550 students attending the Toronto schools showing the speech chose not to watch it , WTOV noted . Toronto Superintendent Fred Burns said the parents of the nine children were concerned that the speech was too political . Watch students respond to Obama 's speech '' `` It 's a very charismatic speech , '' Burns told WTOV . `` It 's very much a speech to help kids get involved in education and finish school . '' Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty , a possible contender for the GOP 's 2012 presidential nomination , said Sunday that Obama 's speech could disrupt an already-hectic first day of school for many students . `` I think there 's concerns about the disruption , '' he said on CNN 's `` State of the Union , '' calling the scheduling of the speech a `` little ham-fisted '' by the White House . Watch CNN 's Ed Henry talk about school speech uproar '' Education Secretary Arne Duncan , however , noted that Obama 's speech was not unprecedented . President George H.W. Bush delivered a nationally televised speech to students from a Washington school in fall 1991 , encouraging them to say no to drugs and work hard . In November 1988 , President Reagan delivered more politically charged remarks that were made available to students nationwide . Among other things , Reagan called taxes `` such a penalty on people that there 's no incentive for them to prosper ... because they have to give so much to the government . '' Some of the controversy over Obama 's speech involved a proposed lesson plan created by the Education Department to accompany the address . An initial version of the plan recommended that students draft letters to themselves discussing `` what they can do to help the president . '' The letters `` would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals , '' the plan stated . After pressure from conservatives , the White House distributed a revised version encouraging students to write letters about how they can `` achieve their short-term and long-term education goals . '' Duncan said Sunday that the passage was poorly worded . Some politically conservative figures said they had no problem with Obama speaking to students about education . `` I think there is a place for the president ... to talk to schoolchildren and encourage '' them , former first lady Laura Bush told CNN Monday . Parents should follow Obama 's example and `` encourage their own children to stay in school and to study hard and to try to achieve the dream that they have , '' she added . Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said on `` Fox News Sunday '' that Obama 's speech was a good idea if the message is a positive one about completing school . `` It is good to have the president of the United States say to young people across America , ` Stay in school , study , and do your homework , ' '' Gingrich said . Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer accused Obama last week of trying to `` indoctrinate America 's children to his socialist agenda . '' `` Now that the White House got their hand in the cookie jar caught , they changed everything , '' he said Monday . After reading the text , he said , `` My kids will be watching the president 's speech , as I hope all kids will . '' | President Obama speaks to students about education 's importance . `` There is no excuse for not trying , '' Obama says . Secretary of Education Arne Duncan says speech not unprecedented . Some school administrators did not show speech ; others let teachers decide . | [[220, 287], [687, 720], [5096, 5140], [5646, 5715], [577, 613], [3752, 3783], [3796, 3846], [2625, 2699]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The archbishops of Canterbury and York are recommending that churches stop sharing the chalice at communion over swine flu fears , the Church of England said Thursday . The Church of England 's leaders are recommending parishoners do n't share the chalice . The archbishops wrote a letter to all Church of England bishops with the recommendation . It follows government advice not to share `` common vessels '' for food or drink so as not to spread the virus . In the Anglican Church , worshippers commonly drink from the same chalice during communion . The chalice is wiped before the next person drinks from it . For churches that still wish to offer both bread and wine , the archbishops recommend the priest dip communion wafers in the chalice before handing them out to those taking communion . `` The Department of Health have recently advised us that ` in a pandemic it makes good sense to take precautions to limit the spread of disease by not sharing common vessels for food and drink , ' '' the archbishops write in the letter . `` In the light of this advice , we recommend those presiding at Holy Communion suspend the administration of the chalice during this wave of pandemic flu . For those who still wish to offer in both kinds , we recommend the practice whereby the presiding minister , whose hands should have been washed with the appropriate alcohol-based rub before handling the elements and the vessels , personally intincts all wafers before placing them in the hands of communicants . '' Watch more on Australian vaccine trial '' The archbishops note that this practice is widely observed in Anglican churches throughout Africa . `` Communicants receiving in this way need to be confident that the clergy and all assistant ministers follow the relevant guidance on hygiene , '' they write . The Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Church , the second-largest Christian denomination after the Roman Catholic Church . | Archbishops of Canterbury and York recommend churches stop sharing chalice . Follows government advice not to share `` common vessels '' for food or drink . Church says move is to help stop spread of swine flu . | [[9, 32], [75, 164], [205, 293], [9, 32], [75, 164], [384, 496], [395, 464], [910, 1029]] |
JERUSALEM -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United Nations has condemned Friday 's rocket attack on Israel from southern Lebanon , and urged both sides `` to exercise maximum restraint . '' Italian soldiers with UNIFIL and Lebanese security forces inspect a rocket site in Qlayleh , Lebanon , on Friday . Israel 's military fired between 12 and 18 artillery shells into southern Lebanon Friday shortly after the rocket attack on northern Israel , according to the Israeli military and a Lebanese army official . There were no casualties in either incident . Rockets fired from Lebanon struck open spaces in the western Galilee region of northern Israel , an Israel Defense Forces spokesman said . There were no reports of damage . Israel retaliated by firing toward the source of the rocket fire , the IDF spokesman said . The shells landed near the southern Lebanese village of Qlayleh around 3 p.m. -LRB- 8 a.m. ET -RRB- , a Lebanese army official said . The IDF spokesman said the Israeli military considers the rocket-fire incident to be serious and holds Lebanon 's government and military responsible . Israel Radio reported one rocket struck near the northern town of Nahariya and another landed near Gesher Haziv , a kibbutz , or collective community . Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said residents near Nahariya heard several explosions , and the remnants of at least one rocket were found . There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack . U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon released a statement through his spokeswoman , condemning the attack . He said the United Nations mission in Lebanon , UNIFIL , `` is investigating the circumstances of the incident in close cooperation with the Lebanese Armed Forces . '' There are an estimated 30,000 rockets in southern Lebanon , all under the control of Hezbollah militants . Israel fought a war against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon three years ago that is widely regarded as having empowered the Shiite militia . CNN 's Michal Zippori in Jerusalem and Nada Husseini in Beirut , Lebanon , contributed to this report . | NEW : It urges Lebanese , Israelis `` to exercise maximum restraint '' Israel says rockets fired from Lebanon struck open spaces in northern Israel . Israel says it fired 12 to 18 artillery shells into southern Lebanon in retaliation . There have been no injuries , and no one has claimed responsibility for rocket attack . | [[0, 25], [124, 175], [547, 641], [294, 414], [720, 784], [501, 546], [1400, 1468]] |
HONG KONG , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An imperial `` dragon '' throne owned by a Chinese emperor set the world auction record for Chinese furniture Thursday , selling for about US $ 11 million . Nicolas Chow of Sotheby 's , pictured , said mainland Chinese buyers were `` ready to pay the premium . '' There was frenzied bidding among mainland , Hong Kong and Taiwan collectors at the Sotheby 's auction in Hong Kong . Thirty-six bids came in 10 minutes , with tension building as a new telephone bidder jumped into the competition . `` These mainland -LRB- China -RRB- buyers , mainland collectors are ready to pay the premium it takes to secure an object of this quality , '' said Nicolas Chow , international head of Chinese ceramics and art at Sotheby 's . The winning bid of US $ 11,068,193 -LRB- HK $ 85,780,000 -RRB- was by a private Shanghai businessman . It was nearly triple the estimate of US $ 3.9 million -LRB- HK $ 30 million -RRB- , Sotheby 's said . Watch why the throne is so prized '' `` This is the place from which the emperor conducted his stately affairs and received foreign envoys and basically , this is a seat of power , '' Chow said . `` No one else should have sat down in this place . '' The throne belonged to Emperor Qianlong , who ruled from 1736-1795 . The 4.6 foot-long -LRB- 140 centimeters -RRB- piece is considered rare and prized because of the zitan wood from which it was carved . It also features carved panels , curved legs and an elaborate `` Five Dragon '' carving on the front and back . The number five represents the `` five blessings '' of old age , wealth , health , virtue and peaceful death , according to Sotheby 's . Other pieces that sold Thursday included a celadon ground butterfly vase . The Qianlong period piece sold for US $ 2.74 million -LRB- HK $ 21.3 million -RRB- . CNN 's Pauline Chiou contributed to this report . | Private Shanghai businessman puts forth winning bid of US $ 11,068,193 -LRB- HK$ 85 M -RRB- . Frenzied bidding occurs among mainland , Hong Kong and Taiwan collectors . Throne has carved panels , curved legs and a `` Five Dragon '' carving on front and back . It belonged to Emperor Qianlong , who ruled from 1736-1795 . | [[760, 803], [760, 862], [301, 417], [1420, 1422], [1428, 1499], [1485, 1531], [1216, 1255], [1239, 1255], [1262, 1284]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A model who was slammed with derogatory terms by an anonymous blogger has the right to learn the identity of her online heckler , a judge ruled . Google complied with the court 's ruling , submitting the creator 's IP address and e-mail address . In August 2008 , a user of Blogger.com , Google 's blogging service , created `` Skanks in NYC , '' a site that assailed Liskula Cohen , 37 , a Canadian-born onetime cover girl who has appeared in Vogue and other fashion magazines . The blog featured photos of Cohen captioned with terms including `` psychotic , '' `` ho , '' and `` skank . '' On Monday , New York Supreme Court Judge Joan Madden ruled that Google must hand over to Cohen any identifying information it possesses about the blog 's creator . Steven Wagner , Cohen 's attorney , said Google complied with the ruling Tuesday evening , submitting to his legal team the creator 's IP address and e-mail address . Only a valid e-mail address is required to register for a blog on Blogger.com . Wagner said that once his legal team tracks the e-mail address to a name , the next step will be to sue Cohen 's detractor for defamation . He said he suspected the creator of the blog is an acquaintance of Cohen . The blog has not been operational for months . The unidentified creator of the blog was represented in court by an attorney , Anne Salisbury , who said her client voluntarily took the blog down when Cohen initiated legal action against it . Salisbury suggested that Cohen is more interested in attracting publicity than restoring her reputation . She contended her client 's blog would have languished harmlessly in obscurity had Cohen not filed suit . The site had negligible traffic and only five posts on it , all written on a single day , she said . In her ruling , the judge quoted a Virginia court that ruled in a similar case that nameless online taunters should be held accountable when their derision crosses a line . `` The protection of the right to communicate anonymously must be balanced against the need to assure that those persons who choose to abuse the opportunities presented by this medium can be made to answer for such transgressions , '' the judge said , quoting the Virginia decision . Cohen 's attorney said he was `` happy that the court recognizes that the Internet is not a place where people can freely defame people . '' But the blogger 's attorney strongly disputed the judge 's reasoning . Salisbury asserted that her client 's invective was not unusual for the Internet , and that hyperbolic online name-calling is so rampant -- `` in comments sections , on Twitter , on blogs '' as to practically be part of the Web 's DNA . She warned that Monday 's ruling has `` potentially damaging implications for free speech on the Internet . '' After the ruling , a Google spokesman expressed sympathy for targets of Internet insult-slinging , but said the company divulges user information only when ordered to do so by a court . `` We sympathize with anyone who may be the victim of cyberbullying . We also take great care to respect privacy concerns and will only provide information about a user in response to a subpoena or other court order , '' Google 's Andrew Pederson said . | Judge orders Google to hand over blogger 's identifying information to woman . Blogger had anonymously slammed model Liskula Cohen . Judge : Anonymous online taunters can be held accountable . Cohen 's legal team intends to sue the blogger . | [[158, 173], [620, 629], [632, 773], [28, 35], [40, 97], [375, 381], [387, 414], [158, 173], [1879, 1972]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The battle raging over President Obama 's health care plan has spread from across the aisles in Congress to across the country . A Tampa , Florida , health care reform meeting sparks noisy exchanges between attendees . Senators this week joined their colleagues from the House at town hall meetings as they spent their August recess in their home districts . But disruptive protests are turning town hall meetings into shouting matches and drowning out discussion over what is and is n't in health care plans in the House and Senate . Videos of the protests have been circulating on the Internet , showing raucous crowds heckling their congressmen , and carrying posters with devil horns drawn on lawmakers ' heads , swastikas or Obama with Adolf Hitler 's mustache . Read more about the proposed plans '' Rep. Lloyd Doggett , D-Texas , who had a town hall meeting disrupted by angry protesters earlier this month , said he had never experienced such emotion in his 15 years of holding such forums . Democratic Rep. Brad Miller of North Carolina even had a death threat phoned into his office . A caller said that if Miller supported Obama 's plan , it could cost him his life , Miller told CNN . `` Of course we want a full debate . Of course we want people who have dissenting views from the administration and Congress to have a full hearing . But that 's not what this is about . That 's not the intent of most of these people . It 's not the way the press is covering it , '' Mark Halperin , editor-at-large and senior political analyst for TIME magazine , said on CNN 's `` Reliable Sources . '' The protesters ' gimmicks , Halperin said , are grabbing the public and media 's attention , and valid arguments over the cost and content of the proposals are being put on the back burner . `` There needs to be a debate in America on whether we should have universal health care . There needs to be a debate on the president 's ideas . If these protesters have ideas , great . Let 's hear them . But if they 're just stunts to cause a disruption that gets the media tripped in every time , again , I think it 's bad for the country whether you want the president 's plan or not , '' he said . Watch what Halperin says about the town hall turmoil '' Obama 's health care battle has been compared to former President Bill Clinton 's failed effort more than 15 years ago , but CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider said the climate toward health care reform was actually more negative back then . Clinton 's plan had less public support than Obama 's , and Clinton himself was less popular than Obama , Schneider said . Clinton 's plan also barely got off the ground when it went to Congress , and Obama 's proposals have already been through a few congressional committees . So why did n't lawmakers experience the same backlash during the Clinton years ? `` Three reasons , '' Schneider said . First of all , `` the calendar . '' Clinton proposed his plan in September 1993 , and by the time Congress went on recess in August of the following year , the plan was dead . Learn more about global health care systems '' Secondly , people did n't use the Internet the way they use it today , `` so you did n't have the viral communications that rally people to attend town halls . '' And finally , experience . `` Conservatives are emboldened by what happened to the Clinton plan . They want to relive 1994 , '' Schneider said . Democrats have accused conservative groups of manufacturing the outrage , while others say the uproar is a reflection of the opposition to Obama 's plans . `` These are average Americans that are concerned about this long litany of borrowing and spending and bailouts and government takeover of one industry after another . And this government takeover of health care is just the last straw for many Americans , '' Rep. Mike Pence , R-Indiana , told `` Fox News '' on Monday . As the emotion has intensified , misinformation has spread about what is and is n't in current health care proposals . `` People are just getting information that 's flat wrong , '' Sen. Claire McCaskill , D-Missouri , told CNN on Monday as a town hall meeting she held came to an end . One of the allegations that picked up traction in recent days is that Obama 's plan encourages euthanasia . Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin fueled the charge on her Facebook page Friday , writing that `` the sick , the elderly , and the disabled '' would suffer as doctors have to `` ration care . '' In her post , the former Republican vice presidential candidate said Obama 's health care plan would create a `` death panel '' that would weigh whether her parents or son Trig were `` worthy of health care . '' Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean told CNN on Sunday that Palin had deliberately fabricated the charges . `` About euthanasia , they 're just totally erroneous . She just made that up , '' he said . `` Just like the ` Bridge to Nowhere ' that she supposedly did n't support . `` There 's nothing like euthanasia in the bill . I practiced medicine for a long time , and of course you have to have end-of-life discussions -- the patients want that . ... Euthanasia 's not in this bill . '' McCaskill said she hoped Monday that she was able to correct some of false information out there . `` The notion that I would ever , or that our government would ever do anything to cut short or dismiss the quality of life for our seniors is so offensive to me as an American . ... There 's no rationing of health care that 's being proposed for our elderly , '' she said . `` Hopefully , I was able to reassure people that -- not in America . That 's not going to happen . '' In his weekend radio address , Obama sought to dispel what he called `` the outlandish rumors that reform will promote euthanasia , cut Medicaid or bring about a government takeover of health care . That 's simply not true . '' The White House on Monday launched what it calls a Health Insurance Reform Reality Check Web site designed to combat what the administration considers misinformation about the issue . The Web page features Obama aides discussing various aspects of health care reform . | Town hall meetings across the country have turned into shouting matches . `` Stunts '' are taking the focus off the real debate , Mark Halperin says . `` People are just getting information that 's flat wrong , '' Sen. McCaskill says . Others defend outbursts as indication of opposition to Obama 's plan . | [[148, 237], [382, 482], [554, 576], [617, 666], [382, 401], [459, 495], [4048, 4105], [4075, 4086], [4092, 4105], [4108, 4132], [4880, 4913], [5240, 5338], [5255, 5338], [3532, 3607]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kate Hudson 's ex , Black Crowes rocker Chris Robinson , is going to be a dad again , a representative for the band confirmed in a statement Tuesday . Chris Robinson and girlfriend Allison Bridges will be having a child in early 2010 . Robinson and girlfriend Allison Bridges , who have been dating for two years , are expecting their first child in early 2010 , the statement said . The baby will be the 42-year-old frontman 's second child -- - he and Hudson have a 5 1/2 - year-old son , Ryder Russell , together . Hudson and Robinson were married for six years and their divorce was finalized in October 2006 . They were granted joint custody of their son . Robinson and his brother Rich formed the band that would eventually become the Black Crowes in the 1980s . The Crowes ' new album , `` Before the Frost ... Until the Freeze , '' is in stores now . | Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson having baby with girlfriend . Robinson and girlfriend Allison Bridges have been dating for two years . He and ex Kate Hudson have a 5-1/2 - year-old son , Ryder Russell , together . | [[170, 254], [255, 294], [334, 379], [189, 215], [255, 331], [255, 294], [334, 379], [466, 503]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Records from a cell phone used by President-elect Obama were improperly breached , apparently by employees of the cell phone company , Verizon Wireless said Thursday . An Obama spokesman said the transition team was told Verizon Wireless workers looked through billing records . `` This week we learned that a number of Verizon Wireless employees have , without authorization , accessed and viewed President-Elect Barack Obama 's personal cell phone account , '' Lowell McAdam , Verizon Wireless president and CEO , said in a statement . `` All employees who have accessed the account -- whether authorized or not -- have been put on immediate leave , with pay . '' The Obama transition team was notified Wednesday by Verizon of the breach , said team spokesman Robert Gibbs . He said the president-elect no longer uses the phone . McAdam said the device on the account was a simple voice flip-phone , not a BlackBerry or other smartphone designed for e-mail or other data services , so none of Obama 's e-mail could have been accessed . Verizon Wireless , meanwhile , has launched an internal probe to determine whether Obama 's information was simply shared among employees or whether `` the information of our customer had in any way been compromised outside our company , and this investigation continues , '' McAdam said in an internal company e-mail obtained by CNN . `` Employees with legitimate business needs for access will be returned to their positions , while employees who have accessed the account improperly and without legitimate business justification will face appropriate disciplinary action , '' McAdam said , `` up to and including termination . '' The company has alerted `` the appropriate federal law enforcement authorities , '' McAdam said . Gibbs said that while the Secret Service has been notified , he is not aware of any criminal investigation . He said he believes it was billing records that were accessed . Gibbs said that anyone viewing the records likely would have been able to see phone numbers and the frequency of calls Obama made , but that `` nobody was monitoring voicemail or anything like that . '' CNN White House correspondent Ed Henry contributed to this report . | NEW : Internal Verizon e-mail says no e-mail accessible on phone . Obama spokesman says Verizon Wireless employee accessed billing records . Spokesman says the phone is old and Obama no longer uses it . No indication any calls were monitored or voicemails improperly accessed . | [[1341, 1385], [1359, 1403], [198, 308], [217, 308], [1928, 1971], [807, 861], [819, 828], [829, 844], [850, 861], [815, 834], [838, 861], [1972, 2164], [2108, 2171]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A soldier who survived a Taliban attack that killed nine U.S. troops in Afghanistan last month described a scene of `` pure chaos '' in which he watched buddies die . Army Spc. Tyler Stafford is recovering from wounds he suffered in the July 13 attack . Army Spc. Tyler Stafford and fellow soldiers in the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team were establishing an outpost near the village of Wanat when about 200 Taliban militants attacked July 13 . `` They had 200-plus guys all shooting at us -- I mean , pure chaos , '' Stafford said . `` You could hear guys screaming . '' Nine Americans were killed and 12 -- including Stafford -- were wounded in the deadliest attack on U.S. forces in Afghanistan in three years . Afghan sources said that up to 100 militants were killed in the attack . Stafford , who is recovering at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center , said he and his fellow soldiers were facing Taliban fighters on three sides when the attack began . The Americans were outmanned and outgunned . A NATO spokesman said the defense of the outpost was `` heroic . '' Once he was wounded , Stafford called out to his friend , Cpl. Matthew Phillips . `` I yelled to him , I was like , ` Phillips , man I need help . I 'm hit . ' ... I looked at him and I called him about four or five times . I was like , ` Phillips . Phillips . Are you all right , Phillips ? ' And he never moved . `` That 's the first one of my buddies I 've ever seen die . '' A short distance away was Cpl. Jonathan Ayers . `` He never once stopped shooting , '' Stafford said . `` I thought that was completely amazing . He never , I mean , he finally was killed by -LSB- rocket-propelled grenades -RSB- and gunfire , but he never once stopped shooting back at them . '' Lt. Jonathan Brostrom and Cpl. Jason Hovater were killed when they ran through a hail of Taliban gunfire in an attempt to carry more ammunition to their fellow soldiers , Stafford said . `` They knew our guys were in trouble , and when the Airborne 's in trouble , you do n't leave them to die ; you go help them , '' Stafford said . `` They brought what they could . '' The Americans were running low on ammunition , and some of them were so badly wounded they were unable to move , Stafford said . Help did not come for an hour , he said . Stafford eventually was helicoptered to safety . He said he looked back at the scene below while aboard the chopper . `` It 's like one of the those movies out of like Vietnam that you see with all these special effects and everything 's on fire , '' he recalled . `` Smoke in the air , and that 's all you see is tracer rounds going back and forth ... just , ` boom , boom , boom . ' '' The other Americans who died were Sgt. Israel Garcia , Cpl. Gunnar Zwilling , Spc. Sergio Abad , Cpl. Pruitt Rainey and Cpl. Jason Bogar . `` The way they served each other -- you 're fighting for the guy on your back , the guy that 's in the foxhole next to you , when that kind of stuff happens . We all love each other very much , '' Stafford said . | Survivor of attack that killed nine U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan recalls `` chaos '' Army Spc. Tyler Stafford , wounded in July 13 attack , says he watched buddies die . Soldier recalls calling out to friend during battle , not knowing friend had died . Incident was deadliest attack on U.S. forces in Afghanistan in three years . | [[30, 39], [44, 113], [53, 69], [75, 124], [0, 26], [125, 162], [146, 162], [172, 196], [605, 635], [146, 162], [172, 196], [241, 247], [251, 283], [1104, 1123], [1126, 1159], [636, 747]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hot dogs ? Check . Fireworks ? Check . Big Ben ? Wait a minute ... The American Society of Sydney , Australia , helps put together a July Fourth celebration on Sydney Harbour . There may not be international landmarks at your neighbor 's Fourth of July barbecue , but for Americans living abroad , they 're the perfect backdrop when celebrating independence . To global Yanks , it 's just as important -- if not more so -- to throw an Independence Day party that feels just like home . From Buenos Aires , Argentina , to Rome , Italy , Fourth of July soirees are happening on Saturday in nearly every corner of the world . So if your globetrotting lands you in one of these cities over the weekend , consider squeezing an Independence Day celebration into your itinerary . July Fourth , eh ? Canada Day occurs a mere three days before the Fourth , and our neighbor to the north lights up the sky for both . Held on the shores of Lake Ontario at the amusement park Ontario Place in Toronto , the Grand Finale for the Canada Dry Festival of Fire is an extensive fireworks display that draws between 15,000 and 20,000 people each year . Choreographed to a surprise playlist , `` the fireworks actually detonate to the beat of the songs , which are voted on by the listeners of -LSB- local radio station -RSB- CHFI , '' said Ontario Place spokesman Nick Kondrat . Tickets include an all-day pass to the park , so be sure not to miss the eclectic entertainment , like `` Salsa at Ontario Place , '' featuring live salsa music , dance competitions and lessons . Fireworks begin at 10:30 p.m. Visit the park 's Web site for tickets . Americans in London Town . Time Out London lists this event as a `` must-do '' for Independence Day . Standing out from a slew of holiday gatherings , the 7th annual Fourth of July picnic , hosted by the American expatriate community , begins at 2 p.m. at London , England 's , Battersea Park . To keep the kids happy , there will be red , white and blue bouncy castles as well as balloons and face-painting , according to the group 's Web site . For the adults , plenty of barbecue will be available for purchase in addition to two fully stocked cash bars . Between softball games and paddleboat rentals at the nearby lake , there 's plenty to do for the whole family . For a grand finale , a laser fireworks display starts at 9:45 p.m. Even better : Admission is free all day . When In Rome . A blowout event planned a year in advance , the American International Club of Rome 's 20th celebration is a patriotic tribute : potato sack races for the kids , swing-dancing lessons with live music and all the s'mores , hot dogs and hamburgers you can stand , said the club manager and event coordinator , Nina Farrell . `` When you 're away from home , it 's really nice to get together and celebrate and be a little bit American , '' Farrell said . The celebration will kick off at 5 p.m. with Americans and Italians alike at Marymount International School , ending at midnight with the crackling of sparklers . -LRB- Sorry , no fireworks allowed on the school grounds . -RRB- . For tickets , visit the AICR 's Web site at http://www.aicrome.org/ . Red , white and blue down under . Mary Botto believes it 's the little things that help a person become acclimated , and the Fourth of July celebration the American Society of Sydney , Australia , helps pull together is one of them . Botto , the society 's president , said this year 's party will be held at the Hunters Hill Sailing Club , right on Sydney Harbour . The organization stays true to an American theme , from the food to the fireworks . The one piece of American tradition Botto 's group ca n't replicate is warm weather : July is winter in Australia , so most of the festivities are indoors , except the fireworks , which start around 6 p.m. Everyone is welcome , and locals take part in the fun . `` Australia Day here is huge and I think Australians really respect the fact that we still celebrate even though we 're not in our home country , '' Botto said . Tickets can be purchased at moshtix.com.au . Independence in Argentina . It does n't take a bartender to know that beer is a top seller on Independence Day , and that 's not just in the United States . Crack a cold one in Buenos Aires , where a burgeoning pub crawl is poised to take over the Paris of South America . Between the drinks , a diverse group of participants and the four frat boys from Georgia running the show , you 'll feel right at home . The company , 12th Gate Inc. , has spent the past two years rounding up tourists , expatriates and the stray 70-year-old into one big , pub-crawling group . Saturday marks their first Fourth of July event , and they 've pulled out all the stops . `` We 've been living here for awhile , and we miss home , '' said marketing and events planner Will Aquino . `` We have the means to throw a great party , and we are . '' Instead of the usual pizza , the owners have upped the ante to provide more festive fare : hamburgers , hot dogs and red , white and blue Jell-O shots . You can even get a commemorative T-shirt with the $ 13 ticket price , which covers an hourlong open bar , food and transportation to three bars throughout the city . There wo n't be any fireworks , but participants will be supplied with sparklers and American flags . To secure a reservation , head to the 12th Gate Web site . | Americans abroad organize July Fourth celebrations in their adopted homes . In London , the American expat community is putting on a picnic . A less traditional July Fourth pub crawl will take place in Buenos Aires . | [[86, 116], [131, 195], [505, 544], [555, 641], [1822, 1833], [1836, 1879], [3315, 3376], [3391, 3427], [1822, 1833], [1836, 1879], [1797, 1833], [1882, 1908]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An angry , naked man commandeered a school bus full of teenage students Thursday in Atlanta , police said . The man drove the bus for less than a mile before a student confronted him and the bus crashed into a wall off the road , according to police . The incident started Thursday afternoon when the bus stopped to let students out , said Atlanta police officer James Polite . Arris Pitmon , 23 , darted toward the bus and hoisted himself in through an open window , Polite said . Pitmon took control of the bus as the frightened driver ran to the back of it , the officer said . While the bus was moving , the man abandoned the steering wheel and walked toward the back of the bus , Polite added . A student then ran toward the steering wheel , prompting the man to fight the student . The unmanned bus continued until it left the roadway and crashed . Students fled the bus , many using the back door emergency exit , and onlookers subdued the man until police arrived . Some students were taken to area hospitals . Their conditions were n't available Thursday night . Chiquita Rogers told CNN affiliate WXIA that the man had tried to hit some of the students , including her 16-year-old , Donte . `` He pushed my son , and that 's when my son hit him . I guess everybody started swinging , and everybody just started out the back door , jumping . I 'm just grateful that my son is still alive , because it could have been worse . '' Onlooker Corey Turner told WXIA , `` Children were jumping out the emergency door ... jumping off the bus . ... They were saying , ` Help , help , help ! ... Somebody hijacked the bus . ' '' | Police : Arris Pitmon ran toward the bus and climbed in through an open window . Pitmon took control of the bus then abandoned it while it was moving , police say . The bus crashed and some students were taken to area hospitals . | [[433, 456], [415, 427], [461, 502], [131, 144], [267, 288], [618, 642], [645, 681], [1011, 1055]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 61-year-old pastor who was killed in a rural Oklahoma church was found lying behind the altar with her arms outstretched , a source close to the investigation told CNN . Carol Daniels , a 61-year-old pastor , was found nude behind the altar of a church in Anadarko , Oklahoma . It was one of the latest details to emerge in the killing of Carol Daniels , whose nude body was found in the Christ Holy Sanctified Church in Anadarko , Oklahoma , in a crime scene the district attorney described as `` horrific . '' Her clothes were taken from the scene , and a dissolving agent had been sprayed around her body , the source said . An FBI profiler was brought in during the weekend to assist investigators , Steve Neuman , a spokesman for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation , said Monday . Authorities also have increased to $ 15,000 a reward for information . Daniels , from Oklahoma City , Oklahoma , was found inside the church August 23 . She died from `` multiple sharp-force injuries , '' according to a preliminary autopsy report obtained by CNN . Sharp-force injuries mean cuts or stab wounds . Diagrams in the autopsy notes show Daniels suffered injuries to the side and back of her neck , her back and her left breast . She also suffered wounds to her hands , a typical spot for defensive wounds resulting from attempts to ward off an attack . In addition , the autopsy notes say a portion of Daniels ' hair appeared singed or burned . The medical examiner classified her death as a homicide . Daniels ' son , Alvin Daniels , told CNN that she traveled many Sundays to Anadarko , about 50 miles southwest of her home , to the church `` in case people came to worship . '' Watch what the son has to say to Nancy Grace '' District Attorney Bret Burns has called the crime scene the worst he 'd seen in 17 years as a prosecutor but gave no further explanation . Jessica Brown , a spokeswoman for Oklahoma 's State Bureau of Investigation , said last week the body was `` staged '' after the killing , but declined to elaborate . Meanwhile , Neuman said , video surveillance from a convenience store near the church is being analyzed , a process that started Friday . He declined to comment on the condition of Daniels ' body when found . Alvin Daniels told HLN 's `` Nancy Grace '' that his mother was `` always joking with us and always taking care of us , even giving her last dollar , even if she did n't have it . '' He said she took precautions at the church . `` She was very cautious for the most part , and she would usually leave the door open in case people came to worship , '' he said . The death has unnerved religious leaders in Anadarko , said Ted Mercer , pastor of Grace Christian Fellowship , which is about three blocks from the church where Daniels ' body was found . CNN 's Tracy Sabo contributed to this report . | Pastor Carol Daniels ' clothes were removed from the crime scene , source says . Source : Dissolving agent had been sprayed around her body . FBI profiler brought in during the weekend to help with investigation . Authorities have increased to $ 15,000 a reward for information . | [[533, 570], [631, 648], [573, 628], [649, 722], [815, 826], [832, 885]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Allies of Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Wednesday defeated an attempt by opposition leaders to impeach her on large-scale corruption charges -- the fourth such attempt in four years . Protesters display slogans in front of the House of Representatives in Manila on Tuesday . The House Justice Committee dismissed the impeachment complaint by 42-8 votes , saying that it was `` insufficient in substance , '' the state-run Philippines News Agency reported . The complaint alleged that Arroyo and her husband were directly involved in an Internet broadband deal with a Chinese firm . The deal was ultimately scrapped amid allegations of corruption . `` I 'm not saying that there is no substance -LRB- to the complaint -RRB- , but it was insufficient , '' Deputy House Speaker Pablo Garcia told the committee before the vote . `` The allegations are not allegations of fact . They are conclusions , opinion , inferences , and even arguments , '' Garcia said , according to the news agency . Arroyo first took office in 2001 . Since then , she has survived four impeachment attempts and periodic rumors of coup . She won re-election in 2004 , but opposition parties called into question the legitimacy of that race . During the vote count , Arroyo was tape-recorded talking to a senior election official , which opposition leaders charge is evidence she manipulated the outcome . The president has denied any wrongdoing . The first of the impeachment charges were brought against Arroyo in 2005 for vote-tampering . Congress rejected the charges . The opposition then tried to impeach Arroyo in 2006 and 2007 -- and Congress dismissed those attempts as well . Her six-year term ends in 2010 . | Complaint alleged that Arroyo and husband were involved in deal with Chinese firm . First of impeachment charges brought against Arroyo in 2005 for vote-tampering . Opposition parties called into question legitimacy of Arroyo 's 2004 re-election win . | [[495, 619], [522, 619], [1457, 1550], [1148, 1175], [1182, 1251]] |
TEGUCIGALPA , Honduras -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The government of de facto Honduran President Roberto Micheletti is not ready to sign a proposed agreement to end the country 's ongoing political crisis , Costa Rican Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno said in Honduras . Interim President Roberto Micheletti is reaching out to Costan Rican President Oscar Arias for a solution . His remarks came on Tuesday at the conclusion of a two-day visit by a delegation of the Organization of American States . `` Although the commission concludes that progress was made during its visit , it must recognize that there still no disposition toward full acceptance of the San Jose Accord on the part of Mr. Micheletti or his supporters , '' Stagno said . The proposed San Jose Accord aims to resolve nearly two months of political turmoil that Honduras has faced following the June 28 coup that ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya . The delegation , which consisted of seven foreign ministers and included the participation of OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza , met with representatives of all branches of government , presidential candidates , the military , clergy , businessmen and representatives of various sectors of Honduran society . `` The majority of the actors expressed their conformity with the foundations of the San Jose Accord , although many of them expressed concerns about the same , '' Stagno said . The biggest obstacles were two points in the proposed agreement : one calling for Zelaya 's return to power , and another calling for a temporary political amnesty for both sides . The delegation also spoke with Zelaya supporters , including his wife , who said that the ousted president was willing to accept the San Jose Accord and abide by it immediately . Originally , Zelaya 's negotiators had walked away from the proposal , offered by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias , citing the intransigence of Micheletti 's team . In support of the OAS delegation , the United States announced Tuesday that many visas for Hondurans would be suspended . The United Nations and the European Union have condemned the coup and have refused to recognize the provisional government led by former congressional leader Micheletti . Micheletti has insisted that Zelaya was not overthrown but instead was replaced through constitutional means . The Honduran political crisis stems from Zelaya 's desire to hold a referendum that could have led to extending term limits by changing the constitution , even though the country 's congress had outlawed the vote and the Honduran Supreme Court had ruled it illegal . | Proposed San Jose Accord aims to resolve nearly two months of political turmoil . Delegation spoke with Zelaya supporters , representatives of Honduran government . United States announces that many visas for Hondurans would be suspended . Micheletti insists Zelaya was replaced through constitutional means , not overthrown . | [[14, 38], [120, 195], [731, 814], [909, 923], [1047, 1226], [1586, 1600], [1606, 1634], [1932, 1964], [1967, 2038], [2003, 2053], [2225, 2335], [2254, 2260], [2280, 2335]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nancy Reagan , wife of the late President Ronald Reagan , is hospitalized in California after suffering a broken pelvis , according to spokeswoman Joanne Drake . Former first lady Nancy Reagan is shown at an event in the nation 's capital in September . Reagan , 87 , is in the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center , Drake said in a written statement Wednesday . The former first lady fell last week at her home , Drake said , but admitted herself to the hospital only after experiencing `` persistent pain . '' Tests revealed a fractured pelvis and sacrum -- the triangular bone within the pelvis . Reagan will remain hospitalized for a few days until `` doctors are satisfied with her progress , '' Drake said . Reagan 's anticipated recovery time is six to eight weeks , including physical therapy and a modified schedule . `` Mrs. Reagan is in good spirits , especially comforted to be receiving care from talented doctors in a world-class hospital named in honor of her late husband , '' the statement said . She previously was hospitalized for two days in February following a fall at her home in suburban Los Angeles . President Reagan died in June 2004 after a long battle with Alzheimer 's disease . Since his death , Nancy Reagan has remained involved with the national Alzheimer 's Association and its affiliate , the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute in Chicago , Illinois . However , she has appeared in public only rarely in recent years . | NEW : Nancy Reagan reported `` in good spirits '' at hospital . Former first lady , 87 , falls at her California home , breaks pelvis . Nancy Reagan being treated at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center . | [[843, 876], [0, 15], [68, 138], [379, 427], [528, 572], [1030, 1141], [1078, 1141], [273, 279], [287, 330]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In 1994 , universal health care was a key policy plan for then-President Bill Clinton . It eventually failed . In 1993 , President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton listen to a man 's story about health care problems . Now , 15 years later , another Democratic president is taking on the challenge , but facing an uphill battle from not only from Republicans , but from members of his own party . Will failing to reform health care have the same consequences for Obama 's administration as it did for Clinton 's ? Like Obama , Clinton came into office with reforming the nation 's health care system as one of his top priorities . Then-first lady Hillary Clinton , who headed the administration 's task force on reforming the system , delivered a 1,000-page plan that was dubbed `` Hillary Care , '' which required Americans and permanent resident aliens to enroll in a health plan . Other provisions included Americans below a certain income level paying nothing for care . Republicans decried the plan as overcomplicated and used it to tag the administration as big government-loving , tax-and-spend liberals . The plan 's failure emboldened Republicans and led to huge Democratic losses in the 1994 midterm elections , allowing the GOP to take control of Congress and stymie other Clinton initiatives . Now , 15 years later , Obama potentially faces a similar fate . Obama seeks the overhaul to ensure that health insurance is available to the 46 million Americans currently without coverage while preventing costs to both the government and individuals from continuing to climb . Watch more on the health care debate '' The president had set a deadline for passage of a bill before the August congressional recess , but in an interview Monday with PBS 's Jim Lehrer , the president said that if Congress tells him it 's `` going to spill over by a few days or a week , '' that 's fine . iReport.com : Weigh in on the health care debate . A senior White House official adds that while there is a `` long way to go '' in coming up with legislation , there is a true effort being made to devise a bipartisan plan . See how the plans compare '' '' -LSB- The Senate -RSB- is working in a bipartisan way and despite all of the cacophony of attacks you 've heard from some Republicans , I think you 've got to give some credit to the Republicans on the finance committee who are making right now a good faith effort , despite pressure , probably from their own party , to work with Democrats to try to come up with something that people can get behind , '' said White House Communications Director Anita Dunn on Wednesday . Sen. Tom Coburn , R-Oklahoma , says in order for health care reform to get passed , it will take a well-coordinated bipartisan effort . `` I think the president is right . He really does want a bipartisan effort . And that 's what it 's going to take for it to be for the American people . But the approach to it is kind of like a doctor practicing bad medicine where you fix only symptoms and do n't treat the disease . ... the disease is only going to get worse . '' But the battle over health care reform is weighed down by complex problems , competing interests , a $ 1 trillion price tag , conservative Democrats in sticker shock and Republicans sensing an opportunity to regain some of the power they lost in the 2006 congressional elections . Conservative Bill Kristol wrote in his blog that there is an opportunity to inflict political damage to the president and that opponents should n't compromise : . `` My advice , for what it 's worth : Resist the temptation , '' Kristol wrote . `` This is no time to pull punches . Go for the kill . '' The White House has so far resisted another idea for raising revenue -- creating a tax on the medical benefits provided by employers . Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus said he likes the idea , but Obama said it could be too disruptive to a system in which 180 million Americans have health coverage provided by their employers . But while Obama has remained mostly popular in national polls so far , support for his health care plan has begun to wane . A CNN Poll of Polls released Wednesday indicates that less than half the country approves of how he 's handling the issue . Forty-seven percent in the poll approve of how the president is dealing with health care reform , with 44 percent disapproving . The poll averaged the three most recent national surveys that asked about Obama 's performance on health care : USA Today/Gallup -LRB- July 17-19 -RRB- ; ABC/Washington Post -LRB- July 15-18 -RRB- and CBS News -LRB- July 9-12 -RRB- . Meanwhile , Coburn -- a fierce opponent of the current plans being worked up in Congress -- says that Congress needs to slow down . `` Getting this right is better than meeting a political deadline ... I want him to back off the timeline , '' he said . `` Let 's start over ... let 's fix it all and do it in a way that the American people wo n't charge it to their grandkids . '' CNN Senior Political Analyst David Gergen , who has worked under several administrations , including Clinton 's , says there 's is concern that Obama may be trying to ram health care legislation through Congress as he did with the economic stimulus plan . `` And they -LSB- Americans -RSB- do n't have a lot of confidence in the past effort in the stimulus plan to put together something comprehensive and -- ` here we go again ' ... something that looks like it 's being thrown together to many people in the public . So they 're not confident that they want it . And Coburn 's argument -- along with nearly all congressional Republicans ' -- could pose a risk to Obama 's political capital with Americans . Gergen agrees . `` I think he 's got two other problems : One is that he does n't have a firm plan to sell . ... Second thing is , from his point of view , there are many in the public that 'd like to hear from him and also like to see just how he 's negotiating the plan , '' he said . `` What they look for is a leadership that says , ` Here 's where we 're going to go , ' not a leadership that says , ` I 'm urging Congress to make more progress ' '' Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle , who Obama had tapped to be Health and Human Services director and the point person on health care reform before tax problems derailed his nomination , said getting health care reform passed now will be a major factor in defining Obama 's presidency . `` Because he 's made it such an issue , and because he has invested so much personal time and effort , this will , more than stimulus and more than anything he has done so far , be a measure of his clout and of his success early on , '' Daschle was quoted in the New York Times . `` And because it is early on , it will define his subsequent years . '' CNN 's Dana Bash , Paul Steinhauser and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report . | President Obama is urging Congress to come up with a health care reform plan . CNN analyst sees similarities between Obama 's push and Clinton 's in 1994 . Obama and top Democrats are seeking coverage for 46 million Americans . | [[6125, 6137], [6143, 6147], [6152, 6196], [1410, 1612], [1422, 1596]] |
HOHENWALD , Tennessee -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A pair of African elephants tramps through lush vegetation , stopping to scoop dust with their trunks and toss it onto their backs for protection from the summer sun . Tarra , who was a year old when Buckley met her , was the inspiration for The Elephant Sanctuary . Meanwhile , two others submerge their massive forms to splash and dip in the waters of a muddy pond . It 's a scene that could have been pulled from a nature documentary . But it takes place in an unlikely spot : a 2,700-acre sanctuary in rural Tennessee . It 's not where nature intended the animals to be , roaming free in the vast expanses of subtropical Africa and Asia . But for most of them , it 's a life far apart from the ones they once lived . Tarra lived in the back of a truck at a tire store . Shirley performed at a circus until she broke her leg on a chain . Then , she was moved to the freak show . And Sissy was treated like a killer . She crushed a handler in her enclosure at a Texas zoo where video shows she 'd been beaten into submission with ax handles . `` We consider all of these elephants to be rescue elephants , because they are taken out of that environment that is not healthy for them , '' said Carol Buckley , co-founder of the Elephant Sanctuary . Founded in 1995 on 112 acres about 30 miles southwest of Nashville , the sanctuary is now the largest natural refuge of its kind in the United States . Twenty-four elephants , most of them sick , old or abused , have lived at the sanctuary ; it is currently home to 15 African and Asian elephants . It 's a place where elephants can roam freely , largely feed and shelter themselves and interact with others , often after years living alone in captivity . But Buckley and Scott Blais , the nonprofit sanctuary 's co-founder , are very clear about what it 's not . The sanctuary is not a zoo . Visitors are n't allowed onto the property to view the elephants , and only a handful of media members are able to visit each year , in an effort to make the animals ' lives as natural as possible . `` In order to accommodate the public , you would have to take away from the elephants , '' Buckley said . `` People have their own emotions , that energy , '' Buckley said . `` If you feel fear and they get close , they 're going to get hit with your energy . For Buckley , the journey to running the sanctuary -- which operates on private donations and corporate sponsorships -- started with Tarra . Studying to be a circus trainer , she bought the elephant , then just a year old , and trained her to perform . But as the years passed and the relationship between animal and trainer strengthened , Buckley came to believe that captivity , particularly in a traveling circus , was no life for an elephant . `` I did n't realize that elephants in captivity were suffering and that to train and dominate an elephant was really breaking their spirit , '' she said . `` When you come to love elephants , when you really come to understand them and love them , you want more for them . `` And when you learn how elephants live in the wild , it just makes sense that you would want to create a space that resembles that so elephants can just be elephants . '' From years in the circus and in zoos , Buckley and Tarra made their way to a breeding program at a Canadian wildlife safari , where they met Blais . It was then that the idea for the Elephant Sanctuary was born . `` We started talking about elephants in captivity and what we could do and what we should be doing for them , what they truly deserved , '' Blais said . At the preserve , the elephants feed themselves primarily by grazing -- the Asian elephants eat as much as 100 pounds of grass a day -- supplemented with grains and vitamins from the staff . They share space with deer , wild turkey , raccoons , skunks and other native Tennessee animals . Life in a circus , and in most zoos , is abusive to elephants , highly intelligent and social animals who , in the wild , may roam dozens of miles in a single day , the pair said . Research has shown that elephants , like humans , can suffer post-traumatic stress disorder after living in harsh or abusive conditions . Watch more on life at the Elephant Sanctuary . '' `` Typically , when elephants are in captivity , they 're under a lot of stress , '' Blais said . `` Their entire life is abnormal ; it 's unnatural , and that can often lead to aggression . `` Some will resign themselves and just kind of end up in this blank space , and others will act out , just venting their frustrations , but it 's because of what captivity offers or what captivity does n't offer them . '' The elephants generally arrive at the sanctuary in one of two ways : Either the government finds that an owner is abusing the animals and seizes them , or the owners approach the sanctuary on their own , wanting a better life for the animals . In their 14-year history , Blais and Buckley say , they 've been able to raise enough funds to keep expanding the sanctuary and its facilities . But tough economic times are taking a toll this year , and for the first time , they are nervous they 'll bring in less money than they spend . But the mission of providing a home for the elephants they love will continue , they say . `` We feel incredibly fortunate to be doing what we do , '' Buckley said . `` It 's hard work , it 's long days , it 's long weeks , but you 're not going to hear us complain about it , because we 're fortunate , and we know that . `` This is the most amazing work to do in a person 's lifetime . '' | The Elephant Sanctuary takes in old , injured , abused animals . 2,700-acre facility is largest of its kind in the United States . Site closed to the public to make elephants ' lives closer to in the wild . Donations have always exceeded needs , but economy not keeping up this year . | [[1442, 1478], [1493, 1529]] |
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 . -LRB- CareerBuilder.com -RRB- -- If you love the nightlife , and , perhaps more importantly , you like to boogie , why wait until the weekend ? If you thrive on meeting new people and being in-the-know about the latest events and products , with the right training and experience , you could get paid to play . Check out five jobs that let you do just that : . Media Specialists . What they do : Media specialists serve as advocates for professional organizations or individuals by developing plans to establish or build a client 's public reputation . They send out press releases and maintain relationships with members of the media to keep the public informed about their clients ' activities . Why they party : They are often called to arrange and make appearances at public events to maintain contact between their clients and the public , so depending on the client , these events could be everything from political rallies to swanky product launch parties . How to break in : Media specialists often hold degrees in public relations and start their careers as interns . Jobs often come through networking and making industry contacts through public relations and media organizations . What they get paid : $ 86,292 -LRB- average annual salary -RRB- . Radio/TV Announcers . What they do : Radio or television announcers ' jobs can range from interviewing guests to moderating panels to providing commentary for occasions such as parades and sporting events . Why they party : Well-known among radio and television audiences , announcers are often called on to make promotional appearances at public events . They could be at a neighborhood music festival one day and the launch of a trendy new bar the next . How to break in : Because competition for network employment is intense and employers look for college graduates with extensive experience , many announcers start at stations in small cities before advancing to a job that reaches a larger market . What they get paid : $ 35 , 755 -LRB- average annual salary -RRB- . Event Photographers . What they do : Photographers produce and preserve images that paint a picture , tell a story , or record an event . Why they party : Shooting on location can mean exclusive invitations to wedding receptions , parties , galas , fundraisers , and all sorts of celebrations where music , food , and the occasional , responsibly-handled drink are plentiful . How to break in : Building a good portfolio is essential to landing jobs in this field . If you do n't have a degree in photography , take some classes and try to land a job as a photographer 's assistant . Many photographers develop contacts in the field by subscribing to photographic newsletters and joining camera clubs . What it pays : $ 27,850 -LRB- average annual salary -RRB- . Social Columnists . What they do : Social columnists gather information to write about local , state , national and international social happenings and report on the actions of noteworthy public figures at these events . Why they party : Like photographers , these members of the media also get exclusive access to fabulous parties and social celebrations . How to break in : Like many of these jobs , columnists often start small as general assignment reporters or copy editors at smaller newspapers before working their way up . What it pays : $ 44,419 -LRB- average annual salary -RRB- . Promotion Models . What they do : Promotional models help create public interest in buying products such as clothing , cosmetics , food items and housewares . They answer questions and provide product information to potential consumers . Why they party : Demonstrations and product promotions are conducted in places that the products are most likely to sell , which can mean appearances at clubs , premiere parties and festivals if the product is right . How to break in : Oftentimes , good communications skills , an outgoing personality and pleasant appearance trump education and experience when it comes to getting hired . What it pays : $ 23,104 -LRB- average annual salary -RRB- 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 . | Radio and TV announcers often make promotional appearances at events . Social columnists get exclusive access to parties and celebrations . Media specialists are often at public events to maintaining a clients ' profile . | [[873, 887], [895, 943], [873, 877], [882, 943], [1690, 1710], [1718, 1771], [1690, 1700], [1705, 1771], [3894, 3903], [3910, 3972], [2344, 2481], [3173, 3176], [3211, 3237], [3243, 3309], [637, 710], [772, 779], [783, 855], [873, 887], [895, 943], [873, 877], [882, 943], [930, 1000], [1690, 1700], [1705, 1771]] |
Editor 's note : We asked readers to weigh in on CNN.com Live producer Jarrett Bellini 's vacation destination , and you chose South Africa . Check back for updates on his trip . CNN.com 's Jarrett Bellini tours vineyards outside Cape Town , South Africa . CAPE TOWN , South Africa -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- I 'm not a wine drinker . Before today 's excursion , in fact , I could only tell you that on the face of the planet there existed three types of wine : red , white and Carlo Rossi . The reds are good with meat . The whites go with fish . And , according to what I learned from my dad , Carlo Rossi goes with a glass of ice . So , exploring South Africa 's wine country , just a short drive from Cape Town , seemed like a perfect educational way for me to spend my day . I mean , it was that or go to a museum . Our guide , Jack , was amazingly knowledgeable about the subject , but without being a pretentious jerk . Really , as far as he is concerned , the best wine in the world is whatever wine you enjoy . I did n't ask , but was curious if that applied to Boone 's Farm ? Throughout the day , we hit four wineries , tasting 23 bottles in all . I know because I kept hash marks on my hand . I 'm pretty classy . Now , despite the outstanding info we received from our guide as we sipped and swirled and spat , I ca n't say that I 'm any better at understanding the finer points of wine than I was this morning when I woke up . However , I did manage to get a solid buzz . And that should be worth something . Even without the wine , a visit to South Africa 's vineyards is a great addition to a traveler 's to-do list . It 's not far from the city and the scenery is beautiful . If you need an added incentive , there are even a few cheese farms in the area where you can really crank the whole experience up to 11 . I personally thanked one of the goats for his contribution . He did n't seem to care . He also did n't seem physically capable of producing anything that might actually turn into cheese . But I thanked him anyway . What can I say ? I 'm not a wine drinker . | CNN.com 's Jarrett Bellini is traveling in South Africa . Readers chose his destination and can share their travel suggestions . Bellini will provide updates from South Africa on CNN.com and CNN.com Live . | [[17, 110]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- She stood by her husband throughout the contentious 2008 presidential campaign and during heated health care reform debates during his presidency . First lady Michelle Obama listens to remarks during a health care forum at the White House on Friday . Now , as the debate is reaching a fever pitch , first lady Michelle Obama is weighing in on the issue by focusing on how health care can affect families . `` What she 's doing is putting a personal and human face on the issue ... there 's nothing more crucial , '' said Washington Post columnist Sally Quinn . `` Everybody gets sick , and everybody has someone in the family that gets sick . '' `` I think if you can humanize it and personalize it , it suddenly brings it home to people -- especially those who are screaming and yelling about the government taking over , '' Quinn said . On Friday , the first lady , a former hospital administrator , spoke about the issue to a crowd at the White House , highlighting her own family 's experience with health care . In one touching moment , Obama recalled when daughter Sasha exhibited signs of potentially deadly meningitis when she was 4 months old . `` We did n't know what , but he -LSB- the doctor -RSB- told us she could have meningitis , so we were terrified . He said get to the emergency room right away , '' she said . `` Fortunately , things worked out . '' `` But it is that moment in our lives that flashes through my head every time we engage in this health insurance conversation . It 's that moment in my life , because I think about what on earth would we have done if we had not had insurance . '' Mrs. Obama not only faced the issue as a mother , but also as a daughter . `` My father has multiple sclerosis . He contracted it in his 20s . ... He was able to get up and go to work every day , even though it got harder for him as he got sicker and more debilitated . And I find myself thinking what would we had done as a family on the south side of Chicago if my father had n't had insurance . '' Watch more of Michelle Obama 's message '' Quinn says that personal story is critical in the health care debate -- something that has been lacking in the president 's message so far , which has often been deemed by pundits as too policy-oriented and too surgical in nature . `` What she 's doing is she 's humanizing the issue . And I think that has been missing in their -LSB- White House -RSB- campaign , '' she says . `` He 's been so focused on the details and the strategy and the money that the individual problems and issues have seemed to have gotten lost in the fray . '' Gloria Borger , a CNN senior political analyst , agreed . `` I think she 's always been a great asset to him , '' she said . `` She can help in this health care debate by not getting involved in the minutiae of the bills , but essentially emphasizing the reason we need health care reform . And that 's what she will stick to . '' Michelle Obama was a lightning rod -- both good and bad -- throughout her husband 's presidential campaign . Now , in her role as first lady , she has garnered greater support among American voters from both parties . A national survey by the Pew Research Center for People and the Press in April found that the first lady 's positive ratings have increased since her husband took office . The poll found that 76 percent of Americans had a favorable opinion of her , which is up from 68 percent in January . `` Much of the change has come among Republicans , especially Republican women , '' the organization noted . `` About two-thirds of Republican women -LSB- 67 percent -RSB- have a favorable impression of Michelle Obama , a gain of 21 points since January . '' But a first lady 's involvement in health care reform is nothing new . In the early '90s , first lady Hillary Clinton spearheaded the Clinton administration 's push for reform , holding meetings , testifying before congressional committees and , in general , taking charge of the issue . `` Hillary Clinton was the architect of health care reform , '' Borger said . As for whether Michelle Obama is mirroring Clinton 's role , the answer from both Borger and Quinn is absolutely not . `` I do n't see any parallels at all . ... The Clintons came in , and they had run on the platform of buy one , get one free , a co-presidency and all of that . And she took over this huge thing herself . Bill was n't doing it , '' Quinn said . She said the president , not Michelle Obama , was the was the one who pushed health care reform in his early domestic agenda . `` He promised in his campaign , and then he 's the one that did it . This is not Michelle 's plan . She has n't been doing the town meetings and the national press conferences , '' she added . Borger said that the first lady is playing a completely different role . `` It 's a much more supportive role , and it 's a role out of the policy arena , but more in the arena of just why we ought to think we need reform . '' | First lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks on health care reform Friday . Obama recalls personal health stories about her daughter and father . Analysts say her personal touch on the thorny issue could help her husband . | [[287, 300], [329, 382], [869, 878], [881, 895], [932, 983], [869, 878], [881, 895], [986, 1046], [869, 878], [881, 895], [986, 1046], [444, 508]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Television pioneer and longtime CBS executive Don Hewitt , the creator of `` 60 Minutes , '' has died , the network said Wednesday . He was 86 . Don Hewitt joined CBS News in 1948 . Hewitt , who had been battling pancreatic cancer , died at his home in Bridgehampton , New York , surrounded by his family , CBS said . The winner of eight Emmy and two Peabody awards , Hewitt began working for CBS News as an associate director in 1948 . He was executive producer of `` 60 Minutes '' when it premiered on CBS on September 24 , 1968 . Hewitt stepped down in June 2004 , but the program remains on the air and is the number-one news program , according to CBS News ' Web site . `` In the history of journalism , there have been few who were as creative , dynamic and versatile as Don Hewitt , '' said CBS Corp. . President Leslie Moonves . `` The depth and breadth of his accomplishments are impossible to measure , because since the very beginnings of our business , he quite literally invented so many of the vehicles by which we now communicate the news . '' Watch how Hewitt innovated television news '' `` He was bursting with passion for what we do : telling stories , '' said Jon Klein , president of CNN , who previously worked at CBS and oversaw `` 60 Minutes . '' Klein recalled his first day on the job as a 37-year-old , when Hewitt took him to lunch and told him , `` Listen , kid . It 's very simple . I have 10 ideas a day . Nine of them are terrible . Your job is to tell me which one is great . '' `` Don Hewitt did n't need a boss , '' Klein said . `` What he needed was somebody to bounce ideas off of . '' `` It is a sad and difficult time for all of us who work at '60 Minutes , ' '' Jeff Fager , the program 's current executive producer , said in a CBS statement . `` Don was a giant figure in our lives and will always have an impact on this broadcast -- there 's a part of him in every one of us , and it affects every decision we make . He will be remembered as a brilliant editor and storyteller , an irrepressible force who changed journalism forever . '' Born in 1922 in New York , Hewitt started his career in newspapers . `` His picture experience prompted a friend in 1948 to tell him about television , where CBS News had a job opening , '' according to a CBS statement . He told reporters years later his response was : `` Whatavision ? '' He directed the first television network newscast on May 3 , 1948 , featuring Douglas Edwards , the network said . In 1960 , he was named executive producer of `` The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite , '' a position he held for five years . In 1963 , the Cronkite broadcast became the first to go to a half-hour format . Hewitt 's innovations included the use of cue cards for news readers -- an early version of the electronic teleprompter that is used today , CBS said . In addition , he was the first to use `` supers '' -- captions and other written information superimposed on the lower third of the television screen , Klein said . And he was the first to use the film `` double '' -- cutting back and forth between projectors , CBS said . Hewitt also produced and directed coverage for the three main television networks for the first-ever televised presidential debate in 1960 between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy . `` Critics have long maintained that Kennedy won the debate because he looked better , '' CBS said . Hewitt recalled that he offered makeup to Kennedy first , but he refused , and Nixon followed suit . `` But the suntanned Kennedy was a vigorous contrast to Nixon , whose pasty complexion put his five o'clock shadow in high relief , '' CBS said . In hindsight , Hewitt recalled the incident as `` the first step in the dangerous dance between politicians and the special interests that provide the big money to buy the now-crucial political television advertising , '' CBS said . Hewitt was removed from his post at `` The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite '' after what CBS refers to as `` the NBC playbook incident , '' according to CBS . Hewitt found a lost copy of NBC 's coverage playbook at the 1964 Republican Convention and pocketed it , intending to use it to scoop his competitors . He gave it back `` after an NBC producer , it is said , threatened to throw him out a hotel window , '' CBS said . Following his removal from the news program , Hewitt `` knew he was off the frontlines , '' according to CBS News . `` Exiled with time on his hands , Hewitt then slowly emerged with the idea for what would become the most successful television program in history . '' Hewitt has publicly said that the lowest point for `` 60 Minutes '' was the Jeffrey Wigand story -- an interview with the highest-ranking tobacco executive to become a whistleblower . The interview was held back by CBS management out of fear of a $ 10 billion lawsuit that could bankrupt the company , according to the network statement . `` The initial spiking of the interview , in which Wigand revealed tobacco executives knew and covered up the fact that tobacco caused disease , led to an unusual '60 Minutes ' segment , '' CBS ' statement said . `` A portion of it , with Wigand disguised , was broadcast , followed by an unprecedented rebuke of management read on the air by Mike Wallace . '' The interview was aired in its entirety a few months later , in February 1997 . A movie about the incident , `` The Insider '' was made the following year . Hewitt said he felt he had no choice but to comply with management , opting to `` fight another day '' instead of quit , CBS said . But he later acknowledged in a documentary he was not proud of his actions at the time . He often told reporters inquiring about the secret of `` 60 Minutes '' that it was four words every child knows : `` Tell me a story . '' Hewitt authored two books -- `` Tell Me a Story : Fifty Years , '' and `` Minute by Minute . '' Hewitt won every major award in television journalism and was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1990 . After leaving `` 60 Minutes '' in 2004 , Hewitt was named executive producer of CBS News , where his duties included brainstorming ideas for television news and working on specials , the network said . As recently as 2007 , Hewitt was executive producer of the first-ever network television special coverage of the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Show on NBC . Hewitt is survived by his wife of 30 years , Marilyn Berger , along with his children and grandchildren , CBS said . His funeral will be private . | Television news pioneer , 86 , was battling pancreatic cancer . Hewitt innovated cue cards and captions , created `` 60 Minutes '' in 1968 . `` 60 Minutes '' executive producer : He was a `` force who changed journalism forever '' Award-winning journalist inducted into Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1990 . | [[152, 163], [201, 249], [2716, 2784], [456, 551], [2041, 2063], [2068, 2086], [5918, 5924], [5961, 6039]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- You ca n't get through a conversation with Jesse Dayton without hearing a reference to Texas at least once . Musician Jesse Dayton has branched out to a new fanbase by collaborating with Rob Zombie . He wears the name Beaumont , his birthplace , like a badge of honor and he rolls through a set list of stories about his musical collaborations in the Lone Star state with humble pride . Dayton has earned a hard core following in Texas . But his recent collaborations with rocker-turned-director Rob Zombie have earned him an unexpected fan base -- among horror movie fans . Most recently , Dayton joined Zombie to record a soundtrack for the movie `` Halloween II '' as Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures -- a gig that also earned him some time on screen . Watch Dayton discuss his new project '' Dayton spoke to CNN recently about his career and newfound fan base . The following is a portion of that interview : . CNN : You have a lot of appreciation for Waylon Jennings . Dayton : I was actually on a talk show in Nashville -LSB- Tennessee -RSB- and Waylon was cooking with his wife , Jessi Colter . They were watching the show I was on because Kris Kristofferson was on . They saw me and called me the next morning and said , `` Waylon cut his finger . He wants you to come down here . '' So it was a total fluke . Waylon was like my Elvis , especially growing up . My earliest memories were my mom 's 8-track in the parlor listening to Willie -LSB- Nelson -RSB- and Waylon . CNN : You are not really part of the Nashville music scene . Why ? Dayton : I 'm not intentionally staying away from what 's going on in Nashville . I 'm just being myself . Texas is like a whole other planet . Bob Wills got kicked off the Grand Ole Opry . Willie Nelson did n't get on the radio until he left Nashville . There 's a long history of that . I do n't put down Nashville . They 're just doing what they 're supposed to do , which is sell as many records as they can . But we 've just learned that there 's a whole crowd of people out there that love Johnny Cash but are n't into what they 're playing on country radio . That 's been the crowd we 're attracting . The cool thing we love about having a cult following is that radio and record companies can never take that away from us . It 's something we went out and earned one fan at a time . I love looking out in the crowd and seeing one guy with a cowboy hat on , one guy with long hair from the Rob Zombie camp and maybe some rockabilly kids . CNN : What is the story behind your collaboration with Rob Zombie in 2005 ? Dayton : He said , `` Hey man , we 're making the ultimate white trash horror movie called ` The Devil 's Rejects . ' We think your music would be perfect for it '' which is kind of a left-handed compliment , I guess . CNN : Now you 're appearing in `` Halloween II '' and recorded a soundtrack for the movie ? Dayton : It 's really fun for me . We 're taking on this whole identity of this band . The record 's going to be called `` Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures . '' -LSB- Zombie -RSB- would call me and say , `` Hey , I got this idea for this song called ` Doctor Demon and the Robot Girl ' '' or -LSB- he would ask me to write -RSB- a sort of '60s country thing-meets Tom Jones . CNN : Are you a good actor ? Dayton : Elvis said , `` The only thing worse than seeing a bad movie is being in one . '' I think the only thing worse than watching a bad actor is being one . I do n't take it seriously at all . I 'm just a musician who 's there for color . If I can show up and be myself and not have to act ? Perfect . | Country musician Jesse Dayton has gained fans among lovers of horror films . Dayton has been collaborating with rocker-turned-director Rob Zombie . Pair recorded `` Halloween II '' soundtrack and Dayton does some acting in movie . | [[128, 218], [461, 593], [128, 218], [128, 149], [184, 218], [461, 593], [594, 607], [610, 667]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The suspect in the killing of Yale pharmacology graduate student Annie Le appeared in court in New Haven , Connecticut , Tuesday , but did not enter a plea , his attorney told CNN . Raymond J. Clark III appears in court Tuesday in New Haven , Connecticut , where he is charged with murder . Raymond Clark III , 24 , a lab technician at Yale , is charged with murder in Le 's death . Tuesday 's scheduled hearing was continued until October 20 . It is standard procedure for defendants in murder cases not to enter a plea until a later stage in the case , public defender Beth Merkin told CNN . Clark eventually will plead not guilty , she said . Clark , of Branford , Connecticut , is being held in lieu of $ 3 million bail . The body of Le , 24 , was found inside a wall of a Yale lab building on September 12 -- the day she was to be married . She had been strangled , the Connecticut medical examiner 's office determined . Clark is not a Yale student , but has worked as a lab technician at the university since 2004 . He lived with his girlfriend , who also is a Yale lab technician , according to New Haven police . Follow a timeline of the case '' A Yale faculty member described Clark 's job as maintaining colonies for animals used in research . The lab is in the basement of the building where Le 's body was found . A motive in Le 's killing was unclear , but police said they were treating the case as workplace violence . Yale has announced a memorial service for Le on October 12 . The university is also establishing a scholarship in her memory . Le was buried in California on September 26 . `` You were born in my loving embrace , '' said Le 's mother , Vivian Van Le , reading a poem she 'd written in Vietnamese to those gathered for the funeral at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in El Dorado Hills . Her son and Annie Le 's brother , Chris Le , provided a translation . `` The most wonderful gift that God had sent to me . ... You left life at too young an age , at the beginning of many great things . All the dreams and hopes of your future gone with you to your resting place , '' Vivian Van Le said , according to her son . | NEW : Yale employee Raymond Clark defers plea , attorney says . NEW : Deferring plea is common practice in similar cases , lawyer says . Clark and victim Annie Le were co-workers at university laboratory . Le 's body was found in wall of lab building on day she was to be married . | [[745, 759], [762, 829], [833, 851], [833, 844], [849, 864], [1304, 1345]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- California corrections officials released a startling new prison mug shot of Grammy-winning music legend Phil Spector , convicted last month of second-degree murder and serving 19 years to life in prison . Phil Spector 's prison mug shot , taken June 5 , shows him without a hairpiece . Spector , 69 , is being held at North Kern State Prison , where he is being evaluated before receiving a permanent prison assignment , corrections spokesman Gordon Hinkle said . The process could take up to 70 days . The mug shot , which shows a bald-pated Spector , was taken on June 5 as part of the routine intake process . California prison inmates are not permitted to wear wigs under Title 15 , Article 5 , Section 3062 of the state 's prison regulations , which addresses inmate hygiene . Corrections officials also are concerned that wigs can be used to hide contraband . A judge in Los Angeles sentenced Spector last month to the maximum sentence for second-degree murder in the February 2003 shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson . Spector , 69 , wo n't be eligible for parole until he is 88 years old . Clarkson , 40 , was found dead , slumped in a chair in the foyer of Spector 's Alhambra mansion with a gunshot wound through the roof of her mouth . View a timeline of the case '' Spector 's retrial began in October and ended in April . It took jurors 30 hours to convict him . His first murder trial in 2007 ended in a mistrial when the jury deadlocked 10 to 2 in favor of conviction after 15 days of deliberations . Clarkson starred in the 1985 B-movie `` Barbarian Queen '' and appeared in many other films , including `` Deathstalker , '' `` Blind Date , '' `` Scarface , '' `` Fast Times at Ridgemont High '' and the spoof `` Amazon Women on the Moon . '' She was working as a VIP hostess at Hollywood 's House of Blues at the time of her death . At both trials , Spector 's attorneys argued Clarkson was depressed over a recent breakup and her flagging Hollywood career . They said she grabbed a .38 - caliber pistol and killed herself while at Spector 's home . But prosecution witnesses painted Spector as a gun-toting menace . Five women took the stand and testified he threatened them with firearms . His driver testified he heard a loud noise and saw Spector leave the home , pistol in hand , saying , `` I think I killed somebody . '' Spector 's professional trademark was the `` Wall of Sound , '' the layering of instrumental tracks and percussion that underpinned a string of hits on his Philles label , named for Spector and his business partner , Lester Sill , in the early 1960s . CNN 's Alan Duke contributed to this story . | NEW : Newly released photo taken at state prison intake center on June 5 . Music producer serving 19 years to life for 2003 slaying of Lana Clarkson . Actress was found shot dead in foyer of Spector 's California mansion . Jury deadlocked at first trial , Spector convicted of second-degree murder at retrial . | [[225, 256], [259, 271], [523, 535], [563, 632], [0, 5], [139, 224], [0, 15], [188, 224], [886, 1049], [1122, 1130], [1133, 1135], [1138, 1152], [1122, 1130], [1155, 1232], [0, 5], [139, 224], [1400, 1539]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It may have a fairy tale ending -- a story of perseverance and second chances that 's playing out live on the public stage of online networking . Brianna Karp 's trailer now sits outside a friend 's home near Los Angeles . But 24-year-old Brianna Karp 's story started as a nightmare . In a rocky economy , Karp was laid off from her Irvine , California , job as an executive assistant in July 2008 . She got by for a while on temp jobs and unemployment benefits . But when her savings dried up , she was no longer able to afford her rent . The only answer she saw then was a trailer she 'd inherited from her father -- a man she barely knew who had recently committed suicide . `` I was left with a truck and this camper , which I was going to sell but coincidentally this happened to me , '' she said . `` I thought , ` Well , I have this . ' '' Karp , who writes that she is also estranged from her mother , ended up camped in a Los Angeles-area Walmart parking lot . `` The first night , I think , in the Walmart parking lot was the scariest , '' she told CNN . `` I was panicking , and I was just afraid . '' For comfort , she had her mastiff named Fezzik . And she had her laptop computer . As she spent five months looking for jobs and blasting out resumes , often spending hour after hour at a coffee shop to take advantage of its free Wi-Fi connection , she also started blogging . The result , the Girl 's Guide to Homelessness , chronicled the ups and downs of her new life . She reminisced about adopting her dog , named for a character from the movie `` The Princess Bride , '' and mulled the pros and cons of having a pet while homeless . She recounted details from failed job interviews and offered tips for other homeless women . `` I was trying to stay positive and cheerful , '' Karp said . `` I started writing the blog in a tongue-in-cheek way to kind of laugh about my circumstances , keep them chronicled . I did n't think anyone would actually read it . '' Watch CNN 's Ted Rowland 's report on Brianna . '' But people did , including Matt Barnes , formerly homeless himself and running a Web site about his own homelessness issues in Scotland . He asked her to write for his site and would eventually become Brianna 's boyfriend . Another big break came through a shot at the weird world of reality television . Karp applied for a show that would offer contestants the chance at a job with Elle magazine advice columnist E. Jean Carroll . She was granted an audition for the show and , by her own account , totally botched it . `` I went back and blogged about bombing the interview and made fun of myself , '' she said . On a lark , she then wrote to Carroll via her column . `` Dear E. Jean : I 'm currently homeless and living in a Wal-Mart parking lot , '' her e-mail began . `` I 'm educated , I have never done drugs and I 'm not mentally ill . I have a strong employment history and am a career executive assistant . The instability sucks , but I 'm rocking it as best as I can . '' She told Carroll about her poor interview for the show and finished the note with the question , `` How does one get another shot when one screws up a job interview ? -- Homeless , but Not Hopeless . '' Carroll said she was floored by the note . '' -LSB- The phrase -RSB- ` I 'm living in a Walmart parking lot ' hooked me , '' she said . `` I thought , she 's so ready to work , obviously she can write , she 's got some skills . '' Her response appeared in the August issue of Elle -- she offered Karp an internship and a chance to write a fashion blog for the magazine . `` I think she 's a new voice , '' Carroll said . `` She 's a voice we have n't heard , and I 'm excited for her future . '' Not that all of her troubles were instantly over . Last month , she wrote , Walmart finally had her trailer towed , and she has now parked her mobile home at a friend 's house outside Los Angeles . She 's also still seeking that elusive full-time job , while hoping her newfound high profile will help spread the word about homelessness , and how it can happen to the most unlikely people . `` If you saw me walking down the street , you would n't assume I live in a parking lot , '' she writes on the blog . `` In short , I am just like you , except without the convenience of a permanent address . '' CNN 's Doug Gross contributed to this report . | 24-year-old went from being executive assistant to homelessness after layoff . Karp lived in Walmart parking lot , and her blog started grabbing attention . Elle columnist : `` I 'm excited for her future '' Karp hopes blog will educate people about homelessness . | [[305, 323], [326, 404], [867, 871], [878, 989], [2738, 2739], [2766, 2798], [3307, 3308], [3312, 3343], [3699, 3728]] |
SANTIAGO , Chile -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Arrest warrants for more than 120 former soldiers and agents of Chile 's National Intelligence Directorate were issued Tuesday for alleged human rights violations during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet , CNN Chile reported . Nearly 2,300 people disappeared during the rule of Augusto Pinochet , 1973-1990 , say government reports . The scale of the order by Judge Victor Montiglio makes this the largest human rights prosecution case in Chile 's history . The Pinochet dictatorship ruled from 1973-1990 , after which Chile returned to civilian rule under a democratically elected government . Government investigations conducted after Pinochet left power say nearly 2,300 people disappeared during the dictatorship and another 30,000 were tortured . At least 51 of the warrants were in connection with a disinformation campaign in the 1970s known as Operation Colombo that historians say was aimed at hiding human rights abuses . Other warrants were linked to Operation Condor , which involved a network of secret police agencies in the region that targeted political opponents in the mid - and late-1970s , and a plot against communist leaders known as the Calle Conferencia case . About half of those named in the warrants were facing charges related to the Pinochet regime for the first time . The warrants included former military and police officers who were members of Pinochet 's feared intelligence service , known as DINA . | Arrest warrants for more than 120 former soldiers and agents issued Tuesday . Warrants for alleged human rights violations during rule of Augusto Pinochet . Pinochet dictatorship ruled from 1973-1990 . 2,300 people disappeared during Pinochet 's rule , say government reports . | [[11, 32], [86, 242], [1338, 1395], [11, 32], [86, 242], [266, 345], [497, 543], [546, 633], [266, 345], [266, 285], [348, 372], [676, 790]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A proposed health-care compromise by the powerful chairman of the Senate Finance Committee lacks a government-run insurance option favored by Democrats and would tax the most expensive health insurance plans , a source close to the discussions told CNN Monday . Sen. Max Baucus , D-Montana , is the powerful chairman of the Senate Finance Committee . As expected , the proposal from Sen. Max Baucus , D-Montana , excludes the public insurance option to compete with private insurers . However , it would allow for the creation of nonprofit health care cooperatives -- an idea that some moderate Democrats and Republicans have expressed possible interest in supporting . The potential compromise proposal was sent to key Finance Committee negotiators Saturday night . It is considered a last-ditch effort to secure Republican votes for a health-care bill as President Obama pushes the issue with a planned speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night . So far , none of the three Republican senators involved in talks with Baucus on the compromise have indicated whether they support the version he is proposing . Congressional liberals are pushing strongly for inclusion of a public option ; conservatives are sharply opposed . Obama has said he supports a public option but has not clearly indicated he will veto a bill that fails to include it . On Monday , Obama reiterated his support for a public option in a Labor Day speech to a union gathering in Cincinnati . He outlined Democratic health-care proposals that include a public option as part of a menu of insurance choices , including private health-care plans , that the legislation would create . `` I continue to believe that a public option within that basket of insurance choices would help improve quality and bring down costs , '' Obama said to loud cheers . The president also indicated he would push hard for the House and Senate to move forward on passing health-care legislation in his upcoming address to Congress . `` The Congress and the country have been engaged in a vigorous debate for many months , '' Obama said . `` And the debate has been good , and that 's important because we have to get this right . `` But every debate at some point comes to an end , '' he continued , to growing applause . `` At some point , it 's time to decide . At some point , it 's time to act . And Ohio , it 's time to act to get this done . '' Baucus ' bill would cost less than $ 900 billion over 10 years , according to the source who spoke to CNN . The price tag is at least $ 100 billion less than any other health-care reform bill under consideration by Congress , the source said . As with other reform proposals , the bill would bar insurance companies from dropping a policyholder in the event of illness as long as that person has paid his or her premium in full . It adds new protections for people with pre-existing conditions and establishes tax credits to help low and middle-income families purchase insurance coverage , the source noted . It creates health insurance exchanges to make it easier for small groups and individuals to buy insurance . The bill would be paid for , in part , by a new tax on health insurance companies that provide high-end `` Cadillac '' insurance plans , the source added . Supporters of such a tax -- initially proposed by Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and other Democrats several weeks ago -- say will it help curb the cost of health care by discouraging employers from offering such plans . They also argue that consumers , in turn , will be discouraged from overusing the health care system . Watch senators discuss health care talks '' Critics claim the new tax will cause insurance companies to raise rates on all of their customers , even those without more expensive plans . The so-called `` Gang of Six '' Senate negotiators -- a group of three Democrats and three Republicans on the Finance Committee -- is scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss the proposal . The source , while stressing that the proposed bill is not a final product , said it closely reflects the group 's work and areas of agreement . Obama 's planned speech to Congress reflects how overhauling the nation 's ailing health-care system has become his top domestic priority . He laced his speech Monday with references to health care costs rising at three times the rate of wages , and insurance industry practices that deny coverage for pre-existing conditions or prevent people from obtaining coverage if they lose their jobs . Multiple sources told CNN Friday that the administration is preparing for the possibility of delivering its own legislation to Capitol Hill sometime after the president 's address . One source called the possibility of new legislation a `` contingency '' approach if efforts by Baucus to craft a deal fall through . A big open question is whether two Republican members of the Gang of Six -- Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa and Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming -- will support the bipartisan proposal . White House and Democratic leadership sources have said for some time they do not think Grassley and Enzi will sign on . A source close to the White House said Friday that the administration is leaning toward dropping the public option , and continues to zero in on trying to convince moderate Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe , another of the Senate Finance Committee negotiators , to come on board . Snowe and the White House have been discussing a trigger provision that would mandate creation of a public health insurance option if specific thresholds for expanded coverage and other changes are not met . Support by Snowe would improve the chances of the Senate 's Democratic majority to compile the 60 votes necessary to overcome a Republican filibuster against a health care bill . The Senate Finance Committee is the last of five congressional committees needed to approve health-care legislation before it can be taken up by the full Senate and House of Representatives . Different forms of the legislation proposed by Democrats have already cleared three House committees , as well as the Senate Health , Education , Labor and Pensions Committee . CNN 's Ted Barrett and Dana Bash contributed to this report . | Compromise lacks a government-run insurance option favored by some Democrats . Max Baucus ' proposal to negotiators would allow nonprofit cooperatives instead . Source says bill would cost less than $ 900 billion over 10 years . Some funding would come from new tax on companies with high-end plans . | [[0, 26], [121, 181], [525, 594], [2446, 2508], [2446, 2459], [2511, 2534], [0, 26], [186, 237]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tropical Storm Claudette is expected to make landfall in the Florida Panhandle by early Monday , and the storm 's outer bands already were pounding the area with heavy rain Sunday evening . Tropical Storm Claudette is seen off the coast of Destin , Florida , on Sunday afternoon . Claudette appeared on track to hit somewhere between Destin , Florida , and Panama City Beach , Florida , late Sunday or early Monday before moving through the panhandle and into southern Alabama , CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras said . Heavy rain from Claudette was hitting some of the Florida Panhandle counties Sunday , and some coastal areas there had the potential for localized flooding , said John Cherry , spokesman for the Florida Division of Emergency Management . `` What we 're just mainly asking is residents to stay off the roads tonight , and if you do approach a flooded area on a roadway , turn around , '' Cherry said . Shortly before 11 p.m. ET , the center of Claudette , with maximum sustained winds near 50 mph , was in the Gulf of Mexico about 25 miles west of Panama City , Florida , and about 70 miles east-southeast of Pensacola , the National Hurricane Center said . It was moving northwest at about 12 mph . A tropical storm warning was in effect from the Alabama-Florida border east to the Aucilla River . A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area in the next 24 hours . The storm could bring 3 to 6 inches of rain , with isolated amounts up to 10 inches , across portions of the Florida Panhandle , central and southern Alabama and extreme southwestern Georgia . Storm surges and isolated tornadoes also were possible across portions of North Florida . Authorities urged voluntary evacuations in the low-lying Alligator Point area of Florida 's Franklin County because of concerns about possible flooding , said Mike Stone , spokesman for the Florida Emergency Operations Center . He said he knew of no other evacuations in the state . Mariners in the Panhandle and Big Bend areas of Florida should stay at harbor , the Florida Division of Emergency Management said in a statement . Meanwhile , two other severe storms were in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday . Tropical Depression Ana , which was downgraded from a tropical storm Sunday afternoon , was moving across the Leeward Islands late Sunday , while Tropical Storm Bill was gaining strength as it followed behind Ana . iReport.com : Are you in Claudette 's path ? Ana was about 25 miles -LRB- 40 kilometers -RRB- southeast of Guadeloupe shortly before 11 p.m. ET Sunday . It was expected to enter the northeastern Caribbean Sea and weaken as it approaches the Dominican Republic on Monday , the center said . It was moving east near 26 mph , and its maximum sustained winds were close to 35 mph , the center said . Tropical storm watches were in effect for Puerto Rico , the U.S. Virgin Islands , the British Virgin Islands , Montserrat , Antigua , Barbuda , St. Kitts , Nevis , Anguilla , St. Maarten , Saba , St. Eustatius , Guadeloupe , St. Martin , St. Barthelemey , and part of the Dominican Republic . Ana was expected to drop 2 to 4 inches of rain over the Leeward Islands , with isolated maximum amounts of 6 inches possible over mountainous terrain , the hurricane center said . Tropical Storm Bill -- which is forecast to become a hurricane on Monday -- was in the Atlantic heading west-northwest with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph . The storm 's center was about 1,320 miles -LRB- 2,120 kilometers -RRB- east of the Lesser Antilles shortly before 11 p.m. ET Sunday . | Tropical Storm Claudette expected to hit land by Monday morning . Storm 's maximum sustained winds near 50 mph . Voluntary evacuations urged in part of Franklin County , Florida , for flooding concerns . Tropical Storm Bill forecast to become a hurricane Monday . | [[0, 15], [19, 113], [937, 962], [965, 1031], [1034, 1153], [1730, 1837], [3319, 3338], [3348, 3391]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Vera Lynn , who made her name entertaining troops in World War II after recording her first song 70 years ago , has become the oldest living artist to have a number one album . At 92 , Vera Lynn is the oldest person to have a number one album . The 92-year-old 's album `` We 'll Meet Again -- The Very Best of Vera Lynn '' took the top spot in the British charts on Sunday , even outselling much-hyped re-mastered versions of the Beatles ' back catalogue , according to the UK 's Official Charts Company . The previous oldest living artist to top the charts was Bob Dylan , who at 67 saw his album `` Together Through Life '' become number one in the UK earlier this year . `` I am extremely surprised and delighted , and a big ` thank you ' to all my fans for putting me there , '' Lynn said , according the UK Press Association . During the war , Lynn was known as the `` Forces ' Sweetheart '' for hits such as `` The White Cliffs of Dover '' which struck a chord with British soldiers fighting overseas and audiences at home . Britain 's Queen Elizabeth II awarded the veteran singer the Order of the British Empire -LRB- OBE -RRB- in 1959 and in 1975 made her a dame . According to the Official Charts Company , the reissued Beatles albums took in the fifth , sixth , ninth , 10th , 21st , 24th , 29th , 31st , 33rd , 37th and 38th spots . | Vera Lynn is oldest living artist to have a number one album . 92-year-old made her name as `` Forces ' Sweetheart '' during World War II . Hits include `` We 'll Meet Again , '' and `` White Cliffs of Dover '' | [[0, 6], [9, 32], [148, 212], [213, 218], [221, 280], [36, 45], [52, 117], [869, 883], [886, 952]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A woman who said she had a mother-daughter relationship with slain model Jasmine Fiore told CNN 's Larry King on Thursday night that Fiore never informed her that she had been married . An arrest warrant has been issued for Ryan Alexander Jenkins , wanted in the death of ex-wife Jasmine Fiore . Gwendolyn Beauregard said Fiore was a close friend of her two sons , and she met the future model when Fiore was just 11 . Despite the close ties -- `` she called me mommy and she was my daughter '' -- Beauregard was in the dark about Fiore 's marriage to Ryan Jenkins . The marriage reportedly was annulled a few weeks after their Las Vegas , Nevada , wedding . An arrest warrant for murder has been issued for Jenkins , a reality TV contestant . Authorities believe he 's fled to Canada . Fiore 's body was found Saturday , stuffed into a suitcase and left in a Dumpster in Buena Park , just outside Anaheim in Orange County , California . Interviewed from San Francisco , California , Beauregard told King all she knew about Jenkins was his initial meeting with Fiore . `` She did n't tell me that she married him . She told me -LSB- about -RSB- the day that they met , which was St. Patrick 's Day , '' Beauregard said . `` She called me the day after and she said : ` Mommy , I met the most perfect guy in the world and -- and his name is Ryan . ' And she just went on and on and on about Ryan and how perfect he was . And that was all I knew . '' Beauregard told King she 's never met Ryan Jenkins . Mike Fleeman , the West Coast editor of People.com , described more details of Fiore 's whirlwind courtship with Jenkins to King . `` They met in Las Vegas . Two days later -LSB- in March -RSB- , they got married at the Little White Wedding Chapel . That 's , of course , where Britney Spears got married , '' Fleeman told King . `` It was a quickie wedding . We today talked to somebody who was at the wedding . One of the witnesses was an employee of the chapel . A lot of people were shocked that both of them were married . They kept it under wraps . And the marriage had a lot of problems almost from the very beginning , '' Fleeman said . Fleeman told King that Jenkins was arrested and charged with domestic assault against Fiore in Nevada in June and that Jenkins was supposed to go to trial in December . Beauregard told King that Fiore , who was 28 when she died , started modeling in her early 20s . Despite their deep bond , Beauregard said Fiore had ties with her biological mother , Lisa Lepore . `` She was close to her mother , as well , but it was a different type of closeness . '' Adding to the horror of the slaying was that Fiore 's teeth had been extracted and her fingers removed . Criminal profiler Pat Brown told Larry King that act provided key crucial evidence early in the investigation . `` It was very clear from the very beginning , when they found her body in a piece of luggage , that we were n't dealing with a serial killer . I knew it was somebody who knew her and -LSB- that her killer -RSB- wanted to make sure that she was not identified , '' Brown said . `` This is why he -LSB- the suspect -LSB- ended up cutting off her fingers ... taking out her teeth . He even got smart . He watched too many crime shows and thought he would get rid of all ID , took away her clothes , put her in the luggage , probably because it 's one way to get her of an apartment . And throw it a Dumpster and hope that time will take care of it , she 'll decompose , they 'll never be able to identify her , '' Brown said . Jenkins has appeared on VH1 shows `` Megan Wants a Millionaire '' and `` I Love Money 3 . '' `` This is a very arrogant man , '' Brown said . `` Megan said it right on the show . She said he 's a manipulator . He is . He has evidence of psychopathy there . '' The brutality of the crime has hit Fiore 's circle of friends hard . `` Ryan Jenkins is an animal , '' said Robert Hasman , a family friend who said Fiore had been his girlfriend for 2 1/2 years . Watch Hasman speak out '' `` What he has done to Jasmine is unspeakable . It 's just not right . '' He described her as `` a beautiful person who was a very caring individual . '' Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said on `` Larry King Live '' that Jenkins is the only suspect . `` There is no indication that anybody else might be involved , '' he said . `` We believe he 's armed because there 's a handgun missing from his apartment , which is the last place he was before ... he fled . So it appears that he 's armed . And he 's certainly dangerous because he 's desperate , '' Rackauckas said . | Gwendolyn Beauregard says she had mother-daughter relationship with slain model . Beauregard says Jasmine Fiore kept her in dark about marriage to Ryan Jenkins . Jenkins , Fiore got annulment ; he 's the suspect in her gruesome slaying . Criminal profiler says slaying 's details showed this was not act of serial killer . | [[19, 26], [31, 99], [2458, 2515], [0, 15], [106, 181], [152, 204], [517, 585], [1091, 1133], [2939, 2981]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hundreds of people attending Comic-Con in San Diego , California , will transform into zombies on Thursday . A `` zombie walk '' at Comic-Con will promote the upcoming `` Zombieland '' movie . They 'll converge in a `` zombie walk '' through the San Diego Convention Center to promote Woody Harrelson 's upcoming post-apocalyptic comedy , `` Zombieland . '' Comic-Con is an annual gathering of 125,000 people whose interests include comic book and science fiction film and TV , anime , toys and video games . Major movie studios and TV networks use the convention to launch their latest productions . Zombie movies have been on the rise in recent years , and the type of zombies on the big screen has been evolving with the times . George Romero 's 1968 film `` Night of the Living Dead '' -- followed by `` Dawn of the Dead '' -- popularized zombies `` based on the original Haitian voodoo kind of zombie , the supernatural being , the walking dead or the undead , '' said `` Zombieland '' director Ruben Fleischer . Zombie films made `` a seismic shift in zombies with Danny Boyle 's film '28 Days Later , ' where it became a more viral-based thing , a diseased population , as opposed to from the grave , '' Fleischer said . In `` Zombieland , '' living people are infected by a fast-spreading virus that turns them into `` this other being '' that is fast , ferocious and flesh-eating , he said . `` These modern zombies are reflective of some of the perils of what can happen with overpopulation and disease control and how quickly things can spread and become a problem . '' iReport.com : Going to Comic-Con ? Fleischer , along with screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick , consulted a disease expert `` to get to the bottom of what the modern pandemic would be , '' he said . `` When swine flu happened , it was after we finished shooting , but it just really reminded me of how these things can spread so quickly and a whole population can be devastated , '' he said . While about 500 extras were hired to be zombies in Fleischer 's movie , even more Comic-Con participants could take part in Thursday 's zombie walk . Sony has hired professional makeup artists to get them ready . Fleischer said those portraying a modern zombie should think like `` a rabid dog . '' Do n't lumber along like Frankenstein 's monster , but move with `` a real furious anger and intensity '' and `` a lot of grunting and snarling and growling , '' he said . `` Zombies do n't talk . '' Hunger is a modern zombie 's chief motivation , he said : `` I think that they 're definitely cannibalistic . They want to eat people . '' What does a modern zombie wear ? Fleischer 's zombies come as they are , whether in a work uniform or dressed for the mall . `` It 's as if you were at the mall and some zombies attacked and everyone there got turned into a zombie , '' he said . `` They 'd be wearing the same clothes that they had before . They 'd be dressed in the same way . '' Fleischer developed a list of 150 types of zombies for his film , including construction workers , moms , a punk rocker and preppie zombies . `` They 're just people who got infected , like a modern pandemic , '' he said . `` Zombieland '' -- which hits theaters October 9 -- brings out the humor in killing zombies , which is Harrelson 's specialty . `` They 're not easy to kill , so sometimes you 've got to get them more than once , '' Fleischer said . `` You 've got to make sure you get them because they 'll keep coming if you do n't . '' Harrelson blamed post-traumatic stress from filming for his scuffle with a TMZ photographer at an airport the day after shooting wrapped in Georgia in April . `` With my daughter at the airport I was startled by a paparazzo who I quite understandably mistook for a zombie , '' Harrelson said . While Harrelson will be at Comic-Con to promote the movie , it was not known if he would be kept away from Thursday 's zombie walk . | Some Comic-Con attendees will become zombies to celebrate new film . `` Zombieland , '' starring Woody Harrelson , to debut in October . Comic-Con draws more than 100,000 fans annually . | [[0, 15], [73, 127], [128, 211], [3212, 3225], [3235, 3258]] |
HARARE , Zimbabwe -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A European Union delegation met Saturday with Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe , who said the parties had established a `` good rapport . '' President Mugabe and his wife , Grace , arrive for a ZANU PF party youth conference on Friday . `` There was no animosity , it was quite friendly , '' Mugabe said . Gunilla Carlsson , the Swedish minister for International Development Cooperation , said the parties `` definitely made some progress . '' `` Of course we did n't agree with everything Mr. Mugabe said , but it was a correct meeting and we exchanged views , '' Carlsson , who is heading the mission , told CNN 's Rosemary Church . The delegation met with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai later on Saturday . Carlsson spokesman Peter Larsson had said earlier that `` there was no sense of any hostility from Mugabe . '' Larsson was referring to remarks the Zimbabwean president made Friday , when he condemned `` bloody whites '' for meddling in his country 's affairs . Carlsson is heading the mission to Zimbabwe . `` Sanctions or no sanctions , Zimbabwe remains ours , '' . Mugabe told his ZANU-PF party 's youth conference in Harare on Friday . `` Who said the British and the Americans should rule over others ? That 's why we say , down with you . We have not invited these bloody whites . They want to poke their nose into our own affairs . Refuse that , '' he said . The European Union imposed travel bans on Mugabe and his representatives in 2002 . The bans were imposed after accusations of human rights violations and election fraud . In addition to travel restrictions , the European Union has frozen the assets of more than 200 Zimbabweans for allegedly violating human rights , according to Sweden , which holds the rotating presidency of the EU this year . On Saturday , Mugabe again addressed `` sanctions , '' saying he was dismayed that they were not lifted after meeting with the EU delegation . `` I have always been disappointed with sanctions on Zimbabwe , '' he said , adding that the EU delegation `` thought things were not working , yet we did all the things we were asked to do '' under a power-sharing agreement signed in September last year . Larsson said there was no discussion about the restrictions at the meeting . Under the agreement , which was to end months of turmoil and violence that followed the country 's March 2008 presidential elections , Mugabe retained his office , and opposition leader Tsvangirai became prime minister . The agreement -- the Global Political Agreement -- spelled out a number of fundamental democratic reforms , but so far there has been no progress toward them , Carlsson said in a statement ahead of the meetings with Mugabe and Tsvangirai . `` There have not yet been clear positive developments in all areas . I am still concerned at the lack of democratic development , '' she said then . After meeting with Tsvangirai , Carlsson told CNN that `` Tsvangirai 's government is working hard towards the implementation of the political agreement . '' She added , `` After such a long time of oppression , it is of course hard to move forward and change will take some time . But the EU is committed to follow up on this progress and encourage change . '' CNN 's Per Nyberg in London , England , contributed to this report . | Of EU meeting , Mugabe said `` there was no animosity , it was quite friendly '' EU officials in Zimbabwe to ease relations , push progress on political reforms . European Union imposed travel bans on Mugabe , his representatives in 2002 . President Robert Mugabe says West tries to impose its rules on Zimbabwe . | [[83, 115], [122, 174], [302, 323], [750, 857], [805, 857], [3187, 3193], [3241, 3259], [1416, 1498]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The H1N1 flu virus could cause up to 90,000 U.S. deaths , mainly among children and young adults , if it resurges this fall as expected , according to a report released Monday by a presidential advisory panel . The report urges speedier production of the H1N1 vaccine and the availability of some doses by September . The H1N1 virus , commonly known as swine flu virus , could infect between 30 percent and 50 percent of the American population during the fall and winter and lead to as many as 1.8 million U.S. hospital admissions , the President 's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology reported . The report says 30,000 to 90,000 deaths are projected as part of a `` plausible scenario '' involving large outbreaks at schools , inadequate antiviral supplies and the virus peaking before vaccinations have time to be effective . Up to 40,000 U.S. deaths are linked to seasonal flu each year , with most of the fatalities occurring among people over 65 . With seasonal flu and H1N1 , this fall is expected to bring more influenza deaths and place `` enormous stress '' on intensive care units nationwide , which normally operate near capacity , the report says . An H1N1 resurgence may happen as early as September , at the beginning of the school year , and infections may peak in mid-October , according to the report . However , the H1N1 vaccine is n't expected to be available until mid-October , and even then it will take several weeks for vaccinated individuals to develop immunity , the report says . Watch more on H1N1 predictions for this fall '' The potential `` mismatch in timing '' could significantly diminish the usefulness of the H1N1 vaccine , the report says . `` Even with the best efforts , this will cause some illness , some severe illness and unfortunately , some deaths , '' Thomas Frieden , director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , said Monday . `` But a lot so far has gone remarkably right , '' Frieden said . `` There 's a vaccine well on its way to being distributed , diagnostic tests available in well over 100 laboratories , treatments pre-positioned around the country ... and guidance issued for health care providers , schools , businesses and other communities . '' Among the report 's recommendations are for government agencies to : . • Prepare several `` planning scenarios '' to determine demand for supplies and care . • Set up surveillance systems to track information about influenza-like illnesses . • Develop plans to protect the public 's most vulnerable groups , such as pregnant women and those with pre-existing medical conditions . • Speed up the production of the H1N1 vaccine and have an initial batch -- enough to vaccinate up to 40 million people , especially those who are at risk of serious disease -- by mid-September . Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the government 's preparation and guidance for the public was based on the need to strike a balance `` on a continuum of being paralyzed with fear versus complacency . '' So far , clinical trials for the H1N1 vaccine have not indicated adverse side effects beyond what are experienced with the seasonal flu vaccine , Sebelius said . However , there would be no formal decision to launch a vaccination campaign until those trials were complete , she said . That decision would be hers , she said , and she emphasized that any vaccination program would be strictly voluntary . Pregnant women , health care workers and parents or guardians of infants under 6 months of age are among the most vulnerable segments of the population , Sebelius has said . Adults under the age of 65 with an underlying health condition -- such as asthma -- are also considered to be more at risk from the H1N1 virus . H1N1 preparation guidelines for the nation 's businesses and school systems were released three weeks ago . The plans are available at the Web site www.flu.gov . The H1N1 vaccine would require two shots , the second three weeks after the first . Immunity to the virus would not kick in until two weeks after the second shot . The World Health Organization declared the H1N1 virus a global pandemic on June 11 . More than 1,490 people around the world have died from the virus since it emerged this spring , a WHO official said last week . CNN 's Caleb Hellerman contributed to this report . | Panel : Up to 50 percent of U.S. population could be infected this fall , winter . H1N1 , plus seasonal flu , could place `` enormous stress '' on hospitals . Vaccine expected in mid-October , but too late to help many , panel says . Panel urges availability of some doses by mid-September . | [[348, 362], [393, 501], [1023, 1097], [1371, 1437], [241, 347]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's the year 2000 , and Eric Olsen is a medieval knight sheathed in armor with sword in hand . Tracey and Mac Carlson were married in January after meeting at the 2006 Dragon * Con . The 27-year-old is waiting in a line at Dragon * Con , an annual science fiction costume and convention extravaganza that appeals to comic book nerds , horror movie buffs and anyone with a liking for the fantasy side of pop culture . He spots a red-headed princess in a blue ball gown , reminiscent of a Walt Disney fairy-tale , about 15 feet behind him . She is stunning . Is she single ? Will she talk to me ? What do I say ? By the time Olsen rationalizes his jittery thoughts , he has already asked the princess , Sandra Frazer , 19 , out to breakfast . Forget about the drunken bar scene or painful blind dates . As Dragon * Con concludes this week , some single attendees are finding themselves coupled with someone who understands their passion for science fiction and fantasy . Watch Dragon * Con participants talk romance '' When Olsen and Frazer finished their first date , the seeds of love had already been planted . They dated long distance for a year before Olsen proposed the following year at a Dragon * Con costume competition . Frazer , in a leather Catwoman jumpsuit , accepted the ring . `` I 've never cared about football or any of the normal guy stuff , '' said Olsen , a home health care director who enjoys obscure sci-fi television shows and elaborate costuming . `` I met someone who shared my same geeky interests , and that 's hard to find . '' Pat Henry , chairman for Dragon * Con , said his staff sees romances blossom at the convention each year . Hundreds of proposals have occurred at the event since it began two decades ago . Requests roll in by phone several times a month from couples eager to hold their weddings at Dragon * Con , their meeting place . Share your sci-fi convention love story with CNN.com . The likelihood of finding a partner who enjoys alien movies or X-men comics is n't bad : Dragon * Con has evolved from a small gathering of a few thousand participants to a legendary event that reels in about 35,000 people from all over the world . It 's one of the largest science fiction , fantasy and cult media conventions in the world . `` The chances are in favor of the females , '' joked Henry , who noted the convention participants are mostly men , though the number of female participants has increased over the years . `` The other thing is if you marry a geek , you know you can keep them at home with the latest science fiction books or video games . '' The convention -- four days of panels , events and parties -- offers bountiful opportunities to let the singles mingle . It 's an adult playpen where geekiness is revered . The panels debate the science of Michael Crichton books and dissect the `` Star Wars '' scripts . Parties include a Buffy Prom for fans of the 1990s Joss Whedon television teen drama `` Buffy the Vampire Slayer '' and the Miss Klingon Empire Beauty pageant themed after `` Star Trek '' . Perhaps the best-known event is the Dragon * Con parade , a Halloween party for grownups , some of whom have spent the entire year preparing their costumes . At this year 's spectacle , a gray Saturday morning was lit up by a colorful throng of fairies with pink wings , elves in spandex , pirates in corsets and Jedi soldiers flashing lightsabers . What better way to strike up a conversation than while people are watching together ? `` You ca n't settle , '' said Dragon * Con attendee Dino Andrade , who created Soulgeek.com , a dating Web site for fantasy convention attendees and sci-fi nerds . `` You ca n't be with somebody who 's going to hope that someday you 're going to grow out of this . '' Three years ago at Dragon * Con , Tracey Carlson was smoking outside one morning in her Batman pajamas when her future husband approached her . During their first dinner date at the convention , the two slipped into a deep discussion about `` Babylon 5 , '' a sci-fi television series by J. Michael Straczynski . `` I 've had friends set me up with total strangers , but it 's hard to keep the conversation going if the person is n't into what you are , '' said husband Mac Carlson . They were married in January and their reception cake depicted Tim Burton 's `` The Nightmare Before Christmas , '' one of Tracey Carlson 's favorite movies . But romance at Dragon * Con can be short-lived and have downsides , said Kelly Rowles , a 25-year-old from Pennsylvania who runs a blog called Convention Fans . Attending her fifth Dragon * Con this year , Rowles has noticed the convention is more likely to produce hookups than serious relationships , and some participants meet compatible singles who live hundreds of miles away . Accountant Petrona Zickgraf , 43 , of New Jersey , understands the long distance challenge . She met her boyfriend at a movie screening at Dragon * Con last year , and he lives 250 miles from her in Virginia . They visit each other regularly to share their affinity for science fiction , but they also share other interests such as hiking and visiting museums . `` Let 's just say one of us will move soon , '' said Zickgraf , who was outfitted as comic book heroine Vampirella in a revealing pleather jumpsuit . She and her boyfriend , arms wrapped around each other , were celebrating their one-year anniversary at Dragon * Con this weekend . Sometimes , all it takes to meet your soul mate is the right rooming situation . Katie Marcinkowski , a high school English teacher from New York , attended for the first time last year because she enjoyed science fiction novels . She filed a request for roommates on a Dragon * Con LiveJournal Web page , a popular choice among attendees who want to save money by splitting a hotel room . Assigned to her room was 23-year-old Kellan Potts of Tennessee , who has since become her boyfriend . They share a fondness for `` Torchwood , '' a British sci-fi show about extraterrestrials . `` You do n't meet the kind of people who like the same kind of stuff out in the real world , '' said Marcinkowski , dressed in a suede warrior woman costume and holding hands with her boyfriend at the convention this year . `` I ca n't go up to guys and say I like sci-fi and fantasy . They will look at you and say , ` You 're weird . ' '' | Romance blooms each year at Dragon * Con , a convention for sci-fi fantasy geeks . Officials get dozens of wedding requests from couples who met at event . The annual event attracts about 35,000 people from all over the world . Long-distance relationships can be challenge for couples who meet at event . | [[1596, 1605], [1636, 1702], [840, 875], [878, 943], [1785, 1845], [2141, 2158], [2164, 2218]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Van Jones defies environmentalist stereotypes . He 's not the earthy-crunchy , Birkenstock-wearing type . Nor is he a contemporary and corporate version -- a hedge fund-fueled entrepreneur looking to make millions by building wind farms and solar-powered corporate headquarters . `` We want to bring green jobs to people who do n't have hope , '' says Van Jones , the president 's `` green jobs '' chief . The new special adviser for `` green jobs '' -- those jobs that help reduce energy consumption and lessen environmental impact -- at the White House Council on Environmental Quality is in some ways like President Obama himself : an African-American community activist and organizer who has rocketed to the highest levels of government . Jones says it was death , of all things , that set him on his current career path as a green-jobs guru . In describing his turn from social activist to environmentalist , Jones recounted his experiences with young people in Oakland , California . `` I got involved in this work because I got tired of going to funerals . I got tired of seeing young people without any hope , '' Jones told CNN . `` I wanted them to have a better future . I said , ` Why do n't we get these young people trained in green jobs so they can be a part of all these companies that are getting started ? ' '' So Jones , a Yale Law School graduate and longtime community activist , started an organization called `` Green For All '' in Oakland . The mission was to figure out how to train underprivileged young people in green-jobs skills , such as installing solar panels and retrofitting houses to make them more energy efficient . Watch more on Van Jones ' career '' `` People talk about global warming . ... I want to cool the Earth down . I also want to calm the block down , '' said Jones . Jones ' efforts earned him national recognition and grabbed the attention of Obama 's advisers . Now , he is the president 's pitchman for green jobs , helping to coordinate government agencies focused on delivering millions of green jobs to the ailing U.S. economy . `` I see myself as the green-jobs handyman . My job is to make sure that the president 's desire that we have literally millions of green jobs in our country actually turns into reality , '' said Jones . Yet even in places like Michigan , where unemployment is a whopping 15 percent -- well above the national average of 9.5 percent -- Jones understands there 's skepticism about his message . CNN followed Jones on a recent visit to Lansing , Michigan , where he told attendees at a green-jobs conference that saving the planet and saving jobs can go hand in hand . `` You say , ` Oh no , oh no -- you 're gon na talk about the caulking gun . Oh no ! ' '' Jones joked with the crowd . Critics , though , have serious concerns about the `` green collar '' agenda . They argue that those green jobs -- retrofitting homes to make them more energy-efficient , for instance -- will be mostly low-level and low-paying . Jones dismisses that . `` You take somebody and maybe this summer they 're putting up solar panels , '' Jones said . `` Well guess what , this is a growing part of our economy -- the next summer they can be a manager , the next summer , maybe they can be an owner , an investor , an inventor . '' While Jones tries to spread his green message , he 's also trying to practice what he preaches . That means taking public transportation , including a bus and train ride , to get to his office just across the street from the White House . He says those rides give him valuable opportunities to hear unvarnished views . Describing his work as a member of the executive branch , Jones said , `` Everybody that comes talk to us , they 've already got an agenda , they 've got their game face on . -LSB- On -RSB- public transportation , people are themselves . '' As for who Jones is , he gave CNN a brief look at his new office at the White House Council on Environmental Quality . On the walls hang pictures of his heroes , each Jones described with a different strength . Basketball legend Michael Jordan : dedication and commitment . Boxing legend Muhammad Ali : fighting spirit . Finally , pointing to a picture above his desk , Jones ' tone grew softer . `` This is Bobby Kennedy the day before he was killed . In Watts , talking to some of the poorest people in California . And look at him . I mean , he 's just present , '' Jones said , his eyes focused on Kennedy 's image . `` We want to bring green jobs to these kind of folks . We want to bring green jobs to people who do n't have hope . '' | Van Jones says death set him on career path : `` I got tired of going to funerals '' He worked as a social activist before becoming `` green-jobs '' guru . He advises president on jobs that help cut energy use , do n't harm environment . Jones : `` I see myself as the green-jobs handyman '' | [[1059, 1093], [484, 494], [500, 562], [436, 459], [484, 489], [535, 562], [2116, 2157]] |
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